The Outrider

November/December 1997

On December 1, 1997, Governor Geringer submitted his proposed biennial budget request for 1999-2000, and the State Library’s $5.1 million exception budget was denied.

The exception budget involved a blending of traditional and electronic library services and was submitted on behalf of the Wyoming library community. Funds requested would have enabled libraries to support such initiatives as workforce development, education, and community development by providing resources at the local level.

Although the proposal lacks the Governor’s recommendation, the library community feels strongly about the need to have the funds for library services added to the budget during the upcoming legislative session.

A memo from Kim Capron, chair of Wyoming Library Association’s (WLA) Legislative Committee, said librarians of Wyoming are greatly concerned about the Governor’s action and its considerable impact on the Wyoming Libraries Database (WYLD) network.

WLA executive board and legislative committee members believe these budget initiatives to be of such importance that they plan to take these issues directly to the legislature and encourage funding of at least the WYLD components to the exception budget. The components are:

• WYLD databases
• Training programs
• Telecommunications
• Windows interface software upgrade

Additional funding for WYLD is critical to upgrade the statewide network of academic, public, school and special libraries, which serves all Wyoming citizens by improving their access to information. Nearly 390,000 library users accessed the system last year, and the numbers are growing.

WYLD also fits into the state’s focus on education reform as it provides continued access to information for students during and after school hours.

If the legislature doesn’t approve the additional funds, libraries will have to evaluate existing programs, and federal dollars will have to be used to support WYLD.

The State Library will not be able to fund some of the existing or proposed youth and family services programs. Also, upgrades of hardware and software will have to be deferred until the next biennium.

State Library Board members will discuss the budget at their December meeting, as they feel it is important that funding be made available at the local level to ensure quality library services.State Librarian Helen Meadors said, "I understand the Governor'’s position, and realize priority has to be given to budget initiatives mandated by law." She said she is encouraged by the Governor’s comments regarding his support for WYLD and feels library needs will be addressed, if not now, some time in the near future.

On Jan. 6, the WYLD Database Products Committee is hosting demonstrations of products by seven different vendors to consider for statewide licensing and access on WYLD for the coming year.

If WYLD migrates to a graphical PAC as planned next summer, it opens possibilities for expansion of access to WEB-based products.

Unlike the databases previously offered through the DRANET using the common DRA gateway search engine, each WEB product vendor utilizes a slightly different search strategy. For this reason, the committee is hosting the demonstrations to ensure that WYLD libraries maximize trial access to the targeted databases for the evaluation period slated for January 12 - March 12.

The Committee welcomes the attendance of any Wyoming library personnel who would like to see demonstration of the databases. Because of seating capacity, those interested in attending should contact Corky Walters at the State Library of their intent to attend: cwalters@wyld.state.wy.us or phone: 307/777-6339. Vendors and products to be demonstrated at this session at Casper College Library include:

• 8:30-9:30 am Newsbank

• 9:30-10:30 am SIRS

• 10:30-11:30 am Electric Library

• 11:30-12:30 pm NoveList

• 1-2 pm UMI family of databases

• 2-3 pm Ebsco family of Database

• 3-4 pm IAC family Databases

• WYLD Databases provide residents access to over seven (7) million dollars worth of annual subscriptions for only $144,000/biennium (the State Library’s 60 percent share). Such savings are achieved through contractual agreements for state-wide licenses negotiated by the State Library on behalf of WYLD member libraries. $144,000

• Training programs, including database and Internet searching, for the library staff so they can better assist the general public to fully utilize the richness of all WYLD resources. $86,000

• The Web environment requires increased bandwidth for the delivery of information via the WYLD system which in turn increases the telecommunications cost. Any potential Universal Service Fund (USF) discounts cannot be counted on. USF regulations require applicants to have sufficient budgets to cover the cost of telecommunications. $310,400

• Migration to DRA Web2, a windows interface software upgrade, is critical for providing access to the web environment through the WYLD menu. Hardware and software upgrades for the central server to accommodate the inclusion of school libraries in WYLD. $385,000

  DRA Web2 will make all WYLD CAT terminals web accessible terminals. Potentially capable of multimedia presentation of information in audio, video, graphic forms, a more "popular and user friendly format."

