Nic Bits

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-21T15:52:00.003-06:00

2012 Spring CE

2011-12-21T15:29:00.004-06:00

The Spring 2012 CE Calendar is set! Tons of webinars and workshops are planned on a variety of topics. Contact your library director or Jamie at NFLS for descriptions of all events or for registration information.

Specifically, there are three webinars coming up in January!! You don't have to leave your desk or start up your car in the cold !

Excelling @ Email

Wednesday, January 11: 1 pm

Presented by: Jean Anderson, ContinuingEducation & Multitype Coordinator, South Central Library System

Didyou know that roughly 150 billion emails are sent on a daily basis? How many ofthese emails are in your in-box? Do you find yourself checking email oftenthroughout the day? Is your workday governed by what comes in your email?

Thiswebinar will help you excel at email by covering:

Using filters, tags, labels, and other tools in your email program
Five steps to process your email
Tips to organize the email your save or archive

Joinus for this fun webinar where you will learn how to conquer your email inbox!

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/392325512

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20 Things You Can Do ToMake Your Library Website Better Right Now (webinar)

Tuesday, January 17: 10 am

Presented by: Laura Solomon,Library Services Manager, OhioPublic Library Information Network

Co-sponsored with the SouthCentral Library System

Let's face it--we can'talways overhaul our library's entire website. Sometimes, we just need ways toimprove on what we have, due to cost, expertise or political barriers. Thereare lots of things you can do with very little to improve your library's site.Some are small, some are bigger, but all can make your site better for yourvisitors. Get some quick and practical ideas about potential ways to polishyour site without busting your library's budget or eating up tons of stafftime.

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/420628017

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Perfecting Your Presentations(webinar)

Thursday, January 26: 1 pm

Presented by: Jamie Matczak,Continuing Education Coordinator, NFLS

We are all called on to“present” at some point in our jobs. Whetheryou are communicating information in front of your library board or training agroup of patrons, solid presentation skills are essential. Are you unsure how to organize what you wantto say? Are you debating whatinformation should be included? Whenshould handouts be “handed out?” Learntips and tricks on presenting like a pro!

This webinar will cover:

- 8Steps to Powerful, Oral Presentations

- 9Techniques for Maintaining Audience Attention

- 10Ways to Organize Presentations

- BuildingAudience Rapport

- Polishingyour Delivery

- PlanningVisual Aids and Handouts

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/124137658

NFLS and ebook Training

2011-12-21T15:02:00.001-06:00

With the holidays just around the corner and e-reader devices flying off the shelves, lots of library patrons will be downloading eBooks from WPLC's Download Center. While the site has some help pages, it helps to view the devices from the patron's perspective.

John at NFLS will be providing regional training for interested library staff on using eBooks. This training is meant to be hands on and in small groups. He will provide a NOOK Color, a Kindle Fire and an original Kindle for staff members to practice downloading the software, checking out an eBook and reading it on these devices. Laptops will be also be provided to assist in the download process.

If your county or libraries in your area are interested in John providing some staff training, please contact him at NFLS.

New Staff Member at NFLS

2011-12-21T14:34:00.002-06:00

NFLS welcomes Kristin Tenor!

Kristin will be helping out and assisting in the ILL Department. Prior to working at NFLS, Kristin did freelance writer for many businesses, including the Green Bay Press-Gazette, and was a stay-at-home mom.

"I'm excited about working in a library environment and with publications," Kristin said.

Kristin grew up in the New Franken area and currently lives in De Pere with her husband and two daughters. When she's not working, she enjoys reading, writing, volunteering and gardening.

Welcome, Kristin!

Google Plus (+) Supports Business Pages

2011-12-21T14:18:00.001-06:00

Much like the fan pages you see on Facebook, Google+ has rolled out pages for businesses. The social networking site has now reached over 40 million users. While this number is not as large as Facebook's audience base, it is growing and not going away anytime soon.

As with any social networking tool, libraries need to know where their patrons are and what tools they are using before jumping in. The following links might be helpful if you are interested in started a page for your library.

How to Set Up a Google Plus Page

How to Build an Effective Google+ Brand Strategy

Get Started with a Google+ Page

Book Reviews

2011-12-21T13:07:00.000-06:00

The Story of Beautiful Girl
by Rachel Simon

It’s 1968. "Beautifulgirl" is Lynnie, a young, white woman with a developmental disability, lockedaway in the Schoolfor the Incurable and Feebleminded. Homan is an African-American male who is deafand falls in love with Lynnie. Marthais a widowed, retired school teacher who owns a farm where Lynnie and Homantake refuge when they escape the school. Other characters are woven in throughout thestory, including the baby Lynnie hands over to Martha when she and Homan arecaught. Lynnie gets sent back to the school, Homan escapes into the night andMartha is left with a newborn infant. Whois the father of this baby? What willMartha do? Where will Homan go? WillLynnie ever be reunited with her baby? Simondoes an incredible job of telling the story of these three people over a 40-yearspan.

Then Came You
by Jennifer Weiner

I'm a huge fan of Jennifer Weiner, especially of her earlier novels such as "Good in Bed" and "In Her Shoes." I love her characters and the voices she portrays for them. I was hoping I would enjoy reading about the four women in "Then Came You."

We have: Jules, a senior at Princeton who is considering donating her eggs and using the money to help her alcohol-addicted father. Annie, a stay-at-home mom of two young boys who is considering unusual options for bringing in more cash for the family. India, a 38-year-old (really 42) woman who marries a much older, wealthier man who wants to conceive his child to ensure her future wealth. And then there is Bettina, India's college-aged step-daughter trying to protect her father. As you might guess, the four lives eventually become intertwined in a tale of humor, motherhood and surrogacy.

The novel was a quick read, and I've never disliked any of Weiner's books. But "Then Came You" had too much back story in the chapters, where I found myself skipping pages and getting bored. I enjoyed this novel well enough, but I couldn't find myself relating to any of the women or their far-fetched lives.

-Jamie Matczak, NFLS

Infopeople's Webinar on Intellectual Freedom

2011-12-21T12:36:00.002-06:00

Title: Intellectual Freedom: Basic training for new staff and a refresher for the restof us

Presenter: Mary Minow

Date: Thursday January 12, 2012; 2 pm

Aparent asks you to remove a book from the shelf because she feels it could harmher children. A library user complains that the current collectionof magazines doesn’t include his political viewpoint and too much of adifferent one?

Whatdo you do?

Learntechniques to approach these challenges and others, along with a firmbackground of intellectual freedom in libraries, including relevant laws andcourt cases. This webinarwill be of interest to library staff at all levels in any type of library. Itwill be particularly beneficial for those who are relatively new to the libraryfield and who have not had any formal training in the core values of theprofession.

Thiswebinar will last approximately one hour. Webinars are free of charge and registrationis ONLY done on the day of the event on the WebEx server. No Passwords arerequired.

ForTips and Registration Information, please go to http://infopeople.org/training/webcasts/tips.html

InfoPeople's Webinar on Digital Preservation

2011-12-21T12:36:00.000-06:00

Title: Digital Preservation Fundamentals: Text and Image Formats

Presenters: Jacob Nadal

Date: Tuesday, January 10, 2012; 2 pm

Thiswebinar will present and explain:

· thebasic formats and standards used in digital text and digital image collectionsfor libraries, archives, and museums

· thedevelopment of text and image formats

· thesignificant technical features that pertain to digital libraries.

Textformats and encodings introduced include ASCII, Unicode/UTF-8, and the familyof standards around XML, including HTML, CSS, and EAD. Imaging topics includeformats and standards, particularly TIFF, JPEG and JPEG2000, and PDF, as wellas issues inherent in color management and compression.

Thiswebinar will last approximately one hour. Webinars are free of charge andregistration is ONLY done on the day of the event on the WebEx server. NoPasswords are required.

For Tips and Registration Information, please goto http://infopeople.org/training/webcasts/tips.html

Formore information and to participate in the January 10 webinar, go to http://infopeople.org/training/digital-preservation-fundamentals-formats

Online Continuing Education Courses, Spring 2012

2011-12-21T12:28:00.000-06:00

UW-Madison, School of Library and Information Studies
Continuing Education Services

http://www.slis.wisc.edu/continueed.htm

Consumer Health Information
January 23-May 11
http://www.slis.wisc.edu/consumehealth.htm

Basic Public Library Administration
January 23-April 13
http://www.slis.wisc.edu/basicPLadmin.htm

NEW! Organization and Management of Collections
January 30-April 20
http://www.slis.wisc.edu/OrgMgntColl.htm

NEW! Digitization Projects for Libraries
January 30-March 23
http://www.slis.wisc.edu/DigProj.htm

Basic Reference
February 6-April 27
http://www.slis.wisc.edu/BasicRef.htm

Fundamentals of Cataloging
February 6-April 27
http://www.slis.wisc.edu/cataloging.htm

Creating a Dynamic Facebook Page
Feb 13-Feb 24 or March 12-March 23
http://www.slis.wisc.edu/FBforLibs.htm

Personnel Management
February 20-March 23
http://www.slis.wisc.edu/PersonMgmt.htm

Connecting Teens with the Best in New Teen Lit
Feb 20-March 30
http://www.slis.wisc.edu/ConnectTeen.htm

NEW! Business Reference
March 12-April 6
http://www.slis.wisc.edu/BizRef.htm

Adult Book Discussions
April 9-May 4
http://www.slis.wisc.edu/adultbookdisc.htm

(Affordable) Online Skills Courses
http://www.slis.wisc.edu/continueed-ed2go.htm

Spanish for the Library begins the first of every month
http://www.slis.wisc.edu/continueed-spanforlib.htm

Questions? Contact Anna Palmer (ahpalmer@wisc.edu or 608-263-4452) or Meredith Lowe (mclowe@wisc.edu or 608-890-0364)

UW-Madison, School of Library and Information Studies
http://www.slis.wisc.edu/continueed.htm

Working with Difficult and Challenging Personality Types

2011-11-04T14:27:00.002-05:00

Brenden McDaniel

Challenging behavior: Gives us an opportunity to test our communication and client skills – understanding their unique, behavorial triggers. So we want to find the connect before the intervention begins.

Our Focus Today:

The Hierarchy of Needs

Five Step Process of Intervention and Rapport Building

Four ways to boost satisfaction

Four A's on Dealing with Stressful Situations.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: People are good. Give people affection and security and they will give affection and be secure in their feelings and their behavior.

Some people may be in lives they did not expect to be in or be a good fit, but we have to deal with all sorts of challenging people in life.

The pyramid:

Bottom is Physiological, Safety, Love, Esteem, Self-actualization

When something is not “right” on the pyramid, we fall. Something “missing” causes collapse.

He based his study on people like Einstein and people he knew. Einstein was diagnosed with ADHD.

The quicker we can understand the level of someone's needs, the more we can help them.

Physiological: When we skip a meal, feel sick, have a migraine, finding shelter....we become irritable. A homeless person might not accept a job as they WANT a place to live.

Safety: Job security, safe neighborhood... people who are abused might isolate themselves or feel vulnerable out in the world.

Emotional: We need to have companionship and feel part of something. People that “hoard” animals want to feel love from the animals but might be doing more harm.

Esteem: Respect from others, status, fame, confidence, competence. When we lack esteem, we feel inferior, weak and helpless.

Self-Actualization: most sophisticated need!

The 5 Step Process to Build Trust:

1. Listening – Active and Empathic.

2. Acknowledge – Diffuse the emotion and place yourself in their shoes

3. Clarify

4. Present a Solution

5. Lead by Example – be aware of our demeanor. Maintain assertiveness and communication.

If we can show empathy and interest in the workplace, it can help with challenging behaviors.

Four As

Avoid, Alter, Accept and Adapt

Avoid: the hot topics. Put the emphasis on the client's values. One person might act out at work because of......expect the unexpected.

Alter: Ramin calm and respectful at all times. Be aware of body language, be willing to compromise, seek a win-win for the situation.

Adapt: Focus on the positive. Set reasonable standards and know that everyone is wired differently.

Accept: Remember that “what does not kill us makes us stronger.” Focus on control. We can only control OUR own actions. Schedule relaxation time time, and reward goals.

Brenden then addressed real situations. The audience shared situations.

Someone asked about dealing with adult bullies. He said all we can is how we react to the person. Do we document things? He suggests addressing the person and take them aside. It's hard to be mad at somebody who's being nice to you.

The Technology Connection and Children's Programming

2011-11-04T14:11:00.002-05:00

Kristin Pekoll, Shannon Barniskis, Karen Wendt

Kristin Pekoll talked about Skype: free downloadable calling and video software. It offers video access around the world. Allows you to share files very easily.

Kristin does Skype author visits, that cost anywhere from $0 to $250.

Dream Big theme is the SLP theme in 2012, and she suggested to go beyond authors. Athletes, rocket scientists, pen pals, etc.

Use a contract, solid connection, computer speakers, have visuals and questions ready. You don't get autographed books, and it's not the same, and internet not always reliable, but it's still a great feature!

You can do fun give-aways. It never hurts to ask.

Skype and author Network.

We did a live Skype with Laura Schaefer, Author of “The Teashop Girls.”

Karen Wendt talked about youth book reviews. Videotape the book review, and you can also use a voki/avatar if parents don't want their kids' faces online.

(This hand out is on WLA website).

Make sure you know what is going on in the background. Have books? Also include a statement that people can check out the book at (your library).

Monona Public Library features these. They are short, around 45 seconds!

Your Chickens: A Kids Guide to Raising and Showing on Storytubes

Karen has a hand out on uploading them to YouTube.

