Index
- It’s not too late to register for SCLS Annual Meeting
- State survey on broadband availability
- Member/Staff News
- IMLS releases data note on libraries’ use of broadband to serve high-need communities
- Workshop explores questions about caring for elderly parents, loved ones
- ALA Conference bus available
- Adolescent literacy workshop scheduled May 1
- Lester Public Library of Rome adds media center
- Roles of public library technology in supporting education, learning highlighted in new issues brief
- Input sought on strategic planning workshop content
- Wisconsin shows improvements in adult literacy
- Wisconsin Dells businessman offers Owen Gromme print to all libraries
- Applications invited for 2009 Lois Lenski Covey Foundation Library Grants
- Continuing Education Calendar
It’s not too late to register for SCLS Annual Meeting
Even though the SCLS Annual Meeting is only two weeks away, it’s not too late to register.
The theme for this year's meeting is "Customer Service: Putting the Pieces Together," and the featured speaker will be Donelle Hintermeister, a professional trainer with experience in manufacturing, health care, schools, retail, service, not-for-profits, and government. As part of her presentation, Donelle will lead audience participation activities on the theme.
To help shape discussion, libraries are invited to submit any policies or training materials they use to help employees provide the best possible customer service. If you have something you’d like to share, send it to Jean Anderson.
The SCLS Annual Meeting will be held April 17, 2009, at Spring Brook Resort in Wisconsin Dells, and registration is now open at www.scls.info/about/annualmeeting/. You also can access the meeting agenda at this URL.
State survey on broadband availability
The Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) has made available on its website a brief survey on broadband availability in Wisconsin. The PSC is gathering information that may ultimately be useful in addressing where there are unserved or underserved areas in the state. This fact-finding is related to the $7.2 billion in federal broadband funding that is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Much of the federal funding is targeted at unserved and underserved areas.
For more information, see the “Customer Survey” section at http://psc.wi.gov/recoveryAct/sfBroadband.htm. This section also has a link to the survey itself. Please feel free to complete the survey and forward this information to other staff and make patrons aware of it too. The survey only takes a few minutes to complete and will likely be available for several months.
The LINK Minutes from the Feb. 12 meeting are now available online, as are the handouts. Both can be found at http://automation.scls.lib.wi.us/committee/link/2009/index.htm. The next meeting is scheduled for April 9 at 10 a.m. at the SCLS Administration office.
The March 2009 LINK Library Statistics Summary is posted at http://automation.scls.lib.wi.us/reports/circulation/circindex.html. Both PDF and Excel versions are available.
The New Glarus Public Library is happy to welcome Janis Merkle as its new Assistant Library Director, effective March 16. Janis is a December 2008 MLS graduate of the UW-Milwaukee.
The minutes from the March UEPR meeting can be found at http://automation.scls.lib.wi.us/committee/uepr/uepr0309.pdf.
The April issue of WSLL @ Your Service has been published at http://wilawlibrary.gov/newsletter/0904.html.
IMLS releases data note on libraries’ use of broadband to serve high-need communities
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) recently announced the launch of its new series of data notes and research briefs to inform library and museum policy. “These publications are part of an overall plan to develop and disseminate short, intermediate, and long-range research projects,” said Anne-Imelda Radice, IMLS director. “Our goal is to provide reliable and consistent data on museums and libraries that these institutions can use to help demonstrate public value.”
The first data note in the series, “Libraries Use Broadband to Serve High Need Communities,” focuses on the role that public libraries play in providing access points to broadband services for people in urban and rural areas, and families in need.
--from Channel Weekly (Vol. 11, No. 25 – March 26, 2009)
Workshop explores questions about caring for elderly parents, loved ones
As the population ages, more and more individuals find themselves in the position of caring for a parent or other loved one. A 2006 report from CBS News said, “you either are a caregiver, will be a caregiver, or someone will be caring for you between now and whenever you die.”
Public libraries throughout Wisconsin, like the rest of the country, are responding to questions from the elderly, their families, and caregivers in increasing numbers. The issue is personal, universal, and complex. Would you and your colleagues like to become more comfortable with these questions, and your ability to locate information and answers?
Join us for the Health Information for the Elderly and Their Caregivers workshop that will demonstrate how to identify, locate and incorporate health information resources for the elderly and their caregivers into your library setting.
Sessions will be held:
- Monday, April 20 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at the Portage County Public Library in Steven Point, 1001 Main Street, Stevens Point, with presenter Brian Finnegan, Marshfield Clinic
- Tuesday, April 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon at the SCLS Administration Offices, 5250 E. Terrace Drive, Suite A-2, Madison, with presenter Ulrike Dieterle, Ebling Library
To register, visit www.scls.info/calendar.
