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January 18 (snow date January 25) HOLA! Hispanic Outreach Library Action, 9:30 - 4:00, Sherman and Ruth Weiss Community Library, Hayward

• Core Elements of Children's Services: January 7 - March 15
• Public Library Administration: January 7 - March 30
• Creating Public Library Programming for Adults: January 24 - March 6
• Library 2.0:101: January 28 - February 24
• YA (Young Adult) Services and Literature: February 4 - March 28
• Basic Reference: February 4 - April 13
• Fundamentals of Cataloging: February 4 - April 13
• Graphic Novels in the Library: February 6 - March 5
• Eco-Librarians: Changing Our Communities One Step at a Time: March 31 - April 21

From Jim Trojanowski, NWLS Director - The development of the web has, I believe, been a mixed blessing. A quick search can help me find the address of a library, the open hours for a business, or the name of a staff member at a state agency. I find attractive, well-designed, up-to-date websites convenient and enjoyable to use. Poor websites, however, waste my time and leave me with an unfavorable impression of the businesses they promote.

As I have come to rely more and more on the web as a tool to learn about organizations, so too have I come to understand the differences between poor websites and good ones. Here are some website design basics from a website user, not a website developer.

From the National Endowment for the Arts News Room - The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has conducted a new reading study that expands the investigation of their 2004 Reading at Risk report. To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence reports on reading patterns and skills of children, teenagers, and adults in the U.S. The study reveals recent declines in voluntary reading and test scores alike, exposing trends that have severe consequences for American society.

According to NEA Chairman Dana Gioia,“this study shows the startling declines, in how much and how well Americans read, that are adversely affecting this country’s culture, economy, and civic life as well as our children’s educational achievement.” Literary readers are more likely than non-readers to engage in positive civic and individual activities – such as volunteering, attending sports or cultural events, and exercising.

"This report shows striking statistical links between reading, advanced reading skills, and other individual and social benefits," said Sunil Iyengar, NEA Director of Research and Analysis. "To Read or Not to Read compels us to consider more carefully how we spend our time, since those choices affect us individually and collectively."

On November 1, Reach Out and Read launched the nation's first report to track state-by-state daily rates of parents reading to young children. The report reveals that across the U.S. just under half the young children were reported to be read to by a family member every day. Wisconsin comes in below average and 38th in the nation. The report was designed as a resource for policymakers and professionals who are working to optimize and advocate for the early language and literacy experiences of young children. To view the report, visit the ROR website at http://www.reachoutandread.org/.

From the System Youth Liason Posting, Barbara Huntington, DLTCL, December 2007 - The Resources from the fall Summer Library Program workshop are now available at http://www.dpi.wi.gov/pld/slp.html. The resources include handouts and photos from the sessions and displays, and bulletin board and craft ideas. Order forms are avialable for "buggy things ornaments" displayed by Carissa Christner, Madison Public Library.

At the workshop the DNR cautioned against diluting the strong, wild insect gene pool with library programs that involve purchasing butterflies to be released into the wild. Librarians are encouraged to confine purchased butterflies to small indoor areas where they can live out their short lives as adults. To learn how to create a simple indoor butterfly release area, contact Kim Diedrich, The Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary Naturalist in Green Bay at kimdi@ci.green-bay.wi.us or call 920-391-3677 or your regional DNR.

From YALSA, Young Adult Library Services Association - The following list presents recently published fiction and nonfiction titles selected for their proven or potential appeal to the personal reading tastes of young adults age 12 to 18.

From Library Journal, 12/15/2007 - LJ’s editors have come up with lists of books they want to see on your shelves. For details visit the Library Journal web site http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6510658.html. Catagories include the best of 2007 books, how-to, mystery, science fiction and fantasy, romance, Christian fiction, and thrillers.

From Library Grants Blogspot - Connect with hard-to-reach, underserved teens by conducting a Great Stories CLUB reading and discussion program in your library. The Great Stories CLUB (Connecting Libraries, Underserved teens, and Books) program reaches teens through books that are relevant to their lives, invites them to read and keep the books, and encourages them to consider and discuss each title with a group of their peers. By showing troubled teens that reading can be a source of pleasure, a tool for self-exploration, and a meaningful way to connect to the wider world, the program will inspire young adults who face difficult situations to take control of their lives by embracing the power of reading. For tips on preparing an application, a list of the titles included, guidelines and the online application, visit http://www.ala.org/greatstories or contact publicprograms@ala.org.

NWLS Board of Trustees Meeting Agenda
January 19, 2008, 12:00 Noon, NWLS Headquarters, Ashland

1. Call to order / Roll Call
2. Introduce new Board Members
3. Guest Comments
4. Minutes of the November 10, 2007, Board of Trustees Meeting
5. Election of Officers
6. November and December 2007 NWLS Expenditures
7. December 31, 2007, Financial Statement and Budget Report – Pending Audit
8. Approval to purchase from the Equipment Fund

9. Approval of Travel Policy
10. Director’s Report
11. Other Business
12. Adjourn

The Reference and Loan Library has developed a Toolkit of materials to assist in the promotion of BadgerLink resources. The Toolkit includes a set of Resource Hunt cards for students and parents designed to help guide users learning to use various resources on BadgerLink. The BadgerLink Resource Hunt cards were distributed as a boxed set for library public access terminals and intended for training users in various aspects of searching BadgerLink resources.

