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May
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WHERE’S THE LIBRARY?
Sure, it’s in traditional
buildings. But it’s also on the school bus. In the park.
In homes. At the airport. Ultimately, libraries are at the
center of every kind of community…wherever people are seeking to learn, grow
and, yes, enjoy themselves…working together to make sense of the world of
information – for real people in the real world.
(Adapted from a SirsiDynix
advertisement)
NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY OR DO TO SOMEONE
ELSE, YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED (one way or another)
In the book, Choosing Civility (by
P.M. Forni, NY, St. Martin’s Griffin, 2002), I read, “Just about the most
important thing we do in life is interacting with other human beings.
Shouldn’t improving the quality of this interaction be at the top of our
agendas? Being civil in our everyday lives is a time-tested way to bring
about such improvement. A better quality of human interaction makes for a
better life – a saner, more meaningful, healthier, and happier life. It is
that simple. It is really that simple! All we have to do is
stop, think about it, and then act…the sooner the better…We never touch people
so lightly that we do not leave a trace. Our state of being matters to
those around us, so we need to become conscious of what we unintentionally share
so we can learn to share with intention…What is civility if not a constant
awareness that no human encounter is without consequence?”
DECIDING NOT TO PLAY SMALL:
LIBRARIAN LEADERS
(Notes from a 2005 session by the same name
at the WLA conference in LaCrosse that was led by Melinda Guffeu Orebaugh,
Director, Corporate Knowledge, Gundersen Lutheran Health System) Our
deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we
are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most
frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and famous? ...Actually, who are you not to be? ...Your playing small
doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so
that other people won’t feel insecure around you…Nelson Mandela said, ‘As we let
our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the
same. As we are liberated from our fears, our presence automatically
liberates others.
Mandela also described how leaders should do their work by saying, ‘When you want to get a herd to move in a certain direction, you stand at the back…A few of the more energetic cattle move to the front and the rest of the cattle follow. You are really guiding them from behind.’
Here are a few other quotes on the topic of leadership that I find appealing…
-- Heather Eldred
2nd
NORTHWOODS CONFERENCE
for
LIBRARY FRIENDS, SUPPORTERS & Volunteers
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September 30, 2006 |
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Mark your calendars NOW!
The topics “fundraising” and “book
sales” generated a great deal of interest and enthusiasm at the first
Northwoods Conference for Library Friends, Supporters & Volunteers, so
the Friends of the Marathon County Public Library and the Wisconsin Valley
Library Service (WVLS) have decided that these issues will be the focus of
the second Northwoods Conference.
WATCH for more information!
Conference updates will be announced
via: WISPUBLIB (the Wisconsin public library listserv); the WVLS web site at
http://wvls.lib.wi.us/Workshops/workshop.html;
the WVLS monthly newsletter, The Lamplighter; and mailings to public
library systems, public libraries and Friends groups.
Recently Released!
ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION CONCERNING LIBRARY
BOARD AUTHORITY
In April 2006, the Department of Public
Instruction received an opinion from the Wisconsin Attorney General’s office
concerning the legal authority of the library board. The Attorney
General opinion concludes:
" …that the library board and the library director as opposed to the
county board and the county executive possess the authority to hire and fire
library staff; determine the compensation and duties of library staff; hire
the library director; determine the compensation of the library director;
conduct or participate in the negotiation of labor agreements with library
staff; make budget transfers within the library budget; carry forward
unexpended funds; and close library branches."
DPI also asked for clarification of the legality of the delegation of library board authority to another organization or official, since DLTCL has been asked a number of times whether a library board has the authority to delegate to the municipality or another official its responsibility to negotiate collective bargaining agreements with library employees. The Attorney General concludes that it is permissible for a library board to delegate certain limited functions to another official, but only if the delegation is accompanied by ascertainable standards to which the delegated authority is to be exercised.
The entire opinion is available as a PDF file at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/pdf/ag_opinion_brown.pdf
T.B. SCOTT FREE
LIBRARY TO BE CELEBRATED IN HEART OF THE COMMUNITY: THE LIBRARIES WE LOVE
The T.B.
Scott Free Library will be profiled in Heart of the Community: The
Libraries We Love, a 200-page book that praises and illustrates the
beauty of public libraries across the United States and Canada.
Berkshire Publishing Group (BPG) plans to publish the book in October 2006.
