- Libraries are a bargain -- especially in Wisconsin
- Member/Staff News
- Join The Fold -- Middleton Public Library’s grand origami mural project
- Recorded versions of Koha training sessions coming soon
- Black Earth Public Library hosting John Galligan, Chris Ransom for the Wisconsin Book Festival
- Back in Circulation Again Conference scheduled October 1-2
- BadgerLink now provides access to Science Reference Center, History Reference Center
- PM Magazine article shows how libraries can be change agents
- Continuing Education Calendar
Libraries are a bargain -- especially in Wisconsin
-- A guest editorial for Library Card Sign-up Month by State Superintendent Tony Evers
If you never get to your local library, it’s time to catch up with your neighbors. Six out of every 10 Wisconsin residents are now registered library users, according to new data from the Department of Public Instruction.
We’re fortunate to enjoy one of the best-organized library systems around, and this is just one sign of it.
In honor of national Library Card Sign-up Month, let me tell you what you’re missing if you have yet to discover your local library: free access not only to the books, CDs, and video materials at your own library, but just about anywhere. Our interlibrary loan service is so effective, in fact, it’s used more per capita than any other state’s, according to federal information released this summer. And don’t forget free, wireless Internet access—virtually everyone in our state can access it at their library—not to mention services that address our current employment crisis, like resume and job-search training and on-line resources for locating available jobs.
During an average week in 2009, Wisconsin libraries hosted more visitors than attended Green Bay Packers games all year. Over the entirety of last year, a Wisconsin resident visited a library more than 10 times as often as a Milwaukee Brewers fan went to Miller Park to see a game.
Library services help people stay employed and connected, help children learn, and improve the quality of life for all Wisconsin residents.
And yet, we don’t pay much for these resources, especially when compared to other states: we rank eighth for the amount of materials checked out to users, but only 21st for how much we pay for it, per capita.
If you’re a library worker, thank you for bettering our lives in Wisconsin.
If you’re one of those four in 10 who isn’t making regular use of your library, let me encourage you to join the majority of people who know the tremendous value of a little library card.
Member/Staff News
Remember to check the SCLS Calendar for information about online training related to the January migration to the new LINKcat. You can also visit the Koha training website to sign up for upcoming webinars. If you have questions about the training sessions, or about the material covered, please call the ILS Help Desk at (608) 242-4720.
Today’s Wisconsin State Journal had an article titled "Libraries see a surge in job seekers who need help using computers," just another reminder that libraries continue to be more relevant than ever before.
Join The Fold -- Middleton Public Library’s grand origami mural project
Middleton Public Library is gearing up to begin Join The Fold, a community-wide project to create a masterpiece of public art to be permanently installed in the Library. A series of paper-folding workshops will culminate in an origami artwork made by and for the community, with the generous financial support of several major donors.
Intended to promote public library pride, affordable arts creation, and goodwill, the project begins Sept. 19, unfolds with a series of origami workshops through the Fall, and concludes with the installation and unveiling of the finished three-dimensional wall-art on Dec. 2 at 6:30 p.m. The picture at right shows frame-making at Middleton Public Library in preparation for the workshops.
For dates and times and registration information for the Origami workshops, visit www.midlibrary.org or call (608) 827-7403.
Acclaimed origami artist Ruthanne Bessman will teach the unique art of paper folding in a series of 20 free origami workshops held at the Library starting Sept. 19. Friends and neighbors of all ages are invited to create an origami piece that will be part of the community origami mural to be permanently displayed at the Library, and to also create another origami model to take home. Community members will fold more than 3,000 models from colorful papers that will be transformed into a variety of geometric shapes, culminating in a spectacular mural designed by Bessman and three-dimensional designer Shirwil Lukes.
In conjunction with this project, the Library board and staff are inviting everyone to the library to register now for the workshops. Be inspired by the 1,000 paper crane mobile exhibit, created by Bessman, now on display and check out a book from the Library’s Japanese art collection.
This project is made possible through grants from Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission, Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation, The Japan Foundation of New York/Center for Global Partnership, and through the generous gifts of individuals in the community and local corporations and businesses.
Recorded versions of Koha training sessions coming soon
There have been inquiries about whether recorded versions of the Koha online training sessions will be made available. We will be providing recorded versions as soon as possible, but still have some technical details to work out.
In the meantime, you may sign up for any of the remaining online sessions -- right up to the last minute -- at http://automation.scls.lib.wi.us/training_workshops/index.html.
