Library Legislative Day Registration Now Open

Library Legislative Day Registration Now Open

With new political leadership in the Capitol, dozens of freshmen legislators to engage, and an ambitious library agenda, your attendance at Library Legislative Day (LLD) is more important than ever! Registration is now open to attend the February 22, 2011 event at the Concourse Hotel and Governor's Club, One West Dayton Street, Madison. (Note the new location.)

 Your challenge now is to get to know your legislators and engage them before Library Legislative Day! This event should not be your first contact with your legislators. If you have a brand new senator or representative, or if your incumbent was re-elected, start by sending him or her a note of congratulations.

Make it your mission to inform your legislators about current library issues and how valuable your library is to your institution or community. Make sure that the information you provide about your library also intersects with your legislators' main interests. For instance, in 2010, WLA developed the "Common Agenda" approach to library issues, focusing on the role libraries play in jobs and economic development, information access and technology, and education. Take a look at our materials for ideas on tailoring your message.

Contact information for legislators is provided for your convenience, as newly elected individuals are still in transition from campaign headquarters to their legislative offices.

Rasmussen College Program - Wangyal Ritzekura

What would It be like if you were a refugee or immigrant?  Find out!

Wangyal Ritzekura

Wangyal Ritzekura will be at Rasmussen College on Saturday, December 4. He was born in Tibet but fled to India with his parents when the Chinese invaded. He later immigrated to the United States from India and now works with other Tibetan immigrants in the Minneapolis area. Mr. Ritzekura will be speaking about his experiences as a refugee and immigrant.

Open and free to the public

10:00 AM, Saturday, December 4, 2010

Rasmussen College, 1101 Westwood Drive, Wausau, WI 54401

For more information call: 715-841-8041



E-Gov: Make It Work @ your Library

E-Gov: Make It Work @ your library

Join us for this free interactive learning experience

How do you bridge the gap?

• 53% of libraries report that staff do not have the necessary skills to meet patron e-government needs.

• Public library staff report that helping citizens interact with government agencies and access e-government resources is the second most critical service they offer, after providing services to job seekers.

For ready-to-implement ideas, attend this new webinar, co-sponsored by American Libraries, the ALA Office for Research & Statistics, and the ALA Washington Office.

Attend and learn how to:
• Use new e-government resources and data to help patrons
• Develop and market e-government partnerships
• Address key challenges to meeting patron e-gov demands
• Use e-gov data to make the case for your library

Panelists include:
• (moderator) Judy Hoffman, Project Manager, American Library Association, Office for Research and Statistics
• Nancy Fredericks, E-Government Services Manager, Pasco County Public Library Cooperative (Florida)
• John Bertot, Director, Center for Library & Information Innovation, University of Maryland
• Bill Sudduth, Head, Government Information and Microforms, Newspapers and Maps, University of South Carolina; contributor to Managing Electronic Government Information in Libraries: Issues and Practices (ALA Editions)

 Register today!

Event Details:
Date: Thursday, December 9
Time:  1:30-3:00 PM Central

Prepare for this free webinar by reading the free downloadable report :
U.S. Public Libraries and E-Government Services - (Published June 2010 by the ALA Office of Research & Statistics )
(American Libraries Webinar Announcement, November 15, 2010)

Mobile Technology and Libraries - "Can you hear me NOW!"

The Big Picture for Mobile Technology

Cell phones. Laptops. APPS. 4.6 billion mobile phone subscriptions worldwide (for real)! Get the big picture on mobile technology by reading the "Mobile Technology Position Paper" by Beth Carpenter and Adam Brisk. It's a long paper, but it's a great overview of mobile technologies and their use in libraries.

Pressed for time? Flip through the slideshow "Can You Hear Me Now? Shhhh!: Mobile Devices in the Library" that the paper's authors presented at this year's WLA Conference. It showcases numerous examples of how libraries and the world at large are addressing the needs of the mobile community.
(Techbits, November 13, 2010)

Mark Your Calendars for Money Smart Week @ your library, April 2-9, 2011

The American Library Association (ALA) has joined in a partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago to make “Money Smart Week @ your library,” held April 2-9, 2011, a national initiative.

Celebrating its 10th year in 2011, Money Smart Week’s mission is to promote personal financial literacy. Libraries of all types in the Midwest have participated in Money Smart Week, partnering with community groups, financial institutions, government agencies, educational organizations and other financial experts to help consumers learn to better manage their personal finances.

“ALA and libraries promote all types of literacy, and the past few years have highlighted the need for everyone to be financially literate,” said Roberta Stevens, ALA President. “We are thrilled to be partnering with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago to make this a national initiative and encourage all libraries to mark their calendars now to celebrate and participate in Money Smart Week @ your library.”

