Index
- Library is excellent business resource
- Member/Staff News
- Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference scheduled January 15-16
- LearningExpress Library 3.0 coming to BadgerLink in 2014
- 21st Century Community Learning Center Grants
- ALA encourages public libraries to participate in Digital Inclusion Survey
- Big Read accepting applications for programs to begin September 2014
- Official 2013 Teens’ Top Ten titles announced
- Dollar General Literacy Foundation awards Youth Literacy grant to ALSC, YALSA
- I am a {Social} Librarian infographic
- Continuing Education Calendar
Library is excellent business resource
Note: This is the third of eight library-related editorials written by the South Central Library System (SCLS) for use by its member libraries. Microsoft Word versions of these editorials are available at http://www.scls.info/pr/editorials/.
Businesses face many competitive challenges in today’s fast-paced economy, but turning to the public library for assistance is a sure-fire way of gaining a competitive advantage.
Today’s librarians are information professionals who know the best resources and quickest methods to help business owners find the information they need now. Libraries provide a range of reference materials, such as numerous online databases, professional encyclopedias, numerous books, and thousands of magazines (many electronic) on file. Considering the vastness of the Internet, it’s usually easier to find scholarly works through the public library. And librarians are able to support your research because they know the best resources, or an in-house expert, or can tell you where books and other resources are located within the library. We can help businesses find important information for new products and/or new markets.
In addition to serving as an information resource, many public libraries have meeting room space that businesses can use. Couple this with the high-speed Internet access available to all of our customers, and it’s evident that the public library is an incredible business resource. Most libraries also have photocopier and fax services that are useful for small businesses.
Business owners often assume they can’t turn to the library to get their questions answered, or get assistance with research projects. But that is not the case! We are here for the benefit of all our customers, including business owners who are important clientele.
For many people, just getting away from work, to avoid distractions, might be the greatest benefit of using the library. You can minimize the interruptions that destroy deep concentration when trying to analyze information, and if you need to work with collaborators, the library is a great option.
The public library also provides another advantage for businesses that do a lot of hiring and bring families to the community: it is a central component of quality of life in the community, an important consideration for prospective employees.
Visit today and see how we can help you gain that competitive business edge.
Cassandra Lull is the new director at the Angie W. Cox Public Library in Pardeeville. She received her BS in sociology from UW-Eau Claire, and also earned a minor in library science. In January 2014 she will begin work on her MLS. Cassandra interned at Augusta Public Library while working on her library science minor. Prior to that she worked as an assistant manager in retail for 4 or 5 years.
The November issue of WSLL @ Your Service has been published at http://wilawlibrary.gov/newsletter/1311.html.
Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference scheduled January 15-16
Remember to save Jan. 15-16 so you
can attend the 2014 Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference, which will feature 10
speakers over two day. The event is organized and hosted by Nicolet Federated
Library System, and SCLS is a sponsoring partner.
More information and a registration link will be available sometime in mid-November.
LearningExpress Library 3.0 coming to BadgerLink in 2014
On Jan. 3, 2014, LearningExpress will be updated to LearningExpress Library 3.0. This online resource is a collection of web-based test preparation tools and skill-building materials for children, teens, and adults who want to improve academic skills, achieve educational goals, and prepare for new careers.
LearningExpress Library 3.0 offers improved functionality and content, including
- new and improved site design,
- easier to use navigation,
- new interactive tutorials,
- multiple test modes for study and practice, and
- recommendations for additional study.
It’s important to note that this update of LearningExpress and the shift to a new platform will require users to re-register their accounts. Existing accounts will not be carried over to the new version. Work done using the old LearningExpress will be no longer be available after Jan. 3, 2014. Users should register for a new account at their earliest convenience after Jan. 3.
For questions about the update to LearningExpress Library 3.0, please contact BadgerLink.
--from Channel Weekly (Vol. 16, No. 8 -- Oct. 31, 2013)
21st Century Community Learning Center Grants
The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is accepting applications for 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) grants, which support high-quality academic support, recreation, youth development, and family programs during after school hours and summers.