  Development of a "Wyoming Virtual Library" that integrates information for, by and of Wyoming into the web environment.

  Point and click operations in the windows web environment, not typing skills, enables one to move seamlessly between different kinds of databases i.e., WYLD, IAC Indexes and web sites.

  Broadens choices of sources to search regional, national, and global environment.

  Exposes children and adults to the technologies of the future for study and work.

Budget to support is:
$385,000 hardware and software upgrade
$540,920 databases, maintenance, telecommunications, and training
$925,920 Total

The Wyoming library community will be represented at the Wyoming Extension Showcase on Technology (WEST), an opportunity to demonstrate various technologies being used to provide library services throughout the state.

The State Library is a Bronze Sponsor of the event, which will take place in Casper on February 20 and 21, 1998. A committee of representatives from the Wyoming library community is in the process of making decisions on library involvement and plan to include the Wyoming Libraries Database (WYLD) Network, Ariel, Patent and Trademark Library resources, and other technologies.

Along with the library community, many other exhibitors at the event will showcase cutting-edge technologies available in Wyoming and the western region through hands-on displays and demonstrations.

Potential exhibits and workshops will cover topics on telecommunications, World Wide Web, distance education and business opportunities through technology.

The University of Wyoming (UW) libraries received 2,188 inter-library loan requests from Colorado State University during the last four months.

UW is one of seven universities with Ariel sites that have assisted CSU after a July 28 flood destroyed 10 percent of the library’s collection. About 80 percent of the collection is hoped to be recovered.

According to Enid Teeter, UW Extended Library Services, previous requests had averaged 200 a month.

Monthly statistics compiled by UW are:

• August - Total requests: 706; Filled: 463; Unfilled: 243.
• September - Total requests: 699; Filled: 586; Unfilled: 113.
• October - Total requests: 429; Filled: 271; Unfilled 158.
• November - Total requests: 354; Filled 129; Unfilled: 96.

Julie Wessling, CSU Assistant Dean of Public Services, attributes the drop in interlibrary requests from August to November to the "better balancing of requests" among the seven university sites.

"We didn’t want to overload each library," she said.

UW’s Ariel station, a "loaner" from CSU, allows users to scan in articles, digitalize them, then transfer them through the Internet.

"It’s faster, less delivery time," said Wessling. "It’s affordable and high-quality. With faxing you get lower quality and a phone charge.

A shuttle service had been provided three times a day on Mondays between the two universities; however the CSU motor pool is presently evaluating the service as "ridership has not been too high," Wessling said. It may be modified or cut out.

"UW historically has been a really good resource for us and we have a very good relationship with them, especially with interlibrary loans," said Wessling. "We were building on strength when we started this relationship."

By Jerry Krois, deputy state librarian

America offers us the freedom to disagree with those in charge. Sometimes even those in charge don’t agree with each other.

After heated discussion and voting, the minority party can continue to disagree in the designated forums such as in the press or in speeches. This practice is acceptable among people in elected office who are responsible only to the voters.

But the Library Board needs to approach issues as a cooperative enterprise. Board members need to adopt a united front reflecting the majority even when the resulting vote is not unanimous. Public disagreement makes for juicy press stories. "I told you so" rebuttals are good election fodder, but such individualism doesn’t serve the library well.

If practiced by board members, public disagreement and individualism show that those members are unwilling to accept the decision of peers and shows they have not been able to present a convincing position prior to the vote.

Such actions also create an environment where the community does not know whether board members speak for the library board or for themselves on any library related issue.

When policy is set through a vote, the majority rules. It is then time to move on to new issues and accept adoption of those policies. Yes, there is the opportunity to do your own background research in support of your position and offer a revised motion at some future meeting, but support for the existing policy must be practiced.