A template for the cards is available on the BadgerLink Toolkit site and can be used by any Wisconsin library to print additional copies of the BadgerLink Resource Hunt cards. The web address is http://www.badgerlink.net/toolkit-parents.html.

Common Craft has released a new paperwork video entitled Blogs in Plain English. You can view it and other instructional video clips on the web by visiting . For an explanation of the differences between a website and a blog visit Socialdesire.com.

The following is a sample list of librarian blogs:

The Library Support Staff Certification Program (LSSCP), a project to develop a national voluntary certification program for support staff in public and academic libraries, has a new website, http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/supportstaff.html.

This project addresses the Library Support Staff (LSS) community's need for a national certification program to help the profession standardize expectations for LSS; helps support staff master critical job competencies; provides educators with guidance for training curricula; and helps employers articulate job requirements.

LibraryPalooza

LibraryPalooza is a new summer reading library resource web site at
http://www.librarypalooza.net/summerreading.html. You’ll find ideas for crafts, games, activities, interactive stories, and links to resources related to the summer reading theme.

My spirits were elevated by the enchanting appearance of nature;
the past was blotted from my memory, the present was tranquil, and the future gilded by bright rays of hope and anticipations of joy.

Contact NWLS for subscription services or to submit an article for publication: email Marsha at newsletter@nwls.lib.wi.us or call 715-682-2365.

NWLS: 3200 E. Lake Shore Dr. • Ashland, WI 54806 • Phone: (715)682-2365 • Web: http://nwls.wislib.org • Serving libraries in Ashland, Bayfield, Burett, Douglas, Iron, Sawyer, Vilas and Washburn Counties.

