Index
- SCLS Delivery returns to 5-day schedule
- New electronic Foundation newsletter implemented
- Marketing plan template available
- New titles added to SCLS Professional Collection
- Grant opportunity: East Asia in Wisconsin
- Thrive in the age of Coronavirus with these 5 core principles
- Library Journal Virtual Summit 2020
- Continuing Education Calendar
SCLS Delivery returns to 5-day schedule
SCLS Delivery began a new schedule on Monday, August 24, which attempts to mimic the "normal" delivery patterns from March 16.
All Routes outside of Dane County resumed with the same frequency as when Delivery last had normal service levels: five days a week with some libraries having less-than-5-day service. Those "off" days will be the same as they were back in March, if applicable.
For the time being, Delivery will not run Saturday routes. Due to the light volumes compared to "normal" and the added function of quarantining, this would introduce more people into workspaces that would not yield the benefit to members. Delivery staff will continue to monitor volumes and processes and make changes accordingly.
Delivery will also run routes just once a day to those that previously had twice-daily service, which is for the same reasons listed above. Volumes and processes will be monitored.
Routes will depart in staggered blocks to provide the required staff separation. All SCLS routes will depart at least 30 minutes later than normal. The schedule is as follows:
- Portage County: 30 minutes later (7 a.m.)
- Adams/Wood: 30 minutes later (7 a.m.)
- Columbia: 30 minutes later (7 a.m.)
- Sauk: 30 minutes later (7 a.m.)
- Southwest: 30 minutes later (7 a.m.)
- Green: 30 minutes later (7 a.m.)
- Dane North: 90 minutes later (8 a.m.)
- Dane South: ON TIME (8 a.m.)
- Madison Central: 11-11:30 a.m. (The variation in times is because we will utilize the driver from Dane North or Dane South who needs to return to ZZZ from those routes which both depart at 8m.)
- Metro East: 1 p.m.
- Metro West: 1 p.m.
- Metro South: 1 p.m.
The earliest departures are reserved for the statewide, long-route drivers who will leave at the typical 6:30 a.m. time.
The schedule will proceed as the "new normal" presumably until there are changes in quarantine levels and/or the ability to have more staff members work together in greater numbers. At present Delivery staff do not see that on the horizon through the end of the year, although they will continue to hope for the best.
“I want to thank our members for their patience through this extended time of disruption and change,” said Corey Baumann, Delivery Services Coordinator. “We look forward to adapting and advancing service as conditions and volume allows.”
If you have any questions, please contact Corey at 608-266-4695.
New electronic Foundation newsletter implemented
Since the summer of 2008 the South Central Library System (SCLS) Foundation has published a twice-yearly newsletter that has been mailed to all donors, and to trustees of libraries with funds invested in the Foundation. The current issue of the newsletter marks the move to a new electronic format.
The newsletter will live on these new web pages, (www.sclsfoundation.org/news) and we’ll send email announcements of new issues to any individuals who have provided their email addresses.
“Communicating news about the SCLS Foundation is vital to our mission of raising money in support of public libraries,” said Theresa Walske, foundation board president. “Our transition away from a print newsletter will save on printing and postage cost, and will allow us to provide more timely information to donors and member libraries.”
The plan is to publish four newsletters per year, each shortly after the quarterly Foundation Board meeting. If you haven’t already provided your email address to the Foundation, but you would like to receive notices when the newsletter is published, please complete the form at https://bit.ly/SCLS_Foundation.
Marketing plan template available
Based on Kathy Dempsey’s “Cycle of True Marketing,” a state-wide public library system marketing cohort has drafted a marketing plan template that any library of any size can model and adapt. The template includes:
- A customizable marketing framework that can be adapted to suit a library’s unique needs and community
- A sample marketing plan, budget, and calendar guides
- Links to resources that expand on the information presented
For more information watch the webinar introducing the marketing plan template, or you can contact Mark Ibach at 608-246-5612.
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.
- All Ages Welcome: Recruiting and Retaining Younger Generations for Library Boards, Friends Groups, and Foundations by Lina Bertinelli, Madeline Jarvis, Kathy Kosinski, and Tess Wilson
- Pairing STEAM with Stories: 46 Hands-on Activities for Children by Elizabeth M. McChesney and Brett T. Nicholas
- 50+ Programs for Tweens, Teens, Adults and Families by Amy Alessio, Katie LaMantia, and Emily Vinci
- Collection Management for Youth: Equity, Inclusion, and Learning, 2nd By Sandra Hughes-Hassell
- Hot-Ticket Meetings by Catherine Hakala-Ausperk
- Recipes for Mindfulness In Your Library: Supporting Resilience and Community Engagement by Madeleine Charney, Jenny Colvin, and Richard Moniz
- Neal-Schuman Library Technology Companion: a Basic Guide for Library Staff, 6th By John J. Burke
- Gather ‘Round the Table: Food Literacy Programs, Resources, and Ideas for Libraries by Hillary Dodge
- The Library Workplace Idea Book: Proactive Steps for Positive Change edited by Heather L. Seibert, Amanda Vinogradov, and Amanda H. McLellan
- Marketing Plans in Action: a Step-by-Step Guide for Libraries, Archives, and Cultural Organizations by Amanda L. Goodman
- Young Activists and the Public Library: Facilitating Democracy by Virginia A. Walter
- 60 Ready-to-use Coding Projects edited by Ellyssa Kroski
- The Data Wrangler’s Handbook: Simple Tools for Powerful Results by Kyle Banerjee
- Cultivating Civility: Practical Ways to Improve a Dysfunctional Library by Jo Henry, Joe Eshleman, and Richard Moniz
- Design Thinking by Rachel Ivy Clarke
- Blockchain edited by Sandra Hirsh and Susan Alman
- How to Create Free Digital Breakouts for Libraries by Ellyssa Kroski
Grant opportunity: East Asia in Wisconsin
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in incidents of harassment and assault against Asian Americans, international students, and visitors from Asia has been reported by the Anti-Defamation League and other organizations. While the motivations behind these incidents are complex, a shortage of empathy and understanding is surely a factor.
