Index
- Wisconsin Libraries Transforming Communities application deadline is Jan. 10
- DLT funds statewide subscription to homelessness videos
- End-of-the-summer CSLP survey
- Member/Staff News
- Register now for Library Legislative Day 2020
- Madison Public Library’s Pinney Library opening set for March 12, 2020
- ALA Community Engagement grant available
- Voices of Women in America Survey now available
- Be a test library for the Library Privacy Guides project
- Continuing Education Calendar
Wisconsin Libraries Transforming Communities application deadline is Jan. 10
The Public Library Development (PLD) team of Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction is partnering with the American Library Association for a new state-level community engagement training, Wisconsin Libraries Transforming Communities.
Thriving Libraries, a team of consultants trained in community engagement and leadership development techniques, is providing the expertise for this 18-month hands on, cohort-based training. Up to 20 two-person teams -- consisting of one library staff member and one community member -- will be trained in this inaugural effort.
The community engagement training will result in:
- Public libraries inspired to participate in communities in order to meet community needs on a local level.
- Thorough understanding of community needs and future aspirations from diverse stakeholders.
- Strong understanding of current community-based planning strategies in the library field and related fields.
- Development and evolution of program and service offerings that serve community aspirations and needs.
- Deeper relationships with communities that are typically underserved, underrepresented and underrecognized.
The Wisconsin Libraries Transforming Communities training relies also on raising up library leaders in coaching positions, and up to 10 individual coaches will be trained as part of this state-wide effort. Envisioned as an 18-month masterclass in authentic leadership, resilience, and self-care, coaches will be assigned two participant teams to cheerlead and shepherd through their library community engagement projects.
An informational webinar was offered Dec. 17 and a recording is available on the PLD website. It includes an overview of the training, expected time commitments, learning goals, and the requirements for the competitive application process for both Teams and Coaches.
Application materials for both teams and coaches are available on the Division for Libraries and Technology website. The application deadline is Friday, Jan. 10, 2020.
DLT funds statewide subscription to homelessness videos
Libraries want to provide the best possible service to all people, but some patron interactions require a more thoughtful and deliberate approach. To help library professionals better help all of their patrons, the Department of Public Instruction’s Division for Libraries and Technology (DLT) has purchased a subscription to Ryan Dowd’s Librarian’s Guide to Homelessness training. This will replace the subscription purchased by the South Central Library System (SCLS) for the past several years. The virtual training will:
- Give library staff more confidence working with patrons struggling with homelessness, mental illness or substance abuse.
- Help your library remain an inclusive library, able to serve everyone.
- Provide tools to achieve fewer problems and less conflict in your library.
Ryan, executive director of a large homeless shelter, trains libraries around the world on how to compassionately and effectively manage problematic behavior from troubled and traumatized individuals. The training teaches you the practical skills and tools to prevent and manage conflict with all patrons.
The training is three and a half hours long and is on-demand, so you can watch it little by little or in bigger chunks, whenever works for your schedule. The subscription goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2020 and runs to the end of the calendar year.
Libraries that already have access through SCLS subscription can continue to use the subscription provided by DLT. If your library hasn’t accessed the video library yet, please contact Jean Anderson at 608-246-5613.
Wisconsin libraries had the highest response rate to the 2019 End-of-the-Summer Survey that was conducted by the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP). To read more about how libraries in our state responded to the survey, please see: 1) a one-page PDF “report card” summarizing the end-of-summer survey and, 2) Wisconsin public library ratings of materials created and provided by the CSLP.
Wisconsin participation in the nation-wide CSLP is facilitated by the Department of Public Instruction, Public Library Development team, and is provided by funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Monticello Public Library officially went live as a LINKcat library on Monday, Dec. 16, 2019. Congratulations to Monticello library staff for a great deal of hard work!
Register now for Library Legislative Day 2020
Registration is now open to attend the Feb. 11, 2020 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, two half-hour slots)
- Noon - 1:30 p.m. (Lunch-on-your-own)
- 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. (Afternoon Appointments, four half-hour slots)
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.
