|
|
|
|
|
|
December
2007 |
|
|
|
Click the link below to subscribe to an RSS Feed of the
current Lamplighter page |
||
 |
Director's Memo |
Wow!
The 51ST STATE: THE STATE OF ONLINE – THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN 2008 – CANDIDATES AND NEWS SOURCES
“The presidential election of 2008 will be the first presidential “Internet election,” a historical phenomenon in which the Internet and its technologies are playing integral roles for candidates and their campaigns, the mainstream media, and voters and citizens.”
–Laura Gordon-Murnane
Just how much the Internet is impacting the 2008 election is illustrated in Laura Gordon-Murnane’s in-depth article The 51st State: The State of Online – The Presidential Campaign 2008 – Candidates and News Sources (Searcher; November/December 2007), which includes five extensive tables that examine the Web sites of each of the 17 presidential candidates, as well as mainstream media sites, political blogs, and aggregator tools. You will also find information about online fundraising; discussion forums and debates; how candidates are making use of social networking tools, mashups, podcasts and videos; and how the mainstream media is using the Web to cover the 2008 election. There is also an extensive bibliography – which includes URLs where available – for anyone wanting more information or needing to do additional research.
The 51st State is a key reference tool that should be shared with anyone following the election or helping voters, provided to reference/information desk staff as a resource to answer political questions, or conveniently placed near a library’s public access computers for interested citizens. To view or print out a PDF of this article, go to http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/nov07/Gordon-Murnane_51stState.pdf
(ResourceShelf Newsletter; http://www.resourceshelf.com/; November 15, 2007)
Make a Difference!
REGISTER FOR LIBRARY LEGISLATIVE DAY 2008!
You know that what happens at the State Capitol can have a huge impact on library services in Wisconsin. And whether you’re a political junkie or a novice, attending Library Legislative Day (LLD) is an easy way to make a difference in the way libraries are perceived by state lawmakers. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA), and the Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association (WEMTA), Library Legislative Day will be held on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at the Best Western Inn on the Park and the State Capitol in Madison. All library workers and library advocates are strongly encouraged to attend.
Since 2008 is the second year of the legislative session, LLD 2008 will be a great opportunity to thank legislators for their support, to develop/solidify relations with representatives and to set the stage for the next budget cycle.
More information about Library Legislative Day, a registration form, and highlights from previous Library Legislative Days, are available at http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/legis/day/ The registration deadline for LLD 2008 is December 28, 2007, so register today! Together we can create a loud and resonant voice that catches the attention of state lawmakers. Together we really can make a difference.
Happy Holidays!
Marla Sepnafski
Hispanic Outreach Library Action Project
Marathon County Public Library – Wausau, WI
Thursday, January 17th; 9:30 am—4 pm
Using resources, case studies, web sites and action plans, you will gain useful tips and tools for reaching out to Spanish speakers near your library! Presented by: Jamie Matczak, CE Coordinator, Nicolet Federated Library System, and Barb Huntington, Youth and Special Services Consultant, DLTCL.
Agenda:
9:00 a.m.
Registration and refreshments
9:30 a.m. Welcome, Introduction and Making the Case
10:30 a.m. Reaching Out
11:30 a.m. Community Leader Panel
12:30 p.m. Lunch (will be provided)
1:00 p.m. Providing Services to the Spanish-Speaking Community
2:15 p.m. Marketing to the Spanish-Speaking Community
2:45 p.m. Planning an Outreach Activity
3:30 p.m. WebJunction Demonstration and Wrap Up
6.0 CE credits are available to workshop participants
To register, contact Beth Sillars, WVLS Special Needs Consultant at:
(715)261-7255, or sillars@wvls.lib.wi.us
Questions about the workshop can be directed to Jamie Matczak:
(920) 448-4413, or jmatczak@mail.nfls.lib.wi.us
Administered by the Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning with a Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation grant, the iHOLA! Project workshop is part of WebJunction's Spanish Language Outreach Program.
