- System Celebration registration deadline is Sept. 7
- Member/Staff News
- Planned giving workshop scheduled Sept. 29
- Monona Public Library seeks new director
- Libraries asked to encourage patrons to complete LinkWISCONSIN survey
- DLTCL releases draft of Wisconsin Public Library Standards, 5th Edition
- Sept. 13-17 is ‘AskAway Awareness Week’
- Genealogy seminar and classes
- DOJ offers updated compliance outlines on open meetings, public records laws
- IMLS podcast explains 21st Century Skills
- Continuing Education Calendar
System Celebration registration deadline is Sept. 7
System Celebration 2010 is still several weeks away, but the registration deadline is next Tuesday, Sept. 7. Online registration is available at www.scls.info/about/systemceleb/.
System Celebration will be held Tuesday, Sept. 21, at the Wintergreen Resort & Conference Center in Wisconsin Dells, and it will be the perfect opportunity to meet new SCLS Director Martha van Pelt.
There will be a social hour from 6-7 p.m., featuring entertainment by the Wisconsin Dells High School Jazz Ensemble. Dinner is scheduled from 7-8 p.m., and the annual awards program will be from 8-8:30 p.m.
Remember that there is no charge for local elected officials, head librarians (or designee) of member libraries of all types, and current trustees of SCLS area library boards. You do have the option to pay for your meal if you believe there is an ethical conflict with SCLS paying for your meal. The meal cost for spouses/guests and other attendees is $20, and must be sent by Sept. 7 to South Central Library System, 4610 S. Biltmore Lane, Suite 101, Madison, WI 53718-8345.
This year's menu includes a choice of Chicken Chardonnay, Roast Sirloin, or Pasta Primavera (vegetarian). If you are using a printed registration card, be sure to indicate your meal preference.
Please remember that if SCLS is paying for your meal, and you register but do not attend, we must still pay for your meal. If you are unable to attend, please cancel your reservation before Sept. 13 (there can be no meal refunds after this date). If you must cancel after Sept. 13, please arrange for someone else to attend in your place. The registration deadline for System Celebration 2010 is Sept. 7, and all library staff members, trustees, elected officials and other library supporters are invited to attend.
Member/Staff News
The August 2010 LINK Library Statistics Summary is posted on Automation's website. Both PDF and Excel versions of this report are available.
On Thursday, Sept. 9, Stoughton Public Library proudly presents a community-based film featuring interviews of local residents telling their library stories. This event celebrates September as National Library Card Sign-up Month. The festivities begin in the Carnegie Room at 6:30 p.m. with a cake and punch reception, followed by the screening from 7-7:30 p.m.
The September issue of WSLL @ Your Service has been published at http://wilawlibrary.gov/newsletter/1009.html.
Planned giving workshop scheduled Sept. 29
“Planned Giving: An Excellent Opportunity to Create a Lasting Legacy” is the topic of a Sept. 29 workshop being sponsored by the South Central Library System Foundation. Featuring presenter Johanna Allex of the Law Offices of Christenson and Allex, the workshop is scheduled from 9:30-11 a.m. at SCLS Headquarters.
To register, visit http://host.evanced.info/scls/evanced/eventsignup.asp?ID=1079.
Following the program will be the annual SCLS Foundation membership meeting. All libraries with funds invested in the SCLS foundation are invited to attend this afternoon session to hear from fund managers from M&I, and to ask questions.
Monona Public Library seeks new director
Monona Public Library seeks a director responsible for all aspects of library administration. The position requires strong management and communication skills, an ALA-MLS, eligibility for Wisconsin Grade 1 Public Librarian Certification, and five years of progressively responsible library experience, including experience in an administrative capacity. Management experience in a union environment and with the Wisconsin Mediation Arbitration Law a plus.
Requires a candidate with a strong technology background and experience with integrated library systems. The library is heavily used, has one of the highest per capita circulations in the state, and was recently named the 2010 Wisconsin Library of the Year. Salary range $55,000-$62,000 with excellent benefits. Visit www.mononalibrary.org/about/jobs.html for detailed requirements and position description.
If interested, send a cover letter and resume to the Library Search Committee at [email protected]. Applications accepted until Oct.1, 2010, or until position is filled. The City of Monona is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Libraries asked to encourage patrons to complete LinkWISCONSIN survey
In order to better understand specific broadband availability, needs, uses and barriers to adoption, LinkWISCONSIN is conducting a consumer survey. Households will be selected randomly to participate in the 10-12 minute telephone survey, but people can also visit the website and take the survey.
