Index
- LINKcat mobile app updates improve usability
- Census 2020: Look for the Star on library computer desktops
- Member/Staff News
- WPLC Roundtable participants discuss future path
- Special Webinar: Librarians respond to Coronavirus and other pandemics
- New tool helps libraries track program numbers for 2020 annual report
- The new town square: Public libraries in the digital age are more relevant than ever
- Driftless Libraries LINC-Up: Telling Stories with Data
- WAPL registration now open
- 3-part Customer Service webinar series begins April 1
- Autism and homelessness toolkit
- Continuing Education Calendar
LINKcat mobile app updates improve usability
LINKcat mobile use has been a way of life for many regular library users, and recent updates to the LINKcat mobile app have resulted in an improved user experience.
In early December the LINKcat software was updated to a new version, which caused some functionality issues with the mobile app. Since then the LINKcat mobile app vendor, LibraryThing, has implemented several fixes to address display problems and issues accessing and using the app.
If you are still having problems with the app, staff at the South Central Library System (SCLS) recommend that you try the following:
- In the upper right hand corner, tap the “hamburger” or “kebab” (either three lines or three dots) and select “Clear all settings.”
- Then tap the “Clear” button to set the app back to the “factory settings.”
- Then log into your account on the app again.
These instructions for clearing the settings are also listed on the LINKcat Mobile help page at https://help.linkcat.info/mobile. If you continue to experience problems with the mobile app, please contact staff at your public library. To further enhance the mobile app user experience SCLS will investigate other mobile app options this year.
The LINKcat website (www.linkcat.info) is also now mobile friendly, which means that in many instances this will be the fastest and most efficient way to access LINKcat from cell phones and tablets.
SCLS is continuing to work with member libraries and the software vendor to enhance the display and improve functionality.
With any major software update there can be unexpected bugs that impact appearance and usability. SCLS staff, member libraries and the software vendor are continuing to work together to identify and fix problems, a significant proportion of which have been resolved since the Dec. software migration.
Overall, the new LINKcat software is similar to the previous version. At the same time, some new features will give you more flexibility to manage your checked out items and holds.
Stylistically, the display is sleeker and more modern. The larger font size and increased white-space make the new interface easier to read, particularly on small screens such as smartphones and tablets.
Here are some of the new features:
- Saved searches
- Entire title displays in checkouts, holds, etc. (includes disc numbers for multi-disc series)
- Selection of multiple items in checkouts and holds for modification (renewing, suspending, etc.)
- Navigation between search results when viewing a title's details page
- An option to choose a library when searching to see its copies first when viewing a title
What's different?
All of your LINKcat features are still there but some things have changed, including:
- Reading History is now called Checkout History
- Your LINKcat account is now called My Dashboard
- New Dashboard page provides an overview of your Checked out items and Holds
- Browse the shelf is now called View nearby items on shelf
- Access your Lists from your Dashboard—scroll down and click My Lists
More information and assistance with usage issues can be found at https://help.linkcat.info, or you can contact your local public library for personal assistance.
Census 2020: Look for the Star on library computer desktops
Census 2020 begins accepting submission as soon as March 12. At that time households will receive a letter containing a “Census ID” and a URL: https://my2020census.gov/. Should the “Census ID” be lost, patrons can also use their home address. Also at that time, SCLS-supported computers will have a new “star” icon on patron desktops (see at right).
This new icon is a shortcut to the Census submission page. Computers that are not supported by SCLS member libraries can bookmark the submission page: https://my2020census.gov/ to their website or internet browser. For more information, check out SCLS’ 2020 Census Outreach Information, located in Outreach Resources.
Help spread the word: ‘Like’ or ‘Share’ Census posts on the SCLS Facebook Page.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact: Mark Jochem at (6080 630-0270.
Earlier this week, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Carolyn Stanford Taylor visited Columbus Public Library. She was particularly interested in seeing the library and learning about the great work the library does and the role it plays in the community. Stanford Taylor is pictured (at right) with Library Director Lindsey Ganz.
Monroe Public Library is excited to welcome two new full-time team members! Jeff Pond (left) is Monroe’s new Circulation Coordinator, having been a part of the library’s circulation team since 2015. A Colorado native from a pioneer family, Jeff grew up camping, fishing and playing in the mountains. In high school he was a nature guide at a high altitude children’s camp. He played college soccer and studied business. He has worked as a graphic designer, stained glass artist, soccer coach, business manager, oyster shucker, private detective and historic renovation contractor. He moved to Wisconsin five years ago because the people are kind and the cheese is plentiful. Jeff has viewed over 350 of MPL’s videos and 560 of its books.
