SELCO News

Due to extreme winter road conditions, the Legacy Review Committee meeting that was scheduled for Tuesday, February 9, 2010 @ 1:00 pm has now been postponed to 1:00 pm next Tuesday, February 16. 

Due to the increasingly poor road conditions, Route 1 (Brady's route) will not finish today.  We apologize for any inconvenience.

The SELCO Advisory Committee meeting that was scheduled for Tuesday, February 9, 2010 @ 9:30 AM has now been postponed to Tuesday, February 16, 2010 @ 9:30 AM.  Meeting materials will be updated to reflect the change in date.

Please, stay safe and warm and maybe take the opportunity to read one of those books, view one of those DVDs, or listen to one of those CDs from your collection!

SELCO is planning to participate in the 2nd Annual Handheld Librarian Conference on February 17-18, 2010.  Like last year, SELCO will take care of the group registration fee and participants will be able to attend multiple sessions throughout the day here at the SELCO building.  This conference, sponsored by Alliance Library System and LearningTimes, will include keynote speakers, collections of available resources, discussion boards, and access to the recording of all live events for one year after the conference.  More people than ever are using mobile devices for a wide variety of purposes including communication, internet access, text messaging, and entertainment.  SELCO will provide lunch and refreshments both days.  To attend the conference at SELCO, one or both days, please register by clicking here .  Please note any dietary needs when registering.

9:22 AM -- The iPac server is back up and all functionality, including Requests, has been restored.

Thank you for your patience.

8:51 AM -- We are having an issue with the iPac server and are working to bring it back up.  Until that time, Requests functions will be unavailable in the online catalog and the Horizon staff client.  Furthermore, My Account information will not be available in the online catalog.

We apologize for this issue and will post updates here as they become available.

We have made a significant improvement to the way the new catalog handles requests.  See the latest blog post at SELCO Librarian for details!

Two thumbs up for the Rushford Public Library being the first library in the state to complete the 2009 Public Library Annual Report!  For the SECOND year in a row!  Congrats!

February 4, 2010  9:30AM  --  The iPac server is operational again, and we have restored the ability to place requests, both in Horizon, and on the AquaBrowser catalog.

Thank you again for your patience!

February 4, 2010  9:00AM  --  The iPac server is down this morning, and this is affecing the ability to place requests, both in Horizon, and on the AquaBrowser catalog. 

We are working on the issue, and will update as soon as the issue is resolved.

Talk is Cheap. Advocate. Advocate. Advocate!

Library staff, trustees and Friends of the Library are invited to the 2010 Library Legislative Day on Wednesday, February 24. The day provides library advocates with up-to-the-minute information on the status of library legislation, the opportunity to meet with legislators and time to share good news about libraries.  With the projected state deficit, the timing is critical for advocates to support local units of government and education leaders in an effort to sustain continued funding for libraries.

Library Legislative Day is sponsored by the Minnesota Library Association and the Minnesota Educational Media Organization .  Legislative Day planners will offer two briefings --- an evening briefing prior to Legislative Day to accommodate those coming from outstate or with early morning legislative appointments, as well as a morning briefing to kick off Legislative Day activities.  The registration cost is $20 person.  MLA is also offering discount parking for an additional $5.  Registration is required.

MLA/MEMO Legislative Day Evening Briefing, Tuesday, February 23, 2010
5:00--6:00 PM Registration
6:00--7:00 PM  Evening briefing at the Best Western Kelly Inn .  Hors d’oeuvres will be served.
   
MLA/MEMO Legislative Day, Wednesday, February 24, 2010

8:30 AM--1:00 PM  Registration
9:00--10:00 AM  Briefing at the State Office Building , Room 400 South. Morning coffee will be served.

MLA/MEMO Library Legislative Platform (updated 1-6-2010)

Orders for the Winter 2010 Cooperative PC Purchase have been collected and processed.  Fifteen Online Libraries ordered a total of:

We have placed orders with various vendors for these items and will begin installations as they arrive.

