Index
- During trying times, Wisconsin’s libraries continue providing
- Investment in E-content for Wisconsin library users
- Safer at Home and non-essential library services
- Recollection Wisconsin content partner case studies
- Help for your patrons…from a distance
- Member/Staff News
- Materials Quarantine: CDC says no more than 24 hours needed
- Why libraries must promote reading for pleasure during the COVID-19 crisis
- Continuing Education Calendar
During trying times, Wisconsin’s libraries continue providing
A message from State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor for School Library Month
The recent public health emergency has demonstrated Wisconsin’s strength and ability to work together to provide essential resources during a time of crisis.
From utilizing digital learning in unique ways, to going to great lengths to ensure students have access to meals and proper nutrition, I am so proud of the community efforts I have seen to provide continuity of learning.
Among our state’s valuable resources are our school and public libraries. Wisconsin libraries are the cornerstone of our communities, and represent an essential place for learning, providing access and opportunities. Libraries supply equitable and inclusive services, leveling the playing field for everyone.
April is School Library Month, with National Library Week set for April 19-25. This month represents a time for us to celebrate libraries of all kinds and the incredible staff who devote their days to transforming learning. Library staff do so even during times of crisis, like the one we find ourselves in.
Though the current situation has forced Wisconsin libraries to temporarily close physical locations, libraries remain steadfast providers of continuity of learning with online resources and programming.
I have been impressed to see technology leveraged connecting library staff with students and families via virtual activities. School librarians have worked tirelessly to ensure educators can effectively utilize online strategies to enhance learning. Wi-Fi connections remain on at our schools and public libraries for families to access the internet whenever and wherever possible.
Through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s BadgerLink, Wisconsinites can access materials online at any time with just a library card or school barcode. Resources available through the online library include encyclopedia articles, lesson plans for educators, skill-building programs, health guides, exam prep materials, and much more.
Although we may be unable to celebrate libraries and librarians this month in face-to-face events, I encourage you to take advantage of Wisconsin library resources and opportunities to continue education. Your local libraries are standing at the ready to support you.
Remember, these unprecedented times are temporary. Not before long, our schools, libraries and communities will be healthy and thriving.
Investment in E-content for Wisconsin library users
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Division for Libraries and Technology is supporting libraries and library users by adapting to new service expectations now that public libraries are closed to the public. The Division awarded a discretionary grant in the amount of $250,000 to the Winding Rivers Library System to provide support to Wisconsin’s Digital Library through the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC).
At the request of the Division for Libraries and Technology, WPLC project managers submitted a request for funding to meet the needs of all Wisconsin library users during this pandemic. The plan allocates the additional investment in Wisconsin's Digital Library in the following ways:
- Simultaneous Use Titles: Up to $30,000 for e-book and audio titles available for unlimited, simultaneous use for one year from the date of purchase.
- Cost Per Circulation Titles: Up to $100,000 for pay-per-use e-book and digital audiobook titles, an amount that would immediately fill 18,182 patron holds.
- New Titles: Up to $120,000 for new e-book and digital audiobook titles, adding an estimated 2,000 titles to the collection.
The Division for Libraries and Technology reviewed the request and determined that this is a necessary step to support the Wisconsin library community and library users across the state during this pandemic. The Winding Rivers Library System and WPLC provided integral support to guarantee that this investment would immediately reach Wisconsin library users. Kurt Kiefer, Assistant State Superintendent for the Division for Libraries and Technology said in response to the efforts of the WPLC and the Winding Rivers Library System, "I am incredibly proud of the work our state library community has done on making this resource available to every citizen of Wisconsin. It is truly meaningful."
The investment in Wisconsin's Digital Library was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, LS-00-19-0050-19.
--from Wisconsin Libraries for Everyone
Safer at Home and non-essential library services
COVID-19 and its ongoing impacts are on the minds of all library directors, staff members, and library boards. To help provide some clarification about Gov. Tony Evers’ Safer at Home Order, earlier this week Shannon Schultz, administration consultant at the Division for Libraries and Technology, sent information to System Directors.
“The Safer at Home Order is very clear that all residents of Wisconsin are to stay at home unless they are deemed essential personnel serving in certain allowable capacities,” Schultz wrote. “If you have been identified by your municipality as essential and you are looking for things to do, then such projects may be a good use of your time.” However, she said if library staff plan to leave home to do weeding as a minimum basic operation, they do so at their own risk of penalty.
Schultz said the “Minimum Basic Operations” order allows the minimum necessary activities to preserve library operations, which she explained means the things that cannot be put off until the quarantine is lifted, such as processing payroll, paying the bills, and ensuring that the security of the facility remains intact.
If library directors and board members believe that engaging in non-urgent activities (such as weeding, inventory, or filming virtual story times and instruction) does not violate the Safer at Home Order, Schultz said they may wish to consult their municipal attorney, county corporate counsel, or independently contracted attorney for guidance.
Recollection Wisconsin content partner case studies
Curious to know how Recollection Wisconsin content partners accomplish their digitization work? To provide insight, several content partners were asked to reflect on and share their experiences creating digital collections from local history resources. These case studies include digitization best practices, lessons learned and impact stories from local history organizations in Wisconsin.
