WLA Awards Celebrate Excellence in Library Service

The Wisconsin Library Association is pleased to announce this year’s library luminaries, selected as outstanding for their contribution to libraries and librarianship:

Library of the Year:  Monona Public Library (Erick Plumb, Acting Library Director)  Under the creative leadership of the late library director Demita Gerber and her staff, the Monona Public Library has gone from good to great! The library has launched several innovative programs and initiatives and has developed collections in strategic areas.


DEMCO Librarian of the Year:  Marge Loch-Wouters, Youth Services Manager, La Crosse Public Library, is WLA’s DEMCO Librarian of the Year. Marge is well known as a leader in library youth services. Her work has involved networking and partnerships within the community to enhance services for kids. Marge has been active in ALA’s Association for Library Service to Children, particularly as a priority consultant and then board member, in WLA as a WeLead mentor, and in the Wisconsin Women Library Workers.


Muriel Fuller Award:  Susan Braden, Reference Librarian, Hedberg Public Library, Janesville, is the 2010 Muriel Fuller Award winner. On top of her normal duties staffing the reference desk, answering email reference questions, teaching computer classes, and selecting books, she is known as “Ms. Local History.” Notably, she collects materials from defunct Janesville industries, including the General Motors plant that closed in December 2008. She’s also converted oral histories of the United Auto Workers into transcribed podcasts available on the library’s website.

Special Service Award:  The award goes to Robert Bocher, Public Library Technology Consultant with the Division for Libraries, Technology and Community Learning at the Department of Public Instruction. No one can argue that Bob has been one of the strongest proponents of enhancing library service through technology. Bob has been a strong and knowledgeable advocate for shared integrated library systems, Internet access, and BadgerNet connectivity.

Citation of Merit:  The Citation of Merit is shared by John Wilmet, John Mielke, Mark Zastrow, Loren Gray, Davin Lescohier and Dick Schultz, city officials in Fort Atkinson during the years when the commitment was made to expand and renovate the Dwight Foster Public Library. They retained a vision and commitment to the project despite the economic downturn, ensuring that the library will remain relevant well into its next chapter and beyond.

Trustee of the Year: Dr. Katherine Schneider, President, L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library Board of Trustees, is the Trustee of the Year. Katherine is a long-time library user and an ardent supporter of the library community and everything to do with libraries – at the local, state and national levels. She has been actively involved in the Friends of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library and attends the annual Library Legislative Day in Madison. She supported the library’s 2006-08 capital campaign and, in 2009, led the Library Board through the largest renovation of the current library facility in the building’s 33-year history.

WLA congratulates each winner and celebrates their accomplishments at the WLA Conference awards banquet Thursday, November 4, 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells. For more information about the award winners, go to http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/awards/awards.htm 

In addition to contributions from DEMCO and Highsmith, the WLA Awards program is supported by the WLA Foundation, through individual charitable contributions. The WLA brings together and supports people from all types of libraries to advance library and information services in the state. The awards program is one way the association acknowledges the dedication of its members to provide exemplary library service to the people of Wisconsin.
(WLA (Wisconsin Library Association) E-News August 5, 2010)

BadgerLink Adds Two New Resources

Resources for Libraries & Lifelong Learning (RL&LL) is happy to announce the addition of two new resources for BadgerLink -- LearningExpress Library and the Wisconsin Newspapers Digital Research Site. The addition of LearningExpress Library improves the ability of libraries throughout the state to help users identify new job possibilities and help them train to take tests to obtain jobs in this time of high unemployment. The other new resource comes from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association and provides critical access to the daily and weekly newspapers in Wisconsin. Both new resources should be available by the beginning of August 2010.

LearningExpress Library
Online practice tests, courses, and ebooks for people of all ages to improve test preparation and test-taking skills. Elementary, middle and high school students can practice math, reading, and writing skills improvement. High school students can also prepare for the ACT, SAT, Advanced Placement, PSAT and TOEFL, CLEP and other college placement exams. College students can work on math and reasoning skills, and reading, science, and writing skills improvement. Adults can practice for taking a wide variety of exams in health care, teaching, real estate, law enforcement and other fields as well as building skills in math, reading, writing, and U.S. citizenship. Each user can set up an individual account and receive instant feedback and diagnostic score reports so that they can identify strengths and weaknesses.

LearningExpress Library is funded for the first year through use of Library Services and Technology (LSTA) grant funds from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning hopes to obtain ongoing funding as a part of the BadgerLink program.


Wisconsin Newspapers Digital Research Site
The Resources for Libraries & Lifelong Learning team has worked with the Wisconsin Newspaper Association (WNA) to help fill the Wisconsin newspaper gap in BadgerLink. Through this new partnership, WNA’s Wisconsin Newspapers Digital Research Site will provide access to its 235 daily and weekly member-newspapers. Newspaper content is available from April 2005 with a two month embargo period. Each addition is covered cover to cover in a PDF, searchable format.

This service is available onsite in libraries of all types (except for corporate libraries) and through entry of a library card number. It is not available statewide through IP address authentication as are other BadgerLink resources. Users will be able to access the WNA website through the BadgerLink website (http://www.badgerlink.net) by clicking on Newspapers under Resources by Type (http://www.badgerlink.net/papers.html).

