Every spring is the only spring- a perpetual astonishment.    - Ellis Peters  

          The flower that's my favorite kind is found throughout the land -
          A wilting, yellow dandelion, clutched in a grubby hand. 
                   - Larry Tilander, Springtime of My Soul 

          Every year, back comes Spring, with nasty little birds yapping
          their fool heads off and the ground all mucked up with plants.   
                -  Dorothy Parker

IS YOUR LIBRARY (ARE YOU?) REALLY PART OF YOUR COMMUNITY?
“Public librarians should be visible and vital parts of civic life.  We all believe that our libraries are the hearts of our communities, and becoming engaged in community life is a smart move, both philosophically and politically…We know that we are smart, passionate, and committed to our libraries, but getting out of the building and into civic life gives us a chance to show that to others…It helps us build a network of contacts that we can call on when we need to build a consensus or garner support for our services…Getting people into the library and meeting with them at programs and book groups is a great first step toward making community connections and building networks…Once you are comfortable with interacting with members of the larger community on your own terms, it is time to move outside of your building and start making connections with community members you may not see in the library.  Joining a service club such as the Rotary can be a good way to make connections and advocate for your library…Many members of these clubs may not realize what librarians do, so interacting with club members is an excellent opportunity for you to talk about librarianship as a profession and libraries as an important local institution…Programming for the community, joining service groups, and finding other ways to volunteer locally are all great steps toward becoming a library ambassador…people love libraries, but they don’t always know that much about what librarians do and stand for.”
(Adapted from an article entitled ‘Becoming a Library Ambassador: Getting Involved Outside the Library’ by Julie Biando Edwards, Peabody Institute Library, MA as seen in the March 1, 2007 issue of Info Career Trends Newsletter.  Go to http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/archives/mar07jedwards.htm to read the entire article.)

 CCBC IS MORE THAN JUST A GREAT PLACE TO REVIEW CHILDREN’S MATERIALS (ALTHOUGH IT’S THAT TOO)…
An article featuring Kathleen Horning, Director of the CCBC, as one of a series of profiles of the Wisconsin Idea written by Brian Mattmiller in the 2/14/07 issue of Wisconsin OnLine (University Communications) focuses on the CCBC’s role in helping Wisconsin’s library community handle the pressures of book challenges.  I have adapted Mr. Mattmiller’s article with his permission. 

The CCBC Intellectual Freedom Information Services can be a great help for librarians.  Ms. Horning says this confidential service is the only one of its kind in the nation and serves only Wisconsin schools and libraries…Megan Schliesman, coordinator of CCBC’s Intellectual Freedom Information Services, emphasizes that the CCBC never takes a formal position on a book challenge.  “It is not our job to decide whether that book is right for a particular community or classroom”, she says.  “What we provide is background and expert material on the book itself.” 

In 2006, CCBC launched a supporting web service called “What IF?” which allows educators to post questions about intellectual freedom issues.  Some recent questions include: 

-          How do I respond to student complaints about a condom ad in a magazine?

-          Should I remove a book from a library collection while a complaint is pending?

-          I’m afraid of the possible repercussions of collecting books with gay and lesbian content in our small public library.  What should I do?

 For more information on the CCBC and the “What IF?” service, visit http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/  and/or http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/freedom/whatif/default.asp   

 A CAMPAIGN BY ANY OTHER NAME
These days it seems like the political campaign season is a year in/year out event.  That being the case, I worry a little that our very own Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries might get lost in all that campaign language.  To bring you up to date about what the WLA Foundation Board is doing with the funds raised for the Campaign (and to encourage you to keep those funds coming), let me remind you that the Campaign continues to promote the value of libraries and give libraries the opportunity to participate in the Campaign activities via a website, media contacts, conference programs, and other resources and materials. 

The WLA Foundation Board members are most excited about using Campaign funds to help develop and disseminate (in late 2007) a study about the economic impact of Wisconsin’s public libraries…Although similar research has been done in other states, the funding and organization of public libraries in this state differs significantly from those states so as to make comparisons difficult.  This study will be very helpful on every level as a tool to help us tell the ‘importance of libraries’ story. 

The WLA Foundation also contracted to run the Campaign print advertisements in The Municipality, the official monthly publication of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities (6 month contract) and in the Wisconsin School News, the monthly publication of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (3 month contract).  WLAF also sponsored 48 fifteen-second spots on Wisconsin Public Radio’s most popular programming, both AM and FM stations statewide, from October through December 2006.

