1. Instructions for calculating exemption from county library tax
2. BadgerLink website renovations
3. Master popular software with Learning Express
4. Nominations sought for WLA's Outreach Services Award
5. Collections: Making Smart Choices within a Limited Materials Budget
6. Library grant opportunities
7. Chicago Bulls' Luol Deng named Honorary Chair of Library Card Sign-up Month
8. State Document of the Week: Single mother households & poverty: Wisconsin
9. BadgerLink Resource of the Week: In-service BadgerLink training
10. Website of the Week: iTools
11. Calendar
=================================================
1. INSTRUCTIONS FOR CALCULATING EXEMPTION FROM COUNTY LIBRARY TAX
Since the "Maintenance of Effort" funding level for public library system membership was eliminated in 2011, cities and villages may attempt to sharply reduce public library funding levels; however, many towns, villages and cities with public libraries have traditionally exempted from the county library tax, as provided under Wis. Stats. 43.64. In essence, to exempt from the county tax, the municipality must appropriate and expend for the library fund an amount at least equivalent to the county library tax. Step-by-step instructions on calculating the exemption amount are at http://pld.dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/pld/pdf/2014CountyExempCalc.pdf. The document also references the alternate exemption for municipalities in joint libraries, changed in the recent state budget bill.
2013 equalized values have been certified by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue and posted at http://www.revenue.wi.gov/equ/13coapprt.html. These figures should be used by municipalities to calculate the threshold for exemption from the county library tax.
Not all municipalities with public libraries are eligible for this exemption, but those that have exempted in the past may wish to calculate the amount to qualify before finalizing their library appropriation.
2. BADGERLINK WEBSITE RENOVATIONS
The BadgerLink website is being renovated!
The BadgerLink Team has surveyed educators, librarians, state employees, and the general public and have responded to the feedback with a new design that should be live by the end of the month. When the website is complete, users will have access to the same great content with a new look. The website will give users the ability to browse BadgerLink resources by subject, format, or user group and will also showcase a responsive design which allows users to easily view the webpage no matter the users' screen size.
During the website redesign, users will still have access to the great resources in BadgerLink at www.badgerlink.net.
Please contact Kara Ripley, BadgerLink Training Librarian, at BadgerLink@dpi.wi.gov with any questions.
3. MASTER POPULAR SOFTWARE WITH LEARNING EXPRESS
Wisconsin residents can now access LearningExpress "Popular Software Tutorials." These are self-paced online tutorials on the most commonly used applications (including Word, Excel, etc.) and operating systems. The tutorials, available for basic to advanced levels, include fully interactive multimedia; sound, animation and visual demonstrations, along with quizzes and hands-on practice lab simulations.
Wisconsin Library Services (WiLS) purchased the tutorials using funds awarded through a Library Services and Technology Act grant. To make the materials easy for patrons and librarians to find and use, they've been integrated with the LearningExpress Library available on the BadgerLink website: (http://www.badgerlink.net).
Technical support will be provided by Resources for Libraries & Lifelong Learning's BadgerLink Technical Support Team. Contact information for support can be found here:http://rl3.dpi.wi.gov/contact-badgerlink.
4. NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR WLA'S OUTREACH SERVICES AWARD
The Wisconsin Library Association's (WLA) Outreach Services Award is presented annually to a "library or librarian who has provided exemplary library outreach services to underserved populations." The award may be given for a specific project, or projects, or a lifetime achievement in outreach services. The award was inspired by former Special Needs Consultant for the Wisconsin Division for Libraries and Technology, Frances de Usabel, who worked successfully to advance outreach services in Wisconsin libraries.
Members of the Wisconsin Library Association from all types of libraries are eligible for nomination. Applications for the Outreach Services Award are due September 1, 2013. The application form is located on the WLA website (http://wla.wisconsinlibraries.org/osrt/scholarships-awards/frances-de-usabel-outreach-services-award). The winner will receive the Outreach Services Award at the WLA Annual Conference held in Green Bay this October. The recipient will receive $250 and a one-year membership in the Outreach Services Round Table.
5. COLLECTIONS: MAKING SMART CHOICES WITHIN A LIMITED MATERIALS BUDGET
On Thursday, August 22, 2013, at 2 p.m., Infopeople offers a free webinar for library directors or staff who have considered:
The presenters are husband-wife team of Jennifer Baker and Anthony Halstead. She is the director of the St. Helena Public Library and he is Assistant Director of the Napa County Library in California.
For more information, resources, and to participate in the webinar, go to
http://infopeople.org/training/collections-making-the-right-choices.
