The Library Connection

The Monthly Newsletter of the Eastern Shores Library System
www.esls.lib.wi.us

Volume 26 Number 8  August 2006

Tell ALA what your library is doing for Library Card Sign-up Month

Click here for the Fall 2006 Bookmobile Schedule

Accessibility at Your Library

This year's LSTA grant includes a workshop presented by Robin Jones, director of the Great Lakes ADA and Accessible IT Center in Chicago.  The workshop will be held at the ESLS office on Thursday, September 14 from 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.  Join us for coffee and conversation at 9:30 if you can.

Robin's description of her presentation:  "Libraries are faced with managing a diverse customer base.  Effectively serving customers with disabilities presents both challenges and opportunities.  This session will focus on the obligations of libraries to meet the needs of individuals with a variety of conditions including visual and hearing impairments, psychological and cognitive limitations, as well as conditions that limit physical functioning. Modifications to the physical and virtual environments will be discussed as well as strategies for addressing situations where a customer's behavior is disruptive to normal operations. Examples of best practices will be discussed and/or demonstrated and resources for additional information will be provided."

To register, contact Ann Krueger at 920-208-4900 ext 13 or email:  akrueger@esls.lib.wi.us

At Home Reference Library

Gail Skiff, Cedarburg Public Library

Do you need to check a definition, understand a scientific term, find a map, or “hear” how to pronounce a word?  Tired of getting too many irrelevant results from Web search engines when you need quick, accurate answers?  Let the Cedarburg Public Library and xreferplus help.

xreferplus is a digital reference library that places a world of factual information at your fingertips.  It contains over 200 reference books for you to access 24/7, at home, work, or in-between.  It’s a search engine like Google, but instead of searching the entire Internet, your results come from a comprehensive library of trusted reference sources without advertisements, clutter, or false hits.

To access it just click on the xreferplus icon on the Cedarburg Public Library’s website and type in your library card barcode number in the “Library Card Login” box. This service is available to all library cardholders that live in the City or Town of Cedarburg.  The Library’s website is: http://www.cedarburg.lib.wi.us

xreferplus contains over 2 million entries, 65,000+ images, and over 93,000 audio pronunciation files from a wide range of dictionaries, encyclopedia, thesauri, books of quotations and subject specific reference books.  You’ll find facts, words, concepts, people, places, or sayings from reliable sources and all in one place.  It even helps you format your citations. 

If you don’t live in Cedarburg xreferplus is also available in the Cedarburg Public Library on their Internet stations. This is just one of many remote access services available to Cedarburg residents.  Others include Chilton car and truck repair manuals, Contemporary Authors, selected articles from the Cedarburg News Graphic, and the business database called ReferenceUSA.

New Books at Reference and Loan

Channel Weekly - August 3, 2006

Librarians gearing up for fall may want to borrow some or all of the following books, recently acquired by the Reference and Loan Library.

"Exhibits in Libraries: a Practical Guide" by Mary E. Brown and Rebecca Power discusses the value of exhibits that educate, stimulate and inspire library users.  In addition to a lengthy chapter on "The Comprehensive Exhibit Process," the book covers safety, funding, public relations and other practical topics.  Additional chapters outline the benefits of and provide guidelines for working with traveling and hands-on exhibits.

"Using PDAs in Libraries: a How-to-Do-It Manual" by Colleen Cuddy (also owned by Mead Public Library) looks at features that make these handheld devices "a tool that offers immense promise to the world of librarianship." Networking abilities, storage capacity, peripherals and software are described. Separate sections outline specific uses and services, suggest strategies for selecting content, and provide guidance for use by both staff and customers.

"Fair Use, Free Use and Use by Permission:  How to Handle Copyrights in All Media" is written by Lee Wilson, who has been an intellectual-property lawyer for more than twenty years. After covering copyright basics, the author describes how to verify whether a proposed use is "fair use" and how to find copyright holders and request permission to copy material.  The seven appendices include forms and checklists as well as copyright statutes.

