PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

Wausau Librarian Mike O'Connor is a Newly Published Author!

Mike's latest book, MIG Killers Of Yankee Station, is a history of the U.S. Navy's air war over North Vietnam. The book chronicles all the air battles fought over North Vietnam by Navy fighter squadrons from 1965-1973. Mike, a reference librarian at the Marathon County Public Library, spent over 20 years researching the subject, interviewing hundreds of Navy veterans. The hardcover book features dozens of first-person narratives and hundreds of previously unpublished photos and artworks. MIG Killers of Yankee Station is available from the publisher, New Past Press, Friendship, WI. Congratulations, Mike!

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•  the President of the United States
•  the Attorney General of the United States
•  the Governor of the State of Wisconsin
•  state legislators who represent parts of the area served by the Wisconsin Valley Library Service
•  federal legislators representing the State of Wisconsin
•  Directors of all WVLS public libraries
•  The WVLS library community via the WVLS newsletter

- Adopted by the Wisconsin Valley Library Service Board of Trustees, June 17, 2003

In April 2003, I sent a message out via wispublib asking libraries in Wisconsin if they belonged to their local Chamber of Commerce and, if so, what they felt were the benefits of Chamber membership.

29 libraries and one library system responded to my question.

Of the 29 individual libraries that responded, 24 said they had Chamber/Business Association/or similar connections. Of those 24 responses, four said their membership came via their city’s membership; one said they currently had their own membership but thought they’d drop that and continue their connection through their city because of cost; two libraries connections to the Chamber were through their local ‘Friends’ membership; and one library said that, while it didn’t have a membership, one of their staff members was a Chamber volunteer so the library ’used’ that connection to participate in Chamber activities.

At a recent Small Business Expo event that was co-sponsored by a Chamber of Commerce, I was told that each Chamber has its own mission or goals, i.e., they don’t all operate under a standard national ‘reason for being’ statement. I explored the web a little and found that, while each Chamber may set its own goals, those I looked into all seemed to operate within the context of providing reliable community information and making local businesses stronger through events, activities, referrals and community involvement. In other words, they all recognize that knowledge and cooperation generate some level of support, understanding and power.

In my mind, any ‘Chamber-type’ group would be enhanced by library involvement because libraries are universally recognized as community assets. Libraries that are formally recognized (via Chamber membership) as community assets are then, perhaps, more likely to generate community-wide support from community leaders. This might prove to be especially important at a time when libraries are facing possible funding difficulties.

While perhaps not totally accurate, I have found that the following WVLS communities have a Chamber of Commerce or Business Association connection:

Responses to my survey indicated the following types of benefits from Chamber membership:

• · Libraries get the chance to indicate support for local business.
• · Libraries have a community ‘platform’ to advertise library services to business.
• · Libraries can often place articles and ads in Chamber newsletters.
• · Chamber members offer support for library activities.
• · Chamber support has proven important during library building campaigns.
• · Chamber membership is an inexpensive way to advertise library services – through newsletters and through presentations at various meetings.
• · Membership is good PR for libraries.
• · When the library is a Chamber member, it is recognized as a ‘business’ and gets a voice in community matters.
• · Chamber membership makes for good community relations.
• · Receiving the Chamber’s newsletter alerts libraries to community events that the library can promote.
• · Library events are often included in Chamber activity calendars.
• · Chamber membership lists make it easier for the library to communicate with the business community.
• · Through attendance at Chamber activities, library staff get to collaborate with other community leaders. These collaborations provide good networking experiences.
• · Library brochure racks are a good place for the Chamber to distribute its materials.
• · Friends groups can be members instead of libraries themselves which often brings a wider area of influence to library purposes and activities.
• · Community leaders and business people learn that the library has a lot to offer them.
• · Some libraries ‘host’ Chamber offices in their buildings and provide minimal levels of staffing, answering questions, etc.
• · Libraries often host Chamber meetings.

I know that many library personnel feel that they just can’t deal with another set of meetings or events… but, maybe, they just can’t afford not to take advantage of this type of recognition and support. Even if libraries aren’t particularly involved in the events, they are still listed as members and being listed brings them to the attention of community leaders.

To keep our strong library networks in place, greater involvement in community-wide groups such as Chambers of Commerce, Business Associations, Convention and Visitors Bureaus, etc, might be well worth the cost and effort. Area libraries, who are not already Chamber members, are encouraged to join their local/regional Chambers. Membership appears to be a prudent use of our scarce PR dollars and it may provide for long-term visibility in our various communities.   – Heather Eldred

NOTE: At a recent WVLS Board meeting, the trustees voted in favor of the WVLS becoming a member of the Wausau/Marathon County Chamber of Commerce.