Infopeople webinars are free of charge. You can pre-register by clicking on the "Join Webinar" button now or go directly to the webinar by clicking on "Join Webinar" within 30 minutes of the start of the event. If you pre-registered you will receive an email with login link and a reminder email the day before the event. If you did not preregister, you can register in the 30 minutes prior to the event and directly enter.
If you are unable to attend the live event, you can access the archived version the day following the webinar. The Infopeople webinar archive listing is available at: http://infopeople.org/training/view/webinar/archived
6. LIBRARY GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
Several upcoming grant opportunities of interest to the library and education community are listed below.
First Book Grant (Deadline: Ongoing)
First Book's mission is to make high quality books and educational resources available to schools and programs serving children in need, from birth to age 18. They offer book grants, book discounts, and other resources to organizations serving children from low-income families. Visit: http://register.firstbook.org/
NEA Grants to Educators (Deadline: October 15)
The National Education Association awards grants to public school educators, counselors, and support professionals to enhance teaching and learning. Visit: http://www.neafoundation.org/pages/grants-to-educators/
NEH Preservation Assistance Grants (Deadline: May 1, 2014)
Preservation Assistance Grants help small and mid-sized institutions (such as libraries, museums, historical societies, archival repositories, and cultural organizations) improve their ability to preserve and care for their significant humanities collections. These may include special collections of books and journals, archives and manuscripts, prints and photographs, moving images, sound recordings, architectural and cartographic records, decorative and fine art objects, textiles, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, furniture, historical objects, and digital materials. Visit: http://1.usa.gov/1boZPD8
U.S. Bancorp Foundation (Deadline: October 1)
The U.S. Bancorp Foundation giving program is designed to respect the diversity of its communities. They support local nonprofits working in the following areas: economic opportunity, affordable housing, self-sufficiency, economic development, education, cultural and artistic enrichment, and human services.
Visit: https://www.usbank.com/community/grant-guidelines.html
7. CHICAGO BULLS' LUOL DENG NAMED HONORARY CHAIR OF NATIONAL LIBRARY CARD SIGN-UP MONTH
This September, Chicago Bulls' basketball all-star Luol Deng will encourage children to get the most important school supply of all: a library card. As the Honorary Chair of Library Card Sign-up Month, Deng has donated his image to a print and digital public service announcement (PSA). The American Library Association (ALA) will place the PSA in magazines and on websites to remind parents and educators that a library card is a key tool in achieving academic success.
Library Card Sign-up Month is a time when libraries across the country remind parents that a library card is the most important school supply of all. Thousands of public and school libraries join together each fall in a national effort to ensure every child signs up for their own library card.
Librarians looking to promote Library Card Sign-up Month locally can download the PSA athttp://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/card. Free customization is available.
In addition to the PSA, sample media tools are now available to remind the public of all the resources available for free with a library card. Tools include a sample press release, newsletter article, proclamation, and PSA scripts.
To download free promotional materials, visithttp://www.ala.org/librarycardsignup.
8. WISCONSIN DIGITAL ARCHIVES STATE DOCUMENT OF THE WEEK
Single mother households & poverty: Wisconsin, http://bit.ly/1a2vMTS . Provided by the Wisconsin Women's Council, this document contains statistics about the poverty rate for single mothers in Wisconsin.
9. BADGERLINK RESOURCE OF THE WEEK
Looking for speakers at your next in-service/training day? Contact Kara Ripley at kara.ripley@dpi.wi.gov to request an in-person or webinar training designed for your staff.
10. Website of the Week
iTools -- http://itools.com – Web resource offering directory of web search tools for a variety of tasks. (Website reference courtesy of refdesk.com)
11. CALENDAR
September 20, 2013 – Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND) meeting, Madison
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
November 6, 2013 – Library Services and Technology Act Advisory Committee (LSTA) meeting, DeForest
November 8, 2013 – Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND) meeting, Minocqua
January 24-28, 2014 – American Library Association (ALA) Mid-Winter Meeting, Philadelphia, PA
May 7-9, 2014 – Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries (WAPL) annual conference, Sheboygan
==================================================
To access previous issues of Channel Weekly, or to subscribe or unsubscribe,
go to: http://channel.dpi.wi.gov/
==================================================
Roslyn M. Wise
Editor, Channel Weekly
Department of Public Instruction
Division for Libraries and Technology
PO Box 7841
Madison, WI 53707-7841
Phone: (608) 266-6439
FAX: (608) 267-9207
2. BadgerLink website renovations
3. Master popular software with Learning Express
4. Nominations sought for WLA's Outreach Services Award
5. Collections: Making Smart Choices within a Limited Materials Budget
6. Library grant opportunities
7. Chicago Bulls' Luol Deng named Honorary Chair of Library Card Sign-up Month
8. State Document of the Week: Single mother households & poverty: Wisconsin
9. BadgerLink Resource of the Week: In-service BadgerLink training
10. Website of the Week: iTools
11. Calendar
=================================================
1. INSTRUCTIONS FOR CALCULATING EXEMPTION FROM COUNTY LIBRARY TAX
Since the "Maintenance of Effort" funding level for public library system membership was eliminated in 2011, cities and villages may attempt to sharply reduce public library funding levels; however, many towns, villages and cities with public libraries have traditionally exempted from the county library tax, as provided under Wis. Stats. 43.64. In essence, to exempt from the county tax, the municipality must appropriate and expend for the library fund an amount at least equivalent to the county library tax. Step-by-step instructions on calculating the exemption amount are at http://pld.dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/pld/pdf/2014CountyExempCalc.pdf. The document also references the alternate exemption for municipalities in joint libraries, changed in the recent state budget bill.