The principal responsibilities of board members are setting policy and advocacy. When policy differences are allowed to continue the advocacy role is, at one extreme incomplete, or at the other extreme not believable.

The MacArthur Foundation will end funding of its Library Video Project next year (Dec. 31, 1998). This program supports top quality educational and documentary videos through the Library Media Project.

The project still has some individual videos available as replacements from the Video Classics series and the MacArthur Library series ending May 31, 1998, for those tapes which may have gotten lost, broken or stolen from library collections over the years.

Although the foundation does not have every title available, there are still many that might be useful in completing a series. The cost of each replacement tape is $5 plus shipping and handling. In order to replace a video, please contact the project at 800/346-5383; fax 773/878-8404; or email info@libraryproject.org; web site: http://sebridge.org/~macart/.

The project will send out a form to complete that can be faxed or mailed to Broadway Warehouse. If the requested title is not available, the warehouse will pass that information on to the inquiring library.

A new literary journal is in its infancy and writers are encouraged to be a part of the growing process.

According to Managing Editor Mary S. Hartman, the yet-to-be-named journal will be published either monthly or quarterly, depending upon response. Content will be universal and devoted to good writing on any topic, fact or fiction, verse or prose.

Also included in the publication will be articles for and about writers and the writing experience, including marketing, copyright, contracts and other timely material.

For detailed information, write to: Publisher’s Agents, Lagumo Corp., 1914 Thomes Ave., Cheyenne, WY 82001.

Library Director: Big Horn County Library System seeks a dynamic, people-oriented leader with proven administrative, public relations and communications skills.

The director is primarily responsible for serving the library needs of the Big Horn County populous. The director reports to a three-member board. The director is also responsible for a staff of 17, which includes staffing for several branch libraries.

Basin, the Big Horn County seat, is located in northwest Wyoming on the west side of the Big Horn Mountains and is two hours from the east gate of Yellowstone National Park. Winter and summer recreation opportunities abound. Small-town environment.

Qualifications: ALA/MLS preferred, or equivalent education and experience. Must have thorough knowledge of modern library systems and programs, a working knowledge of principles and practices of office and personnel management and general accounting procedures.

Salary: $21,000-$24,000 plus benefits, which include vacation, sick leave, group health and state retirement plan. No state income tax.

Deadline: By January 31, 1998, send letter of application and resume, including three references, to Carroll Brown, Secretary, Board of Trustees, Box 800, Basin, WY 82410.

Public libraries are invited to partner with Project Vote Smart, a non-partisan, non-profit research center that was developed to help citizens defend themselves from the manipulative tactics often used in modern day political campaigns.

Project Vote Smart received a large grant from the Carnegie Corporation that will provide library patrons with information and publications about voter registration, political issues, campaign finances, voting records and performance evaluations of over 13,000 elected officials and candidates for public office.

All participating libraries will have access to research services over the Vote Smart Web and Voter’s Research Hotline. Libraries will also receive two copies each of the Vote Smart Web YellowPages and Reporter’s Source Book for reference collections, Road to Democracy posters, and unlimited supplies of the U.S. Government: Owner’s Manual.

For more information on how to qualify as a participating library, contact Project Vote Smart at the Center for National Independence in Politics, 129 NW Fourth Street, Suite 204, Corvallis, OR 97330; 541/754-2746; email: libraries@vote-smart.org; or visit their web site at http://www.vote-smart.org.

Sublette County Library in Pinedale is on the move! The library is closed from December 8 through January 4 while moving into the brand new building across the street.

The Albany County Friends of the Library book sale crew honored Penny Schenker in November for her work on the annual book sale. Schenker has chaired the sale committee since 1989 and is responsible for all aspects of the sale.
Proceeds during her tenure have increased from $9,761.67, to this year’s record of $19,000. The Friends have sold three different book bags of Schenker’s design and through her efforts, have become increasingly sophisticated in their marketing, including listing items for auction on the World Wide Web.

