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<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">Please excuse multiple postings…<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_3" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute;margin-left:0;margin-top:0;width:119.85pt;height:119.85pt;z-index:251658240;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:absolute;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:text'>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width="160" height="160" style="width:1.6666in;height:1.6666in" src="cid:image003.png@01D66043.A853AE20" align="left" hspace="12" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_3"><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">OhioNET
announced this week the availability of over 4,000 comics, graphic novels, and children’s materials as part of an innovative program to make this content freely available to all residents of Ohio throughout the summer. This project is a
<b><a href="https://createsharediscover.com/vlcc-participating-states/">collaboration with 9 other states</a></b> and is intended to provide easy access to digital resources while also supporting statewide summer reading programs for all ages during the COVID-19
pandemic. More eBooks will be released throughout the summer from additional children’s, comic book, and science fiction publishers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">OhioNET is also participating in a
<b><a href="https://createsharediscover.com/vlcc-events/">Virtual Library Comic Convention (VLCC) online event</a></b> on July 30, featuring interactive sessions with leading talent as well as librarian-led discussions about grassroots graphic novel creation
and local zine publishing programs available through public libraries. More details on the online event will be released soon.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">“Firstly, we want to thank our valuable publishing partners who generously took the lead on driving the creation of this program,” said BiblioLabs CEO, Mitchell Davis.
“We have worked on innovative eBook models at the state level for years and this shines a light on the close collaborations between publishers and libraries that are emerging today. This program has the potential to positively impact the lives of millions
of people and highlights the role libraries have always served in being a provider of resources in a time of need.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">All the eBooks are available in an unlimited simultaneous use model and served to patrons via geolocation. “In the modern era, delivering and using statewide eContent
resources should be as easy as catching an Uber, and we are proud to work with statewide library organizations and publishers adapting the digital library experience to modern user expectations. This model creates seamless support of information deserts throughout
the state and ensures all states can provide a baseline eBook collection to all residents,” Davis added. The
<b><a href="https://oh-comics.biblioboard.com/home">VLCC collection</a></b> <b>will be free to libraries and patrons in participating states through August 31, serving as a valuable tool in statewide summer reading program support for all libraries.</b> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">“We are happy to be working with our peer state library organizations to create this project,” said OhioNET Executive Director & CEO, Nancy Kirkpatrick. “The aim during
this stressful time is to simplify how Ohio residents’ access high-quality digital reading materials. As libraries, we are competing for digital attention with mainstream media, and projects like this remind people we are here to serve their information needs
both during a crisis and in everyday life.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">To access the comic and graphic novel collection and learn more, visit:
<a href="https://oh-comics.biblioboard.com/home">https://oh-comics.biblioboard.com/home</a>. For more information, contact OhioNET at
<a href="mailto:ohionet@ohionet.org">ohionet@ohionet.org</a></span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">###<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="96" height="102" style="width:1.0in;height:1.0625in" id="Picture_x0020_11" src="cid:image006.jpg@01D65F4B.D964B4D0"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002060"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">Marsha McDevitt-Stredney, Ph.D.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">Public Information Officer<br>
Director, Marketing & Communications<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">State Library of Ohio<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">274 E. 1<sup>st</sup> Avenue<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">Columbus, OH 43201<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">Tel: 614-644-6875<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><a href="http://library.ohio.gov/"><span style="color:blue">library.ohio.gov</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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