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January 2003 |
When you need to know something about WVLS, you can call the office and ask…or…you can go directly to the WVLS web page at http://wvls.lib.wi.us where you might also find the info you need.
Ann Mroczenski, the WVLS webmistress, always welcomes ideas for information to add to our site. She also wants to know about any errors you find so they may be corrected asap. She can be reached by calling 715.261.7256 or at annmarie@wvls.lib.wi.us
The WVLS web site includes the following information:
- WVLS Mission Statement
- WVLS Board of Trustees members
- Library Advisory Committee (LAC) members
- Wessler Scholarship info and application form
- Annual WVLS fact sheet (handy to use with the media)
- WVLS staff list
- WVLS maps
- WVLS services (An alphabetical list. This is particularly helpful for new library staff and new trustees)
- Info on WVLS tutorial programs
- Calendar of continuing education activities
- Lamplighter issues (current and archival)
- Access to library-related newsletters across the state
- Employment opportunities in libraries
- Lists of WVLS-sponsored electronic databases that can be accessed by member libraries
- Give-away materials
- Computer recycling info
- Directories of WVLS libraries including service hours
- Links to libraries throughout the state and nation
- Links to library-related sites throughout the world
- Interloan procedures
- Legislative contact info
- Friends groups in WVLS area
- Links of interest to library trustees o V-Cat info
Flat Stanley is the title of a book written by Jeff Brown. Stanley Lambchop is a young boy who is squashed flat (but not hurt) by a falling bulletin board. Being flat, Stanley learns to live his life differently. He visits his friends by traveling via mail, rather than plane, car, train, or bus, as he is as flat as a piece of paper. He sees many different things and has many adventures.
Many classrooms around the world are participating in projects connected with Flat Stanley. Children draw their own Flat Stanley characters and send them off to visit family members and friends. Some Flat Stanleys have visited the White House, the moon, Colin Powell and other celebrities. As Stanley visits, he poses for photographs showing him taking part in the lives of those he visits.
Along with the photos, a packet of information about the place Stanley is visiting is compiled and sent back to the student who 'created' each, individual Flat Stanley. In this way, children can gain a better understanding of different areas of the world - and hopefully come to realize that people are basically the same no matter where they live.
Of course, we think that no matter where Flat Stanley visits, his time in Wisconsin AND at a library will probably rank among the most exciting places on his tour.
You can learn more about Flat Stanley at his own web site http://flatstanley.enoreo.on.ca/jeff_brown.html
WVLS Board of Trustees in 2003
Appointed by the county boards of supervisors, the 15-member WVLS Board of Trustees is responsible for all policy decisions for WVLS. The number of representatives from each county on the board is based on county populations, and usually appointees serve 3-year terms. WVLS trustees meet six times annually in January, March, May, July, September, and November. At their January meeting, the board elects its 7-member Executive Committee, which also meets six times each year - February, April, June, August, October and December. All meetings are open to the public and most are held at the Marathon County Public Library. Following is a list of 2003 WVLS board members:
WVLS Executive Committee Members:
President: Alice Sturzl, Forest County (term expires 12/2004)
Vice President: Janet Baer, Oneida County (term expires 12/2005)
Treasurer: Sandi Cihlar, Marathon County (term expires 12/2003)
Member: Peg Jopek, Langlade County (term expires 12/2003)
Member: Norma Wehlitz, Lincoln County (term expires 12/2004)
Member: Douglas Lay, Marathon County (term expires 12/2005)
Member: Donna Walbeck, Taylor County (term expires 12/2005)
Other Members of the WVLS Board:
Gladys Olsen, Clark County (term expires 12/2005)
Lucille Wild, Clark County (term expires 12/2003)
Jim Backus, Marathon County (term expires 12/2004)
Don Christianson, Marathon County (term expires 12/2005)
Michael Otten, Marathon County (term expires 12/2003)
Dorothy Scott, Marathon County (term expires 12/2004)
Carol Boron, Oneida County (term expires 12/2004)
Vacancy, awaiting appointment from Marathon County
Grobschmidt Is New Assistant State Superintendent
Effective January 13, 2003, State Senator Richard Grobschmidt assumed the administrative duties of assistant state superintendent for the Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Appointed by State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster, Grobschmidt replaced Cal Potter, who retired January 3rd.