The Bank of Commerce sponsored Children’s Book Week Nov. 17-23 for all eight Carbon County libraries. It provided bookmarks, videos, banners and a poster. Children ages preschool through fifth grade colored the "Read With Arthur" poster and entered it in a contest. Each library chose a winner, received as a prize the video, "Arthur’s LostLibrary Book."

The Sixth Annual Library Auction was held Nov. 7 for the Johnson County Library. The auction raised $24,000 and was the best attended ever with 382 tickets sold, compared to 341 last year. Attendees participated in an oral auction, which raised approximately $13,000 compared to $11,000 last year, and a silent auction, which offered various works of art and other artifacts.

Nathan Bender has been named the first Housel curator of the McCracken Research Library at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody. Bender most recently served as curator of the West Virginia and Regional History Collection, West Virginia University Libraries. With Bender’s appointment, longtime Historical Center employee Frances Clymer has been appointed to the position of librarian. Clymer, formerly associate librarian, has served as interim librarian for the past year during a national search for a new library curator.

Students in southern Fremont County attended performances by "The Story Hour Players," a local thespian group, at the Fremont County Library in October. The group of mothers has been presenting plays for the children of the area for over 22 years. They also present a Christmas and Spring program. Students attending were from Lander, Hudson, Arapahoe, Fort Washakie, Wyoming Indian and St. Stephen’s.

A University of Wyoming (UW) program is the recipient of a federal grant to build a human services information network called Connect Wyoming. Connect Wyoming is overseen by the Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND) in the UW College of Health Sciences. The Department of Commerce Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP) grant provides seed money to nonprofit organizations or government entities for innovative projects that demonstrate telecommunications and information technology. Connect Wyoming will provide a central electronic locator listing all public and community human service resources in the state. It will be available through computer stations in each of the UW Cooperative Extension Service (CES) county offices and on the Internet with computer access at local libraries, homes, schools and public agencies.

Northwest College in Powell has dedicated a new Women’s Resource Center at the Hinckley Library in memory of Berry Bryant. Bryant was the victim of a brutal rape and murder a year ago. The center features books on violence against women, including domestic violence, date rape and controlling relationships. According to librarian Kay Carlson, the center will be updated and expanded on a continual basis.

The Farson-Eden Elementary School Library received a $1,000 grant for new books. The money was received through a grant written by school faculty through the Libri Foundation of Eugene, Ore. Matching funds were provided by Mid-America Pipeline Company of Sweetwater County.

The Friends of the Library of Sheridan County Fulmer Public Library netted $28,269 at its annual auction in November. The money will be used for books and computer technology at the Sheridan library and its branches.

New hours are in effect at the Sinclair Library. It is open on Tuesdays, 9 a.m.-noon, and Thursdays, 2 p.m.-5 p.m.

Big Piney Library was host to children’s author Ken Thomasma from Jackson on Nov. 11. Thomasma presented an evening of storytelling and was available for book signing and visits with patrons.

The Wyoming Libraries Database (WYLD) office at the State Library has officially changed its name to Library Systems Services Office (LASSO) to represent the broad scope of the office’s responsibilities.

Almost all WYLD libraries participated in a study of telecommunications within the statewide network by recording slow downs of specific network activities for several weeks.
The resulting analysis is helping the LASSO office work with the Telecommunications Section to identify where bandwidth increases and possible changes in connectivity could improve network performance.

Statistics of WYLD usage are now available in an easy to understand graphical format now on the WYLD web page . At that site, select "WYLD General Information," then choose "General Statistics."
Working from statistics extracted by WYLD system manager, Marc Stratton, Desiree Sallee and Sheila Russell designed the resulting Web presentation.