Certain public library building projects are eligible for funding under the Community Development Block Grant for Public Facilities (CDBG-PF). At least one Wisconsin public library (the Eager Free Public Library in Evansville) received a Community Development Block Grant to fund part of a library building renovation/expansion project.

The Community Development Block Grant for Public Facilities (CDBG-PF) is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. A CDBG-PF grant must be submitted by the municipality, and only certain municipalities are eligible. Eligible applicants are units of local government including towns, villages, cities, and counties.

Full information on the CDBG-PF program (including a list of eligible municipalities and the application form) is available at http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/CD/CD-bcf-cdbg-pf.html.
(Channel Weekly as seen in Monday Memo, 6/16/03)

Target stores have a policy of making donations to community groups (their website lets you find your closest store) for the purposes of arts, education, and preventing family violence.

According to the Target web page, "Reading is an essential element of each child’s educational process. We fund programs that promote a love of reading or encourage children to read together with their families. We particularly focus on programs that inspire young readers (birth through third grade)."

Grants are generally between $1,000 and $5,000. Grant applications are being accepted until July 21, 2003. Applications are reviewed as they are received, and applicants are encouraged to apply early.

To apply, go to the Target web site at http://target.com/common/page.jhtml?content=target_cg_local_giving  Click on Target Grantmaking Guidelines on the left, and follow instructions. Applicants will complete an online pre-registration and then will be instructed to print an application form. Return the completed application to the local Target store manager, who will review the application, make funding recommendations, and update you on the status of your project.
– Kentucky Public Library Newsletter, March/April 2003.
(Steppingstones, 6/03)

The Libri Foundation http://www.librifoundation.org  was established in 1989 for the sole purpose of helping rural libraries acquire new, quality, hardcover children’s books they could not otherwise afford to buy. Since October 1990, the Foundation has donated over $2,000,000 worth of new children’s books to more than 1,600 libraries in 48 states.

The Foundation is currently accepting applications for 2003 BOOKS FOR CHILDREN grants. For application guidelines, please go to http://www.librifoundation.org/apps.html. To request an application packet, please email your name and your library’s name and address to The Libri Foundation at librifdn@teleport.com.

Applicants are encouraged to return their completed application forms as soon as possible. Remaining application deadlines for 2003 are: (postmarked by) July 15 and November 15, 2003.

National Kids Day is the first Sunday each August – this year it will be August 3. Laura Bush will be the honorary chairperson this year. The National Kids Day website, www.kidsday.net/home.asp, reports that the day was created to celebrate and honor children through the gift of meaningful time.

You can find a link from the site to a list of books that ALA compiled as being appropriate for the day. Book Wholesalers, Inc. has a list of books on their website, www.bwibooks.com/index.php, with the theme of adults spending meaningful time with children. To view the list of 134 titles, go to "Title Tales," click the "Bibliographies" button, and click the "BWI Special Topic Lists" button.
(The Library Connection, 5/03)

Based on research conducted since 1958, Search Institute has identified 40 developmental assets that all young people need to grow up to be healthy, principled and caring adults. The more assets a young person has developed, the more likely they are to make positive choices. Conversely, the fewer assets a young person has developed, the more likely they are to become involved in risk-taking behaviors. It has been found nationwide that most students have fewer than half of these 40 assets.

The complete list of assets as well as tips for focusing on each one is too long to include in its entirety here, but may be requested from Beth Sillars at the WVLS office (715/261-7255; sillars@wvls.lib.wi.us) or Debi McGregor, Community Initiatives Coordinator (715/848-2927; dmcgregor@unitedwaymc.org). Following is the featured asset for June:

As a family, talk about what it means to have integrity. Keep it simple, such as "being true to your convictions and beliefs." Then ask children to identify what they believe in and feel strongly enough to stand up for. Don’t expect children and youth to have the same convictions that you have. Life experiences mold us and establishing real convictions is a process. Come up with a list for the whole family and post it in a visible place. Talk about times when you have stood up for what you believed in, even when it was difficult or frightening to do. Also, talk about times when you didn’t stand up for your beliefs because it was too hard. Watch for things in the news that can start a discussion about how people’s actions either show their integrity, or show a lack of it. Affirm and support young people when they make choices that show integrity, even if they weren’t the choices you’d make.