Laura Huff (right) is Monroe’s new Youth Services Librarian. Laura grew up in Peshtigo, a small town in northeastern Wisconsin. She's a recent graduate of the Information School at UW-Madison, formerly known as SLIS. She's passionate about building community, working with children and teens, and helping people learn new things and have new experiences. In her free time, she enjoys sewing, exploring nature, and, of course, reading. She's excited to get to know Monroe and its residents, and she's looking forward to Cheese Days!
The March issue of WSLL @ Your Service is now online. Your comments are always welcome. Please direct them to the editor, Carol Hassler. In this issue: U.S. Supreme Court Research on Bloomberg Law -- Bloomberg Law is a source for legal analysis and docket research, available to users at the David T. Prosser Jr. Library in Madison. The analysis and tracking features provide a unique view of U.S. Supreme Court opinions and pending cases (read more); New Books -- Our featured titles this month are American Indian Law in a Nutshell and The Law of Regulated Gambling: a Practical Guide for Business Lawyers. The full March new book list is also available (read more); Tech Tip -- If you've ever grappled with unwanted formatting in Microsoft Word, you may not know about "Clear Formatting." This tool is a "Get out of Jail Free" card - scrubbing past formatting errors from your document and allowing you to start fresh (read more); Library News -- We have a lot of library news to share this month, including the appointment of a new State Law Librarian, upcoming CLE class opportunities, and more (read more); March Snapshot -- Celia Jackson, with the Wisconsin Association of African-American Lawyers, presents Chief Justice Patience Roggensack and State Law Librarian Julie Tessmer Robinson with copies of The History of Wisconsin's Black Lawyers 2019, to add to library collections (read more).
WPLC Roundtable participants discuss future path
On Oct. 25, 2019, the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC) held a “roundtable” or gathering of its Board, Steering and Collection Development committee members to discuss WPLC’s future path and priorities moving forward. The roundtable spent the entire day discussing issues that affect WPLC and its customers. The issues and statements related to the Advantage collections are shared here along with the results from a survey WPLC sent out after the roundtable. (Download Results from the Roundtable survey of Board) The complete notes of the WPLC Roundtable can be found at https://www.wplc.info/roundtable
General Statements and Priorities of the WPLC Roundtable:
- WPLC should strategically monitor and participate in the development of national efforts around digital content.
- WPLC should monitor patterns of usage in the state (such as resident/non-resident usage patterns) and should, carefully and thoughtfully and with appropriate partners, advocate for changes at the state level that support electronic usage funding and recognition.
- Libraries should be shifting funds from physical to digital based on patron needs, usage, and national trends.
- WPLC should strategically invest resources to encourage small publishers/indie authors of quality content.
- We should focus our budget on reducing holds based on patron satisfaction and creatively continuing to grow the collection.
- WPLC should increase spending with publishers that support our goals.
- The shared collection needs more money to support a strategy to deal with the collection issues.
- The measure of success of this collection is continued, sustained happy usage.
- Having a robust collection of immediately available, desirable, and expected titles that (sic) are is important.
Advantage Group statement: WPLC should…
- Allow systems to make their own decisions about how to purchase for their Advantage account
- Encourage individual libraries to invest in their system Advantage account instead of establishing their own Advantage account
- Very strongly encourage that individual library Advantage account purchase copies only and continue to contribute to the system advantage account at the expected level
Justification for Advantage Group statement:
- Advantage is a win-win, especially with Advantage Plus, because the title goes to the consortium and meets local demand
- The lack of purchasing guidelines is a benefit because it allows systems to fill local holds and support local readership, like book festivals and book clubs
- While individual Advantage accounts allow for nimble decision making for libraries without consulting system or consortia and allows local funds to benefit local patrons, it dilutes the collaborative nature of Wisconsin’s Digital Library, its unique asset and ethos as a statewide effort, and reduces the value of the system.
