eRate Success Stories

DeLilah Collins, Co Dept Ed
Mary Vernon, Marmot Library Network
Sheila Henry, Rocky Ford Public Library
Mindy Kittay, Anythink - Rangeview Library District
Sandy Messick, La Junta Woodruff Memorial Library

Every dollar counts... it's money in your pocket!

Mindy has been doing this for awhile, and her hardest part is coordinating with IT for new purchases, kind of looking into a crystal ball!

Sandy doesn't have that problem, as they are a smaller library, and she is the entire department!

anythink is integrating their tech plan into their strategic plan...

What is the hardest part of eRate?

Sandy says that is is ALWAYS hard at the beginning. she is continually confused with allowable cost, and how to work it in to her future budget. the forms can definitely be intimidating, but the forms are simpler than they were even a few years ago.

Mary says that it is hard to predict the future, and that a real tech plan is necessary.

Mindy has multiple years going on at once, and it's hard to keep track of.

Any advice for new eRaters?

Sheila says that getting your schools info asap has made everything so much easier.

Mary says to get your things turned in early if possible.

Mindy says to document, document, document. She keeps all emails together in one place. All forms in another binder - there CAN be an audit process.

Sandy has folders for everything for each year, and a list of important numbers. She keeps good relations with the finance department, because they will have to get her their billing statements, etc.

Funds for eRate Manager, used by the State - it keeps track of everything for her and can generate the BEAR form for her. there are different tools available to help you manage your information.

Mary collects the bills throughout the year, and applies for everything all at once.

Christine Kreger noted that the eRate year is different from normal library years (Jan-Dec) - eRate is July through June, and your tech plan MUST be for a whole eRate year, or they can deny your funding.

DeLilah mentioned that if you have RFPs, just do them at the same time that you do your Form 470.

Training this fall - dates not scheduled yet, she will be working with the BTOP trainers to train her to train!! she will come to our area, but it would be appreciated if there were multiple libraries in attendance... Durango doesn't do it, Dolores hires a consultant. Bayfield does it - call Joannie and ask if Cortez does it.

What's New with E-Rate - DeLilah Collins

CRN - consultants registration number
SPN - Service Provider Number

For priority 1 services, you don't need a tech plan; however, you need on for priority 2 (such as building new infrastructure, etc.

Eligible Services

Leased dark fiber eleigble for discount. Support as priority 1 from any provider. On your property.

Web hosting
Add blogfing and discussion boards are now eligble

GPS of any kind are not eligible.

CIsco smartnet - some of these warranties, etc are eligible.

For CUPS, you must have a internet safety policy, as well as educational items that cam go in the actual policy - you DON'T have to teach classes.

Read paragraph 20 regarding how an entity that doesn't already have this policy, and what must be done to use it for CIPA (public meetings, etc).

Gifting

You cannot accept ANY gift from a service provider. Also, no trainga, either. The training must be hosted by a non-provider.

Collins_d@cde.state.co.us 303.866.6850

The BEST Keynote - Jim Duncan

The economy is like a bucking bronco - libraries are have to put on our spurs and jump on!

Libraries are the 1 of 3 places in a community that offers internet connectivity to users.

Over 30 million visits in Colorado Libraries last year.

We'll be talking a lot about Technology planning - some people love planning... some are more.. instinctual. But planning helps in all aspects of projects.

"Chance favors the prepared mind"... visioning, thinking, planning.

The best conference is like a brownie - some will take a bit, some will nibble crumbs, and some won't like chocolate-y goodness.

We're not serving faceless masses... the only way for lib to stay relevant is to meet the demand at the individual level.

What is is with libraries that differentiates us from other entities. We work with people. with ever person comes a story.

Ask your members - What's Next?!? The library can help you get there.

BEST Conference, August 25 & 26, 2011

I'm here in Breckenridge, CO and raring to go! Several friends and esteemed colleagues are here, and I'm about to head down to check-in/registration.

I'll be live blogging the event, so you can get my [quick] notes here!

Innovative Millennium Search Widget Code

After trying unsuccessfully to obtain Search Widget Code from Innovative Interfaces for our Millennium ILS, today I sat down to figure it out - or die trying!

We have had our Millennium ILS for three years now, and for the last couple of years, I occasionally do a search for this code. Absolutely nothing comes up. Many web 2.0 companies nowadays will give you the option to copy the 'Embed Code' (think YouTube or SlideShare), and Voilà! your new-found widget works.

So, today, instead of doing a random search, I actually decided to call Innovative directly. When asked where I could find the Embed Code for a search widget, the very nice customer support person said "Millennium does not support code written for use outside its' OPAC; you might try the users group!".

I of course then asked why Innovative does not provide embed code for their own product, and her response was, "I'm not quite sure." When even the employees wonder why their company doesn't offer this, it is pretty sad!!

As directed, I visited the Innovative User's Group website, and searched the archives (something you can do even if you don't pay to join the group) for 'search widget code'. I immediately stumbled on several search widget conversations, and found enough code to come up with our own - turns out, it is a simple HTML form.