The list is in!  The 22nd Annual Minnesota Book Award Finalists were announced on Saturday, January 30, 2010.  Check out the list by clicking here .  Happy reading!

Based on feedback from our first two months of funding grants via the Art & Culture Live and Community Collaboration programs, SELCO revised the application form, instructions, and other supporting materials for the start of the February funding cycle. If you or your organization has been working on a funding application to submit on or after January 31, please make sure you are working on the correct version! Newest versions are available via the "Applications" tab of the Art & Culture Live! and Community Collaboration page.

Be on the lookout for our next announcement of funded Library Legacy grant initiatives coming mid-February!

The Northfield Public Library will begin celebrating its 100th Anniversary in the Carnegie library building on Saturday, January 30, 2010.  The first Carnegie Library Centennial Concert will take place at 7 p.m.  Performing is the Carleton Chinese Music Ensemble with Director Gao Hong.  Everyone is welcome and free coffee and cake will be served.  To read more about this historical event and the library, please click here .

January 29, 2010, 11:39 A.M.

AquaBrowser staff have completed their work, and we have tested the SELCO catalog here. It is again available for you and your patrons. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

January 29, 2010, 7:55 AM

The SELCO catalog is down.  We have been working with AquaBrowser staff to bring it back up since about 7:15 AM this morning.  The nightly import is running, which should correct the problem.  We expect this process to take about 2 hours from now.  Further information will be posted here and emailed to Online Library Directors and Automation Contacts as it becomes available.

We apologize for this delay.

The American Library Association (ALA)announced the top books, videos, and audiobooks for children and young adults last week at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Boston.  Some of the awards include the Randolph Caldecott Medal, the John Newbery Medal, and the Coretta Scott King Author and Illustrator Book Awards.  To see the full list of winners, click here .  

The SELCO/SELS Board of Directors approved the list of responsibilities for the new Legacy Review Committtee.  The Committee's primary role will be to award Arts and Cultural Heritage Library Legacy funding assigned to SELCO by the Minnesota Legislature.

It’s time for Public Library Annual Reports! Please click here to access this year's report documents.  These documents serve as helpful resources when filling out the 2009 Public Library Annual Report.  The 2009 report has been launched early and is available to fill out today.  The final submission date is April 1, 2010.  If you have any questions about the annual report, please contact Mollie Pherson at mpherson@selco.info.

Friday, January 22, 2010, 3:07pm-- The issue has been resolved and the SELCO catalog is back up. Thank you.

Fiday, January 22, 2010, 2:53pm-- We are aware that the SELCO Catalog is down and we are working with Aquabrowser to restore it as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.

Are you interested in attending the upcoming Library Technology Conference at Macalester College ?  Take a few minutes to fill out SELCO's Continuing Education Scholarship form and apply for a scholarship!  This conference provides an opportunity for librarians and library staff to come together to discuss the technologies that are affecting library service, to see examples of what libraries are doing with technology, and to allow participants to learn specific skills or knowledge that they can take back and adapt for use within their own library.  The application deadline for those interested in being considered for a scholarship is Wednesday, February 3, 2010.  For more information about the conference, click here .  To complete SELCO's online scholarship form, please click here .
 

The Office of the Secretary of State has recently produced a new Precinct Caucuses brochure .  This brochure explains what a precinct caucus is, what attendees at a caucus do, when the caucuses are and contact numbers for the major political parties.  Packets of 50 are available to libraries free of charge on a a first-come, first-serve basis.  Interested libraries should contact by sending email  Office of the Secretary of State or calling 651-201-1324.

The Arts and Cultural Heritage Funding (ACHF) Planning Committee released its final report to the Minnesota Legislature today, January 15, 2009.  The ACHF Committee was formed by the Minnesota Historical Society, the Minnesota State Arts Board, and the Minnesota Humanities Center and was comprised of 13 representatives of interested communities and organizations indentified in the law to receive ACHF funds.

As a framework for the next 25 years, the Committee recommends that  "ACHF programming must be rooted in principles that guarantee the greatest positive impact with as many Minnesotans as possible and lead to the kind of social, cultural and economic development outlined in this vision."