Via Web 2.0 –
10 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR LIBRARY GREAT IN 2008
As you think about your resolutions for the New Year, why not resolve to make your library an even greater asset within your community? As part of your resolution you might want to take in a FREE, one-hour WebJunction webinar on January 16, 2008, on 10 Ways to Make Your Library Great in 2008 – via Web 2.0. Ed Rossman, guest speaker and author of Castles against Ignorance: How to Make Libraries Great Educational Environments, will present ways to empower library staff and to increase a library’s value within the community. For more information, visit http://www.webjunction.org/do/Navigation?category=15543
| Good News! WVLS TO OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS TO ATTEND 2008 PLA CONFERENCE Every other year public library staff, trustees and Friends from across the country – and across the globe – come together in the American Library Association’s largest conference devoted strictly to public librarianship. The Public Library Association (PLA) conferences have developed a reputation for excellence and each offers more than 100 top-quality continuation education programs from which to choose, several social events, and a bustling exhibit hall. |
|
 |
The next PLA conference
will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota from March 25-29, 2008 (http://www.placonference.org). Because
this premier event is such an easy trek from central/northern Wisconsin,
WVLS is providing scholarships to cover registration, travel, meal and
lodging expenses for at least two public library staff members to attend
this event. A person does not need to be an ALA member or a PLA member to be eligible! For eligibility requirements and an application form, contact Linda Orcutt at 715/261-7253 or lorcutt@wvls.lib.wi.us. Application deadline is January 24, 2008. This is a wonderful opportunity to see the latest and greatest in products and services for public libraries and all qualified public library staff members in the WVLS area are strongly encouraged to apply for a scholarship. |
MICROFILM TO GIVE AWAY
The Marathon County Public Library is giving away the following periodicals in microfilm:
If interested, please contact Mike O’Connor (email: mloconnor@mail.co.marathon.wi.us or telephone: 715/261-7234) by December 28th.
GREAT INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE FOR KIDS
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has selected its Fall 2007 list of Great Interactive Software for Kids (GISK), which recognizes high-quality computer programs and digital media for children 14 years of age and younger.
The selected products are:
For the annotated list of Fall 2007 Great Interactive Software for Kids, visit the ALSC Web site at: http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/childrensnotable/greatintsftware/currentGISK.htm
(edited from an ALA news release; December 4, 2007)
New Summer Reading Game!
WHO WILL BE THE NEXT ENTOMOLOGIST?
Games are ubiquitous. Turn on TV and you will see people earnestly being apprentices, trying to survive in the boardroom, racing in amazing ways, and dancing their star-studded feet off. In this all-new game by Summer Reading Game Guru Pam Carlson, young library patrons will complete a series of educational bug-related tasks to find out Who Will Be the Next
Entomologist?
It's easy and fun and everything you need to know to get started is available at http://www.librarypalooza.net/nextentomologist.html - including the ever-so-high-fashion iron-on
t-shirt artwork, and downloadable instructions and PowerPoint Presentation for Who Will Be the Next
Entomologist?
NOTE: A quick search on Amazon.com provided other bug games you can purchase:
Ants in the Pants, Cootie, Bug-opoly, Bug Bingo, and many more.
(edited from Rhonda Putney’s Children’s Event Organizer; 12/5/07; http://www.west-bendlibrary.org/mwflskids.htm)
HOW DOES YOUR TEEN AREA MEASURE UP?
Following is an assessment tool to evaluate teen spaces in public libraries that was developed by Cathy Carey and the Wayne Oakland Library Federation in Michigan, with the help of Sylvia Mitchell of the Hawaii State Library. It was originally published in the June 1990 issue of VOYA, and, more recently, it was shared at the 2007 WLA Conference “Teen Times” session by Ruhama Kordatsky. How does the teen area in your library measure up?
1. As you enter the library, can the location of the YA area be discerned? (If yes, 10 points)
2. Which of the following are located in, or are adjacent to, the YA area?
a. Study Guides (2 points)
b. College Catalogs (2 points)
c. Career Materials (2 points)
d. Sex Education Books (2 points)3. Is the YA section identifiably separate from other areas? (5 points)
Is it closer to the adult collection than to the children’s section? (2 points)
Is it slightly secluded, giving the appearance of privacy, while still allowing some supervision? (2 points)4. Does the teen area include?
a. Videos (including music, classics and teen hits on the big screen) (5 points)
b. Popular Recordings (5 points)
c. Computer (3 points)5. Is local pride reflected? Perhaps a bulletin board devoted to current teen accomplishments, along with contests, and a calendar of events, perhaps even local sports scores. (5 points)
6. Are there plenty of comfortable places to sit? (2 points)
7. Are the books for teens mostly in paperback? (10 points)
Are there multiple copies? (2 points)
8. Is there a “drawing card” … something of interest for the browser? (Example: teen magazines) (5 points)
9. Do you use some bookstore (face out) shelving? (5 points)
10. Are your shelves under crowded? (2 points)
Are all the books within reach with most between 36 and 60 inches from the floor? (2 points)
11. Are the books for teens attractive? (8 points)
12. Is the YA collection divided by type, i.e., SF&F, mystery, horror? (2 points)
13. Do you have a flashy colored notebook with lists arranged by subject, available in the teen section? (4 points)
At the librarian’s desk? (1 point)