BadgerLink has a lot of music that can be used for educational purposes.

Shannon Barniskis is from Horicon Public Library. She looks as programming from books as one avenue, but she wants to ask why people read the book, how did it make your life better, etc.

Glogster: It's like MySpace. They are having a Glogster competition at her library.

Prezi: presentation tool more fun than powerpoint.

Wordle: fun with words

Pinterest: Addictive site. She focuses on library projects and services.

Etsy

Make Magazine

She links a lot of stuff to the webpage so kids can still participate.

Gaming: Roblox and Minefest. She likes to build “communities” around a game.

Flickr: She uses it for photo scavenger hunts. They need to find letters of the alphabet. She posts political figures interacting with kids.

Scratch: Game-making software, out of MIT.

Flash: Game-making software.

Dubstep program: They haven't done this yet. Upload stuff to soundcloud to share beats and music.

Ebooks: Used in Storytimes.

Memes: Knowyourmeme.com to keep up with what's coming. “Bronie” = boys who like little ponies.

Surveys: She uses them, esp Survey Monkey! She wants to hear back and what kids like.

When kids are using tools or have “pages,” the libraries should know about this!

MacGoogle! The MacGyver guys talk Google!

2011-11-04T14:06:00.001-05:00

Chris Gruegel and Jon-Mark Bolthouse

They talked about using Google Docs. This is very convenient way to store, publish and share information. Google Docs has a “revision history” where you can see the pieces of when the changes were made. Google saves every 2 minutes.

The comment feature is nice if you don't want to edit, but just make a comment. Highlight, insert comment. Great tool for working on resumes with patrons!

Google Chrome: Voice search is an interesting feature, especially with ADA issues....could potentially be a powerhouse!

Google Fusion: combination between data and mapping. It's a very inexpensive graphical information system. Do you need to map several locations??

Chris mapped every public library in Wisconsin by importing a spreadsheet of info, and then used Google to map it. He could have people mapping butterflies or science projects, and other people can do stuff with the data.

You can also merge data. He merged congressional districts with the American community survey.

Google Picnik: online free editing service (free for the most part). Not as powerful as Photoshop, but we can offer a free service. They can download these photos and store them online.

Google Translate: translates stuff and you can listen to it! Must be careful, though, to make sure the translations are correct. You can paste links into the translate box and you can look at a page in Japanese, Spanish, etc.

Youtube editing: simple process now for editing video. Jon-Mark took videos from his phone and uploaded them. Very new feature! He cross-faded between his two videos and added music. It creates the video in real time.

Google Voice: under-utilized piece! It allows us to protect our own number. You can call the US and Canada for free. Chris called Jon-Mark and it worked pretty sweet! The reception is really good. Google assigns a whole different number, and you can decide where or which phone it will ring, or go right to voicemail. Phone tree? Great use!

You can listen to the messages on Google. You can also record voices or conversations.

Android phones have an app where you can overlay the options on top of your phone.

You can also text! Jon-Mark does all his texting through Google Voice.

Google Earth: another cool feature where you can fly a plane over cities.

WLA 2011: FrankenLibraries or Librarytopia: Our Choice

2011-11-04T14:00:00.003-05:00

Stephen Abram, keynote:

Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and Markets for Cengage Learning

Slides available at Stephen's Lighthouse blog

Reading is up, we're selling more books than ever, we are smarter than ever in history....It's the best time to be libraries. We have done some pretty awesome stuff. This “crap” is actually want we want.

Times are changing, but are we ready for the future? Yes! We DO change. We make the change happen. I want kids to learn more, I want society to be better, but I want it all to be balanced. How do we make this all work? He said yesterday they announced the end of CD-rom at the end of 2013. Are we ready for this? Basically, all the phone companies are moving to smart phones. All this stuff.....is what we want!

A lot of it comes down to Strategic Choice. Are there too many choices? We are at the point where can adapt and what we have to adapt to. We need to do it in a way where we have to seduce people into what we do.

He showed a picture of Chanel No. 5. Do we describe is as “smelly yellow liquid” or “sex appeal.” What do we pay the $100 a bottle for? He asked why we aren't telling the good stories where libraries change lives? Why are we telling the story of the crappy customer? We never know the little things we do, or talk to the kid who doesn't have anyone else.

Tell stories of transformations, not transactions.

What do WE add in value when all the books are out there? We need to look at the user experience and decide the difference we make in people's lives. We need the foundation, but we are selling the DIFFERENCE we make in people's lives. How do we make that gap?

What is the experience you seek to create in your library?

Academic libraries: There are 295 ways to do citations and we're not going to tell you what professor likes what. What experience do students need??

The internet and technology have now progressed to their infancy. How do we influence the shift that is happening? We have this gift with the way the search engines work....are we teaching patrons to use the right tools? The internet is not regulated, so the companies can say whatever they want (using SEO).

The Who, What, Where, When questions for Google are fine. Google answers all questions in a half hour that librarians take 25 years to answer. We need to answer, “Why should I write a strategic marketing plan.”

A reference question for divorce between a sixth-grade kid and 32-year old woman should have different answers

7 Gifts to Libraries, Publishers and Book sellers:

The book isn't dead or dying. It is evolving.

Evolution of Amazon. What is Amazon giving our patrons that we are not?

Booksprung, Bookish (hasn't launched yet), Pottermore (15 billion franchise)

We need to address the why of people read.

Tablets and lights change the reading experience.

Why do we not know how to download books to devices? And while we are doing that, why aren't we telling them how awesome we are?

Our customers/users are improving. They don't know what they don't know....that's where we come in. They aren't using them safely or crafting the right question. Our core thing is not search. Our core thing is finding, and we want them to find the right answer.
Technology is going social and can support social acts.

What are your top 10-20 questions? What is the service portfolio model that goes with those?

What are our cookbooks and who are our chefs? Health, career transitions, jobs, hobbies?
The PC isn't dead, but it's evolving and more mobile. This stuff is social and aligned with what we do. We are social !! What are we doing virtually if people are at our libraries virtually?
We know more about our customers than ever before. Are we using all the library 2.0 tools?
Talent, Insight, Community have social value.
Opportunities exist in times of change.

He doesn't care HOW people are reading, but they are reading. Nine times more people have library cards than driver's licenses. We have to project the awesome things going on. Color blocking works, so why aren't we doing it? It works for “The Gap,” so why can't it work for us? Too many of us aren't doing the right thing and are cost-free.

We play a vital role in building the critical connection between information, knowledge and learning. As we go through this recession in this world of information and knowledge, we play a role there. If we find our mouths and voices, we could play a vital role in the next 50 years!

We need to get out of the worry tank! He thinks this is exciting. We have an opportunity and we can be magnets in our communities and change them. We might not have a department store, but we have libraries. Libraries are to get people there, not just the book vault!

Attract attention and be proud of what we are, because we are awesome.

Public & School Library Summit for October 27th

2011-10-05T13:37:00.000-05:00

Public and School Library Summit
Thursday, October 27th: 9 am – 2 pm
Kress Family Branch Library, De Pere

Presenters:

MargeLoch-Wouters, Youth Services Manager, La Crosse Public Library

Pete Angilello, Library MediaSpecialist, Green Bay Area Public Schools

This one-day summit will allow school and public librariansin the NFLS/NEWIL service area toshare information, network and collaborate. It is made possible by a 2011 LSTAgrant.

Marge Loch-Wouters of the LaCrosse Public Library and PeteAngilello of the Green Bay Area School District will leada morning discussion/presentation at the Kress Family Library in De Pere.

After lunch, small groupswill work together and develop usable action plans to carry forward.

This workshop is worth 4.5 CE credits. Morning refreshments, lunch and allmaterials will be provided!

Register here:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEVIaHJyb3Y1MFYtejM5ZlRlUl81Vnc6MQ

Upcoming Webinars

2011-10-05T13:28:00.003-05:00

Teens, Tweens & Social Networking
Thursday, October 20th: 2 pm
Presented by: Laura Solomon, LibraryServices Manager, OhioPublic Library Information Network

Weoften have assumptions about how teens and tweens use the Internet. But:

*Are those assumptions true?
* Should your library have a MySpace or a Facebook account? Both?
* How about Twitter?
* What about cellphones? Text messaging? iPads?

Learnthe answers to these questions and many more, as well as discovering how your
library can effectively engage (or not) with young people in social media.

Thiswebinar is worth 1 CE credit. It’s being co-sponsored with theManitowoc-Calumet Library System.

What Should I Say?
Wednesday, November 9th: 1 pm
Presented by: Jamie Matczak, Nicolet Federated LibrarySystem

Whetheryou are sending out a staff memo or emailing your grandmother, solidcommunication is key to getting your message across. We are writing, tweeting, instantmessaging and texting more than ever. Join in for a fun, interactive webinar where you will learntips and tricks to improve your written communication!

Inthis webinar, we will discuss:

-Why you should use short, familiar words
- Why you should avoid acronyms, sexist language, negative words and"rubber stamps"
- How to write "stronger"
- How to convey "bad news" (there is a right way to do this!)
- Good email and text messaging etiquette

Register here:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/156401554

This webinar is worth 1 CE credit.

Time Flies... But Where?
Thursday, November 17th: 1 pm
Presented by: JeanAnderson, South Central Library System

Aslibraries struggle with diminishing budgets, librarians are being asked to domore with
less. Turn your To Do list into a Done list by attending this interactivewebinar and discover
tips, tricks and tools to help you manage your time. In this webinar, we'll:

• Discuss common time management challenges
• Explore tips & tools to address these challenges
• Describe how your work habits affect your time management
• Share your tips, tricks and tools - how do you manage your time?

Register here:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/148983689

This webinar is worth 1 CE credit.

WLA Conference Only Weeks Away!

2011-10-05T13:17:00.000-05:00

With the kick-off of the 2011 WLA Conference only weeks from now, it can mean only onething… you’ve got to swing into high gear, because if you don’t register soon,you’ll only have yourself to blame for missing the fun activities slated totake place November 1 – 4 in the Cream City…Milwaukee!

Get your “party on”immediately by joining your friends and colleagues at the opening night VendorReception at theHilton featuring hors d’ oeuvres and a cash bar. There will be a seriesof tasty luncheons throughout the conference featuring excellent food and greatspeakers.

(This year’s President’s Luncheon should be especially entertaining whenhumorist Scott Dikkers, founder of TheOnion, hits the podium!)

Morefun? Take this idea for a SPiN

Attend an exciting andfun-filled evening of entertainment at SPiN Milwaukee in the trendy yet Historic Third Wardfor the WLAF Fundraiser: SPiNGALACTIC! Enjoy friends and friendly competitionat this unique 16,500 square foot table tennis social club which sports 12 topquality table tennis courts. (Think Ping Pong on steroids.) Your$35 ticket covers table tennis, one drink, light snacks and a $20 charitablecontribution to WLAF to benefit the campaign for Wisconsin Libraries. Cash bar available and shuttle service provided.

The HiltonMilwaukee City Center Hotel isrecognized as the city’s finest hotel with a tradition going back over 80years, providing 1920’s grandeur and elegance with today’s modernconveniences. And you can stay at this beautiful facility at affordableWLA conference rates!

Not only is the Hilton connected directly to the Frontier Conference Center via a skywalk tomake your visit to the exhibits and sessions convenient, but there’s so muchmore. Need a brew? The MillerTime Pub. Quick bite to eat? TheCafé. Fine dining? TheMilwaukee ChopHouse. Craving caffeine? Yup, you guessed it, Starbucks! Book your room today.

Sign-up today and we’ll see you in Downtown Milwaukee this November.

Best,

Michael Kenney

2011 WLA ConferencePublicity Chair

Library eBooks and Kindle®

2011-10-05T12:40:00.003-05:00

Library eBooks are now available on the Kindle®!!

The Wisconsin Public Library Consortium has press release (below) that can be customized. There are also posters, graphics and flyers.

This YouTube video can assist in the download process.

eBooks Available for Kindle Press Release

Book Reviews

2011-10-05T11:56:00.000-05:00

Attachments
by Rainbow Rowell

This was a delightful book. I read it from cover to cover in one sitting. It is a "modern" love story as it involves the electronic communications of e.mail. The protagonist, Lincoln, works at a newspaper where he is "computer security" at night--he is monitoring the internal e.mail of the staff. He finds himself following the conversations between two good friends, Jennifer & Beth. Further, he finds himself falling in love with Beth! It sounds weird, but the characters are so well written that it actually makes sense. I really liked the fact that the protagonist was male and sensitive and we kept seeing things from his point of view. I think that in the tangles of love we don't realize how hurt and confused and fearful males can be, too! Great story with a happy ending! Congratulations to the author on a great debut!

The Lake of Dreams
by Kim Edwards
I loved this book! Lucy is a career woman who has been living in Japan. She finds her way back to her childhood home where she has a lot of unfinished work about who she is. She needs to deal with her father's death of long ago, she needs to sort out a romance from her teen years but most importantly, she discovers that in her family tree she has a connection to feminists at the turn of the 20th century. Unearthing this information gives her the resolve to move forward with who she is. This book is great on all levels: the plot, the writing, the characters,and the setting. It is always a challenge to come out with a book after your debut was wildly successful. Congratulations to Kim who did it!

- by Elizabeth Timmins, Muehl Public Library

ARSL Conference: Library Signage...What Are We Saying?

2011-09-15T15:46:00.005-05:00

Gail Santy, Central Kansas Library System

I enjoy attending these types of sessions. It's kind of like customer service, where you really can never get enough.

