Index
- Bolthouse named new FDLPL director
- Member/Staff News
- Marshall Friends rents mini golf course
- Future features from OverDrive
- Library Hall of Fame seeks nominees
- WeLead Mentorship Program accepting applications
- 2013 LSTA grant writing session
- Access, Schmaccess: Libraries in the Age of Information Ubiquity
- Libraries, patrons, and e-books
- Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2011-12
- ALA announces August advocacy program
- Continuing Education Calendar
Bolthouse named new FDLPL director
Jon Mark Bolthouse has accepted the position of director of the Fond du Lac Public Library, effective July 23. He will replace Ken Hall, who retires on July 27.
Bolthouse, of Fond du Lac, has served for more than two years as technology projects manager for the South Central Library System (SCLS), managing a staff that provides technology support to 53 public libraries in seven counties.
According to Fond du Lac Public Library Board President Lori Pain, Bolthouse was chosen following a national search because "he possessed all the qualities we were looking for. We chose him for his enthusiasm and desire to continue making the library a growing presence in the community."
Bolthouse holds a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois. He has worked in libraries for more than 12 years. Prior to joining SCLS, Bolthouse was automation librarian for the University of Wisconsin Colleges and held the systems coordinator position for the libraries of Bryn Mawr, Haverford and Swarthmore Colleges located outside Philadelphia.
"I am delighted by this opportunity to serve my own community," said Bolthouse. "I intend to continue the excellent service Ken and his staff have provided over the years, expanding on their good work by utilizing my technological background to the library's best advantage."
Along with raising daughter, Ivy, 11, with his wife, Monica Walk, Bolthouse is an accomplished musician who has played in Japan and the Midwest and currently performs regularly in the Madison area.
Hall has been director in Fond du Lac for 10 years and has worked for more than 34 years in public libraries in Appleton, Wisconsin Rapids and Two Rivers. He was brought to Fond du Lac in 2002 to oversee the library's massive expansion and renovation project.
"I am confident that the community will be well-served by Jon Mark," said Hall. "He brings to the position a lifelong passion for public libraries, along with an absolutely cutting-edge perspective on sharing information."
Bolthouse was the featured speaker at the Friends of the Fond du Lac Public Library Annual Meeting in April, presenting, "More Than Just Books: How Technology is Transforming Today's Libraries." Among his many achievements, Bolthouse is co-creator of The MacGyver Librarians, a duo presenting cutting-edge technology to librarians throughout Wisconsin, "one roll of duct tape at a time."
Member/Staff News
The Madison Public Library Board has chosen Gregory Mickells to be the new Director of Madison Public Library. "We were impressed by Mr. Mickells' experience with similar-sized library systems and his proven leadership in public libraries," said Tripp Widder, President of the Library Board. Mickells is currently Assistant Library Director for the Lincoln City Libraries in Lincoln, Nebraska, a post he has held since 2007. Lincoln City Libraries is a municipal system serving Lancaster County’s 280,000 residents from a main library, seven branches, and a bookmobile. Previously, Mickells was a Library Manager in the Douglas County Libraries in Castle Rock, CO, for eight years, and has held other library positions in Nebraska and Colorado since 1989. Mickells has his Masters in Library Science from Emporia State University. "I am really looking forward to the opportunity to work with the Madison community and library staff to continue to deliver this vital service for the residents of Madison and Dane County,” said Mickells, on accepting the position. “I was very impressed with the passion and value that the Madison community has for its library system. I truly appreciate the hard work that went into making the library such a valuable asset. I hope to extend those efforts and continue to improve on the delivery of library services." Mickells will be joining the library in early September, pending Common Council approval of his contract, expected in July. Susan Lee has served as Interim Director since the retirement of Library Director Barbara Dimick in February of 2012.
Everyone is cordially invited to Middleton Public Library for an Appreciation Open House for Head of Circulation Services Elizabeth Bauer at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 27, with coffee, donuts & fruit. Come say thank you to Elizabeth for nearly 19 years of library leadership. The celebration begins before the library opens, so please enter using the loading dock entrance.
