ULC Webinar: Bridging the Digital Divide --- Library Hot Spot Lending Programs
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
9-10 am PT | 10-11 am MT | 11 am-12 pm CT | 12-1 pm ET
With the movement to mobile learning becoming more prevalent in schools, closing the digital literacy divide is becoming imperative. While libraries are providing important broadband access within their walls, some libraries are developing innovative programs outside their walls to help close the divide and increase education opportunities and broadband adoption. Hot Spot Lending Programs are the latest buzz in public libraries and here is your chance to hear from those who started the lending programs with the aim of closing the digital divide and furthering their mission. Hot spots are low-cost devices that provide mobile broadband wireless Internet access anywhere. They can fit in a pocket, connect multiple devices, and bring the internet into the home for those who do not have access.
Join program leaders from New York Public Library and Saint Paul Public Library as they discuss the school and community partnerships that they developed in order to launch their Hot Spot Lending programs. They will be joined by the nonprofit Educational Service provider Mobile Beacon who has been at the forefront Hot Spot Lending in libraries. The presenters will share details about their lending policies, target audience and the sustainability of the programs. They will also share the success and challenges libraries have faced when implementing a lending program.
Click here to register.
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2015 ULC ANNUAL FORUM
SPECIAL EVENTS
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ULC Member Briefing
Wednesday, June 24, 2015, 3:00 - 4:00 pm
San Jose Marriott - San Jose Ballroom - San Jose, CA
Click here for more information.
ULC Member Welcome Reception
Wednesday, June 24, 2015, 5:30 - 7:00 pm
San Jose Marriott - San Jose Ballroom - San Jose, CA
Click here for more information.
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A special thank you to EBSCO/Novelist for supporting the ULC Annual Forum Welcome Reception.
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2015 Innovations Celebration
Thursday, June 25, 2015, 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Tech Museum of Innovation - San Jose, CA
Click here for more information.
Visit the
ULC website to learn more about the 2015 ULC Annual Forum agenda, speakers and much more!
2015 ULC Member Reception in San Francisco
Saturday, June 27, 2015, 6:00 - 7:30 pm San Francisco Public Library - Skylight Gallery - San Francisco, CA The Friends of the San Francisco Public Library and the San Francisco Public Library will kindly host a ULC Member Reception in the Main Library's Skylight Gallery. Join friends and colleagues for a few light bites and libations as we welcome summer and reconnect with ULC friends near and far. Registration for the event is recommended.
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Arlington Heights Memorial Library Joins ULC
Please join us in welcoming our newest member, Arlington Memorial Heights Library (AHML), to the ULC family. We look forward to working with AHML and connecting the library's work to that of our other members and partners.
Guiding New York Public Library Into the Information Age
 In a recent interview with Forbes, New York Public Library (NYPL) President and CEO Anthony W. Marx advocates for the value of public libraries in an increasingly digital world. In the interview, Marx discusses the challenges and opportunities faced by NYPL in adapting to emerging technologies and increasing access to information and community education. Examples of NYPL's forward-thinking initiatives include a free coding education program and their mobile hotspot lending program, which will be featured in ULC's June 16 webinar,
Bridging the Digital Divide: Library Hot Spot Lending Programs.
"There are people who think that the Digital Age is a mortal threat to the library," said Marx. "I think it's the greatest opportunity in the history of libraries, and that means that this institution of huge scale and beloved by millions of people is also at a moment of revitalizing itself fundamentally."
Read the article here.
St. Louis County Library Director Honored as One of St. Louis' Most Influential Business Women
 The St. Louis Business Journal recently named Kristen Sorth, Director of the St. Louis County Library (SLCL), one of St. Louis' Most Influential Business Women of 2015.
Prior to her appointment as director, Sorth served as the head of SLCL's human resources functions for 15 years and Assistant Director of Administration in 2012. In her role as director, Sorth has stressed the importance of community outreach and initiated several partnerships with community organizations.
Under her leadership, the Library District has received numerous accolades including an invitation to participate in the White House ConnectED Library Challenge; consecutive years as a "Top Place to Work" by the St. Louis Post Dispatch; and being named the 2014 Missouri Library of the Year by the Missouri Library Association. She is also the first female director in the library's 69-year history.
Read the St. Louis Business Journal announcement here. Click here to learn more about Kristen Sorth's work with SLCL.
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ULC e-Discussion Meetup!
Friday, June 26, 2015 San Jose Marriott 1:30 - 3:30 pm
After lunch on Friday, June 26, join your ULC e-discussion group for an afternoon of share-out and conversation. An agenda will be provided in advance of the meeting and a room assignment will be given during the ULC Annual Forum. Each session will end so that those joining us in San Francisco can board the bus by 3:45pm.
Click
here to RSVP and view the list of group meetings. If you have any questions, please contact
Katherine Behrens.
Need a ride?
Baker and Taylor are the official sponsors of the ULC bus from San Jose to San Francisco's Moscone Center. To reserve your seat, log in to your Annual Forum registration page, visit the Lodging and Travel tab and click on the box to reserve a ride. It's that easy!
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Gear up for Summer Learning!
Celebrated as the official kick-off to the summer season, Summer Learning Day, taking place on Friday, June 19, 2015, is promoted nationally by the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) through events and media to build awareness around summer learning loss and recognize summer learning activities across the country. The NSLA website includes a number of resources for planning and promoting events locally, including a customizable press release, sample talking points, graphics and much more.
Like last year, NSLA is also hosting an interactive map where you can add any learning events or programs that your library will host this summer. Last year ULC members added 102 events to the map. Add your events and programs by June 19 and take the pledge to keep kids learning this summer. ULC members have already pledged to keep over 100,000 kids learning in 2015!
While you add your summer events to the NSLA website, please remember to complete ULC's Summer Learning Survey and tell us about a summer program at your library that is most focused on addressing the summer slide for students in any grades Pre K - 12. Library directors received the link to the survey on Monday, June 1.
If you have questions about Summer Learning Day or how else to get involved, please reach out to Nancy Levesque or visit the Summer learning Day website.
FCC to Reform Lifeline Program, Includes Broadband Subsidy
At its June 18, 2015 meeting, the FCC will propose a reform of the Lifeline Program, a current phone service subsidy that is available to low income populations. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is proposing to expand the program to include phone service, Internet service or a combination of both. Libraries will play a role in the reform as they will be a part of the public-private outreach, as well as provide the important digital literacy component.
Click here to learn more about Lifeline reform. ULC is closely following the issue. For more information, contact Katherine Bates.
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For more interaction with your colleagues, follow ULC on Twitter and Facebook. ULC also has a LinkedIn group. Please like, follow and join!
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 Join our LinkedIn group
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