The Library Connection

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

Volume 30 Number 3   March 2010

Click here for the Winter 2010 Bookmobile Schedule

Decisions on the Five Year Plan 

In January, a presentation on the Final Report of the Plan for County Library Service in Ozaukee and Sheboygan County for the years 2011- 2015 was made to the Ozaukee County Board of Supervisors.  The Board of Supervisors asked that the Town and Village Boards and City Councils show their support of the County Library Service Plan and each pass a resolution to that effect. These resolutions would include continuing support of the Bookmobile Service in non-libraried areas and to reimburse public libraries at their full cost for serving non-libraried residents.

How the Town and Village Boards (non-libraried municipalities) have voted:            

This completes the presentations to non-libraried municipalities.

How the Libraried Municipalities have voted:

Library Directors are hoping the remaining municipalities will be voting on this issue in April.

WAPL Spring Conference Highlights

Karin Menzer, Conference Publicity
Mead Public Library

What cool gadgets would be great for your library? How do you turn your annual report into gold? What will WLA restructuring mean for you? What changes are coming to WISCAT? Are e-books good for libraries? The answers to these and many other questions will be revealed at the WAPL Spring Conference "Anchoring the Past, Setting Sail for the Future," April 28-30, 2010 at the Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan. 

Go online to find the conference schedule at-a-glance, plus the full program listing. The deadline for conference registration is April 9. Register online (where you can opt to send a check, using the receipt and confirmation email to submit to your library for payment) or print the PDF registration form and send it in.

To make room reservations at the conference center go to www.blueharborresort.com or phone 866-701-2583 and use code 7A9582. The room registration deadline is April 6.

Highlights of the conference include presentations by several great speakers:

On Thursday evening, you are welcome to a dessert reception at Mead Public Library. Shuttle bus service will begin at 8 p.m. at the Blue Harbor Resort, taking WAPL attendees to and from the library. Entertainment at the reception will be professional guitarist Rick Gustafson, retired Deputy Directory of the Mead Public Library. The reception is sponsored by the Friends of the Mead Public Library and the Mead Public Library Foundation.

Children's Librarians Corner

The Language of "Little Learners"

Cindy Franke, Oscar Grady Public Library

For those of us that have the privilege not to mention the sheer fun of presenting story times, our time with our “little learners” is more valuable than we may realize.  Do parents and caregivers realize this as well?

While doing a little research, I happened upon the following list describing eight main types of learners. Thomas Armstrong, in his book, In Their Own Way urges adults to use activities to fit a variety of learning styles.  Basing his work on Howard Gardener’s theories he identifies the eight main types of learners as follows:

1.    The linguistic learner does well with words. This involves saying, hearing and seeing them.

2.    The logical-mathematical learner. This learner creates concepts and searches for abstract patterns and relationships.

3.    The spatial learners are best taught through images, pictures and color.

4.    The kinesthetic learner needs to move, touch and manipulate things.

5.    The musical learner learns best through rhythm and melody.

6.    The interpersonal learner needs others with whom to work and play.

7.    The intrapersonal learner does best when able to select his own activities.

8.    The naturalist learner needs to be outside rather than cooped up indoors.

Do you recognize them?  Of course you do. I feel that we as story time programmers do try and do our best to bring these aspects to our story time plans to engage each learners needs.

On a different literacy aspect, I’m sure by now most of us have incorporated the dialogic reading method into our story times.  The dialogic reading method promotes dialog or conversation between the adult and the child. As story time presenters we’ve already been doing this at one time or another.  Not every story needs to be presented this way, nor would we have the time. Some parents may be curious when seeing this method, yet it’s really no different than what they may often be doing unconsciously at home when reading with their child.  Research has shown that children learn more from books when they are actively involved. Dialogic reading can be taught.  Certain books are perfect for introducing this method.  A good informative website is is http://www.readingrockets.org/article/400 .  I have pointed this out to our parents and they are always pleasantly surprised.