- Railroad and Logging Photos, Langlade County Historical Society
- Sauk City Property Histories and Pionier Presse Translations, Sauk City Public Library
- Kvamme Local History Collection, Stoughton Public Library
For more information about digitizing local history resources -- practical tools, guidelines and resources -- visit the Digital Projects Toolkit. Do you have questions about a current or potential digitization project? Get help from an expert! This service is free to all current and potential Recollection Wisconsin Content Partners across Wisconsin.
Library staff within the South Central Library System (SCLS) also can contact Tamara Ramski, Digitization Specialist (tramski@scls.info), for personal assistance with starting and managing a local digitization project. Digitized materials in SCLS library collections have been viewed 101,447 times in CONTENTdm through March 31, 2020.
"That is a significant milestone," Ramski said. "In many cases those materials wouldn't have been viewed otherwise. I'm grateful for all the library staff and volunteers who have made this possible."
Help for your patrons…from a distance
Millions of people have been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. Nearly every aspect of life is impacted by the current crisis. “Safer at Home” orders have closed businesses, schools, and library buildings. Libraries are now providing many of the services online previously offered in-person: from livestreamed story time and programming to reference and readers’ advisory sessions by phone and email.
The deadly virus has led to a significant increase in unemployment claims in Wisconsin**, and many are asking how to meet their basic needs after their workplaces are closed. They may be wondering if they qualify for unemployment benefits, or how they can cover routine bills and other expenses. Fortunately, there are ways to help from a distance. Several resources are available to point people to during this troubled time. Find these and more on the SCLS’ Resources for Job Seekers page. Also check out the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Resources put together by SCLS.
Resources for people facing financial hardship:
- Unemployment COVID-19 Public Information -- An FAQ page from Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development for people laid off during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.
- Answers to your questions about the new unemployment benefits law -- Straightforward answers about the new unemployment guidelines and eligibility from: Ask a Manager
- Financial Resources to Help Get Through COVID-19 -- Compiled by UW-Extension and updated frequently.
Resources for businesses facing hardship due to COVID-19:
- COVID-19 Business Resources -- Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC)
- Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers -- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Small Business Guidance and Loan Services -- U.S. Small Business Administration
- Preparing for Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Farms -- UW Extension Farm Management
Interested in discussing ways your library may be able to help your community now, and after the pandemic? Please contact Mark Jochem, at mjochem@scls.info or (608) 630-0270.
**Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (2020) Wisconsin Unemployment Insurance Initial and Weekly Claims Filed.Accessed: 3/31/2020. URL: https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/uistats/
The April issue of WSLL @ Your Service is now online and your comments are always welcome. Please direct them to the editor,Carol Hassler. In this issue: We’re Here to Help During the Coronavirus Outbreak -- Our libraries continue to be closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this closure, our librarians are available to help. Our reference librarians continue to answer questions about the law and government and assist with legal research (read more); Legal Career Research Guide -- This year's theme for National Library Week is "Find your place at the library." In April, we're featuring professional development resources and ideas to help legal professionals find their place in the law profession, using resources from the State Law Library (read more); New Books -- Our two featured titles this month are Standing Before the Bar and Sitting in Front of it: a History of the Bar in Eau Claire County 1857-2006 and Immigration Consequences of Criminal Activity: a Guide to Representing Foreign Born Defendants. An abbreviated new book list is also now online (read more); Tech Tip -- For most, a "Safer at Home" protocol includes connecting online with work, friends, and family. And this means using a lot more data - possibly more data than allowed under your current plan (read more); Library News -- Keep up with the latest on classes, library outreach, and new staff at the library (read more); April Snapshot -- From pets to our human family members, we're all learning ways to work with our new coworkers! (read more).
Materials Quarantine: CDC says no more than 24 hours needed
In a webinar hosted by IMLS entitled "Mitigating COVID-19 When Managing Paper-Based, Circulating, and Other Types of Collections," Dr. David Berendes, PhD, MSPH, epidemiologist in the Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch of the CDC focusing on global sanitation and hygiene issues, stated that 24 hours is an acceptable duration for materials quarantine.
Berendes added that the CDC is not concerned about books and other paper-based items (including mail and shipped packages) as a mode of transmission of the virus. As such, either disinfection of hard surfaces that tolerate wiping with the appropriate chemical disinfectants, or a 24 hour materials quarantine will suffice.
Berendes advised using these CDC cleaning and disinfecting instructions, which includes a link to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's "List N" disinfectants that meet EPA’s criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19. Hard, nonporous surfaces are the focus of epidemiological concern.
Why libraries must promote reading for pleasure during the COVID-19 crisis
At Super Library Marketing: All kinds of marketing ideas for all kinds of libraries, Angela Hursh discusses why reading for escape is so important.
There are links to this and other library marketing videos on the Super Library Marketing Website.
The Library Marketing Show is 5-minute video posted every week on her YouTube channel. She answers questions and talks about the latest news in libraries, marketing, and other relevant topics.
Back to Index