“The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago looks forward to partnering with the American Library Association to bring financial education to consumers across America,” said Doug Tillett, the bank’s vice president in charge of public affairs. “Since the start of Money Smart Week almost 10 years ago, libraries have been instrumental in helping people learn to make informed decisions about managing their money.”

“Our participation in Money Smart Week Wisconsin over the last three years has brought hundreds of new patrons into the library and has helped us forge new community partnerships,” reported Lori Burgess, support services coordinator, Fond du Lac (Wis.) Public Library.

ALA and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago will be launching a special section of the Money Smart Week website on Nov. 1 devoted to libraries, with information on how to participate, as well as toolkits, resources and examples of programming for public, academic, school and special libraries.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago is one of 12 regional Reserve Banks across the United States that, together with the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., serve as the central bank for the United States.
(American Libraries, ilove.libraries.org)

Fund LSTA at $300 Million

Act Now!!!

Please call your Congressional representatives and tell them to fund the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) at $300 million for FY 2011. LSTA funding is distributed to states by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through population-based grants. LSTA the only source of federal funding for public libraries, and with more and more public libraries facing state and local budget cuts, it is critically important that libraries receive this money. Take Action!
(American Libraries - i love libraries.org)

OverDrive Books On iPads and iPhones

Bluefire Reader Makes OverDrive Books Work on iPads and iPhones

Terrry Dawson, Director of the Appleton Public Library discovered this easy way to make OverDrive books readable on his iPad.  Here is the link to the article from mobiputing:  http://mobiputing.com/2010/11/how-to-read-public-library-ebooks-with-drm-on-an-iphone/

Terry downloaded the free app, Bluefire Reader to his iPad. He downloaded the Adobe epub book from Overdrive onto his desktop and emailed the file to himself. From the iPad mail client, he did an “open with” Bluefire Reader et voila!  

Bluefire Reader is a eBook app for iOS which lets you read digital books in PDF and ePub formats. But what really sets Bluefire apart from every other app available for iOS is that it supports Adobe DRM. And as of today, it supports the DRM used by public libraries, which means you can download free eBooks from hundreds of public library web sites and read them on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. Up until now you could only read those books on a Sony Reader, Nook, or a computer.

Bluefire is available as a free download from the App Store. Our online ebooks just got better… and in more demand.
(Terry Dawson, Appleton Public Library)

Registration Now Open for Teen Tech Week - March 6-12, 2011

2011 theme is Mix and Mash @ your library®  

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), launched its Teen Tech Week 2011 website, opening registration and offering tools for librarians to plan the annual celebration of technology for teens in the library. More resources, including activity ideas, planning materials, publicity tools and more, can be found at www.ala.org/teentechweek. Official Teen Tech Week products, including posters, decals, bookmarks and digital downloads, are available at the ALA Store.

Teen Tech Week will be celebrated March 6-12, with a theme of Mix and Mash @ your library, encouraging teens to take advantage of the many technologies available to them, free of charge, at their libraries.

“Throughout the year librarians and teens use technology regularly to communicate, collaborate and create, and libraries are a great place for teens to learn how to use technology safely and smartly,” said Kim Patton, YALSA president. “Registering for Teen Tech Week helps demonstrate that libraries around the country consider technology an important part of teen lives and an important part of the programs and services offered by libraries.”

Visitors to the site can access this year’s theme logo by registering. They can also apply for a 2010 Teen Tech Week Mini Grant, funded by the Margaret A. Edwards Trust.

Teen Tech Week is a national initiative sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association and is aimed at teens, their parents, educators and other concerned adults. The purpose of the initiative is to ensure that teens are competent and ethical users of technologies, especially those that are offered through libraries such as DVDs, databases, audiobooks and video games. Teen Tech Week encourages teens to use libraries’ non-print resources for education and recreation and to recognize that librarians are qualified, trusted professionals in the field of information technology. Teen Tech Week began in 2007 and has a general theme of Get Connected @ your library.

2011 Promotional Partners include ALA Graphics, the Margaret A. Edwards Trust and Tutor.com. DoSomething.org and the Federal Trade Commission are 2010 Nonprofit Supporters.

For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos and audiobooks for teens. For more information about YALSA or for lists of recommended reading, viewing and listening, go to www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists, or contact the YALSA office by phone, (800) 545-2433, ext. 4390, or e-mail, yalsa@ala.org.

(American Libraries Direct, November 10, 2010)

Wisconsin Libraries Say Cheese!

Wisconsin Libraries Say Cheese! A Day in Pictures

 

Just a reminder that this “encore” event (a program of the Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries) is scheduled for Wednesday, November 17, 2010! Visit the Say Cheese website to find suggestions and resources to help your library participate in this event and use that participation to promote your library’s services, resources, and value to your community and library funders.

A few changes to note from last year:
• The Say Cheese Flickr group will accept photos from LIBRARY Flickr accounts only – no personal accounts, please. This protects your privacy by preventing Say Cheese visitors from linking to personal Flickr accounts!