Black Earth Public Library hosting John Galligan, Chris Ransom for the Wisconsin Book Festival
The Wisconsin Book Festival, with this year’s theme Beliefs, is scheduled Sept. 29-Oct. 2, and joining this year’s festivities as a program site is Black Earth Public Library. On Saturday, Oct. 2, from 10:30 a.m. until noon, join authors John Galligan (right) and Chris Ransom (below left) in Black Earth for readings from their riveting new novels, both set in Black Earth.
Galligan's The Wind Knot features an ex-fly fisherman who becomes a reluctant sleuth when bodies turn up in his stream. Ransom's Birthing House tells the story of a couple whose marriage is pushed to its limits when they buy a Victorian birthing house with a haunted past.
Attendees will receive coupons for tasty lunches from Luckenbooth Cafe or Rookies (and from Heiney's for a return trip to Black Earth for supper some evening). If you’d like to listen to Director Carolyn Shaffer’s interview with Chris Ransom, visit the Black Earth Public Library website. You can learn more about the Wisconsin Book Festival on the event website.
Back in Circulation Again Conference scheduled October 1-2
This two-day conference, hosted by UW-Madison SLIS-CES, is intended for circulation managers and staff, but anybody working at a service desk will find the sessions useful.
Topics covered include:
- having effective difficult conversations (Jeffrey Russell);
- outreach, public library advocacy, and adapting to changing technology (David Lee King);
- serving individuals with mental illness; and
- materials preservation.
For more information, or to register, visit www.slis.wisc.edu/continueed-backincirc.htm. One-day registrations are available, so contact Anna Palmer at (608) 263-4452) to arrange a special rate. General questions should also be directed to her.
BadgerLink now provides access to Science Reference Center, History Reference Center
BadgerLink now provides access to Science Reference Center and History Reference Center. Key features of both are described below.
The Science Reference Center Interface includes:
- Browsing subjects as the main navigational theme of the interface
- Six main science categories in premier locations -- Applied Sciences, Earth Sciences, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Scientists and Space Sciences and Astronomy
- Science categories linked to a list of carefully-reviewed topics within the selected category
- Topic selection that launches a database search producing highly-relevant results
- Result List item refinements such as Date Range, Source Type, Title, Subject and other limiters
- Reference Shelf links to the Dictionary, Science Experiments, Citation Help and a Research Guide
- A Featured Science Topic of interest, which will be changed regularly
The History Reference Center Interface highlights include:
- Browse Subjects -- The highlight of this interface is its subject browsing functionality. There are two main history areas that occupy the premier location on the main interface:
- U.S. History to direct researchers to a sub-menu of 10 main U.S. History timeline periods.
- The U.S. History Timeline periods align to the Timeline Limiter available in the current EBSCOhost interface.
- Period selection takes users to a list of topics that fall within that time period.
- Topics include famous people, events and topics from the selected period. Topics were identified after careful review of curriculum standards, classroom study and important topics from the time period.
- Selection of a topic will conduct a search and return a highly-relevant Result List related to the topic. In some cases, the result list may only be a handful of records…but all will be highly relevant to the topic at hand.
- The updated EBSCOhost Result List allows researcher to further limit by Date Range, Source Type, Title, Subject and more.
- World History will direct researchers to a sub-menu of eleven main World History timeline periods that follow the same functionality as described for U.S. History.
BadgerLink is a project of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning. Its goal is to provide access to quality online information resources for Wisconsin residents in cooperation with the state's public, school, academic, and special libraries and Internet Service Providers.
For any questions or concerns, please contact BadgerLink Technical Support at http://dpi.wi.gov/rll/bl_sup.asp.
PM Magazine article shows how libraries can be change agents
Libraries and all publicly funded institutions are facing challenging budgetary times, and how they choose to respond make for some interesting reading. Public Management (PM) is the official magazine of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), and the article “Public Libraries Daring to Be Different” shares the stories of nine jurisdictions that engaged their libraries in creative solutions to community challenges involving public safety, emergency management, the environment, economic development, early childhood literacy, teen services, and cultural engagement.
In 2007, ICMA partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to explore how local governments can use their public libraries in more innovative ways. “Our partnership with ICMA has highlighted the many ways public libraries can help solve critical issues that communities and their residents face, and improve quality of life for all people,” said Jill Nishi, deputy director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s U.S. Libraries program. “We challenge city and county managers to be champions of public libraries.”
The article includes an interesting video interview with Nishi, who makes a case that communities should view their public libraries as vital institutions that have the potential to be significant change agents. There is also a sidebar article titled “Does your library director have these skills” that lays out some of the kinds of skills that will serve directors well in this economic climate, and in the future.