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New resources are available on the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction website to help public libraries better prepare in providing workforce assistance to library users, including job searches. Visit https://dpi.wi.gov/pld/workforce-assistance and bookmark this page on staff computer stations for library staff training webinars, a marketing toolkit, and links to community workforce partners and resources.
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction announced on Monday, 9/27, that the competitive grant application process for library relief funding is now open. All Wisconsin public libraries and regional public library systems are eligible to apply for the American Rescue Plan Act funds awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. IMLS awarded Wisconsin nearly $3.3 million to be used for supporting digital inclusion efforts, providing rapid emergency relief to libraries, and supporting library services that meet the needs of local communities.
Guest post by Marci Glaus, Education Communications Manager at PBS Wisconsin Education
Guest Post by Joy Schwarz
Learn from experts without having to travel! There is still time to register for Tech Days 2021, a two-day series of webinars that occurs on Wednesday, September 15 and Thursday September 16. There is no fee to attend Tech Days, and all sessions will be recorded.
The Play Make Learn Conference promotes high-quality learning opportunities for educators, researchers, developers, designers, foundation leaders, policy makers, museum and library professionals, and school leaders who are dedicated to promoting making, gaming, and playful learning. It aims to engage attendees in cutting-edge learning science ideas and experience; communicate state-of-the-art design, education, and research; demonstrate new and upcoming games and technology; and network to spark new projects.
Topics this year include:
So please consider attending (register here) and share with any interested individuals/networks.
Posted by Ben Miller
Library Services Team
DPI is very pleased to share that the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband Access Report has been issued. The report details Task Force goals and recommendations for successfully expanding high speed internet access to every residence, business, and institution in the state by 2025, including solutions to make internet service affordable.
DPI and the Library Services Team has been, and will remain, deeply engaged in addressing broadband and the digital equity gap until it is solved once and for all. A special thank you to Assistant State Superintendent, Kurt Kiefer, for his leadership as a member of the Task Force and for leading the sub group on data.
We encourage libraries and library systems to collaborate and pool resources with local municipalities, counties, school districts and other local partners to invest in infrastructure. Federal and state funding, when combined with additional long-term local public funds, can be used to expand broadband and help shorten the return on investment. These public-private partnerships meet the goals of rural communities for high quality, high speed, affordable broadband. Please visit the DPI Expanding Broadband page for additional information.
https://psc.wi.gov/Documents/broadband/2021%20Governors%20Task%20Force%20on%20Broadband%20Access.pdf
Emergency Connectivity Fund rules to be released May 10
On Monday, May 10, the FCC is expected to release the rules for the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF), providing funding for libraries to help patrons get connected at home. I’ll send you a synopsis of the rules within a few days of their release. We have tentatively scheduled an ECF for Wednesday, April 26 at 1:00 PM -- stay tuned for details.
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Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) registration opens May 12
Starting on Wednesday May 12, eligible households will be able to enroll in the EBB program to receive discounted broadband service -- $50/month off, and $75 off on tribal lands. Residents can determine eligibility and apply at GetEmergencyBroadband.org, or through an approved provider.
EBB communication toolkit materials are now available for download. The toolkit is a collection of social media, printables, and other content to assist libraries and school districts with raising program awareness in their communities.
DPI will provide an EBB registration webinar on May 19 at 1:00 PM, where we will share ideas on how libraries can promote the program and set up EBB registration events. Chris Baker, adult services librarian at Portage Public Library, will join us to share his ideas, as Portage will have already conducted an EBB registration event. If you are aware of libraries that would like to join us and share their ideas on promoting the EBB, please let me know.
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Webinar Recording Posted - A recording of last Thursday's webinar, “Collaborating with Partners for Broadband Expansion,” is now posted. In it, innovators from around the state share examples of how they have leveraged resources within their community to collaboratively solve the broadband access problem.
Let me know if you have any thoughts or questions!
Bill Herman, bill.herman@dpi.wi.gov
As a long-standing partner with DPI, the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) is a foundational resource for Wisconsin educators and librarians. Recently on the blog, we’ve highlighted CCBC Choices 2021 and the new CCBC website with enhanced searching.
The CCBC librarians have created a video tutorial (14 min, includes transcript) walking through ways to use the enhanced search features, including how to search by diversity subjects such as “Gender Nonconformity,” “Muslim,” or “Cognitive/Neurological Disability/Condition.” The creation and expansion of inclusive libraries and classrooms with authentic, engaging literature has never been more critical.