Gail said she moved around a lot as a kid and didn't make close friends, but does remember making a lot of library friends. She said one of the best ways we can welcome people is with great signage. She had a colleague ask her to do a workshop on signage, because it was “abysmal.” She believes signs can give libraries a “face lift” just like that! She merely uses a printer and form boards. She orders “ceiling hanglers” from Amazon that can be used for drop

ceilings.Wordle is an

online tool where fonts can be tweaked.

She showed a “read” sign made of styrofoam that would cool in a teen section. Krylon makes spray paint for plastics and styrofoam.

Her powerpoint is on Prezi and called “Library Signage.”

Merely adequate signs tell your patrons what you have and what you can't do. Great signage communicates your competence!

Presentation, condition and message are the 3 things that need to be considered.

She showed some examples of signs. Some were pretty funny, and asked “Is this a prison or a library?”

1. Outlaw tape: masking tape, scotch, tape residue. She has solid oak doors with tape on them in her building.

2. Sign Condition: Shabby signs are not motivating. She showed us a sign with gum on it.

Shabby signs show we don't care! Some people come in and never ask for anything, but they see our signs! Sometimes there aren't enough signs. Sometimes there are too many.

She said we do have to be concerned with ADA guidelines. Letter visibility needs to have a sharp contrast in colors. White lettering on a colored background is good. Color can also make a difference in different cultures. Some might be offensive. ADA guidelines are online.

She said that non-readers need signage, also. Pictures of dinosaurs near those books are great for kids, but wayfinding can also be used for adults. She cautions making this too “cutesy.”

Temporary Signs: Library closed signs or out of order signs.

The human eye pays more attention to the colors than the brand. Even temporary signs should have continuity, consistency and visual appeal. Be sure to remove a temporary sign as soon as it expires.

DIY Signs: She showed examples of good ones. They can look as good as professional signs if they are done well.

Emotional Intelligence signs: Signs can impact our behavior. We can be kind, but not preachy.

“Texting encouraged. Silence cell phones in the library.” This was in an academic library.

Plan, Decide what you need and then use your resources

www.ckls.org is her website. She encourages libraries to critique signs for each other, as sometimes a fresh eye helps catch things. She also suggested taking down all the signs and start tabbing what people are asking. That will be a good indication of what signage is needed.

ARSL Conference: Reaching New Readers Through Writing

2011-09-15T15:30:00.002-05:00

Amy Marshall from Craig, Alaska

Amy started out by telling us where she is from, but said can't see Russia from her house. Her library is fairly small, 20 x 40 building, 4 public computers. She only needs to use one outlet to vacuum her whole library. But Craig is a very remote and diverse area. There has been a lot of job losses and depression, so she thinks writing is a good outlet for people who are dealing with these issues.

She likes 2 Writing quotes:

Your intuition knows what it wants to write, so get out of the way. - Ray Bradbury

The biggest thing separating people from their artistic ambitions is not a lack of talent. It's the lack of a deadline. Give someone an enormous task, a supportive community, and a friendly-yet-firm due date, and miracles will happen. Chris Baty, founder of nanowrimo.

www.nanowrimo.org.

National Novel Writing Month

This is the site her patrons use. It's a great site for writing resources and where it starts for her.

She talked about how this writing project started, and people had to write 50,000 word books in 30 days. “Of Mice and Men” is an example of this length.

Studentpublishing.com - 20 kids need to sign up to write books and the company will bind the books for them. Parents just need to sign up, and they can buy extra book if they want. She had 30 kids in her program and they had fun.

She also talked about coordinating with teachers and parents. Oriental trading also has large books where kids can write and draw for younger people. She uses the “The World Champion of Staying Awake” by Sean Taylor.

She started a “Come Write in Libraries 2010.” Five people showed up to write 50,000 words in 30 days and two reached the goal. NaNoWriMo sends FREE kits and lots of stuff, including charts for their progress. They also get bookmarks and posters. She had adult volunteers and supporters to schedule meet ups in early October for teens, parents and teachers. She did ice breakers, explained what the kids would be attempting and let them know the libraries would be supportive of their writing. She put flyers in the community and hit the classrooms in the schools.

She does tag-team writing projects in the summer. Kids start to write and another one only reads the last sentence and then takes over. “Camp NaNo” is also very popular in the summer.

She stresses that it's not a reading group or a critiquing group. She just wants kids to get in there and write!

writeordie.com: This is a fun website to practice writing. She said your computer will start flashing and screaming at you if the screen sits idle too long. Ha!

Storyist and I Write Like are also great programs. In IWL, you start writing and it will tell you who you write like. John Steinbeck? Stephenie Meyer?

Winners of NaNoWriMo get stickers and badges to put on their blogs that they are “winners.” NaNo also partners with Createspace, that is a partner of Amazon. CS will send you a proofed copy of your novel for free ! You actually have 7 months to use the code to publish the book.

“The Book Doctors” get writers to pitch books and the winner gets a book contract.

'Script Frenzy” runs April 1-30 every year for people who want to write scripts.

Her email is library@craigak.com if there are questions about her programs!

ARSL Conference: Recycling Fun!

2011-09-09T12:29:00.004-05:00

Rags to Riches: Book Recycling for Fun, Fashion and Furniture!

Friends of the New Braunfels Library Recycling Project

Her website is www.lastchancebooks.com.Hand out is here.

Her friends prepare a book sale every year and have too many books left over of the wrong kind. They started looking for ways to use them. They price them using donated time and decide what the market would bare. It might depend on what sells on your community.

Altered books, book purses and book furniture.

She showed a picture of Martha Stewart and said she is “not her. We don't have to be either.” She is amused at how creative the library world is.

Altered books is like scrapbooking, collage and recycling. Some ideas can come from serendipityartists.blog.

Shaped Altered Books: www.stampington.com.

She also talked about some of us who don't like cutting or shaping books, but we might be surprised at how creative we get.

Teapot shapes are their best sellers. She uses a band saw to cut the books. They use them as recipe books. Her community has a lot of Germans. One day an old lady came in and said, “I'm going to buy a teapot books and make recipes for my daughter-in-law. She's kitchen-impaired.” The idea caught on and it has become popular.

To create shaped books, you basically find a shape and then cut it out. You do need to figure out what kind of symmetry you want, as the spine is the deciding factor of your shape. She showed an old map of Texas shaped as a boot.

She showed Mark Bernahl images (Bend, OR). Very detailed work. Sometimes he will leave altered books on library shelves.

She also showed book purses. One had a Nancy Drew book and the handle was made of beads that spelled out “Nancy Drew.” Very cool!

Reader's Digest books can be used. Belts can be used as handles also.

She then demonstrated how to make a book purse. Some of it requires using a hot glue gun and sewing in the material. She doesn't sell her purses but uses them as examples so people can make their own. She said old textbooks work the best for purses.

Ideas for Hands-on Teen programs:

altered books

Book sages

ornaments

picture frames

birdhouses and clocks

One website she likes is craftster.org. Lots of creative ideas! Flickr is also a great resource for looking at files.

Supplies needed an usually be bought at Hobby Lobby or Joann's on sale.

Book Safes: Great for using to hide something in plain view. This has been used a lot in nursing homes! The interiors can be cut out using band saws.

Book corsages: Great way for using the insides of the book safes. Dye or paints can be used and attached to headbands or hats.

Gartenkulter in Italy used books as planters, but she isn't sure this is practical. Paperbacks make great ornaments, using an exacto knife.

Thisintothat.com is a site that has bookshelves out of books. They are expensive, but very thematic. Salt shakers can be used as coat hooks. He also uses smoking pipes as hooks.

Delft University of Technology's Architecture Library has a circulation desk made of books.

Practicallycreative.net shows examples of books as lamps.

This was a great session, and I was able to take pictures of some samples!

Upcoming CE

2011-08-08T16:01:00.002-05:00

Customer Service: Hold the Pickles (webinar)
Thursday, August 18 12 pm
Presented by: Vanessa Uribe, Library Director, El Dorado Law Library

Most of us have attended customer service trainings, but did we ever relate it to easing stress in the workplace? Can good customer service help us in times of less resources? What about job security?

Based on the trainings of Zingerman's Delicatessen in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this session will explore:

- The 5 Elements of Customer Service
- How to Practice it
- How to Overcome Challenges

This webinar is worth 1 CE credit. It will be recorded.

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Weed ‘Em and Weep! Hoarding is not Collection Development (Webinar)

Friday, September 2; 10 - 11:30 am

We all know that collection development is important. How do we let go of our emotional attachments and clean up our collections so that they serve our communities better? We may think about selection and acquiring, but the flip side of that is weeding out the items that no longer work for us. This program will help you articulate your library's purpose and make your collection reflect that through good weeding techniques. We will also provide tips for those who have trouble letting go.

Together, presenters Mary Kelly and Holly Hibner created the popular blog "Awful Library Books" and have also co-authored the book "Making a Collection Count: a Holistic Approach to Library Collection Management."

This webinar is sponsored by OWLS.

Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/491099390

Welcome, Holly!

2011-08-08T15:53:00.003-05:00

NFLS welcomes its newest staff member, Holly Handt! Holly will be working in ILL and Delivery.

Before Holly started working at NFLS, she was a Finance Manager at Packer City International Trucks. She enjoys the library system environment, the hours of the job and being able to work independently.

Holly resides in Seymour. When she's not working, she enjoys reading, gardening and tending to her flowers.

Welcome!

Book Reviews

2011-08-08T14:53:00.004-05:00

Prairie Tale: A Memoir

by Melissa Gilbert

I always liked Melissa Gilbert and was a fan of "Little House, but I wished this memoir would've focused more on her time making the hit show and her relationship with Michael Landon. I do understand that she did have a life and career after "Little House," but that was the part I found most interesting.

She drops a lot of names throughout the book, which got annoying, and the ending seemed too abrupt and came up short for me.

Gilbert does tell all in this memoir - the good, the bad and the ugly. I had no idea that Gilbert and Rob Lowe had an off-again, on-again relationship and were even engaged, or that Shannon Doherty had a fling with her ex-husband during their separation. Or that she has some serious addictions. If you are looking for a juicy, gossipy, Hollywood-esque read, this is it!

Fly Away Home

by Jennifer Weiner

If this had been my first time reading a novel by Jennifer Weiner, I would've been satisfied. But after reading Weiner greats such as "Good in Bed," "Certain Girls," "In Her Shoes," and "Little Earthquakes," - "Fly Away Home" didn't do much for me.

The premise is certainly timely in that a senator's wife, Sylvie Woodruff, discovers (along with the rest of the country) that her husband Richard had an affair with a much-younger lobbyist. Sylvie has to figure out what she's going to do next. Stick by her husband's side and continue to color and straighten her hair while wearing tailored suits and fetching her husband's breakfast or being who she wants to be.

The novel also focuses on Sylvie's two daughters, Diana and Lizzie, along with their struggles. Diane is bored in her marriage and tired of working as a doctor. She is having a hard time berating her father's actions when she herself is entangled in an affair with one of her medical students. Lizzie, who has just gotten out of rehab, finally has a chance to live a great life when her world also comes crashing down.

It felt like I was waiting for something big to happen, and it didn't. The three women end up coming together at their Connecticut home to figure things out, but there is too much back story before this happens.

- Jamie Matczak, NFLS

Final Collection Development Class

2011-08-08T14:51:00.000-05:00

The very last Collection Development class will be this fall, Sept 19-Dec 9. Here is the detailed course information, including a registration link: http://www.slis.wisc.edu/continueed-colldev.htm

Also, the last Fundamentals of Cataloging and Basic Reference classes will be in Spring 2012 (roughly late January to mid-April).

Anna Palmer
Outreach Specialist
Continuing Education Services
School of Library and Information Studies

Free WebJunction Webinars

2011-08-08T14:47:00.002-05:00

On August 10-11, Web Junction and Learning Round Table are having a two-day webinar conference event entitled "Trends in Library Training and Learning: Developing Staff Skills for the 21st Century".

Sessions on getting admin buy-in, tech training skills and instructional literacy are some of the topics being offered.

Registration for the program is free and open to everyone.

OSRT Seeks Nominations for Service Award

2011-08-08T14:35:00.001-05:00

The Outreach Services Round Table (OSRT) is now seeking nominations for the "Frances de Usabel Outreach

Award," presented annually to a library or librarian who has provided exemplary library outreach services

to underserved populations. The award may be for a specific project or projects or for outstanding lifetime

achievement in outreach services.

Applications for the award are due by September 1.

The award is named in honor of the former Special Needs Consultant for the Wisconsin Division for Libraries,

Technology and Community Learning, Frances de Usabel. Frances worked diligently and successfully to advance

outreach services in Wisconsin public libraries for many years. Public, academic, school or special libraries and

librarians are all encouraged to apply.

Nominees should be members of WLA, do not need to be members of OSRT. The winner will receive

a one-year membership in OSRT and an award in the amount of $250, funded by Frances de Usabel.

The award will be presented at the WLA Annual Conference Awards Banquet.

For more information, please contact Holly Selwitschka at 920-582-7091 or director@winneconnelibrary.org.

WLA Registration Now Open!

2011-08-08T14:23:00.003-05:00

Registration for the annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference is now open!

This year's conference, "Libraries: A Renewable Resource" takes place on November 1-4 at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center and the Frontier Airlines Center in Milwaukee.

Stephen Abram, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and Markers for Cengage Learning (Gale) will be giving the keynote address.

Early bird registration is happening from now until October 3. Lots of cool tours (including the zoo!) are also available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Check out the WLA Conference website for more information!

Continuing Education Set for Fall

2011-06-30T15:18:00.002-05:00

The NFLS CE Schedule has just been posted!