Looking to the more immediate future of the next 10 years, the ACHF Committee states that it is "crucial that the ACHF have a defined set of measurable goals that can be evaluated periodically to ensure the program is on track and effective."  The Committee then goes on to recommend that the goals and outcomes receive regular review including biennial reports to the Legislature.

A joint press release from the three sponsoring organizations offers a brief overview.

SELCO’s new Legacy Review Committee approved $10,193 for the first six projects requesting Library Legacy money.    The projects range from author presentations in Blooming Prairie to a Kenyan musical and storytelling performance in Rochester.

• Blooming Prairie Public Library with the Blooming Prairie Public Schools - - $550
• Buckham Memorial Library – Faribault - - $1,100
• Rochester Public Library - - $5,700
• St. Mary’s University with the Winona Public Library - - $1,268
• Wabasha Public Library with the RJAC (River Junction Arts Council) - - $1,575

SELCO is accepting applications for the second round of applications from libraries and partner organizations seeking Arts and Cultural Heritage Library Legacy funding.  Eligible categories include Art and Culture Live! and Community Collaborations . Submit a request for financial support to bring a writer, artist or performer to your community using the quick and easy online application .  Applications will be accepted each month, from now until May 2010 on the 30th or last day of the month.  The next deadline is January 30.   Additional information about SELCO sponsorships is available on SELCO Legacy website including instructions , the online evaluation form , and additional information about valid project outcomes .

This project was funded in part or in whole with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008 which dedicated funding to preserve Minnesota's arts and cultural heritage.

In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the SELCO office will be closed on Monday, January 18.  Automation Support will be available that day from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm via the Help Desk number.  If you have an automation problem, please dial (1-866)529-4469 or (507)529-4469 to contact our on-call staff. 

There will be no delivery service on Monday and the normal Monday delivery will take place on Tuesday.

Plainview-Elgin-Millville schools have created International Traveling Trunks they will loan free of charge to schools, libraries and educational organizations in southeastern Minnesota.  The trunks are full of hands-on cultural information for kids in grades k-12 and provide a great opportunity for students to see authentic materials from around the globe.  The trunks include clothing, jewelry, videos, books, common household items, music, games & much more.  PEM schools have 14 trunks available for booking.  To reserve an International Traveling Trunk or for more information, please contact Deb Algadi at 507-534-3128, ext. 427.

Greetings!  The new SELCO Online Catalog is up and running!  The new catalog with the AquaBrowser Library interface was launched this afternoon.  AquaBrowser uses new search tools and functions that connect to our current ILS and our databases to pull out information for patron searches.  Library patrons are able to narrow down search results using a wide range of criteria, including format, subject and series.  Patrons are also able to rate and tag titles using built-in social networking.  Check out the new Online Catalog by clicking here !

Coffee & Conversation, sponsored by Citizens League Rochester , will host a legislative preview on Tuesday, January 19, 2010, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the RCTC Heinz Center, Room HA 102, in Rochester.  “Dialogue with your Delegation” attendees will hear from Rochester area legislators and have an opportunity to ask questions, as well as offer comments about the challenges facing the Minnesota Legislature as it reconvenes in February. 

In light of the concerns of the lead content in small children’s toys and in our efforts to keep patrons safe, SELCO has posted safety statements from Folkmanis and Lakeshore Learning Materials on the Storytime Kit page.  These are the companies we purchased the majority of our Storytime Kit toys from.  These statements have also been printed and added to the appropriate Storytime Kits for patron knowledge.  To view the Folkmanis Statement of Toy Safety, please click here .  To view the safety letter from the President of Lakeshore Learning Materials, please click here .  For more information about the SELCO Storytime Kits, please click here .

SELCO will launch the new Online Catalog with the AquaBrowser Library interface next Tuesday (1-12) afternoon.  A flyer has been created to promote the new catalog.  To access the PDF version of the flyer for printing, please click here .  Generic text has also been created for use on websites and other promotional materials.  Please click here to view this text .  The URL, catalog.selco.info, will go live tomorrow (1-7) afternoon.

