1. Call for rural award nominations
2. DPI seeks Public Library Technology Consultant
3. Reminder: Schedule a "typical week" tally for October
4. Fast facts about Wisconsin public libraries
5. Use of small and rural libraries grows in digital age
6. IMLS awards Native American Library Services and National Leadership Grants to 3 Wisconsin libraries
7. Reach Out and Read wins literacy award from Library of Congress
8. Money Smart Week @ your library financial literacy webinar scheduled
9. September Find of the Month now available
10. BadgerLink Resource of the Week: ECB Wisconsin Media Lab
11. Website of the Week: Homework Helper
12. Calendar
=================================================

1. CALL FOR RURAL NOMINATIONS

November 22 is the deadline for exciting rural programs in Wisconsin to be nominated for State Superintendent Tony Evers' Standing Up for Rural Wisconsin Schools, Libraries, and Communities Awards.

"We hope you nominate a program in your area worthy of recognition and thank you for the great work you do to support the students and citizens of rural Wisconsin," Superintendent Evers announced. "I am humbled by the work that goes on across Wisconsin to help children become active citizens, productive and skilled workers, and leaders in our communities. While resources are limited, there are no limits to the enthusiasm, drive, and energy that characterize rural areas all across Wisconsin."

The awards, which began in March 2005, honor partnerships between and among schools, libraries, and communities resulting in programs or projects which demonstrate the great potential and collaborative spirit of rural Wisconsin. In 2013, the Granton Community Library and the Lake Superior Libraries Symposium were among the nine recipients.

The 2014 nomination form, along with descriptions of previous winners, is available on the award program's website at http://dpi.wi.gov/rural/awards

The award ceremony will be held on Friday, January 31, 2014, in the State Capitol.


2. DPI SEEKS PUBLIC LIBRARY TECHNOLOGY CONSULTANT

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is recruiting to fill the position of Public Library Technology Consultant. The successful applicant will provide leadership and consultation to public library and regional library system staff, trustees, and government officials on public library technology. Creative, tech-savvy candidates are encouraged to consider joining the Public Library Development Team in its efforts to coordinate, support, and enhance technology in the Wisconsin library community. This position participates in statewide and area-level planning for library services as well as national-level planning and policy development for library technology. The position will also coordinate technology grant projects, and promote public library support for digital literacy and the development of digital communities. Starting salary will be between $27.181 and $38.317 per hour ($56,753 and $80,006 per year). Application deadline is October 14, 2013. Additional information, application links and instructions, and the full position description can be found at http://wisc.jobs/public/job_view.asp?annoid=68905&jobid=68420.


3. REMINDER: SCHEDULE A "TYPICAL WEEK" TALLY FOR OCTOBER

There are several questions in the Library Services section of the public library annual report that require the public library to either tally counts throughout the year, or, if that is not feasible, to collect data for a "typical week." If your library does not routinely count each patron coming into the library (visits), each reference question, or each Internet computer use, then the library must conduct a tally during a typical week in October each year.

The questions on the annual report that might be answered with data collected during "typical week" counts are:

• Reference Transactions,
• Library Visits (patron count), and
• Number of Uses of Public Internet Computers
• Wireless Internet Uses (optional for 2013)

According to the definition used for national library statistics, a reference transaction is an information contact which involves the knowledge, use, recommendation, interpretation, or instruction in the use of one or more information sources by a member of the library staff. The term includes information and referral service. Information sources include printed and non-print materials, machine-readable databases, catalogs and other holdings records, and, through communication or referral, other libraries and institutions and persons both inside and outside the library. The request may come in person, by phone, by fax, by mail, or by e-mail or networked electronic reference service from an adult, a young adult, or a child. Note: Do not count directional transactions or questions of library rules or policies in the report of reference transactions. Examples of directional are "Where are the children's books?" and "I'm looking for a book with the call number 811.2G." An example of a question of rules or policies is "Are you open until 9:00 tonight?"

Libraries may use electronic or mechanical means of collecting the data throughout the year, such as infrared door counters, or software to manage public access to Internet workstations. But if the library does not count use throughout the year, then the library should schedule at least one week in October to collect appropriate data (for comparative purposes, the national guidelines dictate that the one week survey should be done in October).

Under no circumstances may the library estimate the numbers to be reported, or report the number submitted in prior years. For instance, libraries should not adjust their previous year's count for reference based on circulation changes, or as a ratio of their door count numbers, or other criteria. Please note the collection for Public Internet Computers was changed last year from users to uses.


