Index
- Spring Scholarships Available
- Request for Information on Cybersecurity Insurance
- Position Your Library to Provide Workforce Assistance to Your Community
- Privacy and Wisconsin Public Libraries Tutorials for Front-Line Staff and for Managers
- WLA Leadership Development Institute
- Library Experience Pass Membership
- WPLC SRLAAW Report
- Needs Assessment Patron Survey Available March 1st
- Continuing Education Calendar
Spring Scholarships Available
SCLS is offering two* scholarships this spring and they both are for leadership events. First is the Lead the Way Conference provided by the UW iSchool Continuing Education Department. This event will be held on April 24 and 25 at the Pyle Center on the UW Madison campus. The scholarship will cover registration, transportation, lodging, and meals. The deadline to apply for the scholarship is April 10, 2023.
The Wisconsin Library Association is hosting its Leadership Development Institute (LDI) this year. This will be a six-month program with two in-person sessions and monthly virtual sessions. Applications for LDI are due to WLA on March 6, 2023. If you are accepted into the LDI program, SCLS offers a scholarship to help offset the costs of participating. The scholarship will cover the cost of registration, travel to the in-person sessions, and meals. The scholarship will NOT cover the cost to attend the WAPL or WLA Conference.
The SCLS CE Scholarship and Grant programs are funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services which administers the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). Thank you!
*We'll have a WAPL Scholarship available as soon as registration opens for the conference.
Request for Information on Cybersecurity Insurance
The Administrative Council reviewed the proposed "Agreement to Participate in SCLS Technology Services" for 2024 and are proactively updating the agreement to include protocols and better protect against cyber-attacks for all of us. The Cost Formula Work Group has also reviewed the agreement. This topic will be discussed at the March All Directors Meeting.
As part of the steps to build a plan in case of cyber-attack, we are asking library directors to contact their local municipality and ask them if your library has cybersecurity insurance.
If the answer is yes, please follow up by inquiring:
- How much coverage in dollars?
- Are there any requirements to have the insurance? e. g. multi-factor authentication.
Send your answers in an email to Marty Van Pelt ([email protected]). If necessary, SCLS will reach out to insurance companies to research coverage for the libraries that do not have coverage.
Please provide this information BEFORE the March 16 All Directors meeting. Thank you.
Position Your Library to Provide Workforce Assistance to Your Community
In Person Workshop
Friday, March 10th 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM at Portage Public Library (Register Here)
Library staff are invited to an in-person workshop to learn how to help job seekers AND make connections with community partners.
What: Workforce Development Collaboration Workshop
When: March 10, 2023 from 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
**FREE Lunch and Refreshments will be provided!**
Where: Portage Public Library
253 W. Edgewater St.
Portage, WI
Workshop Description: Libraries are asked to do more than ever to help their communities thrive – often by assisting job seekers in gaining meaningful, livable employment. This often takes the form of helping library users in job searching, application prep, and other employment services – which can be challenging for frontline staff to navigate alone. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and partners developed through the Library Workforce Connection (formerly LAWDS) statewide workgroup are hosting an in-person workshop on Friday, March 10 from 9:30 am - 2:30 pm (lunch included) to discuss resources and networking opportunities available for library staff. Learn about multiple workforce development and wraparound service initiatives, tools, and resources, while connecting with volunteers from the Wisconsin Society for Human Resource Management (WISHRM), and hear more about a highly successful local partnership – the Portage Area Workforce & Service Connection – to learn tips, strategies, and best practices for forming local partnerships in attendees’ own communities. Networking activities will be offered, so that by the end of the day on March 10th, you will come away with tips, resources, and NEW connections to help your communities thrive!
(Registration closes March 3. Spots are limited*, so register early.)
This workshop is in-person only; attendees will not be able to participate digitally. Registrants are expected to participate in the entire workshop, so please block the full time in your calendar.
If you have questions about the workshop or registration, or require particular accommodations, please reach out to Chris Baker, Public Library Consultant at DPI ([email protected]), or Mark Jochem ([email protected]).
Privacy and Wisconsin Public Libraries Tutorials for Front-Line Staff and for Managers
Wisconsin public library workers now have access to a tutorial covering the basics of privacy and public libraries, with specific attention to Wisconsin laws.