Information on the January 12, 2010 SELCO Technology Users Group meeting has been posted on the Users Group page .

The new SELCO Online Catalog, powered by AquaBrowser, is the star of the meeting, but we will also see a demonstration of an all-in-one copier/printer/scanner designed to save space in the public area of your library.  Light refreshments will be provided and, as always, those who are interested will go out for lunch after the meeting. Hope to see you next Tuesday!

The order form for the Winter 2010 Cooperative PC Purchase has been released and emailed to Online Library Directors and Automation Contacts.  The deadline for orders is Friday, January 29, with SELCO placing orders in the first week of February.  Equipment installations will be carried out as orders arrive.

Monday Jan 4, 2010 12:55pm-  We have encountered an issue with our Citrix server farm that is preventing users from establishing a new connection reliably.  To fix this, it requires us to reboot the Citrix gateway server.  This will unfortunately disconnect all active sessions. 

We will be rebooting the Gateway at 1:00 pm to resolve this issue.  Please refrain from attempting to connect until 1:15 to give enough time for the Gateway to start up properly.

Sorry for the inconvenience, and thank you for your patience.

Get ready to Make a Splash at your library by attending the 2010 Summer Reading Program Kick-off at SELCO on Thursday, February 11, 9:30-11:30!  Cooperative Summer Library Program Manual Editor Patti Sinclair will be presenting book recommendations, demonstrating activities, and will get you enthused for summer reading!  The 2010 children's theme is Make a Splash -- READ!  To sign up, please visit the SELCO training page by clicking here .  To see the event flyer, please click here .  Hope to see you there!

In observance of New Year's Day, the SELCO office will be closed on Friday, January 1.  There will be no Automation Support on New Year's Day.  Automation Support for New Year's Eve will be available until 5:00 pm.

There will be NO delivery service on Friday.  Delivery will resume on Monday, January 4.

The Minnesota Historical Society, the Minnesota State Arts Board, and the Minnesota Humanities Center have been enthusiastically soliciting information from around the state for a 25-year framework and a 10-year Arts and Cultural Heritage plan.  A draft was released on December 21, 2009 and public comments are encouraged.
This work is in response to a legislative requisite in the first Legacy Amendment appropriations bill requiring that "...programs and organizations funded through the arts and cultural heritage fund shall conduct a collaborative project to develop...a ten-year plan and a 25-year framework for use of the funding that includes goals and measurable outcomes and includes a vision for Minnesotans of what arts, history, and cultural heritage will look like in 25 years." 

Today, December 30, marks the first deadline for libraries and partner organizations to request Arts and Cultural Heritage Library Legacy funding with SELCO sponsorship.  Eligible categories include Art and Culture Live! and Community Collaborations .  Submit your idea for a writer, artist or performer using the quick and easy online application .  Applications will be accepted each month, December 2009 through May 2010 on the 30th of the month.  Additional information about SELCO sponsorships is available on SELCO Legacy website including instructions , the online evaluation form , and additional information about valid project outcomes .

This project was funded in part or in whole with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008 which dedicated funding to preserve Minnesota's arts and cultural heritage.

In observance of New Year's Day, the SELCO office will be closed on Friday, January 1.  There will be no Automation Support on New Year's Day.  Automation Support for New Year's Eve will be available until 5:00 pm on Thursday.

There will be NO delivery service on Friday.  Delivery will resume on Monday, January 4.

Greetings!  The Poetic Strokes poetry contest has been revived!  SELCO encourages residents who are 16 years of age or older and who live in the eleven-county SELCO region to submit original poetry to be considered for the Poetic Strokes regional anthology.  For submission guidelines, please click here .  Send poetry submissions between January 1, 2010 and February 15, 2010 to:

Poetry Submission
SELCO
Attn: Mollie Pherson
2600 19th Street NW
Rochester, MN  55901
mpherson@selco.info

After the February 15 deadline, a qualified panel will review all entries and make the final selections for the anthology.