After a career of more than 30 years of library service in Reedsburg and 19 years as Director of the Reedsburg Public Library, Sue Steiner has announced her retirement. Her last day at the Library is Friday, July 27. Friends and colleagues are invited to an open house at the Reedsburg Public Library on Wednesday, July 25, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. In other staff changes, the Reedsburg Public Library Board has promoted Assistant Director Sue Ann Kucher to Library Director upon Sue’s retirement. Maureen Palmer will be promoted from Circulation Supervisor to Assistant Director effective July 28, 2012. Reedsburg Library is currently accepting applications for the Circulation Supervisor position. Additional information can be found at www.reedsburglibrary.org.
Marshall Friends rents mini golf course
After a successful event at Marshall Community Library, the Friends of Marshall Community Library is now renting it’s mini golf course to interested libraries.
The following is a list of what you get when you rent the course for use in your library.
- Nine 4x4 platform “holes” complete with ball cups, “hazards” and ramps.
- Pieces of flexible “bumpers” to help you lay out the course.
- Pieces of 4x4 wood blocks to screw into the bumpers to manipulate the shape of the course.
- Screws to put the platforms and ramps together.
- Screws to fix the bumpers to the blocks and platforms.
- Mini golf clubs (30) in both adult/child sizes.
- Golf balls.
- Nine flags with poles. (brackets are on the holes)
- Template for the Score sheets.
What you need to have on hand.
- Colored tape to mark the “Tee” for each hole.
- Colored (green tape) to run along the bottom of the ramps and to hold down some of the hazards.
- Make your own Flag signs, either with just the hole number or your sponsors’ names.
Rental is for a maximum of three consecutive days, and the fee is $150.00 for each three-day rental. Longer-term rental can be arranged and a reduced fee for consecutive rentals will be negotiated. A security deposit (check) of $400 is required. The delivery person, upon pick-up, will inspect all items for damage or missing parts and will specify any cost. The Friends have up to 30 days to complete this review and return the security deposit check.
The Mini Golf course can be used indoors and out, but outdoor use requires that you consider the area and not place the course in mud, water, ooze, or manure. Failure to keep the underside and topside of the course clean will result in loss of your security deposit. The course should be returned clean and undamaged
Delivery and pickup is not included in the rental price, but is available for $50 plus $1 per mile within a 50-mile radius of Marshall. For example, total cost to deliver/pick-up 20 miles from Marshall would be $70. The cost for distances more than 50 miles from Marshall will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Delivery does not include unloading, loading or set up. You must have your own people available at the scheduled time and place of delivery to unload and load. The delivery person will not wait more than 20 minutes for someone to show.
The nine holes are named:
- #1 Down the Fire Pole (cup is inside the fire station.)
- #2 “Phillip’s hole” (named after the builder.)
- #3 Bedrock (Flintstone’s house and you need to supply two rocks.)
- #4 Your library (use a bookend and put your name on it, along with two books fanned open.)
- #5 Empty Hole (good for short shots)
- #6 Churchill Downs (Barn with two doors open)
- #7 Roundabout (best when the back is slightly raised with a piece of foam or cardboard)
- #8 Get Outta My Way, (Black corner block and pedestal.)
- #9 Empty Hole, (good for long shots or odd placements.)
For more information, contact Phillip Braithwaite at (608) 655-3700.
Future features from OverDrive
Every year, around ALA's Annual Conference, vendors announce new products and services they plan to demo at the conference and offer in the coming year. This year, OverDrive is promoting features to streamline the process for accessing e-books and audiobooks. Watch for these features "later this year":
- E-books will be available via a browser-based e-book reader called "OverDrive Read" that can be used online or offline, with no additional software requirements. OverDrive's "sneak peek" is thin on details, but the demo title looks pretty slick. (EPUB and PDF ebook support will continue as well.)
- Audiobooks will be available as streaming audio, so patrons will be able to listen via OverDrive Media Console without downloading any files (or while waiting for files to finish downloading). Streaming audio is delivered over the Internet, so this feature will require an Internet connection.
In case you missed it, here's a new feature that's available now: MP3 audiobooks can now be returned early using the latest version of any of the OverDrive Media Console apps.
--by Rose Ziech (TechBits, June 14, 2012)
Library Hall of Fame seeks nominees
The Wisconsin Library Heritage Center Steering Committee is accepting nominations for individuals to be inducted into the Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame in 2012. Nominations must be submitted by August 1, 2012.