To borrow any of these items, follow your library's interlibrary loan procedures.

Children's Librarians Corner

Teens:  If You Can't Beat Them, Lock Them In!

Tammy Federspiel - Lakeview Community Library, Random Lake

"Paws, Claws, Scales and Tales" proved to be a popular theme for the teens at the Lakeview Community Library in Random Lake this summer.  The teen program targeted sixth through twelfth grade students.  Those reading at least two books received an invitation to our annual Library Lock-In.  Fifty-three invitations were sent, with about 20 kids attending.

The lock-in experience began at 7:00 p.m. and ended at 11:00 p.m.  We tried something new this year and set up a Recreation room with a mini pool table, air hockey table, ping-pong table, a Game Cube with games as well as a Dance Dance Revolution Game. (It’s sure convenient to be the mother of teens and their toys!)  The Game Room was very popular and even the shy kids found themselves joining in! 

In the next room we set up crafts.  We supplied each student with a white T-shirt and they could draw on it with Sharpie Markers, then spritz it with rubbing alcohol for a “mock tie dye” look.  According to the teens, writing on the shirts was the cool thing to do!  I found this (as I do all my ideas) on the awesome Pubyac list serve.  I should have done a test shirt ahead of time because when I washed my daughter’s shirt after the event, some of the sharpie colors did bleed onto other laundry! 

Another craft option was the bead table.  Everyone could make their own necklace, bracelet, or book mark using a variety of beads, elastic strings, wire and idea books. The book mark was another idea from Pubyac and they loved it.  Beads were strung on a 12” elastic cord, filling up to half of it.  Then the cord was tied in a loop with a square knot.  When slipped into a book, the beads were all kept on the outside of the book while the thin elastic marked the page. I had presumed that the beads would attract only the girls but once more I was reminded to never presume!  A group of guys made their girlfriends necklaces and  they had a great time working with all the girls oohing and aahing around them. 

The last project was a mini book made with the small post it note packs.  I had precut heavy card stock covers a bit larger than the post it notes.  I also pre-cut decorative scrapbook paper into the proper sizes for the cover.  The teens put them together with adhesive then decorated the cover with some stick on 3-D embellishments.  Ribbon was also provided for making them into book necklaces. 

At 9:00 p.m. the pizzas were delivered!  We had the kids bring their own beverages and served lemonade as a refill.  After eating they went back to their games or crafts until about 10:15 p.m.  Then it was time for our traditional flashlight tag in the library!  We informed them all of the rules and boundaries, chose two people to be “it” and turned out the lights!  The teens loved it and we played until their parents started to show up to get them.  After that our Summer Reading Program obligations were finished!  Hooray!

*For anyone who is interested in signing up for pubyac here is the web site: (https://mail.prairienet.org/mailman/listinfo/pubyac)  

Pura Belpré Award DVD available from ALSC

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is pleased to announce the availability of a special DVD, "The Pura Belpré Award: Celebrating the Latino Experience in Children's Literature."

This inspiring DVD, created by Scholastic and Weston Woods in association with ALSC and REFORMA -The Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking - in honor of the award's 10th anniversary, highlights the significance of the award to readers, authors, illustrators, librarians and educators through interviews with the founders and winners of the award. The entire DVD can be played in either English or Spanish and also has the option of playing with English or Spanish subtitles.

As a special incentive, a complimentary copy of the DVD is being offered to all new members who join ALSC between July 1 and September 30, 2006.

The DVD is also available for purchase from ALSC while supplies last for $15 per copy, including shipping and handling. All sales benefit the Belpré Award Endowment Fund. There are four ways to order: call 312-280-2163 or 800-545-2433, ext. 2163; fax an order form to 312-280-5271; e-mail your order to alsc@ala.org ; or mail an order form and payment to ALSC, 50 East Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611.

