Adventures in Underland

This eSchool News article discusses the first round of the broadband services expansion initiative.  Applicants requested nearly $28 Billion in funding, but only $4 billion is available (for grants and loans) during this first round.  Maybe the obvious popularity of the broadband expansion concept as well as the shear weight of requested funding will push legislators towards increasing available funding in future rounds.

Edit:
Wisconsin Dept. of Administration filed an umbrella application on behalf of 385 public libraries (and many other institutions).  Hopefully the scope of this application will lend it heavy merit and provide many of our “dark” libraries with high-speed broadband capabilities.

So now when people ask me where I went to school, I can say “Oh you know, here and there, but I think Stanford was my favorite.”

iTunes University offers hundreds of free classes across a vast range of subjects gathered from many prestigious schools, FOR FREE! I use the iTunes application, and am considering getting the mobile edition for my iPhone (you’ll probably never see me again though).

I’m not really sure if these can be accessed in a different manner, downloaded and listened to \ viewed in a different application but here are some links (iTunes required) for some Library and Public Education relevant classes I thought I’d highlight. If you’re interested but not currently an iTunes user, feel free to get ahold of me and I’ll help you get it figured out.

iTunes University Classes:

• Mobile Learning – http://bit.ly/tgd-iTunesU_ML
• Grant Writing – http://bit.ly/tgd-iTunesU_GrantWriting
• Learning Resources – http://bit.ly/tgd-iTunesU_Learning

Cheers !

Reminder: Registration for the Oct. 6-7 “Turning the Page” PLA workshop is due by Sept. 16. Registering ASAP will help Bob determine the need for reserving a bus or two.

That said, I actually went to the registration website and right off the bat was slightly confused. After declogging the Monday Morning from my brain I attacked it head on. The following is a step by step for completing the registration online.

1. Go to the website: http://www.sustaininglibraries.org/
2. The orange bar across the top is a menu. Click on [Symposium Registration] to move to the next page.



3. Enter the code { 34561 } in the available text box then click the unmarked “Proceed to Register \ Re-Enter” link button.
4. Once again the bar across the top is a menu. Click on either [Registration] or click the “For First Time Visitors, Register First!” link.



5. You will find yourself on a registration page with a rather lengthy form to complete. It’s fairly straightforward but just remember that on this site the term “library system” refers to indivual libraries.



6. I’m not sure how much of the form is required as there are no indications of required fields (possibly all fields are). However, make sure to check this box before you click the submit button. It might be worth reading the note too? =)
7. Please read the “Please Read!” notes. There is probably some important info in there.

So, I copied the important parts of the “Please Read” section in case someone forgets what it says, or forgets to read it …

~ Please print this email (that you received after registration) and bring it with you to the Turning the Page conference. Finally, a hotel reservation will be made in your name at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis for up to 2 nights. Check in is on Monday, October 5th, 2009. Check out is on Wednesday, October 7th, 2009. You do not need to make a hotel reservation. Please contact PLA if you have a special need regarding your hotel room.

If you have questions or difficulty submitting the registration form, please call 800.545.2433, extension 5039 ~