The Library Connection
The Monthly Newsletter of the Eastern
Shores Library System
www.esls.lib.wi.us
Volume 32 Number 4 April 2012
Images are copyrighted. Contact the CSLP at info@cslpreads.org
for more information
Click here for the Winter 2012 Bookmobile Schedule
Director Weinhold to Retire
At
the April 30th Eastern Shores Library System Board of Trustees
meeting, Director David Weinhold announced that he will be retiring on
June 8, 2012. Prior to his duties at Eastern Shores, David was the
Director of the Sheboygan Falls Memorial Library from June of 1977 to May
1980. In 1980, David left that
position to become the Library System Coordinator for the Sheboygan County
Federated System under the direction of E.R. Kunert, then Director of Mead
Public Library and the Library System.
The Eastern Shores Library System was formed in 1987 and
David was appointed as the System’s Director in July of 1990.
When asked about his future plans Mr. Weinhold noted that after June 8 he would " be available for general library consulting services, work on his '57 VW Beetle and has a road trip to Alaska planned." He will also as his wife would say, 'putz' around the house and yard, enjoy a new travel trailer and provide some Olivia care (granddaughter).
More information about Director Weinhold's career and retirement celebration will be in the May issue.
Thank you Mr. Zeisler
James Zeisler has submitted his resignation from the Eastern Shores Library System Board of Trustees. Mr Zeisler was appointed to complete the term of an Ozaukee County Member-at-large since 2008. He was reappointed in 2010 for a three year term ending in 2012. He served on the Personnel Committee and on the Contracts Committee during his tenure. As a parent of young children he is involved in coaching and other family activities and is not able to provide the time for the library system board duties.
Thank you for your service Mr. Zeisler.
Children's Librarians Corner
A
Program of Titanic Proportions
Amanda
Schmidt, Children’s Librarian, Cedarburg Public Library
Not only does
2012 mark the Cedarburg Public Library’s 100th anniversary, it also
marks the 100th anniversary for the sinking of the Titanic. Being
the 1990's child that I am, I grew up fascinated by the disaster
(admittedly due to James Cameron’s movie). That being said, I
could think of no better topic for the very first program of my career
than a special Titanic party!
The program was geared towards children in kindergarten through fifth grade, so the content had to be as pleasant as possible, with a focus on the survivors. As the children walked into the back room, they were handed a boarding pass to grant them permission to “board” the Titanic. Still being a student at UW – Milwaukee, I was able to request a CD called Titanic Music as Heard on the Fateful Voyage which featured the White Star Line Orchestra. We had the music playing in the background for the entire event.
Once the program began, I told the story of the Titanic and made sure to highlight all the major details.
After we explained the details of the event, the children split up
into teams and we played a trivia-style game, which I found on PubYac.
The questions were all discussed in our story, so everyone had a
fair chance to answer them correctly.
If the question was answered correctly, that team was given a
Lifesaver candy. Once the game
was completed, Nancy and I showed the children how to create their own
version of the Titanic with
construction paper and stickers, and how to decorate a life preserver with
crayons, foam sticker shapes and yarn.
The children were also asked to decorate large cut out letters that
read ‘TITANIC’ which were
put on display in the children’s room after the program.
After the crafts were finished, we all enjoyed a special Titanic
cake and lemonade, since tea probably would not have gone over as well
with elementary schoolers.
This program was not only fun for me to put together, it was definitely
a learning experience. I
realized how time consuming, exhausting but fun planning programs can be,
how to delegate tasks to colleagues, and the importance of keeping it
simple but fun! As stated
earlier, this was my first attempt at a program and I could not be happier
with how it turned out! I am
truly looking forward to many more programming adventures in my career!