Lots of great workshops and webinars are planned on topics such as customer service, ebooks, social media, grant writing and more!

All events are on the "What's Going On" calendar, as well as on the
NFLS webpage.

Here you can find out more information, as well as register!

Contact Jamie if you have any questions.

We're On Facebook!

2011-06-30T15:12:00.003-05:00

Well, we did have a Facebook presence before, as a "Group."

Now we have a Nicolet Federated Library System "Fan" Page!

We will be able to post more information about workshops and events, add photos and have more interaction with our member libraries.

Become a "fan" us of today!

Nicolet Federated Library System

Promote Your Page Too

Book Reviews

2011-06-30T14:55:00.004-05:00

The Postmistress

by Sarah Blake

This novel reminded me a lot of the John Quinones program, "What would you do?" Set during World War II, we have three women in the book. Iris is the postmistress in Franklin, Massachusetts in 1941. Frankie is a war correspondent overseas who comes to Franklin for respite after some horrifying experiences. And Emma, lives in Franklin and is left behind by her husband, a doctor, who decides to go to London to benefit the war effort. How the three lives of these women intersect makes for a wonderful story. Above that are the ethical dilemmas. Iris and Frankie both have information that they could share with Emma but choose not to. Even though both of their professions (postal work and journalism) are about truth and openness they choose to be secretive. (What would you do?) It is so interesting to read about the tragedies befalling all of the characters in this book and wonder how much of them were as a result of war and how much them of were as a result of personal choices. And, in fact, when do we ever have control?

The Girl Who Fell From The Sky

by Heidi W. Durrow

I usually DO NOT like a book that is not tied up. This book ends abruptly but it fits in perfectly with the overall story which is in one way senseless and in another way perfectly sensible. Rachel, the protagonist, is the daughter of a white mother and a black father. She is trying to respect both sides of her heritage. But because her mother took a violent action, which could have killed Rachel, it is harder for Rachel to figure out her deceased mother and love her. She is sent to live with her paternal grandmother who has only bad things to say about Rachel's mother so that is hard, too. There is much sadness and loss of dreams in the book. Yet there is a great amount of hope, too. The chapters are sparse and the author does a fantastic job of creating reasons for people to operate the way that they do. This book also examines how one act of violence can have such a devastating effect on so many people.

- Elizabeth Timmins

Muehl Public Library

BadgerLunch Summer Webinar Series

2011-06-30T14:27:00.002-05:00

Focus on Reader’s Resources

Thursdays at noon

30 - 45 minute sessions

July 14, 21, 28

Not sure what to read next? Can’t find a book your reluctant reader wants to read? Join us Thursdays in July for resources in BadgerLink that will help you select summer reading materials.

July 14: TeachingBooks – Explore thousands of resources about fiction and nonfiction books used in the K-12 environment to encourage the integration of multimedia author and book materials into reading activities.

July 21: NoveList K-8 – Learn about this fiction database designed with a bright, appealing layout especially for elementary and middle school age students.

July 28: NoveList – Focus on readers’ advisory service! NoveList provides access to information on fiction titles as well as feature content includnig author read-alikes, book discussion guides, reading lists and more.

All sessions are open to everyone. Topics include a description of the information/learning resource, searching techniques, and helpful features. For a flyer with complete schedule and links to the webinars, visit the BadgerLink home page at http://www.badgerlink.net/ and click on the BadgerLunch Webinar Series Announcement link.

The archive of previous sessions is found at http://www.badgerlink.net/training.html

For more information, please contact:

Kara Ripley

Reference and BadgerLink Training Librarian

Department of Public Instruction

608-224-6165

Kara.Ripley@dpi.wi.gov

SLIS July and August Courses

2011-06-30T14:24:00.000-05:00

UW-Madison, School of Library and Information Studies
Continuing Education Services

http://www.slis.wisc.edu/continueed.htm

In Madison: Fundamentals of Cataloging

July 11-15

Online: Creating Dynamic Pathfinders

July 11-August 5

Online: Promoting Yourself in the Library Job Market

July 25-August 21

Online: Create a Vibrant Facebook Page for Your Library

Offered twice: August 1-12 or August 15-26

More Online
Online skills courses offer a variety of topics in six week sessions
Spanish for the Library begins the first of each month

Questions? Contact Meredith Lowe (mclowe@wisc.edu, 608-890-0364) or Anna Palmer (ahpalmer@wisc.edu, 608-263-4452)

UW-Madison, SLIS, Continuing Education Services

Space Planning Webinar Recording

2011-06-30T14:22:00.001-05:00

The IFLS webinar about space planning and optimization with Cathy Lefevre (Sand Creek), Ted Stark (Menomonie) and George Lawson (consultant) was recorded and archived, and is available here: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/624755182 (you have to register and download the software, but it is free).

If you just want to see the Power Points, you can find them here: http://www.ifls.lib.wi.us/Default.aspx?tabid=1251 Remember, though, since the Power Points are very picture-heavy, they'll take a long time to download.

Leah Langby
Library Development and Youth Services Coordinator
Indianhead Federated Library System

Royal Wedding Reception

2011-04-29T15:10:00.004-05:00

Who says "Royal Wedding Receptions" can only happen in Buckingham Palace?

Staff at the Shawano City-County Library decided to hold its own!

At 11:30 am today, the library encouraged patrons to wear fancy wedding attire to the library, including hats, gloves, jewelry, broaches and shoes.

Cake, made by Cassie, Penny and Mikki, was served at 11:30 a.m.

Webinar on Transliteracy

2011-04-29T13:08:00.003-05:00

Role of Libraries in a Transliterate World

Tuesday, May 17 1 pm

Presented by: Bobbi Newman

Libraries have focused on literacy, the ability to read, write and interact, for years. Because literacy is a necessary part of being involved in and contributing to society, it is an important service to our patrons and our communities. However, times are changing, and as technologies evolve rapidly, it’s no longer enough to focus on the ability to read and write alone. Libraries need to shift their focus to transliteracy. Come join us and learn how transliteracy is tied to literacy and why it is so important to libraries.

What is transliteracy?

By the end of this program, participants will:

• Understand what transliteracy is

• Know why shifting library focuses from traditional literacies to transliteracy is essential

• Learn clear steps towards building a library that supports transliterate education

Presenter:

Bobbi is dedicated to helping libraries find their place in the digital age. She is passionate about 21st century literacies and the role of all libraries in equal access and opportunity for all. Her professional interests include digital and technology based services, the digital divide, and improving existing services through expanding traditional methods, while creating innovative new practices. Personally, she is on a never-ending quest for the perfect pair of shoes. She shares her passion by consulting and speaking at local, national, and international conferences. She writes at Librarian by Day (http://librarianbyday.net) and Libraries and Transliteracy (http://librariesandtransliteracy.info)

Bobbi is the Learning Engagement Manager for the Richland County Public Library, Columbia SC. She was recently recognized by Library Journal as a Mover and Shaker.

This workshop is being co-sponsored with Outagamie Waupaca Library System.

Event Photos on Flickr

2011-04-29T12:46:00.004-05:00

On March 30, 21 NFLS librarians toured the Mead Public Library (Sheboygan), the Manitowoc Public Library and the Lester Public Library (Two Rivers). Lunch was served at the Courthouse Pub in Manitowoc, ideas were exchanged and a great time was had by all !

Pictures of the beautiful day can be viewed on the NFLS Flickr page!

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Two weeks ago, the bi-annual NFLS Trustee Workshop was held at Heritage Hill State Historical Park. Bill Collar spoke about setting goals for the library. Tenderloin tips, mashed potatoes and grilled veggies were then served for lunch. Some people were able to get a partial tour of the park. Although the day was dreary and cold, the smiles from the photos speak a thousand words!

Contact Jamie at NFLS if you are interested in a copy of Bill's hand out on goal setting.

Free Webinar on Technology Planning

2011-04-29T10:22:00.002-05:00

Are you a school or special solo librarian negotiating with your IT department? A public library employee deciding which software to buy for the teen center? A tech specialist preparing your budget requests for the new fiscal year? An academic librarian juggling faculty technology demands with a shrinking budget? Or any busy person asked to make new cool apps and gadgets perform in your workplace?

Carson Block will be presenting this webinar on May 3 at 1 pm.

Registration is free!

Go here for more information!

Book Reviews

2011-04-29T09:54:00.005-05:00

One Was a Soldier (Rev. Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne Mystery # 7)

by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Spencer-Fleming has given us more of what she does so well. In this latest installment of the poignant saga of Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne, we are exposed to the heartbreaking frailty of war-weary soldiers trying to find their way back to civilian life in fictional small town Millers Kill, NY.

Among these soldiers is our beloved Clare. Caught up in the vortex of alcohol and prescription drug abuse, she attempts to keep her demons at bay while struggling to help her fellow soldiers adjust to their own unique circumstances. This book has it all - joy, sorrow, love, anger, mystery and redemption. You will not be disappointed. You will, however, be anxious to get your hands on the next installment that Julia has to offer! Her books just keep you hungry for more! I felt compelled to re-read the entire series while this one was published.

-By Wendy Spice, Farnsworth Public Library

10-10-10: A Life-Transforming Idea

by Suzy Welch

I really liked this concept. When you have a tough decision to make it is great to consider it in terms of what will

happen as a consequence of your decision in 10 minutes, 10 months and 10 years (as best as you can imagine). I think this concept can make you less impulsive about a very important decision. The anecdotes that were share in the book were very interesting. A fast read--this is a a self-help book that is good for all of us and can be applied to different aspects of one's life such as friends, children, etc.

- Elizabeth Timmins, Muehl Public Library

SLIS Continuing Eduation

2011-04-29T09:45:00.000-05:00

For details and registration, visit: http://www.slis.wisc.edu/continueed.htm

In Madison: Oral History Workshop

June 4

In Madison: Fundamentals of Cataloging

July 11-15

Online: Genealogy Library Services

June 6-July 1

Online: Introduction to Records Management

June 13-August 5

Online: Creating Dynamic Pathfinders

July 11-August 5

Online: Promoting Yourself in the Archival Job Market
June 20-July 17

Online: Promoting Yourself in the Library Job Market

July 25-August 21

Online: Create a Vibrant Facebook Page for Your Library

Offered twice: August 1-12 or August 15-26

More Online
Graduate credit courses start in June
Skills courses offer a variety of topics in six week sessions
Spanish for the Library begins the first of each month

Questions? Contact Meredith Lowe (mclowe@wisc.edu, 608-890-0364) or Anna Palmer (ahpalmer@wisc.edu, 608-263-4452)

CIL Conference: Persuasion and Permission

2011-03-29T03:13:00.002-05:00

Elaina Norlin, Regional Library Manager, Fort Lauderdale
David Lee King

This was a great presentation, and the topics complemented each other well!

Norlin began by telling us about Robert B Cialdini's book, Influence. He is a professor at ASU, and his average keynote salary is $20,000.

In his book, he talks about the Principles of Influence:
Reciprocation – I scratch your back, you scratch mine.
Commitment and Consistency- Putting things in writing or announcing means you will do it. It's an extra step.
Social Proof – When people are trying to make a decision, we look to others who are in the same situation.
Liking- We tend to want to be influenced by people who are liking.
Authority- We tend to be influenced by people who are experts.
Scarcity- People are influenced by things when they “might not be there anymore.”

She then talked about another book called Persuasion IQ: The 10 Skills You Need to Get Exactly What You Want (2008). Kurt W. Mortensen

He said people are influenced by predictability! She then led us through a series of quizzes that were in the book. We realized:
Can most humans tell the difference between logic and emotion? No!

What characteristic is found in most great persuaders?
Optimism!

Your presentation should focus more on emotion.
People who are INTROVERTED are better at persuading. (surprising).
Introverts tend to listen more and they are better at analyzing and absorbing and thinking before they speak.

Structure of your Presentations:
Create interest
Share problem
Offer evidence
Present a solution
Call to action!

Make your message memorable:
Offer choices: If you can, provide more than one offer or solution.
Use repetition: we remember!
Brevity and Simplicity: Not large papers

TESS: testimonials, examples, statistics and stories
Statistics should be incorporated with the stories!

She also suggests we look at infomercials differently than you did before. This is a $300 billion industry. They incorporate everything we are talking about!
HSN (Home Shopping Network) = money-making machine.
How are they structuring their message? Are they trying to make you cry?

Proactiv is a great example! Stories, authority, repetition. They reach their target audience by featuring all types of people, because they don't know who's watching.
They use the celebrity as the “liking” component.
And, its message is simple: We clear acne. That's it.

Testimonials – social proof
Authority (expert)
Liking (celebrity endorsement)
Reciprocation (free gift with purchase)
We need to look at informercials because what they are doing is obviously working!

Things to Keep in Mind:

when in doubt, provide relevant stories
continue to add facts, but sparingly
recognize the power of social proof (people are CHOOSING to use the library)
publicity produces short-term, not long-term results (persuasion is a strategy)
use key points, keep it brief and repeat, repeat, repeat!
What is the call to action? What do you want?

David Lee King then continued with the presentation on “Getting What You Want” more in terms of persuading your boss. He shared his strategies for how he gets permission, why we might not be and tips.

How it works for him:

Trust: he is trusted to do the right thing through his job.
Asks: he asks his boss for permission and sits in his boss's chair every week
Share: They have a lot of meetings, and he would introduce stuff every week (ie Twitter). “Here is what our enemy library is doing...”

Then someone will say “When are you going to do this?”

He relates everything back to their strategic plan
Healthy organization
They hire the right people
They are team-based and they pay by performance.