Over 250 public libraries answered BPG’s call for nominations. Of the 80 libraries selected, two are in Wisconsin – the T.B Scott Free Library (Merrill) and the Lake Geneva Public Library (Lake Geneva). The BPG advisory board, which included author Mary Pope Osborne, ALA President Leslie Burger, Friends of Libraries Executive Director Sally Reed and many other literary and library luminaries, chose libraries based on architecture (including renovations), historic importance, environmental issues and community roles. Their guiding principle was to select libraries that as a group portrayed the full range of diversity, potential, style, history, and contributions of libraries in the United States and Canada.
Heart of the Community: The Libraries We Love will retail for $49.95. It will be featured at the “Libraries We Love” booth at the 2007 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, WA, January 19-24, 2007. In addition to the book, BPG plans to offer annually calendars featuring 12 outstanding libraries beginning next year, and a “good library guide” for library patrons in 2008. For more information about Heart of the Community: The Libraries We Love and other BPG projects, visit the BPG web site at http://www.berkshirepublishing.com/assets_news/libraries/libraries.asp
Congratulations, T.B. Scott Free Library!
New Service!
LIBRARIES TRY CATERING TO GAMERS
“Just past the
reference desk, before the book stacks and periodicals, you’ll find
screaming roller coasters, souped-up sports cars and a sterilized operating
room … On the computer screens, that is.”
While some public libraries allow users to play online games at the library at their own cost, the Pasco County Library System (Florida) is providing Games on Demand, an online database of more than 140 computer games, to interested gamers. And, according to System director, Linda Allen, Pasco County Library System is the first in the country to do so.
The games, which individuals may purchase through private subscription services for about $10 to $15 a month, are available free to anyone with a Pasco library card at a cost of $10,000 annually to Pasco County libraries.
Stocking the games was part of the Pasco County Library System’s strategy for drawing in its most elusive demographic: teenagers. And libraries across the country struggle with the same phenomenon. “More than half of the teens surveyed last year by OCLC described Internet search engines as a ‘perfect information source,’ while only 17% described libraries the same way. And nearly 16% of the teens polled last year by the Young Adult Library Services Association said they don’t visit their school or local libraries at all.”
According to Allen,
“If they [teenagers] come to the library to play educational games and they
think libraries are a fun place to be, they will come back again and again
their whole life … We’ve generated a lifelong reader and lifelong library
user.”
(from “Libraries
Try Catering to Gamers” in the St. Petersburg Times, 4/25/06;
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/04/25/news_pf/Northpinellas/Libraries_try_caterin.shtml)
Go! Do! Be!
COOL STRATEGIES TO
HELP YOU REACH OUT TO GENERATIONS X & Y
Following are some
suggestions for reaching out to Gen X and Gen Y that were presented in the
session “Keep Your Cool: The ABCs of GEN XYZ” at a recent Washington Library
Association Conference:
No Piercings/Tattoos Required: Our young patrons come as varied as we are, and being yourself is truly the best way to connect with any patron, especially youth. They can smell a poser as quick as they can click to the next song on their iPod.
Listen to Your Patrons: If there is any way to find out what’s cool, it’s from your patrons. Ask them what they like, how they heard about it and why they like it. They are the widest net for catching what’s new and exciting, and your curiosity and interest is what will keep them coming back.
Pay attention: If a twenty-something patron walks up to you wearing a “Vote for Pedro” t-shirt or carrying a copy of n+1 or something equally mystifying, ask them about it. Pay attention to where they are getting their information, what their interests are and by all means, engage them! You might be pleasantly surprised.
Watch TV: Being conversant with twenty-somethings can be as easy as being a sponge – become a pop culture junkie by clicking around through your TV channels or checking out some popular TV shows and movies from your library or video store. Find out what the fuss is about.
Read a Magazine: Continuing in the pop culture junkie vein, read popular and alternative youth magazines now and again on your lunch break. Some options are Essence, BUST, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, The Stranger, The Comics Journal, and The Believer.
Read Outside of Your Comfort Zone: Readers’ Advisory asks that we read outside of our comfort zone in order to be well-rounded. Plus, it helps challenge our assumptions of what we think we don’t like.
Don’t Forget Non-Fiction: Memoirs, biographies and narrative non-fiction are not to be forgotten when helping 20-something patrons. Look for attitude, humor and style.
Remember, You Don’t Have to Like All of this Stuff!: You don’t have to like any of it: it’s just important to stay on top of the trends and understand why your patrons like it. In the same way that we have to develop an understanding of why readers enjoy the “Left Behind” series, or cozy mysteries or romances, it is important to understand why many of our patrons enjoy Gen-X authors and themes.
Don’t Stress Out!: Helping our 20-something patrons and finding what’s cool at the moment shouldn’t be hard – it should be fun! Be loose and interested and you too will be cool.