Timely
Information About Online Summer Reading Program Registration
Karin Menzer, Youth Services Manager, Mead Public Library
Plans are well under way to “Dream Big” this
summer. For the second year Mead Public Library will use the Evanced
Summer Reader software to register children for our summer programs. We
learned many things when using it for the first time last year. We set up
three programs for the three different age groups: a read-to-me program
for those not yet reading; a reading club for readers up to sixth grade
and a teen program for those sixth grade or older. The software had plenty
of flexibility to allow each program to have distinct features. The
transition to an online program had both positives and negatives.
Among the advantages of online summer reader software
for customers is that they can register or update their status through a
home computer at any time, whether or not the library is open. They can
also avoid standing in long registration lines at the library. We set up
our program to notify participants when they have a prize due to them.
They still have to pick prizes up at the library. Participants without
computer access at home could use library computers or ask for assistance
at the youth services desk. A popular feature of the software allowed teen
readers to write and post book reviews to the teen summer reader webpage.
Once customers became familiar with the summer reader website, most found
it convenient and easy to use.
So why did we have fewer participants last year?
There were probably several reasons, but the primary one was the decision
we made to require that each participant use their individual library card
number as their registration ID for the program. This ensured that no one
could access anyone else’s online account. In previous years we did not
require a library card to register for the program, so this was a change.
There are many other good reasons for each child to have their own library
card, but the requirement slowed down the registration process and may
have discouraged a few people. On the positive side, we registered nearly
600 children for library cards in June and July.
Despite the lower registration numbers last year, we
will use the online summer reader software again this year because it made
the program so much easier for the staff to manage. We did not have to
print thousands of charts, or fill out registration slips by hand. Once
familiar with the software, the staff found it easy to use, and both pages
and volunteers could also assist customers with questions. The software
also keeps abundant statistics and makes them readily available.
Recap of Library
Legislation 2011-2012
David Weinhold, Director of ESLS
During
this past legislative session, there were a number of library related
bills considered. Here is an
update on the bills.
AB
224 Transferring gifts to 501(c)(3) Friends and Foundations.
Passed
the Legislature and signed by the Governor.
This
bill authorizes school boards and libraries to transfer a gift or grant to
certain charitable organizations.
Background
Under
current law, the school board of a school district may receive gifts or
grants of money, furniture, and other property, and must use or invest the
gift or grant in the manner specified by the donor or grantor. In the
absence of specific direction regarding the use or investment of the gift
or grant, the school board may determine how to use the gift or grant in
accordance with the law applicable to trust investments.
This bill allows a school board to transfer unrestricted donations
made to the school board to a charitable organization exempt from federal
income tax under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), provided the
organization agrees in writing to use the
donation to provide financial or material support for the school
district and to comply with any terms of the donation.
Under
current law, the library board of a public library may transfer donations
made to the library to the treasurer of the municipality or county in
which the library is located; entrust them to a public depository;
transfer them to the library board's financial secretary; or transfer them
to a charitable organization exempt from federal income tax under the IRC
that has as its purpose providing financial or material support to the
public library. This bill permits the library to transfer a donation to
any charitable organization exempt from federal income tax, provided the
organization agrees in writing to use the donation to provide financial or
material support for the public library and to comply with any terms of
the donation.
Passed
by the Legislature and signed by the Governor.
This
bill changes the name of the Division for Libraries, Technology, and
Community Learning, the name of the Reference and Loan Library, and
clarifies participation in a public library system
Background
Name
Changes Under current law, there is within DPI a Division for
Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning. Under this bill, the name
of the division is changed to the Division for Libraries and Technology.
Under current law, DPI must maintain a Reference and Loan Library
to supplement the collections of other libraries in the state by providing
certain special materials that are not generally available from local
libraries or other local or state-level resource providers and to provide
certain information services to other libraries in the state and state
employees. This bill changes the name of the Reference and Loan Library to
the Resources for Libraries and Lifelong Learning Service.
Participation
in a public library system Under current law, a municipal, county, or
joint public library may participate in a public library system if it has
a written agreement with the system board to provide to any system
resident the same library services that are provided to the residents of
the municipality or county that established the member library, with two
exceptions: a municipal, county, or joint public library may give
preference to its residents in group programs and may provide remote
access to a library's database only to its residents.