• Choose your library’s ten (new limit this year) best photos to load. Remember, candid photos showing library activities work best.

• Each library is asked to follow its own policy regarding permission for the photos taken --- no photo permission slips are required to be sent to the WLA office this year!

• Taking your photos on Wednesday, November 17, is preferable; however, if another day during the week works better for you, please load your photos to the Say Cheese Flickr group account as soon as possible.

The Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries, which sponsors Wisconsin Libraries Say Cheese! A Day in Pictures is an ongoing, statewide marketing and public relations initiative of the Wisconsin Library Association Foundation (WLAF) that provides a collective voice for Wisconsin libraries of all types, focusing on developing and disseminating effective messages about the importance of all Wisconsin libraries. Visit the Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries for more resources to promote your library.
(WLA Foundation Campaign Action Committee)

Update - eBook Devices Cheat Sheet

In September, a new librarian reference tool was introduced: the eBook Devices Cheat Sheet. With the biggest shopping day of the year quickly approaching, we have updated the eBook Devices Cheat Sheet (PDF) to include the Pandigital Novel as a compatible device. Your library staff will likely receive more questions about eBook readers during the holiday season, so be sure to print out this updated reference tool for your circulation or information desk.


Don’t forget you can find the most up-to-date list of compatible devices on the OverDrive Device Resource Center. As more devices become available, our team will test for compatibility and we’ll let you know the results.
(OverDrive's Digital Libary Blog, November 2010) 

White Deer: Ghosts of the Forest - Crandon Public Library Program



On Tuesday, November 9, 2010, at 6:30 pm the Crandon Public Library will be holding a meet and greet with nationally-known photographer Jeff Richter. Mr. Richter will tell stories, share photo tips and present information about the beautiful and elusive albino deer.

Capturing incredible shots of nature that many people will never see in their lifetimes, Jeff Richter shares with Crandon a small glimpse into a true hunt, a hunt for the rarely seen white deer. His book includes photos taken from all over Wisconsin in his many quests to find this incredibly rare creature, and an attempt to explain the natural phenomenon of albinism in Wisconsin forests.

Probably no one has spent as much time following these white “ghosts of the forest” as nationally-known photographer Jeff Richter. Richter has been privileged to hunt the deer with his camera on lands where they seem to have concentrated by some fluke of nature. Jeff has worked full-time as a professional photographer for over a decade. His work has appeared extensively in Wisconsin Trails magazine, and in The Nature Conservancy, Audubon, and other prestigious publications.

This slideshow presentation is sure to be both educational and entertaining. This book, along with his other titles Pure Superior and True North will be available for purchase and signing … just in time for the holidays! Please call the Crandon Public Library at 478-3784 with any questions.
(Michelle Gobert, Director, Crandon Public LIbrary November 8, 2010)

Time to Order 2010 Wisconsin Income Tax Forms

It is now time to place your order for 2010 Wisconsin income tax forms.

More E-filing - Less Paper

Each year more and more Wisconsin taxpayers are filing their income tax returns electronically. In 2008 the department introduced an e-file application called Wisconsin e-file. This application is Free, Secure, and Accurate. Plus, taxpayers can get their refunds within days with direct deposit.

 We encourage you to refer your customers to this free application. Wisconsin e-file is available from the department's web site at http://www.revenue.wi.gov/wi_efile/index.html 

Reducing the Quantity of Forms Ordered
We would like to thank all the libraries who helped in reducing the number of forms that were ordered last year. For 2009, libraries ordered approximately 200,000 fewer tax forms than in 2008, bringing the combined 2009 order down to 1.4 million. Based on the unique barcode assigned to forms provided to libraries, the department was able to determine that less than 10 percent of the 1.4 million forms provided to the libraries were actually filed with the department. While we want to continue to provide forms to taxpayers who need them, we must reduce the waste associated with forms that are not being used. We urge you to order fewer forms for 2010!

Remember, all Wisconsin tax forms are also available online at: http://www.revenue.wi.gov/html/formpub.html.

How to Order 2010 Wisconsin Tax Forms
Step 1 Complete Form P-744L, Library Tax Form Request, which is available at the following web site: http://www.revenue.wi.gov/forms/misc/p-744lf.pdf
Step 2 Fill in requested quantities
Step 3 Save completed form to your computer
Step 4 E-mail the completed request form (as an attachment) to DorLibraryFormsOrders@revenue.wi.gov

Please submit your order by November 18th.  Remember to sign up to the department's Library electronic mailing list to receive important communications specifically relating to libraries.

We thank you for your time and effort in providing assistance to Wisconsin taxpayers. If you have any questions or need assistance with placing your order, feel free to contact Laurie Yahr at (608) 261-5106 or e-mail at laurie.yahr@revenue.wi.gov.