Both the Wisconsin Library Heritage Center and the Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame are programs of the Wisconsin Library Association Foundation. Induction into the Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame is granted to individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to the statewide improvement of library service in Wisconsin over a sustained period of time.
Individuals who have worked in and/or advocated for Wisconsin libraries will be considered. Both living and deceased individuals will be considered. The Wisconsin Library Heritage Center Steering Committee will make the final selection of inductees into the Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame.
Nominations should be submitted to Larry T. Nix (Chair of the WLHC Steering Committee) as email attachments by Aug. 1, 2012. For additional information, including the procedures and nomination form, contact Nix or visit the website.
WeLead Mentorship Program accepting applications
The WeLead Task Force is seeking applicants for its revised initiative to identify and mentor four new or emerging librarians. Established in 2004 by the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA), the Task Force’s mission is to foster leadership skills in a select few members of the next generation of library professionals, be they public, academic, school or special librarians. Chosen participants will receive financial support to attend WLA conferences, be assigned a designated mentor, and be provided professional development opportunities.
Eligible applicants must be students, paraprofessionals and professionals currently in the field of library science and have demonstrated potential to be future library leaders. To qualify for this program applicants may either 1) never been a member of the Wisconsin Library Association or 2) have been a member for three years or less (not including student memberships). More information is available in the online application.
Since WeLead began, three classes of protégés have completed the program. A member of the first class, Jennifer Snoek-Brown, a Reference & Instruction Librarian at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon, notes, “I appreciated and enjoyed my WeLead experience during my three years as part of that initial cohort; I appreciate my WeLead experience even more now, looking back.” She goes on, “WeLead provided me a mentor I am still in contact with today; colleagues who became friends; a path into professional committees and further friendships I could not have anticipated; support for ideas and passions I wanted to explore but didn't know quite how to get started; in short, a beginning.”
There have been changes to the program since that initial class. The revised WeLead Initiative now requires only a two-year, rather than a three-year commitment. As a result, mentors and protégés will have the opportunity to build their relationship while focusing on a WLA committee assignment, which now occurs within the first year of the program. Potential mentors, who also receive complementary registrations for the WLA conference, are encouraged to apply.
Another former protégé, Katharine Clark (Madison Public Library-Sequoya Branch), concludes, “Being a part of the WeLead program was an outstanding experience for me. It gave me the opportunity to meet librarians from all over the state and become involved with WLA in a more direct way than just paying my membership dues. I continue to be impressed with the supportive people I've met through WLA and look forward to attending conferences and serving on committees in the future.”
If, like Katharine, you’re looking for an opportunity to become more involved in a professional organization -- to grow as a librarian and a leader -- please consider applying for this program. The application deadline is July 31, 2012.
For more information, contact Pamela O’Donnell, Chair of the WeLead Task Force for the Wisconsin Library Association, at (608) 263-2014.
2013 LSTA grant writing webinar
There is still time to register for the 2013 Library Services & Technology Act (LSTA) grant-writing webinar being held Thursday, June 28, from 10-11:30 a.m.
Non-competitive categories are Delivery Services and Public Library System Technology Projects. There will also be four competitive grant categories that include: Digital Creations in Public Libraries (new in 2013); Digitization-Local Resources; Accessibility in Public Libraries; Literacy Initiatives.
If you would like to participate in the webinar, contact Terrie Howe to obtain instructions to join. The recorded information session will be posted to the web shortly following the live session. Grant category descriptions are located in the final version of the 2013 LSTA Information and Guidelines located at www.dpi.wi.gov/pld/pdf/guide13.pdf.
If you are looking for help developing a project, visit the LSTA Grant Writing: Evaluation to Measure Impact section on the LSTA website. Also online is a worksheet example of a successful LSTA grant application’s essential elements and a blank form to use as a model.
Access, Schmaccess: Libraries in the Age of Information Ubiquity
Attending the WLA annual conference Oct. 23-26 in La Crosse? Don’t miss this opportunity to hear Eli Neiburger on Thursday, Oct. 27. He joined the staff of the Ann Arbor District Library as a helpdesk technician in 1997, and has been responsible for the library’s technology program since 2000.