Never Give Up: It’s never too late and you’re never too old to catch-up with what’s going on.
A complete copy of
the handouts provided at “Keep Your Cool: The ABCs of GEN XYZ” – which
includes a listing of cutting edge fiction and non-fiction - may be found at
the Washington Library Association web site at
http://www.wla.org/conferences/wla2006/programs.html Click on
the link to the Thursday afternoon session.
(David Wright;
pubyac listserv; 5/12/06)
Free!
THOMAS REGISTER WILL BE
AVAILABLE ONLINE
Following the 2006
edition of the Thomas Register of American Manufacturers, Thomas
Industrial Network will cease publication of the print directory, familiarly
known to the library community as the “Big Green Books.” The Thomas
Register Regional Buying Guides will be discontinued as well. The
full information from these publications will continue to be available free
of charge at www.ThomasNet.com
(Monday Memo,
Arrowhead Library System newsletter, 4/10/06)
Now
Available!
SELF-HELP FAMILY LAW WEB
SITE
About 70% of
litigants involved in separation and divorce proceedings statewide act
without attorneys. In April, the Wisconsin court system unveiled a new
self-help family web site designed for use by people representing themselves
in court. The web site takes users through an online interview which
results in a completed set of the necessary forms to start a court action
for divorce or legal separation. Blank versions of the new
plain-English forms are also available.
The web site also provides a Basic Guide to Divorce or Legal Separation, which lists the basic steps for getting a divorce or legal separation; describes important court-related offices and services; explains legal issues to consider; and provides a step-by-step procedural checklist specific to that court.
The self-help
family web site may be accessed at
http://wicourts.gov/services/public/prose.htm
(adapted from
WSLL@ Your Service; e-publication of the Wisconsin State Law Library;
4/06)
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THE “STATE OF AMERICA’S
LIBRARIES” REPORT The American Library Association has released its first-ever “State of America’s Libraries” report. The report details both the positive impact libraries and librarians have on the millions of people who use them and the challenges libraries face in the area of funding. It explores Americans’ perceptions and use of public libraries, funding for all types of libraries, the results and reach of technology in libraries and more. |
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The report reveals that: · Americans appreciate and use their libraries. Almost 90% of Americans surveyed in a recent national poll report being satisfied with the public libraries. Sixty-two percent of adult Americans have library cards, and circulation of public library materials has climbed ever since 1990. In addition, 36% of Americans put the benefits of libraries at the top of the public services list, a six-percentage point increase from 2002. · Most agree that public libraries are under-funded and need more support. · Libraries are adopting and adapting technology to meet the needs of users – while struggling with flat or decreased budgets. · Libraries in some sections of the country have faced budget cuts that are having a dramatic negative impact on library service in some communities. · Librarians are on the forefront of protecting Americans’ free and open access to information and their right to read and use the Internet and Web freely. Librarians actively worked to amend sections of the USA PATRIOT Act that infringe on reader privacy and played an important role on national and international copyright issues. · Libraries and librarians are good citizens. Librarians nationwide were quick to implement a sustained program of help for librarians and residents along the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast last year, and the American Library Association was quick to reaffirm that it would indeed hold its Annual Conference in New Orleans in June. The ALA conference is expected to bring some 18,000 visitors and $20 million in business to the beleaguered region. Read the entire
report online at
http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2006/march2006/stateoflibraries.htm |
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CITIZEN VINCE WINS BEST MYSTERY
NOVEL
Mystery
Writers of America recently announced the winners of the 2006 Edgar Allan
Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction, television and
film published or produced in 2005. And the winners are:
(from READ, Readers Section Newsletter; Spring 2006 and Mystery Writers of America web site; http://www.mysterywriters.org/pages/awards/winners06.htm)
PARTICIPATE IN THE LARGEST
BOOK CLUB EVER!
The federal Institute of
Museum and Library Services, which is the primary source of federal funds to
the nation’s libraries and museums, recently announced (
http://www.imls.gov/news/speeches/050906.shtm)
that the agency will partner with the National
Endowment for the Arts on a project known as The Big Read, which is a
new national reading program designed to revitalize the role of reading in
America.
Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America, a 2004 National Arts Endowment report, documented a dramatic decline in literary reading - among all age groups, ethnic groups, and education levels - and galvanized a national discussion. The Big Read was developed to help reverse this trend by giving citizens in more than 100 communities in all 50 states an inviting opportunity to read and discuss great books. Each city or town that participates will receive between $10,000 to $20,000 to host a community-wide read that involves collaborations with libraries, schools, local government, and the private sector, and to conduct programs that encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment. The initiative will include innovative reading programs in selected cities and towns, comprehensive resources for discussing classic literature, a national publicity campaign, and an extensive Web site providing comprehensive information on authors and their works.