2013 equalized values have been certified by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue and posted at http://www.revenue.wi.gov/equ/13coapprt.html. These figures should be used by municipalities to calculate the threshold for exemption from the county library tax.
Not all municipalities with public libraries are eligible for this exemption, but those that have exempted in the past may wish to calculate the amount to qualify before finalizing their library appropriation.
2. BADGERLINK WEBSITE RENOVATIONS
The BadgerLink website is being renovated!
The BadgerLink Team has surveyed educators, librarians, state employees, and the general public and have responded to the feedback with a new design that should be live by the end of the month. When the website is complete, users will have access to the same great content with a new look. The website will give users the ability to browse BadgerLink resources by subject, format, or user group and will also showcase a responsive design which allows users to easily view the webpage no matter the users' screen size.
During the website redesign, users will still have access to the great resources in BadgerLink at www.badgerlink.net.
Please contact Kara Ripley, BadgerLink Training Librarian, at BadgerLink@dpi.wi.gov with any questions.
3. MASTER POPULAR SOFTWARE WITH LEARNING EXPRESS
Wisconsin residents can now access LearningExpress "Popular Software Tutorials." These are self-paced online tutorials on the most commonly used applications (including Word, Excel, etc.) and operating systems. The tutorials, available for basic to advanced levels, include fully interactive multimedia; sound, animation and visual demonstrations, along with quizzes and hands-on practice lab simulations.
Wisconsin Library Services (WiLS) purchased the tutorials using funds awarded through a Library Services and Technology Act grant. To make the materials easy for patrons and librarians to find and use, they've been integrated with the LearningExpress Library available on the BadgerLink website: (http://www.badgerlink.net).
Technical support will be provided by Resources for Libraries & Lifelong Learning's BadgerLink Technical Support Team. Contact information for support can be found here:http://rl3.dpi.wi.gov/contact-badgerlink.
4. NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR WLA'S OUTREACH SERVICES AWARD
The Wisconsin Library Association's (WLA) Outreach Services Award is presented annually to a "library or librarian who has provided exemplary library outreach services to underserved populations." The award may be given for a specific project, or projects, or a lifetime achievement in outreach services. The award was inspired by former Special Needs Consultant for the Wisconsin Division for Libraries and Technology, Frances de Usabel, who worked successfully to advance outreach services in Wisconsin libraries.
Members of the Wisconsin Library Association from all types of libraries are eligible for nomination. Applications for the Outreach Services Award are due September 1, 2013. The application form is located on the WLA website (http://wla.wisconsinlibraries.org/osrt/scholarships-awards/frances-de-usabel-outreach-services-award). The winner will receive the Outreach Services Award at the WLA Annual Conference held in Green Bay this October. The recipient will receive $250 and a one-year membership in the Outreach Services Round Table.
5. COLLECTIONS: MAKING SMART CHOICES WITHIN A LIMITED MATERIALS BUDGET
On Thursday, August 22, 2013, at 2 p.m., Infopeople offers a free webinar for library directors or staff who have considered:
- Did you take Collection Development in library school but still feel like you don't know what you're doing most of the time?
- Have changes in the publishing world like the explosion of self-publishing and eBooks left you doubting your selection skills?
- What does a "balanced" collection look like and is it achievable with a limited budget?
The presenters are husband-wife team of Jennifer Baker and Anthony Halstead. She is the director of the St. Helena Public Library and he is Assistant Director of the Napa County Library in California.
For more information, resources, and to participate in the webinar, go to
http://infopeople.org/training/collections-making-the-right-choices.
