Index
- New Advocacy Toolkit available from SCLS
- OverDrive Bookmobile coming to Madison July 2
- Member/Staff News
- AskAway magnets, bookmarks available
- BadgerLink RFP process update
- More positive press for libraries
- Libraries invited to St. Paul Fundraising Summit
- MLS article explains ‘Five Ways You Can Save Money by Marketing’
- LSTA information sessions scheduled June 24 & 25
- ALSC announces exceptional websites for children
- Continuing Education Calendar
New Advocacy Toolkit available from SCLS
Advocacy is an important component of a successful library, but also something that can strike fear into the hearts of even the most talented of librarians. The new Online Advocacy Toolkit from the South Central Library System is a resource that can help libraries organize their advocacy efforts and begin to take advantage of the goodwill their library has already generated.
Available at www.scls.info/pr/advocacy/, the site defines advocacy as it relates to libraries and tries to make a case for why libraries should develop an advocacy plan. There also is information for developing that plan, and links to many other resources that libraries will find helpful.
The Advocacy Toolkit has sections titled “Advocacy Defined,” Developing An Advocacy Plan,” and “Making Your Case.” In the future there will be information under the category “Collecting Library Stories.” There are also links to the “Speak Up for Your Library” Campaign, WLA and ALA resources, as well as other miscellaneous resources from OCLC, WebJunction, and others.
These resources provide background information that will help you begin a formal advocacy program at your library. If you have questions, or would like further assistance, contact Mark Ibach, SCLS Marketing and PR Coordinator.
In addition to the new Online Advocacy Toolkit, the Online PR Toolkit has an update and expanded section that discusses development of a Library Marketing Plan.
OverDrive Bookmobile coming to Madison July 2
Millions of people are already downloading audiobooks from their public libraries, and to highlight this exciting technology the OverDrive Digital Bookmobile will visit Madison on July 2.
Sponsored jointly by Madison Public Library and South Central Library System, the bookmobile will be at the Lakeview Branch, 2845 N. Sherman Ave, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
With instructional videos and interactive computer stations, readers of all ages will experience new ways to enjoy digital books and more from the public library. Drawings will be held for two Creative MuVo MP3 players, and the event will be held rain or shine. The only other Wisconsin stop for the bookmobile is July 1 in La Crosse.
If you believe residents in your community would be interested in visiting this high-tech exhibit, promotional posters and fliers are available at no cost. Contact Mark Ibach to request copies of these materials. You can learn more about the Digital Bookmobile at DigitalBookmobile.com.
Wisconsin residents can download audiobooks and movies through the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium’s Digital Download Center.
The LINK minutes and handouts from the April 9 meeting are now available online. Both can be found at http://automation.scls.lib.wi.us/committee/link/2009/index.htm.
This is a reminder that you can view the LINK Update blog at http://scls.typepad.com/link/. Recent Topics Include: Book Group Holds -- updated guidelines; New 28 day walk-in ITYPE; and Problems with the RHSA: It's not a bug, it's a 'feature'. If you don't remember the username and password to access this page, it can be found at http://automation.scls.lib.wi.us/announce.html.
The May 2009 LINK Library Statistics Summary is posted on Automation's website. Both PDF and Excel versions of this report are available.
Using local data from the Summer Library Program, Marshfield Public Library Director Lori Belongia explained in a recent Marshfield NewsHerald column how “Summer pays school year dividends.”
Denise Anton Wright, Director of the New Glarus Public Library, recently graduated from the 2008-09 Green County Leaders Program. Designed to build community leadership, class members attended a series of all-day sessions (September through May) that focused on building community leadership skills and raising awareness of community issues. Participants also learned about the history, structure, and resources of Green County communities. The program is made possible through a partnership of the Green County Development Corporation, UW-Extension Green County, the Monroe Campus of Blackhawk Technical College, and local business and government stakeholders.
The Friends of the Kraemer Library hosted a Readers Walk-a-Thon for children on Saturday, May 16. Children were asked to find someone to sponsor their participation in a 1-mile or 5k walk by making a donation to the library. Thirty-one children participated, raising more than $1,600 to purchase multimedia items for the children's collection -- Wii games, Xbox games and Playaways. “It was a fun event, made even more exciting by the presence of the River Valley High School pep band to cheer everyone on,” Maureen said.
AskAway magnets, bookmarks available
To help member libraries promote the availability of the AskAway reference service, SCLS has a supply of magnets and bookmarks that are available at no cost. Additional resources, and more information about AskAway, are available through a wiki at http://askaway.pbwiki.com/pr. You can get ideas, answers, and promotional items that will help you promote AskAway.
To obtain magnets or bookmarks on a first come, first served basis, contact Mark Ibach.
The Department of Administration (DOA) and the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) issued an RFP for Wisconsin BadgerLink Web Access to Full Text Database Systems and Content on July 15, 2008, and 20 vendors responded on August 27, 2008. Vendors provided responses within five primary categories and six secondary categories.