- There are equity issues for smaller libraries that can’t afford an individual Advantage account nor afford diverting staff time toward selection
- Three are different models for how systems fund system Advantage accounts; in some systems a single library is purchasing nearly all Advantage titles
- Systems that don’t contribute much to Advantage and have lots of holds are a burden on the shared collection, but their patrons also do not experience the benefits for having an Advantage collection, resulting in poor customer service
Special Webinar: Librarians respond to Coronavirus and other pandemics
In light of recent requests for statewide information on the Coronavirus, Library 2.0 will host a webinar on Thursday, March 26 at 3 p.m. (Central time).
Three librarians active in state, regional, and national initiatives will discuss roles librarians in all types of settings can take on during public health emergencies such as the current Coronavirus outbreak. Not only do librarians support their specific patrons, they also serve a larger public community. The unique combination of research and evaluation skills is essential in times when myths and misinformation fuel fear around these types of events. Credible resources, ways to partner with internal and external agencies, and ideas on how to add value to your institution will all be covered in this one-hour webinar.
No registration is required, but you must be a member of Library 2.0 (free). You will need to be logged into Library 2.0 to participate in the webinar or watch the recording afterwards. The event will be held in Zoom and simulcast/overflow on YouTube. Instructions will be on this page the day of the broadcast. To test your system for Zoom you can sign up for a free account at zoom.us.
For more information and to sign up visit Library 2.0.
New tool helps libraries track program numbers for 2020 annual report
Staff at the Division for Libraries and Technology (DLT) has developed a "Programming and Activity Count tracker workbook" to compile data for the annual report.
They say that library staff can use the programming and activity count tracker workbook to easily compile program counts and attendance to report on the Public Library Annual Report. DLT staff are developing and will add technical assistance for utilizing the event tracker soon. You can find more information on the DLT Annual Report Page under “What’s New.”
Wisconsin Valley Library System (WVLS) recently created a "Digital Byte" video all about this new tracker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOgKrgo11v4. You can view a written transcript of the video here.
More information is available in a WisconsinLibrariesforEveryone artricle.
The new town square: Public libraries in the digital age are more relevant than ever
by Judith Davidoff, for Isthmus
On Valentine’s Day, Oregon village president Jeanne Carpenter merged her worlds, pledging to donate half of the day’s sales from her coffee shop to advance one of her civic passions: the building of a new library for Oregon.
“When I ran for president I had three things I really wanted to accomplish. And one of them was building a new library,” says Carpenter, who owns Firefly Coffeehouse & Artisan Cheese, located on Oregon’s main drag.
“We are such a growing community and people who are moving here for our good schools, our good food scene, are now demanding better resources,” adds Carpenter, who served seven years on the village board and is now in her first term as village president.
Carpenter says budget restraints meant the current library, which is outdated and cramped, never fully met the needs of the village, even in its early years. This time around, the community is putting its money where its mouth is. The village of 10,000 has earmarked $6 million for the new facility and large donors have pledged $1 million in private funds; the capital campaign launched Feb. 14 is aiming to bring in another $4 million in smaller donations.
“The modern library is going to be absolutely key to building the community and maintaining a strong democracy,” says Carpenter. “It’s what we see as a gathering place for thoughtful discussion. A place for people no matter their status, their wealth, their income. Where you can go to learn, to participate, to research. You can become part of something that is bigger than yourself.”
Read the complete article here.
Driftless Libraries LINC-Up: Telling Stories with Data
The Dubuque Area Library Information Consortium (DALINC) is pleased to announce the second annual continuing education opportunity in the Driftless region of the United States! Driftless Libraries LINC-up is a one day conference on a specific topic, and this year that is Telling Stories with Data: Making numbers meaningful. This year’s event will be held April 3 from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at Loras College in Dubuque, IA.
Linda Hofschire, Director of the Colorado State Library’s Library Research Service, will present the keynote presentation Data-Powered Libraries: Informed, Innovative, and Impactful at 10:00 am. Do you want to increase your library’s value and relevance to your community? The key is in the data. As librarians, we collect a lot of data - visits, circulation, reference transactions, user satisfaction, etc. But is your data gathering dust in spreadsheets or being used simply to fulfill reporting requirements? In this presentation, you will learn about the power of moving from having data to using data -- to make informed decisions, provide innovative services, and demonstrate your impact on your users and community.
Stephen Hearn, Metadata Strategist at The University of Minnesota, will provide a second keynote over lunch.