SCLS surveyed member libraries in December about the need for information on this topic, and the results will help shape the sessions. In addition, if you are planning to attend either session, we ask you to consider:
- On a scale of 1-10, what is your current comfort level with responding to questions about adult caregiving?
- What are you most hoping to learn at the workshop? What would be the ONE most helpful thing for you to learn? Please respond to these questions by sending an email to Ulrike Dieterle. Be as specific as possible in your answers because they will help us customize workshop content.
We will follow up the April in-person sessions with some topic-specific sessions in the fall, which will be offered online via GoToWebinar. Watch for more information later in the year.
These workshops are made possible in part by an LSTA grant provided through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
Join fellow librarians and attend the American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago, July 10-15, 2009. To make it more convenient, SCLS has contracted with Van Galder Bus for transportation to and from Chicago.
Our charter 56-passenger coach is equipped with a restroom, allowing us to drive directly to the McCormick Place from Madison. Please bring your own beverage and food needs for the morning trip. On the evening return trip, we will stop at a convenient fast food restaurant to allow you to purchase food. You will also want to plan for additional personal expenses while visiting the exhibits.
Registration is limited to SCLS public library members, including staff, trustees and Friends of the Library, and SCLS staff. If space permits, spouses, MALC member library staff, and members of other library systems are welcome. Priority will be given to SCLS member public library staff. The registration deadline is Monday, May 18, 2009.
There are several travel options available, so please visit www.scls.info/ce/alabus.html for more information, where you also can register for the bus. CE Grant funds may be used to cover the cost, and these grant applications must be submitted July 1, 2009.
Adolescent literacy workshop scheduled May 1
Statewide assessments of reading achievement show that the proportion of students proficient in reading declines as they move from elementary and middle to high school. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Division for Libraries, Technology and Community Learning has launched a multi-year initiative that will champion high-quality teen services and build momentum behind Wisconsin’s drive to create the most literate, well-educated citizenry and workforce in the nation.
A May 1 all-day workshop is part of that state initiative, and will feature Michele Gorman, author, consultant, and teen services coordinator for the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Registration begins at 8:30, followed by the morning session “This Ain't Your Mama's Library!: Adolescent Development, Brain Research, and the Development Needs of Teens.” The afternoon begins with “This Still Ain't Your Mama's Library!: Adolescent Literacy and Working with At-Risk Teens in your Community.” There will also be a session titled “Great New Books for Teens” that will give you an opportunity to learn about great new books that will appeal to teens of all reading abilities. This will be presented by librarians from the Cooperative Children's Book Center
This workshop is sponsored by the South Central, Arrowhead and Southwest Library Systems. Additional funding is provided by federal Library Services and Technology Act funds, granted through the Department of Public Instruction.
The workshop will be held at the Holiday in at the American Center in Madison. For more information, including registration and directions, visit www.scls.info/calendar/. The cost for lunch is $12, payable to the South Central Library System.
Lester Public Library of Rome adds media center
As the times change so do libraries, and the Rome library is no exception. The quiet reading area has turned into a Media Center. A 52” Sony TV, Blue-ray DVD, Wii console and video games have been purchased with donations from the local homemakers club, individuals and other groups. Richard Wilkes, a Rome carpenter, donated over 25 hours building a media storage cabinet.
The patrons at the library will soon be enjoying family movie nights, and Wii gaming for all ages. The premier will take place during National Library Week. Stayed tuned for more details.
Roles of public library technology in supporting education, learning highlighted in new issues brief
The public library is a key agency in supporting the educational and learning needs of every person in the community. Libraries offer vital resources for early literacy development, homework help, home-school families, continuing education, and lifelong avocations.
In the third in a series of reports related to technology access in U.S. public libraries, the American Library Association (ALA) Office for Research & Statistics (ORS) is highlighting how public library technology supports the educational and learning needs of people of all ages. The issues brief draws from national data published in the Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study.
Among the findings from the national study are:
- 73 percent of libraries report they are the only source of free Internet access in their community;
- 83 percent of public libraries offer online homework resources; and
- 73 percent of public libraries offer information technology training to library patrons to help them use computers and effectively search the Internet.
The briefing reports are not intended to be comprehensive, but rather to share key findings from the largest and longest-running study of Internet connectivity in libraries. The Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and ALA, continues work begun in 1994 by John Carlo Bertot and Charles R. McClure. The study assesses public access to computers, the Internet and Internet-related services in U.S. public libraries, as well as the impact of library funding changes on connectivity, technology deployment and sustainability.
--from Channel Weekly (Vol. 11, No. 25 – March 26, 2009)
Input sought on strategic planning workshop content
Public libraries simply don’t have enough resources to do everything a library can do, or even to do all the things they might want to do. This is particularly true in Wisconsin’s current economic climate where there is competition for tax dollars, and a perception that taxes are high. Now, perhaps more than ever, libraries must be able to demonstrate that they are spending the taxpayers’ money wisely, and using their limited resources thoughtfully.