On January 6th, seven database vendors will present demonstrations of their Web products to the WYLD Database Products Committee and other interested WYLD members at Casper College.
These demonstrations precede a trial period of two months for WYLD libraries to test the new products. Feedback from the trial period will help determine which outside databases WYLD should license for the consortium for the coming year.
The demonstrations were requested because, with the probable move of WYLD to a WEB-based PAC, outside databases will no longer use the common PAC search engine. Vendors will explain the coverage, focus, and search strategy for their product(s).
Any WYLD member interested in attending the demos should register beforehand with Corky Walters at the State Library.

Improving the quality of the WYLD database as well as streamlining library functions justified training State Library acquisitions staff in the use of OCLC. They will also receive training on the new guidelines issued by the Database Quality Committee for the cataloging of vertical file materials, and decisions that will be reflected in upcoming Serials Module training on the entry of Summary holdings for magazines by WYLD member libraries.

There is one information service for which the Wyoming State Library (WSL) is uniquely qualified - state government referral service. As a division of state government the WSL has connections to and familiarity with the many functions and services of all branches of state government, executive, judicial, and legislative. In addition, state agencies are required by statute to supply the WSL with copies of their publications.

Because of our government "hat," we can frequently expedite searches for state government information that is not readily located. State agencies are universally willing, even eager, to supply requested information, and we are delighted to serve as a bridge between the question and answer. When more involved documentation is needed, we can utilize the interlibrary loan process to send materials which the agency is willing to loan from their internal collections (or copies can often be made).

And there are some excellent agency collections which are not well known in the world outside of state government. The Public Health Audio-Visual Resource Library has an outstanding collection of films and videos, which are loaned to responsible individuals and agencies upon request. The historic importance of the Wyoming State Archives is immeasurable, and most Wyomingites are unaware of the extent of the materials housed there, including municipal, county and state records. Another example is the Secretary of State’s information on corporations and trademarks in Wyoming.

If we don'’t have on hand the state government information you need, we will find it for you or refer you to the source that can supply it.

The LASSO office is very pleased to welcome another new member to its support staff. Marilyn Foster, the new PC support person, came to the library from the Department of Transportation where she spent nine and a half years in the Geology Office.
This 19-year State of Wyoming veteran, who is married and has two children, continues to work towards a degree in computer science. "I’ve really enjoyed my time at the Library so far," she said. "Everyone has been very friendly and willing to help. I'm looking forward to the challenges."

Desiree Sallee recently presented a program entitled "Doing Research on the Internet" for the Wyoming Media Professionals’ "Plugging In: Communicating in the Digital Age" conference. Julie Hurd, Cecilia Moats, Linn Rounds and Sheila Russell of the Public Programs, Publications and Marketing Office attended the workshop.

The State Library staff gladly welcomes back Gloria Contratto, who has been hired temporarily part-time to cleanup and manage the Library’s LAN. Her experience and helpful attitude is greatly appreciated.

Network Coordinator Brian Greene has been elected to serve a two-year term as Wyoming Library Association’s Mountain Plains Library Association representative. Bobbi Thorpe from the State Library previously held the position.
Brian has also been coordinating the E-Rate initiative for Wyoming libraries. The E-Rate provides discounted telecommunications services for libraries and schools.
Brian recently attended a national meeting, hosted by the American Library Association and COSLA, presenting the latest updates on the E-rate progress. He also chairs a committee on the state level with representatives from several different entities statewide.

Looking for someone in the Wyoming library community? Wondering what the hours are at the Sweetwater County Library? Need the State Library’s fax number? The 1997 Wyoming Libraries Directory is now online and ready to help.

The State Library announced this addition to its web site in November. Featuring all county and branch libraries, their addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, key staff, and links to email and web sites, the directory can be found on the Internet at http://will.state.wy.us/slpub/directory/index.html.

The directory includes information on medical, institution, special and academic libraries, the State Library, boards of trustees, and Wyoming Center for the Book. These sections also include direct links to email and web sites.

Any corrections or revisions may be emailed to srusse@windy.state.wy.us

Printed copies are also available by calling 307/777-6338. The cost is $10 for out-of-state delivery or free to all Wyoming libraries.