Grobschmidt, a former high school teacher, was first elected to the Assembly in 1984 and to the State Senate in 1995. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, Grobschmidt also served on the Committee on Universities, Housing, and Government Operations. While in the Legislature, Grobschmidt had served on the DPI Task Force on Library Legislation and Funding, the DPI Task Force on School Funding, and the PK-16 Leadership Council.
He is also credited as the legislative author of EdVest, the Wisconsin college-savings plan, and a comprehensive school-to-work proposal. And, he was instrumental in establishing a Professional Standards Council for Teachers and authored a law requiring childhood immunizations to be covered by insurance. (edited from announcement on the DPI homepage, http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/index.html)
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"Every country has hospitals, police, and schools, but only free countries have free libraries. Yet, libraries are an institution the American public takes for granted until the doors of their own local libraries close…" (ALA President Maurice J. Freedman in American Libraries, January 2003 issue.)
Beating a Dead Horse - Are there issues in your library that you've been dealing with for years with no resolve? Are you "beating a dead horse"? Perhaps it is time to create a "Dead Horse" file. It might include your persistent requests for a library van or a different lighting system. Year after year you bring cost analysis to your board, only to have the idea shot down. File it under "Dead Horse". You can revisit it, but it will probably still remain dead, unless another board is able to see your vision. And, speaking of vision, having a vision won't get you anywhere if you cannot communicate and articulate that vision to others. If you have a 'dead horse,' you can try things like …using a stronger whip…changing riders…saying things like, "This is the way we have always ridden this horse"…appointing a committee to study the horse…arranging to visit other sites to see how they ride 'dead horses'…attending a training session to increase your riding ability…forming a committee to find uses for 'dead horses'…promoting the 'dead horse' to a supervisory position. A better strategy might be to follow Dakota tribal wisdom, i.e., when you discover you are riding a 'dead horse,' the best strategy is to dismount. (Edited from an article in the Nov/Dec '02 issue of Rural Library Services Newsletter)
Promote Your Reference Services - Last fall, via an e-mail survey, Mary Struckmeyer (Chief of Reference & Interlibrary Loan Services at the Reference and Loan Library in Madison), asked for ideas on how to promote reference services. Here are some of the ideas compiled from that survey: write articles for newspapers…become an expert on a radio program ("Ask Your Neighbor" sort of thing)…offer computer training classes and include info on reference services…offer orientation sessions at local schools…send mailings to local businesses listing useful resources, including directories, databases, and meeting rooms…advertise services on placemats in restaurants… provide lists of health resources at health food or grocery stores...place flyers advertising reference services and resources in book stores…place flyers in pizza boxes…appeal to homeschoolers…work with professional organizations that provide PR material (ALA, WLA, etc.)
Library-Related Quotes Worth Pondering - (OK, they're really not 'library-related' - but they should be!)
No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it.
-- Andrew CarnegieNever doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
-- Margaret MeadService to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.
- Mohammed AliVision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare
- Japanese ProverbI did not find the world desolate when I entered it. My fathers planted for me before I arrived, so I plant for those who come after me.
- TalmudI feel that we all must live so that, when we are gone, everyone will miss the work we did but someone (because they learned from watching us) will take up our banner and go forward
-- Debby Rainey, Site Manager for Meals-on-Wheels, Tennessee
-- Heather Eldred
And the Winner Is...
