Hitchhiker

              THE HITCHHIKER

Send news items to Robert Upton, Editor. ( 505) 827- 3813, Fax ( 505) 827- 3888, email: rupton@ stlib. state. nm. us

December 16, 1996 # 1187

TRAVELING FOUNDATION CENTER COLLECTION

Back in April, the Hitchhiker announced the introduction of the Foundation Center Traveling Collection to

libraries ( see HH # 1149). This collection sends almost 100 pounds of books on the road to libraries to allow

local grant writers access to the most popular and useful resources from the more extensive State Library

collection in Santa Fe. The travelling collection has now circulated to eight libraries throughout the state,

including public, academic, and pueblo libraries.

Housing it at public libraries and inviting representatives and grant- writers from local non- profit organizations

to use it while it is easily available can bring real financial benefits to the community. As a result of exposure to

the resources, several of the host libraries have decided to invest in the basic foundation collection at an

investment of $ 1017. In Clayton, Jacque Callis of the Northeastern Soil and Water Conservation District and

fifteen other groups and businesses felt access to the materials was so important that they solicited the

community for money to purchase a grants resource collection.

In January, Portales Public Library will host the collection with its 62 reference books and one video. Among

the collection titles are the Big Book of Library Grant Money, the Foundation Directory, and the Grants Index.

A Guide to U. S. Foundations, Their Trustees, Officers, and Donors is in two volumes, and the New Mexico

Funding Directory helps with state resources. The total value of the collection is $ 3,575 and all the titles are the

latest editions.

Each library must assume the responsibility of housing the collection and promoting its availability to local

government, community grant writers, and non- profits. At the end of four weeks, the hosting library mails it to

the next library. The only cost to your library is approximately $ 30 to cover mailing charges to the next library.

Each host will be asked to complete an evaluation form to gauge the project's value to your community. If you

are interested in receiving the Foundation Center Traveling Collection, call Cynthia Lerma at the State Library,

( 505) 827- 3801. Let her know which month would be best for your library. State Library staff will assign your

month, taking into consideration the geographic distribution of hosting candidates and notify you of the travel

schedule. You will receive the generic publicity releases and bibliography one month before the collection's

arrival to help you prepare its reception. If you have questions about the contents of the collection, call Ingrid

Vollnhofer at ( 505) 827- 3805 or e- mail ingrid@ stlib. state. nm. us. Comments about the collection may be

directed to Elaine Goodman, e- mail egoodman@ stlib. state. nm. us. The State Library can provide you with name

for previous host libraries for their experience. The State Library is now evaluating the success of the traveling

collection to decide whether to continue it. If you would like to host this collection, please response before the

end of December.

NEH GRANT PROJECT AT WORK

The Archival Resources Project, funded through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities ( see

HH # 1164), recently finished orientation of the new staff and held a workshop for the people who will be

involved in providing the integrated online bibliographic access to the archival research materials located in

Santa Fe's specialized libraries. These collections are held in the historical archives of the New Mexico State

Records Center and Archives and the various libraries of the Museum of New Mexico, including the Fray

Angelico Chavez Library ( formerly the History Library), Palace of the Governors Library, Laboratory of

Anthropology Library, The Museum of International Folk Art Library, and the Museum of Fine Arts Library.

Together, their collections constitute a resource of major national significance. The New Mexico State Library

is administering the project.

During the five day workshop, trainers Steve Hensen, who is a recognized expert and author on archival

cataloging, and Dr. Bonnie Hardwick, a manuscript curator of twenty year with a special interest in New

Mexico collections, gave an overview of archival cataloging and MARC records, with hands- on cataloging of

selected archival collections from the repositories. New staff members Jo Anne Jager, Shan Sutton, and Daphne

Arnaiz- Deleon ( see HH # 1184) joined selected staff from the State Records Center and Archives, the Museum

of New Mexico libraries, and the State Library for the training. The NEH staff and the staff from the State

Records Center and Archives have begun creating cataloging worksheets for the collections in Archives. As the

project continues, the NEH staff will visit each library in turn during its year of funding.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Cyber auction! The Institute of American Indian Arts is pleased to announce its first cyber auction of hand

painted denim jackets and dusters donated by IAIA alumni. You can view the items you wish to bid on and read

the auction rules on the IAIA homepage at http:// www. nuovo. com/ iaia/ auction. The auction continues through

December 31. Proceeds will benefit scholarships for IAIA students.