Spread the word to co-workers, family, and friends! 

Questions?  Contact Mollie via email at mpherson@selco.info or via phone at 1-800-992-5061 or 507-288-5513.

This project was funded in part or in whole with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008 which dedicated funding to preserve Minnesota's arts and cultural heritage. 

Great news from SELCO Headquarters!  As a region, we have collectively created 1,000,000 bibliographic records in the SELCO catalog!  SELCO Project Librarian Tyler Irvin entered the millionth record yesterday.  The item?  Dreams Under Fire - A Documentary About Gangs, a 50-minute video owned by SELS member, Parenting Resource Center . 

The Introduction to the new Online Catalog class this morning (12-30-09) has been cancelled due to low registration.  SELCO is offering other training opportunities to explore the new catalog.  Please check out our training page for more information. 

Greetings!  SELCO is happy to announce the addition of the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes and Noble Nook to our E-Book Reader Techie Toybox.  The kit also includes the Sony E-Book Reader.  To book this kit, please send a request to SELCO at booking@selco.info.  The email must include the title of the kit, the date needed and a requested due date.  Check out our other available Techie Toyboxes by clicking here.

Monday Dec. 28th - 9:52 AM

The problem with some thin clients in the region not connecting, has been resolved. Thanks for your patience. Please call the SELCO Helpdesk if you are still encountering issues.

12-23-2009, 9:24 AM

We are having some problems this morning with thin clients being able to connect to Citrix.  So far Citrix connections through the Automation Portal seem to be working fine.  We are working to resolve this issue and will send more information out as it becomes available.

The Wednesday morning, December 22 Introduction to the new Online Catalog class has been cancelled due to low (1) registration.  SELCO is offering other training opportunities to explore the new catalog.  Please check out our training page for more information.

In observance of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the SELCO office will be closed on Thursday, December 24 and Friday, December 25.  There will be no Automation Support on Christmas Day.  On-call Automation Support will be available on Christmas Eve Day from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. 

There will be NO delivery service on either Thursday or Friday.  Delivery will resume on Monday, December 28.

Greetings!  The Introduction to New Online Catalog session this morning has been cancelled.  We apologize for the inconvenience!  We have other training sessions available, so check out our training page for more information.

12-20-2009, 9:52 AM

To resolve a minor problem with our Pharos Nerve Center, we have rebooted the Nerve Center server.  Normal functionality has been restored but each Online Library using Pharos will have to reboot their Pharos Signup server before the system can be used. 

We don't anticipate any further problems today but if you experience any problems after rebooting your server, please contact the SELCO Help Desk for assistance.  If you are not sure where your library's signup server is located or do not know how to reboot it, the Help Desk can provide assistance.

Thank you for your help in this matter.

In anticipation of the new SELCO catalog that is debuting January 12th, SELCO has nine orientation sessions scheduled. For the first time, we will be offering online sessions in addition to our regular face-to face sessions. You can find a list of both types of sessions on our training website here. Please note that the sessions on the top of the page are all face to face, in the SELCO building. The sessions listed lower on the page under the heading Online Sessions will be offered only online.

SELCO staff wish you and yours a very happy holiday season in this video holiday card.

Our first annual Free Cataloging Day has begun!  We picked December 10th as our day to offer free cataloging to our online member libraries as this day is the birthday of Melvil Dewey for whom the Dewey Decimal System is named (by the way, he would have been 158 years old today!)  Watch for a video later today on SELCOtv that will include short interviews with each of our catalogers:  Kirby Johnson, Carla Johnson, Tracy Waterman, Tyler Irvin, Abbey Thompson, and guest catalogers Jeannie Johnson, Janice Kunkel, and Jane Cabaya.  Check out photos from the day on SELCO's Flickr site .

At the request of the library, we are informing you that Stewartville Public Library has closed due to bad weather.

We have received word from St. Charles Public Library that they will be closed today (December 9) and have asked us to post this message to our website to help notify their patrons.

