What does this mean for ESLS member libraries? The current contribution
by the libraries is approximately $5,000. Next year it is proposed
that member libraries contribute $21,995 if LSTA funds can help offset the
costs. Otherwise $31,421 is the projected figure for ESLS to
contribute. In 2010, ESLS had 7,500 checkouts or 2.7
percent of the usage.
Earlier this year, the Fond du Lac Public Library (FDLPL) investigated ways to
save costs on their automation system. One of the options included
participating in EasiCat, but not becoming a system member of Eastern
Shores Library System. Fond du Lac
Public Library will pay $103,000 in 2011 based on the Winnefox Library
System's shared automation formula to participate in the Winnefox Library
System's shared catalog. Even when first approached about the possibility,
ESLS Director David Weinhold stated that he would prefer that Fond du Lac
County would become a member of ESLS rather than having the individual
public library join EasiCat.
ESLS's public libraries each contribute
$9,502 annually to cover EasiCat costs. Lakeland College, within
Eastern Shores Library System and a participating member in EasiCat pays
$13,468 annually to cover their share of EasiCat costs.
ESLS Director David Weinhold, estimated costs to participate in EasiCat
using the same method the Library System
used when asked to estimate the cost of vending library system
services to a non-system library in 2010. According to Director
Weinhold, "This is when Mead Public
Library was contemplating its withdrawal from ESLS. The method was to make sure that the state funds for
the member libraries would not be used to serve a non-system library."
When
checking on this cost method with Division for Libraries Technology and
Community Learning, they also agreed that the Library
System could recover its administrative costs and surcharge the non-system
library for the services. Director Weinhold stated, "Ultimately it comes down to what is
negotiated between the non-system library and the Library System."
Director Weinhold 's other concern was the impact of FDLPL's participation in EasiCat
on the related system services provided to our member
libraries. "Notwithstanding FDLPL's ability to take care of much of
its technical support," noted Director Weinhold, "our automation
librarian's time now is stretched very thin working with
our libraries on EasiCat, our Internet Services Network, and technical
support. I believe it would be difficult to provide FDLPL with the
service it is contracting for and still maintain the level of services
provided to our member libraries without additional personnel."
During the current system budget uncertainty adding staff is not a reasonable
option. The impact on the local delivery service was another
concern. FDLPL is a net
borrower of items in Winnefox Library System.
Even though FDLPL would operate a delivery truck between ESLS
offices and its library, the local delivery service would be carrying the
books to and from ESLS member libraries.
“Our estimate for the delivery costs accounted for the
restructuring the delivery operation,” said Weinhold, “but not having
that cost borne by the ESLS libraries.”
Based on the number of Polaris client licenses needed by FDLPL to
provide OPAC and staff access to EasiCat, $42,551 would be needed to pay
Polaris, the software company that powers EasiCat. Another large
part of the equation was cataloging services, estimated to be $47,304.
After delivery and administrative overhead costs were included the cost
for FDLP's participation was $112,081. Fond du Lac
Public Library Director, Ken Hall, graciously declined the offer to
negotiate participation in EasiCat .
Children's
Librarians Corner
Karin
Menzer, Youth Services Manager at Mead Public Library
“Can
I pet your dog?” is heard frequently in the Landwehr Children’s
Library Center these days. Not only can children pet Ruby, but they can
read to her as well. Ruby is a Tail Waggin’ Tutor. She is a certified
therapy dog registered with Therapy Dogs International (TDI). Her owner
Ted Kaczmarski has been bringing Ruby to Mead Public Library once a week
since January for reading time. This summer Ruby is at Mead from 6:00 –
7:00 p.m. on Wednesday evenings.
Ted adopted Ruby from a shelter several years ago and
her calm friendly personality made him think she would be a good therapy
dog. Ruby, a purebred Doberman pinscher, is very gentle and loves to be
around people. They not only visit the library but also visit senior and
assisted living sites such as Libby’s House in Plymouth, making numerous
therapy visits each week.
Ruby is a hit with young readers who like to select a
book and sit with her while she listens to them read. Afterwards she
gently accepts treats. Many
libraries participate in the “Tail Waggin’ Tutors” program, or other
child reading to dog programs. Therapy Dogs
International’s “Tail Waggin’ Tutors” program encourages children
to read by providing a non-judgmental listener and furry friend to read to
that won’t laugh at them if they make a mistake or stumble over a word,
but rather lie next to them and enjoy the story being read to them. We use
our Story Garden room as a quiet space for children to read to Ruby.
On an average evening Ruby
will listen to between six and ten young readers, but will also meet and
make friends with most of the other children visiting the library. She
enjoys being petted and the children are excited to meet a dog in the
library. You can find out more about Therapy Dogs International and the
Tail Waggin’ Tutors program at www.tdi-dog.org.