The CCBC recommends a wide range of books for children and teens from birth through high-school age, most of which have been selected for various editions of their annual best-of-the-year list, CCBC Choices. Explore books they have recommended using resources such as: Recommended Books Search, Booklists, CCBC Choices, and the Charlotte Zolotow Award.
Database development for the enhanced CCBC book searches was made possible with the support of DPI through Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Written by Tessa Michaelson Schmidt (Library Services Team), with details provided by Megan Schliesman (CCBC)
See also:
The Cooperative Children's Book Center Releases CCBC Choices 2021 from March 17, 2021
New CCBC Website with Enhanced Search Features from August 27, 2020
Zoobean, parent company of Beanstack, the state’s online reading challenge platform, recently selected Berlin Public Library as one of the national #WinterRead 2021 winners. For the fourth year in a row, Beanstack offered their Annual Winter Reading Challenge. Simon & Schuster’s Books Like Us program sponsored the challenge, which supports public libraries and school systems throughout the United States. Berlin Public Library was selected as one of the winners, and will receive a set of 50 "books like us" from Simon & Schuster as well as a virtual author visit from one of the eight authors listed on this page. Chris Kalupa, Berlin Public Library director/patron services coordinator, shared the following:
Our staff is very excited to be chosen as one of six nationwide libraries to win the Beanstack Winter Read 2021, Books Like Us challenge. We decided to participate in Beanstack's Winter Read program to offer our patrons something different during the winter months, especially since we haven't been able to do much in terms of in-person programming. Not once did we expect to be one of the winning libraries. Our patrons blew us away with their participation. We initially set a community goal of 10,000 minutes of reading, and they crushed that goal within a week. And now to date, our patrons have logged over 100,000 minutes of reading! We're so excited that we get to reward them with something extra special! The Berlin Library would like to thank the Division for Libraries and Technology for sponsoring our participation in Beanstack through a LSTA grant.
~Berlin Public Library staff
Written by:
Tessa Michaelson Schmidt
Library Services Team
Guest post by Leslie Mehle, Superior Public Library
The organizers of the Lake Superior Libraries Symposium (LSLS) invite breakout session proposals for its ninth conference, which will be held virtually on June 11, 2021. There will be no registration cost for this year’s conference.
This year’s theme, Mapping Our Identity, invites attendees to explore the varied identities of libraries and library workers and how those identities shift in response to external events, personal development, changes in communities, and more. At LSLS21, attendees will ask, and hopefully start to answer, the questions of “Who are we?,” “Who do we want to become?,” and “How are we getting there?”
Possibilities for presentation topics include:
Redefining Boundaries
How have we, as individuals or organizations, broken barriers to create a new sense of who we are? How do we balance our work with our personal lives, especially as many of us now work from home? What do we do - and just as importantly, what don’t we do - to reinvigorate and advance our missions?
Expanding Our Reach
What partnerships have we been involved in, and how have they changed how we position ourselves? How have we reached out in response to recent national and global crises? What types of programming, marketing campaigns, tools, or services have we implemented to reach farther than we used to?
Defining Ourselves
How do our personal identities intertwine with the identity of being a library worker? What happens when we shift jobs or professions partway through our careers? How does learning about our past influence who we are and who we’re becoming?
Protecting Our Identity
How do we ensure the security of the data we collect, the information and resources we steward, and the systems we use? How do we help our patrons protect their identities? How do we show that we value and advocate for the diverse identities of our communities, despite continued marginalization of and violence against some groups?
Perceiving Libraries
How are libraries perceived, by library workers and by our communities? What do we find helpful about how library workers are perceived, and what might we like to change? How do we capitalize on the positive perceptions or address what’s misunderstood?
Successful breakout session presentations will be applicable to many types of libraries and showcase effective and innovative practices. 60-minute breakout sessions should include 10-15 minutes of question and answer. Panel presentations, particularly those representing a diversity of library types, sizes, and/or locations, are strongly encouraged. LSLS 2021 will be held virtually. The steering committee will provide more information about the virtual format to breakout session presenters upon notice of their presentation's acceptance.
Breakout session presenters should submit proposals at z.umn.edu/proposals. All proposals should be submitted by March 14th. Presenters will be notified of acceptance in April.
LSLS allows library staff to share their expertise, learn from their colleagues, and network to develop a stronger community of information professionals. Staff from all types of libraries are encouraged to attend. The event is organized and supported by library staff and educators from Minnesota and Wisconsin; for a full list of our supporters, see http://lakesuperiorlibrariessymposium.com/about/supporters/.
For questions about proposals and submissions, please contact Lisa Wheeler at ljwheele@d.umn.edu. A complete listing of speakers and agenda will be released in April.