- System Celebration registration now online: deadline is Sept. 7
- Order ‘Libraries for Real Life’ promotional materials
- Member/Staff News
- LRC, What Do I Read Next? to be discontinued
- EBSCOhost changes search results display
- New promotional items available for BadgerLink
- Chicago Public Library director responds to FOX News story
- Preliminary 2009 public library statistics available
- Grant opportunities for libraries
- Continuing Education Calendar
System Celebration registration now online: deadline is Sept. 7
System Celebration registration is now available online at www.scls.info/about/systemceleb/. Printed invitations are being mailed to all library trustees, member libraries, and others. The registration deadline for System Celebration 2010 is Sept. 7, and all library staff members, trustees, elected officials and other library supporters are invited to attend.This year’s event will be held Tuesday, Sept. 21, at the Wintergreen Resort & Conference Center in Wisconsin Dells. There will be a social hour from 6-7 p.m., featuring entertainment provided by the Wisconsin Dells High School Jazz Ensemble. Dinner is schedule from 7-8 p.m., and the annual awards program will be from 8-8:30 p.m.
There is no charge for local elected officials, head librarians (or designee) of member libraries of all types, and current trustees of SCLS area library boards. You do have the option to pay for your meal if you believe there is an ethical conflict with SCLS paying for your meal. The meal cost for spouses/guests and other attendees is $20, and must be sent by Sept. 7 to South Central Library System, 4610 S. Biltmore Lane, Suite 101, Madison, WI 53718-8345.
This year's menu includes a choice of Chicken Chardonnay, Roast Sirloin, or Pasta Primavera (vegetarian). If using the online registration option, all questions must be answered before you can submit the form. If you are using the paper registration, remember to indicate your meal preference.
Please remember that if SCLS is paying for your meal, and you register but do not attend, we must still pay for your meal. If you are unable to attend, please cancel your reservation before Sept. 13 (there can be no meal refunds after this date). If you must cancel after Sept. 13, please arrange for someone else to attend in your place.
We’re still in need of library photos for a slide show to be played during the social hour. We’re especially interested in photos from the past 30 years. You should send photos to Mark Ibach by Aug. 31.
Order ‘Libraries for Real Life’ promotional materials
Libraries are instrumental in shaping the quality of life in our communities, and capturing and sharing these personal stories is a way to capitalize on the goodwill libraries generate. This will be especially important as we progress through the difficult economic times that are plaguing libraries across the country. These stories have the potential to dramatically reinforce public attitudes toward libraries. This is the driving force behind the project “Library For Real Life,” and the reason SCLS continues to urge every SCLS member library to use the available promotional materials.
The title -- “Libraries For Real Life!” -- reinforces the reality that today’s public libraries are vibrant, dynamic community resources that meet the information, education, and recreational needs of residents of all ages. There is little doubt about the impact libraries have, and sharing those stories is critical to the continued success of these vital community institutions.
We encourage each library to link to www.librariesforreallife.org, using one of the buttons designed for that purpose. We also encourage you to download the press release from the “Information for Libraries” link near the bottom of the page and ask your local newspaper to publish it. Posters, table tents, bookmarks, and printed story submission forms are available free of charge by placing a print request with Mark Ibach.
For more information about the project, click on the website’s “Learn More” link, or contact Mark Ibach.
Member/Staff News
Construction has officially begun on the new Fitchburg Public Library. The excavation work started last week, and the anticipated occupancy is April 1, 2011, with an opening in July 2011.
Andrew Nath, who works at Monona Public Library, is spending his summer vacation crossing Iowa on an old John Deer Tractor pulling a flat rack full of musicians. They are playing free concerts almost daily during the nine-day odyssey. Nath has named it the "Please Don't Disturb the Livestock Tour." Read more in the Sioux City Journal.
LRC, What Do I Read Next? to be discontinued
As we told you in January, libraries that opted not to renew Literature Resource Center (LRC) for 2010 have had access through part of 2010. That access will end on Aug. 16, 2010. On Aug. 17 we will change the Online Resources by Name page, and libraries that opted not to renew for 2010 will no longer have access.
