Index
- New program provides funding to 7 SCLS member public libraries
- Rejuvenate your team with Compassion Resilience facilitator training
- Wisconsin 2021-23 Budget Proposal: Libraries Link Communities
- Member/Staff News
- WPLC annual patron survey underway
- iSchool online professional development courses & webinars
- ALSC/Candlewick Press ‘Light the Way’ Grant
- Beacons of strength: Libraries provide mental health resources to cope with COVID
- WebJunction learning opportunities for library staff and volunteers
- StarNet: Tell us how you like to learn
- Continuing Education Calendar
New program provides funding to 7 SCLS member public libraries
The UW-Madison’s Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) is awarding grants to 38 public libraries across Wisconsin to develop their East Asia-related collections through a new program called East Asia in Wisconsin, seven of which are within the South Central Library System (SCLS).
CEAS is a federally funded National Resource Center for the study of East Asia in Wisconsin that seeks to foster greater understanding of the region through the support of teaching, scholarship, and public education.
The idea of working with public libraries sprang from a history of successful collaborations in the past and also from research that shows public libraries are some of the most trusted institutions in the United States.
“Public libraries are natural partners in the Wisconsin Idea, which our center and faculty take very seriously,” said CEAS associate director David Fields. “We decided to use some of our resources to help libraries provide high-quality materials and programming to patrons looking for information on East Asia.”
CEAS partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI’s) Public Library Team to share the grant opportunity with libraries across the state. SCLS member libraries receiving the grants are:
- Stoughton Public Library
- McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids
- Jane Morgan Memorial Library, Cambria
- Sun Prairie Public Library
- Madison Public Library
- D. Locke Public Library, McFarland
- Rock Springs Public Library
The complete list of recipients is available in the WI Libraries for Everyone newsletter.
“The timing of this program aligned perfectly with two emerging needs in public libraries today,” said Cindy Fesemyer, DPI’s Adult and Community Engagement Consultant. “Libraries can help lead the way in combating racism, especially perceptions of Asian cultures in this time of COVID-19. Additionally, libraries, like so many public institutions, will be facing budget shortfalls that this grant program will help counterbalance.”
The response from public libraries was enthusiastic. Applications came in from 13 of the 16 library systems in the state. While nearly all libraries applied to use some of the funding for collections, many also applied to offer East Asia-related programming in their communities, from outdoor story walks, to book clubs, to virtual sessions with local Chinese chefs.
“I was blown away by the programming ideas,” said Fields. “CEAS staff was so impressed by the applications that they reshuffled some of their priorities to find the resources to fund twice the number of libraries through this program.”
The COVID-19 pandemic forced CEAS to reimagine its outreach model, which normally involves bringing people together to discuss issues connecting East Asia in Wisconsin. Last year its East Asia Now series held public forums around Wisconsin on the trade tensions between China and the U.S.
“The trade war with China, COVID-19, trade issues with Korea and Japan, and North Korean nuclear weapons have all been in the headlines during the past year, meaning we have had plenty to do,” said Fields, “but the pandemic forced us to rethink how we fulfill our mission.”
While CEAS moved some of its programming online, it was also looking for ways to reach people around the state in a tangible manner.
CEAS intends East Asia in Wisconsin to become an annual program and hopes to use it to find many new partners to execute its mission and to fulfill the Wisconsin Idea.
Rejuvenate your team with Compassion Resilience facilitator training
Small teams from Wisconsin public libraries and systems are invited to apply for the Compassion Resilience Facilitator Training, which prepares you to bring the Compassion Resilience Toolkit resources to your colleagues. Small teams ideally include one leader and 1-3 people who will facilitate with staff. Your team will learn how to implement the toolkit in ways that match the realities of your library’s current organizational commitments and goals.