It has been a popular program at Mead and a positive experience for many
young readers.
The Sheboygan Children's Book Festival
will be held this year from October 14 - 16,
2011. Some well known authors have already agreed to
participate. They include: Jerry Pinkney, Candace Fleming, Henry
Cole, M.T. Anderson, Liz Garton Scanlon and Tom Lichtenheld.
For more information on the authors click here.
The Sheboygan Children's Book Festival will be held
in conjunction with the Sheboygan Shindig. Mead Public Library is a
sponsor of the Festival and Eastern Shores Library System is a community
partner. Look for more information in upcoming Library Connection
articles.
A committee has been formed to evaluate combing
services for the City of Cedarburg and the Village of Grafton. Four
services were highlighted, emergency dispatch, park and recreation
management, residential yard waste disposal and to consolidate the
Grafton and Cedarburg library boards to promote joint planning and
operations. Although each community would continue to own and
operate its own library, oversight by one board could “maximize their
limited resources for the betterment of the two communities,” the report
states.
"The consolidation is not expected to save either municipality money
next year but could result in more cost-effective library operations,
officials said". For more information check out the article by
Steve Ostermann found in the Ozaukee
Press .
Firearms in the library? Milwaukee Public
Library Board of Trustees on Tuesday, June 28 decided to ban firearms from
all library buildings. According to a Milwaukee
Journal-Sentinal article by Rustin
Fakheri on this recent action, "Although the new law maintains
the illegality of carrying firearms into some government-owned buildings,
such as courtrooms and schools, it does not extend the same restriction to
other government-owned buildings, including libraries and
airports".
Furthermore, the article states, "Private and public facilities
that are not specifically exempted from the law may ban guns only by
posting signs to that effect. Publicly owned grounds, such as parks,
cannot ban firearms". According to a WLA
blog posting by Lisa Strand, "Signs notifying visitors of the
weapons ban must be posted in a prominent place near all entrances to the
building or part of the building where the restriction applies. Signs must
be posted so that individuals entering the building "can be
reasonably expected to see the sign." You are encouraged to
consult your city or county attorney for more details. For more
information on Senate Bill 93 click here.
At this time it has not been signed by the Governor.
by David Weinhold, Director of ESLS
When
I was a younger librarian, just beginning my career in Sheboygan Falls, I
heeded the advice of a library school professor. He said, “Join the state’s library professional
organization - the colleagues you meet will be helpful to you throughout
your career.” In my
experience, his words are true.
My
Wisconsin Library Association membership card recently came in the mail.
It says I have received this card for 35 years. For
35 years, the library school professor’s words rang true.
The WLA colleagues are helpful in a variety of ways - and many
times those colleagues aren’t aware of their assistance.
Certainly, the obvious ways are advice, friendships, and
discussions at social gatherings. The
less obvious ways are their conference presentations; their leadership of
units, divisions, or the association; their involvement in committees -
from Awards and Honors to Organization; or their participation in
meetings. These colleagues illustrate the reason we are librarians and
why we believe in the role of libraries in our world.
On
the back of the mailer that contained my WLA card were these statements
about the benefits of membership in
the Wisconsin Library Association. Just
as the professor said, the words are true.
The
Wisconsin Library Association is a nonprofit, professional membership
organization, which has existed since 1891—120 years of service to the
library community and Wisconsin’s citizens.
WLA represents nearly 2,000 members—primarily librarians and
library staff from school, public, academic and special libraries as well
as students, trustees and library friends.
Because of its broad membership base, WLA is conscious of the needs
of all types of libraries in the state.
The following benefits are enjoyed by our members:
‚ Discounts on conference registration, exhibits,
advertising, and more! (Libraries with institutional memberships can send
one non-member staff person to conferences at the member rate.)
‚ Meet professional challenges and develop your career path
with an abundance of leadership and continuing education opportunities,
including WLA and unit conferences.
‚ Networking and leadership opportunities available within
20 special interest units, including the Association of Special Libraries,
Wisconsin Association of Academic Libraries, Wisconsin Association of
Public Libraries and Wisconsin Library Trustees & Friends.
‚ Connect with library professionals and other leaders.
Build your personal contact list online and in person to help solve
day-to-day challenges and celebrate successes.
‚ Unified statewide advocacy for libraries.
Enhance your legislative knowledge and advocacy skills, and support
initiatives to improve library service and funding in Wisconsin.
‚ Web site at www.wla.lib.wi.us.
‚ WLA E-News,
blog postings, Twitter updates, bulletin boards and more!
‚ Awards and scholarship programs.
‚ Online membership directory, listing approximately 2,000
members, plus other library community contacts.
