You are here

Technology


DPI uses keywords that are used to associate content with major category/topic areas. By using this classification system, you are able to click a keyword and see a listing of DPI content that has been associated with this category.

Please scan over the titles below. If you see a topic that interests you, click the Read More link to access the page.

Pumped for Primary Sources!

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Last week, I had the amazing experience of participating in the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Workshop for School Librarians in Washington, D.C. This professional learning opportunity will drive my work with Wisconsin library media specialists and other educators throughout the upcoming year, but I could not wait to share some of these great digital resources with you!

Library of Congress: The main page can be overwhelming, but it is worth a visit to get an overview of the wealth of information available online.

Poetry and Literature: Last week Joy Harjo was appointed as the 23rd Poet Laureate. She is a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation and the first Native American to serve in this role. This page leads you to resources to find out more about her, as well as other poets and writers.

By the People: Speaking of poets, here is where you and your students can transcribe the works and letters of Walt Whitman or other historical documents, including some from women’s suffrage history, as a volunteer. The Library of Congress is looking to all of us to improve access to history!

U.S. Copyright: Librarians and educators always have copyright questions. Why not go straight to the source? In fact, more than one copyright librarian told me they are more than happy to answer anyone’s questions via email or phone.

Classroom Materials for Teachers: Find primary sources divided out by topic, lesson plans, and other resources that are ready to use with students for an easy path into the world’s largest library.

I hope you will join me during the 2019-20 school year for a deeper dive into these and other digital resources that can provide opportunities for equity, engagement, critical thinking, and inquiry skills to all of our students. Information regarding dates and locations will be posted this fall. Until then, enjoy exploring!

Tags

  • Resource Sharing
  • School Libraries
  • Technology
For questions about this information, contact Monica Treptow (608) 575-6065

Postponed WISCAT and BadgerLink Outage -- New Date August 9-12

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Due to server issues identified by the WISCAT and BadgerLink platform vendor, Auto-Graphics, the migration to Version 6 has been postponed. The migration has been rescheduled for the weekend of August 9-12. WISCAT and BadgerLink are now slated to go offline at 7pm on Friday, August 9th, and be back online at 7am on Monday morning, August 12th.

The WISCAT platform will see significant changes as part of this upgrade to Version 6. Training and documentation are being developed, and will be shared out during the May 14th WISCAT User Group Meeting. Library staff who work with the WISCAT platform should join the WISCAT/ILL listserv to be kept up to date with WISCAT changes and training by sending a blank email to join-illwiscatlist@lists.dpi.wi.gov.

All library-specific WISCAT URLs and authenticated BadgerLink resource links will be updated with new URLs as part of this migration. Auto-Graphics will provide a redirect of the previous URLs for up to 6 months.

Any library or school that places direct links to BadgerLink resources on a website, within a proxy, or another SSO application such as OpenAthens, will need to edit the URLs no later than early February 2020 in order to continue providing users access outside of the BadgerLink website. The new BadgerLink resource URLs are listed in the BadgerLink Resource URLs spreadsheet.

For reference the current BadgerLink authenticated URL structure is as follows:

https://www.wiscat.net/homepages/CustomerWide/ValidateGlobalIP.asp?cuid=stwi&lid=stwi&dataid=71&term=

The new BadgerLink URL structure will be formatted as:

https://www.wiscat.net/ext/validateglobal.php?cid=stwi&lid=stwi&dataid=71

The current WISCAT library-specific URL structure is as follows, where XXXX = your library’s WISCAT code:

https://wiscat.net/MVC?cid=stwi&lid=XXXX&reset=force

The new WISCAT library-specific URLs will be formatted as:

https://www.wiscat.net/home?cid=stwi&lid=XXXX

This upgrade will not affect functionality of any BadgerLink resources, however the WISCAT platform, which is also used for Super Search, will see new features and more modern styling. Additional details on these upgrades will be posted in the coming weeks.

To stay up to date with BadgerLink changes subscribe to the Badger Bulletin, and for additional help, contact BadgerLink or WISCAT staff.


Written by Elizabeth Neuman, Resources for Libraries & Lifelong Learning

Tags

  • Resource Sharing
  • School Libraries
  • Technology
For questions about this information, contact Elizabeth Neuman (608) 224-5389

WISCAT and BadgerLink Outage May 31 - June 3 for Migration to Version 6

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

The BadgerLink and WISCAT outage originally scheduled for May 31-June 3 has been postponed till August 9-12. Please see the Wisconsin Libraries for Everyone post, Postponed WISCAT and BadgerLink Outage -- New Date August 9-12 for details.