The staff at Appleton Public Library started using the toolkit in 2019. Assistant Director Tasha Saecker reports, “The toolkit will change how you approach public library service by giving you a common language to better care for yourself, your coworkers, and your community.” This training is conducted by Rogers InHealth and brought to you by the Department of Public Instruction using Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding from Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
Compassion Resilience Facilitator Training (4 part series)
- Thursday, Jan. 21 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
- Monday, Feb. 8 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
- Wednesday, Feb. 10 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
All four sessions are required and will not be recorded
To learn more, view the Fill Up Your Fuel Tank With Compassion Resilience overview webinar. The Compassion Resilience Facilitator Training is free, and space is limited. Teams must apply by Friday, Dec. 18, 2020 at 4 p.m. to be considered (apply) -- ONE APPLICATION FORM PER TEAM. Applicants will be notified in early January 2021.
--Reprinted from WI Libraries for Everyone
Wisconsin 2021-23 Budget Proposal: Libraries Link Communities
Wisconsin libraries are the cornerstone of our communities by supplying equitable and inclusive services across the state. Increased funding for the state’s public library systems will help local libraries innovate and increase their ability to respond to emerging community needs, which include workforce development support, lifelong learning, information technology, and access to electronic content and services.
Maintain Library Support
The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) requests increases of $2,500,000 in FY22 and $4,000,000 in FY23 for public library systems to support the operations and maintenance of public library services in response to the rising needs of our communities.
Recollection Wisconsin
Recollection Wisconsin supports more than 200 of the state’s libraries, museums, and other cultural heritage institutions, aiding those institutions in digitizing and sharing photographs, maps, letters, diaries, oral histories, artifacts, and other historical resources. DPI requests $150,000 in FY22 and $300,000 in FY23 and beyond to maintain state support. Funding will ensure the state’s historical materials from libraries of all sizes will be well preserved and universally available.
You can access a pdf version of this information from the DPI website.
Here is a short video about one way the New Glarus Public Library is continuing to provide service during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
WPLC annual patron survey underway
The Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC) has launched its annual patron survey. A link to the survey can be found on the top of the homepage for Wisconsin's Digital Library OverDrive mobile and desktop sites, so users on computers and mobile devices using the OverDrive app can find it. Unfortunately, WPLC is still unable to add a link to the survey in Libby.
The survey is open through Dec. 4. Please encourage your patrons to respond by sharing the survey link (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/wplc2020) on your websites and social media accounts and by displaying printed signs in your libraries. Here are some materials to help.
iSchool online professional development courses & webinars
The Information School at UW-Madison recently announced a new list of online professional development courses and webinars. Register two weeks in advance for a 10% discount.
Spring 2021 Courses
- Spanish for Libraries -- At your own pace! Start as soon as you register.
- NEW! Effective Customer Service in a Socially Distanced World -- Jan. 25-March 7
- Basic Public Library Administration -- Jan. 25-April 18
- NEW! Storytime: An Opportunity for Social Justice -- Feb. 1-March 14
- Organization and Management of Collections -- Feb. 1-April 25
- Babies in the Library -- Feb. 1-March 14
- Library Services and Programs for Older Adults -- Feb. 1-28
- NEW! Introduction to Digital Preservation -- Feb. 8-April 4
- NEW! Webinar Series: Library Services for Homeschoolers -- Feb. 9 and 16
- NEW! Collection Management with an Antiracist Lens -- Feb. 15-March 28
- Library Fundraising: Start Here! -- Feb. 15-March 14
- Creating Positive Library Work Environments -- March 1-28
- Programming with Purpose -- March 1-28
- Getting the Most Out of Virtual Meetings -- March 1-14
- Introduction to Web Archiving -- March 22-May 2
- Building Your Management Toolkit -- March 29-May 9
If you have questions contact Anna Palmer.
The ALSC/Candlewick Press "Light the Way" Grant is sponsored by Candlewick Press in honor of author Kate DiCamillo and the themes represented in her books.
The award consists of a $3,000 grant to assist a library in conducting exemplary and replicable outreach to underserved populations through a new and innovative program or an expansion of work already being done. The grant is administered by the ALSC Programs and Services Recognition Committee of the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association.
