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On Friday July 31, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will open the application process for $50 million of a $200 million earmark in the Recovery Act for expanding computer center capacity under their Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). This is the first of three rounds of funding releases; applications for this first $50 million round of funds are due by 5:00 p.m. EDT on August 14, 2009.

We understand that, in these budget-strapped times, it is more important than ever for public libraries to show their communities that they are vital and trustworthy institutions that can provide the same advanced features as other kinds of sites.  We also know that library staff have even less time and/or staff to manage their websites.  OPLIN's Dynamic Website Kits offer a host of options for little investment of time and funds.

As we approach the end of the state fiscal year, and the time for the Libraries Connect Ohio (LCO) partners to renew purchases of the Ohio Web Library collection of databases, and the final version of the new state budget, changes to the Ohio Web Library collection are finally coming into focus.

Recent developments in the newspaper business are going to force some major changes in the selection of newspapers currently available in the Ohio Web Library collection.

We are pleased to announce a new tool for searching the archives of the OPLINTECH mail list at http://oplin.org/techsearch. This search interface is easier to use than browsing the mail list archives, and you don't have to be a member of the OPLINTECH list to use it.

Next time you have a question about library technology matters, try http://oplin.org/techsearch.
 

The Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) is seeking nominations for its Board of Trustees. The OPLIN Board consists of eleven members appointed by the State Library Board. These members are library directors, staff, and past or present trustees of public libraries.

The OPLIN Board has two vacancies for three-year terms beginning July 1, 2009 and ending June 30, 2012, with the option to be reappointed for an additional three-year term.

WHEREAS,  the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) will continue to provide outstanding Internet service to the Ohio public library community and its 8 million patrons, by cooperatively purchasing broadband connections for the 251 public libraries through State of Ohio purchase instruments;

If you apply for E-rate discounts on a T1 circuit that is purchased from the statewide SOMACS contract (e.g. to a branch library), there are some changes to that contract starting July 1.

Q: How do I know if I have a SOMACS T1?
A: You will be getting monthly bills from AT&T (actually Ohio Bell Telephone dba. AT&T Ohio) for $400 for each T1 circuit to your branch(es).

In addition to the regular Spanish version of the World Book encyclopedia, which is intended for a younger audience, World Book has now released Hispanica, a Spanish resource intended for older grades and adults.  (Please see the attached PDF for details).  We have added the link to the full listing of Ohio Web Library databases at http://www.oplin.org/databases.  However, if you would like to link to it directly, you can by using the URL http://oplin.org/worldbook-his.

 Are you thinking of upgrading your library's website?

Is your library ready to replace its outdated site with something that: