the lamplighter
newsletter of the Wisconsin Valley Library Service
 Calendar of Events  Home Page 
September - November 2000 Issue 
Volume XXXVII, Number 8
Articles Monthly Features
Lamplighter Back! Memo from the Director
Our Dying Data From Hither & Yon
What is UCITA?
Technology and Tradition Info to Go
Public Library Youth and Special Services Consultant Appointed
Librarianship as a Business
Latest Wisconsin Library Service Records Available
Ignorance of Internet is Bliss? Jobs...Jobs...Jobs...
Need Library Building Help? Calendar of Events
Baker and Taylor Discounts

Gaylord Offers Discounts for 2001
Sales Tax Due for Public Library Photocopies
Navigating Wisconsin’s Legal Wilderness
Act 150: Answers to Common Questions
Avoid First Amendment Violations
Make the Internet Work for You and Your Patrons
First Trustee Training Module Now Available

Lamplighter Back!

You may have noticed from the masthead that this is the September-November issue of the Lamplighter and that it doesn’t look quite the same as previous issues. The reasons for this include the fact that WVLS has been experiencing some computer difficulties (which have now been corrected, we hope) and the editor of this newsletter has recently been out of the office taking care of a family medical emergency. Thanks are due to a couple of WVLS staff members who have volunteered to take up this task.

  Back to top

Our Dying Data

As computers and software are upgraded, rendering older forms of data storage obsolete, many electronic documents are heading toward an abyss. With so much talk about, and movement toward a ‘paperless’ workplace, the day will soon come when paper backup is not always going to be there…How to organize and store electronic records so they can be read far into the future is a problem …The advent of information technology has outpaced the archiving profession’s ability to deal with the changes… Technology changes so rapidly that three to five years is a long time for a computer operating system to last. Not only do hardware, software and storage media become outmoded relatively quickly but archivists usually don’t get their hands on electronic records until years after agencies have produced the materials…The result is that electronic records now going onto the shelves are stored on ephemeral media far more fragile than paper…There is no successful model for keeping those records currently so that they will be retrievable and readable in 150 years - or even in 15…Even when the storage medium is documented properly, it still can decay while stacked on a shelf. The tape can chemically decompose. Gravity can cause magnetic tape to stretch over time so that data becomes unreadable. Beyond physical deterioration is the problem of playing the information back. A high-quality CD-ROM disk can potentially last 50-75 years. But there are no guarantees that society won’t have moved several technologies beyond CDs by then, the way it has long ago stopped relying on eight-track audio tapes or Betamax VCRs.

A debate also burns on how to deal with e-mail. E-mail records have not been well filed for posterity… the fact is, most people don’t pay close attention to what they do with their e-mail, and don’t think of it as part of the public record that must be archived for posterity…floating in the blizzard of e-mail traffic are important documents that workers are storing haphazardly - if they are storing them at all…There is concern, too, about virtual ‘paper trails’ that don’t get saved…As aware as government archivists are of the problem of disappearing electronic data, few of them have the expertise to do much about it. Many of those on the job today were trained in straightforward paper records retention and management, not electronic records. (Adapted from an article by Ellen Perlman in the November, 2000 issue of Governing)

NOTE: This article should serve as a wake-up call for most of us. Public library personnel are communicating more and more often via e-mail. Finding and documenting the often necessary ‘paper trails’ is becoming ever more difficult. Warning: If you are involved in an important issue with a colleague or another agency, print out copies of your important communications. They may come in VERY handy when you try to recreate the reason/s for a particular decision. And, as always, keep in mind the advice we are always aware of but don’t always follow…at least back up your important records on a regular basis.

  Back to top

From Hither & Yon

What is UCITA?

UCITA is an acronym for the Uniform Computer Information Transaction Act. It is a draft model law, created by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL), that was originally intended to be a revision to the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). The UCC serves to ensure consistent rules governing contract law from state to state. UCITA is an attempt to provide uniform rules to regulate transactions in intangible goods such as computer software, online databases, and other information products in digital form. Librarians are concerned that UCITA would validate terms in "shrink wrap" or "click wrap", i.e., the purchaser doesn’t know what the terms of use are until after opening the package or clicking on the purchase button on your computer.

UCITA is likely to be introduced in the Wisconsin State Legislature during the next biennium. The Wisconsin Library Association opposes UCITA for the following reasons:

A UCITA Teleconference is scheduled for December 13th (noon to 3:00 p.m.) in the Richard J. Brown library on the Nicolet College Campus in Rhinelander. Bring a brown bag lunch or buy something to eat in the Nicolet cafeteria.

There will be four panelists, each of whom have been involved in lobbying against UCITA in their home states. For more information about UCITA, check out the ALA website at www.ala.org/washoff/ucita.html 

Note: None of us is all that clear on the ramifications of UCITA. Take advantage of this learning opportunity!

  Back to top

Technology and Tradition

New research from the Benton Foundation confirms the public’s faith in traditional library services. The key messages to give when you talk about libraries and technology are:

(Edited from an article in the September, 2000 Marigold Library System Newsletter)

  Back to top

 

WVLS logo

Memo from the Director

"The library, I believe, is the last of our public institutions to which you can go without credentials…You don’t even need the sticker on your wind shield that you need to get into the public beach. All you need is the willingness to read." Harry Golden said that and, if I thought I needed a suggestion for something to be thankful for, I don’t think this one would be far from the top of my list.

The most important people in your life -

Name the five wealthiest people in the world…Name the last five winners of the Miss American contest…Name the last dozen Academy Award winners for Best Actor/Actress…Name the last decade’s worth of World Series winners. How’d you do? The point is, none of us remember the headlines of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners. Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one: List the teachers who aided your journey through school…Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time…Think of five people with whom you enjoy spending time. Easier? The lesson? The people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money or the most awards. They are the ones who care. They have been very successful in their lives. Their awards are in our hearts. (Edited from 'From the Editor' by Susan Ungaro in the 11/1/00 issue of Family Circle)

Americans Love Libraries – So Why a PR Campaign?

ALA has made a five-year commitment to the Campaign for America’s Libraries, and retained a marketing/communication firm to develop a strategic communications plan. The ultimate goal is more funding and support for libraries and librarians…Everyone loves libraries. In survey after survey, Americans say that libraries are important and that they have positive feelings toward them. ALA’s own last national survey found that two out of three Americans visit libraries and that 90% believe libraries will remain important in the age of computers and the Internet. Why, then, do we need a Campaign for America’s Libraries to communicate the value of libraries?

In part, the answer lies in the way Americans love libraries. Americans love libraries without understanding very much about them…ALA’s goal in the campaign is to update the image of libraries - to expand Americans’ understanding of the variety of libraries, the vastness of their resources, the professional skills of librarians and the technology that makes libraries the ultimate institution of the information age

…people see libraries as useful places - places that provide services and resources, places you can find answers and get instructions. This is often the context in which librarians have their most positive image…

…people believe that libraries help make the American dream possible. Because they offer their services without entrance fees or usage charges, even the poorest people can educate themselves and better themselves. For many, this is the most important civic role that libraries play…

…people believe in particular that libraries are important for children - they help instill a love of reading and give children a place to express their curiosity and to discover the world…

ALA also wants this campaign to counter negative perceptions of libraries…especially two:

…that libraries are somewhat archaic, old-fashioned, dry and uninteresting. Unfortunately, the visual image of libraries is often one of dusty books and even dustier librarians

…the perception among some that libraries are intimidating and daunting places, where it is difficult to find things easily

There will be three core messages in this campaign…messages about the breadth of resources and assistance libraries can provide, about the role of libraries in expanding opportunities, and about the dynamism and up-to-date technology found in libraries. These messages will provide the consistent thematic "hooks" on which the campaign’s tactics will hang, lending consistency and repetition, which are hallmarks of successful public education campaigns. (Excerpted from an article by Jennifer Sosin in the July, 2000 issue of Cognotes)

NOTE: Watch for the ALA campaign information and base some of your library’s in-house displays on it.

  Back to top

Public Library Youth and Special Services Consultant Appointed

State Superintendent John Benson has appointed Barbara Huntington as the Public Library Youth and Special Services Consultant in the Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning. She will be part of the Public Library Development Team. Huntington is currently the Youth and Special Needs Consultant for the South Central Library System in Madison, She will be the first person to serve in a new position created by combining the Special Services Consultant position formerly held by Frances DeUsabel and the Youth Services Consultant position formerly held by Jane Roeber. Huntington began her work at DLTCL on November 20th.

  Back to top

Librarianship as a Business

Many have speculated about the future of the public library in this information and technology rich age. Libraries are not alone as they struggle with changing competitions and strategies for the delivery of goods or services. We need to make public libraries the heart of the community they serve. The first component of this process is to begin to think of the library as a business rather than a function of society.