The Pura Belpré Award honors Latino writers and illustrators whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino experience in outstanding works of literature for children and youth. For more information about the award and a list of current and past winners, visit www.ala.org/alsc/belpre

List of Children's Book Stumpers

http://loganberrybooks.com/stump.html

The website of Loganberry Books in Shaker Heights, Ohio has a list of stumpers (and their solutions) that is updated weekly.  There is a $2 charge to post a stumper, but the archieve is free.  You can search by unique words or just browse the complete list, alphabetically by title.  New stumpers remain on the first page for four weeks before being moved to the archive.  You can also check their list of children's books that are back in print again.  If you were named after a literary character--or named your child or your pet after one--you might want to visit the "Named for the Book" page.

Preventing Child Abuse

from www.preventchildabusewi.org

Watching children being mistreated can be very uncomfortable. Some things you can do to help if you see abuse in a public place (such as a public library) include:

Some individuals such as physicians, nurses, teachers, clergy, etc. are mandated reporters of child abuse.  They must report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect. While librarians are not on this list, they too can report suspected cases.  Visit the Prevent Child Abuse Wisconsin website for more information.  

A Visit to the Doctor and the Library

(from Marketing Treasures, July 2006)

Making a doctor's appointment, visiting a doctor, or finding current health information can be confusing for children and adults unfamiliar with the U.S. health care system. The UNMC McGoogan Library of Medicine wants to help with its recently produced "Following the Clues: A Visit to the Doctor and the Library," a 12-minute video narrated in English, Spanish and Sudanese-Nuer that shows viewers how to navigate the health care system and find health information at the library. Ramone, the hamster helps young children follow the clues to better health. The story follows Alana as she and her grandmother make a doctor's appointment, see the doctor and find health information at the library.

Narrated in English, Spanish, and Sudanese-Nuer, the movie is available at no cost to librarians, community health providers, immigrant support agencies, and elementary school professionals. The video is in DVD and VHS formats, and can be viewed on the web site. http://www.unmc.edu/library/clues

Statutes Revised To Include Recent Legislation

Channel Weekly - August 10, 2006

The unofficial text from the electronic database of the 2003-04 Wisconsin Statutes and Annotations has been updated and is now current through July 31, 2006. Changes from recent legislation affecting public libraries, particularly Acts 420 and 226, are now incorporated and are also available in the PDF version of Chapter 43, available here: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/statutes/stat0043.pdf 

Changes to NetLibrary

NetLibrary has a new interface!  It is much more attractive, but there is a significant change to its use.

In the past, there was some confusion about the difference between "checking out" a title or simply "viewing" it.  Users no longer have the option to check out a title, they can only view it.  The "Check Out" button is no longer there.

When users view a title, they need to remain active.  This means they need to turn pages, navigate, take notes, or search to continue to have access to the ebook.  If 15-minutes goes by without any activity, the copy then becomes available for another customer to access.

A tutorial for NetLibrary is located at:  www.oclc.org/netlibrary/demo/

Making Connections in Wisconsin Dells

This year WLA is partnering with the Wisconsin Health Science Library Association to sponsor its annual conference.  Making Connections will be held October 31 through November 3, 2006 at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells.

Convention Highlights:  Plan to attend a discussion of the book Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See with Gary Niebuhr, who just returned from a trip to China, the book's setting.  A Storytime Year author Susan Dailey will present two sessions Wednesday morning, “Tried and True Toddler Ideas” and “Putting Pizzazz in Preschool Programming.”  Caldecott Award winning illustrator and author Kevin Henkes is this year’s presenter at the Youth Services Section Luncheon.   On Wednesday afternoon you can tour the Crane Foundation in Baraboo.  

On Thursday you can hear John DeBacher and Mike Cross as they present “Book ‘em Danno!  Keeping Your Library Board Within the Law and Out of Trouble”.  Other speakers include Assistant State Superintendent Rick Grobschmidt; former Hennepin County Library’s head cataloger Sanford Berman; Banta Award winner Sean Carroll; Pete Hautman, author of this year’s Burr / Worzalla Award; Jessamyn West, the author of librarian.net; and Manuel Urrizola, the Head of Monograph Cataloging at the University of California, Irvine Libraries.