In addition, WLAF promoted the use of the print advertisements as public service announcements in newspapers around the state through the Wisconsin Newspaper Association – at least 21 newspapers ran the ads.  More than 40 newspapers ran the Campaign news release, ‘Back to School, Back to the Library,’ which cited the critical support that libraries provide for a lifetime of learning, one of the key messages of the Campaign. 

Merchandise with the Campaign tagline/logo has been widely distributed through Wisconsin libraries.  We have distributed 15,000 bumper stickers, 10,000 buttons, nearly 10,000 pencils, and 5,000 magnets at no charge to libraries.  In April, the Campaign partnered with Culver’s on a National Library Week promotion in public libraries, with the assistance of the WLA’s Youth Services Section. 

The WLA Foundation has created a permanent, part-time position to assist with Campaign work, with the goal of hiring someone in the spring of 2007.

 In other words, your Campaign support dollars are working hard for you…but…the Campaign coffers need continual replenishment.  Please make WLA’s Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries a regular/annual part of your library’s budget.   (I trust you get my message, i.e., I think you should highlight the work of the Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries so that you don’t forget about it – it’s SO important to the future of Wisconsin’s libraries – of all types.)

Heather Eldred

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 IN WISCONSIN

 WISCONSIN LIBRARIANS SEEK PRIVACY-LAW AMENDMENT
A police investigation into whether a crime occurred April 2 at the Neenah (Wis.) Public Library has intensified efforts already underway by the Wisconsin Library Association and state legislators to enable librarians to share surveillance tapes with law enforcement in criminal cases without a subpoena.  The investigation involves a patron’s report that a man was masturbating in a second-floor book aisle; by the time the police arrived the suspect was gone. 

Although Neenah Public Library Director Stephen Proces preferred to give police the pertinent surveillance tape immediately, he had to decline until he was served with a subpoena April 18 due to an informal opinion in November 2006 from the Wisconsin Attorney General’s office.  The request stemmed from several thwarted investigations, including one in which the Sun Prairie Public Library wished to share with police a surveillance tape that might help identify who had stolen SPL’s donation box during library hours, according to WLA. 

WLA is seeking a “new narrow exception to the court order requirement for release of library records for library administrative purposes including collection of fines and penalties, and the protection of library staff, library users, and library property.”  State Sen. Michael Ellis (R-Neenah) and Rep. Dean Kaufert (R-Neenah) announced April 17 that they would introduce such an amendment.  “The right to privacy is important, but it should not trump the right of the public to be protected,” Ellis said in the April 17 Appleton Post-Crescent.  Assistant Attorney General Alan Lee, who wrote the opinion, told the newspaper that he backs the amendment. 

Ironically, neither police nor library officials were able to identify the suspect from the subpoenaed video, from which several still photos were made.  “We had 33 employees look at the video, and no one recognized this person,” Proces told American Libraries.
(American Libraries Online; April 20, 2007)

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 YOUTH MATTERS

PLAN NOW FOR TEEN READ WEEK!
Show your support of teens and literature by registering online for YALSA's 2007 Teen Read Week, LOL @ your library, at www.ala.org/teenread.  Registration is quick and free.  The event will officially be held Oct. 14-20.  The humor theme (Laugh Out Loud @ your library) is meant to encourage teens to read light and entertaining materials just for the fun of it.

The first 100 registrants to sign up for Teen Read Week (TRW) will receive a free unabridged audiobook from a Printz or Alex Award-winning author compliments of TRW Promotional Partner, Listening Library. One lucky winner, selected at random, will receive an audiobook library collection of twelve titles by Printz and Alex Award-winning authors.

The first 500 registrants to sign up for TRW will receive a galley from Promotional Partner, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and be entered into a drawing for a signed set of the Twilight Series, including Eclipse, the newest book (available Aug. 7) or a signed set of the Gossip Girls paperbacks, books 1-12, plus the hardcover prequel (available in Oct.).

When you register, please indicate if you would like to participate in YALSA's WrestleMania Reading Challenge.  It is a program designed to encourage teens in middle and high school to not only continue their reading beyond TRW, but to earn a reward for doing so by offering chances to win prizes donated by World Wrestling Entertainment.  Details, including the titles that will be required reads, will be available June 1 via the TRW web site.

LOL @ your library-themed products go on sale May 7th via the ALA online store (www.alastore.ala.org) and ALA Graphics catalog.  You can get a sneak peek at them via the TRW web site.  Are you a seasoned TRW participant?  Do you have some good ideas to share relating to the LOL @ your library theme?  If so, please post them on YALSA's wiki at http://wikis.ala.org/yalsa. 