At the same time, we will remove the database What Do I Read Next? from the Online Resources by Name page. Access to that database has been included with the LRC database for some time, but it is now being phased out and no longer being updated. If you have patrons who use What do I Read Next? we strongly recommend you let them know it will no longer be available, and you may want to refer them to NoveList. If you have links to What do I Read Next? they will not work after Aug. 16.
If you have any questions, contact Rose Ziech.
EBSCOhost changes search results display
Currently when you search a database using the EBSCOhost interface, the results are displayed in reverse chronological order. Beginning in August, this default sort for the Result List will be by relevance. For more information on EBSCOhost’s relevancy ranking see http://support.epnet.com/knowledge_base/detail.php?id=3971. Once displayed by relevance, users may choose to re-sort results by date (ascending or descending), or source, using the “Sort by:” dropdown.
If you have questions, contact Rose Ziech.
New promotional items available for BadgerLink![[ BadgerLink logo ]](http://www.badgerlink.net/images/bl_logo3.gif "[ BadgerLink logo ]"){kind=logo}
The BadgerLink staff at Resources for Libraries & Lifelong Learning (RL&LL), Department of Public Instruction, and EBSCO staff are working to revise the BadgerLink posters, bookmarks and other promotional items. Several of these new products are available now at www.ebscohost.com/custom/default.php?id=325. You will find:
- MP3 recording of a radio ad for commercial radio (aired recently around the state on commercial radio)
- model scripts for radio ads
- subject themed (history, literature, for example) posters and bookmarks
- customizable versions of posters and bookmarks,
Some materials have already been printed, and you can make requests at dpibadgerli@dpi.wi.gov.
Last fall the BadgerLink staff asked for the community’s opinions regarding promotional materials, and the BadgerLink team used this input to begin revising the materials for libraries. Design, production, and printing assistance are provided by EBSCO as part of its statewide contract with BadgerLink. This current array of promotional items represents the first results from that process.
During the coming months more posters, bookmarks and other materials will be added. If you would like to give BadgerLink staff feedback or make suggestions, just visit https://forms.dpi.wi.gov/se.ashx?s=56301B2D4CC6DCBF
BadgerLink is a project of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning. Its goal is to provide access to quality online information resources for Wisconsin residents in cooperation with the state's public, school, academic, and special libraries.
If the materials you want have not yet been printed, SCLS will print them at no cost for any interested member library. To request materials that have not already been printed, contact Mark Ibach.
Chicago Public Library director responds to FOX News story
Several weeks ago the FOX News affiliate in Chicago aired a segment that questioned the need for public libraries. The piece set off a firestorm of discussion, prompting many library patrons to voice support for the services and resources provided by the public library.
Last week, Mary Dempsey, Director of Chicago Public Library, formally responded to the FOX News story. If you haven’t seen the original piece, there is a link in the first paragraph.
Preliminary 2009 public library statistics available
The preliminary 2009 statistics for Wisconsin public libraries, compiled from annual reports data, are available in four Excel spreadsheets linked to http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/dm-lib-stat.html.
The final Wisconsin data will be made available immediately after review and acceptance of Wisconsin's 2009 public library data submission by IMLS. These statistics are based on information submitted on the 2009 Public Library Annual Reports. Library directors are asked to review their library's data, and any corrections should be reported to John DeBacher at john.debacher@dpi.wi.gov.
Grant opportunities for libraries
Ashoka’s Changemakers and CommunityMatters Announce Strong Communities: Engaging Citizens, Strengthening Place, Inspiring Change Competition -- Through the Strong Communities: Engaging Citizens, Strengthening Place, Inspiring Change competition, Ashoka’s Changemakers and CommunityMatters are inviting individuals and organizations to submit innovative projects and ideas to engage citizens in building strong communities across the United States and Canada. For more information, see the Grants page.
Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy Accepting Applications for 2011 National Grant Program -- The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy is accepting applications for its annual national grant competition. The grant-making program is designed to help develop or expand projects that support the development of literacy skills for adult primary care givers and their children. For more information, see the Grants page.