Infopeople webinars are free of charge. You can pre-register by clicking on the "Join Webinar" button now or go directly to the webinar by clicking on "Join Webinar" within 30 minutes of the start of the event. If you pre-registered you will receive an email with login link and a reminder email the day before the event. If you did not preregister, you can register in the 30 minutes prior to the event and directly enter.
If you are unable to attend the live event, you can access the archived version the day following the webinar. The Infopeople webinar archive listing is available at: http://infopeople.org/training/view/webinar/archived
6. LIBRARY GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
Several upcoming grant opportunities of interest to the library and education community are listed below.
First Book Grant (Deadline: Ongoing)
First Book's mission is to make high quality books and educational resources available to schools and programs serving children in need, from birth to age 18. They offer book grants, book discounts, and other resources to organizations serving children from low-income families. Visit: http://register.firstbook.org/
NEA Grants to Educators (Deadline: October 15)
The National Education Association awards grants to public school educators, counselors, and support professionals to enhance teaching and learning. Visit: http://www.neafoundation.org/pages/grants-to-educators/
NEH Preservation Assistance Grants (Deadline: May 1, 2014)
Preservation Assistance Grants help small and mid-sized institutions (such as libraries, museums, historical societies, archival repositories, and cultural organizations) improve their ability to preserve and care for their significant humanities collections. These may include special collections of books and journals, archives and manuscripts, prints and photographs, moving images, sound recordings, architectural and cartographic records, decorative and fine art objects, textiles, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, furniture, historical objects, and digital materials. Visit: http://1.usa.gov/1boZPD8
U.S. Bancorp Foundation (Deadline: October 1)
The U.S. Bancorp Foundation giving program is designed to respect the diversity of its communities. They support local nonprofits working in the following areas: economic opportunity, affordable housing, self-sufficiency, economic development, education, cultural and artistic enrichment, and human services.
Visit: https://www.usbank.com/community/grant-guidelines.html
7. CHICAGO BULLS' LUOL DENG NAMED HONORARY CHAIR OF NATIONAL LIBRARY CARD SIGN-UP MONTH
This September, Chicago Bulls' basketball all-star Luol Deng will encourage children to get the most important school supply of all: a library card. As the Honorary Chair of Library Card Sign-up Month, Deng has donated his image to a print and digital public service announcement (PSA). The American Library Association (ALA) will place the PSA in magazines and on websites to remind parents and educators that a library card is a key tool in achieving academic success.
Library Card Sign-up Month is a time when libraries across the country remind parents that a library card is the most important school supply of all. Thousands of public and school libraries join together each fall in a national effort to ensure every child signs up for their own library card.
Librarians looking to promote Library Card Sign-up Month locally can download the PSA athttp://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/card. Free customization is available.
In addition to the PSA, sample media tools are now available to remind the public of all the resources available for free with a library card. Tools include a sample press release, newsletter article, proclamation, and PSA scripts.
To download free promotional materials, visithttp://www.ala.org/librarycardsignup.
8. WISCONSIN DIGITAL ARCHIVES STATE DOCUMENT OF THE WEEK
Single mother households & poverty: Wisconsin, http://bit.ly/1a2vMTS . Provided by the Wisconsin Women's Council, this document contains statistics about the poverty rate for single mothers in Wisconsin.
9. BADGERLINK RESOURCE OF THE WEEK
Looking for speakers at your next in-service/training day? Contact Kara Ripley at kara.ripley@dpi.wi.gov to request an in-person or webinar training designed for your staff.
10. Website of the Week
iTools -- http://itools.com – Web resource offering directory of web search tools for a variety of tasks. (Website reference courtesy of refdesk.com)
11. CALENDAR
September 20, 2013 – Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND) meeting, Madison
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
November 6, 2013 – Library Services and Technology Act Advisory Committee (LSTA) meeting, DeForest
November 8, 2013 – Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND) meeting, Minocqua
January 24-28, 2014 – American Library Association (ALA) Mid-Winter Meeting, Philadelphia, PA
May 7-9, 2014 – Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries (WAPL) annual conference, Sheboygan
==================================================
To access previous issues of Channel Weekly, or to subscribe or unsubscribe,
go to: http://channel.dpi.wi.gov/
==================================================
Roslyn M. Wise
Editor, Channel Weekly
Department of Public Instruction
Division for Libraries and Technology
PO Box 7841
Madison, WI 53707-7841
Phone: (608) 266-6439
FAX: (608) 267-9207
For questions about this information, contact Roslyn Wise (608) 266-6439