‚ Automatic WLA Foundation membership for all WLA members,
which conducts the Campaign for
Wisconsin Libraries and awards continuing and library education
scholarships, among other programs.
‚ Individual/personal members may vote in WLA elections and
hold elected or appointed office.
If
you are not a member, please join. http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/
and click on Join WLA
If
you are a member, please renew and continue to be part of this special
group of people.
Search or browse the BadgerLearn training portal to find resources
including streaming tutorials and web-based tools for use in training
staff and improving library services to users. BadgerLearn's ultimate
vision "is to be a sort of co-op where library staff can use existing
resources and share new resources they develop with the greater community.
By reducing the need to re-invent the wheel, librarians can spend more
time doing what we do best: serving our users."
Badgerlearn has information on:
BadgerLearn is a collaborative project with no dedicated funding.
They are looking for library and system staff willing to contribute
content and/or help with our continuing development efforts. Does your
library have some great training materials you'd like to share?
Contact any of the project team; they would love to have your help!
The current project team are:
The
webcasts Cataloging: New
Perspectives and Free Content
for Library Collections have been added to the ESLS professional
collection.
Cataloging:
New Perspectives
deals with RDA (Research Description and Access) that is transforming ways
libraries create, use and share their data.
The presenters are Karen Coyle, librarian and consultant in the
area of digital libraries and Christopher Cronin, Director of Metadata and
Cataloging Services at the University of Chicago Library.
In
Free Content for Library Collections
Michael Galloway, Manager, Digital
Collections for ip12: Information You Can Trust, and John Mark
Ockerbloom, editor of The Online
Books Page, discuss how they evaluate and describe online resources to
include in their directories, how readers can find what they need in these
directories and elsewhere online, and how readers can distinguish useful
information from unreliable sites.
Both
webcasts are 90 minutes in length.
* Reel to Real works with public and academic libraries across the
state to combine the power of documentary cinema with community dialogue
and action. Reel to Real helps libraries host public screenings of critically
acclaimed PBS documentaries, followed by audience discussions with local
experts. Libraries can choose
from an array of films addressing a wide range of topics, including race
and diversity, social justice, health care, history, the arts, education
and civic engagement - some of the most critical issues facing communities
in Wisconsin today. Reel
to Real events are designed to meet core community needs.
The screenings successfully bridge the gap between viewing a film
and creating community dialogue and action.
We have discovered that participation in these events can have
powerful effects on public dialogue, participation and involvement. Simply
put, Reel to Real seeks to turn
viewers into doers.
Reel to Real is a partnership with the Wisconsin
Library Association.
Since
the program's inception, more than 75 libraries have participated.
To
schedule your own screening, contact Lynne Blinkenberg, director of
Community Engagement, WPT, lynne.blinkenberg@wpt.org
, 608-265-6331.
Reel
to Real is made possible by program innovation funding from the UW
Extension Chancellor's Office, Alliant Energy, and UW Health.
* Get ready to draw in more seniors by clicking here.
* Check out A
Complete Guide to 39 Google Apps and Services by Robert Strohmeyer on
the MaximumPC web site.
* The free networking group formed by the Consumer
Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) in conjunction with the United
Way of Sheboygan is offering these workshops in July:
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 Employer Panel Discussion/Q & A Session with
Guest Presenters: Lynn DeHaven of Johnsonville Sausage and Doug Hamm of
Lakeshore Technical College.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 How Can Staffing Agencies Help You with
Guest Presenter Marla Bagemehl of Locate Staffing
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 Tips for the Job Search Process with Guest
Presenter Linda Rauwerdink of Great Lakes Training & Development
The meetings will be at 6:00 p.m. at the
Sheboygan United Way building (lower level). Although the group
meets in Sheboygan County the CCCS also serves residents of Ozaukee
County.
For more information contact: DeeAnn
Avina of the Sheboygan & Plymouth Area United Way, 2020 Erie Ave.,
Sheboygan, WI at deeana@sauw.org or
call 920-458-3425 or Matt Kautzer at Consumer Credit Counseling Service,
1930 North 8th St., Sheboygan, WI at mattkautzer.cccs@yahoo.com
or call 920-458-3784.
* The IRS mileage rate will increase
to 55.5 cents a mile for all business miles driven from July 1, 2011,
through Dec. 31, 2011. This is an increase of 4.5 cents from the 51 cent
rate in effect for the first six months of 2011, as set forth in Revenue
Procedure 2010-51. According to the IRS announcement: "In
recognition of recent gasoline price increases, the IRS made this special
adjustment for the final months of 2011. The IRS normally updates the
mileage rates once a year in the fall for the next calendar year".
www.esls.lib.wi.us
