Index
- Poynette Public Library seeks full-time director
- It’s that time again -- help your community be counted!
- Remember to use ‘Short Takes for Trustees’
- SCLS Youth Programming Workshop is Nov. 7 in Madison
- Member/Staff News
- Librarians Guide to Homelessness
- ALA & WLA oppose Macmillan eBook embargo
- Macmillan eBook Changes: Information for WPLC Patrons
- Tech Days West Coming Soon -- register now!
- Save the date: PLSR implementation webinars
- Continuing Education Calendar
Poynette Public Library seeks full-time director
The Poynette Area Public Library is seeking an energetic, community-minded director to join and lead a team of four learning and literacy advocates.
The Village of Poynette is in southwestern Columbia County. The Village's proximity to the Madison metro area and good transportation access provides an opportunity for people to live in a small village, while being able to commute easily to the Madison or Portage areas for work, shopping and entertainment.
Residents enjoy a "small-town" atmosphere of quiet neighborhoods, natural areas, local businesses and job opportunities, and a historic downtown. The Village is also nestled in a spectacular rural landscape surrounded by rolling hills, woods, creeks, and agricultural lands.
Located on Main Street in downtown Poynette, the recently (2014) expanded 5,200 square foot library features a versatile area perfect for programs serving all ages. The service population is nearly 6,800. The library has a number of established in-house and outreach programs, with opportunities for new ideas. An active Friends group supports the library with activities and fundraising. The library is a member of the South Central Library System and the LINKcat consortium. For more information visit http://poynettelibrary.com/.
Preferred Qualifications
A successful candidate will possess a Wisconsin Grade 3 Public Library Certification, a Bachelor degree or a MLIS degree from an accredited institution. Recent MLIS graduates are welcome to apply. Previous library experience in a supervisory position is preferred. It is vital this person have excellent verbal and written communication skills, knowledge of current library technology, and working with budgets. The ability to work effectively with the library board, library employees, village administration, volunteers and our community is expected. Varying work hours include days, evenings, and some Saturdays.
Salary and Benefits
Salary is dependent on qualifications and experience. The Village of Poynette offers a comprehensive benefits package including: excellent health and dental insurance through the State of Wisconsin health insurance program; income continuation insurance for short term disability; life insurance; retirement benefits through the Wisconsin Retirement System; deferred compensation plans; leave for medical and bereavement purposes; and paid time off including vacation, holiday, personal and sick time.
Application Deadline
The application deadline is Nov. 15, 2019, but applications will be accepted until position is filled. Once the position is offered to the qualified applicant, a background check is required.
A complete job description and an application form may be obtained at the library, or on the library’s website, http://poynettelibrary.com. Specifically address how you meet the qualifications of the position in your cover letter, and send it along with completed Village of Poynette employment application, resume, and three professional references to Jason Koopmans, Poynette Area Public Library Board President, 118 Main Street, Poynette, WI or e-mail them to [email protected].
The Village of Poynette is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
It’s that time again -- help your community be counted!
Census 2020 is just around the corner! Census Day is on April 1, 2020, and the Census is a once-every 10 years event required by the United States Constitution (Article 1, Section 2). It is a snapshot headcount of every person in the United States. Data collected from the Census has numerous impacts on the people in your community. In fact, billions of dollars of federal funding and the number of representatives allocated to the states are based on data collected. In addition to allocating resources and representation, the data is used in program planning, strategic planning, and grant applications. The American Library Association and the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality have created the Libraries’ Guide to the 2020 Census to inform libraries about the Census and it impact on communities.
Next year’s Census is different in several ways. Most significantly, it is the first Census to be taken online. Every postal address in the United States, with a few exceptions, will receive a letter containing a Census ID and a website link to submit their responses. If the Census ID is lost, respondents may use their home address. Other additions include questions on ethnicity, family origin, and opposite- and same-sex couples. The controversial proposed “Citizenship Question” will not be included. See article: What You Need to Know About the 2020 Census for details.
An accurate count means reaching out to the widest group of people possible. The Census Bureau has identified several “hard-to-count” (see pg. 5) populations. These groups include immigrants, non-native English speakers, young children, renters, rural populations, low-income populations, and people experiencing homelessness. You can find out more about “hard-to-count” populations in your community by going to the Census ROAM (Response Outreach Area Mapper) web application.
