WebJunction

Government Information in the 21st Century
February 2007 Newsletter
Number 3

Grant Overview

Most of you know the background of this grant, but several new names have been added to the distribution list since the last newsletter went out.

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). 

The first year of the grant will be spent developing the Train the Trainer Conference, the lesson modules, and the WebJunction grant website.  The second year will center on the participating states’ training programs implementation.

Train-the-Trainer Conference

Planning continues for the Train the Trainer Conference to be held June 6-8, 2007 in Boulder, Colorado.  Here is a tentative agenda for the conference.  Unless noted, all events will occur at the University of Colorado.

June 6th
Evening - Reception and Dinner at the Broker Inn

June 7th
Morning – Plenary sessions
Afternoon – Concurrent Content Sessions based on the modules

June 8th
Morning – Planning for State Training Programs
Afternoon – Concurrent Content Sessions based on the modules and wrap-up

Attendees will stay at the Broker Inn, just blocks from the University of Colorado campus.  Buses will be available to take attendees from the hotel to the University.  ALL ATTENDEE TRAVEL EXPENSES (MEALS, TRANSPORTATION, AND ACCOMMODATIONS) ARE PAID FOR BY THE IMLS GRANT.  Look for an email later in February regarding Conference Registration Information.

State Training Programs

Several questions have risen regarding the grant’s second year state training programs.  Each attendee of the Train the Trainer Conference is expected to do at least two training sessions in their state between July 2007 and August 2008.  There is time set aside at the Conference for attendees to meet with their respective regionals and coordinate state training sessions. The grant takes a very broad view as to what constitutes a training session.  Here are some examples.

• A conference attendee from a large city or county library system could provide training sessions at several of their branch libraries.
• The same could be true for someone from a large college or university with branch libraries.
• Several trainers could work together to present at the state’s annual or regional conferences.
• A trainer from a small college could do a training session for their college and one for the public library in the same or neighboring town.

Keep in mind these state training sessions are for other library staff, not the public.  The purpose of the grant is to use the expertise of the depository librarians and staff to train non-depository ones.

Another question concerns on travel cost for trainers as they do their two training sessions.  The grant covers the transportation costs for trainers and offers $25 stipends to those who attend the training sessions.

WebJunction

Work has begun on the Government Information in the 21st Century WebJunction pages.  Some information is already available for the test module, Demographic Information.  Go to http://www.webjunction.org and click on Services to Libraries in the top navigational bar.  Then click on Patron Services in the left navigation bar, then on Government Information in the 21st Century.  This is the pathway at the time of this newsletter.  WebJunction is in the process of updating their website so the pathway may change a bit.  An email will be sent out by grant staff when this change occurs.

Lesson Modules

Thanks to all who filled out the survey.  The top ten topics, in order of interest, are:

1. Demographic Information
2. Legal Concerns
3. Health and Medicine
4. Small Business and Entrepreneurship
5. Citizenship and Immigration
6. Energy and Natural Resources
7. Consumer Information
8. Crime and Justice
9. History and Genealogy
10. Environment (Science)

These ten modules will be developed this Spring and used for the Train the Trainer Conference in June.  Right now module development teams are being formed and work will begin in February.  Each module can contain powerpoints, resource lists, handouts, how to guides, case studies, and sample exercises, depending on how the team want to develop their topic.

Some may notice that their top picks did not make it to the initial development round.  Never fear, the rest of the modules will be developed over Summer 2007 so all topics will be available for the state training sessions.  The second round topics include:

11. Maps and Transportation
12. Economy and Trade
13. Education
14. Science and Technology
15. Minority Issues
16. Elections and the Political Process
17. Military and War
18. Recreation and Culture
19. Foreign Country Information
20. International Relations
21. Kids’ Stuff