Due to extreme weather conditions, the SELCO - Gold Cross Delivery Service will not be on the road today.

Through extensive discussions with area library directors, library staff and library board members regarding the Arts & Cultural Heritage funds, much emphasis was put on the desire to digitize local history resources within our region. Before we can proceed with a digitization project, SELCO needs to know more about the collections and the digitization needs at SELCO member libraries. A survey was created to capture this information.

This survey is intended to gain a better understanding of the digitization needs within our SELCO/SELS member libraries. Information provided in this survey will help us better serve our libraries' needs as we move forward with digitization projects in this grant cycle and in years to come.

To complete the short survey, please click the link below:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9CLFFJ3

The survey will be open for two weeks, until Friday, December 18th. Thank you very much for your input!

Five SELCO scholarship recipients will attend the National Public Library Conference in Portland, Oregon in March 2010 with SELCO financial support.  From a applicant pool of 11 interested library staff members, their names were drawn randomly.  Scholarship awardees will receive up to $1,500 to defray costs for registration, housing, meals and travel.  Each applicant agreed to share their impressions of the conference via the SELCO Librarian blog.   The 2009 SELCO - PLA Scholarship winners include:

• LaVonne Beach, LaCrescent Public Library
• Elizabeth Anderson, Preston Public Library
• Cheryl Hill, Van Horn Public Library - Pine Island
• Sharon Grossardt, St. Charles Public Library
• Lezlea Dahlke, Winona Public Library

Due to low registration numbers, we have decided to cancel the SELCO Special Consultants' Fair scheduled for tomorrow morning.  We are hoping to schedule another sharing opportunity in the near future.

Just released - An online version of the FY 2010 Art and Culture Live! and Community Collaboration Sponsorship Application!   For more information about regional Library Legacy activities, visit SELCO’s new Library Legacy webpage .  For general information about Library Legacy activities as they develop around the state, visit the Regional Library System’s website .

SELCO will support programs and exhibits at libraries and community events with Arts and Cultural Heritage Library Legacy Funds.  With a goal of providing a wide range of art, drama, music and other performances, the programs and exhibits may be seen by anyone visiting a library.  The new Performance and Exhibit Policy identifies SELCO’s aim in supporting arts and cultural events and provides a means for individuals to request reconsideration of a program or exhibit.

• SELCO Performance and Exhibit Policy , approved November 2009

• Sample Performance and Exhibit Policy created for Minnesota libraries

Greetings!  It’s that time of year again!  The annual Hot Reads for Cold Nights Kick-off program will be held at SELCO on Tuesday, December 8, 12:30-3 p.m.  Please join us for an Afternoon of Reader’s Advisory!  Rochester Public Library’s Kim Edson and Katherine Stecher will be sharing thoughts on the Reader’s Advisory process, and attendees should prepare a 2-3 minute book talk about an adult novel they would recommend to patrons during the winter months.  Please bring copies of any book lists you’d like to share or email them to Mollie Pherson at mpherson@selco.info.  For more information, please see the attached flyer by clicking here .  To register for the kick-off, please click here .

SELCO is pleased to announce the availability of financial support from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (ACHF) for Library Legacy activities.  SELCO will undertake a variety of project, including statewide and regional initiatives, as well as sponsor activities in local communitites.  During Fiscal Year 2010, applications for SELCO sponsorship of local programs, exhibits or projects will be reviewed monthly, with a deadline of the 30th of each month.  Application materials are now available.

• FY 2010 Sponsorship Invitation and Introduction
• FY 2010 Art and Culture Live! and Community Collaboration Sponsorship Application
• FY 2010 Instructions and Frequently Asked Questions

For more information about regional Library Legacy plans, check SELCO's new Library Legacy webpage .

In an effort to identify a diverse selection of quality performers and speakers for library programs and community events, the Minnesota's Regional Library Systems  launched the  Library Legacy Artist, Performer and Partner Database .  This online resource includes a wealth of information gathered by library staff from across the state, as well as self-submissions by artists willing to go on-the-road to share their art, song or dance, enriching Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage.