Undoubtedly, public libraries are essential to get a more complete count. Respondents and Census workers will likely use public library resources to submit their information. Concerns over privacy, cybersecurity, computer savvy, trust in government, and language barriers abound. Libraries are trusted resources for information and for help. Libraries can work with their communities by connecting with their local Complete Count Committee (CCC). Find yours by clicking on the link: Complete Count Committee.
Over the next few months leading up to the Census, the Library Innovation Subcommittee and South Central Library System will be working hard to support member libraries with Census 2020. Watch for future articles in Online Update and for announcements on the SCLS homepage and in the weekly SCLS Top 5.
Remember to use ‘Short Takes for Trustees’
This is a reminder that SCLS has subscribed to a series of 10 short videos (8-10 minutes each) that can be shown during Trustee meetings to stimulate discussion about the important role Trustees play in the governance of their libraries.
Utilizing an interview format, United for Libraries Executive Director Sally Gardner Reed covers topics in the series such as what it means to be a trustee, as well as how to set policy, how to evaluate the library director and board self-evaluation, and the ethical and parliamentary standards for boards. Videos can be shown during meetings, or individual trustees can log in on their own and watch the videos. Users will enter a name, email address, library name, and state before viewing the videos.
Topics for videos are: What it Means to be a Trustee, Board Meetings, Board Ethics, Library Advocacy, Library Policies, Strategic Planning, Working with Friends, Evaluating the Library Director, Board Self Evaluation, and Succession Planning and New Board Orientation.
This resource is provided through Continuing Education funds from the South Central Library System. We have purchased a one-year subscription that can be used by trustees at all SCLS member libraries, as well as by members of the SCLS Board of Trustees.
To access this new resource, visit www.scls.info/shorttakes/. The username and password was previously sent to all SCLS library directors, who should share that information with their Trustees. If you don’t have this information, contact Jean Anderson.
In addition to these videos, SCLS added three additional webinars for trustees. They are:
- Troubled Library Boards: Prevention & Survival-- Troubled library boards are increasingly common. Serving on a troubled board is stressful, and it can take the focus away from a board’s primary mission. What essential practices can prevent or minimize board problems? When a board does become dysfunctional, how can those involved survive and create change?
- With Friends Like These-- Friends are wonderful assets to their libraries... until they're not! Sadly, some Friends groups fall into cliques, start demanding to determine how the money is spent, start believing that they "own" the money raised rather than understanding their role as "trustees" of the money, and even start wanting a say in the library’s governance and/or operations. Based on her recently published book, The Good, the Great, and the Unfriendly: A Librarian's Guide to Working Effectively with Friends, Sally Gardner Reed discusses ways to work with Friends who go rogue, how to bring them back in line, and what to do when nothing works.
- Merging Your Library’s Friends Group and Foundation-- In the library world today, there is a huge need for support organizations -- Friends and Foundations -- but often the lines between these two groups are blurred and their work counter-productive. In this webinar, presenters Peter Pearson and Sue Hall discuss the difference in the roles of Friends and foundations and identify areas where there can be conflict -- and present strategies for minimizing conflict. They also address the question, “When is it time for the two organizations to merge?” and share solutions for engaging in a merger process that minimizes pain and maximizes potential. Pearson and Hall also talk about national challenges and trends for Friends and foundations.
For library directors, each of the webinars counts for one (1) CE hour in Category C.
Short Takes is available to all library Trustees and staff in the South Central Library System. Use the login and password available from your library director.
SCLS Youth Programming Workshop is Nov. 7 in Madison
Just a reminder that the 2019 South Central Library System (SCLS) Youth Programming workshop -- Fairies and Myths and Fantasy, Oh My!: Programming for Kids Ages 5-10 -- takes place at Olbrich Gardens on Thursday, Nov. 7, from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. This year’s speaker is Julie Dietzel-Glair.
Participants will walk away with craft ideas, connections to books/literacy, activities, storytime outlines, games, and more related to the 2020 Collaborative Summer Library Program theme “Imagine Your Story.” Practical programming ideas outside of the summer reading theme will also be presented.
You can find more information, as well as a registration link, in the SCLS Continuing Education Calendar.
For more information, contact Jean Anderson, SCLS Continuing Education Consultant.