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Deborah Blum’s book, Love at Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection, has been selected as the winner of the Banta Award by the Wisconsin Library Association’s Literary Awards Committee. The award is for literary achievement by a Wisconsin author in 2002.  The Banta Award is made possible by the Banta Foundation of the Banta Corporation of Menasha.  Love at Goon Park is a nonfiction book about the research and life of Harry Harlow. Harlow’s research changed the country’s views about childrearing by proving conclusively that children bond with parents and that children need physical contact and attention. 

Three Notable Wisconsin Authors were named for their body of work:  Gordon MacQuarrie, an outdoor writer and journalist; George Peck, a humorist, newspaperman and politician; and A. Manette Ansay, a novelist who has also written a memoir.

Also, ten books were selected for Outstanding Achievement:

• Benjamin, David.  The Life and Times of the Last Kid Picked.
• Corneli, Helen McGavran.  Mice in the Freezer, Owls on the Porch: The Lives of Naturalists Frederick and Frances Hamerstrom.Katz, Jean.  Chaos and Dancing Stars.
• Lerner, Gerda.  Fireweed: A Political Biography.
• Paul, Jasmine.  A Girl, In Parts.
• Perry, Michael.  Population 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time.
• Sebold, Alice.  The Lovely Bones.
• Vreeland, Susan.  Passion of Artemisia. 
• Williams, Zane.  Double Take:  A Rephotographic Survey of Madison, Wisconsin.
• Zimmer, Paul.  After the Fire:  A Writer Finds His Place.

The 2003 Literary Award Committee members are:  Mary Knapp (chair), Raymond Arnett, Lisa Cihlar, Karen Busch, Jennifer Einwalter, Catherine Morris-Nelson, Richard Nelson, Sandra Sechrist, Janis Trebby, and Irene Zimmerman.

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Following are actual reference queries reported by American and Canadian library reference desk staff:

• · "I need to find Ibid’s first name for my bibliography."
• · "Why don’t you have any books by Ibid? He’s written a lot of important stuff."
• · "I’m looking for information on carpal tunnel syndrome. I think I am having it in my neck."
• · "Is the basement upstairs?"
• · "I am looking for a list of laws I can break that would send me back to jail for a couple of months."
• · "Do you have anything good to read?"

(The Library Connection, 5/03)

6 slices bacon

½ c. chopped onion/scallions

1 can button mushrooms

1 can cream of mushroom soup

½ c. mayonnaise

1 c. sour cream

1 c. cheddar cheese

1 can sliced water chestnuts (drained)

1 pkg. frozen tater tots (2 lbs.)

Microwave bacon; crumble and sauté with onions and button mushrooms. In a large bowl, combine soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, cheese, salt and pepper. Add bacon-onion-mushroom mixture and water chestnuts. Mix well. Stir in tater tots, and place in buttered dish. Bake ½ hour at 350 degrees. If tater tots are frozen, add 15 more minutes to the baking time. This recipe can be made ahead and refrigerated. –submitted by Mary Dunn, Tomahawk Public Library

There are many ways to make a table in Word, but here is a nifty and quick one using hyphens and plus signs. Type in a plus sign, then a few hyphens, then another plus sign, then a few more hyphens, then one more plus sign, like this: +----------+----------+ The result is a table with the cell borders where the plus signs were. In this case, you will end up with 2 columns.

To add more rows to the table, just put your cursor in the last cell of the row, and hit <Tab>.

Use Word’s dead key feature to create an accent and then combine it with the appropriate letter.

 é: <Control> <Apostrophe>< e>.

 î: <Control> <Shift> <6> <i>.

 ç: <Control> <Comma> <c>.

 ñ: <Control> <Shift> <n>.

 ü: <Control> <Shift> <Semicolon> <u>.

PC Magazine (5/6/03) included these tips and many other software-related tips in a feature article entitled "Get the Most from Your Software." Visit BadgerLink for the full text article.

Nearly 500 library patrons with e-mail accounts are now receiving notices of reserved books, interlibrary loan books, and, yes, overdue notices all by e-mail, saving themselves a few days’ wait, and the library part of an annual $28,000 postage bill. And, there’s even more good news: when patrons complete the form at the checkout desk, they each receive a $1 coupon, good for a one-time use against accumulated overdue fines. Postage mailers cost about 46 cents each. Use of e-mail for routine notices is a quick, free exchange; and, the $1 off coupon isn’t bad either! --Connections, Lawrence (KS) Public Library, 4/03
(LAD, 6/03)

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Mouse Traps! (favorite web sites of area library staff)

• · area codes http://www.allareacodes.com/ 
• · calendars http://dmarie.com/timecap/  Great list-gatherer for birthdays, anniversaries, class reunions, etc.
• · chart creation http://www.nces.ed.gov/nceskids/graphing/bar_pie_chart.asp?temp=3397362  Create graphs and charts.

