- SCLS Board forms search committee for director position
- Library Legislative Day draws near
- Member/Staff News
- SCLS Delivery tops 13 million items in 2009
- MPL receives two LSTA grants for jobs, digitization
- Library Laws for the Web Environment -- The Mobile User
- Libraries encouraged to sponsor PBS Kids Go! writers contest
- Links for EBSCOhost Mobile
- DVDs from DNR intended for use on DVD players
- CCBC’s Charlotte Zolotow Award announced
- American Library Association comments on net neutrality
- USDA designates $100 million for rural libraries
- AT&T drops White Pages residential listings from new phone books
- Continuing Education Calendar
SCLS Board forms search committee for director position
As it prepares for the process of hiring a replacement for SCLS Director Phyllis Davis, who announced her intention to retire in June 2010, the SCLS Board has formed a Search Committee that has begun the work of hiring a replacement.
The committee has distributed a press release to SCLS-area media announcing Davis’ upcoming retirement, and a page has been added to the SCLS website with information about the recruitment process.
The application deadline is March 8, 2010.
Library Legislative Day draws near
It’s not too late to register for the Feb. 16 Library Legislative Day, which is an opportunity to begin building and/or strengthening relationships with State Senators and Representatives.
Libraries play vital roles in the communities they serve, and sharing your library’s story with elected officials at the state level will be critical to better understanding about the importance of libraries. Advocacy should be a year-round effort, but Library Legislative Day provides unique access to individuals you may not see on a regular basis. Taking advantage of this opportunity is just “good business.”
Scheduled Feb. 16, 2010, the day begins at the Inn on the Park in Madison, and later moves to the State Capital for legislative visits. Speakers in the morning session will provide an overview of legislative issues affecting libraries, and will share tips on how to maximize your time with legislators. To enhance the impact of your message, SCLS is encouraging each library to bring a resident, elected official, student, Friend, or trustee as a guest.
The cost to attend on Feb. 16 is $15, which covers printing, refreshments, and space at the Inn On The Park. An optional box lunch is also available for an additional $15. Information about the 2010 event has been posted to the WLA website, and we encourage you to reserve the date and make plans to attend.
Even if you are unable to attend, we suggest that you prepare a packet and send it to your legislators with a note explaining the important role your library is playing locally. You can also participate virtually at www.wla.lib.wi.us/legis/day/VirtualLLD.htm.
Library Legislative Day is co-sponsored by the Wisconsin Library Association and the Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association. Tony Evers, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, will be one of the featured speakers.
Member/Staff News
The Cross Plains-Berry Historical Society, along with American Legion Post 245, is providing a nine-month changing exhibit showcasing local and area connections to wars and conflicts ranging from the Civil War through the current conflicts in the Middle East. The exhibits are housed in the Rosemary Garfoot Public Library Historical Society study room. This event is being held in conjunction with the Legion Post’s war memorial project. A collection of military history books and videos will also be on display.
With the announcement of her retirement, Jane Grogan is “out of” circulation at Madison Public Library as of Feb. 2, 2010. Jane was hired as Circulation supervisor in 1980, with the major assignment to bring automation to MPL. After helping to select Geac as the automation vendor in 1983, Jane moved from Circulation to Technical Services, to Administration (with a brief stint at Facilities Manager), and then in 2003 came back to Circulation. The cycle is completed and Jane will leave her home-away-from home after nearly 30 years.
La Valle Public Library will resume delivery service on Monday, Feb. 8, 2010. The library has been closed since flooding in June 2008.
Kristine Millard, co-director of the Lodi Public Library, has successfully completed the sequence of 15 graduate credits to be awarded a certificate in Family Literacy by Penn State University.
The January 2010 LINK Library Statistics Summary is posted at http://automation.scls.lib.wi.
Madison Public Library welcomes new staffers Susan Barthel and Briony Foy (Page 2, Circulation), Katlyn Froistad (Page 1, Circulation), and Abigail Ryan (Library Assistant, Youth Services).
Portage County Public Library’s Rosholt Branch has received an anonymous $50,000 donation. According to an article in The Rosholt Record, the anonymous donor made the pledge toward the Rosholt Library project. The only stipulation, according to the article, is that the current building on Main Street be used for the renovation. “The donor remembers a time when Main Street was a thriving, bustling center of activity in the village and wants to see that energy and activity returned,” the article said, “The donor believes that keeping the library on Main Street has the potential to fuel redevelopment of the village.” The Rosholt Village Board had previously supported the use of the old fire station portion of the village hall to be used for a new library. The article says the anonymous pledge is seen as a vote of confidence for the decision to keep the library on Main Street.
Stoughton Public Library is pleased to welcome Kelly Verheyden as its new Children's Librarian. Kelly arrives in Stoughton with a number of years experience as a Youth Services Librarian at Madison Public Library, and most recently worked at SCLS Delivery. She fills the position vacated by Cathie Burns, who retired Dec. 31.
