- System Celebration award nomination deadline extended
- Joint Finance approves using stimulus funds for broadband
- Member/Staff News
- Remembering Demita Gerber
- Dane County libraries sought to host visiting artists programs this fall
- Make better use of your local library, save money while you're at it
- Review results of Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2010
- Continuing Education Calendar
System Celebration award nomination deadline extended
The nomination deadline for System Celebration awards has been extended for another week -- until Friday, July 2, 2010. To submit nominations, visit www.scls.info/about/systemceleb/ and click on the award name to access the online form (all nominations must be submitted online).
These awards are selected by SCLS staff and approved by the Advocacy Committee, but suggestions and formal nominations from the SCLS community are welcome. Keep in mind that nominations for outstanding library trustees should be made using the “Special Award” nomination form.
The 2010 awards are:
- Library of the Year Award
- Public Official Award
- Special Award
- Chester Pismo Snavely Award for a Nifty Activity
- Partnership Award
This year’s event will be held at Wintergreen Resort in Wisconsin Dells.
Joint Finance approves using stimulus funds for broadband
The state legislature's Joint Committee on Finance on Wednesday approved (16-0) using $22.9 million in federal economic stimulus funding for the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) that will expand fiber to 385 libraries and 82 schools.
In addition to approving the use of federal dollars, the motion requires the Department of Administration to provide additional information to Joint Finance by Sept. 1, 2010: the sources of the state match of $5.7 million required by the fiber grant; the status of a contract extension between the state and BadgerNet providers; and an estimate of the cost to educational agencies and the state's universal service fund for Technology in Educational Achievement (TEACH) programs for the current and next biennia.
In recent weeks, WLA had asked members to contact state legislators to encourage the DOA to extend the BadgerNet contract through 2016. WLA also urged Joint Finance to approve the use of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for the broadband expansion project.
The analysis of this issue, including the amount to be spent bringing fiber to each SCLS member library, can be found on the Legislative Fiscal Bureau website.
Member/Staff News
The Friends of Fitchburg Library has won another national award, the Baker & Taylor Award from ALTAFF/ALA. This award recognizes Friends groups for outstanding efforts to support their library, and it will be presented at the ALA convention in Washington, D.C. later this month. The award includes a plaque and check for $1,000.
Oregon Public Library kicked off the summer reading program with some good, clean, wiggly fun. Children teamed up in pairs and raced big, juicy night crawlers, with the top three teams winning trophies. Approximately 220 children attended, and the laughter and cheers could be heard blocks away.
Remembering Demita Gerber
Demita Gerber, director of the Monona Public Library, passed away Saturday, June 12. She had been on indefinite medical leave following a brain aneurysm and hemorrhage in late-April. After emergency surgery, she never regained consciousness.
Gerber was named Director of the Monona Public Library in 2006 after a long, distinguished career in New York public libraries. She was a driving force behind the recently completed "Booked for Life Endowment Fund Drive" that raised $153,000 for the Library's future vitality. She also worked closely with the staff and board to improve patron access to technology, establish new early literacy initiatives, launch online tutoring, and foster a new teen program. Library circulation under her leadership reached record highs.
“Demita’s passing is a tremendous loss for Monona and for the library world,” said Acting Library Director Erick Plumb. “Her achievements throughout her career speak for themselves. Demita always believed that libraries could make a significant positive impact on peoples' lives, no matter a person's age or background. Her career was devoted to improving the communities she served."
Library Board president Andrew Taylor said, “Our community has lost an extraordinary leader, whose tenacity, vision, and stewardship truly transformed the Monona Public Library and all that it serves. While we grieve with her many family and friends, we can also celebrate the gifts she brought among us."
Demita's family will hold a celebratory service on Saturday, July 31, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Olbrich Gardens. An informal barbecue will follow at a nearby park, and everyone is welcome to attend. Demita adored gardens, and it is fitting that she be honored in a beautiful place.
Cards and well-wishes for Demita’s family can be sent to Monona Public Library, 1000 Nichols Road, Monona, WI 53716.
Dane County libraries sought to host visiting artists programs this fall
In preparation for an annual event called “Open Art Studios,” public libraries in Dane County are invited to host visiting artists for Saturday programs this fall. “Open Art Studios” weekend is Oct. 2-3, 2010.
Leading up to that, libraries can choose to host artists on Aug. 28 or Sept. 11, 18 or 25 from 1-4 p.m. The plan is for an artist’s talk from 1-2 p.m., then a demonstration or interactive program from 2-4 p.m.
If you are interested in participating, contact Tamara Tsurkan and send her the name of your library, the name of a contact person, possible dates, whether it will be the 1-4 time frame, approximate dimensions of the space you will use, how you plan to promote the visiting artist, and whether you want her to try and find an artist that fits with your collection funded by the Madison Community Foundation.
You can learn more about the Open Art Studios program online.
Make better use of your local library, save money while you're at it
“The next time you're heading out and starting the car, think about your local library. Easy to overlook, your modern library might offer money and travel savings on DVD rentals, magazines, kid-friendly movie screenings, and, not for nothing, an air conditioned workspace.”
That’s the opening paragraph of an article in LifeHacker that promotes the public library, and the value it provides. Read the entire article at the LifeHacker website.
Review results of Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2010
This year's Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study, the fourth in a series, provides national and state data and benchmarks of technology resources. Authored by the ALA Office for Research and Statistics and the Center for Library & Information Innovation, the study draws on information provided by thousands of rural, suburban, and urban libraries in every state; by state library agencies; and from interviews with library staff in select states.
You can read the study in the easy-to-use Zmag web browser format, or download it as a PDF for offline reading. You can also listen to a National Public Radio report about the study results.