Thanks for all that you do to get more teens in your community reading!  We hope you will join us this year in celebrating our 10th Teen Read Week! 
(Beth Yoke, Executive Director, Young Adult Library Services Association; pubyac listserv, 4/20/07)  

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CONTINUING EDUCATION

  WVLS PUBLIC LIBRARY DIRECTORS GATHERING

 Marathon County Public Library
Thursday, May 17, 2007
9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 

SHARE…LISTEN…LEARN

WVLS is hosting a grassroots sharing and networking opportunity for public library directors in the area.  During this informal and interactive session, be prepared to SHARE your library’s story, LISTEN to the testimonials of others, and LEARN from the experiences of your colleagues. 

UP FOR DISCUSSION

Topics include:  services libraries are adding/dropping; budget outlook for 2008; serving homeless patrons; annual reports; helpful resources (books, professional journals, listservs, blogs); blood borne disease prevention; collection development (graphic novels; playaways); Library 2.0.; strategic planning; director/trustee relationships. 

Also during this session, Linda Orcutt, WVLS Technology Consultant, will provide a report of the Computers in Libraries conference and review the results of the WVLS Technology Survey.  And, WVLS Interlibrary Loan Specialist Leora Young will summarize WISCAT/OCLC interloan processes at the system level and throughout Wisconsin; and, MCPL staff members, Phyllis Christianson and Garrett Erickson, will highlight WiLS/OCLC services that may be of interest to area libraries.  

R.S.V.P. by Monday, May 14^th
Please contact Marla Sepnafski at 715-261-7252 or submit the form below.

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Get all the information you need to create accurate MARC Alerts and important Horizon Reports!  

Cataloging & Creating Reports
- A WVLS Workshop -

Tuesday, May 15, 2007
9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
T.B. Scott Free Library, Merrill

 

 Don’t let MARC Alerts scare you! 

Join Juanita Thomas, V-Cat Database Manager, as she shares tips for creating MARC Alerts and what to look for on the physical item itself that can be of help.  Feel free to bring along items that have you stumped!

                                                 

Tired of trying to generate useful Horizon Reports?

Ann Mroczenski, Horizon Reports Specialist, will ease your frustration by providing

the how-tos for using Horizon’s Table Editor to generate relevant reports for your library.
 

Agenda

 

               9:00 a.m.                      Refreshments and Registration

                        9:30 a.m.                      MARC Alert Review

                        10:30 a.m.                    What Happens after the MAs are Created?

                        11:00 a.m.                    Break

                        11:15 a.m.                    Creating Horizon Reports

                        12:00 noon                    Questions & Answers

                                                    

Registration Deadline is Friday, May 11, 2007

 

Please R.S.V.P. for the WVLS Cataloging & Creating Reports workshop by contacting Juanita Thomas at 715-261-7250. Or submit the form below.

BIG GRANTS FOR SMALL LIBRARIES
Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions are being offered by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to help small and mid-sized institutions, such as libraries, museums, historical societies, archival repositories, town and county records offices and colleges, improve their ability to preserve and care for their humanities collections.  Awards of up to $5,000 may be used to support preservation related collection assessments, consultations and consultant fees, workshop registration fees and travel expenses, and the costs of purchasing and shipping preservation supplies and equipment. 

The 2007 guidelines for Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions are available at http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/pag.html.  You will also find sample project descriptions, sample narratives, and a list of frequently asked questions. 

All applications to the NEH must be submitted through http://www.Grants.gov by May 15, 2007.  Small and mid-sized institutions that have never received an NEH grant are especially encouraged to apply.
(Genealogy Librarian News; 4/6/07; http://genlibrarian.blogspot.com/2007/04/neh-grants-historical-societies.html)  

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SPECIAL NEEDS

 CELEBRATE SERVING SENIORS (ESPECIALLY) IN MAY 
Seniors, elders, olders, however you call them, folks over 50 are among your community’s most valuable resources, and May has once again been designated as “Older Americans Month.”  This is a great opportunity to celebrate your seniors who come to the library, and make an effort to invite those who don’t come often.  The theme for this year’s observance is “Older Americans:  Making Choices for a Healthier Future,” and you will find promotional resources you can use on the Administration on Aging web site at http://www.aoa.gov/ or http://www.aoa.gov/PRESS/oam/oam.asp.  

