Index
- McMillan Library develops learning kits for community loan
- Libraries involved in local history digitization projects
- New titles added to SCLS Professional Collection
- Still time to register for Library Legislative Day 2019
- Check out SCLS maker kits, gaming packages
- Wisconsin‘s Digital Library surpasses 5 million ebook & audiobook checkouts in 2018
- Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference webinar recordings available
- Continuing Education Calendar
McMillan Library develops learning kits for community loan
Thanks to the generous support of the Bell Family Charitable Foundation and WiLS the McMillan Memorial Library is now able to offer its community partners specialized learning kits. These kits are available to local organization that support life-long learning in the community.
“This is an exciting new opportunity for McMillan Memorial Library to reach out to the community and support local organizations and schools as they work to achieve their goals,” said Andy Barnett, library director. “These new kits will extend the walls of the library to reach more residents in ways never before imagined.”
Each kit offers tools and curriculum in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Music so organizatrions don’t have to expend their own resources to purchase items they may use occasionally.
Each learning kit contains at least five literacy based activities that have been developed by a broad spectrum of local and national educators. Kit activities will continue to develop as McMillan gets input from the field.
Since local organizations and schools know the people they are working with best they can always choose to use what they want and leave the rest.
Each kit contains items and activities built around 21st century workforce job skills. Each exercise lists literacy focuses on the program. Topics covered include the following literacy topics from the Partnership for 21st Century Learning
- Collaboration and Teamwork
- Creativity
- Critical Thinking
- Problem Solving
- Flexibility and Adaptability
- Leadership
- Oral / Written Communication
- Technology Literacy
- Initiative
- Curiosity and Inquisitiveness
- Productivity
- Entrepreneurship
- Interpersonal Skills
Available kits include:
- Science Kit: BreakOut-- The science kit will use the BreakOut Edu, escape room in a box, kits; these kits facilitate learning across and broad spectrum and focus on observation and deduction at their core. In the process they embody the 4Cs of 21st Century Literacy: Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking and Creativity.
- Technology Kit: Microbit-- Designed specifically for kids and beginners, the microbit is a pocket-sized computer that you can code, customize and control to bring your digital ideas, games and apps to life.
- Engineering Kit: Erector Sets-- The Erector Set has been a favorite toy since the early part of the 20th century. Designed for ages 10 and older, the ingenious system of small parts combines in numerous ways to create an infinite number of models.
- Art Set: Stop Motion Animation-- Containing everything needed for small scale stop motion movie production this kit focuses on collaboration, creativity, problem solving and initiative.
- Music/Recording Kit: Mobile Studio-- This kit has everything needed to make high quality recordings for music or voice.
- Global Literacy: Virtual Reality Lab -- This kit focuses on global issues and other cultures to allow youth to think about the how intertwined the world has become. It does this utilizing the new Oculus Go Virtual Reality glasses.
- Robotics Kit: mBot-- mBot is a STEAM education robot for beginners, that makes teaching and learning robot programming simple and fun. With just a screwdriver, the step by step instructions, and a study schedule, children can build a robot from scratch and experience the joys of hands-on creation.
- Mobile Computer Lab --Whether the need is computers for coding programs or to teach a short program, the mobile lab is available with 10 Dell Windows 10 laptops. If needed, special software can be loaded ahead of time by the library.
The kits can be checked out by any local organization, school or government agency. McMillan Memorial Library requires a signed agreement of responsibility for lost or broken equipment, and organizations may only check out one kit at a time, while schools may check out one kit per classroom.
For more information, read the learning kit brochure.
Libraries involved in local history digitization projects
The following libraries have collections of digitized local history materials on the Recollection Wisconsin website. Materials from their collections are also accessible through the Digital Public Library of America website.
- Albany-Albertson Memorial Library
- Black Earth Public Library
- Cambria-Jane Morgan Memorial Library
- Dane County Library Service
- Marshall Community Library
- Pardeeville-Angie W. Cox Public Library
- Reedsburg Public Library
- Sauk City Public Library
- Stoughton Public Library
- Wisconsin Dells-Kilbourn Public Library
- Wisconsin Rapids-McMillan Memorial Library
If you are interested in digitizing local history materials, the South Central Library System (SCLS) has services available to help with digitization projects. Assistance can include: project planning, guidance on best practices, and coordinating making the digital collections available through the Recollection Wisconsin and the Digital Public Library of America websites. SCLS also has digitization equipment available for libraries to use on their projects.
Information about digitization projects and details on the services that SCLS provides to support the projects are available on the Local History Digitization Projects section of the SCLS website.
Slides from the Digitization & Public Libraries Workshop that was presented by Emily Pfotenhauer (WiLS) at the SCLS 2018 November All Directors Meeting are available.
Subscribe to the Local History Digitization User Group email list to keep updated on digitization project topics, events, and services.
For more information, contact Tamara Ramski, Digitization Specialist, at (608) 242-4866.
New titles added to SCLS Professional Collection
The following titles have been added to the SCLS Professional Collection, which is available to staff at member libraries.