Fostering a better understanding of East Asia and its peoples is part of the core mission of the Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) at the UW–Madison. To further this mission, CEAS is working with the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA), the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC), and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Library Team (DPI) to pilot a new initiative: East Asia in Wisconsin Program. The initiative supports collection development and programming at public libraries that will enrich understanding of East Asia in local communities.
Grants of up to $1,000 are available to public libraries in Wisconsin for:
- the purchase of East Asia-related materials to augment library collections (see materials list with Full CEAS Grant Details document link below);
- East Asian programming including, but not limited to: book club materials and programming, and hosting virtual programs related to East Asia (see program ideas in Full CEAS Grant Details document link below).
Proposals will be accepted through 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Application materials will be evaluated on these criteria:
- Demonstrated need to diversify the library collection and/or program offerings.
- To ensure diversity in funding, CEAS will prioritize funding libraries across all 16 Library Systems, with a wide range of populations served.
To apply, first consult the Full CEAS Grant Details document, then fill out the short application and budget form.
Any questions regarding the application process should be directed to CEAS Associate Director Laurie Dennis.
SCLS member libraries interested in this grant are welcome to contact Shawn Brommer to talk about a project or if you'd like assistance with the grant application.
Thrive in the age of Coronavirus with these 5 core principles
Lessons from communications pioneer Harold Burson
by Curtis Chin, Asia Fellow at Milken Institute
Amidst pandemic, recession and protests, a simple question remains. How to thrive, not just survive, in these troubled and challenging times?
From “wear a face mask” or “face cover” to “practice social distancing” and “wash your hands often,” guidance from organizations such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on how to protect yourself and others is readily available.
A range of information and resources, including from the non-profit, non-partisan Milken Institute with which I am affiliated, also underscore the importance of paying attention to mental health and well-being.
The uncertainty, fear, and changes in daily life caused by COVID-19 have certainly drastically affected people’s mental health and exacerbated the systemic challenges of treatment and resource availability. That was a key point in a recent Milken Institute webinar that convened experts and advocates to address the rapid increase in demand for mental health services and barriers to affordable care.
A focus on the core (principles)
Each of us also can take steps to assess or reassess our own approach to the stress and craziness of our upended daily lives. Part of that might include thinking about the core principles by which we live our lives and that guide our daily interactions.
This all came to mind earlier this year when I was en route from Southeast Asia to the chapel at Ole Miss in Oxford, MS, and then on to Lincoln Center in New York City for memorial services for Harold Burson, the late founder of the public relations firm Burson-Marsteller (now known as Burson Cohn & Wolfe, or BCW).
Harold had over 30 years become a friend and mentor and had passed away this January at 98-years-old from complications from a fall before the coronavirus swept our world. He has been rightly described by PRWeek magazine as “the [20th] century’s most influential PR figure.”
What wisdom might Harold have shared today?
In the United States in the early 2000s while working with Harold, I became part of the U.S. team at Burson-Marsteller assisting the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office as it communicated Hong Kong’s efforts to battle the deadly spread of SARS, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome -- a disease linked to the SARS coronavirus, SARS-CoV.
Lessons learned during those difficult times have now aided efforts to face the ongoing pandemic of SARS-CoV2, or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which causes COVID-19.
And today, five core principles I learned from Harold’s example still very much apply. Harold has passed away, but his timeless wisdom holds true as we battle the direct and indirect health and economic consequences of the ongoing pandemic.
Read the complete article at www.thriveglobal.com.
Library Journal Virtual Summit 2020
Join us for Library Journal’s Annual Summit: What’s Next? Libraries Adapt to the New Abnormal, taking place on Oct. 6
With the COVID-19 pandemic upending strategic plans across the country, libraries had to be nimble, flexible, and collaborative on a scale and time frame like never before. Fortunately, all three of those proficiencies are in the library wheelhouse.
In this free, day-long, virtual event, LJ will convene leaders at every level to share their learnings from the first phase of the crisis, how they’re preparing for the multiple possibilities of the medium term -- and beyond -- and positioning themselves to come out of the recovery strong.
Topics explored will include:
- Innovations in digital service that enable librarians to serve their communities from a distance
- Equity initiatives that help narrow the digital divide
- Keeping staff and patrons safe
- Best practices in disaster, succession, and reopening planning and policies
- How libraries are getting the word out about their value and services regardless of the building and collection status
- Supporting users as their home becomes school, workplace, library, even doctor’s office
- Negotiating the economic fallout
- Creating and expanding partnerships to rise to the challenges of coronavirus
- The library’s role in the community’s recovery planning
- And much more
LJ said it is anticipating an unprecedented number of library and education professionals to attend this summit, so you may find the environment or live sessions become full during the day.
But fear not! All sessions and author chats will be available for viewing on-demand within an hour of their initial broadcast, and the entire event will be available on-demand until Jan. 6, 2021.
For more information contact ljevents@mediasourceinc.com.