Madison Public Library’s Pinney Library opening set for March 12, 2020
Madison Public Library’s Pinney Library, currently located at an interim space at 211 Cottage Grove Road, will close to the public at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 16. The library will remain closed during the move to the new library on 516 Cottage Grove Road and will reopen to the public at 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 12 with an official ribbon cutting ceremony and resumption of regular service hours. A Grand Opening weekend will follow on March 14 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and March 15 (1 to 5 p.m.).
During the closure, items normally held for customers at the Pinney Library will move to the Hawthorne Library at 2707 East Washington Ave. and phones will be answered by other libraries with a short down time. Further details about the closure, temporary service changes, and grand opening events will be announced in late January.
“The Pinney Library is a much needed asset to the East Side, and the space design and service planning came about from an intensive community planning process,” Library Director Greg Mickells said. “The expanded Pinney Library will allow us to serve more of the East Side community and meet demand for meeting spaces, technology, library resources, and expertise.”
The new Pinney Library is located in Ruedebusch Development & Construction’s Royster Corners mixed use development located at the intersection of Cottage Grove Road and Dempsey Road in a 20,000 square foot space. Construction on the building began in the spring 2018. Tri-North Builders will complete the interior construction as designed by OPN Architects in January 2020.
The new Pinney Library at Royster Corners features expanded seating and meeting spaces; improved spaces for children and teens, including a PlayLab space for young children ages 0-5; an outdoor space for events and programs; updated technology; a Studio for hands-on maker projects; a quiet reading area; permanent public art installations and temporary display space; and a drive-through book drop. The library will be a model building for sustainability, seeking LEED Silver certification achieved through energy efficiency measures, including geothermal energy, and use of energy efficient lighting and mechanical systems. The project also includes use of sustainable materials including locally harvested ash trees and encourages biking and use of public transportation.
“Sustainability is very much a part of our process when putting together beautiful new spaces like the new Pinney Library. It’s important to our work in the Engineering Division as a whole,” Engineering Division Project Manager Amy Scanlon said. “In addition to the vibrant colors, interesting spaces, and latest technology and resources in the new Pinney Library, the sustainable features we’re proud of include the use of geothermal energy, efficient lighting and natural daylighting, and the use of reclaimed urban wood in the interior finishes.”
Pinney Gala Feb. 29, 2020
Tickets are now on sale for the Love the Library Grand Opening Gala event on Feb. 29 from 6 to 10 p.m. The gala will be the first glimpse of the completed project, and the event will include food stations, beer and wine provided by east side restaurants, breweries and other businesses; musical entertainment by Angela Puerta, Leotha Stanley and Friends, and Lynda & The Zeros; an online silent auction, and more. Individual tickets are $175 or purchase a two-ticket Community Sponsor package for $500. Purchase online at mplfoundation.org.
Madison Public Library Foundation is responsible for raising $1.6 million toward the $10 million project. The gala and other fundraising efforts will help to raise $175,000 still needed to meet that goal. “Individuals, corporations and foundations have all been incredibly generous to support the new Pinney Library facility, programs and endowment” said Jenni Jeffress, Madison Public Library Foundation Executive Director. “The foundation is excited to be part of creating a new library with much more community space on the east side of Madison,”
Those interested in learning more about the Pinney Library project can visit the following sites for more information:
- Madison Public Library’s Pinney Library page (sign up for email updates)
https://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/pinney - City of Madison Engineering Project Page
https://www.cityofmadison.com/engineering/projects/pinney-neighborhood-library - Madison Public Library Foundation’s Campaign for a New Pinney Library
http://mplfoundation.org/pinney
ALA Community Engagement grant available
The American Library Association (ALA) invites library workers to apply for a new annual grant to support innovative and meaningful community engagement efforts in libraries.
The Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant will provide $2,000 for a school, public, academic, tribal or special library to expand its community engagement efforts. Libraries are invited to apply by designing and outlining activities for a library-led community engagement project.
Project activities to be covered by the grant may include developing community engagement programs and services; partnering with a community agency that builds the capacity of the community to address an important concern/issue; or creating a program or event that connects the library to a community-identified aspiration or concern.