A good strategic plan serves as a road map for the library, describing how the library will allocate its scarce resources to meet well-defined priorities. A good strategic plan is a blueprint for the library to follow in building better library service. A strategic plan will probably involve some change in what the library does or how it does it, but if it is done carefully it will show that the library is being fiscally responsible and responsive to changing needs.
Library boards, directors, and staff are not experts in planning. SCLS has received an LSTA grant to help member libraries become more comfortable with the process. As part of the grant, we will be offering a workshop on planning in October 2009. To help us assess the need for, and interest in, new or updated strategic plans, and to help determine content for the workshop, please take a minute to complete a short survey by April 15.
Wisconsin shows improvements in adult literacy
The National Center for Education Statistics recently released a report showing an estimate of the number of adults who lack basic literacy skills in Wisconsin by county. The report, posted Jan. 8, 2009, shows that Wisconsin improved from 10 percent of adults lacking Basic Prose Literacy Skills (BPLS) in 1992 to 7 percent by 2003, according to the NAAL (National Assessment of Adult Literacy) comparison. This change seems to be part of a national trend among other states, with the exception of border states or states with a high immigrant population like Florida, where the number of adults at the lowest level of basic literacy skills rose from 15 percent in 1992 to 20 percent in 2003, and California where an even bigger increase occurred with the numbers jumping from 15 percent to 23 percent.
Adults who lack BPLS range from being unable to read and understand any written information in English to being able to locate easily identifiable information in short, commonplace prose text, but nothing more advanced. Adults who were not able to take the assessment because they were not able to communicate in English or Spanish (i.e. language barrier cases) are included in the indirect estimates and classified as lacking basic literacy because they can be considered to be at the lowest level of English literacy.
According to Michele Erikson, Executive Director of Wisconsin Literacy, “While Wisconsin shows an improvement, it is important to note that the need for adult literacy services is still very great. Between adults in the Wisconsin Technical College System and those enrolled in Wisconsin Literacy’s 58 member literacy programs and other community-based literacy organizations, less than 10 percent of more than one million adults in Wisconsin who qualify for all levels of literacy services are receiving them, with many programs having waiting lists.
“Given the current economic status and loss of employment among so many in unskilled labor positions,” Erikson said, “the need and demand for literacy services will greatly increase for programs that are already stretched to meet the need.”
An interactive web tool that shows the National Assessment of Adult Literacy data for all states and counties and the full report can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/naal/estimates/index.aspx.
For more information about adult literacy in Wisconsin, contact Wisconsin Literacy Inc. at (608) 257-1655.
-- from Channel Weekly (Volume 11, Number 24 – March 19, 2009)
Wisconsin Dells businessman offers Owen Gromme print to all libraries
A flock of 136 million passenger pigeons once flew over Wisconsin, but the bird has been extinct for decades. Now, a Wisconsin Dells businessman wants to keep the memory of the pigeons alive and introduce the bird to young people through the gift of a little known print from one of the state’s most well-known wildlife artists.
Bud Gussel, owner of grocery distributor Holiday Wholesale, has an original painting of a pair of passenger pigeons painted by Owen Gromme in 1986 at Gussel’s request. The painting has hung in Gussel’s office ever since, but now Gussel is offering free copies of the painting to schools and libraries throughout the state.
You can read more about his mission in the Wisconsin State Journal. Schools or libraries interested in obtaining a print of the Owen Gromme painting can write to: Bud Gussel, Holiday Wholesale, P.O. Box 117, Wisconsin Dells, Wis. 53965.
Applications invited for 2009 Lois Lenski Covey Foundation Library Grants
Libraries serving economically or socially at-risk children are invited to apply for 2009 Lois Lenski Covey Foundation library grants. Grants are for the acquisition of books published for young people preschool through grade 12. To be considered, libraries must have limited book budgets and serve a disadvantaged population. Rural and urban, public, school, and non-profit agency libraries are eligible. The grants are given to individual libraries, rather than library systems or cooperatives. The 2009 grants will range from $500 to $3,000.
Information regarding the Foundation, details about the grant program, and a downloadable 2009 grant application can be found at www.loislenskicovey.org. Libraries unable to download the application may request a hard copy by writing to the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation, P.O. Box 255366, Sacramento, CA 95865, or by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. Applications must be postmarked no later than June 15, 2009.
The Lois Lenski Covey Foundation was created by Lois Lenski, respected writer and illustrator and 1946 Newbery medalist for Strawberry Girl. Ms. Lenski had a life-long concern that all children have access to good books. Her foundation continues to help provide that access through grants to deserving agencies serving disadvantaged populations.