Unlike a retail store, whose customers ‘vote’ their support on an ongoing basis by spending their money on the goods and services offered, the library has no such ongoing measure of its importance to the community. How are libraries business? Libraries have increasing competition from the private sector. Libraries must maximize their income to provide the best possible service rather than to increase profits. Libraries have employees, offer a service, comply with Federal employment regulations, and rely on the goodwill of their patrons.

Who do libraries compete with? The busy schedules of our patrons…the local bookseller…the Internet bookseller…the local video rental location…the park district that sponsors after school and weekend programs. The local library cannot compete with each of these competitors and be successful. We need to decide what we do and then do it very well, and be innovative in services to enhance convenience, embracing the tools, such as technology, which can help us.

Our goal should be to make the library as inviting and welcoming as possible, without discouraging the appropriate use of its services and resources…Look at the appearance of your library…Learn the basics of attractive promotional displays…Look at the marketing literature produced for booksellers and other retailers…Evaluate what you can do to emulate your competitors…Provide excellent customer service…Forge partnerships with the business or government leaders in your community…Build allies within every generation your library serves.

Don’t be bound by the way things have always been. The truth is that nothing has always been any one particular way. Change is frightening but growth is exhilarating. (Based on an article by Sharon Campbell, published in the Spring 2000 issue of Illinois Libraries that was seen as adapted by Marcia Sarnowski in the Nov/Dec issue of Whirlpools)

  Back to top

Latest Wisconsin Library Service Records Available

Each WVLS public library and branch should have received a copy of the 1999 Wisconsin Library Service Record by now (via courier). The finalized 1999 data for Wisconsin public libraries has been posted to the DLTCL web site (www.dpi.state.wi.us/dltcl/pld/99stats.html) The 1999 statistics are available in Excel files. You will need Excel for Office 97 or 2000, or a program that can read Excel files, to review the data. For each library, over 150 items of information are provided on the library collection, services, income, expenditures, nonresident use, hours open, and tax rate support.

  Back to top

Ignorance of Internet is Bliss?

Roughly 50% of the U.S. population does not use the Internet, and 32% of this non-Net-using segment has no intention of ever going online, according to a study released last month by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Further, 25% of this segment say they "probably" will never go online, while 29% say they probably will go online at some point; 12% say they "definitely" plan to go online. Fifty-four percent of the non-Net-using population considers the Internet a dangerous place, 39% say the cost of going online is too expensive, and 36% say it is too troublesome to go online.

(Monday Memo-October 2,2000/Los Angeles Times, September 22, 2000)

  Back to top

Please note:

The regular Lamplighter column Jobs...Jobs...Jobs... has been moved to the WVLS website where it can be kept up to date more easily. Please refer to http://wvls.lib.wi.us for a current (updated weekly) list of library openings in the general Wisconsin area.

  Back to top

Info to Go

Need Library Building Help?

The Reference and Loan Library in Madison recently acquired two new titles that may be of interest to staff embarking on a library building or relocation project.

Designing Better Libraries: Selecting & Working With Building Professionals, 2nd ed. by Richard C. McCarthy (Highsmith ©1999), covers the project from selecting an architect and other professionals to evaluating their performance. Newly updated appendices, which reflect recent changes in building standards and procedures, include samples of a request for proposal, advertisements for bids, and a punch list of items to be completed or corrected by the contractor.

Library Relocations & Collection Shifts by Dennis C. Tucker (Information Today, Inc. © 1999) is a revision of a previous ‘classic’ on moving a library. The advice in this book is based on careful planning and benefiting from the experience of others. Appendices include: Instructions for using a spreadsheet to shift a journal collection; a sample moving contract; and a list of additional resources with addresses for companies with experience moving libraries.

Both books may be borrowed through established interlibrary loan channels. (Channel Weekly)

  Back to top

Baker and Taylor Discounts

The state of Wisconsin has once again re-negotiated a contract with the vendor Baker & Taylor for a discount on their products and services for publicly supported libraries.

Any public, public school, or academic library can take advantage of these discounts. Simply indicate you are participating on your order.

There are very few changes from the previous contract. Discounts include: trade editions at 44%; spoken word audio cassettes at 44%; mass market paperbacks at 30%; video cassettes (VHS) at 30%; and music audio cassettes at 34%. The current contract is in effect through January 31, 2003.

For a copy of complete terms and discounts, as well as the names and addresses of contact persons for your type of library, please contact Ellen in the WVLS office at (715)-261-7255.