The Big Read will be administered by Arts Midwest, a regional arts agency based in Minneapolis, MN. Participants in The Big Read in 2007 will be selected through two selection cycles. About 50 organizations will be selected for programming occurring between January and June 2007, and application deadline for the first cycle is September 12, 2006. Another 50 organizations will be selected for programming occurring between September and December 2007. The application deadline for the second selection cycle will be in April 2007.
To learn more about The
Big Read, including activities developed by community organizations
during the pilot phase, and to find out how your organization can submit a
proposal to participate, visit:
www.neabigread.org
(edited from ALAWON:
American Library Association Washington Office Newsline; May 9, 2006)
NEED $$ TO BRING AN AUTHOR OR
ILLUSTRATOR TO YOUR COMMUNITY?
With its annual Wisconsin Authors and
Illustrators Speak program, the Wisconsin Center for the Book offers towns
and cities the opportunity to celebrate and explore the literature of our
state with writers and artists.
The Center for the Book will award up to ten grants of $250 each to qualifying organizations wishing to bring a Wisconsin author or illustrator to their community to speak at a public event. The event must be free of admission charges and be scheduled between September 1, 2006 and April 30, 2007.
A Wisconsin author or illustrator is defined as one who has lived in Wisconsin for a significant period of time, including someone who may no longer be living in the state. This program is made possible through the generosity of donors and the cooperation of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.
Any Wisconsin nonprofit organization
interested in books and reading is eligible to apply for one of the grants.
Collaboration among groups is encouraged. Such groups may include libraries,
schools, community organizations, and places of worship. Applications will
be judged on the basis of community outreach and collaboration, thoroughness
of planning, and rationale for the choice of speaker. Application
information can be found online at
http://www.wisconsinacademy.org/book/application.html or by
contacting Jane Roeber (
jroeber@wisc.edu),
Wisconsin Authors and Illustrators program chair. Completed applications
are due July 1, 2006.
(YSS Press; Spring 2006)
WISLR SCHOLARSHIP
AVAILABLE
The Wisconsin Small
Libraries Roundtable (WISLR) is offering a scholarship to a WISLR member to
attend the 2006 WLA Annual Conference.
Applications (http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/wislr/WISLRscholarship.htm) will be evaluated by a committee of WISLR. Scholarship options include either a $300 scholarship for lodging, registration, meals and mileage; or, a $150 scholarship for registration, meals and mileage. Scholarship winners will be expected to: attend entire conference for which the scholarship has been awarded; submit newsletter article to Whistlestop (WISLR newsletter) sharing what has been learned from the conference; and attend WISLR meetings while at the conference.
Application
deadline is August 14, 2006.
(Whistlestop;
Spring 2006)
OverDrive Audio
Books are delivered in the Windows Media Audio (WMA) format.
Currently, neither iPods nor the Mac version of Windows Media Play support
copy-protected WMA files. However, determined patrons may burn
OverDrive audio books to CDs, load the files into iTunes, and transfer the
files to their iPods. For more details about this issue and the
OverDrive Audio Book Service, take a look at South Central Library System’s
OverDrive Frequently Asked Questions page at
http://www.scls.info/technology/overdrive. Also, for
step-by-step instructions for transferring your audio book to your iPod or
other non-supported audio device, visit the Winnefox Library System web site
at
http://www.winnefox.org/er/Overdrive/ipod.html
1. Why is the third hand on a watch called the second hand?
2. If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know?
3. If Webster wrote the first dictionary, where did he find the words?
4. Why do we say something is out of whack? What is a whack?
5. Why do “slow down” and “slow up” mean the same thing?
6. Why do “tug” boats push their barges?
7. Why is it called “after dark” when it really is “after light’?
8. Why is a “wise man” different than a “wise guy”?
9. Why do “overlook” and “oversee” mean opposite things?
10. Why is “phonics” not spelled the way it sounds?
11. Why do you press harder on the buttons of a remote control when you know the batteries are dead?
12. Why do we put suits in garment bags and garments in a suitcase?
13. Why do they call it a TV set when you only have one?
WEB SITES OF INTEREST (tourist traps on the information superhighway!)
All About Asparagus
(Copyright 2006 by Librarians’ Index to the Internet; LII New this Week; 4/27/06)
All About Birds
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/
Have you always wondered how experienced
birders can confidently identify birds with just a glimpse? This site
by the Cornell Lab of ornithology helps you learn the identification skills
you need by describing the characteristics birders pay particular attention
to in the field. Wondering where to find birds? The best place
to start birding is locally – in your own backyard or neighborhood park.