The complete Call to Conference will be online at the WLA website http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/conferences/2006 very soon.  See you in the Dells this fall!

Library Posters

The Alliance Library System, who produced the Libraries Matter wristbands, now has posters available for purchase.  You can also send them your camera-ready art and they will print the posters for you.  Check it out:  http://www.librariesmatter.com/posters/

Professional Development

"Grant writing for librarians and other information professionals"
Saturday, September 16, 2006, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in Bolton Hall 289 (UW-Milwaukee) - $89.00
Do you sometimes wonder about grants that might be available to help you stretch your library budget?  In this half-day course, you will learn how to:
- Use specialized databases to research the range of funding sources available to libraries;
- Choose programs and projects that are appropriate for grants;
- Develop an organized, logical, persuasive grant proposal; and
- Develop budgets for grant proposals.

To register please use the link below:
https://www.sce-secure.uwm.edu/registration/add.cfm?id=17103

“Basic Reader's Advisory: If You Read It (and Talk about It) They Will Come”
Saturday September 23, 2006, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the School of Continuing Education conveniently located in downtown Milwaukee - $89.00 - ($65.00 student)

Do you fear the moment a patron asks you: "Do you have any good books here?"  Conquer that fear!  Come to a crash course on the main star of reader's advisory work--the reading--and then learn how to apply your knowledge to your interactions with patrons.  This workshop will provide you with an overview of the primary fiction and nonfiction genres and reading interests, as well as provide techniques for answering a wide variety of patrons' reading questions and requests.  In addition to reading lists and RA tips, we will briefly discuss the importance of appeal and mood factors in people's reading choices.  This workshop is appropriate for those new to reader's advisory work, as well as for those interested in learning more about "sure bet" fiction and nonfiction suggestions.  Real-life questions from participants encouraged.  Instructor Sarah Statz Cords is the author of “The Real Story: a guide to nonfiction reading interests,” and “Public Speaking Handbook for Librarians and Information Professionals.”  She works at the reference and circulation desks at Madison Public Library, Alicia Ashman Branch and is a book reviewer for Bookslut.com. She pens the wildly popular Nonfiction Readers Anonymous blog at http://nonanon.com/

To register, please use the link below
https://www.sce-secure.uwm.edu/registration/add.cfm?id=17102

"Collaboration 2.0:  Making Blogs, Wikis, and Other Tools Work for You and Your Library"
Saturday Ocober 14, 2006, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the UWM School of Continuing Education conveniently located in downtown Milwaukee - $59.00

Do you want to collaborate effectively and improve your productivity? With the new tools out there these days, it can be hard to figure out when to use what. We'll help you decipher the latest collaboration tools, along with pros and cons to help you decide what might help you out and what might hold you back.  We'll also take a look at amazing examples of collaboration on the web, and show how you can do these things yourself.

The always entertaining duo of Stef Morrill and Nichole Fromm of the South Central Library System will be your instructors for this fun and lively workshop on the latest technology. Learn cool stuff and win fabulous door prizes (no really, cool flash drives and such!) in the process

To register, please use the link below
https://www.sce-secure.uwm.edu/registration/add.cfm?id=17162

"Digitization & Metadata Workshop"

WLA Preconference sponsored by the UWM School of Information Studies, Professional Development Institute - Tuesday October 31, 2006, 2:00-5:00 p.m. Tamarind Room Kalahari Resort - $79.00 - ($59.00 student)

Focusing on digitization issues and intellectual control of digital objects in the online environment, this workshop will introduce the basic concepts of digital imaging techniques and provide an overview of metadata standards for digital cultural heritage collections. Librarians, archivists, and staff from other cultural heritage institutions interested in an overview of issues associated with digitization of images and text documents as well as creating metadata for digital collections are encouraged to attend. No prior experience in digitization or metadata creation required. 

To register, please use the link below
https://www.sce-secure.uwm.edu/registration/add.cfm?id=17152

www.esls.lib.wi.us