Technology

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:

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:

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

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…

• Funds author and writer resources from BiblioBoard: Pressbooks, SELF-e, the Wisconsin Author Project, and the BiblioBoard Library.
• Coordinates and funds the annual hosting cost for the historical newspapers found in the Archive of Wisconsin Newspapers.
• Funds a portion of the costs for Recollection Wisconsin so that any public library can host their historical digital collections on the Recollection Wisconsin platform without any annual costs.
• Funds one-time and experimental projects, such as the user/non-user research project, which developed educational resources around research for Wisconsin public libraries.

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.

The 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

This year, nearly 100 school districts across the state have expanded their library collection with popular and classic eBooks that students can read anytime, anywhere, made possible by the Wisconsin Schools Digital Library Consortium. This consortium provides nearly 3500 eBooks to over 114,000 students across the state at a cost of only $1.50 per student. The consortium launched in January 2018 to help all districts across the state gain access to digital resources at an affordable price.

“The WSDLC collection opened the door to accessible e-books at our elementary school through easy use, a large selection, and teacher support. As the district library media specialist, I can now offer ebooks for everyone and can accommodate requests with almost instant additions to our collection with our account - this keeps students reading and teachers requesting them,” reports Peg Billing, Library Media Instructional Technology Coordinator of the School District of Tomahawk.

This eBook collection can help students of all ages read more and improve comprehension. Struggling or reluctant readers, learning-challenged, second language learners, and gifted readers can all benefit from this service that can enrich vocabulary, improve comprehension and pronunciation, connect students to books for their personal reading levels, teach critical listening, and help busy kids find time to read.

Three grade-appropriate libraries, for grades K-4, 5-8, and 9-12, make up the collection. Students can browse the library’s catalog, borrow titles, and start reading on all major computers and devices and all checkouts automatically expire at the end of the lending period - no late fees!

Like Wisconsin’s Digital Library for public library patrons, this collection is provided on the OverDrive platform. “The Richfield middle school students absolutely love using OverDrive,” says Richfield School District’s Patricia Thoma. “The idea of always having a book there for them, or on hold, excites our students. Every day, over 75% of our readers choose to read electronically. Our readership has exploded, and our nonreaders are extinct.”

The Wisconsin Schools Digital Library Consortium is a partnership between the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, CESA Purchasing, the CESA Statewide Network, and WiLS. To learn more about WSDLC, visit https://www.wils.org/wsdlc.

Article written by Sara Gold, WiLS Community Liaison/Service Specialist