I know from personal experience that story times at our library have evolved into much more interaction and movement.  Our parents and caregivers are strongly urged to remain with their child during story times.  Remember to thank your parents and caregivers for attending your programs and supporting your library.  What a privilege it is to help our little learners become library lovers.

ESLS's  Digital Archives

Alison Ross, ESLS Cataloging Librarian

Many of you have heard of the Wisconsin Document Depository Program, but have you also heard of the Wisconsin Digital Archives? As more publications are “born digital,” meaning they only exist on the web, or otherwise only exist in electronic format, it was becoming more difficult for state agencies to comply with the law behind the depository program. Out of that need came the Wisconsin Digital Archives. Its primary goals are to “develop strategies for providing permanent electronic access to web content located on Wisconsin state agency websites and to identify a way state agencies can continue to fulfill their statutory obligation to participate in the Wisconsin Document Depository Program with electronic formats.” 

The Digital Archives has been distributing fully cataloged records for electronic state documents since October 2005. An aspect unique to the Digital Archives is the availability of these records to all libraries, regardless of whether they are depository libraries. Eastern Shores no longer has a depository library, so we decided to take advantage of these records and the access to electronic government records they would make available through our online catalog.  

Since mid-2009, we have been working to retrospectively add all of the records made available through the digital archives. As of the beginning of 2010, there are 776 digital archives records in our catalog. The access is free, so it seemed an easy way to make more quality material conveniently accessible to patrons. In addition, because of the way the archives is set up, access to content through the digital archive URL will remain regardless of what changes are made to the original URL, so we don’t have to worry about dead links cluttering the catalog. Abby Swanton is the Document Depository Librarian at the Reference and Loan Library and contact person for the Digital Archives. She has noted she hopes other libraries across the state will also see the advantage of this access and add the records to their OPAC's as well.  

To find the digital records: The collection code used for these bibs is: AD Wisconsin Gov Doc.  If you do a title search on "*" and limit to only that collection code, you can quickly see the list.   For a few examples click on:  A Survey of organic farmers in Wisconsin ;  Got moo-la? : where to go for business assistance in Wisconsin ; and Wisconsin farm center .

CCBC at Sheboygan Falls Memorial Library

Once again the CCBC will be bringing their popular "show on the road" to Eastern Shores Library System.  This year the meeting will take place at the Sheboygan Falls Memorial Library on Thursday, April 22.  Librarians Merri Lindgren and Megan Schliesman from the CCBC will be the presenters. All of the Choices will be available for hands-on book examination and copies of the 2010 Choices handbook will be available.

A do-it-yourself sandwich bar for $7.00 will be available.  Please register for lunch if you plan to attend, but pay the day of the workshop. Contact Paula Siefert at Eastern Shores Library System by phone at 920-208-4900 ext 310 or at psiefert@esls.lib.wi.us for further information.

Visit the CCBC's web site for weekly podcasts and their Book of the week pick.

Credo Reference Unlimited and ChiliFresh

Soon Credo Reference Unlimited will be one of the ESLS System wide databases.  At the March 16 TAC meeting it was decided to purchase access to over 450 titles available through a subscription to Credo Reference. With the Credo Unlimited we will get the entire General Reference collection with automatic access to new titles as they are added.

This is a link to the title list: Credo Reference Unlimited.  

Another database that will be added is ChiliFresh.  ChiliFresh provides the ability to provide "Book reviews on your own library’s web site... and the reviews are written by YOUR patrons."  Soon this service will be available to the patrons of EasiCat.  Go to http://www.chilifresh.com/ and find out more about How it works and How it looks by clicking on the links on the left hand side of the screen.  Checkout three patron reviews of the book, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by clicking on this link and clicking the 3 reviews under the book cover. 

Director David Weinhold will be handling the licensing agreements for these databases.  Paul Onufrak the Automation Librarian has activated a 30 day "free" trial of ChiliFresh which will only be available to library staff during that time period on the Training Server not the Polaris Production Server.  Staff will be able to try ChiliFresh and learn about the process of entering reviews.  Currently the reviews are moderated by Paul and they will not appear until approved by him.   More information about the databases will be shared with the directors at the April SLAC meeting. 