In his current role as Associate Director for IT & Production, Eli is responsible for technology planning, software development, digitization, events and marketing. He's the author of “GAMERS... in the LIBRARY?!” published in 2007 by ALA Editions, and has spoken across the U.S., Europe and Australia about gaming, libraries, publishing and the web. He serves on the board of Bricks for Brains (a small LEGO Education nonprofit), Library Renewal, working to develop e-content solutions that work for libraries, and is the chairman of the Jhai Foundation, working to bring Internet-powered telemedicine and economic development to rural communities in the developing world.
He’ll discuss “Access, Schmaccess: Libraries in the Age of Information Ubiquity,” stating that the 21st century isn't just here, it's already 12% over. The presence of ubiquitous access to a global information network, and the cultures that flourish on that network, change everything about Libraries…Or do they?
He will highlight some of the contrasts between the web culture of this century and the broadcast culture of the last century, exploring how the value, mission and focus of libraries are impacted by this cultural change, which has still barely begun.
Now that the new WLA website is up and running, the conference pages will be populated as information becomes available, so check the WLA Conference website on a regular basis.
Libraries, patrons, and e-books
Some 12% of Americans ages 16 and older who read e-books say they have borrowed an e-book from a library in the past year.
Most e-book borrowers say libraries are very important to them and their families and they are heavy readers in all formats, including books they bought and books lent to them. E-book borrowers say they read an average of 29 books in the past year, compared with 23 books for readers who do not borrow e-books from a library. Perhaps more striking, the median (midpoint) figures for books reportedly read are 20 in the past year by e-book borrowers and 12 by non-borrowers.
But most in the broader public, not just e-book readers, are generally not aware they can borrow e-books from libraries. We asked all those ages 16 and older if they know whether they can borrow e-books from their library and 62% said they did not know if their library offered that service. Some 22% say they know that their library does lend out e-books, and 14% say they know their library does not lend out e-books.
These findings are striking because more than three-quarters of the nation’s public libraries lend e-books.
In the general public, even many of those who presumably have an interest in knowing about the availability of free library loans of e-books are not sure about the situation at their local library:
- 58% of all library card holders say they do not know if their library provides e-book lending services.
- 55% of all those who say the library is “very important” to them say they do not know if their library lends e-books.
- 53% of all tablet computer owners say they do not know if their library lends e-books.
- 48% of all owners of e-book reading devices such as original Kindles and NOOKs say they do not know if their library lends e-books.
- 47% of all those who read an e-book in the past year say they do not know if their library lends e-books.
You can read the full report on the Pew Internet & American Life website.
-- by Kathryn Zickuhr, Lee Rainie, Kristen Purcell, Mary Madden and Joanna Brenner
Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2011-12
American Libraries magazine has announced that “Public Library Funding & Technology Study 2011-12 is now available on the publication’s website. This digital supplement focuses on how libraries continue to provide critical services and innovative solutions to technology access despite budget cuts.
What you'll find inside:
- Study data has been used to inform national policy, including new digital literacy initiatives from the FCC
- More than 7,200 public libraries in all 50 states and the District of Columbia participated in this year's study
- Libraries are part of the solution for those in search of the digital connection and literacy required by today's competitive global marketplace
You can read this supplement in the easy-to-use Zmag web browser format, or download it as a PDF for offline reading. Click here to get started.
ALA announces August advocacy program
The American Library Association (ALA) this week announced “Implementing Grassroots Library Advocacy: A Workshop” with Lauren Comito, Aliqae Geraci and Christian Zabriskie. The online workshop will be held Aug. 16 from 1:30-3 p.m., and the cost is $45.
Now more than ever, library funding is a frequent target of budget cuts, and it’s no secret that the consequences can be disastrous for staff and library users alike. In this new workshop Lauren Comito, Aliqae Geraci and Christian Zabriskie -- founders of savenyclibraries.org and leaders of Urban Librarians Unite -- will teach you how you to advocate effectively for your library regardless of your position, your library’s size, or the number of people your library serves.
The instructors will show you how to blend social media tools and traditional grassroots organizing techniques to develop an advocacy strategy that works for your library. If you’re not sure how to proceed or you have specific challenges you need to address, this thoroughly participatory workshop will both inspire and empower you to be an energetic library advocate.
A preliminary free presentation “Introducing Grassroots Library Advocacy” starts the topic off on Aug. 2 at 1:30 p.m.(register). This ALA Editions workshop then goes into greater depth, and includes activities and interaction with the presenters as well as the chance to get some best-practice ideas from other workshop attendees.