Libraries around the country are planning some interesting activities to mark the observance.  Here are some that might work in your library: 

¨       Exempt seniors from fines during May.

¨       Offer a weekly drawing for seniors (prizes could be book bags, coffee mugs, items with the library logo)

¨       Provide programs (at the library, or at nutrition sites) on “neurobics” (exercising your brain) or book talks featuring the library’s new popular titles available in large print and audio formats, and bring along some DVDs of classic TV shows.

¨       Schedule a movie series featuring popular musicals which include dancing, have seniors lead dance demonstrations of the various steps.

¨       Display art work by seniors.

¨       Create a display of photos of local personalities when they were young – who are they?

¨       Arrange an after-hours (or before-hours) party for seniors, with refreshments, to thank them for their contributions to the community (and to let them browse through the library on their own).

 Things to do to make the library senior-friendly:

¨       Take a look at the labels on your large print books – are they clear and legible?  Consider placing yellow transparent tape over the labels, easier for low vision readers to see.

¨       Create library displays of new large print books (and magazines).

¨       Arrange a reading area with chairs with arms, and seats that are high rather than low, and plenty of good lighting.

¨       Make sure aisles are clear and at least 36” wide.

¨       If you list community resources on your library’s web page, consider adding a link to your county’s Aging Unit web site.

¨       Evaluate your service options for seniors, and if you can identify a specific need, consider applying for a grant for funding to meet the need.  Call us here at WVLS; we’d be happy to help you with this process.

 One more idea:  create a bulletin board or display with jokes and cartoons, and feature some of the library’s funnier titles.  Here is one I found on Horizon:  When did I stop being Barbie & become Mrs. Potato Head?: learning to embrace the woman you’ve become, by Mary Pierce.  Laughter is good for people of every age!
(adapted from article by Marcia Sarnowski in Whirlpools, newsletter of the Winding Rivers Library System; March/April 2007)

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INFO TO GO

 Gaming & Libraries: Intersection of Services  by Jenny Levine
Library Technology Reports  September/October 2006
*025.5 L578g  WVLS Office

 Library Technology Reports is published six times a year by the American Library Association.  Each issue is devoted to a single subject offering practical information on library systems, equipment, and evolving technologies.  In the September/October 2006 issue, Jenny Levine discusses gaming and libraries.

 The author readily admits that many librarians have thought that these are “two words you may never have thought to put together – except when discussing a policy to ban it”. 

Levine begins by discussing the history of games and gaming.  Gaming has been central to leisure and learning activities since ancient times.  She identifies current gamers and says, “The average game player is now thirty three years old and has been playing games for twelve years”.  She talks of gaming being a “cognitive workout”, and young children being self-motivated to learn how to read by playing video games. 

Levine discusses gaming setups common in libraries, answers questions about violence in video games, and relates case studies from school, academic, and public libraries.  She concludes with a chapter on what librarians can learn from gamers and a bibliography of additional resources. 

Although this is a reference source kept in the WVLS office, it can be special-loaned.  If interested, please contact Ellen at ebuchber@wvls.lib.wi.us or phone 715/261-7255.  – Ellen Buchberger  

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FROM HITHER & YON

DID YOU KNOW?

Sometimes size does matter…

If you’re one in a million in China, there are 1,300 people just like you.  In India, there are 1,100 people just like you.

 The 25% of the population in China with the highest IQ’s is greater than the total population of North America…In India, it’s the top 28%.

Translation for teachers:  They have more honors kids than we have kids.

 

DID YOU KNOW?

China will soon become the number one English speaking country in the world.

If you took every single job in the U.S. today and shipped it to China, China would still have a labor surplus.

During the next 8 minutes…60 babies will be born in the U.S.; 244 babies will be born in China;and 351 babies will be born in India.

 According to the U.S. Department of Labor…

1 out of 4 workers today is working for a company they have been employed by for less than one year; more than 1 out of 2 are working for a company they have worked at for less than five years.

According to former Secretary of Education Richard Riley…

·         The top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 didn’t exist in 2004.

·         We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t exist yet…

·         Using technologies that haven’t been invented…

·         In order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.

 DID YOU KNOW?

The U.S. is 20^th in the world in broadband Internet penetration.  (Luxembourg just passed us.)

 In 2002 alone Nintendo invested more than $140 million in research and development.  The U.S. Federal Government spent less than half as much on Research and Innovation in Education.

 1 out of every 8 couples married in the U.S. last year met online. 

There are about 110 million registered users of MySpace.  If MySpace were a country, it would be the 11^th-largest in the world (between Japan and Mexico).  The average MySpace page is visited 30 times a day.