4. FAST FACTS ABOUT WISCONSIN PUBLIC LIBRARIES

The following emphasize some of the trends in library usage as reported on the 2012 Public Library Annual Reports:

• Wisconsin has 384 public libraries and 82 public library branches. All of Wisconsin's public libraries have voluntarily chosen to participate in one of the state's regional public library systems that provide efficiencies through sharing and consolidation of services. As a result, residents can use public libraries in nearly all of Wisconsin.
• Wisconsin libraries continue to face the challenge of increasing demand for services with diminishing resources. During the past 5 years, the number of paid library staff decreased 1.3% and public library staff per capita decreased 2.2%. Yet in that same period, public library visits have increased 1.1% and circulation has increased 6.3%.
• Compared to other states, Wisconsin ranks 10th in per capita circulation, but 21st for both total operating revenue and total operating expenditures per capita.
• More than 6 in 10 state residents are registered library users. These library users made more than 33.6 million visits to Wisconsin public libraries in 2012. By comparison, season attendance for Brewer home games in 2012 was 2.8 million. Wisconsin ranks 13th nationally in registered library users.
• Each week, an average number of 647,000 visits are made to Wisconsin public libraries. Season total attendance at Packer home games was about 564,000.
• More than 63.6 million items were circulated by Wisconsin's public libraries in 2012, averaging 1.2 million items checked out each week. More than one-third of these circulations are children's materials.
• Each year over 9.4 million items are shared between libraries to fill requests for materials not available locally. Wisconsin continues to rank 1st nationally in per capita interlibrary loans. Resource sharing coordinated by public library systems and the DPI is a model for how to use public resources efficiently.
• The average per capita municipal and county property taxes paid by Wisconsin residents for public library operations in 2012 was $36.55. Wisconsin ranks 17th in per capita local and county tax support.
• Nearly all Wisconsin public libraries offer wireless Internet access to library users. Every Wisconsin library and citizen has access to thousands of online newspapers, magazines, and books through the DPI's BadgerLink service.
• Wisconsin's collection of downloadable books ranks 3rd nationally in volume of use, and use of the collaborative collection more than doubled in 2012. State residents downloaded more than 1.3 million e-Books and audiobooks made available through a cooperative collection developed by local public libraries and regional public library systems.
• Through Wisconsin public libraries, residents have access to online resources for career development, including help with job searches, creating resumes, and submitting employment applications.
• Programs provided by public libraries and directed toward children had attendance of more than 1.6 million. Summer library program attendance for children and young adults was nearly 538,000. More than 111,000 children and young adults participated in drop-in activities.
• As funding for public libraries has been limited by the economic downturn of recent years, many libraries have found it difficult to maintain historic service levels. Statewide, service levels have remained nearly the same or declined only slightly over the past 2 years. Since the changes made to Wisconsin's state library laws in 2011, it is estimated that 72% of all libraries saw a decrease in their 2012 local or county funding, and 4% remained at the previous year's level.

A PDF file of this list is also online at http://pld.dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/pld/pdf/wiplfastfacts.pdf. The 1990-2012 Wisconsin Public Library Service Trends graph is online at http://pld.dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/pld/pdf/wiplservicetrends.pdf.


5. USE OF SMALL AND RURAL LIBRARIES GROWS IN DIGITAL AGE

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) brief, The State of Small and Rural Libraries in the United States, provides the agency's first targeted analysis of trends for rural and small library services. The report gives an overview of the distribution, service use, fiscal health, and staffing of these important community assets. One of the report's surprising findings is the sheer number of public libraries that can be classified as either small or rural.

Key findings include:

• Of the 8,956 public libraries in the United States in FY2011, 77.1 percent can be categorized as small. Almost half of all public libraries, 46.8 percent, were rural libraries. Their sheer number and broad distribution across the country speaks volumes about the value local communities place on library services. [In 2012, 336 Wisconsin public libraries were "small" (88.0%) and 228 were "rural" (59.7%).]
• In FY2011, there were 167.6 million recorded visits to rural public libraries, a number that has increased by 4.2 percent over the past three years, and there were 301.2 million visits to small public libraries in FY2011, a three-year increase of 4.6 percent. The fact that service use continues to increase at these libraries at a time when other libraries are experiencing declines on a per capita basis is a further testament to their resilience and continued relevance to rural life.
• There were 49,048 publicly accessible computer terminals in rural libraries in FY2011, a three-year increase of 20.2 percent. [In 2012, the number of public computers in rural Wisconsin public libraries had increased 3.7% over three years, and Internet-connected computers in those libraries had increased 9.9%.] In comparison to urban public libraries, rural libraries have higher per-capita levels of publicly accessible Internet computers and e-books. Given the lag in broadband access in rural communities when compared to suburban and urban areas, this further emphasizes the strong role public libraries play in providing access to the critical digital resources that are directly related to 21st-century skills.

See the complete press release at http://www.imls.gov/use_of_small_and_rural_libraries_grows_in_the_digital_age.aspx. The 13 page IMLS brief, The State of Small and Rural Libraries in the United States, is online at http://www.imls.gov/assets/1/AssetManager/Brief2013_05.pdf.