14. Are materials in displays available for immediate check out? (2 points)
15. Do displays contain realia or 3D materials? (5 points)
16. Is there sufficient supply of attractively displayed free handouts? (3 points)
17. How frequently is the teen collection weeded?
Once a month (10 points) Twice a year (5 points)
It’s been so long I can’t remember (Deduct 25 points)18. Did you survive the quiz? (1 point)
Scoring: 75-51: Congratulations (Or did you lie?)
50-25: You’re on the right track
Below 25: Please don’t feel discouraged if your score is low. NOW GET GOING!
(The “It’s Not Totally Dreamland” Quiz: Public Library Teen Area Self-Evaluation, VOYA, June 1990)
BEST AUDIOBOOKS OF 2007
From great literature to explorations of current events, the editors of AudioFile have selected 45 must-have audiobooks of the past year. Some of the titles include:
For the complete list of the best audiobooks of 2007, visit AudioFile Magazine’s Web site at http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/best_of_2007.html
(AudioFile Magazine; December 2007/January 2008)
BIG READ GRANTS AVAILABLE
The Big Read, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), is designed to revitalize the role of literature in American popular culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. Grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 are available to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment, and provide citizens with the opportunity to read and discuss a single book within their communities. A grant application must be filed online via The Big Read electronic eGRANT system, and a hard copy package of proposal materials must be submitted by February 12, 2008. For full details, or to access the online application, go to http://www.neabigread.org/application_process.php
GOOGLE BOOK SEARCH PARTNERSHIP
At the recent WLA Conference session “UW-Madison Libraries/Google Partnership,” Ed Van Gemert (Deputy Director, General Library System, UW-Madison) and Irene Zimmerman (Cataloging Department Head, UW-Madison), discussed the UW-Madison/Google partnership to expand access to hundreds of thousands of books and documents from the holdings of the UW-Madison Libraries and the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Google Book Search (GBS) enables full text searching of books published before 1923, which is the copyright date in the United States for public domain materials. The books in GBS come primarily from two sources: publishers and libraries. Once a person has searched GBS (http://www.books.google.com/) and found a title of interest, they can:
UW-Madison staff members met with Google liaisons early in 2006 to discuss the project. There is a pending lawsuit regarding GBS which is related to whether or not newer titles can be scanned into GBS for searchers to view snippets of the work. Since searchers will only find a snippet of a newer title, it is the position of GBS that if a person finds what they are looking for on GBS, they will often buy the title. Thus, publishers benefit from allowing the scanning and searches. Because UW-Madison was most interested in digitizing federal government documents and historical documents, they decided to move forward with the partnership and signed the contract on October 12, 2006. The work of GBS is not preservation quality and it is not meant to be a preservation method. It is intended to expand access and discoverability to collections.
The contract is for at least six years and is to digitize at least 500,000 items. UW-Madison will get a digital copy of every file that Google makes. This is a feature that is not in every contract but was a requirement for UW-Madison. UW-Madison is making sure that each item has a bibliographic record and item record before being pulled for the Google project. Many of the government documents do not have this, thus upgrading the online catalog is a significant task. Materials to be digitized are pulled from any one of the campus libraries (there are over 40 libraries on the UW-Madison campus) and Google contractors pick them up for digitizing. There is no cost to UW-Madison to have Google pick up and return materials, and digitize them. Google trucks pick up materials about every four weeks from about five campus libraries at any one time.
This is a massive project and Google has digitizing centers in many places. The location of most of those places has not been disclosed and is considered proprietary by Google. Thus far there has been absolutely no loss or damage to any materials by Google.
UW-Madison is very pleased with being a participant in the Google project. To search for a book, visit http://www.books.google.com Firefox was recommended by the speakers as the best browser to use although audience members indicated that Internet Explorer is also good.
For more details about this project, feel free to contact Linda Orcutt at the WVLS office (715/261-7253; lorcutt@wvls.lib.wi.us), or take a look at the PowerPoint presentation by going to http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/conferences/2007/ and clicking on the link for this session.