- The tutorial for front-line staff includes three modules. Each module consists of a short (8-9 minute) video, links to additional reading, and a short comprehension quiz. The goal is to help front-line staff understand the reasons behind privacy policies and laws, as well as learning how to interact effectively with library users about privacy.
- Additionally, library directors and managers can access a short tutorial with suggestions for working with staff, creating policies, and other administrative tasks related to protecting patron privacy.
- Those who complete the tutorials will be able to print a certificate of completion.
These tutorials were created by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s iSchool, and are sponsored by Wisconsin Public Library Systems with support from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Public Instruction, with funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services.
Privacy and Wisconsin Public Libraries Tutorial for Front-Line Staff: https://my.nicheacademy.com/iflslib-staff/course/56679
Privacy and Wisconsin Public Libraries Tutorial for Managers and Directors: https://my.nicheacademy.com/iflslib-staff/course/56903
Please contact Leah Langby ([email protected]) with questions, or if you have any difficulty accessing the tutorials.
WLA Leadership Development Institute
The 2023 Leadership Development Institute (LDI) is a highly immersive training program designed specifically for our profession. Based on several overarching leadership competencies, participants will interact in cohort groups throughout the six-month program. Each module includes the introduction of problem-solving skills and real-life applications. Instructors represent a wide range of disciplines both within the library community as well as outside of the profession.Based on feedback from past Institute participants and our current membership and including recommendations from UW-Madison Extension instructors, the 2023 LDI program curriculum has been refreshed with updated content and a new format (a mix of in-person and virtual sessions) designed to make the program more inclusive. We strive to have a mix of emerging and experienced leaders representing a variety of roles and library types participate in the program.
Who is encouraged to apply?
- People from various departments in library organizations, including youth services, outreach, adult services, marketing, technical services, etc.
- People across the organizational hierarchy: frontline staff, administration, directors, emerging and incumbent leaders, etc.
- People from all backgrounds and identities, including those who identify as BIPOC, neurodivergent, disabled, or LGBTQ+.
LDI 2023 will kick off as a one-day in-person in Oshkosh on April 26 (co-located with the WAPL conference) and wrap up in person on October 24 in Middleton (co-located with the WLA Fall Conference). Participants will also attend 10 virtual modules May through September.
This program was developed in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension. It was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Tuition: $475 for WLA members, $550 for non-WLA members
Applications will be accepted through midnight on March 6, 2023. Applicants will be notified of their status by March 17, 2023.
To access the application link and more details on the Institute, such as expectations for participants, resources for Making the Case to Apply, an FAQ, and a sample application are available on the LDI webpage. We strongly recommend potential applicants review the information on the webpage before submitting an application.
Please help spread the word about this terrific program by sharing the program flyer!
Questions? Contact Laura Sauser, WLA Executive Director, at [email protected].
Library Experience Pass Membership
The Library Experience Pass Membership is a program from the WI State Historical Society that provides two family memberships that can be checked out by public libary patrons. The benefits of these memberships include admission to our 12 historic sites and museums for two adults and children under 18 in their household, and a 10% discount in our museum stores. Benefits do not include admission to special events or discounts on special event tickets or dining.
The standard package includes two family memberships for annual membership dues of $1,000. One family membership can also be purchased for $500 if you prefer. The package still includes a subscription to our publications (Wisconsin Magazine of History and Columns newsletter) for the library.
Historic Sites:
- Old World Wisconsin - Eagle
- Circus World - Baraboo
- Villa Louis - Prairie du Chien
- Wade House - Greenbush
- Pendarvis - Mineral Point
- Stonefield - Cassville
- Black Point Estate and Gardens - Lake Geneva
- H.H. Bennett Studio and Museum - Wisconsin Dells
- Madeline Island Museum - La Pointe
- Reed School - Neillsville
- First Capitol - Belmont
- Wisconsin Historical Museum - Madison
You can learn more at wisconsinhistory.org/sites
Contact Hannah Hankins with questions:
WPLC SRLAAW Report
Save the Date: WPLC Annual Member Meeting The WPLC will hold its annual member meeting this year at the WAPL Conference on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm in the Lynch/LeFevre rooms at the Best Western Premier Waterfront Hotel and Convention Center in Oshkosh, WI. All are welcome to attend.
Recent Wisconsin’s Digital Library News
- OverDrive donated a collection of over 200 simultaneous use adult fiction and nonfiction titles as part of their Everyone Reads program. The collection will be available in the WDL for two years. OverDrive will add the Everyone Reads - Adult collection to Wisconsin’s Digital Library on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. MARC records for this collection will be available for download then.