Current law also provides that a public library system is eligible
for state aid if it has written agreements to provide to any system
resident the same library services that are provided to the residents of
the municipality or county that established the member library, with one
exception: the system may give preference to its residents in group
programs. This bill reconciles
these two provisions. The bill provides that a public library system is
eligible for state aid if it has the written agreements with all of its
member libraries that are required by law for the member libraries to
participate in the system.
Bill
to Delay WiscNet Changes Dies
Despite
contacts from library supporters and others around the state, AB 473/ SB
375 (to delay changes to WiscNet) died without being scheduled for a floor
vote in either chamber of the state legislature. Therefore, the provisions
of the original legislation that passed as part of the 2011-13 biennial
budget bill will take effect on July 1, 2013. The exact ramifications of a
separation of WiscNet from the UW are not yet clear. An audit of the
program by the Legislative Audit Bureau is underway and is required to be
completed by January 1, 2013.
Background
AB
473, and its companion SB375, a bill to delay until July 1, 2014 the
restrictions on participation by the UW System in selling or providing
telecommunications services (commonly known as the WiscNet bill), was the
subject of a public hearing on February 16 in the Assembly Committee on
Colleges and Universities. Chaired by Rep. Stephen Nass (R-Whitewater),
who is a cosponsor of the bill, the committee heard from several groups in
favor of the bill: UW officials, technical colleges, as well as WEMTA and
WLA. Opponents of the bill are telecommunications companies, represented
at the hearing by Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association (WSTA)
and AccessWisconsin.
The
Legislative Audit Bureau’s financial and performance audit of the UW’s
relationship with WiscNet will be complete by January 1, 2013. Extending
the July 1, 2013 deadline by one year allows the Legislature time to
review fully the audit’s findings, recommendations and possible impacts
on WiscNet members.
WiscNet’s
450 members – covering most school, public and academic libraries –
count on WiscNet for Internet service that costs about three times less
than many other providers charge while also receiving significant
educational and collaborative benefits. Therefore, members will need the
extra time this bill provides to possibly implement any audit
recommendations that impact their budgets and their relationship with
WiscNet.
As
passed by the Legislature, Act 32 (2011-13 biennial budget) would have
authorized the Joint Committee on Finance to postpone the July 1, 2013,
effective date of this provision, but the Governor's partial veto deleted
that authority. SB 375/AB 473 will merely extend the effective date by one
year, providing some of the flexibility that the legislature apparently
intended.
AB
543/SB 531 died in the Senate during this legislative session.
Background
WLA
remains concerned about legislation that provides municipalities with an
alternative method of exemption from the county library tax.
AB 543/SB531 is the latest attempt to change the exemption method.
The
Legislative Reference Bureau analysis states:
- Under current law, a county board may levy a tax for the purpose
of providing public library services to county residents. A city, town,
village, or school district located in the county is exempt from the
county tax if the city, town, village, or school district levies a tax for
public library services at a rate that is equal to or greater than the
county library tax rate.
- This bill provides an exemption from the county library tax if
the city, town, village, or school district levies a tax for public
library services and spends for a library fund an amount that is not less
than the average of the three previous years, the county board approves
the exemption, and (for the first year of exemption under this new method)
the city, town, village, or school district qualified for the exemption
using the current law method described above in each of the three previous
years.
Allowing
an exemption from the county library tax as long as it is not less than
the average of the previous three years provides little protection. As a
consequence of approving the last biennial budget bill, the legislature
eliminated the““maintenance of effort” (MOE) requirement that
libraries be funded at no less than the average of the past three years.
Because the MOE requirement could be met through flat funding, and its
elimination means library funding can be reduced even more, over time a
municipality could fund its library at an amount much lower than the
county library levy rate and still qualify for exemption from the county
library tax.
