SWFLN has been awarded the following grants for Fiscal Year 2008-09:
State Library Cooperative Grant for $240,000.  The Library Cooperative Grant will fund bibliographic enhancement and resource sharing activities for all libraries in the SWFLN area.
Library Service and Technology Grant award for $92,901. 
The LSTA grant will fund training and the Southwest Florida digitization project for 2008-09. 

SWFLN has moved our office onto the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University.  Our office is now in the Library Building West 209.  Thanks to Dr. Kathy Miller and all of her staff for making us feel welcome and sharing space with us.  Please note the new address and phone numbers:
Southwest Florida Library Network
Florida Gulf Coast University
Library 209 West
10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, FL  33965-6565
(239) 745-3720
(239) 745-3724 Fax
(877) SWFLN99 Toll Free

SWFLN also has a new website.  The new site includes workshop registration software that will automate the registration process including confirmations.  The first time you sign in, you will need to establish a login and password.  Please let us know if you see anything that needs to be changed or things that you would like to see added. 

Thanks to the Membership Committee for organizing the Pizza Party Career Night for July 25.  We had 23 attendees, with representatives from the committees and interest groups.  The program included a panel on various library positions; what selection teams are looking for; and information on academic, public, and school media specialist jobs.

The Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute participants graduated on August 1.  SWFLN had four members of this graduation class:  Ava Barrett, Lee County Library System; Roxane Bennett, Charlotte-Glades Library System; Anna Nelson, Collier County Public Library, and Danielle Rosenthal, Florida Gulf Coast University.  Congratulations!

Mark your calendar for the annual meeting is November 5 at Hodges University in Fort Myers.  Michael Stephens will be the keynote speaker.  He is also doing a workshop on the 6th for us.  Michael is the host of the Tame the Web blog and a popular speaker on library technology and trends. 

The Nominating Committee submitted a proposed slate for the SWFLN Board of Directors.  The slate includes Barbara Oeffner, Hendry County Library Cooperative as Treasurer; Maryellen Woodside, Lee County Library System as At-Large Personal Affiliate Representative; Gerald Franz, Hodges University as Member; and Margaret Mohundro, Sanibel Public Library as Member.  The slate was accepted by the Board and members will have until Friday, October 31, to vote.