[Ohio-talk] Fw: Library and OSSB testimony of yesterday

[Dr. Smith]

Read on.

JW

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Sammons, Elizabeth 
To: 'eduffy at pobox.com' ; 'Dr. Smith' 
Sent: Wednesday, March 04, 2009 9:30 AM
Subject: Library and OSSB testimony of yesterday


Eric, JW-

Hello. Eric, it was good bumping into you yesterday after the library testimony. For your reference, I'm clipping in below Hannah News version of the testimony. Following that, I'm inserting my personal notes on OSSB Testimony in the Primary and Secondary Education House subcommittee also held yesterday. Just as an FYI that I thought might be of use and of interest to you.


Best wishes,
Elizabeth

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State Library of Ohio


Joe Budler, state librarian of Ohio, testified on behalf of the State Library of Ohio.

 

She said the state library helps state employees answer reference questions, and has provided meeting rooms for state agencies, saving more than $200,000 when compared to the cost of renting hotel or conference center meeting space.

 

She said the library had also saved money by switching to open-source software for its KnowItNow virtual reference service, with the added service of making the program accessible to the blind. 

 

She also talked about other state library partnerships, including OhioLINK for state universities and college, INFOhio for primary and secondary education and the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) for local libraries throughout the state.

 

She said she was happy to see the governor's budget proposal funds OPLIN and the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped at 95 percent of adjusted FY09 numbers. However, she noted that cuts from FY00 through FY09 had taken a significant toll on the state library, with staff dropping from 130 to 75 during that time. 

 

She said also that funding for Regional Library Systems, which are "most valuable to our small and more rural libraries," has fallen 50 percent since FY02, including a reduction from seven systems to four systems three years ago.

 

Rep. Celeste asked about the consolidation of the Ohioana Library into the State Library of Ohio line item. Budler said the intention was not to consolidate actual operations, as the two library's have "very different missions." She said the idea for a consolidated line item was not proposed by the State Library of Ohio.

 

Reps. Gardner and Fende indicated concern about $5 million being diverted from the Public Library Fund for OPLIN and the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

 

Mary Ludlum, director of the Grandview Heights Public Library, also submitted written testimony requesting that money not be diverted from the Public Library Fund. She wrote that while libraries understand they'll see lower funding as a result of lower tax revenues, the additional diversion will only exacerbate what are already deep cuts.



***





Cynthia Johnson, interim superintendent, Ohio State School for the Blind:

Our staff and students are remarkable and dedicated. We were established in 1837. We have a national reputation. We have 3 distinctive faces, educational program, residential living, and outreach services.

We serve ages 5-21 including students with multiple disabilities. Programs meet state requirements aligned with standards. 43% of students have multiple disabilities. Staff is specially trained to work with young people who are blind. We are IDEA compliant. Also NCLB. We got full accreditation in 2007 like OSD. So even if education is individualized, standards still apply. We include in our program social interaction, independent living, mobility, recreation, vision use and Braille and assistive technology as well as music. We have a pool and a track, and students have equal access to clubs, honors, sports, etc.. We compete with other state schools for the blind. We also offer transition services. Students learn to use computers that help in reading and writing and learning outcomes. Such equipment is costly; i.e. a Braille Note comparable to a laptop costs several thousand dollars. 

Students participate in OAT and OGT. They measure up to other students with disabilities around the state. She gave stats on college enrollment, etc.. 

The school is a home away from home for many. This is also a learning environment, and each student has an IRP, (individual residential plan.) This includes goal setting, emotional maturity, goal setting, etc.. We have 5 cottages, an independent living apartment and a small house. Youth leaders provide structured activities. 

ODE charged us with outreach serving about 1,600 blind or visually impaired students around the state. We help teachers with audio and tactile learning.

Thus we are a leader in outreach and mentoring, assessments, consultations, center for accessible materials and support, and assistive technology. Materials are very expensive; local school districts cannot always support this. We are using recent legislation requiring K-12 print book access and now allows for Braille on demand. This has fractionalized cost and turn-around time.

The school is a Braille  clearinghouse helping others find the adapted texts and equipment they need. 

Every summer, we receive back the Braille books lent out to schools and take orders to ship out new ones for the next year; this saves other districts a lot of money.

OSSB is now constructing our first new school building in more than 50 years; we and OSD are working with OSFC to develop new facilities. We are consolidating where possible; tentative groundbreaking is this spring, hoping to finish building in 2011. 

Our strategic plan focuses on increasing student achievement, independent living skills, outreach to schools and efficiency and effectiveness in operations.

The merging with ODE as of July 1 will promote greater operating coordination and efficiencies. We can share resources and information more freely and easily with other schools this way. 

 

Morgan comment: Commended OSSB and OSD for their excellent work. 

 

Dyer q: In consolidation to ODE, do you feel comfortable with this?

 

A: Yes. Once we get specifics, we will have a transition team and can answer additional questions.