-- Linda Orcutt, WVLS Technology Consultant
A RESOURCE FOR THE WEBMASTER
Dennis Gaskill, the man behind the BoogieJack website (http://www.boogiejack.com/index.html) has been serving up compelling pieces of web design wisdom on this site since 1997. On the homepage, he invites the curious visitor to "Look around, make yourself at home". It's a fine idea, especially considering that the site contains a number of helpful HTML tutorials, cascading style sheets (CSS) tutorials, and a selection of free web graphics. While the site doesn't have an embedded search engine, visitors can scroll up and down through the homepage to locate the instructional materials they desire. In the "HTML Tutorials" area, visitors will find several dozen short overviews that cover topics like tag attributes, line breaks, headings, and of course, CSS. Additionally, visitors can sign up to receive his ezine "Almost a Newsletter", which comes out several times a month.
(From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2007; http://scout.wisc.edu/; November 9, 2007)
JANUARY IS NATIONAL CLEAN UP YOUR COMPUTER MONTH
All types of libraries could do their patrons a good service by publicizing National Clean Up Your Computer Month and by telling them what to look for and how to clean up their files and drives. Many people never think about computer maintenance until the lack of it has caused a major crash. Create a program, handout, or Web page that instructs people on the basics: deleting old documents and emails, emptying “sent” folders, running defrag programs, updating security software, etc. Doing this will also demonstrate the library’s tech-savvy.
(Marketing Library Services, November/December 2007)
You go, girl!
95 YEAR OLD GREAT-GRANDMOTHER IS BLOGGING!
In Spain, only about 2.7 percent of people over age 74 have ever used the Internet. Thankfully, to her fans at least, one of them is Maria Amelia Lopez. Lopez is a 95-year-old great-grandmother whose blog has about 60,000 regular readers so far.
“Today it’s my birthday and my grandson, who is very stingy, gave me a blog,” Lopez wrote in Spanish in her first post at http://amis95.blogspot.com Lopez calls herself “the world’s oldest blogger,” but a few others, including 108-year-old Olive Riley () may have her beat.
Though at first she thought a blog was “just a type of paper notebook,” Lopez has been pleasantly surprised by her new creative outlet. “No one pays attention to old women anymore. Not many people love us. But I was surprised by the Internet, because young people, who are 18 years of age, or 14 or 15, tell me about their lives and what they think, and ask [for] my advice.”
There is one thing that Lopez finds sad about becoming a blogger so late in life: “I’m going to die before I get broadband.”
(edited from The World Almanac E-Newsletter; December 2007; http://www.worldalmanac.com/newsletter/200712WAE-Newsletter.html)
FLORIDA LIBRARY OFFERS COMMERCIAL COUPONS
Before you go grocery shopping, you might want to visit the library.
(OrlandoSentinel.com; http://orlandosentinel.com/; 12/2/07)
On December 1st, the Leesburg (Fla.) Public Library kicked off a program to link patrons with community vendors and activities. The program, Youniquely 4 U, is free for anyone who holds a Lake County Library card, and it offers personal recommendations and coupons based on what a library patron checks out, drawing from general categories of the patron’s book or video selections to suggest similar events or businesses.
For example, if new parents check out a book on baby care, they might find a coupon for diapers. If a patron checks out a book on art, they might find information about the latest collection or program available at the local museum.
According to Stuart Sugarbread, events director with Youniquely 4 U, “It’s similar to what you would see on Amazon … The library can now serve up all of the resources it has to a person at the time they’re most interested in them … [and] allows the library to use state-of-mind marketing.”
(American Libraries Direct; 12/05/07)
WEB SITES OF INTEREST (tourist traps on the information superhighway!)
Chordbook.com: Guitar Chords [Macromedia Flash Player needed] http://www.chordbook.com/guitarchords.php
One can’t be sure what Duane Eddy or Andres Segovia might think of this interactive guide to guitar chords, but hopefully they would approve. Offered up by Chordbook.com, this online guitar chord primer takes novice and experienced guitar players through all sorts of chord variations and possibilities. Visitors can start by looking over the “Help” below virtual guitar, as it goes over how to turn the capo on and off, tuning settings, and how to store favorite chords via the “My Chords” feature. The interactive guitar is quite easy to use, and visitors will want to recommend this site to friends, colleagues, and other musicians. (The Scout Report; 11/2/07; from the Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2007; http://scout.wisc.edu/)
Christmas Carol Lyrics Database http://www.asksam.com/ebooks/christmas%2Dcarols/
Just in time for the Holidays, the folks at AskSam have created a database to full-text search some of the most popular Christmas carol lyrics. You can search and view both online and offline (via a free download) (ResourceShelf.com; 11/0/07)
FactCheck.org http://factcheck.org
This project, by the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center, holds political candidates (no matter what party they represent) to task for mis-statements, distorted facts and outright untruths in major speeches, debates and other appearances. It’s the kind of detailed fact-checking you expect, but don’t always get from major media outlets, and it’s an incredibly useful resource as we head for a contentious primary season.