- The Libby app released a new filtering system when browsing and searching. It replaces the previous “Preferences and Refine” options and appears on the WDL’s home screen, the search screen, lists, search results, and catalog guides. The next Libby update will resolve an issue that prevented some preorder titles from being displayed in the app. Once this update is complete, all preorder titles will be discoverable in Libby and will automatically display upon purchase moving forward.
- The OverDrive app will be sunset at the end of April 2023. In the weeks before the OverDrive app sunset, current in-app messaging will be updated to give users a final reminder to switch to Libby. After the OverDrive app is sunset, users who try to access Wisconsin’s Digital Library in the OverDrive app will see the following message, informing them they need to upgrade to Libby:
- The Request to Library (RTL) feature will be discontinued across all platforms with the OverDrive app sunset at the end of April 2023. Libby will soon release a new feature for users to discover and share interest in titles that are not yet in the WDL. There will be two ways for users to discover titles that are not yet in your collection: o If a user searches for a title, author, or series and it returns no results, Libby will automatically expand into a “deep search” to display relevant titles that are not yet in the collection but are available in the wider OverDrive Marketplace catalog. o If a user runs a search that returns fewer than 100 results, they can manually apply a new filter (called deep search) to expand their search across the OverDrive Marketplace catalog.
- OverDrive App Sunset Resources: o Bookmark this Resource Center page for helpful FAQs, a preparation checklist, and staff training materials. o Use this marketing kit to help get the word out to your staff and community
Government Info. Day is the Tuesday after the March 15th Brown Bag
Do you work with government information or have an interest in using government information? Join librarians, archivists, and other government information colleagues to hear about current projects, the issues they face, and the tools and resources available to the public.
The Government Information Special Interest Group (GI SIG) of the Wisconsin Library Association is pleased to present a virtual Government Information Day. This event will include:
- Updates on Federal & Wisconsin Depository Programs
- Access to government publications online- Federal & state regulations - Historical Wisconsin citizen petitions
- Discussion: Where do depository libraries go from here?
Don’t miss this virtual opportunity. All are welcome!
The full agenda and registration are now available online.
Needs Assessment Patron Survey Available March 1st
Please consider adding the following links to your website and posting them to your social media.
SCLS in partnership with UW-Stevens Point Department of Sociology and Social Work is conducting a patron-facing needs survey from March 1st to March 31st. Data collected from this survey will help to collect a snapshot of the service needs of patrons. This survey is part of a larger project, the Social Work Intern Cohort. If you have any questions about the survey or the Social Work Intern Cohort project, feel free to reach out to Mark Jochem ([email protected]) and Shawn Brommer ([email protected]).
How to make the survey available (4 ways):
- Add a link to the survey to your website as a link or other way to let patrons know the survey is available: https://uwsp.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5tAfLDLTZoHhdxs (Spanish Translation Coming Soon!)
- Post a link to the survey on your Facebook page OR using this Twitter link: https://uwsp.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5tAfLDLTZoHhdxs?Q_CHL=social&Q_SocialSource=twitter
- Post the QR code (below) in conspicuous locations: information desks, front entry, bathrooms, library shelves, etc.
- Print out the survey (English) (Spanish) then collect the responses, scan, and send to Jess Bowers ([email protected]) at the end of the survey period. Alternatively, you can also send the completed surveys to Mark Jochem at SCLS through Delivery.
Here is messaging about the survey to share with patrons:
Dear Library Patrons,
Over the past year, the South Central Library System has formed a partnership with the social work program at UWSP in an effort to meet the expanding needs of individuals and the community. With this new partnership, we hope to develop initiatives including social work internships, outreach programs, and other services as needed. This survey is voluntary, and you are not obligated to answer any of these questions; however, participating in the survey will help in planning future initiatives within the library. Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete our survey.
Please direct any questions or concerns about this survey to Jess Bowers at [email protected].
Thank you so much! Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!
Thank you for your partnership!
Jess Bowers, MSW, CAPSW
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Associate Professor and Field Coordinator
Department of Sociology and Social Work
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
SCI B339 | 715-346-2444
Please reach out to Mark Jochem ([email protected]) or Shawn Brommer ([email protected]) if you have any questions!