  Back to top

Gaylord Offers Discounts for 2001

Gaylord is again offering all public libraries in the WVLS area the following discounts:

13% Supplies – Free shipping on orders of $100 or more. Orders of less than $100 will carry a minimum $4.75 shipping and handling charge. Minimum order is $25.00

9% Furniture – FOB shipping point. Discounts will be applied to Gaylord’s prevailing prices at the time of order.

The following items will be excluded: 3M security systems, Gaylord wood book trucks, archival products, computer software, peripheral equipment and hardware, AV equipment, book charger rentals, government postal and custom work. During special price promotions on specific products, either the contract discount or the promotional discount will be applied, whichever is greater.

To receive discounts, please refer to Contract No. 311 when ordering. This discount is in effect through 12/31/01.

  Back to top

Sales Tax Due for Public Library Photocopies

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) conducts periodic audits for compliance with the state sales tax laws and the Wisconsin Administrative Code rules, and recent audits have raised questions from public libraries concerning the sales tax laws and regulations as they apply to libraries and other government agencies.

While sales to public libraries are exempt from the sales tax, sales by public libraries generally are not exempt. Most public library sales, including sales of photocopies and computer printout charges, are subject to the Wisconsin sales tax and any county and stadium sales taxes. Other library sales, such as sales of withdrawn books, used equipment, and used furniture also are subject to the sales tax. Public libraries also should charge sales tax for rentals of bestselling books and videos. Wisconsin Administrative Code section Tax 11.05 details the sales tax rules for state and local government agencies. Public libraries fall under the same general rules that apply to other state and local government agencies.

Library fines, including charges for materials that are not returned and charges for a duplicate library card, are specifically exempt from the sales tax. Also exempt are photocopy and records search charges that result from an official public records request.

To simplify the collection of sales taxes, libraries (and other organizations) do not need to add sales tax onto their taxable sales and charges - they can consider sales tax as part of the price charged. However, if you do this, you must notify customers by a sign and/or on receipts provided to the customer that "price includes sales tax." If your prices include sales tax, taxes due are calculated not on total receipts, but on the receipts before taxes. For example, if total receipts are $1,000 including taxes, and the applicable sales tax rate is 5%, taxes are due not on the full $1,000 but instead on $1000 divided by 1.05 or $952.38.

While public library boards have exclusive control of all funds collected, donated, or appropriated for the library fund - library boards have the legal authority to retain physical control only of gifts, donations, bequests, and endowments - all other funds must be under the physical control of the municipality. When libraries submit funds from sales, fines, fees, etc. to their municipality, they should carefully indicate the funds that are taxable and the funds that are nontaxable.

Any organization making sales subject to the sales tax must have a seller’s permit from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR). Such organizations also need to file regular returns with the DOR and submit taxes due. If a municipality, or any of its subunits (including the library) makes taxable sales, the municipality must handle the necessary filing and tax submission under its seller’s permit.

Friends of the Library groups often conduct book sales and other sales as fundraisers. These sales may be exempt from the sales tax if they meet certain tests. Sales by non-profit organizations on less than 20 days per year or having total taxable receipts of less than $15,000 per year are exempt "occasional sales" if the sales event does not involve an admission charge and paid entertainment, and the organization does not have and is not required to have a seller’s permit for other purposes. A municipality also may qualify for the "occasional sales exemption" if it meets the same tests.

If a library contracts with a private vendor who owns and has control over the photocopy machines in the library, the vendor, rather than the library, is responsible for collecting sales tax. The same would be true for pay phones owned and controlled by a private vendor. Some organizations believe that if they call payments "donations’ they can avoid the obligation to collect sales tax. To qualify as a donation, a payment must be totally voluntary, with no restrictions placed on people who do not make a payment. For example, if a library requests a $.10 donation per computer printout, the library cannot place any restriction on computer printouts made by people who do not make the donation. The DOR looks at the facts surrounding requests for donations to determine whether they are truly voluntary donations, or rather sales subject the sales tax.

This article was written by Michael Cross, DLTCL. Questions about the application of sales tax laws and regulations to public libraries should be directed to the DOR at (608) 266-2776.

NOTE: Before taking any steps to comply with the sales tax laws (if your library isn’t yet doing so), WVLS recommends that each library contact its own municipality to find out what steps the municipality has taken to comply with the law. If the municipality has a seller’s permit for itself and its subunits and files appropriate records with DOR, then the library probably doesn’t have to have its own seller’s permit - it only has to report to its municipality about the sales tax it (the library) generates.

