Index
- Share patron stories through ‘Libraries for Real Life’
- Online Annual Report Workshop is Jan. 26
- Member/Staff News
- Remember to register for Library Legislative Day
- Grant Opportunities
- LSTA Advisory Committee nominations sought
- Sometimes simple is best
- Urban Libraries Council report emphasizes building a common agenda
- Our Authors, Our Advocates; Authors speak out for libraries
- Library usage up; state support critical to providing service
- Apply by May 5 to host ‘Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War’
- Continuing Education Calendar
Share patron stories through ‘Libraries for Real Life’
Libraries are instrumental in shaping the quality of life in our communities, and capturing and sharing these personal stories is a great 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 shape 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 dynamic information and education needs of residents of all ages. There is little doubt about the impact libraries have, and sharing these 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.
Online Annual Report Workshop is Jan. 26
As Annual Report time draws near, Cheryl Becker will conduct her annual webinar on Wednesday, Jan. 26, from 1:30 until 3 p.m.
This session on filing the Wisconsin Public Library Annual Report online is designed especially for new directors or others completing the report for the first (or nearly first) time, or for anyone who has recently experienced questions or problems with the report. However, anyone who is working on the state annual report should find it a helpful review and is welcome to attend.
The online reporting system for the 2010 Public Library Annual Report opened for access on Jan. 18. Email announcements with login information were sent to directors of all public libraries throughout Wisconsin that afternoon.If you are a public library director and have not received your email announcement, please check the following:
- if you have spam filtering, please check to see if the message was trapped by the filters. Add wi@countingopinions.com to the allowed addresses.
- if the director’s position is vacant, or recently changed, please send a message to libraryreport@dpi.wi.gov with the name and email address of the person who will be completing the annual report.
Instructions and information about the 2010 Public Library Annual Report (along with a link to the reporting site) are available from the DPI website.
Member/Staff News
Amy Eichsteadt is the new director of the Lester Public Library of Arpin. She earned a BS in English and Secondary Education from UW-La Crosse, and while there worked as a circulation librarian at Murphy Library. “The thrill of shelves upon shelves of free knowledge and the pursuit of assisting patrons in finding that perfect book for research or pleasure were what made me so excited about the position,” Amy said. After graduating she did some substitute teaching then was hired by Columbus Catholic High School in Marshfield where she taught for three years. She joined the staff at Lester Public Library of Arpin last summer, right after she moved to town, on a very part-time basis to develop teen programming and help with circulation. Her first child, Caleb, was born Dec. 14. “I am excited to begin both of these new adventures -- parenthood and serving the patrons of our community as Arpin’s new director.”
The Annual 2010 Circulation Statistics reports have been posted.
If you’d like to be notified when your library’s American Flag should be flown at half-mast, you can sign up for special email notifications at http://dma.wi.gov/dma/news/flag.asp.
There have been an increasing number of questions recently about the process for downloading ebooks from the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC) Digital Download Center (OverDrive) to iPads and iPhones. To help library staff and patrons, SCLS has prepared an online tutorial that is available on the SCLS YouTube Channel.
Remember to register for Library Legislative Day
Considering the ongoing economic downturn, and its growing negative impact on government, your attendance at Library Legislative Day is more important than ever! Registration is now open to attend the Feb. 22, 2011, event at the Concourse Hotel, One West Dayton Street, Madison. Information is also available online to help you prepare for your legislative visits (packets will be provided that day).
It’s vital that ALL libraries are represented this year to help ensure that our messages about the importance of libraries are heard above the other competing messages. Ideally, each library will bring at least one staff member, one board member, one patron, and one elected official. Library staff can use CE grant funds to offset travel costs and the $15 registration fee (cannot be used for non-staff attendees).
Make it your mission to inform your legislators about current library issues and how valuable your library is to your community. Make sure that the information you provide about your library also intersects with your legislators' main interests. For instance, in 2010 WLA developed the "Common Agenda" approach to library issues, focusing on the role libraries play in jobs and economic development, information access and technology, and education. Take a look at WLA materials for ideas on tailoring your personal library message.
Contact information for legislators is provided for your convenience. If you or other library supporters in your community are unable to attend on Feb. 22, please participate through the Virtual Library Legislative Day.
Grant Opportunities
Libri Foundation 2011 Books for Children -- The Libri Foundation is currently accepting applications for its 2011 Books for Children grants. The Libri Foundation is a nationwide non-profit organization that donates new, quality, hardcover children's books to small, rural public libraries throughout the United States.
In general, county libraries should serve a population under 16,000 and town libraries should serve a population under 10,000 (usually under 5,000). Libraries should be in a rural area, have a limited operating budget, and an active children's department.
In order to encourage and reward local support of libraries, The Libri Foundation will match any amount of money raised by your local sponsors from $50 to $350 on a 2-to-1 ratio. Thus, a library can receive up to $1,050 worth of new children's books. After a library receives a grant, local sponsors (such as formal or informal Friends groups, civic or social organizations, local businesses, etc.) have four months, or longer if necessary, to raise their matching funds.
The librarian of each participating library selects the books his/her library will receive from a booklist provided by the Foundation. The 700-plus fiction and nonfiction titles on the booklist reflect the very best of children's literature published primarily in the last three years. These titles, which are for children ages 12 and under, are award-winners or have received starred reviews in library, literary, or education journals. The booklist also includes a selection of classic children's titles.