Following up on a program at WLA, McMillan Memorial Library spent under $100 to set up a Wiimote-based smartboard. Once calibrated, any PC and projector can make a screen or wall a clickable surface. Once the setup was working, McMillan bought an infrared sword during an eBay program to complete the ensemble. The program was MacGyver Library: Amazingly Useful Stunts You Can Perform with Ordinary Library Objects, and featured Jon Mark Bolthouse.
The February issue of WSLL @ Your Service has been published. Highlights include: Mastering the Art of Legal Research...a look at 2009; Milwaukee Legal Resource Center: 2009 Highlights; Dane County Legal Resource Center: 2009 Highlights; What's New -- Upcoming library closures; HeinOnline update; Upcoming classes; and This Just In...: New and updated library materials, and the monthly new titles list.
SCLS Delivery tops 13 million items in 2009
Did you know that SCLS Delivery dropped off and picked up more than 13.3 million items at SCLS libraries in 2009? Ever wonder how SCLS Delivery determines the number of items they handle for SCLS member libraries over the course of a year? Do you know how many items on average were transported in a typical red basket in 2002? Does it seem like there are more items packed into a red basket than there were eight years ago?
Find out all you ever wanted to know about SCLS Delivery volume and how Delivery comes up with this data by visiting the SCLS Delivery statistical information page at www.sclsdelivery.info/sclspages/stats.htm.
MPL receives two LSTA grants for jobs, digitization
Based on the success of a 2009 series of job assistance training sessions, Madison Public Library applied for and received a $15,590 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant for 2010 to continue the training sessions at the Central Library and expand them to three branches -- Meadowridge, South Madison and Pinney.
The grant will provide 120 3-hour drop-in sessions, 19 larger classes on specific job-seeking strategies, and 250 related books and DVDs. The grant will be largely overseen by Madison's Americorps VISTA worker, Jim Handorf, and will gather evaluative data that can be used to further demonstrate the economic value of our public libraries.
A second grant of $12,085 will be used to continue the work of digitizing papers important to the City of Madison and Dane County. The grant includes funds to digitize maps, plat books and atlases from 1861-1911, annual reports, and important papers of the Madison Park and Pleasure Drive Association from 1904-1929. In addition, 1,500 pages of John Olin's papers and correspondence will be digitally preserved through the grant. Digitization and digital storage are provided through the UW Digital Collections Center.
Library Laws for the Web Environment -- The Mobile User
YouTube, Twitter -- the Conversation goes mobile, and the library is not in control!
- Are your patrons taking photos and short videos with their cell phones of the library? Of children in the library? Do they need permission, and if so, when? What copyright, privacy and other concerns should you address?
- What do you do when you see a patron accessing child pornography, obscenity or other disturbing sites on their cell phones or netbooks?
- Are patrons tagging your content, at your website or on the library's Flickr page? Can you remove inaccurate tags? Offensive tags?
- What disability access is legally required in this new environment?
These are just some of the legal issues facing libraries when working in the mobile environment, and a Feb. 18 webinar will try to provide some clarification. Those attending this webinar will receive:
- sample language for library signs regarding photography and videography;
- guidance on when users need permission to post videos or pictures of library patrons;
- an update on the legal status of porn in the library -- on the users' own devices; and
- information on what accessibility of library websites is required by law for people with disabilities.
This one-hour webinar will be of interest to library managers, anyone who works public service, those who create content for library social networking sites, and those looking for guidance regarding a variety of situations facing libraries using the mobile web and social networking.
The webinar will run from 2-3 p.m., and pre-registration is not required. To attend, go to http://infopeople.org/training/webcasts/webcast_data/352/index.html. The webinar is sponsored by Infopeople.
Libraries encouraged to sponsor PBS Kids Go! writers contest
Children have a wonderful ability to use their imagination in play, in school, and with their peers. One of the ways we can nurture their unique talents is by encouraging them to write and illustrate their own stories. Wisconsin Public Television is pleased to announce the 2010 PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest, through which WPT hopes to provide an opportunity for kids to share their stories with guidance and encouragement from their librarians and reading specialists.
The PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest is a national-local contest designed to promote the advancement of children’s reading skills through hands-on, active learning. The contest encourages children in grades K-3 in communities across the country to celebrate the power of creating stories and illustrations by submitting their own original pieces. It extends the powerful tradition and annual success of the 15-year national “Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest.” A WPT participant was the 2009 contest national winner, and her story can be seen at www.wpt.org/kids.
Libraries are encouraged to become involved in the program by displaying posters and distributing entry forms, and even by organizing a writing event for interested children and parents. WPT will provide materials for your library to hold an event as well as promotions materials for the contest. Participating libraries can send their submissions to WPT through SCLS delivery, and the deadline for this option is March 19, 2010. To send through Delivery:
Special thanks to the SCLS delivery staff, especially Tim Drexler and Bruce Smith, for partnering with Wisconsin Public Television to provide this free service to all WI public libraries.