But if you are yearning for parts unknown, the site also identifies birding
spots in North America.
(Channel Weekly; 5/11/2006)
Cost Benefit Analysis Manual
http://webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=12389
The St. Louis Public Library received an
Institute for Museum and Library Studies (IMLS) grant to create a manual
that provides detailed instructions and tools that small to mid-sized
libraries can use to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of their services.
(Library Connection, newsletter
of the Eastern Shores Library System; 4/06)
Public Library Association Conference
Handouts/Audiotapes
http://www.placonference.org/handouts_audiotapes.cfm
Handouts and other materials from the
2006 PLA National Conference in Boston. Plenty of interesting reading
even if you don’t work in a public library.
(ResourceShelf; 4/8/06;
http://resourceshelf.com/)
Wisconsin’s Water Library for Kids
http://www.aqua.wisc.edu/waterlibrary/kids
From Dr. Seuss to a simple explanation
of the water cycle, this newest web site from the UW Water Resources Library
features children’s books with an aquatic theme that have won awards or
appeared on ‘best books’ lists. Besides fiction and nonfiction books,
the library has ideas and resources for story hours. Users can browse
recommended reading lists by topic (frogs, fish and fishing, Great Lakes,
water pollution, etc.) and age group. Any adult Wisconsin resident can
check out books online and pick them up at their local public library.
(Barbara Huntington’s Posting for Youth
Services Liaisons; April/May 2006)
May 19 – WLA’s Government Information Day – UW-Madison Memorial Library - $10 – agenda and registration form are at http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/girt
May 24 – WVLS Public Library Director’s meeting – Marathon County Public Library – 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
June 1 – WVLS V-Cat Council meeting – T.B. Scott Free Library, Merrill – 9:30 a.m.
June 15 – WVLS Executive Committee meeting – Marathon County Public Library – 9:30 a.m.
WVLS Collection Development Committee meeting – WVLS office – 1:00 p.m.
June 22-28 – ALA Annual Conference – New Orleans, LA – This year there will be two daylong community service efforts to help rebuild New Orleans, plus numerous tour packages. Madeleine Albright is the keynote speaker for the Opening General Session. To register and see a complete listing of program descriptions, go to www.ala.org/ala/eventsandconferencesb/annual/2006a/2006an.htm
July 20 – WVLS Board of Trustees meeting – Marathon County Public Library – 9:30 a.m.
August 3 – WVLS V-Cat Council meeting – Frances L. Simek Memorial Library, Medford – 9:30 a.m.
August 19 – WVLS Executive Committee meeting – Marathon County Public Library – 9:30 a.m.
September 20-21 – Northwest Wisconsin Children’s Book Conference – Telemark Resort & Convention Center - $95 – 6.5 CEUs – details are at http://www.telemarkeducation.com/bookconference/invite_sitemap.htm
September 30 – 2nd Northwoods Conference for Library Friends, Supporters & Volunteers – Rothschild Village Community Room (Rothschild, WI). Details forthcoming.
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“Don’t argue with a fool. The spectators can’t tell the difference.” – Charles Nalin (Refdesk thought-of-the-day; 4/10/06)
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ATTENTION: WESSLER SCHOLARSHIPS are available to cover some/all costs associated with attendance at reference and/or interlibrary loan continuing education events. If interested in becoming a Wessler Scholar, contact the WVLS office (715/261-7250) for more information. The application form and more information are available at http://wvls.lib.wi.us/About/wessler.htm
is a monthly newsletter of the Wisconsin
Valley Library Service.
300 N. First
Street / Wausau, WI 54403
Contributions are welcome!
Back issues are available at http://wvls.lib.wi.us/Newsletter/newsindex.htm
(Note: Web links in past issues are not checked for currency and may no
longer work.)
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EDITOR: Marla Sepnafski |
Contributions are welcome!
News items should be submitted by the first of the month.
WVLS serves Clark, Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Oneida, and Taylor counties.
When the most recent issue becomes available, readers are alerted by a notice
posted to WISPUBLIB, or sent an email.
To subscribe to WISPUBLIB, send an email message to wispublib@badger.state.wi.us
In the body of the message (subject line is ignored) type: subscribe WISPUBLIB.
Then send your email. To have The Lamplighter emailed to you without subscribing
to WISPUBLIB, contact Barbara Freimund at 715/261-7252, or email freimund@wvls.lib.wi.us