The purpose of the program is to create community learning centers that provide students with academic enrichment opportunities, as well as additional activities designed to complement their regular academic program. Community learning centers must also offer families of these students’ literacy and related educational development. Centers (which can be located in elementary or secondary schools or other similarly accessible facilities) provide a range of high quality services to support student/family learning and development, including tutoring and mentoring, homework help, academic enrichment (such as hands-on science or technology programs), community service opportunities, as well as music, arts, sports, and cultural activities. At the same time, centers help working parents by providing a safe environment for students when school is not in session. Program areas include:
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) activities;
- homework assistance;
- arts and music education activities;
- entrepreneurial education programs;
- tutoring services (including those provided by senior citizen volunteers) and mentoring programs;
- programs that provide after-school activities for limited English proficient students that emphasize language skills and academic achievement;
- Service Learning;
- recreational activities, including those involving physical activity;
- expanded library service hours;
- programs that promote adult family member involvement and literacy;
- programs that provide assistance to students who have been truant, suspended, or expelled to allow the students to improve their academic achievement; and
- drug and violence prevention programs, counseling programs, and character education programs.
Applicants must primarily serve students attending schools with 40 percent or more of enrolled students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch or equivalent economic need. Public school districts, private schools, charter schools, and community-based organizations may apply, either individually or in a consortium including two or more.
Awards are made for five consecutive years, contingent upon satisfactory progress toward goals. This competition is for potential new centers and those that are currently in the 5th (last) year of any five-year cycle.
Applications are currently available and are due on or before Jan. 31, 2014. Visit http://sspw.dpi.wi.gov/sspw_clcgrant to download the application and guidance materials.
The DPI is offering three grant workshops to help with the application process:
- Nov. 18: Madison -- Crown Plaza
- Nov. 20: Rothschild -- Holiday Inn
- Nov. 22: 90-minute web-based workshop
Visit http://sspw.dpi.wi.gov/sspw_dpiclctrng for more information regarding the workshops.
Contact Gary Sumnicht at (608) 267-5078, or Alison Wineberg at (608) 267-3751 with questions about the program and competition, and for assistance with applications.
ALA encourages public libraries to participate in Digital Inclusion Survey
The American Library Association (ALA) encourages public library directors interested in determining how their library is meeting the digital needs of their community to participate in the Digital Inclusion Survey, which will generate unique data to help illustrate the role the library plays in digital literacy, economic and workforce development, health and wellness, civic engagement, e-government, and public access to the internet. The survey findings will highlight the unique attributes of library services for community wellbeing, and what libraries provide that few other community-based entities can provide.
Participating libraries will also be able to see their individual library data within a community context with an interactive mapping feature. The map incorporates data from the U.S. Census, American Community Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the National Center for Education Statistics, generating library-specific data for general demographics, household income, unemployment rates, education attainment, English proficiency, and more. You will be able to view the breakout for your library not only for your full service area, but by neighborhood. The map includes a drawing tool that allows for customized area selection and analysis. Combining the new survey data with the community data of the interactive map can help you identify where your library’s services and resources are meeting community needs and where there might be room for improvement or a need for new partners to extend the library’s reach.
Participation in the survey will also provide information to support the work of ALA to leverage libraries in the open proceeding on the E-rate program at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the President’s proposal for a ConnectED initiative. The Digital Inclusion Survey is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and conducted by ALA and the Information Policy & Access Center at the University of Maryland. Please note that this survey is distinct and separate from the Edge Initiative, a collaborative project of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Urban Libraries Council and the Public Library Association), which will open for use by libraries in January.
The deadline to complete the survey is Nov. 21, 2013. In addition to the survey questions, libraries are requested to complete a broadband speed test (speed capture is automatic). The survey is voluntary, although a number of Wisconsin public libraries included in the “sample” group have been contacted directly to urge their participation.
--from Channel Weekly (Vol. 16, No. 8 – Oct. 31, 2013)
Big Read accepting applications for programs to begin September 2014
The Big Read is accepting applications from non-profit organizations to develop community-wide reading programs between September 2014 and June 2015. The Big Read is a national program designed to revitalize the role of literature in American culture and to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment.
Organizations selected to participate in The Big Read receive a grant, educational and promotional materials, and access to online training resources and opportunities. Approximately 75 organizations from across the country will be selected. To review the Guidelines and Application Instructions, visit the Big Read website. Applications are being accepted now, and the deadline is Jan. 28, 2014, at 4 p.m.