The Dane County Library Service & Madison Public Library Dream Bus is featured in an Oct. 25, 2019, story on the Wisconsin Life website. The Dream Bus is a partnership between Dane County Library Service and Madison Public Library. It was funded by presenting support from the Irwin A. and Robert D. Goodman Foundation and continued support from the Madison Public Library Foundation and the Oscar Rennebohm Foundation, with additional support provided by Alliant Energy Foundation, Anonymous, Evjue Foundation, Inc., Dick Goldberg, Friends of Fitchburg Library, John Reindl, Madison Community Foundation, Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation, and Sun Prairie Public Library Foundation.
Librarians Guide to Homelessness
Library staff within the South Central Library System (SCLS) have access to a series of webinars from Ryan Dowd, author of the book Librarian's Guide to Homelessness: An Empathy-Driven Approach to Solving Problems, Preventing Conflict, and Serving Everyone. The webinars will definitely be available through the end of 2019, and SCLS is exploring options for continuing access in 2020.
SCLS member public libraries also have the opportunity to take Ryan's online training, Practical Tips for Difficult Homeless Patrons. With help from Madison Public Library, SCLS has continued our subscription to Ryan's training for 2019. Thank you MPL!
The training is hosted on Niche Academy, and when you access our Academy select the How to Enroll in the Homelessness Training. Most library staff will be able to create an account and start the tutorials. A few libraries and their staff, Albany, Arpin, Monticello, Pittsville, Vesper, Verona, and Fitchburg, received individual email invitations with a temporary password. If you are interested and aren’t able to create an account, please contact Jean Anderson at (608) 246-5613 or [email protected].
The content of Ryan's training goes beyond working with homeless patrons. It is filled with tips, ideas, and strategies for providing excellent service to all of our patrons.
ALA & WLA oppose Macmillan eBook embargo
Current practices by content publishers and distributors in digital markets limit libraries’ ability to deliver core services, according to a new report publicly released recently by the American Library Association (ALA). Submitted in response to an inquiry from the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law, ALA’s report underscores practices by companies like Amazon and Macmillan Publishers that threaten Americans’ right to read what and how they choose and imperil other fundamental First Amendment freedoms.
The report urges lawmakers to curb anti-competitive practices of digital market actors. The report’s release comes on the heels of ALA’s #eBooksForAll campaign in protest of Macmillan Publishers’ plan to restrict sales to libraries. Beginning Nov. 1, 2019, libraries of all sizes will be limited to purchasing one copy of a newly published e-book title and must wait eight weeks to buy additional copies. Beginning next week, ALA and Wisconsin Library Association (WLA)members in targeted congressional districts will engage legislators on the substance of ALA's report.
The WLA has issued the following statement on the embargo. If you have not already done so, please consider signing the ALA petition which has over 144,000 signatures. (sign here)
Wisconsin Library Association Statement on Macmillan eBook embargo
The Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) is a professional membership organization of more than 1,400 members that represents Wisconsin libraries and their patrons and works to build the future of libraries across the state. WLA is joining the American Library Association in denouncing Macmillan Publishers’ new library eBook lending model. Under the new model, scheduled to take effect November 1, a library may purchase only a single copy of each new title in eBook format upon release, after which Macmillan will impose an eight-week embargo on additional copies of that title sold to libraries. Other major publishers use business models that limit access to eBooks through public libraries, such as a one- or two-year access model, or limiting how many “circulations” an eBook may have, but Macmillan is the only one to implement an embargo.
President Ramiro Salazar of the Public Library Association (an ALA division) stated, “Access to digital content in libraries is more than a financial issue: it is an equity issue. We encourage Macmillan Publishers to reverse course before libraries and the people they serve are harmed.”
WLA President Scott Vrieze said, “As librarians we are proud that we help create and cultivate generations of readers who become buyers of titles from publishers. This reading ecosystem is a partnership that has, for decades, benefited authors, publishers, libraries and readers. We are hopeful that Macmillan will choose to rejoin that partnership.”
WLA members are encouraged to visit ALA’s eBook lending action page for information and graphics to share on social media. WLA also calls on the library community and library patrons to contact Macmillan Publishers to express their objection to the company’s new policy, using the contact information below.