Community engagement is the process of working collaboratively with community members -- be they library users, residents, faculty, students or local organizations -- to address issues for the betterment of the community.
Applications will be accepted through Feb. 3, 2020. View the full award guidelines and apply visit www.ala.org/LTCEG.
In May 2019, ALA announced that it had surpassed its original $50,000 fundraising goal to support the creation of the Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant, raising a total of $70,000 from 130 individuals. The initiative was made possible by a matching grant from former ALA president and longtime generous supporter Nancy Kranich.
“Thanks to our work in ALA, libraries of all types have unleashed the power of engaging their communities, working collaboratively to advance their aspirations and concerns, particularly for those voices rarely heard,” said Kranich, a past president of ALA who teaches a new generation of civically focused librarians in the Masters of Information program at Rutgers University. “I’m grateful that so many people have stepped forward to join me in supporting this vital work. Together, we can ensure that more libraries develop and share innovative approaches that demonstrate what’s possible when we turn outward toward our communities.”
The Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant is part of Libraries Transform Communities (LTC), ALA’s community engagement initiative. Since 2014, LTC has reimagined the role libraries play in supporting communities. Libraries of all types, from across the country, have utilized the free dialogue and deliberation training and resources to lead community and campus forums; take part in anti-violence activities; provide a safe space for residents to come together to discuss challenging topics; and have productive conversations with civic leaders, library trustees and staff. Learn more at www.ala.org/LTC.
LTC is administered by ALA’s Public Programs Office.
Voices of Women in America Survey now available
The Voices of Women in America survey is designed to identify important social and public policy issues in communities across the United States that impact women's daily lives at home and in the workplace. The survey was created by the National Association of Commissions for Women (www.nacw.org) to collect the voices and views of women in diverse communities across the United States.
Nationally, the survey results will be compiled into a report delivered to the President, Congress and the nation outlining what American women have identified as their top concerns. Locally, the Women’s Council will create a state-specific report to share with Wisconsin leaders and the public.
The survey is open through Jan. 31, 2020, available online in English and Spanish, and 100 percent anonymous. Responses to nearly all the questions asked are “optional,” so if there is a question someone does not want to answer they can still complete the survey.
About the Wisconsin Women’s Council
The Wisconsin Women's Council, established in 1983, is Wisconsin’s state government commission on the status of women and girls. A 15-person board of directors, appointed by the Governor and leaders in the Wisconsin State Legislature. As a state agency, we work to empower women, serve as a clearinghouse for information on programs and resources, conduct independent research on the status of women, and engage in unique partnerships public, private and non-profit organizations to address barriers and inequalities affecting Wisconsin women. Learn more at https://womenscouncil.wi.gov.
Be a test library for the Library Privacy Guides project
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has created a project team and funded a Privacy Advocacy Guides for Libraries project that is looking for a few school, public, and academic libraries to test out and provide feedback on one or more of the newly-created guides.
What is the project?
IMLS is creating a series of guides that focus on tangible, hands-on techniques for better protecting your library's privacy and/or the privacy of your users. Topics of guides so far include privacy audits, data life cycle, and staff training. You can see more details in the IMLS proposal submission.
What will you do?
IMLS is looking for a group of test libraries to try out its guides in real world situations for up to three months. Test sites will use one or more guides in their institutions and give feedback. IMLS will need a point person at the library who will be the main contact and provide feedback.
What is the timing for library test sites?
The goal is to have the first set of guides distributed to test sites in early February. Prior to that, IMLS will send out a pre-survey to get a baseline of where your library is currently at in regard to various privacy topics. IMLS will have test site instructions to guide you through the process which will last at the most a few months (that will largely be based on your own schedule). At the end, IMLS will have a post-survey and will guide you through giving feedback. IMLS has an advisor on board who is helping design this testing process so it's easy for libraries to use.
If you are interested, please send an email to [email protected] and [email protected] who will be in touch with more details. Or, stop by the project table in the exhibit hall during ALA Midwinter in January.