OLA Quarterly

Volume 26 Issue 2 Table of Contents

2020-11-07T01:07:24-08:00

Note: A new version of this PDF was posted on Nov. 6, 2020, in the course of updating State Library of Oregon email addresses throughout the issue.

Volume 26 Issue 2 Introduction | From the Guest Editor

2020-11-07T01:10:01-08:00

This issue of the OLA Quarterly features articles written by State Library staff highlighting the programs, services, and history of the State Library. The State Library of Oregon was established as the Oregon Library Commission in 1905 and renamed as the Oregon State Library in 1913. Today, the State Library of Oregon has three distinct roles:

The Talking Book and Braille Library serves Oregonians with print disabilities by providing Braille, audio- books, descriptive videos, and magazines through the mail and digital download. This is a free service to eligible Oregonians, with over 5,000 active users and an average of approximately 30,000 items circulated every month. The Talking Book and Braille Library is the regional library in Oregon for the Library of Congress’ National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) network.
The Library Support and Development Services Division provides consultation services, professional de- velopment, statewide library services, and state and federal grant administration to libraries across the state. The division administers state-funded Ready to Read grants to public libraries in Oregon to support sum- mer reading and early literacy programs, and administers federal LSTA grant funding as competitive grants and for statewide library services including the Answerland online reference service, the Oregon School Library Information System (OSLIS), and the Statewide Database Licensing Program.
The Government Information and Library Services Division provides library services to state employees including research assistance, professional development, and instruction. Through the embedded librarian program, each state agency is as- signed a librarian to provide specialized assistance and resources to support state agency staff in their work. The division preserves state agency publications and makes them accessible to state employees and the public through the Oregon Digital Collections website, and reference assistance is provided to the public in utilizing State Library collections and resources.

Articles featuring the work of each of these divisions are included in this issue.

Note: A new version of this article was posted on Nov. 6, 2020, to include the author's updated State Library of Oregon email address.

A Matriarch With Many Sides: Contextualizing Oregon’s First State Librarian

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Another pivotal point in societal consciousness is brewing. Statues, plaques, and other representations of the controversial values of times foregone have tumbled and awareness of the transgressions of historical figures is at an all-time high. Increased awareness has awakened a reexamination period, an acknowledgment of the necessity for a holistic narrative about the people and events we choose to honor. With this modern lens of cultural value being used to highlight the actions of past leaders, the State Library of Oregon has begun its own introspection on who we venerate and how.

Contextualizing Cornelia Marvin Pierce’s actions is the first step toward recognizing that the State Library has, through indirect association, contributed to the furthering of these movements against equity that occurred in the past, regardless of whether those attitudes reflect our values today. Our newest planning efforts include a vision to provide “equitable access to library and information services for all Oregonians” (State Library of Oregon Strategic Plan, 2020). A key step in realizing this vision is recognizing and addressing the inequities fostered by our past leaders as we commit to equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racist practices going forward.

Note: A new version of this article was posted on Nov. 6, 2020, to include the author's updated State Library of Oregon email address.

Database Promotion at the Intersection of Electronic Resource Management and Outreach

2020-11-07T01:11:49-08:00

During the electronic resource management cycle, library staff review, acquire, evaluate, and deactivate databases based on a number of factors that include usage statistics, collection development decisions, and budgetary factors. One aspect of electronic resource management that has increased in the Government Information and Library Services division is our promotion of new, updated, or existing databases to our state employee users.

This article discusses a pilot project designed to promote the use of the Safari database (now known as O’Reilly). It shares the steps we took to plan and implement outreach activities focused on the database, along with how we created goals and measures to evaluate and assess the success of the promotion.

After the pilot database promotion, we gained experience and information to design additional database promotions, which has helped us improve our communications and outreach to state employees.

Note: A new version of this article was posted on Nov. 6, 2020, to include the author's updated State Library of Oregon email address.

State of School Libraries in Oregon: Challenges and Successes

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The State Library supports Oregon school libraries in a variety of ways. Data about school library staffing and funding is collected and is often requested by library advocates. The State Library’s Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) allotment contributes to or funds Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB), the statewide databases, and the Oregon School Library Information System, otherwise known as OSLIS. In addition, the Oregon Association of School Libraries (OASL) has benefited from LSTA competitive grants, such as grants they received to develop the Oregon School Library Standards and the related Grade-Level Learning Goals. I work closely with the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), and as I learn about relevant updates and projects at ODE, I keep the library community informed about potential opportunities and connect OASL leadership with appropriate ODE contacts. Much of the support I provide comes in the form of consulting as needs arise.

Additional local support comes from organizations like the Oregon Library Association (OLA) and Oregon Association of School Libraries. For example, as a result of how COVID-19 has affected K-12 education, OASL leadership developed talking points about the value that licensed and paraprofessional staff bring during distance learning. Those organizations can also advocate for school libraries in ways that the State Library, as a state agency, cannot. In the last couple of years, OASL ramped up their advocacy efforts by forming an advocacy committee. They created an advocacy toolkit and worked with the OLA Library Development & Legislation Committee during the last full session of the Oregon Legislature, trying to pass legislation that would require licensed school librarians in elementary schools, among other things, based on momentum from the then-pending Student Success Act. The school library legislation did not advance, and the advocacy committee plans to pursue new legislation again when the time is right. That situation is a reflection of the current state of school libraries in Oregon. Much good work is being done, but efforts to staff, fund, and better utilize school library programs often do not move forward.

In preparation to write this article, I asked OASL members to respond to a survey about successes and challenges. Top challenges surfaced, both through the survey responses and from trends I have noticed in my dozen years at the State Library.