WLA
agrees that any such exemption should require county board approval for
this new type of exemption under the three-year-average method. Still, we
feel that additional safeguards are important to address potential
problems from occurring with new libraries. For instance, prohibiting new
libraries from exempting in the manner allowed by the bill for the first
three years of operation would be one solution. This prohibition would
obviously not affect existing libraries which feel they would be helped by
the provisions of AB 543/SB531.
Although not introduced as legislative proposals, the Wisconsin Library Association is seeking legislative sponsorship for two proposals
A
proposal to give communities another option for working together to serve
citizens’ information needs
A
public library district is:
-
a fifth option for structuring local property tax supported library
service, not a new layer of government (current options: municipal
libraries, joint libraries, consolidated county libraries, and county
library services)
-
a matter of community choice, as are the other methods of public library
organization and governance
-
an independent taxing authority created by voters that establishes and
operates the public library
-
the way 15% of libraries in the nation already are organized; at least 19
other states authorize public library districts
The
specific features of public library districts would be determined by the
actual legislation. Features
under consideration for Wisconsin’s legislation include:
- Establishment and tax support requires approval by binding
referendum;
- Autonomous governance by an
elected board of trustees;
- Authority to levy a tax only
with approval by binding referendum;
- District boundaries determined by binding referendum or local
municipal governing authorities and may include one or more contiguous
municipalities in their entirety and/or one or more contiguous counties.
Some
reasons why some areas of the state might consider a public library
district:
- Improved library service as a result of economies of scale and
uniform taxation;
-
Voters would determine how much they are willing to pay to support public
library service and would have more control over library governance;
- A public library district would provide a possible solution to
the cross jurisdictional library use problems that exist in many areas of
the state;
- Districts would provide greater equity of funding across
jurisdictional boundaries;
- Costs of library building and capital projects could be shared
more equitably among all library users.
For
more information, go to http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/legis/districts.htm.
This
proposal allows libraries to disclose library records when they request
the assistance of law enforcement or contract with an outside party to
retrieve lost or stolen library property
Under current law, with some exceptions, records of a public library that indicate the identity of any person who uses library services (as defined in the law) may not be disclosed. WLA generally supports the privacy of library records. However, there are some circumstances that warrant clarification of the current law in order for the library to manage taxpayer resources effectively and ensure the safety of library users and the facility.
1) If a library requests the assistance of law enforcement, the library must be able to disclose certain library records to a law enforcement officer.
-
As the law is currently written, if the library summons law enforcement
because a crime is suspected to have occurred in the library, staff would
not be permitted, in most instances, to provide library records that may
assist in the apprehension of the alleged perpetrator.
- In circumstances where the library did not summon law enforcement, current law would be unchanged; officers would be required to have a court order before the library can provide library records. The exception is that surveillance records are already required to be released without a court order.
-
Some libraries may wish to use local law enforcement to ensure the return
of materials, while others may wish to contract with a third party for
this purpose. It is WLA’s intent to expressly limit disclosure to only
the records covering the persons alleged to have improperly retained
materials.
News From the Area
Oostburg
Public Library tried something that proved successful, a small classified ad in their local
shopper. The general message was : MISSING!
The Oostburg Public Library has $....00 in outstanding fees and fines for
overdue and lost materials." That was it.
According to Director Trixine Tahtinen , "People were astounded that we were
owed that much and many came in and paid up. It was mostly small amounts
but we got quite a bit and some lost materials were
returned."
The
Cedar Grove Public Library is having a library
volunteer fair on Tuesday May 1st from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. in the library
community room encouraging people to share their time and talents.
The Ozaukee County Community Preparedness Day is being hosted by the U. S. S. Liberty Memorial Public Library in Grafton on Saturday, May 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The first 100 families will build emergency kits and will learn how to develop an emergency plan. The county-wide event is being sponsored by many local agencies.