- Fundamentals of Reference by Carolyn M. Mulac
- Index-Based Discovery Services: Current Market Positions and Trends by Marshall Breeding
- Public Library Collections in the Balance: Censorship, Inclusivity, and Truth by Jennifer Downey
- Cultivating Engaged Staff: Better Management for Better Libraries by Margaret Zelman Law
- Supporting Local Businesses and Entrepreneurs in the Digital Age: the Public Librarian’s Toolkit by Salvatore DiVincenzo and Elizabeth Malafi
- 200+ Original and Adapted Story Program Activities by Rob Reid
- Muslims in Story: Expanding Multicultural Understanding Through Children’s and Young Adult Literature by Gauri Manglik and Sadaf Siddique
- 36 Workshops to get Kids Writing: From Aliens to Zebras by Annmarie Hurtado
- Planning Optimal Library Spaces: Principles, Processes, and Practices by David R. Moore II and Eric C. Shoaf
- The LITA Guide to No- or Low-Cost Technology Tools for Libraries by Breanne A. Kirsch
- Makerspaces: A Practical Guide for Librarians, 2nded by John J. Burke, revised by Ellyssa Kroski
- Public Library Core Collection: Nonfiction: Collection Development Recommendations by Librarians for LibrariansWyatt, Kendal Spires and Gabriela Toth.
- Children’s Core Collection: Collection Development Recommendations by Librarians for LibrariansCorsaro and Kendal Spires.
- Augmented and Virtual Reality in Libraries edited by Jolanda-Pieta van Arnhem, Christine Elliott, and Marie Rose
- Foundations in Wisconsin:a Directory, 37th edition (2018) by the Funding Information Center
- The LITA Leadership Guide: the Librarian as Entrepreneur, Leader, and Technologist edited by Carl Antonucci and Sharon Clapp
- The Library Staff Development Handbook: How to Maximize Your Library’s Most Important Resource by Mary Grace Flaherty
- Making Library Websites Accessible: a Practical Guide for Librarians by Laura Francabandera
Still time to register for Library Legislative Day 2019
There is still time to register to attend the Feb. 12 Library Legislative Day, sponsored by the Wisconsin Library Association. This is an excellent opportunity to build relationships with state legislators and share with them stories and information about the important role your library plays in the community you serve.
Program Agenda (subject to change)
- 8:30 - 9:00 a.m. (Registration & Continental Breakfast)
- 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. (Briefing Session)
- 11:00 a.m. - Noon (Morning Appointments)
- Noon - 1:30 p.m. (Lunch-on-your-own)
- 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. (Afternoon Appointments)
As always, the appointments will be scheduled for attendees by the Legislative Day Committee.
Take a few minutes to register today, and help make this one of the best Library Legislative Day gatherings ever. Encourage board members, local elected officials, students, and other library supporters to join you in Madison.
Check out SCLS maker kits, gaming packages
Over the past several years, the South Central Library System (SCLS) has rolled out a number of maker kits that are available for use by member libraries.
It all began with a contribution of more than $3,900 from the SCLS Foundation to purchase Lego Mindstorms robots, which were divided into two kits. Following the Mindstorms was a scanning kit for digitizing photos, a stop-motion and video editing kit (iPad-based), sewing machines, and a printing press. We also have three science literacy kits, a kit with three electronic stencil cutters, and a Sphero Kit (to teach coding).
Any kits that require the use of computers also contain the computers, and all the kits are available for all SCLS member libraries to reserve. More information about the kits, and links to the reservation forms, are available on the SCLS Programming Resources webpage.
In addition to these maker kits, SCLS has a gaming gadgets kit, a virtual reality kit (PlayStation 4), and a Wii gaming package. More information about these kits, calendars, and online reservation are available on the Program Equipment webpage.
Wisconsin‘s Digital Library surpasses 5 million ebook & audiobook checkouts in 2018
#2public library system worldwide in total digital circulation
Rakuten OverDrive announced this week that Wisconsin’s Digital Library reached a record-breaking 5 million digital book checkouts in 2018. The library is provided by the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium, a partnership of all 16 of the state’s library systems. This accomplishment illustrates the continued growth and importance of library digital lending of ebooks and audiobooks. Wisconsin’s Digital Library ranked first in circulation among all US OverDrive-based collections and second worldwide (complete list here).
The 450 Wisconsin public library members have been providing readers 24/7 access to ebooks and audiobooks for several years. Reader interest and usage has grown every year.
The highest-circulating title Wisconsin’s Digital Library readers borrowed through OverDrive in 2018 was Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. The top-circulating genre, romance, represents the most popular in a vast catalog that also includes mystery, historical fiction, and children/young adult.
The top 5 ebook titles borrowed through the Wisconsin’s Digital Library collection in 2018:
- Small Great Thingsby Jodi Picoult
- The Whistlerby John Grisham
- Big Little Liesby Liane Moriarty
- Two by Twoby Nicholas Sparks
- Truly Madly Guiltyby Liane Moriarty
The top 5 audiobook titles borrowed through the Wisconsin’s Digital Library collection in 2018:
- Astrophysics for People in a Hurryby Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- A Murder in Timeby Julie McElwain
- Leaving Timeby Jodi Picoult
- Gone Girlby Gillian Flynn
- The Girl on the Trainby Paula Hawkins
Readers in Wisconsin just need a valid library card to access digital books from the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium’s digital collection powered by OverDrive. Readers can use any major device, including Apple(R), Android™, Chromebook™ and Kindle(R)(US only). Visit https://wplc.overdrive.com or download the Libby app to get started and borrow ebooks and audiobooks anytime, anywhere.
Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference webinar recordings available
This week was the Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference, a state-wide virtual conference developed by the Nicolet Federated Library System and supported by 15 other library systems in Wisconsin.
Recordings of all sessions from the two-day event are now available on the conference website, as are any PowerPoint slides and handouts that were shared.
The conference opened with a session on community organizing in libraries, then the remainder of the day’s programs were split into Library Leadership (including a great session titled “A Step-by-Step Guide to Library Hiring”) and Youth Services tracks. Thursday featured Marketing and Small But Mighty tracks. The conference closed with a session on Self Care: Preventing Burn Out.
In addition to recording from this year’s programs, the website has archives from 2015, 2016, & 2017.