To participate in the online consumer survey, go to www.link.wisconsin.gov/lwi/default.aspx?page=27.
All individual responses, whether obtained through telephone or online survey, will remain confidential. Collectively, responses will provide important feedback as LinkWISCONSIN moves forward with the planning phase of this statewide project. Input will provide critical insights into how and why Wisconsinites use high-speed Internet, as well as what needs may exist within each community.
This quantitative study will be available to regional planning teams later this fall.
DLTCL releases draft of Wisconsin Public Library Standards, 5th Edition
The Public Library Development Team of DLTCL has released a preliminary draft of the latest revision to the Wisconsin Public Library Standards.
The new edition builds on the previous editions, consisting of a series of checklists organized in broad categories such as governance, staffing, collections, facility, and services that public libraries can use as a planning and assessment tool. Also included are tables of quantitative standards (known as “percentile measures” in the early editions) that can be used to help measure a basic level of public library service and also provide a pathway to excellence in library service. The document can be found at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/pdf/standards5_draft.pdf.
Wisconsin’s public library standards are voluntary. It is up to each library to decide if it wants to use the standards document to help evaluate its library and plan for the future.
Public library directors, staff, trustees, and others are invited to review the draft standards. Comments or questions can be submitted to John DeBacher, Public Library Administration Consultant. Please note that the glossary and bibliography have not yet been updated.
Sept. 13-17 is ‘AskAway Awareness Week’
Finding answers to life’s challenging questions has never been easier! AskAway, a statewide service staffed by librarians 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is available from anywhere there is an Internet connection -- home, school, work, the library, or wherever there’s Wi-Fi access.
To help you celebrate and promote “AskAway Awareness Week,” Sept. 13-17, visit http://askaway.pbworks.com/pr.
The statewide availability of AskAway is made possible by an LSTA grant administered by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Like BadgerLink, AskAway is an online service that opens the vast resources of Wisconsin’s libraries to all residents, no matter where or when they need information. The 24-hour-a-day AskAway service is staffed by the 24/7 Reference Consortium, a group of hundreds of librarians across Wisconsin, the United States, and the United Kingdom who contribute their time.
Genealogy seminar and classes
With the increased interest in genealogy via shows like "Who Do You think You Are" and the use of Ancestry Library Edition at most public libraries, the Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin State Genealogical Society are announcing their fall seminar and classes that are geared to the beginner, but valuable to intermediate researchers as well.
There are many options for learning more about genealogical research this Fall. Online and library/archives materials will be discussed to give a more complete picture of the various resources available to the family historian. To learn more about the seminar and classes, or to register, visit www.wisconsinhistory.org/libraryarchives/classes/.
DOJ offers updated compliance outlines on open meetings, public records laws
The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) has posted the 2010 version of the Open Meetings Compliance Guide and the Public Records Compliance Outline on its website:
Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen will be hosting free seminars across Wisconsin to promote public awareness of and compliance with the state’s open meetings and public records law. At each seminar, Van Hollen will be accompanied by assistant attorneys general who are experts in Wisconsin’s open meetings and public records laws.
Seminars will be held in Madison (Sept. 20), Milwaukee (Sept. 27) and Wausau (Oct. 5). Each seminar is scheduled for three hours. In addition, a statewide videoconference seminar will take place Oct. 12 with viewing sites in Green Bay, La Crosse, Rice Lake and Racine.
Each seminar is free and open to the public, though advance registration is required due to limited seating. Individuals are invited to register at the Wisconsin Department of Justice website at www.doj.state.wi.us. Registrants should provide their name, title, organization or agency, and identify the seminar they wish to attend. Additional information is available on the DOJ website.
IMLS podcast explains 21st Century Skills
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) offers a short podcast on 21st century skills by IMLS Acting Director Marsha L. Semmel. In this podcast, Semmel explains:
- what are 21st century skills?
- where did the 21st century skills movement come from? and
- where do libraries and museums fit in the 21st century skills movement?
Semmel also refers to “Making the Learning Connection,” a national campaign aimed at engaging museums, libraries, and civic leaders in meeting the 21st century learning needs of their communities. Links to the podcast and additional information on the campaign are available at www.imls.gov/news/2010/081110.shtm.