A new year!

It's always a good idea to pause and take a look back over the year, in preparation for the year ahead. 2005 was a watershed year for me personally: having my husband in Iraq, moving to Kansas, beginning a new job. But all of these things have worked out: John is home now, (thank you Lord!) and I am settling into my new position and new state. We made quite a few changes at the State Library in 2005, and we have some great projects coming up:

• Kansas Center for the Book - We unveiled KCFB at the State Library of Kansas in May, and it shot off like a rocket! Look for projects in 2006 that include a Kansas Book Festival, a Kansas Notable Books project and a Kansas Authors Dinner at Triconference.
• Kansas Virtual Library (KVL) - We initiated a statewide cooperative project with Kansas libraries and Overdrive that will provide downloadable audio books. This project will be part of the KVL and expand the online library resources for Kansans.
• Changes to the Kansas Library Card - the Kansas Library Card will be easier to obtain in 2006. Soon, users will be able to register themselves for a card while they’re online, with a 30-day window of time to visit a library or school to validate the account. There will be a longer renewal period and users will be able to renew their cards online.
• Report on Continuing Education for Kansas Librarians and Trustees - This project began with the library community identifying training needs and led to eleven recommendations for future CE. IN 2006, look for the development of core competencies for librarians and trustees, and a reconfiguration of statewide training for library administrators.
• Kansas Reads to Preschoolers 2006 – builds on the huge success of the program in 2005. We’re already working on the “One Book, One State” for preschoolers project for October of this year.
• Statewide Resource Sharing - this project started with a summit last summer. Now resource sharing task forces are working on database offerings, a “one stop shopping” portal, delivery and enhanced interlibrary loan.
• LSTA library automation project - In order to enhance library resource sharing, we need to have as many Kansas libraries as possible automated and their collections available on the web. Working with the Regional Systems, we hope to have a first wave of automation project started in 2006.
  
  We have an aggressive agenda for enhancement of library service in Kansas, but it is doable! Partnering with librarians and trustees all over the state, we can create stronger libraries and more access to information for Kansans of all ages. Happy New Year!