Why don't some people get permission?

you might be a stinker (haha)
you might work in an unhealthy organization (is your boss effective? Control freak? Bad managers?)
You might not have a strategic plan or goals
Somebody saying “no” might really be saying “not now”
Are you not asking? They try to end meetings with “next steps” or “timelines.”

Things We Can Do:

Ask: we might assume, but we don't ask. If someone does say no, don't just go away. Ask why?
Make your idea THEIR goal.
Don't sell tools, sell the RESULT. Don't sell a blog or Twitter. Sell what it will DO.
Talk (sell your idea to someone who will listen).

David asked the group if we had any tips or had any questions. He ended by saying advocacy should always be pumped up, not just when things are bad.

CIL Conference: Mobile Landscape and Location

2011-03-29T03:04:00.002-05:00

Joe Murphy, Yale University
Chanitra Bishop, Indiana University
Jason Clark, Montana State University

This session was part of today's mobile track. I was looking forward to attending these, as there is a lot I don't know about in this area. These are some things we need to have on our radars.

Chanitra started the presentation talking about location-based social networks and how libraries use them. She focused on foursquare.

They send information to a user's mobile device based on location.
You can target marketing messages to users in a specific geographical location. (Places, Foursquare, yelp, gowalla). If you "check in", you can receive links or coupons for deals.

What is Foursquare?
It allows you to check in, make a to-do list, find out what friends are doing learn about events, restaurants, etc.
This is the most popular location-based site with 6.5 million users world-wide. It started in 2009 and grew over 34% in 2010.You need to be careful about what information you are entering.
You can add tips, comments, shout-outs, add friends and followers and connect with Facebook and Twitter.
If you are new to a city, you can use it to see what people are doing or find other people who have similar interests.
It's also a game. The person who checks in becomes a “mayor” of that location. You can earn “badges.”
It also has a “Leaderboard” and points. You can see how many points your friends have by checking into more locations.

Library use:
You can claim your location and this gives you the opportunity to run promotions or merge locations.
You can also add new locations within your library that you want people to become aware of such as a new cafe or media center.
This is a way to give users a virtual tour of your library!
Locations can be set up so that even if you don't have a lot of users, people will use them once they get familiar with this tool.

You can “reward the mayor.” If you have a frequent library patron, they can be rewarded. You can also do promotions based on locations.
You can add tips, descriptions, photos and tags. This can be used to promote services.
If you get a lot of questions at your reference desk, a tip can be added. She said this be a great tool for “tax time.”

Jason Clark then spoke about location and library applications. He builds the digital branch for Montana University in Bozeman.

He covered:
How does location matter for libraries?
Library Apps and Demos
Getting Started
Questions

Content is King – is this a mantra anymore? Context is becoming more and more important to users, especially in a mobile environment.

Library Apps:
Mapping Data
Check-in services
Crowdsourcing Geo Information
Local interest Apps

He showed a map of theses and dissertations. The president of their school LOVES this! Where is research coming from ?

Check-in Services:
Darien Library (Connecticut)
Enoch Pratt Free Library (Maryland)

Crowdsourcing Geo:
New York Public University
maps.nvpl.org – they can overlay maps to see how the city has changed. They allow for corrections, which allows them to engage their patrons.

Local Interest Apps:
NSCU Wolf Walk – you can walk around campus and get historical information.
Scan Jose Public Library

Can you imagine if you were at the Washington Memorial and you wanted to listen to MLK's speech?

MSU Libraries:
Create a cultural snapshot of “place.” He showed an example using Green Bay, as that is where he's from.

How to get started?
Think about data that we have that has a location interest.
Record latitude and longitude
“Reverse Geocodes” to get text values
Locationawhere.com

www.jasonclark.info

We need to play now and learn now, so that when trends develop we know how to do this.
Someone asked what the maintenance is like once this is set up. Clark said there has been some refinement, but it hasn't been overwhelming.
Bishop said it's easier to set up multiple locations in Foursquare.
They emphasized to “play before you create.”

CIL Conference: How Libraries Add Value to Communities

2011-03-23T19:45:00.000-05:00

Lee Rainie, Director, Pew Internet Project

Rainie is a journalist by trade. I was excited to hear him, as he always has great information and stats to share. He showed a slide about someone tweeting about him, calling him the “digital research king.” In another one he was called the “king of social media.”

Internet and Broadband Revolution:
24% of Americans only have cell phones and no landlines and 50% of these people are under 30.

Change in iinternet use:
79% of adults are now using the internet, but there has been a flattening since 2007. Librarians have been good about making people feel comfortable with these tools.
If you live in a rural area, you are much less likely to be a broadband user.
If you have broadband, you are more likely to have a college degree, employed, have an income of $75,000 per year and have a minor child at home.
Parents are realizing that they need to have this!
Internet use is stopping between 71 and 92.

Lots of people are customizing how information comes into their lives. They are controlling the “velocity” in which they receive information.
62% are using social networks
44% share photos
4-17% are now using location services (Foursquare)

Where we “are” is an important part of our mission.

Our collections are changing, but we are also adding value.
“Opportunity for All” is a study from the University of Washington said that 44% of those living below poverty use library connections. 61% of those 14-24 use them for school.
54% of poor seniors used library connections for health/wellness needs.
63% use the services to help others.
60% of library connectors use them for social purposes
42% for educational purposes

“Libraries are really great places for teaching about social media and to help people master these things.”

Why don't people have internet:
Cost is the central issue, but many more of them don't understand what the internet can bring to them. It's more of a literacy/understanding issue than a cost issue.

Cell phone owners:
85% of adults are now cell phone owners, but there is an age divide and a community divide, but the gap is getting smaller.
57% have wireless connectivity, which is pretty enormous.

Cell phones as social tools:
54% send photos or video
23% access a social networking site

Apps: 35% have them on a device, either a tablet or phone, but only 24% of them actually USE the apps.
App use is usually male, young and well-educated/affluent.

The web will still be good in the future for people who want to “go to school” on a subject, but the apps world will be good for specialized databases or people who have more specific needs.

Laptop usage is up 30% since 2006
iPad usage has doubled in 6 months
7% of adults own ebook readers

Big challenge for libraries is that people used to come to us but now WE go to people.

Big value-add:
apps vs webs vs traditional resource
access to real-time information
augmented reality – you can overlay reality with data.
Sanctuary – quiet space. People still love libraries for this!

Social Networking Revolution:
the social network population is more diverse than we might think. Half of Americans use socil networking sites.
Men do things more frequently than women.
This is an opportunity for libraries to encourage people to understand their importance.

Online video: 14% of adult video users have posted a video.

Online social networks + ubiquitous mobility
People are starting their day with social media, ending it, and keeping their phone by their pillow.
FOMO – fear of missing out!

We are finding out that our friends really aren't like us in social networks. (elections)
People also think they have friends who can help them with their needs.

Big shift for libraries because we have to share our expertise with others, but there is still big value:

we are embedded in these spaces and can observe

Attention Zones:
Continuous Partial Attention: we are always interrupted, and we can't shut things off because people might “need” us. This is a permanent state of life for many of us.

Deep Dive spaces: diagnosed with something and we immediately become “experts.”
This is the golden age of amateur experts!

Info-snacking – (angry birds).

Day Dreaming:

Media Zones are another type of space:
Social Streams: people are “dipping” in when they have time and when they feel like it
Immersive space: people don't want to be in this if they don't have to be
Creative/participatory: people can make or discover stuff. People are “open” to input from librarians.
Study/work: Big for libraries
The goal is to play a role in all of these zones.

Social Networks matter to people:
As sentries: Word of mouth matters more
As information evaluators – they vouch for or discredit a business's credibility and authenticity.
Everyone has a voice! Everyone has an audience/forum.

Cosmic Value to Libraries: Can be teachers of new literacies
screen literacy- graphics and symbols are becoming important
navigation literacy-
how to create content
ethical behavior – how do we be good citizens in these spaces?

We are going through HUGE changes. He said that we are living in a world where people cherish us for what we have, but now we have new constituencies who want the new stuff in the new ways, but we are a group that should “be not afraid” because we'll get there.

CIL Conference: Integrating iPads into Learning & Libraries

2011-03-23T06:35:00.002-05:00

Ryerson University Library and Achives (Toronto)

Naomi Eichenlaub, Laine Gabel, Dan Jakubek, Graham McCarthy

They all work at Ryerson, and it is mostly a commuter campus. They were given some funding and wanted to do something iPad-related. This presentation gave me some food for thought on lending iPads in libraries. Would this be a possibility or more trouble than it's worth? Would this work better in academic libraries, or not so much?

They wrote a project proposal to purchase them for a few students to see how they would use them in their academic lives. Did it enhance or inhibit their studies? The students had to blog and give updates. In exchange, they get to keep the iPad when the project ends in April.

They have a Student Advisory group at the library and that is where they selected their students. They selected 4 entries. The iPads were distributed in mid-December, which was right in time before the winter holiday. The students had to do a blog entry over the winter holiday and then weekly blog postings in January. They were posted on elgg, which is an open-source blog platform. They spent about $300 on applications and they received a $25 gift card to get an app they wanted.

Here is what the students said about:

-Ipad performance:

lightweight, amazing battery life. Said that emails were not “festering” in their inboxes.

-multi-tasking can be done with shortcut keys

one blog said, “this is a graphic designer's dream,” because you can do drawings.

Ipad on the go:

One of the students was on the subway and things were running slow. She was on a street corner, connected and submitted an assignment in time.

VCL Player Application and “Read it Later” Application is good if you think you will be somewhere that you can't connect. You can “copy” your webpages.

Ipad and Organization:

Dropbox – free tool of virtual space on the desktop and you can drop it onto your iPad.

-”The iPad has helped with my abysmal time-management skills.”

“The iPad has been helpful in sorting my dates and homework anxieties.”

absNotes and iStudent are great apps for this.

Most academic work is going paperless.

Ipad extras: Penultimate can be used as a stylus.

They said the bluetooth keyboard worked great, but the docking keyboard was hard to handle the shortcut tricks.

What were their impressions from an academic standpoint?

Ashley: print major. She felt guilty at first about using it. But, she discovered it was a great asset.

Mypantone: this opened up new interests for her.

Bonita: urban and regional planning major.

She was drawn to the iPad for its portability. She used it to draw diagrams and exported them as a saved document. Now she is a paperless student. She will scan paper hand outs and discard the paper copies.

Her main complaint is difficulties printing and lack of a usb port (they were using the first model).

Kris: phD candidate

He used it to help his research. He started using MS Word less often and used the ebooks for annotating.

Sarah: public health fast-track program. She likes it for the portability and said it is great for collaboration.

ABCnotes is used for reminder her of things. Uses it to screen capture notes.

If they did this project again, they would use more students and cross disciplines. They also had them blog too often (every week). Is it useful to loan an iPad on a temporary basis? Possibly. It's a great opportunity to introduce new technology, but it would be difficult to start from scratch if one was borrowed from a library.

The biggest question they are trying to figure out is the iPad a consuming device or a production device?

CIL Conference: "Teching Up" Traditional Library Programs

2011-03-22T13:04:00.002-05:00

Presenter: Sue Scott, Technology Librarian, Marlboro Free Library with Susan Tumminia, Children's Programming and James Cosgrove, Director

sscott@marlborolibrary.org

Scott shared ways that her library uses new technologies to enhance traditional programs. She worked for 20 years in the corporate setting as a developer.

They are a small library serving about 11,000 people. They try and make everything as "cool" as possible to the digital natives.

Why do they care about technology:

bridge the digital divide
showing what is possible
speaking to the digital natives
digital literacy and that accessibility to technology is not enough
showing balance

One program they did is “Skype-ing Storytime”

Requires: 2 laptops with cameras with Skype installed, external speakers, LCDC TV monitor with video cable to laptop

They also made a craft after the program

“Technology Tuesday” camp

-4^th and 5^th graders. 8 week after-school program of movie creation, game development, gaming and tech crafts.

For the movies:

They used Publisher to Create Movie Premiere Flyers, then took digital camera pictures of kids and had them use PAINT to create scary masks. Finally, Audacity was used to import music cd tracks of scary sounds as mp3s into Adobe Elements.

For game development: they used web-based game tools like Ben10 and Star Wars to create platformer games.

For crafts: They made Starship Enterprise or Notebook out of floppy disks

“Cooking Camp” in the summer. They make gourmet dishes and have the kids serve meals to the senior citizens next door. They also use “Cooking Mama” when they need a break.

She said they record everything and put it on their youtube channel.

“Partnership” with Boy Scouts: earning belt loops or pins for playing video games.

Technology Petting Zoo: program of kids ages 12+ who are interested in learning about technology. Covered everything from mp3s, digital camera, Flickr, audiobooks, etc.

She gets programs for free off cnet.com/downloads.

Audacity, Any Video Converter and Adobe Photoshop and Movie Creator

Programs for Teens “Cullen Dinner Party” put video together of thoughts on the book and whose “team” they were on

“Alternative Fashion Show” - kids make fashion out of recycled materials and do a catwalk. About 120 people attend! Uses flip mino camera to take video.

For adults: They made the READ posters and offer a series of computer classes.

Sue thinks it's really important to empower patrons and give them the tools they need to learn how to do things outside the library.

CIL: Meta Social: Making Online & Mobile Interactions Rock

2011-03-22T11:59:00.003-05:00

Presenters: David Lee King, Sarah Houghton-Jan, Nate Hill

This presentation covered the social and mobile tools out there and how we can make them work for our library.

