WebJunction

Government Information in the 21st Century
October 2006 Newsletter
Number 1

Why are you getting this newsletter?

Last June the University of Colorado at Boulder received an Institute of Museum and Library Services grant entitled “Government Information in the 21st Century:  Training Librarians to be Government Information Specialists.”  The grant provides funding to develop a continuing education program where depository librarians train reference and public services librarians and library workers in a five states (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming).  Many of you may already know a bit about this grant having been contacted by your regional librarians during the grant writing process.  Well, the grant is now a reality and your involvement is integral to the success of the project.  To keep everybody informed of what is happening with the grant, you will be receiving monthly newsletters with grant information, news items, and important dates.

Overview of the Grant and Depository Librarians’ Grant Participation

Year One:

The first year will be spent developing the Train the Trainer Conference, the lesson modules, and the WebJunction grant website. 

As a Depository Librarian Participant, you will:
• Help prioritize lesson modules,
• Participate in the Train the Trainers Conference, and
• Work with your State Coordinator to develop state-level training plans.

Year Two:

The second year will center on the participating states’ training programs implementation.

As a Depository Librarian Participant, you will:
• Do at least two training sessions/workshops in your state,
• Participate in program evaluation, and
• Contribute to WebJunction’s online community.

Train the Trainer Conference Dates

** SAVE THESE DATES ** ** SAVE THESE DATES ** ** SAVE THESE DATES **

The Train the Trainer Conference is set for June 6th-8th, 2007, and will take place at the Boulder Broker Inn located next to the University of Colorado at Boulder.  The Conference will begin the evening of June 6th with a reception, dinner, and guest speaker.  The preliminary schedule for June 7th and 8th includes plenary sessions, a session on using WebJunction, and concurrent content sessions based on the lesson modules.

The IMLS grant includes travel funding for all participants coming to the Conference.  More information will be coming regarding hotel reservations and travel reimbursement requirements. 

People involved in this Grant

Several groups of government information specialists are working together to make this grant a success.  You will see their names appear in newsletters, emails, and at the Train the Trainer Conference, as well as in the state level training plans.

Grant Administrators

Tim Byrne
Head, Government Publications and Grant Principal Investigator – University of Colorado at Boulder
Tim.Byrne@colorado.edu
303-492-4375

Kirsten Clark
Grant Project Manager – University of Colorado at Boulder
Kirsten.Clark@colorado.edu
303-492-5929

On September 1, 2006, Kirsten Clark joined the University of Colorado staff as IMLS Grant Project Manager.  Kirsten received her MLS from the University of Iowa, and, after graduation, began working with government information, first as Government Documents Librarian at St. John’s University in Minnesota, and most recently as Government Documents Librarian at New Mexico State University.  These ten years of documents experience come in handy as she begins implementing this two year grant.  Her main duties include managing the day-to-day activities of the grant, working with government information specialists in developing lesson modules, handling local arrangements for the Train the Trainer Conference, developing grant evaluation tools, and acting as primary contact with WebJunction.

Planning Committee

The Planning Committee provides input for the overall management of the grant.

Tim Byrne, University of Colorado at Boulder – Principle Investigator
Kirsten Clark, University of Colorado at Boulder – Project Manager
Janet Fisher, Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records – State Coordinator
Laurie Canepa, New Mexico State Library – State Coordinator
John Walters, Utah State University Library – State Coordinator
Venice Beske, Wyoming State Library – State Coordinator
Jennie Gerke, University of Colorado at Boulder
Frank Wilmot, University of Colorado at Boulder
Chris Brown, University of Denver
McKinley Sielaff, Colorado College
Susan Simmons, Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library, Broomfield, Colorado
Dan Barkley, University of New Mexico
Robin Haun-Mohammed, United States Government Printing Office

Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee reviews the grant plans including the Conference and WebJunction content.

Julie Wallace, University of Minnesota Library, retired
Amy West, University of Minnesota Library
Arlene Weibel, Oregon State Library
John Phillips, Oklahoma State Library
Dan Cornwall, Alaska State Library
Dr. Charlie Seavey, University of Missouri, Columbia School of Information Science and Learning Technology
Dr. Cheryl Malone, University of Arizona, School of Information Resources and Library Science

State Coordinators

State Coordinators set up the state training programs, work with depository librarians in their state to schedule their two training sessions, and make sure each state’s needs are brought to the grant planning process. 

Arizona – Janet Fisher, Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records
Colorado – Tim Byrne, University of Colorado at Boulder
New Mexico – Laurie Canepa, New Mexico State Library
Utah – John Walters, Utah State University Library
Wyoming – Venice Beske, Wyoming State Library