Two new titles to The Big Read catalog this year are:
- The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears (by Dinaw Mengestu) tells the story of Sepha Stephanos, who fled the Ethiopian Revolution for a better life in America. The book examines how an immigrant's expectations match up to the reality of American life.
- When the Emperor Was Divine (by Julie Otsuka) is a powerful and concise novel that describes the grim experiences of a Japanese-American family forced to live in an internment camp during World War II.
Official 2013 Teens’ Top Ten titles announced
The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a
division of the American Library Association (ALA) has announced the official
2013 Teens’ Top Ten titles.
Voting for the 2013 Teens’ Top Ten took place from Aug. 15 through Teen Read Week, Oct. 13- 19, with more than 32,000 votes cast. This year, there were 28 nominees that competed for the “top ten” list. The official 2013 Teens’ Top Ten titles can be found below and are also featured in a video announcement at www.ala.org/yalsa/reads4teens/.
The official 2013 Teens’ Top Ten titles are as follows:
- "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein (Disney/Hyperion)
- "The False Prince" by Jennifer A. Nielsen (Scholastic/Scholastic Press)
- "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth (Harper Collins/Katherine Tegen Books)
- "Pushing the Limits" by Katie McGarry (Harlequin Teen)
- "Poison Princess" by Kresley Cole (Simon & Schuster)
- "The Raven Boys" by Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic/Scholastic Press)
- "Crewel" by Gennifer Albin (Macmillan/Farrar Straus Giroux)
- "Every Day" by David Levithan (Random House/Alfred A. Knopf)
- "Kill Me Softly" by Sarah Cross (Egmont)
- "Butter" by Erin Jade Lange (Bloomsbury)
For more than 50 years, YALSA has worked to build the capacity of libraries and librarians to engage, serve and empower teens. For more information about YALSA or to access national guidelines and other resources go to www.ala.org/yalsa, or contact the YALSA office by phone, (800) 545-2433, ext. 4390; or e-mail at [email protected].
Dollar General Literacy Foundation awards Youth Literacy grant to ALSC, YALSA
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded a Youth Literacy grant in the amount of $246,806 to the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). ALSC and YALSA will use the grant to support three important initiatives -- El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day), Teen Read Week™, and summer reading for teens.
“The El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day) initiative is committed to introducing families to community resources that provide opportunities for learning through multiple literacies,” said Starr Latronica, ALSC president. “The Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s continued support of this initiative is invaluable to libraries across the country.”
“Summer reading and Teen Read Week™ are valuable tools used by libraries all over the country to support teen literacy efforts,” said YALSA President Shannon Peterson. “YALSA is thrilled to have the Dollar General Literacy Foundation continuing to support these important efforts.”
“The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is pleased to continue our support for El día de los Niños and Teen Read Week™,” said Rick Dreiling, Dollar General’s chairman and CEO. “By engaging children and teens in reading, a foundation for future success is built. We applaud the life enriching work of ALSC and YALSA and value our partnership.”
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s Youth Literacy grants are awarded to public libraries, schools and nonprofit organizations to help students who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading.
Since its founding, Dollar General has been committed to supporting literacy and education. To further this support, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation was established in 1993 to improve the functional literacy of adults and families by providing grants to nonprofit organizations dedicated to the advancement of literacy.
For more information about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation or for a complete list of grant recipients, visit www.dgliteracy.org.
I am a {Social} Librarian infographic
Social today means so much more
than sending a tweet or posting to Facebook. The social librarian is enmeshed
in the fabric of the Internet of Things as curator, educator, filter and
beacon. In this complex, dynamic and demanding environment, librarians are
extending themselves and empowering library users.
In recognition of this, Elsevier's Library Connect Newsletter (@library_connect) and Joe Murphy (@libraryfuture), Librarian & Technology Analyst/Trend Spotter, offer up a visual portrait of The Social Librarian, and invite you to download and post, share on your social streams, and discuss with your library stakeholders.
You can also download for online viewing or download for print. If you’d like print copies, please contact Mark Ibach.