(The World Almanac E-Newsletter; November 2007)
Origami Butterfly http://museum.nhm.uga.edu/htmldocs/origamibutterfly.html
The Georgia Museum of Natural History Web site has instructions for making an origami butterfly. Decorate your library with these cute butterflies in preparation for your 2008 Catch the Reading Bug summer library programs!
(adapted from Rhonda Putney’s CEO, newsletter of the Lakeshores Library System and Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System; 11/07/07)
Thinkfinity http://www.thinkfinity.org
According to a reader survey from Edutopia, a magazine for educators dedicated to innovative teaching, Thinkfinity has been voted the best Web site for downloading free lesson plans and materials for the second year in a row. Thinkfinity, previously known as MarcoPolo, is the Verizon Foundation’s online program designed to improve educational and literacy achievement. It contains more than 50,000 lesson plans and other academic resources from the country’s leading educational organizations, including the International Reading Association and the National Geographic Society. Subject searches quickly return substantial information for class preparation.
(VOYA; October 2007)
New!!
Picture
This Puzzle
The webmaster (Ann Mroczenski), took some photos, made a few changes to the
first photo, resulting in the second photo.
Can you find the differences between these two pictures?
The differences can range from the ridiculously obvious to the confounding
subtle.
This first puzzle has 8 changes. (hint: You may want to print them out
for easy viewing.)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| a |
 |
||||
| b | |||||
| c | |||||
| d | |||||
| e | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| a |
 |
||||
| b | |||||
| c | |||||
| d | |||||
| e | |||||
Answers to the above Picture This Puzzle are below.
December 15 – WVLS Executive Committee meeting – Marathon County Public Library – 9:30 a.m.
December 24 – WVLS office closed.
December 25 – WVLS office closed.
JANUARY – NATIONAL CLEAN UP YOUR COMPUTER MONTH
January 1 – WVLS office closed.
January 16 – “10 Ways to Make Your Library Great in 2008 – via Web 2.0” – a one-hour WebJunction webinar – for details, visit http://www.webjunction.org/do/Navigation?category=15543 or refer to article above.
January 17 – iHOLA! Gates Spanish Outreach Training – Marathon County Public Library – 9:30 a.m. For more information, see article above.
January 19 – WVLS Board of Trustees meeting – Marathon County Public Library – 9:30 a.m.
January 22 – LIBRARY LEGISLATIVE DAY – Best Western Inn on the Park, Madison – http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/legis/day/
January 24 – Deadline to register for a WVLS scholarship to attend the Public Library Association Conference in Minneapolis, MN. For details, see article above.
February 7 – WVLS V-CAT Council meeting – Frances L. Simek Memorial Library, Medford – 9:30 a.m.
March 25-29 – 12th National Public Library Association Conference, Minneapolis Convention Center. The PLA National Conference is the premier professional development event for public library staff, trustees, Friends, library vendors and others with an interest in public libraries. Bookmark http://www.placonference.org and check back often for updated information on registration, conference programming, special events, travel, and insider tips on everything Minneapolis has to offer. Also, if interested in attending this conference, contact Linda Orcutt (715/261-7253; lorcutt@wvls.lib.wi.us) for details about a WVLS scholarship to cover travel/registration costs to attend this event.
|
“It is no use saying, ‘We are doing our best.’ You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.” -- Winston Churchill
|
A-1: Where did the door stop go?
A-3: The artist changed his mind and painted the stripe brown.
B-2: Toppers changed colors.
C-1: How does the table stay up without a leg?
C-4: A green dish has been added.
C-4: A stack of cups disappeared.
C-5: Who ate the orange?
D-3: Who dribbled malted milk balls on the table?
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.)
| EDITOR: Marla Sepnafski Phone: 715/261-7252 FAX: 715/261-7259 msepnafs@wvls.lib.wi.us |
 |
|
Contributions are welcome!
News items should be submitted by the first of the month. When the most recent issue becomes available, readers are alerted by a notice
posted to WISPUBLIB, or sent an email. You may copy, reprint or forward all or part of this newsletter to friends, colleagues or customers, so long as the use is not for resale or profit and the information/article is attributed to this issue of the WVLS newsletter, The Lamplighter. |
|