The first year of access to the WNA newspaper database is being provided as a pilot project. The Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning hopes to gain information on needs for Wisconsin newspaper access and to obtain ongoing funding as a part of the BadgerLink program.

Training for both of these new resources will be made available through the fall BadgerLunch series and through scheduled vendor training sessions. Watch for a complete webinar schedule soon!

For questions regarding either of these resources contact DPIbadgerli@dpi.wi.gov.

BadgerLink is a project of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning. Its goal is to provide access to quality online information resources for Wisconsin residents in cooperation with the state's public, school, academic, and special libraries. The project is funded through the Universal Service Fund with additional support provided by the Institute for Museum and Library Services.

New Promotional Items Available for BadgerLink

The BadgerLink staff at Resources for Libraries & Lifelong Learning (RL&LL), Department of Public Instruction, along with EBSCO staff are working together to revise the BadgerLink posters, bookmarks, and other promotional items.  Seeveral of these new products are available now at:  http://www.ebscohost.com/custom/default.php?id=325

You will find:

• MP3 recording of radio ad for commercial radio (aired recently around the state on commercial radio)
• model scripts for radio ads
• subject themed (history, literature, for example) posters and bookmarks
• customizable versions of posters and bookmarks

Feel free to print and distribute these materials to your library's users OR post these materials on your library's website!  We have some materials already printed.  Contact us at:  dpibadgerli@dpi.wi.gov to request any of these.

Last fall the BadgerLink staff asked for the community's opinions regarding promotional material.  The BadgerLink team used this imput to begin working through revising the materials for libraries.  Design, production, and printing assistance are provided by EBSCO as part of its statewide contract with BadgerLink.  This current array of promotional items represents the first results from this process.

The work continues!!!  We will add to the material over the coming months adding more posters and bookmarks and other materials!  If you would like to give BadgerLink staff feedback or make suggestions let us know at:  https://forms.dpi.wi.gov/se.ashx?s=56301B2D4CC6DCBF

BadgerLink is a project of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning.  Its goal is to provide access to quality online information resources for Wisconsin residents in cooperation with the state's public, school, academic, and special libraries.
(RL&LL, July 9, 2010)

How to Promote NovelList

So you want to tell your public about the wealth of readers' advisory information available from your library.  All you have to do is utilize the promotional materials such as logos and buttons, bookmarks, flyers, and monitor toppers found at the NoveList site:  http://support.ebsco.com/novelist/promotion.php.  (Don't forget to edit these items to include your library's name.)

This site also features press releases and links to webcasts on the following topics:

• 24/7 Readers' Advisory
• Adding Appeal When Suggesting Books
• Connecting with Nonfiction:  Techniques and Title Tips for Young Readers and Teens

At http://support.ebsco.com/novelist/training.php, NoveList provides access to tutorials, webinars, and addtional materials that can help you promote reading.  There is even a Powerpoint on the new features of NoveList.

ALTAFF and Nordstrom to Award 20 Matching Books for Babies Grants

In partnership with Nordstrom, the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), will award 20 grants for $500 each to match $1,075 raised by selected Friends of the Library groups, women’s groups, libraries and other nonprofit organizations for purchasing Books for Babies kits from ALTAFF.

Books for Babies is a national literacy program that acquaints parents of newborns with the important role they play in the development of their children. Parents are presented with a Books for Babies kit containing a board book for baby, baby’s first library card and a variety of brochures with reading tips and early literacy information from nationally recognized educational organizations. Organizations such as Friends of the Library groups, junior leagues and other nonprofits purchase Books for Babies kits. Groups often supplement the kits with information about local resources, including library locations and contact information, as well as details about lapsit and preschool story hours.

In 2008 and 2009, nearly 10,000 Books for Babies kits were distributed to newborns and their parents through ALTAFF’s partnership with Nordstrom, one of the nation’s leading fashion specialty retailers, with 187 U.S. stores located in 28 states. The program was so successful that Nordstrom has donated another $10,000 to continue the matching grants for 2010.

Twenty matching grants will be awarded. The deadline for applications is Sept. 15, 2010. Winners will be notified by Oct. 1, and orders must be placed by Nov. 1. Any type of nonprofit organization with a current program or interest in starting a Books for Babies program is encouraged to apply. Additional information and the application form can be found at www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/altaff/products_services/booksforbabies.
(Jillian Kalonick, Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundation - ALTAFF)

Wisconsin Small Libraries Section Scholarships for WLA Conference

Wisconsin Small Libraries Section  (WISL) Scholarships for WLA Conference

Want to attend WLA but the cupboard is bare? Apply for a WISL scholarship.  You or a staff member can apply as long as you are WISL members. The  scholarship(s) can help you expand your CE budget. If your library has already received the scholarship, apply again.

Follow this link for the details and application form:  http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/wisl/scholarship.htm


Deadline is August 6, 2010.

Conferences are one of the greatest ways for us to connect with and learn from others. See you in November - Diana Skalitzky, WISL Chair