David was the first to speak. What is meta social? When sites and tools are broken down, there are only a handle of things and interactions.

What are the different types of interactions?
1. Status updates: Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, etc. Anything you can type can go here and you can link to things. These are "real" connections to our customers.
His library typed a paper comment on the Facebook page. The artist commented back and then patrons commented. Lots of interaction = cool !

2. Long Posts: blogs, Facebook notes. You can share things in a longer format. What's happening in the library? Reviews.
His library has a local history department. His staff attended the demolition of a piece and they wrote about it. The "capolla" got 17 comments.

3. Comments: This is primary way that patrons can "talk back" to you. He said the author commented on a children's blog.

4. Visual: Photos and videos.
We can use blip.tv, youtube, vimeo, Flickr, picassa, etc.
Why should we do visual stuff? His library does an "edible books" program. He showed a picture of fruit and "how are you peeling" and they received a lot of comments.

5, Live Streaming: live video of what's going on.
Great way to capture moments as they happen.

6. Friending and Subscribing: These services let you tell if someone is online.

7. Checking in: Foursquare and Yelp. You can say "yes, I am here." His library is on Foursquare and patrons can check in.

8. The Quick Stuff: Poking, Rating, 4 stars, favorite, etc.
His library has a feature where you can "like" something about the library on Facebook, which posts on his feeds.

How do we make these rock??

1. Stop! - we need some strategy and goals before we do anything else.
2. Listen for what people are doing. Are people talking about your library?
3. Friending: we need friends to be part of this "social network." Focus on people who live in your service area. Follow your customers (other libraries) and then start conversations.

Sarah-Houghton Jan started talking about a grant project from San Jose Public Library that will connect residents and visitors to rare and local history materials using augmented reality.

Augmented reality: has moved to mobile devices.

AR= digital view of the physical world + digital objects in the virtual world

Layar: you look through your viewer at In-and-Out Burger and there are hamburgers in the sky. People also use this to visualize what things COULD look like.

Nate then spoke about what is being done at San Jose:

They ended using a mobile web application choice. jQuery Mobile. They also got hit with "reality checks" on this project. They wanted to hire some people to do the Android work, but there is a big demand and it's hard to get them.

"Scan Jose" Now: this will be launched in July and is still coming together.

It's a very cool use of technology, but they also need to utilize smart writing. People can interact and leave comments, and that's where the "meta social" idea comes into play.

They have had challenges, as they don't know what they are aiming for at the end of the day.Hopefully there will be more platforms.

CIL Conference: Learning from Inspirational Libraries

2011-03-22T10:24:00.000-05:00

Presenter:
Marshall Breeding, Director, Innovative Technology and Research, Vanderbuilt University

He shared pictures and thoughts of libraries he has been to around the world.

Yonsie Library: Seoul, South Korea
newspapers are in the tech screen
multi-work stations
very large library
has recording course-ware if students miss lectures at the university
has television studio

The Dock - in the Netherlands
This is a library that “breaks” the rules and they want to have fun.
- the kids can do what they want in the children’s area (oy!)
- have sound-proof pods were people can watch movies
-romance section of books is in red
-they use game consoles to support the computers in the library, because they have more power

Customs House Library, Sydney, AU:
-This area is jam-packed
-lots of exhibits
-interactive art exhibit that changes

National Library in Slovenia:
-building is designed by the most famous architect, wonderful columns and marble. beautiful building from 150 years ago, but that made the level of engagement difficult.

National Library in Taipei: would not let him take pictures of the inside, but the people showed him a lot and were very welcoming.

Library of Congress: not a national library, but they do amazing things.
SAMA machine: can load up video cassettes and digitize them with high automation.

National Library of Argentina:
people have mixed feelings about the building, as some say it’s ugly and some love it

National Library of Colombia:
-into digitization of materials, moreso than Argentina
-showed us a book that had lines crossed out, censorship of the Spanish Inquisition.
- banks here set the first libraries, and have elevators

metro stations in Medellin, Colombia have drop-offs for library books.

Breeding said we have a lot to learn from libraries all over the world. Commonalities include the core missions. We all want to make the best use of collections, to preserve and to engage.

CIL Conference: Engaging Digital Natives

2011-03-22T10:18:00.002-05:00

Keynote: Michelle Manafy, Director of Content, Free Pint Limited
Author of “Dancing with Digital Natives”

Michelle provided a lot of food for thought right off the bat on Tuesday! She started out by saying that it doesn’t matter how “cool” we think we are. At some point, we are going to find ourselves sounding like our mom and dad. (When I was a kid, we had BOOKS!)

The term “digital native” was introduced in 2001 by Mark Prensky, who said youth today “”speak the digital language.” WE are known as digital immigrants. Prensky said when kids now finish college, they will have spent more than 10,000 playing videogames, they will have sent and received over 200,000 emails and instant messages and more than 10,000 hours talking on cell phones.
The question is, will we be able to engage them?

The 3 Keys to Engage:
1. Public opinion and private lives have merged
2. Knowledge sharing...not knowledge “hoarding”
3. Interactions...not “transactions”

“Andy Warhol’s saying “everyone will be famous for 15 minutes” has changed to “everyone will be famous to 15 people.” - Tara Hunt, The Whuffie Factor

This generation LIVES their lives in the public. Privacy doesn’t exist (ijustmadelove.com....doesn’t get more open than that!) and gangs are now tweeting about activities.

She then gave some examples of organizations that engage with digital natives, and she’s hoping that sharing these will not only help our libraries survive, but thrive!

- Taking it Verbal- designed for 13-30 year-olds, social networking site for civic involvement to change the world.
It utilizes a social sign-on - users can use an existing social identity (ie. Facebook log- in), so it creates a community around the content.

- Quirky; 23-year-old entrepreneur in social product development. People who “vote” on these products can also earn money, along with the inventors.

- School’s App: third-party Facebook application that universities can create for students to already have friends BEFORE they arrive on campus.

- Proctor and Gamble and IBM: both have developer areas on their websites where a high percentage of new ideas come from people outside of these companies.

- Threadless: users can submit t-shirt designs and the community rates them. Their entire business model is based on community.

There was a saying that “knowledge is power,” but that has shifted to “Knowledge shared is power.”
We (libraries) need to provide a constructive forum for people to interact and give opinions, otherwise the digital natives will create one for us!
She talked about the examples of people creating youtube videos or there being an anti-United Airline Facebook fan page.
American Express is a great example of a what a fan page should be, as it has humans on it.

In order for us to survive, we need to think more like the natives. Thinking this way will only serve to off-set the costs of doing business, as well as help us do BETTER business.

CIL Conference: Improve Your Website Now

2011-03-22T05:40:00.002-05:00

10 Things You Can Do to Make Your Library Site Better Right Now
Laura Solomon
Library Services Manager, OPLIN

Editor's Note: The wi-fi was spotty in this room, so I lost my original notes. These notes are the abbreviated version, but hopefully still valuable.

1. Don't use library acronyms on your site. (OPLIN, OCLC) Your patrons don't know what these mean anyway.

2. Clip art is evil. Use stock photography, but minimally. Clip art undermines the professional and credible image of your library. Why would people take you seriously if your website looks like something a third grader could do?

3. Get rid of the news/weather/feed widgets. We think they look cool and they are easy, but people aren't coming to your website for this.

4. Your front page is "Boardwalk" or "prime real estate." You don't need "welcome" written all over it. You aren't requiring a password for people to enter, so why "welcome" them? They are already there.

5. When using text, cut it in half.....then cut it in half again! People don't read, they scan. Make use of white space, bullets, etc.

6. Do not post the photo of your library building on your front page. This is not your "image."
Again, it's a waste of prime real estate.

7. Mission statements- put them somewhere else. About us section? People don't care about this, and putting it on your front page is another waste of prime real estate.

8. Have your address and phone number on the front page, even if it's at the footer. Make it easy for people to find.

9. PDF files are killers for dial-up users. Make sure you indicate a document is a pdf, so these users know.

10. "Attend our cool program!!!" You might think your program is cool, and maybe it is. but all the exclamation points aren't going to make it more cool. Do not use them, as it looks unprofessional.

CIL Conference: Performance Measures: Illustrating Value to Your Community

2011-03-21T15:06:00.011-05:00

Presenter: Rebecca Jones, Partner of Dysart & Jones Associates
rebecca@dysartjones.com

Rebecca was a dynamic speaker! She said this presentation has always been a work-in-progress.
She worked in a corporate environment and gained a lot of experience in this area. She learned what is "valued" in conversations. Measures begin and end in conversations.

What is your strategy?
How do you define success?
How do we do and convey this?

Information is also available on the dysartjones.com website.

Meaningful measures:
- matter to you and your stakeholders
-demonstrate that the library makes a difference
- focus on what is being done and what is most important for the organization
- if what you are doing isn't getting results, why are you doing it??
- are critical for managing, planning and decision-making
- are organization-dependent and must be connected from strategic directives to employees.

Underlying assumptions:
- few public libraries have a "culture of assessment"
- they are difficult and complex
- most measures indicate past performance
- no cause-and-effect relationship between measures
- performance measures quantitative, but library outcomes are mostly qualitative

The fewer statistics we try to convey, the more they will be heard! Less is more.

The first conversations with stakeholders shouldn't talk about measures. It looks like we "want" something" and not "bringing them" something.
We also need to be clear about what we want to do and how we measure that.

Questions that drive measures:
What are libraries doing?
How much is it doing?
How well are we doing?
Who are we doing it for?

She finds over and over that there isn't a magic measure. The organizations that convey measures that matter are clear on their purposes. They understand the culture in which they are working and in which their decision makers are working
The value of free books was different than it is today.

An effective performance measurement system:
- gauges your strategies
-focuses on what matters most to library's success (this is NOT an excel spreadsheet. This is a picture that tells a story).
-uses a common language with staff and decision-makers
-specifies the owner
-is valid

She showed us a survey for "Harrah's" a gambling place and the values it brings to perspective clients.
She conducted an informal survey about what measures? How do you identify these? Have you changed them in the past 2-5 years?
She found that stories have replaced statistics. She said "stories eat stats for breakfast."
Libraries are doing follow-up sessions and debriefs instead of widespread surveys where they have made a difference.
Others are doing time saved + costs avoided and ideas generated.

This doesn't mean usage statistics aren't good, but we are looking at them with different binoculars.
Customer Satisfaction tends to focus on existing products and/or services.
The post-secondary environment uses the "balanced scorecard." This concept is from Kaplan and Norton.

She talked about the ARCL reports and OCLC reports. OCLC report said library funding support is only marginally related to lirbary visitation. It also said the perceptions of librarians were an important predictor of library-funding support. Third, voters who see library as "transformational" opposed to "informational" are more likely to get an increase in tax support.

Jones talked about savelibraries.org. When one library is in trouble, ALL libraries are in trouble.

We need to focus on cost-benefit analysis. "What is the library worth to the citizens of Philadelphia?"
Literacy, workforce development, business development and property tax revenue ....these were measured in Philly, so what is important in our communities?

'What should I measure for my library" has no stock answer. We have to determine what's important, but the library's role of impacting lives will not change.

CIL Conference: In Pursuit of Library Elegance

2011-03-21T14:12:00.007-05:00

Presenters: Erica Reynolds, Information Technology Manager, Johnson County Library
John Blyberg, Assistant Director for Innovation and UX, Darien Library

The title of this session intrigued me, and I've wanted to hear John Blyberg speak. This session was held right after the afternoon coffee break, so I felt like I had more zip in my fingers.

Erica began the presentation. This was based on the book "In Pursuit of Elegance: Why the Best Ideas Have Something Missing," by Matthew May. They both think this book can help libraries do better and be more elegant in design. If we continue with our same way of thinking, we won't have new ways to solve our problems. We have shrinking staffs and budgets, so why are we adding to the mess? If anything, we should subtract.

May is a consultant for Toyoda. Uses the ideas of Symmetry, Seduction, Sustainability and Subtraction.

Symmetry: Simple rules create an effective order. How can we create very simple rules?

Seduction: By limiting information, it creates intrigue. Librarians are curious and want knowledge that we didn't have before? How do we seduce people into wanting more?
We give patrons EVERYTHING because we want to share all that we know.

Subtraction: By subtracting, we create value and it's more impactful. Restraint and removal impact value. People who use the libraries are smart, so why do we put signs everywhere? Why do we treat patrons like they aren't smart?

Sustainability: Is what we are doing sustainable over time? Can we really work 60+ hours a week in front of the computer?
Limited resources spark creativity and innovation. What can libraries create with tight constraints? The creative tension at the center of elegance: Achieving the maximum effect with the minimum effort.....we should relax! (drew laughs from the audience).

She put up a slide.
XI + I = X
11 + 1 = 10

What's the least number of moves we can make in order to make this correct?
IX + I = X
But....all we have to do is flip it upside down.
Most people can't get to this because we usually don't turn things upside-down. Or, we want to mess with it.
Don't ask: What should we do? We should ask: What is optimal?

She showed examples of great discoveries in the book, NOT when people were at a computer. They were having DOWN TIME. (J.K. Rowling was traveling on a train when the character of Harry Potter flashed in her head.)

The path to elegance:
-Resist the urge to act or add
- Observe first
- Ensure a diversity of opinions
- Carve out time to think and time to not think
- Get away from your devices
- Get some sleep
- Get outside

She urged us to read Mays' book, get some sleep, get out and don't be afraid to dump the devices. The next time we have a problem, try to NOT do anything. Stop. Think and observe. Step back. If anything, subtract.