Applicants must be members of American Library Association and the Association for Library Service to Children. Applications and supporting materials, including the required timeline, budget, and signature form are due by Dec. 16, 2020. ALSC/Candlewick Press ‘Light the Way’ Grant Application form.
Beacons of strength: Libraries provide mental health resources to cope with COVID
Since the beginning of the pandemic, American communities have been faced with a myriad of stressors: not only physical safety risks, but financial and economic strife. In May, the United Nations warned that the pandemic may generate yet another potential problem: a mental health crisis due to increased psychological stress from grief, shock, isolation, and uncertainty.
Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 25 percent of young adults ages 18 to 24 have seriously contemplated suicide during the pandemic.
Public libraries exist in urban, suburban, and rural neighborhoods, and typically have a long history of providing services in their community. In recent years, many librarians have gradually taken on other functions well beyond lending out books. They have become ad hoc social workers and navigators. They help members figure out the complexities of life, from navigating the health system to helping those with housing needs.
Over the past seven months, local libraries reinvented the way they deliver services within their communities. Recently, many have found ways to provide reprieve and support to community members as they strive to manage and maintain their mental health throughout the pandemic.
Book wagon volunteers. Photo courtesy of the Meridian Library District, 2019.
Rowan Public Library in North Carolina offered a free virtual session to help community members deal with mental health issues during the pandemic. The session was led by a licensed therapist who provided participants with resources and tips to help them cope with stress. It also gave participants an outlet to vocalize their worries, ask questions, and find answers.
In Milwaukee, Dr. Abigail Phillips, a former public librarian and professor of information science at the UW-Milwaukee, has been providing a creative outlet for librarians to cope with the pandemic. Together with a group of other librarians, Phillips and her colleagues publish their own writings and visual art in a zine (online booklet) called Reserve and Renew. The issues are available for purchase, and the proceeds go to benefit Mental Health First Aid.
San Diego public librarian Joseph Miesner is among those who’ve been trained in mental health first aid, thanks to the California Mental Health Initiative funded by IMLS. The Mental Health Initiative works with libraries across California to train and enable staff to provide kind and compassionate service to all community members. Miesner and three other librarians also learned how to teach mental health first aid, and they have trained nearly 250 San Diego Public Library staff in the last three years.
In Colorado, several counties have found ways to bring the library experience into the home. Anythink Libraries in Adams County launched a program to make phone calls to seniors. Staff and several volunteers began making calls to 65-and-older cardholders―about 8,000 individuals―to update them on library services, see how they were getting along, and ask if they needed anything.
Douglas County Libraries, also in Colorado, launched the “Quarantine Quiz Show,” an online competition where participants initially tested their knowledge of the Harry Potter book series, but has continued to feature other written works. It also reallocated funds and partnered with a local business to put together gifts for all graduating high school seniors in the county. Library staff did a doorstep delivery of a small toolkit to help these students build their future. Moreover, the libraries added the program Headspace to its available resources to help address mental health during the pandemic.
In Connecticut, Hartford Public Library recently received funding from Cigna to pilot a new program called ARTLink, a series of community art workshops dedicated to increasing awareness around mental health. The program consisted of a series of four community art workshops -- podcasting, pottery, musical, and visual arts -- all taught by working artists. Throughout October, each series hosted weekly workshops with five participants, in line with COVID-19 safety protocols.
In New York City, 13 branch libraries across the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island had only just begun the city’s new Spaces to Thrive program when the pandemic hit. The program is a partnership between the New York Public Library and the Mayor’s Office of ThriveNYC that aims to increase public access to mental health information and support. The program includes mental health workshops for the public about suicide prevention, social-emotional learning, social stigma, and the relationship between social media and mental health. Each site also dedicates several shelves to autobiographical, nonfiction, and fiction books about mental health. Right now, all resources are available online.
The pandemic has been disruptive to all. But U.S. libraries have found innovative ways to transition from in-person experiences, showing how they have been and continue to be impactful to the community inside and outside their physical space.