We are very sorry for any inconvenience that this shift will cause. Please reach out if you have any questions!

Written by Elizabeth Neuman, Resources for Libraries & Lifelong Learning

Tags

  • Resource Sharing
  • School Libraries
  • Technology
For questions about this information, contact Elizabeth Neuman (608) 224-5389

Guest Post: Meet Recollection Wisconsin's New Search!

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Guest post written by Emily Pfotenhauer of WiLS

Recollection Wisconsin recently launched a new and improved central search interface for their digital collections. Through this new search, you can find state and local history resources as well as materials from across the country and around the world, all from the collections of dozens of Wisconsin libraries, archives, historical societies and museums.

This new interface was created for Recollection Wisconsin as a benefit of their partnership with the Digital Public Library of America. In fact, Wisconsin is the first DPLA member in the country to launch a “DPLA Local” site. The search portal uses the same code DPLA developed for their own dp.la portal, which means Recollection Wisconsin users can benefit from handy features like auto-generated citations and the option to save custom lists.

Screenshot of search results page in DPLA Local interface.

The new search also uncovers resources about Wisconsin from other DPLA contributors around the country. For example, did you know that the New York Public Library has a great collection of stereographs of the Wisconsin Dells, photographed by H. H. Bennett? Or that the National Archives holds thousands of photos of Wisconsin landscapes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture?

The DPLA Local interface replaces the search portal created for Recollection Wisconsin in 2005 by UW-Madison Libraries. Recollection Wisconsin is grateful to UW-Madison for their many years of support to centralize access to Wisconsin’s digital collections and for their continued quarterly metadata harvests to update and refresh the data in the new system.

Screenshot of item record in new interface.

Give the new search a try and let Recollection Wisconsin staff know what you think!

Recollection Wisconsin is a consortium administered by WiLS and managed by seven Governing Partners: WiLS, Wisconsin Historical Society, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Milwaukee Public Library and Marquette University. Primary support for Recollection Wisconsin is provided by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, which administers Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds distributed by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

Tags

  • Resource Sharing
  • Services & Programs
  • Technology

Wisconsin Takes Part in National Youth Services Project

Thursday, March 14, 2019
Two women fold paper airplane using algorithm
Workshop participants fold a paper airplane using an algorithm, 
a core concept of Computational Thinking

Last fall, the Public Library Development Team was selected to participate in the first cohort of the three year IMLS funded YALSA Transforming Teen Services Train the Trainer project, T3 for short. The Wisconsin T3 Team participating in this project includes Caitlin Schaffer from Oconomowoc Public Library in the Bridges Library System, Laurie Freund and Angela Meyers from the Bridges Library System, and Tessa Michaelson Schmidt from the Public Library Development Team. The Wisconsin team attended an in-person training in Chicago in October 2018 on the topics of Connected Learning, Ages & Stages, Computational Thinking, and Facilitation Skills. Since October, the team has been working with pilot state peers (AL, ME, MN, RI), YALSA staff, and a personal team coach to develop trainings for Wisconsin library staff.

The main training events in Wisconsin for 2019 are two workshops hosted by SEWI -- Sequences and Stories, Part One: Connected Learning and Sequences and Stories, Part Two: Computational Thinking. The workshops are connected, and participants will be encouraged to attend both parts. Mini-grants for technology and/or professional development will be an option for dual attendees. The first workshop will be held on April 23 and the second on September 23, both at the Franklin Public Library (Registration details). Library staff serving youth in the SEWI region, or anywhere in the state, are invited to attend. Note: While the YALSA grant emphasizes teen services, we will be adapting the content for the range of ages (0-18) served by Wisconsin public library youth services staff.

On the horizon, the Wisconsin T3 Team will be looking for at least one other system or region to host these workshops in 2020. The Wisconsin T3 Team will work with hosts to customize the content and offerings to meet the needs of youth services staff in different areas of the state.

Written by:

Tessa Michaelson Schmidt
Public Library Development Team

Tags

  • Services & Programs
  • Technology

Google Communities for Libraries to Sunset April 2

Friday, March 1, 2019

Google has announced that on April 2, 2019, Google+ consumer accounts will be shut down. Google will delete consumer account content and shut down any associated Google+ pages. All members and moderators with a G Suite account will continue to have access. However, members and moderators who have a consumer Google+ account will lose access. Consumer accounts are free Google accounts, while G Suite accounts are typically paid for and managed by an institution.

Google Communities for Libraries will continue to exist for the time being, but because most members of the Wisconsin Public Library Community are not G Suite users, this communication venue will sunset on April 2, 2019.