Holly Keller, author of Farfallina & Marcel (Greenwillow Books), is
the sixth annual winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award for outstanding writing
in a picture book, given by the Cooperative Children's Book Center, a library of
the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
"Holly Keller's magnificently crafted story about the friendship between a caterpillar and a gosling features beautifully weighted sentences and lyrical turns of phrase. The dramatic physical transformation each character undergoes affects their relation- ship when they no longer recognize one another. Child listeners hum with anticipation and excitement as they figure out what has happened and wait for Farfallina and Marcel to do the same."
Charlotte Zolotow - Honor Book
The First Thing My Mama Told Me, by Susan Marie Swanson (Harcourt).
"The significance of a child's name and its importance to identity and esteem are the focus of this understated, finely paced story that spans one young girl's first seven years of life. Recognizable experiences and universal emotions transcend the specifics of the little girl's life, giving the story broad resonance and appeal."
(edited from article by Megan Schliesman, CCBC, as seen in Rob Reid's Heart of a Child, 1/15/03)
Charlotte Zolotow - Highly Commended Books
Andrews-Goebel, Nancy. The Pot That Juan Built. Lee and Low, 2002.
Banks, Kate. Close Your Eyes. Frances Foster B8ooks / Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2002.
Henkes, Kevin. Owen's Marshmallow Chick. Greenwillow Books, 2002.
Herrera, Juan Felipe. Grandma and Me at the Flea. Children's Book Press, 2002.
McMullan, Kate & Jim. I Stink! Joanna Cotler Books, 2002.
Okimoto, Jean Davies and Elaine M. Aoki. The White Swan Express: A Story about Adoption. Clarion, 2002.
Schertle, Alice. All You Need for a Snowman. Silver Whistle, 2002.
Shannon, David. Duck on a Bike. Blue Sky Press, 2002.
Wilson, Karma. Bear Snores On. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2002.
Wong, Janet S. Apple Pie Fourth of July. Harcourt, 2002.
Celebrate! @ Your Library is the theme of the Culver's 2003 Draw a Picture for National Library Week program. Sponsored by Wisconsin public library systems, WLA and Culver's Frozen Custard Restaurants, the program will run from April 1st-April 30th. National Library Week is April 6th-12th.
Children, 10-years-old and under, may celebrate their favorite book by drawing a picture about it. It can be a character, event or scene - or anything they liked in the book. The theme celebrates National Library Week, special events, holidays, books, program participants, the United States, or birthdays. Sign-up materials will be sent out in January. For more information, contact Beth Sillars, WVLS Youth/Special Needs Consultant, at 715.261.7255, or sillars@wvls.lib.wi.us
Developing Adolescents: A Reference for Professionals
Mentioned earlier this month on a YALSA list, Developing Adolescents: A Reference for Professionals provides information about physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioral development in teens, and a great bibliography of more resources to consult. Published by the American Psychological Association, this resource is available for FREE at http://www.apa.org/pi/pii/develop.pdf (CEO, 1/6/03)
Does Your Community Know It Has A Library?
WVLS area public libraries report the following types of community 'outreach' activities - strategies they hope will raise awareness of the library and its services to both library users and funding agents.
Not every library does everything on this list - and not every area library responded to the email sent to gather this type of information. As we face a period of hard financial times, it becomes increasingly important to be able to ask those you serve to 'lobby' your municipal, county, state, and federal funders for adequate library support. The more people know what the library does (and what services might have to be reduced or eliminated if funding is reduced), the more of a base the library board and staff have to contact when they need help. We all operate on tax dollars and we have a responsibility to use those dollars as well as we can to help meet the information and recreational reading needs of those we serve. We also have a responsibility to tell our funding agents about how much more service libraries are asked to provide in tough economic times, i.e., these are tax dollars well spent and greatly appreciated. --Heather Eldred
On January 31, 2003, PLA, AASL and ACRL will join forces with other associations across America in support of National Job Shadow Day. Job Shadow Day, is now in its sixth year and the kick-off begins a year-long initiative that gives students across America the chance to "shadow" a workplace mentor as he or she goes through a day on the job. Young people nationwide will get an up-close look at how skills learned in school are put to use in the workplace. School, academic and public librarians will receive information and support from the three divisions to participate in the program as part of recruitment efforts association-wide.
