1. COLAND approves biennial report on condition and progress of library service in Wisconsin
2. Growing Wisconsin Readers sprouts a new blog
3. Growing Wisconsin Readers featured on federal library blog
4. Nominations sought for LibraryAware community award
5. BadgerLink Resource of the Week: BadgerLink Newspapers
6. Website of the Week: Vocabulary.com
7. Calendar
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1. COLAND APPROVES BIENNIAL REPORT ON CONDITION AND PROGRESS OF LIBRARY SERVICE IN WISCONSIN
At its November 8, 2013, meeting, the Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND) approved its biennial report on the condition and progress of library service in Wisconsin. The report summarizes progress in the development of library service in recent years, current challenges facing Wisconsin libraries, and recommendations for the future. The report will be provided to the Governor, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and all members of the legislature.
Key recommendations of the report include the following:
- Research new or expanded roles forlibrarians involving technology.
- Monitor statewide Integrated Library Service (ILS) proposals as they move forward in 2013/14.
- As the Common School Fund is an important funding source for school library media centers and is not well known and understood by Wisconsin citizens, COLAND will work with other library organizations and the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands in a public awareness campaign.
- As appropriate use of the Common School Fund is important to every school library media center, COLAND will work with DPI to ensure funds are used according to the state constitution and departmental guidelines.
- Continue to monitor and support the work of DPI regarding school library media staffing, the steering and action committees.
- Encourage administrators of health science and hospital libraries to keep COLAND and the library community, including public libraries, informed of possible closures that could have an impact on other libraries and resources due to increased usage by patients and medical staff.
- Prepare a report of the current status of ebook accessibility across Wisconsin libraries. Collect information on collaborative purchasing initiatives among public library consortia, the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (WAICU), the Council of University of Wisconsin Libraries (CUWL), and school libraries.
- Share best practices with the library community in Wisconsin via various lists and online publications to assist busy librarians in acquiring ebooks.
- Inform legislators of current challenges facing ebook purchasing by libraries in Wisconsin.
- Monitor and comment on legislative issues as they arise related to the benefit of library services in Wisconsin.
- Continue to advocate and educate decision makers about the need for affordable broadband connections that support the growing service needs for all Wisconsin libraries and schools.
The full 6-page COLAND report is available at http://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/coland/pdf/COLAND_biennial_progress_report_2011-2013.pdf.
Also available on the COLAND website is the State Superintendent's Biennial Report to COLAND on interlibrary cooperation and resource sharing each biennium. Section 43.03(3)(d), Wis. Stats., requires the state superintendent to submit to the Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND) a biennial report which describes the programs and policies to promote cooperation and resource sharing among all types of libraries and to plan, coordinate, evaluate and set statewide priorities for the development of networks to enable interlibrary cooperation and resource sharing carried out in the preceding biennium and the programs and policies to be carried out in the succeeding biennium. A public hearing on the report was held at the Council's September 20, 2013, meeting. The final version of the report is available at http://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/coland/pdf/Biennial_Report_to_COLAND_2011-2015.pdf.
2. GROWING WISCONSIN READERS SPROUTS NEW BLOG
Growing Wisconsin Readers launched a new blog this week for librarians and early childhood advocates. Topics such as ideas to try, research and resources, promotion, and initiative updates will be covered. Blog readers can follow online, by email, or with an RSS feed reader. The blog can be found at http://blog.growingwisconsinreaders.org/. Growing Wisconsin Readers is a statewide initiative rooted in public libraries that aims to support Wisconsin caregivers of young children with information about early literacy so they can prepare children for learning at school and beyond. For more information, visit: http://growingwisconsinreaders.org/ or contact Tessa Michaelson Schmidt, Youth and Special Services Consultant at tessa.schmidt@dpi.wi.gov
3. GROWING WISCONSIN READERS FEATURED ON FEDERAL LIBRARY BLOG
UpNext, the official blog of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), recently featured "Growing an Early Literacy Initiative in Wisconsin." The Growing Wisconsin Readers initiative is coordinated by the Public Library Development Team at DPI. You can read the full IMLS post here: http://blog.imls.gov/?p=4443
In the post, the Growing Wisconsin Readers mini-grants were expressly identified as part of the roll-out of the initiative. Project evaluation photos submitted by the Allen-Dietzman Library in Livingston and the Hawkins Area Library, two of the 40 libraries to receive mini-grants, were featured. In addition, a new Growing Wisconsin Readers tip sheet was also introduced. The tip sheet, for use online or in print, can be found at http://growingwisconsinreaders.org/librarians#promoting.
4. NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR LIBRARYAWARE COMMUNITY AWARD
Library Journal is looking for libraries that are deeply engaged with their communities and where the community is equally engaged with the library. A new award, the LibraryAware Community Award will recognize those cities and towns and their libraries, or library systems, that have demonstrated their ability to make the community aware of what the library can do for them-and have delivered on that promise. The award will be given by Library Journal and underwritten by LibraryAwareTM, a product of the NoveList division of EBSCO Publishing.
This award will illuminate the value that communities throughout the United States and Canada derive from their libraries and highlight the outcomes of work by libraries-through the development of effective programs, services, partnerships, and communications-that result in better communities and an increased understanding of how libraries contribute to a community's well-being.
The LibraryAware Community Award will be given annually to a community of any size and its library during National Library Week. It will be presented to the city or town officials and the library director. The city or town will receive a plaque identifying it as a "LibraryAware" community. The winning library will receive $10,000, with second place receiving $7500, and third place receiving $5000. The winners will be announced in April 2014 and the winning library will be featured in an article in Library Journal in the spring.
The LibraryAware Community Award will go to a library whose community is aware of, and recognizes, the library's role:
- In areas that are documented priorities in the community served by the library, such as digital access, adoption, and/or literacy; economic and workforce development; education; health care; public safety and emergency services; civic engagement.
- As a place of transformation and change.
- As an organization whose activities ensure outcomes that are essential to the vitality of the community.
Criteria for the award include any and all components that create a LibraryAware community: strategic planning, marketing, outreach, partnerships, and programs, product, or service development.
Nomination materials must be submitted by January 13, 2014. Additional information on the criteria plus submission requirements can be found at:http://lj.libraryjournal.com/awards/libraryaware-community-award/.
5. BADGERLINK RESOURCE OF THE WEEK
Looking for local or national newspapers? Go to the BadgerLink Newspapers page http://www.badgerlink.net/newspapers! Find daily and weekly Wisconsin newspapers, national newspapers, and historical newspapers!
6. Website of the Week
Vocabulary.com: Learn Words -- http://www.vocabulary.com – This site offers quizzes and activities designed to improve your vocabulary skills. The site is free but registration is requested.
7. CALENDAR
January 10, 2014 – Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND) meeting, web conference
January 24-28, 2014 – American Library Association (ALA) Mid-Winter Meeting, Philadelphia, PA
March 12, 2014 – Spring Interlibrary Loan meeting, Madison
March 14, 2014 – Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND), DePere
March 21, 2014 – Growing Wisconsin Readers Early Literacy Symposium, Stevens Point
May 7-9, 2014 – Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries (WAPL) annual conference, Sheboygan
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To access previous issues of Channel Weekly, or to subscribe or unsubscribe,
go to: http://channel.dpi.wi.gov/
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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