1. Joint Finance approves motion for study of library systems
2. SRLAAW looking for feedback on recommendations
3. IMLS tools updated with preliminary FY2011 public library data
4. 2014 LSTA information and grant training session recording
5. Students and Leaders Network provides career information
6. Wisconsin student wins U.S. 2013 Doodle 4 Google competition
7. BadgerLink Resource of the Week: BadgerLink Language Materials
8. Website of the Week: Occupational Outlook Handbook
9. Calendar
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1. JOINT FINANCE APPROVES MOTION FOR STUDY OF LIBRARY SYSTEMS

On Tuesday, May 21, the Joint Finance Committee voted 12-4 to approve Motion #283. The motion, if included in the final budget bill, would require the Department of Administration (DOA), in consultation with the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), to conduct a study of Wisconsin's public library systems to identify the potential for savings by: (a) consolidating regions; (b) using technology; (c) reducing duplications and inefficiencies; (d) utilizing LEAN practices; and (e) increasing the sharing of services between individual library systems. The DOA would be required to submit a report on this study to the Joint Finance Committee by July 1, 2014.

The motion will be incorporated into the budget bill to be considered by the Wisconsin legislature.

SRLAAW (System & Resource Library Administrators' Association of Wisconsin) has been conducting a review of system organization, structure, and services. Information about its process and progress is included below.


2. SRLAAW LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK ON RECOMMENDATIONS

This year, the System & Resource Library Administrators' Association of Wisconsin (SRLAAW) is undertaking a multi-part process to examine how public library systems can remain effective in meeting member library needs into the future, including the possibility of reconfiguring systems. This process, while organized by SRLAAW, has involved, and will continue to involve, input from others in the library community. The ultimate goal is to better serve Wisconsin library patrons now and in the future.

On May 2, 2013, a document entitled Progress Report and Preliminary Recommendations, which was prepared by the SRLAAW subcommittee and partially supported with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, was presented at the Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries Spring Conference.

This report marks the beginning of the next phase of the process: vetting the proposed recommendations in the library community and with others who have an interest in public libraries. The subcommittee will gather feedback during the next few months, revise the recommendations based on this feedback, and plan to present a final report to SRLAAW for action in August.

All interested parties are encouraged to review the report and to offer feedback. Channels for providing feedback can be found, along with the report, at http://www.srlaaw.org/2013Process/process.asp . A Google Group has also been established to share collected feedback: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!forum/srlaawprocess .


3. IMLS TOOLS UPDATED WITH PRELIMINARY FY2011 PUBLIC LIBRARY DATA

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has updated its online search and compare tools with preliminary public library data for FY2011 at http://www.imls.gov/research/public_libraries_in_the_united_states_survey.aspx . Imputed FY2011 data and documentation for more than 9,000 public libraries will be released in late June 2013. That data will incorporate estimates of missing or incomplete information. Larger public libraries may find the “Compare Public Libraries” tool useful for comparing themselves with specific libraries in other states or those that meet criteria selected through the tool.

For Wisconsin public libraries, four types of statistics are available in Excel and PDF files at http://pld.dpi.wi.gov/pld_dm-lib-stat for 1996-2011:

• State and System Level, including state totals and system-wide statistics
• County Level
• Public Library Level
• Public Library Level by system, county, and municipality, including county and system totals

Preliminary 2012 Wisconsin Public Library service data will be available in June.


4. 2014 LSTA INFORMATION AND GRANT TRAINING SESSION RECORDING

The 2014 LSTA grant application training webinar took place May 23, 2013 from 11 .m. to 12 p.m. The session was hosted by members of the Department of Public Instruction’s Public Library Development team including Terrie Howe, LSTA Program Coordinator; Tessa Michaelson Schmidt, Youth and Special Services Consultant, and John DeBacher, Director of Public Library Development.

Grant category descriptions are now posted in the online 2014 LSTA Information and Guidelines (http://pld.dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/pld/pdf/guide14.pdf).

Please use this link to view and listen to the LSTA information session through Blackboard Collaborate: http://tinyurl.com/o8jtnqv .


5. STUDENTS AND LEADERS NETWORK PROVIDES CAREER INFORMATION

Want to know more about being a chocolatier? A surgical tech? An actuary? Then the place to visit is Students & Leaders Network website.