Check out the Eastern Shores Library System Annual Report for 2011 and in case you missed it the First Quarter Countywide Memo.
World Book Night Success
World
Book Night is a celebration of reading and books that saw tens of
thousands of people share books with others in their communities across
America to spread the joy and love of reading on April 23, 2012.
UW-Sheboygan,
U. S. S. Liberty Memorial Library in Grafton and the W. J. Niederkorn
Library of Port Washington were involved in this year’s event. This was
the first annual U. S. World Book Night, a nonprofit organization
dedicated to promoting reading by having volunteers across the country give
away books they have read and loved. The titles are specially printed
editions donated by the publishers. As part of the application process,
the book givers were required to select three books from a list of 30
available titles and explain why they would recommend those books.
UW-Sheboygan
was very proud to be a part of the first World Book Night in the United
States. Nine UW-Sheboygan faculty and staff members distributed 180 books
in the UW-Sheboygan Commons on April 23, as part of World Book Night.
The titles distributed represented a range of interests and genres,
including “Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian,” “The Book
Thief,” “Ender's Game,” “Lovely Bones,” “My Sister's
Keeper,” “Peace Like a River,” and “The Reliable Wife.”
Dyan
Barbeau, Reference & Instruction Librarian at UW-Sheboygan, explained
the givers really enjoyed the opportunity to talk to students about their
books and the students seemed equally enthusiastic to receive them.
College students often don't read for pleasure, but a gift of a really
good novel that is personally recommended to them will hopefully encourage
them to start reading. We will
definitely apply again to participate and would encourage others to do so
as well.
David Nimmer, the W. J. Niederkorn Director reports that World book night went well for them. They gave out books all day long after posting an announcement on their Facebook page. They handed out over thirty copies of the "Hunger Game" the first day and had only a few left over to give away the next day.
At
the U.S.S. Liberty Memorial Public Library in Grafton, seven volunteers
came to the library for a small reception on April 17 to receive their
book boxes and sent them off enthusiastically. The volunteers had
different places selected for giving away the 20 copies of their chosen
book, including a middle school, a day care center, Laubach Center for
women, and the Chocolate Factory, a popular after school ice-cream parlor
hangout.
The
Grafton volunteers chose "Hunger Games,” "I know why the Caged
Bird Sings,” "Ender's Game,” "Just Kids,” "Kite
Runner" and "The Book Thief.”
Apparently "To Kill a Mockingbird" was the book most
given out by givers across the country.
Strategic Social Media Planning
A workshop on social media is being co-sponsored by ESLS. The workshop's presenter, Wendy Soucie, is a certified social media consultant/strategist and has a broad range of experience that make her uniquely qualified to speak on strategy for using social media. The workshop will be held at Brookfield Public Library on Tuesday, May 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Participants
will be able to:• Achieve your library’s goals and
strategic thinking and
planning 
• Identify the components of a social media strategy
• Find ways to measure results from your efforts
• Build client relationships and support for your
library
• Understand core components of a social media policy
To
Register go to:
http://www.wcfls.org/event-details.php?ID=12933
This program is sponsored by the public library systems in
Southeastern Wisconsin: Eastern Shores Library System, Kenosha
County Library System, Lakeshores Library System, Mid-Wisconsin Federated
Library System, Milwaukee County Federated Library System, Waukesha County
Federated Library System, and also UW-Milwaukee SOIS.
Job
Seekers
Networking
Group
Schedule
for May 2012
Guest
Presenter: Matt Kautzer (Consumer Credit Counseling
Service)
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Topic: Say
the Right Things During Your Job Search
Guest Presenter: Matt Kautzer (Consumer Credit Counseling
Service)
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Topic: Secrets to Effective Applications
& Resumes
Guest Presenter: Dennis Miller (Bemis Manufacturing
Company)
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Topic: Qualities that Employers are Seeking
Guest Presenter: Cathy Siminow (Gardner Denver, Thomas
Division)