  Back to top

Navigating Wisconsin’s Legal Wilderness

Can you write your own will? What are the grounds for divorce in Wisconsin? When do you need a written lease? Do I have to tell my employer I have AIDS/HIV?

The State Bar of Wisconsin’s new consumer web site, LegalExplorer (www.legalexplorer.com) offers Wisconsin librarians a reliable resource to help consumers get answers to everyday legal issues. The site’s Legal Q&A section brings together the expertise of Wisconsin lawyers to answer commonly asked legal questions about Wisconsin law on topics from agriculture to wills, written in easy-to understand language.

The site also offers:

(email from Joyce Hastings, Publications Director at the State Bar of Wisconsin. P.O. Box 7158, Madison, WI 53707-7158)

  Back to top

Act 150: Answers to Common Questions

In case you do not get Channel Weekly via the Internet (or just to remind you again), here are the answers to 2 frequently asked questions about Act 150 money for public libraries:

Q. Can our municipality reduce its library support by the amount of the increase in county funding?

A. Municipalities must continue to maintain library funding at a level of at least the average of the previous three years. This is a statutory requirement of library system membership (Wis. Stats. s.43.15(4) (c)(5)). County funding cannot be included in calculations of a municipality’s maintenance of effort funding requirement (Wis. Stats.s.4315.(4)(c)(5)(c)).

Q. Will increased county funding affect the ability of our municipality to qualify for state funding under the Wisconsin Expenditure Restraint Program?

A. Not necessarily. If additional county funding results in considerably higher library expenditures that are not offset by spending limits in other departments, higher library expenditures might contribute to a municipality’s inability to benefit from the Expenditure Restraint Program. There is an exception in municipalities that have established a special purpose library fund for public library expenditures. If a public library is funded through a public library fund, those expenditures have no impact on qualification for the Expenditure Restraint Program because that program only restricts spending out of the general fund - special fund expenditures are exempt from inclusion in Expenditure Restraint Program calculations. Any municipality may establish a public library fund and the DLTCL encourages creation of a library fund by municipalities with public libraries.

For more information, contact Mike Cross at (608)267-9225 michael.cross@dpi.state.wi.us  or Al Zimmerman at (608) 266-3939 alan.zimmerman@dpi.state.wi.us 

  Back to top

Avoid First Amendment Violations

The October issue of The Municipality, the official publication of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, has an article on avoiding First Amendment violations. This is an important issue for libraries because they have historically been strong defenders of the First Amendment rights of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the freedom to read.

Part of the article discusses suggestions for avoiding violations of the First Amendment as it applies to use of a municipal (including public library) meeting room. In particular, the article discusses the lessons to be learned from a federal court case this year involving the meeting room policy of the West Allis (WI) Public Library. In that case, the court ruled that the library’s exclusion of an individual’s request to use the meeting room for a program on creationism was a violation of the First Amendment.

The article also discusses the possibility that government organizations (like a municipality or a public library) could run afoul of the First Amendment by a decision not to provide a web link to a particular website. This discussion is based on a recent case involving the website of a city in Tennessee. The article makes suggestions for web linking policies and practices that might limit potential liability.

For the full article visit www.lwm-info.org/legal/0010/comment.html 

  Back to top

Make the Internet Work for You and Your Patrons

What follows are citations to web sites that can be particularly useful as we help patrons locate needed information. Check them out and make them a part of your library’s regular reference "collection."

STATE AND COUNTY QUICKFACTS - US CENSUS www.census.gov.qfd  This new reference resource from the US Census Bureau allows users to access frequently requested Census Bureau information at the national, state and county levels.

THE AWESOME LIBRARY www.awesomelibrary.org/  This site organizes the Web with 14,000 child-safe, carefully reviewed resources. The links on the home page are organized under 24 main ideas that would be useful to K-12 teachers and administrators, students, library media specialists and parents.

LOCAL AND STATE TRANSPORTATION WEB SITES www.apta.com/sites/transus/  Each state’s page includes statewide, regional, and local transit systems and transportation providers, state government transportation agencies, and other statewide, regional, and local transportation web sites. It leads to bus systems, subways, light rail, railroads, etc.

NARNIA www.narnia.com  A lovely site for every fan of Narnia, the imaginary country created by C.S. Lewis in his seven book series, The Chronicles of Narnia. There is information about Lewis, his creation of Narnia; the birds, beasts, mythological creatures, and people of Narnia; and a brief description of each book. Teachers will find a classroom activity guide link at the bottom of the page.