Attention performers. Read the 7 Seas, the 1997 Statewide Reading Program, is requesting proposals for two

professional cultural performers to tour to about 25 sites each within the state of New Mexico during June, July,

and August of 1997. The performance must relate to this year's theme: Read the 7 Seas. Our mascots, Digby, a

bobcat, and Sophy, a rabbit, are off on ocean adventures. Possible thematic approaches could include sea

stories, an ocean environment, sea creatures, sailing and adventure, pirates and treasure, or a beach party.

Copies of the clip art are available and may be requested. Storytellers and other performers are encouraged to

contact Chris Baca at the State Library, ( 505) 827- 3807, for information.

IN BRIEF

Supreme Court reviews Communications Decency Act. The U. S. Supreme Court announced Friday,

December 6, that it will hear the government's appeal of a landmark legal challenge to the Communications

Decency Act ( CDA) passed last February by Congress ( see HH # 1165). Judith F. Krug, the director of the

American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, said in a press release, " Many people turn to

public libraries for access to electronic information. Our concern is that decency is not defined in the Act and

we need a definition. Otherwise librarians are forced to self- censor or go off- line. Neither alternative is

acceptable. We are very pleased the Supreme Court has granted full review of the case." ALA is one of the 27

plaintiffs in the case.

JOBS

Librarian. El Rito Public Library needs a librarian for 20- 25 hours per week at $ 7.50 per hour, to start January

6. Grade I Library Certification or higher and bilingual preferred. This is a demanding position which includes

fiscal management and grantwriting responsibilities. Send a cover letter and resume by December 20 to Andy

R. Lopez, Executive Director, Las Clinicas del Norte, P. O. Box 237, El Rito, NM 87530 or FAX ( 505) 581-

4789.

Assistant Librarian/ Cataloger. Thomas C. Donnelly Library at New Mexico Highlands University is inviting

and extending the search for applications for Assistant Librarian, Cataloger. The Cataloger will be responsible

to the Head of Information Processing for complete processing of all library resources added to the collection,

including original and general cataloging, classifying, and reclassifying. The Cataloger will have responsibility

for the accuracy of information entered into the Library's online public access catalog. Responsibilities will

include assisting with development of policies, procedures, and implementation of cataloging aspects of

networking and special collections; will oversee authority control services, preservation, work flow, and

inventory; perform other library related activities requiring similar knowledge and skills as instructed by the

Head of Information Processing Division; ability to compile statistics; should have good verbal and written

communication skills; be able to work well both independently and with others; be able to adapt to change; and

will assist in providing reference services to clientele on a rotational schedule, including evenings and

weekends. Requirements are a Master's degree from an ALA- accredited library school with a minimum of three

years cataloging experience, knowledge of Library of Congress Classification System in classifying and

cataloging all types of library resources; thorough knowledge of AACR2, use of LC Subject Headings, and LC

Classification Schedules is essential; must have a working knowledge of a bibliographic utility, such as OCLC,

and a local library automated system, such as DRA. Supervisory experience is desirable. Salary is determined

by qualifications and experience for a 12- month contract. A job description is available upon request.

Applications must be postmarked no later than January 24, 1997. A complete application consists of a transcript

from an ALA- accredited library school, a letter of intent, current resume, names, addresses, and telephone

numbers of three references. Send to: Chair, Assistant Librarian/ Cataloger Search and Screen Committee,

Human Resources Department, New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas, NM 87701. For disabled access

or service, call ( 505) 454- 3332 or TDD# ( 505) 454- 3003. New Mexico Highlands University is an AA/ EEO

employer. The successful candidate will be required to submit an official transcript verifying MLS degree from

ALA- accredited library school.