By participating in the job shadow day program, PLA hopes public librarians will:
The divisions will develop materials and promotions available on their web pages and at library conferences, beginning with the 2003 ALA midwinter meeting in Philadelphia, to assist librarians in their efforts and hope to feature job shadow success stories in division print and web publications. It is anticipated that more than one million students and 100,000 businesses will participate in Job Shadow Day 2003.
Can Libraries Release Patron Database Information?
"Our Friends of the Library organization is planning a fund-raising effort and has requested use of names and addresses from our library patron database for a mailing. Can our library provide that information to the Friends?"
No. Releasing library patron records to a Friends organization (or any other outside group or individual) is generally prohibited by state law.
Wisconsin Statutes Section 43.30 provides that library records "indicating the identity of any individual who borrows or uses the library's documents or other materials, resources, or services may not be disclosed except by court order or to persons acting within the scope of their duties in the administration of the library or library system, to persons authorized by the individual to inspect such records or to [other] libraries" [under certain circumstances for interlibrary loan purposes].
In addition, the Wisconsin public records law requires state and local government organizations (including libraries) to develop procedures to protect the privacy of personal information kept by the organizations. Libraries (and all other government organizations) are required to develop rules of conduct for employees involved in collecting, maintaining, using, and providing access to personally identifiable information. You also are required to ensure that employees handling such records "know their duties and responsibilities relating to protecting personal privacy, including applicable state and federal laws."
Apparently, nothing in state law prohibits library staff from using the library's patron database as part of a library fund-raising effort. Wisconsin Statutes Section 43.30 allows the use of patron records to persons acting within the scope of their duties in the administration of the library or library system. Therefore, use of patron library records may be allowable by library staff who have been authorized by the library board to conduct fundraising for the library. However, we would recommend that fundraising use of patron records occur only after explicit board approval of a policy allowing that type of use.
Additional questions may be directed to Mike Cross, DPI, at 608.267.9225; or michael.cross@dpi.state.wi.us (Channel, Nov./Dec. 2002)
Public Librarian Certification Form Available Electronically
The Annual Summation of Continuing Education Activities form is now available online in Microsoft Word format and can be downloaded and filled in electronically. Go to http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/dltcl/pld/cert.html The availability of the Annual Summation Form in electronic format should make it easier and more convenient for re-certification applicants to handle the paperwork to summarize their continuing education activities. Applicants can send the form electronically to Linda Orcutt, WVLS public library certification consultant, for verification and validation. For more information about the certification form and procedures, contact Peg Branson, DLTCL certification consultant, at peg.branson@dpi.state.wi.us or Linda Orcutt at lorcutt@wvls.lib.wi.us
The Library Development and Legislation Committee of WLA encourages the endorsement of our state and federal legislative agendas by all library organizations, multitype consortia, public library boards, system library boards, academic library councils, and any other library- and education-related groups. Copies of these agendas may be found at http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/ Budget deliberations are likely to continue at least through the end of June, so if your group or board is unable to endorse in January, you'll still have the opportunity to include a discussion on the agenda at a later meeting.
Notification of endorsements, as well as any questions or concerns, should be directed to Paul Nelson, WLA LD&L Chair [Middleton Public Library; 7425 Hubbard Avenue; Middleton, WI 53562; pen@scls.lib.wi.us; phone 608.836.5131]
Many Supposedly Clean Hard Drives Still Contain Data!