--submitted by Heather Eldred, WVLS

You Grow Girl http://www.yougrowgirl.com/ 
This site "promotes exploration, excitement and a do-it-yourself approach to growing plants without the restrictions of traditional ideas about gardening. Features discussion forums (for seed and plant exchange, vegetable and herb gardening, cacti and succulents, and other topics), gardeners’ journals, instructional articles, project ideas, commentary, garden tips, and art. Copyright 2003 Librarians Index to the Internet, LII, 6/5/03.
(CEO, 6/18/03)

Education Librarian.com http://www.educationlibrarian.com/index.html 
This new education website provides frequent, chronological links to information sources on K-12 news, research tools, curriculum-material centers, edtech news, education and library organizations, library news, and teacher education.
(UW-Madison School of Education Online News, 5/03)

Summer Reading Lists Abound on the Web!
http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr244.shtml 
Every year Education World produces an annotated list of some of the best summer reading lists on the web. This article features more than a dozen entries plus Education World’s own summer reading page and a link to a page that allows children to publish their own book reviews. (Librarians Index to the Internet)

Blisspix – Shhh! This is a Library http://www.blisspix.net/library/songs.html 
Links to lyrics and audio feeds of songs about libraries, librarians, books and reading.
(Neat New Stuff I Found This Week; http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html; Copyright, Marylaine Block, 1999-2003; 6/20/03)

Summer Safety Tips http://www.redcross.org/services/hss/sumsafety/ 
The American Red Cross offers advice on safe boating, swimming, hiking and camping.
(Neat New Stuff I Found This Week; http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html; Copyright, Marylaine Block, 1999-2003; 6/20/03)

This month's Featured Kit 

980P Busy Box: Infant Toys Kit

For more information visit the
WVLS AV & Programming Materials Page

Calendar of Events

· July 10 – WVLS Board of Trustees meeting – Antigo Public Library – 9:30.

· July 12 – Friends of Wisconsin Libraries meeting – Ashland.

· July 17 – WVLS V-Cat Council meeting – Frances L. Simek Memorial Library, Medford – 9:30.

· July 23-24 – The Tenth Annual WiLSWorld Conference – Pyle Center, Madison – for details, visit http://www.wils.wisc.edu/events/wworld03 

· August 3 – National Kids Day

· August 12 – "Book and AV Repair" – a WVLS workshop – Marathon County Public Library – 9:30-3:30 – details forthcoming!

· August 14 – WVLS Executive Committee meeting – Marathon County Public Library – 1:30.

· August 21 – WVLS Library Advisory Committee meeting – 9:30.

· SEPTEMBER – National Library Card Sign-Up Month

· September 10 - "Early Learning Initiatives" with Barbara Huntington and Rita Straub & "YA Programming / Readers Advisory" with Brian Simon - a WVLS workshop - Marathon County Public Library - look for more details in the next issue of the Lamplighter.

September 20-27 – Banned Books Week – http://www.ala.org/bbooks/ 

· October 11 – "A Fairy Tale Ball" – a fundraiser for the Marathon County Public Library Foundation.

· October 19-25 – SLAMMIN’ @ your Library," the theme for Teen Read Week 2003, celebrates the popularity of poetry with teen readers. More information is available at www.ala.org/teenread/ 

· October 28-31 – "Libraries @ the Heart" – 2003 WLA Conference – Milwaukee – visit the WLA Conference website, http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/conferences/2003/index.htm, to learn more about the exciting programs and tours being offered this year.

· November 18-21 – Motheread/Fatheread Family Literacy Institute – Sponsored by the Wisconsin Humanities Council, this institute is available to staff members of libraries, schools, literacy organizations and social service agencies. Verizon scholarships are available. The institute is limited to 20 participants. For more information, contact the Council at 608/262-0706 or visit http://www.danenet.wicip.org/whc/Dena/mothereadhome.htm  (Monday Memo, 6/10/03)

"Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday."
Don Marquis (1878-1937); U.S. humorist and journalist

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 

LAMPLIGHTER

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

Contributions are welcome! News items should be submitted by the first of the month.
The Lamplighter is published monthly alternating between paper and electronic issues. 
WVLS serves Clark, Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Oneida, and Taylor counties.