1. 2006 Wisconsin public library statistics available
2. PLA Awards applications now available online
3. WISCAT upgrade scheduled
4. Marion Archer, founder of WEMTA's Golden Archer Award, passes away
5. Website of the Week - Brainteasers, Puzzles, and Riddles
6. Calendar
1. 2006 WISCONSIN PUBLIC LIBRARY STATISTICS AVAILABLE
The Department of Public Instruction's Public Library Development Team (PLDT) annually collects statistics from Wisconsin's 388 public libraries and 17 public library systems. Excel and PDF files of the latest statistics are now available at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/dm-lib-stat.html. The files include over 115 data elements grouped by general categories. Information is provided on public library collections, services, staffing, funding, and non-resident use. The data are available in four different files:
- State totals by System
- County totals by County
- Public Library statistics for each of the individual 388 libraries sorted by population
- Public Library statistics grouped by County by System
The Website includes statistics back to 1996. If you have any questions on the statistical information in the above files, contact Al Zimmerman, consultant, Public Library System Administration, at (608) 266-3939 or alan.zimmerman@dpi.state.wi.us.
2. PLA AWARDS APPLICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
The Public Library Association (PLA) is now accepting applications for the 2008 PLA Awards. Members can nominate their colleagues and libraries for PLA Awards through the PLA Web site, http://www.pla.org. The deadline for submitting an application is December 3, 2007. Only electronic applications will be accepted.
The PLA Awards are designed to highlight the best in public library service by honoring those whose vision and accomplishments are extraordinary and deserve recognition by their peers.
PLA Awards include:
Advancement of Literacy Award, honoring a publisher, bookseller, hardware and/or software dealer, foundation or similar group (i.e. not an individual) that has made a significant contribution to the advancement of adult literacy;
Allie Beth Martin Award, honoring a librarian who, in a public library setting, has demonstrated extraordinary range and depth of knowledge about books or other library materials and has distinguished ability to share that knowledge;
Baker & Taylor Entertainment Audio Music/Video Product Award, promoting the development of a circulating Audio Music/Video collection in a public library;
Charlie Robinson Award, honoring a public library director who, over a period of seven years, has been a risk taker, an innovator and/or a change agent in a public library;
DEMCO New Leaders Travel Grant, serving to enhance the professional development of public librarians new to the field by making possible their attendance at major professional development activities;
EBSCO Excellence in Small and/or Rural Library Service Award, honoring a public library serving a population of 10,000 or less that demonstrates excellence of service to its community;
Gordon M. Conable Award, recognizing a public library staff member, library trustee, or public library that has demonstrated a commitment to intellectual freedom and the Library Bill of Rights;
Grow Your Own @ your library Institutional Scholarship, reimbursing nine public libraries' employees' course tuition costs at the undergraduate or graduate level;
Highsmith Library Innovation Award, recognizing a library's innovative and creative service program to the community.
An award jury appointed by the PLA President will review each nomination. The award juries will review the applications and select a recipient at the ALA 2008 Midwinter Meeting. Award winners will be announced in February 2008, and each award will be presented at the PLA President's Reception and Awards Presentation held during the ALA 2008 Annual Conference. For more information, visit the PLA Awards Web page at http://pla.org/ala/pla/plaawards/awards.cfm.
3. WISCAT UPGRADE SCHEDULED
On the evening of September 11, WISCAT AGent will be upgraded, adding some new features and improving various functions. WISCAT will look and feel the same in many respects, but some visible new features will appear in a "Left Pane" located next to the brief title search results display. The Resource Summary listing the catalogs searched and number of results found in each catalog will be located in the Left Pane. Currently, WISCAT users are accustomed to seeing this list above the search results and called the Search Summary.
WANT TO SEE A PREVIEW OF THE NEW WISCAT?
A temporary NEW Tab has been added to the WISCAT search bar (alongside Keyword Search, Browse, etc.) that announces the upgrade to users. Clicking on the tab will bring up a brief video (8:06 minutes) that shows the new Left Pane, as well as some of the new or improved interlibrary loan management functions coming. In addition, staff may preview the new Left Pane, and learn how authorized staff will be able to Manage Search Settings in the Pac Administration module in an illustrated guide accessible at http://dpi.wi.gov/rll/wiscat/pdf/manage_search_settings.pdf.
If you have questions about the new upgrade, or about using WISCAT in general, either before or after the upgrade, please contact the WISCAT staff or Vickie Long, WISCAT Training & Technical Support, Reference & Loan Library, (608) 224-5394 (voice), (888) 542-5543 (toll free), or (608) 224-6178 (fax).
4. MARION ARCHER, FOUNDER OF WEMTA'S GOLDEN ARCHER AWARD, DIES
Marion Archer, cofounder of the Wisconsin Golden Archer Award, died on September 1. She was born in Creswell, Oregon, on February 9, 1917, and worked in libraries as a children's librarian and cataloger in Idaho, Oregon, Michigan, and at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, from which she retired as Professor Emeritus in 1975.
Marion was from a family of storytellers and was, in her words, "a chronic scribbler" from the age of 5, publishing her first story at the age of 7. When she and her husband moved their family from Vermont to Wisconsin in 1958, she began writing historical fiction about their new home to assuage the homesickness of her oldest daughters. She discovered her own roots in the Fox Valley of Wisconsin and wrote of the brave and colorful people of many cultures who settled Oshkosh in the immigrations of the 19th century.
Marion founded the Golden Archer Award, now sponsored by the Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association (WEMTA), in 1973. Unlike other children's book awards, this is a student's choice award. It includes a Little Archer for the best picture book of the year. A memorial celebration of her life will be held at the Madison Friends Meeting House in Madison on Saturday, October 13, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be sent to The Golden Archer Award, in care of Sandy Heiden, WEMTA Treasurer, W4559 Kluge Road, Black Creek, WI 54106.
4. WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Brainteasers, Puzzles, and Riddles -- http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/braint.htm -- This family-friendly site by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences provides a variety of puzzles and problems to challenge your thought processes. Scientists get to solve puzzles every day, because science and research involve finding solutions from the clues that we are given. Just like with brainteasers (or brain teasers) and riddles, the answers to science mysteries are not always easy to see at first. With time and effort, they eventually become clear.
5. CALENDAR
September 7, 2007 - Public Library System annual meeting, Madison
September 14, 2007 - Council on Library and Network Development meeting, Hayward
September 25, 2007 - Instructional Media and Technology regional meeting, Rice Lake
October 2, 2007 - Instructional Media and Technology regional meeting, Appleton
October 5, 2007 - System Youth Services Liaisons annual meeting, Monona
October 9, 2007 - Instructional Media and Technology regional meeting, Waukesha
October 12, 2007 - Instructional Media and Technology regional meeting, Wisconsin Dells
October 12, 2007 - Library Information Technology Advisory Committee meeting, Madison
October 16-19, 2007 - Wisconsin Library Association annual conference, Green Bay
November 9, 2007 - Council on Library and Network Development meeting, location to be announced
November 14-15, 2007 - Library Services and Technology Act Advisory Committee meeting, Madison
For more details about these and other meetings, see the WISDOM calendar at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/wisdom.html and the BadgerLink and WISCAT training site at http://dpi.wi.gov/rll/wiscat/training.html.
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For information about Channel Weekly or to submit article ideas, please contact:
Roslyn Wise, Editor, at (608) 266-6439
For questions about this information, contact Roslyn M. Wise (608) 266-6439
Last updated on 10/4/2007 12:02:26 PM
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