WebJunction learning opportunities for library staff and volunteers
WebJunction courses and webinars are always free through the Course Catalog, providing on-demand learning when you need it the most. Once you've signed up for a free account, you'll have access to over 320 self-paced learning opportunities to help you and your team meet your community's ever-changing needs.
Below are some webinar recordings and upcoming sessions that will boost your skills related to staff (and trustee!) communication, online reference, facilities management, and service design principles.
- Growing Through Conflict: Healthy Workplace Communication -- We are all so busy! Who has time to deal with conflicts? When conflict occurs, and we are confronted with a colleague, library patron, supervisor, or board member who is frustrated and upset, it can be tempting to identify a quick fix. However, when we do take the time to practice clear communication to uncover what people really need, we can get to better outcomes. Practicing healthy communication skills will boost your self-confidence and contribute to a happier workplace.
- The Accidental Facilities Manager -- Now more than ever, the care and feeding of library buildings, from historic to new, demands greater attention. With occupant health and safety in mind, common issues, such as cleaning, plumbing, or HVAC systems, take on new urgency. Many library directors and staff become facilities managers by default, with no formal training. This webinar offers a primer on building systems and issues, along with tools for preventive maintenance, energy assessments, optimizing ventilation and filtration, and more
- Online Reference and the Open Web: Boosting Strategies and Sources -- With a pandemic impacting community information needs in a multitude of ways, and with library services shifting increasingly to online formats, it's time to boost your online reference and curation skills with expert strategies and sources. In this webinar, infoDOCKET's Gary Price highlights free, quality, open web sources to help you and your patrons answer important questions.
Upcoming Webinar
To access all upcoming events and webinar recordings, go to the Events Calendar.
- Proactive Advocacy and Communication for Library Trustees and Staff (Jan. 13, 2021, 2-3 p.m.), presented by Lori Fisher, Assistant State Librarian / Administrator of Library Operations, New Hampshire State Library -- Rally the troops, consolidate the message, and get it out there! These common and important steps are all part of the response when there’s a crisis challenging the library. But what can we do the rest of the time, before a crisis arises? Using both outward and inward facing tools, there are simple steps that boards and library staff can integrate into their communication processes, to be better prepared for unknown changes. Learn about these tools and how they can set the stage for dealing more effectively with any crisis your library faces in the future. This webinar is hosted in collaboration with the Association for Rural and Small Libraries. (register)
Additional Online Learning
WebJunction’s Course Catalog is free and open to library staff everywhere whenever you are ready to learn. We offer library-specific self-paced courses, webinar archives and other great learning materials.
Certificates of Completion are available to help library staff meet CE and LEU credit requirements. Create your free account and start learning today.
StarNet: Tell us how you like to learn
Over the past three years, the National Science Foundation-funded Project BUILD has brought together children, their families, librarians, and professional engineers in STEM learning experiences. Children in grades 2-5 were asked to rate their preferences on different types of activities, such as care-taking, discovering, and creating/making. The University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development would like to learn more about the different types of learning activities that you enjoy as an individual. To provide context, they are also interested in learning about your professional role at your library in providing STEM learning experiences, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Library staff are invited to complete this brief (10-minute) survey by Dec. 3, 2020.
New Community Dialogue Resources to Support Equity in Your Library
The STAR Net team has been hard at work gathering resources to support Community Dialogues (including virtual dialogues during COVID) from around the informal education world. Consider these new resources a sneak peak of the new STAR Net Community Dialogue site that’s coming soon.
Get All The Resources | Watch Related Webinar
Reminder: Special Grant Opportunity for Small and Rural Libraries
The American Library Association (ALA) invites libraries in small and rural communities to apply for grant funding to help them address issues of concern in their communities.
Up to 650 U.S. libraries in small and rural communities will receive $3,000 each to tackle issues ranging from media literacy to COVID-19 safety to unemployment. Grants will be awarded in two waves in 2020 and 2021.
Applications will be accepted until Dec. 2, 2020.
Get More Details | Watch the Video