We are exploring possible alternatives and will continue to share updates on social communication options for libraries on the Wisconsin Libraries for Everyone Blog and via email with the Public Library Systems for distribution to member libraries.

Not sure if you have a G Suite account or a consumer account? To find out your account type, go to: https://support.google.com/a/answer/6208960.

If your page looks like this, you are a member of a G Suite account, and your account and associated content will remain active:

Screenshot of Google Suite Account

However, if your page looks like this, your account is a consumer account and all associated content and pages will be deleted on April 2nd:

Google Consumer Account

Photos and videos from Google+ in your Album Archive and your Google+ pages will also be deleted. DPI will not retain any information posted by community members. If you want to retain your content, we recommend you download and save it before April: https://support.google.com/plus/answer/1045788

If you have questions, contact the Google+ moderator of your community in question.

Posted by Ben Miller
Resources for Libraries and Lifelong Learning

Tags

  • School Libraries
  • Services & Programs
  • Technology
For questions about this information, contact Ben Miller (608) 224-6168

Highlights of BadgerLink Website

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Many libraries link directly to BadgerLink resources from their website, rather than sharing the BadgerLink website with students and patrons. The BadgerLink team encourages you to do so and thanks you for your support of BadgerLink! We also want to take this opportunity to remind you of a few links and resources available on the BadgerLink website that may have been missed.

Many popular magazines with full text articles are available in BadgerLink at https://badgerlink.dpi.wi.gov/popular-magazines. We recently added a few new titles upon upgrading to MasterFILE Complete this past summer. These include AllRecipes, Better Homes & Gardens, Eating Well, Martha Stewart Living, Midwest Living, and Motor Trend, among others.

In addition, EBSCO’s Multimedia Search provides access to EBSCO’s Image Collection, Medical Image Collection, Literary Image Collection, Science Video Collection, Medical Video and Animations, and Video Encyclopedia of the 20th Century. These collections Include more than 10,000 videos and almost a million images.

Screenshot of BadgerLink website showing Read More link

Each database available through BadgerLink has a webpage devoted to the resource, with a description of the resource, and many also include training tutorials and info sheets. Simply click Read More under each resource when on the Browse Resources page to view.

The BadgerLink team is presenting a session on providing access to BadgerLink resources through your website and classroom tools at the WEMTA conference on April 2. Come join us to hear more about how you can easily share these resources at your school!

Contact us at dpibadgerli@dpi.wi.gov with questions or for more information on using BadgerLink.

Written by Jen Champoux, Resources for Libraries and Lifelong Learning

Tags

  • School Libraries
  • Services & Programs
  • Technology
For questions about this information, contact Jennifer Champoux (608) 224-5390

The Wisconsin Public Library Consortium is more than just OverDrive

Thursday, January 17, 2019

Guest post from the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium

What do you think of when you think of the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC)? If you said “OverDrive,” you aren’t alone. WPLC and the Wisconsin Digital Library are almost synonymous for many.

But did you know that WPLC does more than just coordinate the OverDrive collection?

WPLC also…

If you’re in a public library that belongs to a public library system, then your library is a member of WPLC. You have a representative on the WPLC Board and Digital Library Steering Committee. If you have any questions about WPLC, please feel free to reach out to them directly or to the project managers at wplc-info@wils.org.

Want to read more about WPLC? Check out the website, the brochure, or join the WPLC mailing list.

Tags

  • Services & Programs
  • Technology
For questions about this information, contact Ben Miller (608) 224-6168

New IMLS Initiative Seeking Grant Applications

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Last week the Institute of Museum and Library Services launched a special initiative, Accelerating Promising Practices for Small Libraries, that will be accepting applications for grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 until February 25, 2019. This opportunity is designed to strengthen how rural public and school libraries support their communities. The following information from the press release illustrates the three categories for applicants:

Transforming School Library Practice: School libraries support learning and the development of critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration skills. IMLS is interested in furthering how school library professionals can serve as integral instructional partners to classroom teachers. Grant projects could include programs and services that prepare students for success in college, career, and life, or foster early, digital, information, health, financial, media, civic, and other types of literacies.

Community Memory: Libraries and archives not only serve as stewards of our nation’s knowledge and collections, but also as trusted spaces for community engagement and dialogue. This project category centers on engaging local communities in the collection, documentation, and preservation of their local histories, experiences, and identities. Proposals could include events and programs to digitize materials related to community histories, such as photographs, artifacts, or texts, or oral history projects that involve community members in the documentation and preservation of local histories.