The day will include coffee and pastries during registration from 9:30-10 a.m., the keynote presentation from 10-11 a.m., a lunch of salad and sandwiches, an opportunity to choose from six breakout sessions, and a roundtable to talk about your issues or successes related to data use. The program details and schedule should be posted at https://dalinc.org/wp/programs/ in the next couple of weeks but to whet your appetite, the topics will include: using Census data, using data for collection sizes and space needs, data driven decision making in cities, using data to improve your website, and navigating data privacy and community engagement.
Cost for the day, including refreshments and lunch, is only $55.
Register by March 25, 2020 at https://dalinc.org/wp/registration-form/.
Registration for the Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries (WAPL) annual conference for 2020 is now open! The conference will run April 29- through May 1 at the Best Western Premier Waterfront Hotel & Conference Center in Oshkosh. Check out all the amazing programs, after-hours events, and guest speakers that are planned!
As a bonus for signing up early, if you register in the next three weeks you'll be eligible to win a gift certificate for either Kwik Trip or the Ground Round Restaurant at the Best Western Hotel & Convention Center in Oshkosh!
Each week we'll randomly select three new registrants as our lucky winners. So get out there and get registered!
Registration: http://wla.wisconsinlibraries.org/wapl/conferences-events/conference-registration
Explore Infinite Possibilities!
3-part Customer Service webinar series begins April 1
Nationally-known library consultant Pat Wagner will present a three-part webinar series on April 1, 8 and 15, focusing on customer service in libraries. All of the webinars will be recorded and posted to the WVLS website. Each webinar is worth one contact hour.
The series is presented by the Wisconsin Valley Library Service, along with support from the Northern Waters Library Service and the Southwest Wisconsin Library System. Registration is now open for all three webinars.
- The Ethics of Library Customer Service: Fair Treatment for Everyone -- Wednesday April 1 at 1 p.m. (Register) -- The four principles of library ethics are privacy, transparency, access, and fair treatment. As applied to the service desk, it translates into ensuring that the library respect the privacy of the library users’ visits and transactions, that rules and policies are written in plain language and available to everyone and applied to everyone, that everyone in your greater community or institution, regardless of their situations, can have the information they need and want, and that everyone is treated with courtesy and respect, regardless of their status. No special favors for friends or family, no deferring to status, no gossiping about library customers.
- Dealing With Hostile and Potentially Dangerous Library Users -- Wednesday April 8 at 1 p.m. (Register) -- Good manners and a friendly demeanor can handle most library customer issues. But what if being courteous is not enough? Do you, your staff, and your co-workers know what to do if someone is emotionally bullying or physically threatening to staff or other customers? Belligerent? Acting out because of drugs, alcohol, or other cognitive issues? Refusing to leave? Caught stealing or damaging property?
The awareness, attitude, and actions of library employees are the first defenses against customers who are AOA (Angry on Arrival).
Make safe practices a priority for front line staff. Planning, consistent enforcement of policies, training, support from supervisors and managers, and applied technology can work together to protect employees, customers, vendors, and visitors as well as your workplace’s property. - When the Library Makes Mistakes -- Wednesday April 15 at 1 p.m. (Register) -- Some mistakes are easy to fix, like giving someone the wrong change when they paying a fine, or mispronouncing the name of an author. What’s harder is when a library user feels they have been insulted or abused by a staff member, when they see or hear other library users receiving deferential treatment denied to them, when they experience incompetent assistance, or when they are given wrong information. When they are accused, wrongly of course, of stealing from the library. When they are made fun of because of the way they speak or dress Or when the library fails to ensure their physical and emotional safety.
Pat Wagner has been a library trainer and consultant since 1978. She focuses on skills that support the success of libraries, from front line customer service to strategic planning. Although she has worked for some of the largest urban and academic libraries, she mostly serves small and medium-sized organizations. Pat is a frequent speaker at state and national library conferences and has worked with Wisconsin libraries from Ashland to Kenosha. She is known for her practical and good-humored programs. Pat is a proud graduate of George Nelson Tremper High School in Kenosha, and still loves her beer, brats, and kringle.
Autism and homelessness toolkit
The Autism and Homelessness Steering Group from Westminster, UK, created the Autism and Homelessness Toolkit to help staff and organizations work with people experiencing homelessness in England. Ryan Dowd, author of The Librarian's Guide to Homelessness describes it as: "probably one of the best training resources related to homelessness I’ve ever seen."
It includes:
- A quick screening tool to help you determine whether someone might be on the autism spectrum;
- Quick (easy to read) tips on how to work with people on the spectrum.