A new report written by two graduate students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology highlights the risks and prevalence of failing to erase information on unwanted hard drives. Simson Garfinkel and Abhi Shelat bought 158 used hard drives, many from eBay but some from businesses and used-computer stores. Garfinkel and Shelat were able to recover data from 49 of the 129 drives that functioned. Among the information the two found were corporate personnel memos, pornography, credit card numbers, and, from a hard drive that may have come from an automated teller machine, account numbers, transaction dates, and balances. Tools exist that will genuinely erase information from hard drives, but most people don't use them or understand why they need to, said Mr. Garfinkel. When a hard drive is reformatted, he said, a warning usually indicates that all data will be lost, but in truth more that 99% of the data remains on the drive and is often recoverable. Chronicle of Higher Education, January 17, 2003, http://chronicle.com/free/2003/01/2003011701t.htm - Educause (Monday Memo, 1/20/03)
At the time this issue was going to press, WVLS received word that epixtech, inc. once again changed its name. The new name is Dynix, Inc. http://www.dynix.com - which was the name of the corporation before it changed to epixtech, inc. To keep the confused from becoming more confused, we can only hope that Dynix, Inc. doesn't change its name AGAIN for several more years...
How to Cover Your Tracks on the Web
Since your browser records all your online activities, it's simple for someone to discover where you've been searching. If you want to keep that area of your life private, then it's imperative to cover your tracks. Records of your online activities are recorded in five areas: Your History; Address Bar; Temporary Internet Files; Cookies; and Autocomplete Entries. Let's discuss methods to clear them out.
It's common knowledge that every site you visit is stored in Your History. So if you open Your History folder, you'll immediately observe where you've been. More evidence is stored under the Address Bar. Just click the down arrow on the right-hand side of the bar to reveal a list of recent sites. The contents of those pages are stored in the Temporary Internet Files, and it's quite likely the sites deposited their telling cookies in the Special Cookie Folder. Lastly, if you've entered anything into a form such as a search engine, double-clicking in that form will divulge a list of previous entries courtesy of AutoComplete. Alas, how do you hide your tracks? You must either delete all these files and records, or ensure they're not recorded initially.
You can delete your Temporary Internet Files, History and Cookies (IE6 only) under the General Tab in Internet Options. Deleting History will also clear the entries from your Address Bar. To clear the Address Bar but leave Your History intact, right-click on a blank section of the taskbar at the bottom of your screen and choose "Properties." In Windows ME, go to the Advanced Tab and click the "Clear" button. In Windows 98, the Clear button is in the "Documents" menu section. If you'd rather your browser didn't prompt you with addresses from the History, use your preference by clicking the "AutoComplete" button under the Content Tab in Internet Options. While you're there, you can eliminate or disable your AutoComplete entries. To delete individual sites from Your History, click on the History button, right-click on the entry and choose "delete" from the pop-up menu. To disable History, set the "number of days to keep pages in History" to zero.
Rather than disable the saving of Temporary Internet Files, it's better to check the box to "Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed" under the Advanced Tab. Remember that this choice will prevent you from browsing offline, or searching through the contents of your past sessions. Good luck. -Kim Dalhaimer, Reference Liaison; Mead Public Library, Sheboygan (The Library Connection, newsletter of the Eastern Shores Library System, Nov./Dec. '02)
Ice Fishing Home Page; Gateway to All Ice Fishing http://hickorytech.net/~jbusby/iceangler.html A nicely organized directory for resources related to this "cool" sport. Improve your techniques, build an icehouse, find ice fishing locations, find major online retailers of ice fishing equipment and tackle, and more. (Horizons, 12/02)
100 Best Fiction Titles in Spanish Criticas (November/December 2002) contains a listing of the best 100 fiction titles for a Latino Spanish-and English-language collection. To view the entire list, go to: www.criticasmagazine.com (Rob Reid's January 2003 electronic newsletter for special needs.)
Education World: Holidays & Special Days Center http://www.education-world.com/holidays/ This site offers ideas for educational activities for children, with links to related sources, curriculum ideas, and more for about two dozen holidays. It features a few holidays not always addressed by other resources, such as Groundhog Day and Hawaii Admission Day. (Horizons, 12/02)
Missouri Resource Guide on Seniors http://www.sos.state.mo.us/library/development/services/seniors/manual/default.asp A wonderful resource for services specifically to senior citizens. (Barb Huntington's January 2003 Posting for Special Needs Consultants)
Biggest Online Children's Library Debuts http://www.icdlbooks.org/ The Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, in partnership with nonprofit, industry, academic, and other government organizations is building a digital library freely available for children worldwide. The library will consist of 10,000 children's books drawn from 100 cultures. The International Children's Digital Library, developed by the Internet Archive and the University of Maryland, is part of a larger research project to develop new technology to serve young readers. No other library of this size, that is appropriate and accessible for 3-13 year olds, exists.