John started his presentation echoing the ideas Erica mentioned.
At their library, they stopped thinking about digital strategy differently. They wanted to focus on building a network effect. If there is enough content, then people will add to it.
We've talked about scaling back, but everything we do has to be built on a solid foundation.
Let's give people the spaces and tools they need to do what they need. Do we always have to give them the solutions?

He showed a picture of their reference desk. (Small table). They found when they removed the "fortress," the area become more approachable and lighter. People can work side by side and it becomes more of a "shared" experience. This is similar to Apple releasing the iPhone without a manual.

Signs: If you walk into a library and there are signs plastered everywhere, there might be problems. He said "signs are mandates." Users can set their own expectations and they become self-governable.

They call their circulation desk the "welcome" desk, but most people use the self-check. JetBlue Airlines is successful and appealing because the passengers are "empowered." (They can check-in, help themselves to snacks, etc.)
Blyberg said they have introduced things in the library without a "plan" and they were amazed to see how things "shook out."

He said computer use is high, but most people come in and bring their own equipment (ie students bringing their laptops to the library).
Social media has also played another "tier" into librarianship.
But if we want those "eureka" moments, we need to put our mind at rest.
He also suggested reading the book.

CIL Conference: Building Community Partnerships: Ideas & Insights

2011-03-21T13:48:00.001-05:00

Presenters:
Kathy Dempsey, veteran marketer and Dean Frey, Director, Red Deer Public Library

Kathy spoke first and shared with us for partnerships and what other libraries have done. Her notes are posted on the conference website and she will get back to me if I can post them here.

Libraries collaborate to save money, but that’s not the only reason. It’s also a chance to educate people in the community. It’s a chance to tell them. “this is why the library still matters.” This is what we do/have besides books.

Great possible partners:
-Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts: gardening for the library can be done and there are badges for it. Boy Scouts have built benches and shelves for the library.
- College professors: See if they will create student projects to get work done for you. (Her hand out has links to case studies about this).
Some might do design work
She suggested: createathon.com: 24 hour/creative blitz where people provide services to non-profits for free.
- Speakers’ Bureaus: great network to tap into
-Grocery stores: a small chain of privately-owned grocery stores partnered with the library that was too small for story times. The allowed the library to have the story times at their cafe on Saturday mornings, before the cafe was open. Parents could drop their kids at story times and then shop. The stores also provided the kids with a snack!
-Shopping Malls: one library partnered with a local mall, where stores were closing to hold a book sale. The library was running out of space. Both advertised the sale and it was a huge success. They made more money that year because of the space and the location.
- Similar groups: Historical societies, genealogy societies, restaurants having “dine and donate” nights. These are when proceeds (10%) go to an organization.
- Realtors: welcome baskets for people who are new to the area. Have your information or brochure in with that information.
-Local politics: In most cases, you are allowed to do volunteer work for political campaigns. Just by meeting well-positioned people, you are getting your chance to give your two-minute elevator speech.
- Toledo Symphony Orchestra partnered with the local library, “The Composer is Dead.”
-National Library Week: Maricopa County Library staged a version of “Tomas and the Library Lady.” They used the “change your world” theme and partnered with the local play company to do a performance.

Dean Frey then spoke about his library using an online forum for municipal elections.
http://archive.electionforum.ca/2004
-candidate brochures were placed online, questions were asked and the media was connected.

They also did a forum in 2007 and used Drupal 5. It was more interactive and provided the candidates with blogs.
100% of the candidates participated!

Forum in 2010 used Drupal 6. They used candidate blogs and comments, but people were used to this because of social networking tools.
They also hosted live video streaming with the election results.
Facebook fan page was also used.
Google Analytics showed they had more than 5000 unique visitors. There were nearly 100,000 page views and people spent over 8 minutes on the site when they visited.

Accomplishments:
1 in 3 visited the site
1 in 9 voters on election day
pushed out voter turn out
conversations were respectful and issue based
everyone involved had FUN!

Future plans:
2013 is the next municipal election
Drupal 8 or 9?
Google AdSense
What tools will be available at this time? Mobile applications? Video applications?

CIL Conference: Promoting with Web 2.0

2011-03-21T10:17:00.000-05:00

Curt Tagtmeier
Adult Services Librarian
Fremont Public Library
Mundelein, IL

He started out by saying that some comments can be found in Sept. issue of Computers in Libraries.
He works for a medium-sized library, and they love to offer free services. Youtube, ilike, Twitter, Mobile Joomla, Meebo, Blogger/Dapper

How can patrons enjoy these things when asked for a separate username and password or how do we keep our patrons in one place sponsored by our library? They wanted something more three-dimensional. Is there one service that does all these things?
FACEBOOK!

Why should libraries be on Facebook? That’s where the people are!
He never thought that it would blow MySpace out of the water. He has grandparents coming into the library who want to see their kids’ photos and need a Facebook account!
Some stats:
Only 30% of Facebook users are from the U.S. The average user has 130 friends and is connected to 80 community pages/community events.

It offers FLEXIBILITY! Patrons an now view updates from almost anywhere. Facebook Zero allows interaction not just for smartphones. This allows a whole new market of people using Facebook that hadn’t before.

Last year they began a mobile site using a Joomla extension that made a modified mobile site resemble a Smartphone. But they learned that doing it themselves caused a great number of headaches compared with the ease of Facebook. They did have more freedom, but was the trade-off worth it?
Nobody used the site, so it wasn’t worth the effort. They realized that Facebook worked much better.

The Secrets of their success:
- Be unique! Too many libraries duplicate things from their websites.
- Be fun! This is a great way to show your library’s personality!
- Be practical! Include links on buying a digital camera.
- Be innovative! Your Facebook page needs to be different from your web page.
Social networking was created by people who hated websites.

Things you can do:
- Embed one blog as a RSS feed into your library’s Facebook page.
- Can create customized links at the side of your page utilizing Facebook Markup Language.
- Now you can change settings and post from your library page and not your personal page. Very cool update!
- Applications can now be easily added, such as GoodReads.
- They use YouTube by sharing a video playlist once a month of their new dvds and their official trailers.
- Uses i.like.com to create playlists. - social music discovery service with 60 million registered users.
-podcasts: They publish technology uses from the library.

Current Uses:
- they use Meebo for instant messaging, but using Facebook Markup Language allows embedding Meebo in their Facebook page.
- Facebook users can also use the widget for their catalog.
- they use it for communicating, but are careful with not sending too many messages.
- the use of the “wall” has allowed for quick discussion than creating a software program for discussions. Want to have a book discussion? Use your wall !

What are some future applications?

- dapper.net: They use it as a google gadget to highlight news but want to do more with it for the future.
- they would also like to embed that rss feed within their Facebook page either via the blog setting or Facebook Markup Language.
- use Facebook as a reference services tool.

He then shifted his focus to Twitter. What is the difference?
Twitter is active communication. Facebook is passive communication. They serve different purposes! With Facebook, you are asking for a reaction in some way.
Twitter is a large party where you only know 1-2 people; Facebook is a small dinner party with your closest friends.
- Famous people (and winners!) love to tweet a lot. We are fascinated by Twitter, so they began to follow famous authors and re-tweet what they were saying.

So.....What is the future of a library web site? What is the future of Facebook? Will they meet?
Would users go for a library social networking site, such as Ning?

Grant Writing Workshop

2011-03-17T11:09:00.002-05:00

Thursday, April 7
9 am - 12 pm
NFLS Meeting Room

515 Pine St. Green Bay

Debra Wilcox-Johnson will cover grant writing tips and tricks. Using the LSTA form as a guideline, she will discuss what grant reviewers seek. What are red flags? What can you do to ensure your grant is given serious consideration?

This workshop is worth 3 CE credits.

This workshop is worth 3 CE credits.

About the presenter: Debra Wilcox Johnson, of Johnson and Johnson Consultants, Wisconsin, has appeared in numerous Soaring to Excellence teleconferences. She teaches, writes, and consults in the areas of management, personnel issues, technical services, library issues, and training of each category of library worker. Dr. Johnson works with libraries of every type and size throughout the United States. Both her practical approach to library issues and her ability to involve participants make her an ideal teleconference participant. Deb Johnson's combination of useful information and humor will create a relaxed and information-packed training experience.

Rescheduled Library Legislative Day

2011-03-17T10:55:00.001-05:00

Please register now for the rescheduled 2011 Library Legislative Day (LLD) co-hosted by Wisconsin Library Association and Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association (WEMTA) on March 22 at the Monona Terrace Convention Center (new location). The legislative briefing begins at 8:15 a.m. in Exhibit Hall B. Legislative appointments begin at 10:30 a.m.

The WEMTA annual conference takes place at Monona Terrace from March 20 through March 22, and WLA appreciates their generosity in offering the conference facility for legislative day. LLD registrants can visit the exhibit hall at no charge!

In addition to the traditional appointments with legislators, several Dane County librarians are coordinating a Rally for Libraries. This will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Olin Terrace. If you cannot attend LLD, please join your fellow librarians for the rally. Participation in the rally is optional.

Whatever your plans for March 22, it is critical that library supporters make contact with legislators if we hope to restore library funding to the state budget. Please use the materials on the WLA website for help with talking points.

WLA E-newsletter
Volume X, Issue 3
March 16, 2011

Book Reviews

2011-03-17T10:49:00.003-05:00

Here if You Need Me: A True Story

by Kate Braestrup

I am recommending this book to everyone! It is fabulous! The content is uplifting, accepting and non-judgmental. This is refreshing since it is written by a minister. Braestrup loses her husband in a car accident. She takes up his dream of becoming a Unitarian minister. It helps her with grieving, growing, and rounding out her life. It also helps her with her talents of listening and gentleness. Where is she a minister? She works for the Game Warden Service. What she encounters in her work is amazing, too.
Her compassionate heart and combination of sad and funny anecdotes reminded me of two of my other favorite books, "Ambulance Girl" and "Population, 485."

Bloodroot

by Amy Greene

Poignant and profound. This fictional account of families on and around Bloodroot Mountain in Appalachia shows how our forebearers run deep within us and sometimes we are bound to repeat history. The characters are so well written--they are clearly flawed and wonderful at the same time. How we sometimes recognize evil and goodness within humanity as magical is also explored. I read this book very quickly because it had me captured--I had to know the outcomes!

by Elizabeth Timmins, Muehl Public Library

Trustee Day Invites Sent

2011-03-17T10:26:00.003-05:00

Invitations for the bi-annual Trustee Day have been sent to NFLS Trustees!

The workshop will be held on Saturday, April 16 at the Heritage Hill State Historical Park. Bill Collar will be speaking about setting goals at your library.

Here is the agenda:

8:30 am—9 am: Registration and refreshments

9 am—12 pm: “Goal Setting for Success”

Presented by Bill Collar

- Explore the benefits of goal setting and why people don’t set goals.

- Establish a goal for your library and how to reach it.

- Ensure the goal is successful.

12-12:45 pm: Lunch

1 pm—2 pm: Short tour of Heritage Hill State Park (optional)

Please encourage your trustees to attend! It will be a fun and informative day!

Library Statistics: Friend or Foe?

2011-03-17T10:00:00.001-05:00

The next time you write a press release or a pitch, think of a clever way you can introduce sizzling statistics to really attract attention.

Brad Phillips uses them all the time. He publishes the Mr. Media Training Blog, which offers daily media and presentation training tips. And he wrote a super guest blog post for me with five examples of how to make boring numbers come alive.

For example, percentages, he says, are a drag on your copy.

"Instead of proclaiming that your plant's new energy efficient manufacturing equipment will cut your company's carbon footprint by 35 percent, tell your audience what that means. Does your new efficiency mean that you will save 20,000 barrels of oil this year? Say so!"

Read the other four tips and leave a comment about how you used statistics.

Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," an ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email the handy cheat sheet "89 Reasons to Send a Press Release."

Support Staff Annual Conference Seeks Program Proposals

2011-03-17T09:12:00.001-05:00

Planning for 2011 Wisconsin Library Association Support Staff Conference is underway! The conference will be held May 25^th at UWM in Milwaukee.

The Conference Planning Committee is now accepting proposals for programs from WLA members and other interested parties.

Proposals and recommendations for presentations, panels and workshops are welcome. Target areas for sessions from the Support Staff Section Survey and possible topic ideas include (but are not limited to):

Computer Skills, Emerging Technologies
Morale Boosters in Difficult Times
Managing Student Employees
Personnel Management
Political Involvement
The Library of the Future
Communication
What I learned on the job...
Small Libraries
Cataloging Serials
Circulation

To submit a breakout session proposal please forward the following information:

1. Abstract of the program (300 words or less).
2. Presenter name(s), institutional affiliation(s) and contact information.
3. Format (presentation, panel discussion, workshop, etc.).
4. Equipment needs.

Proposals are due by Tuesday, March 22, 2011.

Please send all proposals and questions electronically to Jessica Hutchings at: jhutch@uwm.edu

Role of the Library During a Community Crisis

2011-03-16T15:57:00.005-05:00

On November 29, 2010, all eyes were on the small town of Marinette, when a high school student took a classroom hostage for several hours. Media, parents and community members flocked to the Stephenson Public Library for information as events unfolded.

Jennifer Thiele, director of the Marinette Consolidated Library Service, reflects on how the library played a role in this horrific event, the power of social media and what they learned from this experience.

Listen to Jennifer's 8-minute podcast here.