6. IMLS AWARDS NATIVE AMERICAN LIBRARY SERVICES AND NATIONAL LEADERSHIP GRANTS TO 3 WISCONSIN LIBRARIES

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced grants for 42 library projects totaling $14,670,662. The Native American Library Services Enhancement grants are competitive grants to federally recognized tribes to expand services for learning, access to information, and partnership. National Leadership Grants for Libraries support projects that improve professional practice beyond the grantee institution.

The following three grants were awarded in Wisconsin: http://www.imls.gov/news/2013_ols_grant_announcement.aspx#WI

Stockbridge-Munsee Community - Bowler, WI (Native American Library Services Grant)
The Stockbridge-Munsee Community's Arvid E. Miller Memorial Library and Museum will work with tribal members in a series of six hands-on participatory genealogy workshops exploring Mohican family history in order to gain a deeper understanding of how tribal members have worked together to sustain their nation.

College of Menominee Nation - Keshena, WI (National Leadership Grants for Libraries)
This award to the College of Menominee Nation will support a collaborative project to address early learning. Together with the School of Library and Information Studies, University of Wisconsin – Madison (SLIS), they will develop a model for early literacy programs, especially for rural, Native American communities.

The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System - Madison, WI (National Leadership Grants for Libraries)
This award to the School of Library and Information Studies, University of Wisconsin – Madison (SLIS), together with an additional award of $100,000 to the College of Menominee Nation (CMN) will support a collaborative project to address early learning. SLIS is has deep knowledge of early learning research and CMN has deep expertise in knowing what works best for people who are impoverished and have low literacy.

The full IMLS press release can be found at
http://www.imls.gov/more_than_14.6_million_in_federal_grants_awarded_to_u.s._libraries.aspx.


7. REACH OUT AND READ WINS LITERACY AWARD FROM LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Reach Out and Read, a pediatric literacy non-profit with a rising presence in Wisconsin, won a significant national award and $150,000 prize last weekend in Washington, D.C. In recognition of its groundbreaking advancement of literacy, Reach Out and Read won the prestigious new David M. Rubenstein Prize, the top honor among the 2013 Library of Congress Literacy Awards. Reach Out and Read was chosen for the prize from a pool of more than 185 applicants, both literacy related organizations and individuals.

The Library of Congress Literacy Awards were first announced in January 2013 as a program to help support organizations working to alleviate the problems of illiteracy and aliteracy (a lack of interest in reading) both in the United States and worldwide. For more information see http://www.reachoutandread.org/FileRepository/2013_Rubenstein_Prize_Release.pdf.


8. Money Smart Week @ your library Financial Literacy Webinar SCHEDULED

Register (http://tinyurl.com/kfujw22)for this October 10, 2013, webinar to learn how your library can participate and partner with the American Library Association (ALA) and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in Money Smart Week @ your library, April 5-12, 2014. Money Smart Week @ your library is designed to assist libraries of all types provide financial literacy programming for all stages of life: school kids, college students and retirees. In 2013 over 500 libraries in 47 states participated. The webinar will provide programming, promotion ideas and tips on possible partners.

The webinar is scheduled for Thursday, October 10, 2013, at 2:00 pm CDT. For more information and resources on Money Smart Week @ your library, visit http://www.ala.org/offices/money-smart-week.


9. SEPTEMBER FIND OF THE MONTH NOW AVAILABLE

The school year has started, autumn has begun, and the latest edition of Found in Wisconsin's Find of the Month series is now available. September highlights the Ripon Public Library's High School Yearbooks, along with a handful of other great digitized yearbooks around the state.

The September Edition is available on the Found in Wisconsin website at http://bit.ly/SeptemberFindoftheMonth.

Found in Wisconsin is an index of digital collections hosted by Wisconsin libraries, museums, historical societies, genealogical societies, schools, and various cultural organizations and is a project of Resources for Libraries and Lifelong Learning at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Please send your comments to fiw.administrator@dpi.wi.gov, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/WisDPIFoundInWi, or on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/WisDPIFoundInWI.


10. BADGERLINK RESOURCE OF THE WEEK

Looking for a video to share in the classroom or library? Wisconsin Media Lab offers high-quality digital media for Wisconsin's K-12 students and teachers, available right now via streaming or download to your computer. Go to BadgerLink (www.BadgerLink.net), click on Multimedia, and select ECB Wisconsin Media Lab to begin your multimedia search.


11. Website of the Week

Homework Helper Resources -- http://www.refdesk.com/homework.html -- This site provides links to Refdesk.com Homework Helper resources for all grades.


12. CALENDAR

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 (LSTA) Advisory Committee 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