The DPI intended to provide awards for the primary categories, and secondary categories were only to be considered for award pending the determination of sufficient funds to purchase additional resources. An evaluation team read and scored the proposals, and the DOA issued letters to the proposers on May 22, 2009, that indicated the highest scoring for each category. The DPI will complete negotiations with each vendor and begin operations July 1, 2009.
The primary categories and the highest ranked proposer for each are listed below. A more complete list of products will be available following contract completion. Once final products and pricing are negotiated for the categories listed below and the final budget amount available has been determined by the legislature, the DPI’s Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning will determine if it is possible to negotiate any additional contracts in these or other categories.
Priority categories:
- Full text and images for magazines/journals, reference materials, and other specialized information resources for all age groups: EBSCO (Multiple databases to be announced)
- Full text and images for currently published newspaper titles and back files, including Wisconsin newspapers (dates generally include newspapers from 1990 to current): EBSCO (Newspaper Source Plus)
- Full text and images for historical newspapers, including Wisconsin newspapers (dates generally include from 1700 to 1990): Heritage Microfilm (NewspaperArchive Elite)
- Full text and information about literature for all age groups: poems, essays, speeches, plays, and other works: Gale (LitFinder)
- Online collection of multimedia information about children’s literature and authors of children’s books for the K-12 age range: TeachingBooks.net
-- Channel Weekly (Vol. 11, No. 33 -- May 28, 2009)
More positive press for libraries
As the national and global economies continue to struggle, there was more positive news about the increasingly important role libraries are playing in the lives of people who need them more than ever.
Recent examples include:
- NBC Today -- "Beyond Books,” which discussed the impact of libraries in this recession.
- Cincinnati Enquirer – “What libraries are worth to us” explains that “In lean times and fat times alike, the public library is the one place where it’s always OK to overindulge.”
Libraries invited to St. Paul Fundraising Summit
The Center for Nonprofit Success has invited libraries to a St. Paul Fundraising Summit June 30 to July 1. More than 200 nonprofit leaders attended this summit last year, leaving with real world solutions to the fundraising challenges they were facing.
This year’s summit includes an expanded schedule that features many new sessions. Attendees can also register for one-on-one mentoring sessions with the speakers to get answers to specific questions not addressed in the seminars. To learn more about this year's Summit, or to register, visit www.cfnps.org/stpaul2009.aspx.
Speakers are experienced fundraisers who enjoy the opportunity to share their knowledge with peers. They also get to participate in the networking opportunities that the Summit offers. If you are interested in speaking at the event, visit www.cfnps.org/supporters/.
MLS article explains ‘Five Ways You Can Save Money by Marketing’
Tough economic times present unique challenges for libraries, but an article in the May/June 2009 issue of Marketing Library Services explains that now is not the time to cut back on marketing efforts.
According to the article by Kathy Dempsey, when you’re low on money, marketing is one of the last things you should cut from your budget. She writes that such advice may have you shaking your head, thinking that you either read that incorrectly or that she is just plain wrong! But no, she means it. Dempsey argues that now is the time to do more -- and more careful -- marketing and promotion than ever before. In fact, if done right, these actions can even help your library save money. Her article explains how.
-- From the May/June 2009 issue of Marketing Library Services.
LSTA information sessions scheduled June 24 & 25
Three information sessions will be held in June for those interested in applying for a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant. There is no charge for participating in the online workshops, each of which will cover the grant program timetable, the application form, and the individual grant category requirements.
Eligible applicants for each of the categories listed below are explained in the LSTA Information and Guidelines 2010. First time applicants are encouraged to apply.
- LSTA Technology Categories, including Health Awareness & Multi-type Collaboration -- Wednesday, June 24, 10-11:30 a.m.
- LSTA Special Needs Categories -- Wednesday, June 24, 1-2:30 p.m.
- LSTA Digitization Categories: Local & Large Library categories -- Thursday, June 25, 10-11:30 a.m.
To register for any of the information sessions contact Terrie Howe, DPI’s LSTA and Continuing Education Consultant, at (608) 266-2413.
Instructions for the GoToMeeting webinar will be emailed to registrants. To participate, you must have internal or external computer speakers. Microphones are nice to have but are not required. There will be opportunities to view and listen to the June 24 and 25 sessions at a time to be determined if you are unable to participate on the workshop day.
Information on the LSTA program and grant categories is available in the LSTA Information and Guidelines for Wisconsin for 2010 at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/pdf/guide10.pdf. Print copies of the Guidelines can be requested from Terrie Howe.
--from Channel Weekly (Vol. 11, No. 34 – June 4, 2009)
ALSC announces exceptional websites for children
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association, has added more recommended websites to Great Websites for Kids – www.ala.org/greatsites -- its online resource containing hundreds of links to commendable websites for children.
Great Websites for Kids features links to websites of interest to children 14 years of age and younger, organized into diverse subject headings such as dinosaurs, authors and illustrators, games and entertainment, U.S. history, astronomy and space, and reference desk. There is also a special section with sites of interest to parents, caregivers and teachers. Some of the websites even include blogging opportunities for children.
If you have questions about these websites, or other online resources for children, contact Shawn Brommer, SCLS Youth Services & Outreach Coordinator.