Upcoming CE Opportunities

2011-02-11T11:22:00.002-06:00

Encouraging Innovation in Libraries (Webinar)

Wednesday, February 23, 2011 1 pm

Presenter: Meredith Farkas

There has been a lot of buzz about Library 2.0 over the past few years, and many libraries have devoted significant staff time toward implementing Web 2.0 technologies and developing innovative services to keep up with their changing patron population. One look at the number of abandoned library blogs, wikis and MySpace profiles tells us that successful implementation of Web 2.0 technologies requires more than simply installing software. It takes a special culture to nurture creativity and support the development of innovative and user-centered service in libraries.

Farkas will discuss why so many innovative initiatives fail and what organizations need to do to position themselves to harness the creativity of their staff and deploy innovative services in ways that will ensure success.

Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/250268049

This webinar is being sponsored by the Nicolet Federated Library System and the South Central Library System.

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Thinking Differently for a Change
Friday, March 4, 2011, 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Presenter: Mary Ellyn Vicksta
Location: Appleton Public Library, Meeting Room C
Sponsored by: OWLS
6 contact hours for recertification
Register here: http://www.owlsweb.info/ce/classes.asp

This workshop is appropriate for directors, staff, and trustees. Participants will be required to complete a one-page Kirton Adaptation-Innovation (KAI) Inventory at least a week before the workshop so that Mary Ellyn can score them.

Applying your creative thinking abilities is extremely important in this fast-paced, ever changing world. In order to stay competitive in the midst of change, you need to understand and leverage your creative talents and those you work with. Creativity and collaboration are two critical skills that are necessary for initiating meaningful change in the 21st century. This workshop will help you discover your approach to creative thinking and problem solving. You will learn some effective tools to inspire new thinking and ideas. We will be applying these tools to a practical application so that you can experience the value of utilizing collaboration and creative problem solving.

For additional information about this program please contact Bradley at OWLS. Space is limited!

Trustee Day Coming in April !

2011-02-11T11:08:00.002-06:00

NFLS member library friends and trustees should save Saturday, April 16 in their calendars for our bi-annual Trustee Day!

"Creating a Heritage for Successful Goal Setting" will be held from 9 am - 1 pm at the Heritage Hill State Historical Park in Green Bay. Motivational speaker and library trustee Bill Collar will be covering:

- What is essential for setting goals in the library?

- How do I follow the goal path?

- How do I reach my goals?

Collar is a dynamic and engaging presenter who also has experience serving on a library board.

Lunch and an optional tour of Heritage Hill will be part of the day!

Invitations will be sent out at the end of the month.

Encourage your trustees to attend this fun and engaging day!

Library Tour

2011-02-11T10:37:00.004-06:00

NFLS is sponsoring a "Library Lake Tour" on Wednesday, March 30!

We'll depart from Green Bay on a coach bus and tour three libraries in cities by the lake - Sheboygan, Manitowoc and Two Rivers. We'll get a behind-the-scenes tour at each of these different libraries.

The cost is $10, which includes transportation and a buffet lunch.

8:30 am: Leave East Branch Library Lot in Green Bay

10 am: Tour of Mead Public Library (Sheboygan)

11 am: Browsing/restroom time

Noon: Buffet lunch at the Courthouse Pub (Manitowoc)

1 pm: Tour of Manitowoc Public Library

2:15 pm: Tour of Lester Public Library (Two Rivers)

3:15 pm: Depart for Green Bay

4:30 pm: Arrive in Green Bay

Please RSVP with your payment by March 18, as space is limited!

This tour is worth 4 CE credits.

Hope to see you!

Books R Us Meeting Dates

2011-02-11T10:24:00.002-06:00

The following topics and dates and have been chosen for the Books R Us Readers Advisory meetings in 2011.

April 12 - Book Festival authors

June 14 - multicultural/diversity

August 9 - poetry

October 11 - books into movie

December 13 - Best of 2011

All meetings start at 11 am in the OWLS meeting room. Even if you can't make the meeting, you can participate virtually!

And if you can't attend a meeting, you're encouraged to post reviews on the Books R Us page.

If you would like to start posting reviews, please follow these instructions.

1--go to www.owlsweb.info
2--click on Readers' Advisory Group on the right side
3--click on add a review that has a lock icon beside it
4--type in "extranet" and "librarians"
5--use drop down menu to decide which list you want to add your review to--most likely "Recommended Reads"
6--fill in the form--where it says reviewer click on add a reviewer and put in your name and location
7--be sure to type in the ISBN so the cover pops up
8--plot/writing/characters/setting refers to Nancy Pearl's points: check mark which one or ones the book is strong on
9--If you think it would be a good book group book check the book group box

Contact Jamie at NFLS or Bradley at OWLS if you have questions!

Book Reviews

2011-02-11T10:04:00.004-06:00

The Demon's Parchment by Jeri Westerson

This is the third installment of The Crispin Guest Detective series set in Medieval London, circa the 12th century.

Crispin Guest is the worthy protagonist this series, a nobleman who has fallen out of grace with the king and is living in the back streets of London, literally surviving by his wits. Crispin makes his living by being a "tracker", and has acquired a stellar reputation as the man to go to solve crimes quickly and efficiently. The book is a called a Medieval Noir, and it holds up to the Noir genre. There are plenty of modern problems worthy of an episode of CSI, from suspects gender bending and cross dressing to cultural and ethnic prejudices cropping up to complicate the protagonist's investigation. The writer skillfully keeps questions brew

ing in the reader's mind as the detective tries to solve the mystery of a so-called demon that has been let loose through a stolen magical Jewish parchment to terrorize Medieval Londoners.

This book has a quick pace, despite its historical setting. Those who enjoy mysteries and historical fiction will find this series a pleasant surprise.

-Lily Silver, Stephenson Public Library

Between a Heart and a Rock Place by Pat Benatar

I've always been a fan of Benatar's music, and I heard about this book while she was being interviewed on Wisconsin Public Radio. She talks about her early life, musical inspirations and where she got her first gigs. Once she broke into the rock scene, things just exploded. Benatar played a key role in rock history and was the first woman to appear on MTV. (It took several days of rehearsal for the dance sequence in the "Love is a Battlefield" video, and by the end her toes were black and blue). I wasn't shocked to read about the sexism she dealt with as a woman in the music scene, but I was surprised at how level-headed she remained throughout her career. She truly puts her ideals and family first.

If you're looking for a juicy memoir with lots of stories of sex, drugs and rock 'n roll, you won't find it here, as Benatar is not someone you will read about in the tabloids. But I still found it to be a quick and interesting read.

-Jamie Matczak, NFLS

Happy Holidays!!

2010-12-22T15:43:00.003-06:00

The NFLS staff wishes you, your staff and your families a wonderful Holiday season!

We look forward to working with and serving you in 2011 !

Check out more pics of the NFLS holiday staff party on Flickr!

Spring Schedule

2010-12-22T15:38:00.002-06:00

The Spring Schedule is now set! Here are some key dates coming up and things you might want to mark down!

- Web Writing webinar on January 20

- Cyberbullying and Child Safety webinar on January 26

- SRP Program Planning Workshop on February 3

- Library Tour on March 30

- Grant Writing Workshop on April 7

- Trustee Workshop on April 16

And much more!!!

Download the chart on scribd!

Spring 2011 Events

Book Reviews

2010-12-22T15:33:00.004-06:00

Night Sisters

by Sara Rath

I am interested in new ideas and the supernatural. However, this book was even a little out there for me. The protagonist, Nell, discovers that she has psychic powers when she is writing an article about a place called the Wocanaga Spiritualist Camp (loosely based on the Wonewoc Spiritualist Camp here in Wisconsin) and is encouraged to take classes by one of the practioners named Grace. During the course of the story, Nell begins to channel a spirit named Angella. Nell is simultaneously leading a "normal" life of falling in love, spending time with her best friend, attending a school reunion, and worrying about her grown children. Nell's childhood becomes an important part of the plot, too, because she is trying to solve the mystery of how a friend died. All the pieces are laid out and resolved but somehow I was left a little empty at the conclusion. Perhaps I was spooked?

My Abandonment

by Peter Rock

This novel is about a young woman named Caroline who accompanies a man she calls "Father" in the wilderness (living in a state park). Father teaches Caroline survival skills and the merits of living apart from society. In the story they are both "rescued" and attempts are made to "civilize" them. This doesn't work. Through the course of the story we come to understand that Caroline has been almost fully brainwashed by "Father." Several instances show us that she is interested in socializing, especially with kids here own age. The book leaves the reader very unsettled. We believe we should impart our values to our children but when are those values "wrong" or when do they cross a line? Who are we to judge others? Some of Father's heroes are Thoreau and Emerson--we know that these people were recluses but they were also brilliant. How accepting are we of those living on the fringe or literally off of the earth for that matter? Is Father mentally ill? What went wrong that he was unable to get out of a dicey situation with other humans? Lots to contemplate here!

- Elizabeth Timmins, Muehl Public Library, courtesy of Goodreads.com.

Inspiration for Clever Taglines

2010-12-22T15:11:00.001-06:00

Need a tagline for your business or non-profit? Or looking for some inspiration to create your own?

You can access more than 4,800 nonprofit taglines and a guide to making yours great, for free, courtesy of nonprofit marketing expert Nancy Schwartz.

Her All-New Tagline Database and report includes tons of tips for high-impact taglines that people remember. They include 10 have-tos, 6 deadly sins, and tips on what makes a winning tagline.

Go here and complete the form.

UW-Madison SLIS Classes for Spring

2010-12-22T15:08:00.000-06:00

Continuing Education Services
Spring 2011 Online Courses

Descriptions and details here: http://www.slis.wisc.edu/continueed.htm

Topics in Consumer Health
January 18–May 6

Basic Public Library Administration
First course in new WI Public Library Director Certification Requirements
Details here: http://www.slis.wisc.edu/continueed-cert.htm
January 17 - April 8

Basic Reference
January 17 - April 8

Fundamentals of Cataloging
January 24 - April 15

Connecting Teens with the Best in New Teen Lit
February 14-March 27

Core Elements of Children's Services
February 28-May 7

Open Source Solutions for Libraries
March 7 - April 15

Adult Book Discussions in the Public Library
March 7 - April 1

Cataloging Electronic Resources
March 7 - April 2

Personnel Management for Libraries
March 28-April 29

Graphic Novels in the Library
April 4-29

More Online
Online graduate credit courses start in January
Online skills courses offer a variety of topics in six week sessions
Spanish for the Library begins the first of each month

Additional Projects
Archives Leadership Institute
http://www.slis.wisc.edu/continueed-ali.htm

Convening Culture Keepers
http://www.slis.wisc.edu/438.htm

Questions? Contact Meredith Lowe (mclowe@wisc.edu, 608-890-0364) or Anna Palmer (ahpalmer@wisc.edu, 608-263-4452)

When Small is Small

2010-12-22T15:06:00.002-06:00

A great article was written and featured by Jane Pearlmutter and Paul Nelson on small libraries. It mentions how small library directors wear several hats!

Click here to read it!

Two Webinars this Week!

2010-11-15T09:58:00.003-06:00

20-Minute Tuesday: Holiday Weight Gain

Tuesday, November 16; 2 pm
Shaun Nick, Green Bay YMCA
1 CE Credit

The average person can gain anywhere from 1-7 pounds during the Holiday season.
But you don't have to be one of them!

Shaun will talk about how to avoid the battle of the bulge this time of year,
and share information about the YMCA "Holiday Trimmings" Club.

Register here!
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/875321536

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Social Networking – The Lester Public Library Experience

Thursday, November 18; 10 - 11 am
Jeff Dawson, Director, Lester Public Library
1 CE credit

Jeff Dawson began an exploration into social networking after coming to Two Rivers, Wisconsin as Lester Public Library Director in March 2007. Before coming to Wisconsin, Jeff had experience running a teen blog at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, Topeka, Kansas as Manager of Youth Services and Bookmobile.

Acknowledging a small, dedicated staff at the Lester Public Library, Jeff took an active role as the library director. He promoted the library via social networking tools available either free or at very low cost on the internet. Self-taught, Jeff discovered the power of social networking as a marketing tool and community builder, with the library standing front and center.

Join us for tips and inspiration as we look back on a 3.5 year journey, from Flickr to Twitter, which has netted certain results and recognition for Lester Public Library on local, national and international levels!

Conference Notes

2010-11-15T09:37:00.004-06:00

I attended the ARSL (Association of Rural and Small Libraries) Conference in mid-October in Denver, as well as the WLA Conference two weeks ago. I blogged or took notes on most of the sessions I attended.

The links are listed below.

If you took notes on any WLA sessions that I didn't blog about, feel free to send them my way!

ARSL Conference:

WLA Conference:

Creating a Facebook Fan Page

Digital and Free Tools for Your Library

Sharing the Library Adventure in Your Community

Ethics and Leadership

Making the Online Connection

Communication: An Everyday Adventure

Wisconsin Libraries Say Cheese! Information

2010-11-15T09:31:00.002-06:00

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:

· T 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!

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

· E 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!

· T 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.

Patricia A. (Pat) Eschmann, Communications Coordinator, WLAF

Webinar Recordings

2010-11-15T09:01:00.002-06:00

NFLS has sponsored several webinars in the last few weeks. They are always recorded and uploaded to blip.tv. Here are the links, if you would like to check them out!

Some Dewey, Some Don't

http://blip.tv/file/4278502

Members of the Gail Borden Public Library District discuss their modified Dewey system.

Policies and Circumstances

http://blip.tv/file/4302756

Cheryl Becker talks about updating library policies.

NFLS Website Sessions (1 & 2)

http://blip.tv/file/4302006

http://blip.tv/file/4363991 (skip ahead to 35:00 to hear about Google Analytics)

Monica Knutson of Digital Design Services introduces herself and goes through some library websites.