Application deadlines for 2011 are Jan. 23 and April 15. Application guidelines and forms may be downloaded from the Foundation's website at www.librifoundation.org.
Dollar General Summer Reading Grants -- Librarians seeking funding for summer reading programs aimed at teens can apply for one of 20 summer reading grants, each worth $1,000, distributed by YALSA and funded by Dollar General. YALSA encourages innovative proposals that are inclusive of underserved teen populations, including but not limited to teens with disabilities and teens who speak English as a second language.
To apply, applicants must be a personal member of YALSA, live in one of 35 states that has a Dollar General store, and plan to offer a summer reading program for teens in your library. Individual library branches within a larger system are welcome to apply. Applications for the program, guidelines, a sample budget form, and contact information are available online.
The application deadline is March 1, 2011
Margaret Alexander Edwards Trust Grants for Public and School Libraries -- The Margaret Alexander Edwards Trust has announced the availability of Margaret Alexander Edwards Trust Grants for Public and School Libraries. These small grants (under $5,000) are for school and public libraries seeking to offer innovative programs that promote reading for pleasure for young adults.
There is no specific deadline to apply. Applications will be received and reviewed on a rolling basis. Applications that feature new or creative programs will receive special consideration over those simply seeking funds for collection development or for a book discussion group. For further information and/or an application, please contact: Julian L. Lapides, Esquire, Trust Manager, 600 Wyndhurst Avenue, Suite 246, Baltimore, MD 21210; (410) 464-0100.
The Trust prefers to be contacted by mail or phone.
LSTA Advisory Committee nominations sought
Several members of the LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) Advisory Committee completed their terms at the end of 2010 and suggestions for new members are sought. The LSTA Advisory Committee advises the State Superintendent of Public Instruction on matters pertaining to the administration of the LSTA program. Committee membership includes representatives from libraries and library systems of various types and sizes and from different geographic areas of the state. Members are appointed to serve staggered three-year terms and the committee usually meets twice a year, in the spring and fall.
The nomination form is available at www.dpi.wi.gov/pld/pdf/lstadvfrm09.pdf. For more information, contact Terrie Howe, (mailto:teresa.howe@dpi.wi.gov) LSTA Program Coordinator, at (608) 266-2413. A list of the 2010 LSTA Advisory Committee members is available at www.dpi.wi.gov/pld/lstaadvcom.html.
--from Channel Weekly (Vol. 33, No. 14 – Jan. 6, 2011)
Sometimes simple is best
To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the Finish Library Association created a short video that reinforces the value and importance of libraries and reading.
It proves that something can be very simple and short, yet still effective and memorable.
Urban Libraries Council report emphasizes building a common agenda
Regardless of your library’s size, it plays a vital role in the overall health and vitality of your community. A new report by the Urban Libraries Council -- Partners for the Future: Public Libraries and Local Governments Creating Sustainable Communities -- has valuable information that any library can use. It’s worth taking a closer look at how you can begin building these important relationships, or strengthen and expand existing efforts. The report is all about building a common agenda (see WLA information) with local officials.
Actions local governments and libraries are taking together to create sustainable communities include:
- enhancing 21st-century literacy skills to provide a foundation for long-term economic success;
- connecting people with job opportunities and the skills they need to succeed in today’s workforce;
- supporting and growing small businesses, which are the lifeblood of long-term economic growth;
- leveraging public library buildings as catalysts for downtown and neighborhood economic development;
- reducing energy consumption in public buildings by modeling green construction and green operations and developing and testing alternative energy sources;
- educating the public about individual environmental responsibility;
- providing easily accessible resources for those in need -- immigrants, the newly jobless, at-risk youth, and more; and
- meeting the immediate needs of the community while building long-term economic stability.
The complete report is available from the Urban Libraries Council.
Our Authors, Our Advocates; Authors speak out for libraries
Authors are natural allies of libraries in these challenging times. They understand the key role that libraries and library staff play in the economic, social and educational fabric of our nation. They are passionately speaking out on the importance of not only sustaining but increasing support for libraries.
Help fuel the national dialogue about America’s libraries by spreading the word about this new ALA project. Share these videos and messages with your friends, family, and anyone else who can make a difference.
Library usage up; state support critical to providing service
Over the last five years, public library visits in Wisconsin increased by more than 10 percent and circulation of library materials increased by 15 percent, yet paid library staff per capita decreased by 2 percent. This is a testament to the efficiency of Wisconsin’s public libraries and library systems in providing service in this time of economic need, according to a recent Department of Public Instruction news release.
“Public libraries are focused on service to their communities,” said State Superintendent Tony Evers. “State aid to public library systems is critical in providing these services in an efficient manner and is a sound return on investment for Wisconsin taxpayers.”
Additional information and the full text of the news release is available on the Department of Public Instruction newsroom website.
-- from Channel Weekly (Vol. 13, No. 15 -- Jan. 13, 2011)
Apply by May 5 to host ‘Lincoln: The Constitution And The Civil War’
The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office, in partnership with the National Constitution Center (NCC) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), is pleased to announce a large-scale tour for the traveling exhibition "Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War."
Online applications will be accepted through May 5 at www.ala.org/civilwarprograms. Funding for the exhibition and tour is provided by a major grant from NEH.
-- from Channel Weekly (Vol. 13, No. 15 -- Jan. 13, 2011)