Route to: SCLS Delivery
For: Tim Drexler
Date: (insert appropriate date)
Notes: WPT contest
From: (insert your name and library)
The WPT submission deadline is Friday, March 26. More information about the project is available at http://pbskids.org/writerscontest/. In addition to materials support, WPT will provide a $50 stipend toward the cost of running the contest in your library. For more information, contact Lynne Blinkenberg, Kristina Stadler or Jenna Schapiro at (608) 265-5035 or email [email protected].
Links for EBSCOhost Mobile
You may have seen the BadgerLink email last week saying that EBSCO has announced the release of their new interface for mobile users: EBSCOhost Mobile. EBSCOhost Mobile is tailor-made for the smaller screens of mobile devices, and offers the most important EBSCOhost features and functionality, right in the palm of your hand!
EBSCOhost Mobile is available for SCLS patrons. We have set up links to point to our authentication script, so patrons only need to enter their library card number to access EBSCOhost Mobile.
Links to share with your patrons:
- http://www.scls.info/mobile -- takes the user to a page with a link to "connect now" and additional info about requirements); or
- http://www.scls.lib.wi.us/cgi-bin/auth.cgi?connectto=EHMOB -- takes the user directly to the page to enter their barcode.
A link to EBSCOhost Mobile (http://www.scls.lib.wi.us/cgi-bin/auth.cgi?connectto=EHMOB) has also been added to the SCLS "Online Resources by Name” web page. If you have any questions, contact Rose Ziech, Web Services Specialist.
DVDs from DNR intended for use on DVD players
Last year the Wisconsin DNR sent DVDs to all libraries about how important it is to clean boats before transporting them to another lake. Unfortunately, some people have reported problems using these DVDs on computers, an issue that has been most prevalent with Windows Media Player.
The DVD is intended to be used on DVD players, so if it does not work on your library's player please contact Christal Campbell for a replacement.
CCBC’s Charlotte Zolotow Award announced
The Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) has announced that "What Can You Do with a Paleta?" by Carmen Tafolla, illustrated by Magaly Morales (Tricycle Press), is the winner of the 2010 Charlotte Zolotow Award for outstanding writing in a picture book. In addition, the award committee selected three honor books. "Birds" by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek (Greenwillow); "Pouch!" by David Ezra Stein (Putnam); and "Princess Hyacinth: The Surprising Story of a Girl Who Floated" by Florence Parry Heide, illustrated by Lane Smith (Schwartz/Wade).
The CCBC is pleased to announce that Carmen Tafolla is coming from her home in San Antonio to accept the award here in Madison on March 6, 2010, as part of the CCBC Choices Day celebration.
--from Channel Weekly (Vol.12, No. 17 – Jan.28, 2010)
USDA designates $100 million for rural libraries
The Secretary of Agriculture has allocated $100 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Community Facilities funding for public libraries to provide educational opportunities and improve public services in rural communities. The funding will be provided primarily through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
“In 78 percent of rural communities, the library is the sole provider of no-fee Internet access,” said Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the ALA Washington Office. “This funding specifically set aside for rural libraries is a lifeline for communities across the country who depend on their local libraries for basic needs such as Internet access, as well as assistance with e-government services, literacy and homework programs, and much more. We thank the USDA for its recognition of the vital role libraries play in rural communities and their need for funding.”
Funds may be used to construct, enlarge or improve public libraries. This can include costs to acquire land needed for a facility, pay necessary professional fees and purchase equipment required for operation. Funds can also be used to purchase shelving, furniture, computers, audio-visual equipment, distance learning equipment and bookmobiles.
Depending on funding availability, USDA Rural Development will provide up to $500,000 in additional Recovery Act dedicated grant funds to each of the State Offices for library projects.
For more information on the program and how to apply, see the USDA Rural Development fact sheet. To reach the USDA Rural Development contact for Wisconsin, visit www.rurdev.usda.gov/wi/.
American Library Association comments on net neutrality
The American Library Association (ALA) recently filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in support of Net Neutrality, which is the concept that Internet service providers should not block access to any legitimate content on the Internet -- that is, they should remain “neutral.”
Net Neutrality is critical to maintaining an open Internet, free of any provider acting as a gatekeeper. The FCC asked for comments on drafting formal regulations to ensure an open Internet. ALA stated in its comments that: “Libraries, and indeed all consumers, need to be assured that they will be able to access legitimate Internet content, or use Internet services or applications without fear or concerns that such access or use will be blocked or degraded by any entity with the means and control to do so.”
Bob Bocher, the DPI’s Library Technology Consultant, serves on the ALA’s Telecommunications Subcommittee and wrote the ALA comments. The complete comments can be found on the FCC’s website at http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7020374022.
AT&T drops White Pages residential listings from new phone books
When you need to find a telephone number, do you reach for a phone book or a computer?
AT&T says so many people are using online resources -- including its own -- that the phone giant is no longer including residential listings in its Yellow Pages phone books. The new online listing is available at www.realpageslive.com.
For the complete article, visit the Wisconsin State Journal website.