Note: A new version of this article was posted on Nov. 6, 2020, to include the author's updated State Library of Oregon email address.

The Federal Depository Library Program Regional Collection in Oregon: Shifting Roles in Access and Preservation of U.S. Government Publications

2020-11-07T01:14:07-08:00

This article explores the history of the FDLP Regional Collection in Oregon libraries. It covers the origin and evolution of the collection which is currently managed by the State Library of Oregon by way of shared housing agreements. The transition away from print-based to digital access points to a shift in role for the collection, with more emphasis on long-term preservation. This shift prompts an examination of options for improving the management of the collection.

Note: A new version of this article was posted on Nov. 6, 2020, to include the author's updated State Library of Oregon email address.

Operation Alexandria Gutenberg: How the Talking Book and Braille Library Transitioned to Customized Cartridges

2020-11-07T01:15:02-08:00

Since the beginning of the Talking Book and Braille program in 1932, books circulated to print-impaired users as single titles. Users had to return all the items that made up a single book in order to receive the items for another single book. Though the audio format changed several times over the years from records to discs to cassette tapes to flash-memory cartridges (reducing the number of items needed per book), the 1-for-1 circulation method remained essentially the same. But that was about to change.

A new circulation method had been in development by our ILS vendor for years, one that would allow us to load cartridges with customized lists of books based on a user’s requests and preferences. Each cartridge could hold up to eight audiobooks loaded from a digital storage unit that would be constantly updated in real-time. All users could have whatever titles they want whenever they want them. No more unavailable titles, no more waiting for copies, no more overdue items. This new method would reduce the number of cartridges mailed out per day from 1,200 to 150. The daily circulation process would be reduced from four hours to one hour. It would shrink our 90,000+ audiobook collection’s physical footprint from thousands of shelves to one computer. This revolutionary circulation method makes everyone’s life better.

Then COVID-19 happened. Elke was promoted to Program Manager in mid-March, and two days into her tenure she had to make the tough call to temporarily discontinue mail delivery of books—just one week away from implementation of customized cartridges.

Note: A new version of this article was posted on Nov. 6, 2020, to include the author's updated State Library of Oregon email address.

Inside Look: Digitizing a Historic Card Index

2020-11-07T01:16:35-08:00

Oregon Index Online (https://digital.osl.state.or.us/islandora/object/osl:or_index) is a resource for discovering information about the news, events, and people who shaped Oregon. It builds on the decades of work that went into creating the physical Oregon Index. This article reviews the methods library staff took to digitize and process nearly 800,000 cards to make the Oregon Index available online.

Note: A new version of this article was posted on Nov. 6, 2020, to include the authors' updated State Library of Oregon email addresses.

History and Evolution of the Embedding Program at the State Library of Oregon

2020-11-07T01:17:27-08:00

This article will describe what the embedding program does, its history at the State Library, and how it has evolved over time—including how important it has been for connecting with state agencies and offering our services and resources within our new reality of remote work. I will outline how the embedding program came to be, how it was developed, describe how it creates stronger connections with our state agency patrons and the various outreach programs we have developed to promote the program. I will also provide some examples of what has worked, and what has not, in the program.

Note: A new version of this article was posted on Nov. 6, 2020, to include the author's updated State Library of Oregon email address.

The Hunt for Digital Oregon Documents: Building and Populating the Oregon Government Publications Digital Collection

2020-11-07T01:18:18-08:00

When the Oregon Documents Depository Program (OrDocs) began in 1907, the only way to access an Oregon state government publication was to get a paper copy. The OrDocs program distributed (and still distributes) state government documents to designated depository libraries around the state, enhancing government transparency and citizen engagement.

By the end of the century, however, it was obvious that the old model was no longer sufficient. The internet was becoming an additional avenue, if not the only avenue, for the dissemination of state government information. Libraries nationwide, including the State Library of Oregon (then known as the Oregon State Library), were looking for solutions to the problem of collecting digital documents.

By the early 2000s, the State Library, working with the Department of Administrative Services, OrDocs depository libraries, and the Documents Interest Group of Oregon, had begun planning a way to collect digital OrDocs. The culmination of this effort, in 2006, was the passage of House Bill 2118. The bill required state agencies to provide digital copies of their publications to the State Library, regardless of whether the publications were available online or not (Hulshof-Schmidt, 2006, p. 7).

Note: A new version of this article was posted on Nov. 6, 2020, to include the author's updated State Library of Oregon email address.

Ready to Read Now and Then

2020-11-07T01:19:25-08:00

The Ready to Read project at your local public library is building literacy skills in early learners and summer readers, even as I write these words. Oregon libraries use Ready to Read funds in their daily work to support visiting Head Start classrooms with storytimes, to offer teen or foster parent literacy classes, to implement summer food site reading programs, and more—all to ensure that as many Oregon kids as possible have the opportunity to build literacy skills in their communities.

The reach of this program is broad and deep. In 2019 alone, public libraries used Ready to Read funds to meet the needs of 252,397 young learners from ages zero to five. Along with these early learning services, libraries worked to implement summer reading programs serving over 211,000 kids from ages zero to 14, partnering with an incredible number of 750 community organizations across the state to help ensure young learners have safe spaces and resources they need to keep learning over the summer months.

Note: A new version of this article was posted on Nov. 6, 2020, to include the author's updated State Library of Oregon email address.

Volume 26 Issue 2 Back Matter

2020-11-07T01:20:15-08:00

Note: A new version of this PDF was posted on Nov. 6, 2020, in the course of updating State Library of Oregon email addresses throughout the issue.