In observance of Thanksgiving, the SELCO office will be closed on Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27.  There will be no Automation Support on Thanksgiving Day.  On-call Automation Support will be available on Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

There will be no delivery service on either Thursday or Friday.  Delivery will resume on Monday, November 30.

3:08 p.m. -- The printer technician has been able to get the notices printer back up and running.  Corrine is going to start printing notices again and will need the library staff to stay out of the Notices Review and the Notice Output windows for the remainder of the day as she finishes printing the notices from yesterday and today.  We appreciate your patience in this matter, thank you.

12:01 p.m. -- This news item is only asking action from libraries that have SELCO print and email out their auto notices, including hold, overdue and lost notices. Pre-overdue notices are not affected, nor are libraries that print their own auto notices. Please disregard if this does not apply to you.

The Notices printer at SELCO is still not operational nor is there any additional news about when it will be returned to service. As there are batches of notices ready to print, Corrine has gone into each library’s list of notices and sent out those set up to be emailed. Print notices will be sent out as soon as possible. We will not purge those lines of notices until the printed notices are mailed.

At this time, please feel free to work with your Notices for Review lists and ‘send to print’ notices as you normally would. Later today, Corrine will batch up the notices and again she will go into each library’s list of notices and will send out emailed notices. Pre-overdue notices will also be emailed out today and over the weekend.

Corrine will be batching up notices from 3-3:30 pm. Please do not be in the Notices for Review or the Notice Output windows at this time to help prevent accidental loss of data. Thank you.

If you have batched up to print a notice and the patron resolves the reason for the notice before it is printed, Horizon does not print the notice.  This includes notices generated because the patron picks up the held item, pays the fee, or returns the overdue or lost item. So notices held in the print queue from yesterday will stay there in the list but will not be printed and mailed out.

9:30 a.m. -  The technician has not yet arrived due to unforeseen circumstances in his workday, and we do not have an arrival time for him. If you are printing your own notices and would like to batch and print, please do so. As soon as he does arrive, SELCO staff will send out another email asking people to stop batching and printing locally.  If you have SELCO print your notices, please continue to wait to work with your Notices for Review list. Thank you.

We are experiencing hardware difficulties with our notices printer.  Having exhausted all options, we have contacted the company that supports the printer and expect a technician early Friday morning.  With luck, we will be able to catch up with today's notices at that time. 

While we are trying to catch up on the notices on Friday morning, it is important that Online Libraries do not modify notices batches.  Until the printer technician arrives, it's impossible for us to know when Notices batches will be available for modification.  Further information will be posted here and emailed to Directors and Automation Contacts as it becomes available.

We apologize for this lapse in service and will restore normal functionality as soon as possible.

The issue with the server that handles Database authentication has been resolved, and authentication is working again.

Thank you again for your patience. If you experience any other issues please contact the SELCO Helpdesk.

Announcing the launch of SELCO's new Library Legacy webpage! A link to the Library Legacy page can be found under Quick Links on the left side of the SELCO homepage. Individual project pages for each Legacy focus area are directly linked from there:

From Ink & Paper to Digital Record - Regional Digitization

Arts & Culture Live!

Community Collaboration - Forging Partnerships through Art & Culture

Traveling Literary Displays

Poetic Strokes

A Southeast Musical Heritage - Cataloging CBBMLL

RACE - Are We So Different?

Minnesota's Greatest Generation

Minnesota Book Awards

As SELCO's Legacy projects develop and grow, stay tuned to this page for up-to-date information about their progress and outcomes. We look forward to sharing these successes with you in the months and years to come!