Students & Leaders Network features live Q&A video discussions and a digital library of topics that provide information and insight on careers and life challenges for students. Additional video sessions of experts explaining their careers are continually added. For example, one current heavily viewed session, “An Adventurous Career in Chocolate,” features Wisconsin chocolatier Gail Ambrosius: http://studentcareerinfo.com/ViewPresentation.aspx?id=aNAl/Hwp5MQ= .

Live Q&A video discussions are shown using the BadgerNet Converged Network (BCN) Video network (you need to contact your local video network coordinator – http://www.uwex.edu/disted/waden/networks.cfm) and then archived and streamed from the Student Career Info site (http://studentcareerinfo.com/PresentationSearch.aspx).

And there is no cost to view – it’s free!

The list of video discussions is impressive; see http://studentcareerinfo.com/PresentationSearch.aspx for the general search page. In addition, they schedule post-secondary career counselors, admission counselors, and others for their video discussions to assist students and parents in navigating the paperwork for college admission.

Reactions to the videos are very positive and participation has increased each year since the site was started in September 2010. The content is current, relevant, and very appropriate for middle school/high school students and for staff wanting to know more about what it means to be “ready for college or career” as the topics covered include those that involve 2- and 4-year post secondary studies.

If you have an idea for a chat, contact Al at alzins@zbl.com .

Student Career Info is a production of Students & Leaders Network , Inc. a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (http://studentcareerinfo.com/sponsors.shtml) dedicated to providing career information for students, educators, parents, and the public.


6. WISCONSIN STUDENT WINS U.S. 2013 DOODLE 4 GOOGLE COMPETITION

After 130,000 submissions and millions of votes cast, Sabrina Brady of Sparta, Wisconsin, has been named the 2013 U.S. Doodle 4 Google National Winner. Her doodle, “Coming Home,” was featured on the Google homepage in the U.S. on Thursday, May 23 (http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/coming-home-by-wisconsin-student-wins.html ).

Students from across all 50 states submitted creative interpretations of this year’s theme, “My Best Day Ever...” From scuba diving to dinosaurs to exploring outer space, contest judges were wowed by the ways young artists brought their best days to life in their doodles.

Sabrina’s doodle stood out in the crowd; it tells the story of her reunion with her father as he returned from an 18-month deployment in Iraq. Her creative use of the Google letters to illustrate this heartfelt moment clearly resonated with voters across the country.

In addition to seeing her artwork on the Google homepage, Sabrina—who is in 12th grade at Sparta High School—will receive a $30,000 college scholarship, a Chromebook computer, and a $50,000 technology grant for her school. She will attend Minneapolis College of Art and Design this coming fall, where she will continue her artistic pursuits.

After the awards ceremony, all 50 State Winners will unveil a special exhibition of their artwork at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, where their doodles will be displayed for the public to view from May 22 through July 14, 2013.


7. BADGERLINK RESOURCE OF THE WEEK

¿Habla Español? Most BadgerLink resources can be translated into Spanish, both the content and interface! Go to the BadgerLink How to Use page (http://www.badgerlink.net/training.html) to view the archived webinars about our Language Materials!


8. Website of the Week

Occupational Outlook Handbook -- http://www.bls.gov/ooh/ -- Revised every two years, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook offers career guidance for hundreds of occupations. The latest version contains employment projections for the 2010-20 decade.


9. CALENDAR

June 27-July 2, 2013 – American Librarian Association (ALA) Annual Conference, Chicago

July 12, 2013 – Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND) meeting, Black River Falls

September 25-28, 2013—Association for Rural & Small Libraries Annual Conference, Omaha, NE

October 3, 2013 – Public Library Youth Services Liaisons annual meeting, DeForest

October 4, 2013 – Continuing Education and Certification Consultants annual meeting, DeForest

October 22-25, 2013 – Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) annual conference, Green Bay

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Roslyn M. Wise
Editor, Channel Weekly
Department of Public Instruction
Division for Libraries and Technology
P.O. Box 7841
Madison, WI 53707-7841
Phone: (608) 266-6439
FAX: (608) 267-9207