Local Carnegie Libraries 

This year will mark the 175th anniversary of Andrew Carnegie's birthday, November 25, 1835. The Industrialist and philanthropist donated funds for two libraries in Sheboygan County. The original Plymouth Public Library, shown above, was built with funds from Andrew Carnegie's Library Program. The City of Plymouth received a $10,000 Carnegie grant in 1908. As additional local funds needed to be collected the building was not completed until 1915.

Sheboygan received its Carnegie grant in 1901.  Only part of that original building stills remains and is used by the John Michael Kohler Arts Center.  Mead, we will have an exhibit for the month of November to mark Carnegie's birthday. 

 For more information on the history of Carnegie libraries visit: History of Andrew Carnegie and Carnegie Libraries or the Wisconsin Library Heritage Center. 

Interesting Items

* Check out the new web site for the Oscar Grady Public Library.  The site was designed with the WiLS Website Design Service.  Other libraries in our system will up updating and maintaining their sites through this new service.  According to Director Jen Gerber, " It was fun to work on.  Our website needed an update and this was fun.  I am most excited about the "eBooks" tab.  I'm hoping this will direct more Saukville patrons over to the OverDrive database, and instruct them on how to use it.  I included lists of all compatible devices and a guided video tour to instruct the first time user on downloadable media.  It's great for patrons and for staff to use as a resource. "  

Jen has added the maintenance of the site to her duties but eventually hopes to have other staff post events and book reviews.

*  Plan now to attend the Financial Literacy workshop on May 3 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm.  at the Frank L. Weyenberg Library in the Tolzman Community Room.  The workshop will be presented by Dan Sweeney of  M&I Corporation.  The workshop is for library reference staff and is not open to the public.  

* Cedarburg Public Library had recently joined Facebook . A recent news story stated that Facebook was the most visited site in the U.S.   Staff members Carol Wunsch and Katie Kiekhaefer have been working on the Facebook account.  According to Katie, "Most of the feedback has been online so those of us who are up to speed on Facebook see the success. "  According to a reliable source, they will be highlighting staff members in May.  Check out Cedarburg's new Facebook page and visit the Frank L. Weyenberg Library Facebook site.

* Check out CNET's  video on Eliminating Google from your life.

* If you don't Facebook you can still Twitter with the U.S.S. Liberty Memorial Library in Grafton.  Or you can read the library blog of the Frank L. Weyenberg Library of Mequon-Thiensville or the library, teen and kids blogs on Mead Public Library's web site.

* Eastern Shores Library System has added a DVD of the webcast/ Cataloging: Where are we now? Where are we going to the professional collection.

Renee Register, Senior Product Manager at OCLC and Karen Coyle, consultant and leader in the area of digital libraries review current cataloging practices and discuss the future of metadata, the MARC record, the Resource Description and Access standard, and the librarian’s place in online information organization and access. The 90 minute DVD circulates for 14 days and can be reserved in EasiCat.

* A recent news article in The Sheboygan Press mentioned the charity the Children's Library International.  For more information on this non-profit based in Milwaukee visit their web site. 

* National Library Week: Look for Librarians in the movies ; Librarians who are Authors of Children and YA Literature ; 25 Famous Librarians who Changed History  ; Library Cartoons and Famous Library and Librarian Quotes and Quotations. 

U.S.S. Liberty Memorial Public Library in Grafton is creating a "say-it-in six" word ode to libraries/books/reading. The odes will be posted in the library during National Library Week.  Here's a couple samples: "reading saved my once wasted life" or "travel the entire world with books."   The library is also giving away a colorful selection of bookmarks all week.  If you can guess the number of bookmarks in a big jar the prize is a free book.

* Just in time for spring, from The Librarian's Book of Quotes complied by Tatyana Eckstrand, "My two favorite things in life are libraries and bicycles.  They both move people forward without wasting anything.  The perfect day: riding a bike to the library."  Peter Golkin, as quoted at Wordsmith.org. 

www.esls.lib.wi.us