All posts by Bill Young
ODL Awards CARES Act PPE Grants to 64 institutions
The Oklahoma Department of Libraries has awarded 64 grants to public libraries, tribal libraries, tribal cultural centers, and museums to help the institutions purchase personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies, customer safety supplies, and other materials and equipment to help keep their staff and visitors safe during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The funding is courtesy of the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the federal CARES Act legislation. ODL and other state libraries received funding to help libraries and cultural institutions respond to the public health crisis.
The federal directive is a means to help with safety measures in response to COVID-19 and to help institutions with digital inclusion efforts. The pandemic has thrown a spotlight on America’s digital divide. ODL is also offering a grant opportunity to help improve digital inclusion at libraries, cultural centers, and museums. The digital inclusion grantees will be announced in July.
PPE grant recipients and award amounts are listed below by Oklahoma’s U.S. Congressional Districts and then by city or town:
Continue reading ODL Awards CARES Act PPE Grants to 64 institutionsOklahoma Public Libraries Continue to Serve During the Pandemic
(Editor’s Note: We start you off with a photo from Miami Public Library and an article ODL contributed to the Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma newsletter, and then follow up with links to news stories about how Oklahoma’s libraries and book communities have been adapting during this unprecedented time. We miss you, and hope to see you soon!)
All the Ways to Serve
(A slightly shorter, earlier version of this article was submitted May 5 for the FOLIO Newsletter.)
“Libraries always remind me that there are good things in this world.”
—Lauren Ward, American Singer and Actress
When times are bad, Americans depend even more on their community libraries for information, assistance, and entertainment. During this particular bad time—the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent economic upheaval—public libraries across the state and nation were forced to close their doors to the public.
This lockdown and period of social distancing to mitigate the spread of a new and deadly virus has been hard for all public servants, but especially for library staff, who have always been there for their communities when the going gets tough.
Continue reading Oklahoma Public Libraries Continue to Serve During the PandemicODL Deputy Director Vicki Sullivan Retires
Immediately after the Oklahoma Department of Libraries Board of Directors appointed Vicki Sullivan as the agency’s deputy director on March 1, 2002, Sullivan and her colleagues were driving down Lincoln Boulevard to go to a celebratory lunch.
When approaching the State Capitol Building, former ODL Webmanager Michael O’Hasson brought up a story from Sullivan’s past: while applying for the Deputy Director job at the Oklahoma Historical Society, word came back to her that one OHS board member had quipped, “There’ll be a woman as deputy director of this agency when that capitol has a dome on it!”
While passing the capitol building in 2002, seeing the long-awaited dome rising above the scaffolding, it was impossible not to laugh at the irony and the serendipity.
Sullivan officially retired from state service on October 31, and staff held a reception to thank her for her long service to the agency and the state. In addition to serving more than 17 years as Deputy, she also headed the Oklahoma Publications Clearinghouse and the Office of Government Information. In addition to her service at the Historical Society, she also logged some time at the Department of Human Services—before embarking on a library career—bringing her total years of service with the State of Oklahoma to 44.
Continue reading ODL Deputy Director Vicki Sullivan RetiresODL’s Health Literacy Initiative Exceeds Expectations and Becomes a National Model
Now in its eighth year, Oklahoma’s Health Literacy Initiative is attracting almost 20,000 participants annually
It’s Thursday morning in Mustang, and the local public library is welcoming 82 participants to Mustang Town Center for the first of six classes on Tai Chi, the ancient Chinese exercise that helps people improve their balance, movement, and memory.
Leslie Gelders, Literacy Coordinator at the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, is happy but isn’t surprised by the popularity of the Mustang program.
“ODL’s Health Literacy Initiative has been growing every year, and more public libraries and adult literacy programs are joining the effort,” she said.
Continue reading ODL’s Health Literacy Initiative Exceeds Expectations and Becomes a National Model