CASTING THE NET

Virtual grammar. Worried about the corruption of the English language in cyberspace? The language is

changing before our very eyes right there on the Web. I discover new words faster than the OED can catch

them. Know what " going 3- D" means? It's what cybernerds do when they decide to take the Big Step to meet a

chat room partner in real time, face to face. And, judging by what I see on Websites, Webmasters never use

their spell checkers.

There is an up side to all this, according to Patricia T. O'Conner, author of Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's

Guide to Better English in Plain English, and an editor for The New York Times Book Review. In the December

9 " My Turn" column in Newsweek, she said, " Thanks to the computer, Americans are communicating with one

another at a rate undreamed of a generation ago -- and in writing. People who seldom wrote more than a memo

or a shopping list are producing blizzards of words. Teenagers who once might have spent the evening on the

phone are hunched over their computers, gossiping by e- mail and meeting in chat rooms. Wired college

students are conferring with professors, carrying on romances, and writing home for money, all from computer

terminals in their dorm rooms. Many executives who once depended on secretaries to ' put it in English' are now

clicking on REPLY and writing it." She goes on to express that all this writing is grammatically challenged. But

she ends with the reasonable reminder that a grammatical error " is not a drive- by shooting."

Christmas Net. Have you looked for Christmas on the Internet yet? There is a wide selection to choose from.

An article in the December American Libraries called " It Came upon a Web Site Clear" served as a starting

point, guiding us to the following sites:

! Ho! Ho! Ho! at http:// www. santaclaus. com -- you can e- mail Santa, see featured sites and charities, enjoy

Christmas humor, see Christmas customs and celebrations around the world, visit " Santa's own FAQ",

learn " Santa's favorite recipes", and, of course, find out where to shop.

! Santa's Home Page at http:// www. north- pole. org -- has goodies like a countdown till Christmas, lets you

meet the elves, read Christmas stories, visit the reindeer, learn Christmas carols, and e- mail a Christmas

letter.

! Santa's Workshop at http:// www. santas- workshop. com -- tells about the North Pole, Santa's workshop, the

toybox and toystore, and write a wishlist.

! Santa Claus at Claus. com, http:// www. claus. com -- takes you to Santa Claus village.

These sites are all very cool with animated graphics ( high load memory eaters) and colored lights, lots of jumps,

and fun places for children to play. If you have a bored child grinching around, I bet these sites will put him or

her in the Christmas spirit.

Next, I searched AltaVista and Yahoo just to survey how many other possibilities there are out there. Between

99 and 30,000. You can look for gifts, culture, religion, books, children, etc. Caution: just because the search is

for " Santa Claus" does not mean that this can be an unsupervised activity. Here's a couple of safe ones:

! Santa Claus of Greenland Guest Book at http:// www. greenland- guide. dk/ santa/ write- me. htm -- " Read the

Christmas messages that Santa Claus of Greenland has received since the 1st of December -- and don't

forget to write Santa your personal message."

! North Pole Secret Village at http:// www. northpole. com/ main. html -- here's a cottage industry of Santa

elfdom that you can visit. See the toys the elves are making, read stories and print out pictures to color

about the toys, visit the mailroom, and write a letter.

! Santa Claus Suits! at http:// www. deeppool. com/ northpole. html -- get all your gear to impersonate Santa

here.

The HITCHHIKER is published by the New Mexico State Library, a division on the Office of Cultural

Affairs, 325 Don Gaspar, Santa Fe, NM 87501- 2777

This publication is available upon request on a computer disk, cassette tape, in braille or in large print. It may also be seen on

the New Mexico State Library's WEB site: http:// www. stlib. state. nm. us