SELCO's first community conversation about the new Arts and Cultural Heritage Library Legacy funding will be held at the Owatonna Public Library tomorrow, 4-6 p.m.  Our purpose will be to gather information about what types of community partnerships are taking place and to generate new ideas about initiating partnerships with local organizations and community members.   Other conversation locations include:

Rice County:  November 30, Buckham Memorial Library (Faribault) , 4-6 p.m.
Dodge County:  November 30, Dodge Center Public Library , 4-6 p.m.
Winona County:  November 30, Winona Public Library (please note the location change), 4-6 p.m.
Goodhue County:  December 3, Zumbrota Public Library , 4-6 p.m.
Wabasha County:  December 3, National Eagle Center (Wabasha) , 4-6 p.m.
Olmsted County:  December 7, Rochester Public Library , 3-5 p.m.
Mower County:  December 7, Michael H. Seibel Family Visitation & Exchange Center (Austin) , 4-6 p.m.
Fillmore County:  December 14, Preston Public Library , 4-6 p.m.
Houston County:  December 16, Houston Nature Center , 4-6 p.m.
Freeborn County:  December 16, Albert Lea Public Library , 4-6 p.m.
 
Registration is recommended.  To register for a community conversation, please click here .  To view the conversation flyer, please click here .  Please share with your library administration, staff members, board members, and community groups.

User testing on the beta version of SELCO's new AquaBrowser catalog began on Monday, 11-09-2009.  For the two weeks beginning on the 9th and ending in 11-22-2009, Online Libraries represented on the AquaBrowser Working Group are asking their staff to try a few searches and fill out a short survey about the experience.  Following this staff testing, those same libraries will use the same survey to gather feedback from patrons.  This patron testing will last for two weeks, from Monday, 11-23-2009 to Sunday, 12-06-2009.

Testing data will be used to fine-tune the catalog before training classes for Online Library staff begin in December.  If all goes well, the catalog will go live in mid-January.

SELCO has decided to delay releasing the new Resource Page that had been scheduled to go live on Thursday, 11-12-2009.

In addition to changing the page organization to accommodate the many new ELM databases, the new page uses Minitex's geographical IP-based authentication to restrict database use to Minnesota residents.  This authentication provides superior service to our current authentication in that it does not require library card number entry for patrons at home.  Unfortunately, this authentication is not working as of today.  Minitex has assured us that they are working to fix the problem but we do not have a timeframe yet.

Until these issues have been resolved by Minitex, SELCO will continue using the current Resources page.  We will post further information here as the situation develops.

Step right up!  Join us at SELCO for our Special Consultants' Fair on December 1, 9:30-11:30 a.m.!  Come see the work library staff members from all over the region have completed as part of SELCO's Special Consultants project.  Wondering how to start fundraising?  Looking for a spectacular teen program?  Our Special Consultants, who assisted library staff in doing just these things, will be available for questions and ideas to help you jump start your next project.  Sign up today!  To register for the fair, please click here .  To view the Fair flyer, please click here .

SELCO invites you to a community conversation about the new Arts and Cultural Heritage Library Legacy funding.  These conversations will be held in all 11 counties in the SELCO region.  Our purpose will be to gather information about what types of community partnerships are taking place and to generate new ideas about initiating partnerships with local organizations and community members.   Conversation locations include:

Steele County:  November 18, Owatonna Public Library , 4-6 p.m.
Rice County:  November 30, Buckham Memorial Library (Faribault) , 4-6 p.m.
Dodge County:  November 30, Dodge Center Public Library , 4-6 p.m.
Winona County:  November 30, CHANGE OF LOCATION PENDING TO ACCOMODATE HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBILITY , 4-6 p.m.
Goodhue County:  December 3, Zumbrota Public Library , 4-6 p.m.
Wabasha County:  December 3, National Eagle Center (Wabasha) , 4-6 p.m.
Olmsted County:  December 7, Rochester Public Library , 3-5 p.m.
Mower County:  December 7, Michael H. Seibel Family Visitation & Exchange Center (Austin) , 4-6 p.m.
Fillmore County:  December 14, Preston Public Library , 4-6 p.m.
Houston County:  December 16, Houston Nature Center , 4-6 p.m.
Freeborn County:  December 16, Albert Lea Public Library , 4-6 p.m.
 
Registration is recommended.  To register for a Community Conversation, please click here .  To view the conversation flyer, please click here .  Please share with your library administration, staff members, board members, and community groups.