Digital Inclusion: Libraries have an important role in promoting digital inclusion and increasing access to information, ideas, and networks. This category focuses on projects that support the role libraries play in promoting digital literacy, providing internet access, and enabling community engagement through civic data and civic technology. Grant proposals could include programs supporting broadband access and wireless networks to address the homework gap, increase small business development and entrepreneurship, or plan for emergency preparedness.

For more information about this fabulous opportunity, check out the IMLS website and consider attending  one of the webinars on Tuesday, December 18, from 2:00PM to 3:00PM, or Wednesday, January 9, from 1:00PM to 2:00PM.

Tags

  • School Libraries
  • Services & Programs
  • Technology

Announcing the Inclusive Services Assessment and Guide for Wisconsin Public Libraries

Monday, November 5, 2018

Hands globe inclusionThe Inclusive Services Assessment and Guide for Wisconsin Public Libraries was produced by the Public Library Development Team. The beta version was released in Fall 2018, and the final version will be released in Spring 2019.

Participants in the inaugural 2018 Inclusive Services Institute developed a self-assessment tool and guide so that libraries are better able to evaluate the inclusivity of their spaces, programming, services, and administrative operations. This resource was designed to be used by individuals and groups as an ongoing reflection tool. The checklist and supporting resources are meant to help libraries evaluate current services as well as plan for the future.

This initial version, the first of its kind, was designed to have a period of response from the public library professional community. Input on every aspect of the document is welcome through December 31, 2018 via this Google Form: https://goo.gl/forms/9se1jZagoaSMAiuj1.

The checklist is organized by areas of library service identified in the WI Public Library Standards. Each section provides a straightforward checklist that can be answered with Yes, No, In Progress, or Not Applicable. Scoreable responses to each checklist will provide a snapshot of current levels of inclusion. Supporting materials, such as the reflection worksheet (available now) and next-step suggestions (coming later), offer ways for individual libraries to evaluate existing assets and opportunities for growth and change.

The comprehensive nature of the considerations asked within the Inclusive Services Assessment and Guide is overwhelming. All communities are unique and therefore each library will use this guide differently. This tool might be used as an annual reflection, or utilized more often. The tool might be used as a whole, or by prioritizing sections. First and foremost, the Inclusive Services Assessment and Guide is meant to assist the library in better understanding how it considers inclusion as an institution. Each library needs to determine how to connect with the tool and process the reflections it provokes. In addition, each library will determine how to best share its efforts.

The Inclusive Services Institute

The Inclusive Services Institute was a professional development and workgroup opportunity for Wisconsin public library and regional system staff committed to making Wisconsin libraries more inclusive to all community members and potential library users. The Institute offered reflective learning experiences on topics of equity and social justice. Participants worked on small teams to develop statewide resources. The Inclusive Services Statement from the Division of Libraries and Technology provides the foundation for the Institute content and workgroup efforts.

The Inclusive Services Institute is funded by a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services administered by the Public Library Development Team at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Authors

We thank the 2018 Inclusive Services Cohort for their time, talent, and commitment in developing the Inclusive Services Assessment and Guide.

Institute Participants:

  • Martha Bauer, Brewer Public Library, Southwest Wisconsin Library System
  • Irma Keller, Tomah Public Library, Winding Rivers Library System
  • Jessica MacPhail, Racine Public Library, Lakeshores Library System
  • Glenny Whitcomb, Chilton Public library, Manitowoc-Calumet Library System
  • Kristina Gomez, Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee County Federated Library System
  • Mark Jochem, New Berlin Public Library, Bridges Library System
  • Samantha Johnson, Cadott Community Library, IFLS Library System
  • Susan Younger, Wautoma Public Library, Winnefox Library System
  • Emilie Braunel, Plum Lake Public Library, Northern Waters Library Service
  • Bobbie Kuehn, Brown County Library, Nicolet Federated Library System
  • Laurie Ollhoff, T.B. Scott Free Library, Wisconsin Valley Library Service
  • Holly K. Smith, Monarch Library System
  • René Bue, Hedberg Public Library, Arrowhead Library System
  • Shauna Koszegi, Sun Prairie Public Library, South Central Library System
  • Lisa Rivers, Southwest Library, Kenosha County Library System
  • Elizabeth Timmins, Muehl Public Library, Outagamie Waupaca Library System

2018 Institute Leaders:

  • Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System
  • Leah Langby, IFLS Library System
  • Shannon Schultz, Department of Public Instruction
  • Tessa Michaelson Schmidt, Department of Public Instruction

Written by Tessa Michaelson Schmidt
Public Library Development Team

Tags

  • Administration & Data
  • Services & Programs
  • Technology

Pages