BOOKS IN A SERIES www.kentlibrary.lib.mi.us/whats_next.htm  This is a great site for locating fiction books in series. You may search by author, title or series.

DISCOVERYSCHOOL www.school.discovery.com  Provides links to resources for parents, teachers, and students through three separate ‘channels’ aimed at students, teachers and families. 

READING ROADTRIP U.S.A. www.silo.lib.ia.us/youthserv/YouthSLP.htm  Wisconsin and Iowa, along with 10 other states, are part of the Cooperative Summer Library Program for 2001. The site contains clip art from the forthcoming summer library program manual and links to other websites that tie into the theme.

LITERACY TOOLKIT www.library.austin.cc.tx.us/staff/lnavarro/CommunityPartnerships/Toolkit.html A toolkit to help build information literacy community partnerships to bring together librarians from school, academic, public and special libraries and community members/organizations to help prepare the public to use information efficiently and effectively.

LIBRARY TRUSTEE RESOURCES www.dpi.state.wi.us/dltcl/pld/trustee.html Resources on this web page include links to legal resources, library trustee organizations, sample library policies, newsletters, and other resources.

  Back to top

First Trustee Training Module Now Available

The First of what will be a series of Wisconsin public library trustee training modules is available on the Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning (DLTCL) website at www.dpi.state.wi.us/dltcl/pld/ppt/trustee1/  . This first module covers the legal powers and duties of library boards in Wisconsin. To view this training module, select the "click here to start" link.

The DLTCL trustee training modules are provided as one tool that can be used to support trustee training and continuing education. The modules are fairly short (the first one has 13 slides) so they can be used during a library board meeting for a brief review of issues of importance to library trustees. They also can be used for one-on-one or self-directed training.

A PowerPoint version of this module can be downloaded from www.pei.state.wi.us/dltcl/pld/ppt/libboard.ppt.

Feel free to print and copy these modules for use in trustee training as well. Questions and suggestions concerning these modules should be directed to Mike Cross at (608) 267-9225 or michael.cross@dpi.state.wi.us. Mike is also interested in suggestions for future trustee training module topics.

  Back to top

 Calendar of Events

November 23 - Happy Thanksgiving!

December 4 - "How to Handle People With Tact and Skill: Specific strategies for dealing with difficult people at work." $149. CareerTrack Training. Wausau, Holiday Inn…9:00-4:00. For more information contact CareerTrack at www.careertrack.com  or phone 800-334-6780

December 5 - WVLS Library Advisory Committee meeting - MCPL - 9:45 a.m.

December 6 - St. Nicholas Day

December 7 - Pearl Harbor Day

December 10 - Melville Dewey’s birthday (born 1851)

December 11 - V-Cat Council meeting - MCPL - 9:45 a.m.

December 13 - UCITA teleconference - Nicolet College, Rhinelander - noon-3:00 p.m.

December 14 - WVLS Executive Committee meeting - MCPL - 3:30 p.m.

December 19 - "Stress Solutions Workshop for Women," CareerTrack Training. $59. 9:00-4:00. Wausau, Park Inn International Hotel. For more information contact CareerTrack at www.careettrack.com  or phone 800-334-6780

December 22 - Happy Hanukkah!

December 25-26 - WVLS offices closed - MERRY CHRISTMAS!

January 12-17 -ALA Midwinter Conference at Washington, D.C.

January 17 - "Strategies for Effective Employee Recordkeeping in Wisconsin." $189. Lorman Education Services. Holiday Inn Airport, Green Bay. For more information contact www.lorman.com or call (715) 833-3959

February 13 - Library Legislative Day at Inn on the Park, Madison

  Back to top



ATTENTION: WESSLER SCHOLARSHIPS are available to cover some/all costs associated with attendance at reference and/or interlibrary loan continuing education events. If interested in becoming a Wessler Scholar, contact the WVLS office (715/261-7250) for more information. The application form and more information are available on the WVLS home page at http://wvls.lib.wi.us  under "About WVLS & Services."

  Back to top


LAMPLIGHTER

a monthly newsletter of the Wisconsin Valley Library Service
300 N. First Street / Wausau, WI 54403

EDITOR: Marla Sepnafski

Phone: 715/261-7252
FAX: 715/261-7259
writing feathermsepnafs@wvls.lib.wi.us

Contributions are welcome! News items should be submitted by the first of the month.

WVLS serves Clark, Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Oneida, and Taylor counties.