May 15, 2008 (Vol. 14, No. 14) – Happenings

Oregon Book Awards & Literary Fellowships / Disaster Preparedness Workshops / Help Fund Library Programming

Oregon Book Awards & Literary Fellowships – Deadlines in May and June

Portland, Oregon – Literary Arts provides support and recognition to Oregon writers and publishers through Oregon Book Awards and Oregon Literary Fellowships. The submission deadlines for 2008 are fast approaching:

Oregon Book Awards Deadline: May 30, 2008
Oregon Literary Fellowships Deadline: June 27, 2008

Oregon Book Awards are presented annually for the finest accomplishments by Oregon writers who work in genres of poetry, fiction, literary nonfiction, drama and young readers literature. The work may be nominated by the author, publisher or any member of the public.

Also offered are the following nomination-based Special Awards:

The Charles Erskine Scott Wood Distinguished Writer Award is presented to an Oregon author in recognition of an enduring, substantial literary career.

The Steward H. Holbrook Literary Legacy Award is presented to a person or organization in recognition of significant contributions that have enriched Oregon’s literary community.

The Walt Morey Young Readers Literary Legacy Award is presented to a person or organization in recognition of significant contributions that have enriched Oregon’s young readers.

The deadline to apply for the 2008 Oregon Book Awards and Special Awards is May 30, 2008. Applications and guidelines are available at the Literary Arts web site, http://www.literary-arts.org, or by contacting Susan Denning at susan@literary-arts.org or 503-227-2583.

Completed applications for the 2008 Oregon Literary Fellowships are due to Literary Arts by Friday, June 27, 2008. Fellowships are awarded in poetry, fiction, literary nonfiction, drama and young readers literature. The minimum award amount is $2,500. Applications and guidelines are available at the Literary Arts web site, http://www.literary-arts.org or by contacting Susan Denning at susan@literary-arts.org or 503-227-2583. There is no charge to apply for an Oregon Literary Fellowship.

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Protecting Library & Archive Collections: Disaster Preparedness, Response & Recovery

Prineville:
Part 1: Friday, July 25, 9:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.
Part 2: Friday, September 12, 2007, 9:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.
Crook County Library

Eugene:

Part 1: Friday, August 1, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Part 2: Monday, September 8, 2007, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Eugene Public Library

Workshop instructor: Kris Kern is the Preservation Librarian at Portland State University and is chair of the Portland Area Library System’s Disaster Recovery Group.

The “Protecting Library & Archive Collections” workshops are presented in a 2-part sequence by the Western States & Territories Preservation Assistance Service (WESTPAS) to produce the following outcomes for disaster preparedness activities:

• Complete a disaster plan by the end of Part 2.
• Learn how to train staff to implement your plan effectively.
• Set pre- and post-disaster action priorities for your collections.
• Learn how to use practical decision-making skills during an emergency.
• Experience salvage procedures for books, documents, and non-print media.

The workshop days are scheduled five weeks apart. Participants will prepare short assignments prior to the first session; between sessions, they will undertake additional assignments resulting in a completed disaster plan at the end of Part 2. Upon completion, the institution will be invited to join an informal network of WESTPAS trained personnel to provide mutual aid in the event of emergencies involving collections in the region.

Who should attend: Administrators and staff responsible for emergency preparedness, response and decision-making, in all types of libraries and archives. By registering for the workshop, the institution commits to supporting the attendee(s) to achieve the workshop’s disaster preparedness goals. When possible, please send two attendees from a library or archive so they can work together on the disaster preparedness activities.

Cost: No charge to the institution. Funding provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities and co-sponsored by the Oregon State Library.

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Help Fund Library Programming

Librarians connect people to the greatest treasures that the world has to offer. While books and the Internet are only the beginning, librarians powerfully connect citizens to words and ideas, art and music, history and film, and connect one person to another through cultural programming and dialog.

Recognizing this important and central role for librarians and libraries, the American Library Association Public Programs Office established the Cultural Communities Fund, an endowment to support cultural programming in libraries. The National Endowment for the Humanities has offered a Challenge Grant of matching funds in response. There’s no better time to maximize an investment in cultural programming.

The five-year Challenge Grant campaign has a goal of raising $1,400,000, with yearly targets to receive matching funds from the NEH. With the assistance of the Public and Cultural Programs Advisory Committee (PCPAC), more than $1,000,000 has already been raised toward the Challenge Grant goal.

Visit http://www.ala.org/ala/ppo/ccf/culturalcommunities.cfm for more information.

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