<form action="http://205.201.213.234/search/X"; name="mainwebcatalog">
<select name="searchtype">
<option value="X">Keyword</option>
<option value="t">Title</option>
<option value="a">Author</option>
<option value="d">Subject</option>
</select>
<input name="searcharg" type="text" size="25" title="Enter your search query." />

<input class="searchBtn" name="submit" type="submit"value="Search" />

<br /><a href="http://205.201.213.234/search/X" title="External link" target="_blank">more search options</a>

</form>

There are more things that you can add to this - I also found code for Popular Searches and more. At first, I struggled with the very first link; when I did a search, it would take me to our OPAC - the main page, not one with results. Turns out, I needed to add 'search/X' after our catalog's domain ["http://205.201.213.234/search/X"].

I'm about to add it to our website - all I've had is a link to connect the two. I have also seen some libraries that insert the OPAC directly into their website, and that is next on my agenda.

At this time, I have added a tab to our Facebook Page called "Search Catalog". Sweet.

MPL has Received a BTOP Grant!!

Finally, a project that will get me blogging!!

The Mancos Public Library has received notice that we have been awarded grant monies to total $23,571 for new technology in the Library!

Earlier this year, February to be exact, we were notified by the Colorado State Library (CSL) that they were organizing a state-wide opportunity to apply for a federal BTOP grant for Public Computing Centers in Colorado. The Mancos Library District was identified as a district that has a low income population, as well as low Broadband/Internet opportunities, and would qualify to apply for BTOP funds through the CSL grant.

While at the Annual Colorado Association of Libraries Conference (#CALCON10), I spoke with Sharon Morris, CSL, and she informed me that the State BTOP grant came through! As a result of their efforts, 76 libraries in the state will receive a total of $3.3 Million for technology!

We will find out more information in the weeks ahead, and I look forward to sharing this information, and the process, with you!

Butterfly is Now... - Colorado Library Marketing by Debbi MacCleod and Sharon Morris

This marketing push is NOT to encourage more people to come to the library - it is to increase awareness and support of libraries, so that when voting time comes, voters make the correct choices come voting time.

What's Next ?!

1600 small businesses launch every month in Colorado. Many of those get their start at the library.

Business? Libraries!

(other text: Business planning books. Market research articles. Rules and Regulations websites. Sources of funding and loans. Information experts available to assist.)

With 7.3% of Coloradans unemployed, many of those are searching for their next at the Library. Jobs? Libraries!

This year, more than 26% of Colorado's high school seniors failed to graduate. Many of the ones who succeeded had an advantage: a quality Library.

Literacy? Libraries!

(They had a photo of four children - one of which failed to graduate)

This year, __% percentage of Coloradoans travel every year. Audiobooks, Chilton Auto Manuals, Travel Guides, etc.

Travel? Libraries!

In the OCLC study (from awareness to funding), it was shown that there is no difference between people that use the library, and don't use the library - also, there is no difference between the people that vote or don't vote for libraries.

This campaign is trying to shift people's perceptions of libraries. "Whatever is next for you, libraries help get you there!"

Campaign Rollout

The first year will be spent rolling out to the internal affiliated audience - getting the word out to Library staff, our volunteers, advocates, so that we all understand what the campaign is all about.

Next year, we can take the work that BHAG has done, and focus on rolling this out to external audiences.

4 Different Audiences

Internal/Affiliated

• generate awareness and understanding of the campaign,
• ensure consistent messaging delivery,
• inspire to become ambassadors

Influencers (these are community 'influencers')

• Strengthen perception of libraries,
• build interest and engagement in campaign,
• promote advocacy of libraries.

Decision/Policy Makers and General Public

• Increase 'top-of-mind' awareness and relevancy of libraries,
• shift perceptions,
• prompt increased support and funding of libraries

Campaign Funding - have done initial contacting with the Colorado Foundation to let them aware of this. With the economy, this has not been greeted with enthusiasm. They would like to create a task force of people that can write grants for this funding. They will start writing in the next couple of months. Plan B, if no success with state-wide funding, that they will start regionally - a more of a 'grass roots' effort.

Campaign Website: http://www.whats-next-libraries.org/ (Not up now, hopefully this summer.)

This is a public awareness campaign, so when money is obtained, they will use different treatments of the main message. (Wyoming message was Libraries Bring the World to You. Their treatments were the mudflap girl, the windmill, etc.)

At this point the What's Next ?! is just a skeleton, they may fool around with the font, colors, etc. Tomorrow is the deadline for graphic designers to submit their design of the What's Next ?!

Libraries now can start using the What's Next ?! text right now! Use it in everyday speech, make a display in your library, etc.

Eventual success of this campaign is to have more pro-library measures be passed. Over time, improving people's perception of libraries, more donations, etc.

The logo formats will all be on the website - jpg, eps, etc, for libraries to use in many different ways.