Macmillan Publishers
Attn: John Sargent, CEO
120 Broadway St.
New York, NY 10271
Phone 646-307-5151
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @MacmillanUSA
Scott Vrieze
President
Wisconsin Library Association
Macmillan eBook Changes: Information for WPLC Patrons
On behalf of the WPLC Steering Committee, WPLC project managers have put together a Q&A for patrons about the Macmillan changes. Libraries can use the information below to share directly with their patrons. This information was also sent out to the WPLC patron focus group (a group of over 5,000 Wisconsin Library patrons who have opted in to provide feedback to the WPLC).
For WPLC Patrons
Macmillan is taking steps to limit libraries' purchasing of their ebooks and digital audiobooks for 8 weeks after titles are published. This change will impact how quickly you will be able to read any new titles from Macmillan in Wisconsin’s Digital Library.
We've prepared a brief Q&A below about the change. We hope you'll take the time to read it, take action if you are so motivated, and share it with others.
Q&A about Macmillan changes
- What’s happening with Macmillan? -- Macmillan, one of the “Big 5” publishers in the United States and publisher to many best-selling authors, including Stephen King and Nora Roberts, has decided to severely limit the number of e-book and digital audiobook copies that libraries are able to purchase in the first eight weeks after a title’s publication. This is called an “embargo.” After this embargo period, libraries will be able to provide full access to these titles, but at increased prices.
- What does this mean for Wisconsin's Digital Library patrons? -- There will be extremely limited access to Macmillan titles the first eight weeks after publication. We will be allowed to purchase 16 copies of any title for the entire state. Assuming two-week lending periods, only 84 patrons in Wisconsin will have the opportunity to read these titles during the first eight weeks.
Hold times for Macmillan titles will increase. Because there will be more unmet demand from the first eight weeks of publication, hold lines will be longer unless we choose to purchase many more copies of Macmillan titles. It’s unlikely that we will choose to spend more money with Macmillan, given their unfriendly policies toward libraries. We want to invest money with publishers that support libraries and library patrons. We may be making purchasing choices to redirect money away from Macmillan. - What can I do to help? -- The American Library Association (ALA) has a petition that you can sign to tell Macmillan you don’t agree with this policy. Visit https://ebooksforall.org to sign the petition and learn more.
Thank you, as always, for your support of Wisconsin’s Digital Library!
Tech Days West Coming Soon -- register now!
Tech Days West, available to library staff statewide, will be held No. 5-7. Each workshop will feature keynote presentations by Kris Turner:
- I Hate this Website: Updating Websites to Stay Current While Still Keeping Your Patrons Happy
- Mind the Gap: How to Navigate Your Way Across the Digital Divide (and Why that Isn’t as Easy as it Sounds)
Also look for breakout sessions (different at each workshop) about productivity, basic tech troubleshooting, social media, databases, privacy, and gamification.
Six technology-related CE credits are available for each workshop. Tech Days West is sponsored by IFLS Library System, Northern Waters Library Service, Winding Rivers Library System, Wisconsin Valley Library Service, and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Public Library Development Team (with funding support from the Institute for Museum and Library Services).
Sessions will be held from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. in each location.
- Nov. 5 at WITC in Rice Lake (details and registration)
- Nov. 6 at Bunkers at Tribute Golf Course in Wausau (details and registration)
- Nov. 7 at Jake’s Northwoods in Sparta (details and registration)
Save the date: PLSR implementation webinars
The Department of Public Instruction has begun identifying activities for implementing recommendations included in the Public Library System Redesign (PLSR) Committee’s Recommendation Report. A preliminary timeline has been drafted at the request of the Wisconsin Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND) and was presented to both COLAND and the System and Resource Library Administrators' Association of Wisconsin (SRLAAW).
We will be presenting this timeline of activities at two webinars this November:
- Nov. 19 from 9-10 a.m.
Join DPI PLSR Activities through Spring 2020 Meeting 1
+1 872-703-5321 United States, Chicago (Toll)
Conference ID: 221 239 616# - Nov. 25 from 3-4 p.m.
Join DPI PLR Activities through Spring 2020 Meeting 2
+1 872-703-5321 United States, Chicago (Toll)
Conference ID: 579 568 935#
The entire Wisconsin library community is invited to attend these sessions. The same material will be presented at both and each webinar will allow time for questions and comments about the proposed activities. Both webinars will be recorded and posted after they are completed.
To keep up to date on PLSR activities, be sure to watch the COLAND webpage. All materials developed and posted to the PLSR.info page will continue to be available, but that website is no longer being updated with new information.
-- by Ben Miller, Resources for Libraries and Lifelong Learning