 DID YOU KNOW?

We are living in exponential times.

There are over 2.7 billion searches performed on Google each month.  To whom were these questions addressed B.G.? (Before Google)

The number of text messages sent and received every day exceeds the population of the planet.

There are about 540,000 words in the English language … About 5 times as many as during Shakespeare’s time.

It’s estimated that a week’s worth of the New York Times contains more information than a person was likely to come across in a lifetime in the 18^th century.

It’s estimated that 1.5 exabytes (that’s 1.5 x 10¹⁸) of unique new information will be generated worldwide this year.  That’s estimated to be more than in the previous 5,000 years.

The amount of new technical information is doubling every 2 years.  That means for a student starting a four-year technical or college degree … half of what they learn in their first year of study will be outdated by their third year of study.

Technical information is predicted to double every 72 hours by 2010.

 Predictions are that by 2013 a supercomputer will be built that exceeds the computation capability of the Human Brain … By 2023, a $1,000 computer will exceed the capabilities of the Human Brain.

And while technical predictions farther out than about 15 years are hard to do, predictions are that, by 2019, a $1,000 computer will exceed the computational capabilities of the human race.

 WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

                         Shift Happens

 (Edited and revised by Heather Eldred, from a 2/20/07 staff development blog for Arapahoe High School teachers exploring constructivism and 21^st century learning skills.  The opinions expressed are the personal views of Karl Fisch and … other teachers at Arapahoe.  The entire article can be found at the Fischbowl – http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2006/08/did-you-know.html)  

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WEB SITES OF INTEREST (tourist traps on the information superhighway)

 Cybertimes Navigator  http://tech.nytimes.com/top/news/technology/cybertimesnavigator/
For more than 10 years, the Newsroom Navigator has been used by New York Times reporters and editors as the starting point for their forays onto the web.  Its primary intent is to give the news staff a solid starting point for a wide range of journalistic functions without forcing all of them to spend time wandering around to find a useful set of links of their own.  Check this out!
(Refdesk Site-Of-The-Day; 4/9/07)

 Top 10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know Your Library Offered    http://www.libraryforlife.org/blogs/lifeline/?p=2651
Since all libraries offer resources even lifelong users aren’t aware of, you might want to post something like this on your own library’s web site.
(Marylaine Block’s Neat New Stuff I Found On the Net This Week; 2/9/07; http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html)

 VOTE411.org    http://www.vote411.org
With this online tool, there’s no excuse for not voting!  Launched by the League of Women Voters Education Fund in October 2006, it is a one-stop source for election-related questions.  Here you can find information about voting options, election dates, candidates, polling places, registration deadlines, and even voting machines.
(from Library Journal’s tenth annual best web sites list; Library Journal; April 15, 2007) 

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

May – OLDER AMERICANS MONTH – to celebrate, see article above. 

May 2-4 “Raising Your Community’s Net Worth” – WAPL Spring Conference; The Plaza Hotel & Suites, Eau Claire.

May 8-9 – WiscNet Future Technologies Conference 2007 – Monona Terrace Convention Center, Madison.  Topics to be discussed include M.I.T.’s OpenCourseWare initiative, security, Second Life, Internet 2 applications, advanced networking, Web 2.0 applications and other educational technology best practices.  For more conference information and online registration, visit the conference web site at http://www.wiscnet.net/ftc/. 

May 12 – WVLS Board of Trustees meeting – Marathon County Public Library – 9:30 a.m. 

May 14 – New postage rates go into effect on this day.  Approved by the USPS Governors in March, the rate for first class mail will increase from $0.39 to $0.41.  

May 15 – Cataloging & Creating Reports: a workshop for V-CAT members – T.B. Scott Free Library, Merrill – 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – to register or for more information, contact Juanita Thomas at 715/261-7250 or jathomas@wvls.lib.wi.us.

 May 17 – WVLS Public Library Directors Gathering – Marathon County Public Library – 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

 May 22 –  “The Circle Isn’t Round Anymore” – one-day conference of the Support Staff Section of the Wisconsin Library Association – University of Wisconsin Fond du Lac Campus.  Watch the web site, http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/sss for conference updates and registration information. 

June 7 – WVLS V-Cat Council meeting – Marathon County Public Library – 9:30 a.m. 

June 26 – WVLS Executive Committee meeting – Marathon County Public Library – 9:30 a.m. 

July 13 – The movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, will be released. 

July 21 – The seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will be released.