Black History Hotlist http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/BHM/bh_hotlist.html This is a collection of links to Internet resources exploring African-American history and issues. Topics include Black History Month (February), slavery, abolition, The Underground Railroad, "Buffalo" soldiers, civil rights movement, Million Man March, poetry, news, and much more. Created by jh - Librarians Index to the Internet. (Monday Memo, 1/20/03)
Study Stack - Table Memorization Tool http://www.studystack.com/java-studysta/frames.jsp For the things students just have to memorize, here's a combination of electronic flash cards, tables of data, and quizzes. Registered users can create their own study stacks. (Neat New Stuff I found This Week, http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html Copyright, Marylaine Block, 1999-2002, 01/02/03)
Carry out this test. Just follow the instructions as quickly as possible - but do not read the proceeding question until you finish the previous one. You do not need to write out the answers. You'll be overwhelmed by the results...
How much does:
- 15 + 6 =
- 3 + 56 =
- 89 + 2 =
- 12 + 53 =
- 75 + 26 =
- 25 + 52 =
- 63 + 32 =
- 123 + 5 =
Quick! Name a tool and a color!
To see if you are normal, refer to the answer at the bottom.
January 31 - Job Shadow Day.
February
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
February 6 - WVLS V-Cat Council meeting - Tomahawk Public Library - 9:30.
February 12-13 - Children Come First Conference - Hotel Mead and Conference Center, Wisconsin Rapids, WI - for details, contact Jeanne Erickson at 608.284.0580, ext. 301.
February 14 - WVLS Summer Library Program Workshop
March 6-8 - Public Library Association Spring Symposium, Chicago. Contact: PLA, 800.545.2433, ext. 5PLA.
March 11-12 - 16th Annual Children's BookFest - Rhinelander. For more information, see the December 2002 issue of the Lamplighter.
March 15 - WVLS Board of Trustees meeting - Marathon County Public Library - 9:30.
April
Culver's "Draw a Picture for National Library Week" program. See Celebrate @ Your Library in this issue of the Lamplighter for details.
April 3 - WVLS V-Cat Council meeting - Rib Lake Public Library - 9:30.
April 4-5 - Biennial Children's Literature Conference - sponsored by UW-Madison School of Library and Information Science. Contact Linda Mundt at LEMundt@facstaff.wisc.edu or visit http:// www.slis.wisc.edu/academic/ces/index.html
April 6-12 NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK
April 17 - WVLS Executive Committee meeting - Marathon County Public Library - 9:30. May 7-9 - WAPL Spring Conference - Stevens Point Holiday Inn.
May 7-9 - WAPL Spring Conference - Stevens Point Holiday Inn.
June 21 - The next Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, will be out.
"The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close and a drowsy silence lay over the large, square houses of Privet Drive...The only person left outside was a teenage boy who was lying flat on his back on a flowerbed outside number four."
-- opening lines from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"Dumbledore lowered his hands and surveyed Harry through his half-moon glasses. 'It is time,' he said, 'for me to tell you what I should have told you five years ago, Harry. Please sit down. I am going to tell you everything.'"
-- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix(San Francisco Chronicle, 1/16/03)
If you have just thought about a red hammer, you are correct!
If this is not the case, you are among 2% of the people who have a "different," if not "abnormal," mind. 98% of the folks would answer a "red hammer" while doing this exercise. If you do not believe this, pass it around and you will see! --HE
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 at http://wvls.lib.wi.us/About/wessler.htm
a
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 |
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.
