NEILSA - Friday Notes Archive

New Friday Notes: notes for next week

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
In observance of Martin Luther King's birthday, the NEILSA & State Library will be closed Monday, January 17.

For the second consecutive year, the Benefits Advisory Committee of the Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) is recommending an increase in the contribution rate paid by regular members. The committee passed a resolution at its October meeting to begin the rate increase phase-in no later than July 1, 2005.

The Benefits Advisory Committee was created by law to make benefits and services recommendations to the Iowa Legislature and IPERS. Committee membership includes both employers and employees.

Four year phase-in

The committee made the same request last year, but it was not acted on by the Senate. Their request keeps the current contribution rate split: 60% paid by the employers and 40% paid by the employees. The rate increase would be phased in over a four-year period. Additionally they are asking that current law be changed so that IPERS can adjust the contribution rates as needed once the phase-in is complete.

Contribution rates have not been raised since 1979

The IPERS bill would phase-in an increase in the contribution rates for both employers and employees by a total of 1% per year for the next four years. The current contribution rates of 5.75% employer and 3.7% employee have not been raised since 1979.

The IPERS Investment Board also passed a resolution at its December 2, 2004, meeting urging the Governor and General Assembly to take action in the 2005 session to resolve the unfunded actuarial liability of the system ($2.1 billion as of June 30, 2004).

Combined rate of 13.25% is necessary

The actuary suggests raising the contribution rates to a combined rate of 13.25%. She cautioned that even though returns increased this past fiscal year, we cannot earn our way out of this problem.

The IPERS Trust Fund is composed of contributions from members and their employers, plus investment income, minus benefits and refunds paid and expenses. Net assets held in the trust fund as of June 30, 2004, totaled $17.2 billion.

EVERY CHILD READY TO READ @ YOUR LIBRARY -TRAINING KITS, BROCHURES, POSTERS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE. Trainers also are available to help your staff use the materials and present parent/caregiver workshops. See http://www.pla.org Current research on early literacy and brain development indicates that it is never too early to prepare children for success as readers. Parents of newborns, toddlers and preschoolers must be informed of their critical role as their children's first teacher. PLA and ALSC have incorporated the latest research into a series of parent and caregiver workshops to provide public libraries with vital tools to help prepare parents for this critical role. A training kit that includes a training DVD, parent brochures, posters, training tools and much more, are available for sale. These tools were developed by Dr. Grover C. Whitehurst and Dr. Christopher Lonigan, well-known researchers in emergent literacy, and have been tested and refined by library demonstrations sites around the country. To purchase the kit or order brochures (parent/caregiver brochures are by age or a general information brochure for all ages) or posters and to learn more about Every Child Ready to Read @ your library, visit http://www.pla.org today.

ABOUT THE LSA:
New Patron in Independence: Rachel Marie 5lb. 8 oz. 20 inches born 1/10/2005 02:08 am
Director and Patron doing fine, Congratulations Laura.

CE:
Change in the ICN site for the 1/27 All Iowa Reads session.
The site in Cedar Falls will be at the Cedar Fall Public Library. The AEA site in Cedar Falls has been canceled.

Very Limited Enrollment - register now:
The Spring 2005 training funded by the State Library's Training Program Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been scheduled. There are 40 classes in all (8 locations) that will take place March through June. The classes include: Librarian's Internet Toolkit for Kids; Internet Access: Policy Issues for Librarians; Using the Internet for Reference; Tech Support on the Fly (a repeat of the Fall 2004 class).
Due to grant requirements; limited to public library staff only; for now, only one person per public library may register for each class.
http://www.silo.lib.ia.us/for-ia-libraries/continuing-ed/cecat.htm#Gates
Sandy Dixon Program Director Library Development State Library of Iowa

Due Date:
NEILSA closed dates: 5/30, 7/4, 9/5, 11/11& 24&25, 12/23 & 26, 1/2/6

Links:
LSA web site: http://www.ilsa.lib.ia.us/siteindex.htm
NEILSA e-rate Consortia Blog http://fridaynotes2.pitas.com/
NEILSA web site: http://neilsa.org
NEILSA Friday Notes archives at: http://www.neilsa.org/fridays/friday.html
State Calendar - http://www.silo.lib.ia.us/news/calendars/2005calendar.pdf
State Library CE web site at: http://www.silo.lib.ia.us/for-ia-libraries/continuing-ed/index.html
USAC (e-rate): http://www.sl.universalservice.org/

The fine print stuff
blog - Friday Notes 2 AT - http://radio.weblogs.com/0108327/
EDITORS NOTES:
"x" & "xx" are catalogers shorthand for: x = See & xx = See also
NOTICE DISCLAIMER - pick one, any one will do.
MY disclaimer:
Basically my opinions are my own, shared by no one else (sometimes), and are not the opinions of my agency, my board, my co-workers, my parents, siblings, relatives, my dogs or most any other know life form. Except, of course, those very bright concerned, sensitive, perceptive &, in general, well educated, widely read and cultured individuals who wish to share this peculiar road to ruin, as well as a couple of down & out drugged out beatniks from the good old days. OK? The "Prime Directive" applies.
Edited by:
Ken Davenport - NEILSA Consultant davenport@neilsa.org

COPYLEFT NOTICE 2002:
THE INFORMATION IN THIS PUBLICATION IS FREE.
It may be copied, distributed and/or modified under the conditions set down in the Design Science License published by Michael Stutz at http://dsl.org/copyleft/dsl.txt

COPYRIGHT
Please note: material found on the web should be assumed to be under copyright and is presented here for purposes of education and research only.
NOTE: If credited [via ???] or [from so & so] it is their material and not covered by my "Copyleft" notice. Ken