	Northern Waters Library Service

	In This Issue: 01.11.08 Website Design from a User Perspective • To Read or Not to Read • Reach Out and Read • Summer Library Program Workshop • 2007 Top Ten Books for Young Adults • Library Journal's Best of 2007 • Great Stories CLUB • NWLS Board of Trustees Meeting Agenda • New Badgerlink Toolkit • Blogging Resources • Useful URLs • Reflection C A L E N D A R January 18 (snow date January 25) HOLA! Hispanic Outreach Library Action, 9:30 - 4:00, Sherman and Ruth Weiss Community Library, Hayward January 19 NWLS Board of Trustees Meeting, 12:00, NWLS January 22 Library Legislative Day, 7:45 - 2:30, Inn on the Park, Madison January 24 Collaborating with your Community, 11:00-12:00, free online Rural in Focus webinar January 29 Merlin Consortium Meeting, 10:00 - 2:00, NWLS February 6 Strategic Visioning Summit and Year of the Library's Future, 10:00 - 2:30, Great Lakes Regional Visitor Center, Ashland February 20 Directors Meeting, 10:00 - 2:30, NWLS UW-Madison SLIS Continuing Education Courses in Madison. Visit the School of Library and Information Studies for more information. Online Courses: (Technical courses are also offered) • Core Elements of Children's Services: January 7 - March 15 • Public Library Administration: January 7 - March 30 • Creating Public Library Programming for Adults: January 24 - March 6 • Library 2.0:101: January 28 - February 24 • YA (Young Adult) Services and Literature: February 4 - March 28 • Basic Reference: February 4 - April 13 • Fundamentals of Cataloging: February 4 - April 13 • Graphic Novels in the Library: February 6 - March 5 • Eco-Librarians: Changing Our Communities One Step at a Time: March 31 - April 21 Page up C U R R E N T . E V E N T S Website Design from a User Perspective From Jim Trojanowski, NWLS Director - The development of the web has, I believe, been a mixed blessing. A quick search can help me find the address of a library, the open hours for a business, or the name of a staff member at a state agency. I find attractive, well-designed, up-to-date websites convenient and enjoyable to use. Poor websites, however, waste my time and leave me with an unfavorable impression of the businesses they promote. As I have come to rely more and more on the web as a tool to learn about organizations, so too have I come to understand the differences between poor websites and good ones. Here are some website design basics from a website user, not a website developer. Be easy on the eyes Overuse of bright colors can fatigue the eyes. Avoid their use as the background for your site and limit their use to small splashes. Use a neutral color as your background and use a dark color as your primary font. Textured backgrounds often make text difficult to read. If you use a textured background, take care to assure that visitors will find it easy to read your site. Fluttering birds and leaping frogs may look cute, but they distract the viewer from the message your site is meant to convey. Avoid using animated graphics in your site. Include the basics The address and phone number for your library should be listed on the homepage, either at the top or the bottom. If you have a “contact us” page, include them there along with any email addresses you list. Your library’s open hours should also be prominently displayed. Include a list of holidays on which the library is closed. If library hours differ from winter to summer, list dates the change occurs. Simplify navigation Include navigation bars to other pages on every page of the website. If extensive scrolling is required on a page, begin with a list of links to specific information located at other points on the page. Use a site index to help users find information quickly from one page within the site. Be certain the index is comprehensive. Be consistent Use the same design concepts throughout the site. Place navigation bars in the same location of each page. Keep it current If library hours have changed, change them on your site. If the library address or phone number changes, change them on your site. Out-of-date information is worse than no information at all. If you include a calendar of events, update it frequently. If the library lacks the staff or volunteers to update the calendar, do not put one on your site. Visit your website to make sure the links are live. Remove or change dead links. Don’t add pages that are “under construction.” The information is unavailable and adding such a note to the site only advertises what is missing. Page up To Read or Not to Read: A Question of National Consequence From the National Endowment for the Arts News Room - The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has conducted a new reading study that expands the investigation of their 2004 Reading at Risk report. To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence reports on reading patterns and skills of children, teenagers, and adults in the U.S. The study reveals recent declines in voluntary reading and test scores alike, exposing trends that have severe consequences for American society. According to NEA Chairman Dana Gioia,“this study shows the startling declines, in how much and how well Americans read, that are adversely affecting this country’s culture, economy, and civic life as well as our children’s educational achievement.” Literary readers are more likely than non-readers to engage in positive civic and individual activities – such as volunteering, attending sports or cultural events, and exercising. "This report shows striking statistical links between reading, advanced reading skills, and other individual and social benefits," said Sunil Iyengar, NEA Director of Research and Analysis. "To Read or Not to Read compels us to consider more carefully how we spend our time, since those choices affect us individually and collectively." For more information about the study or the NEA visit them on the web at http://www.nea.gov/news/news07/TRNR.html. Page up Reach Out and Read On November 1, Reach Out and Read launched the nation's first report to track state-by-state daily rates of parents reading to young children. The report reveals that across the U.S. just under half the young children were reported to be read to by a family member every day. Wisconsin comes in below average and 38th in the nation. The report was designed as a resource for policymakers and professionals who are working to optimize and advocate for the early language and literacy experiences of young children. To view the report, visit the ROR website at http://www.reachoutandread.org/. Page up Summer Library Program Workshop From the System Youth Liason Posting, Barbara Huntington, DLTCL, December 2007 - The Resources from the fall Summer Library Program workshop are now available at http://www.dpi.wi.gov/pld/slp.html. The resources include handouts and photos from the sessions and displays, and bulletin board and craft ideas. Order forms are avialable for "buggy things ornaments" displayed by Carissa Christner, Madison Public Library. At the workshop the DNR cautioned against diluting the strong, wild insect gene pool with library programs that involve purchasing butterflies to be released into the wild. Librarians are encouraged to confine purchased butterflies to small indoor areas where they can live out their short lives as adults. To learn how to create a simple indoor butterfly release area, contact Kim Diedrich, The Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary Naturalist in Green Bay at kimdi@ci.green-bay.wi.us or call 920-391-3677 or your regional DNR. Page up 2007 Top Ten Books for Young Adults From YALSA, Young Adult Library Services Association - The following list presents recently published fiction and nonfiction titles selected for their proven or potential appeal to the personal reading tastes of young adults age 12 to 18. Anderson, M.T. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume 1: The Pox Party. Gratz, Alan. Samurai Shortstop. Hartnett, Sonya. Surrender. McCormick, Patricia. Sold. Sayres, Meghan Nuttall. Anahita’s Woven Riddle. Smelcer, John. The Trap. Turner, Megan Whalen. The King of Attolia. Werlin, Nancy. The Rules of Survival. Yang, Gene Luen. American Born Chinese. Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. Page up Library Journal's Best of 2007 From Library Journal, 12/15/2007 - LJ’s editors have come up with lists of books they want to see on your shelves. For details visit the Library Journal web site http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6510658.html. Catagories include the best of 2007 books, how-to, mystery, science fiction and fantasy, romance, Christian fiction, and thrillers. Page up Great Stories CLUB From Library Grants Blogspot - Connect with hard-to-reach, underserved teens by conducting a Great Stories CLUB reading and discussion program in your library. The Great Stories CLUB (Connecting Libraries, Underserved teens, and Books) program reaches teens through books that are relevant to their lives, invites them to read and keep the books, and encourages them to consider and discuss each title with a group of their peers. By showing troubled teens that reading can be a source of pleasure, a tool for self-exploration, and a meaningful way to connect to the wider world, the program will inspire young adults who face difficult situations to take control of their lives by embracing the power of reading. For tips on preparing an application, a list of the titles included, guidelines and the online application, visit http://www.ala.org/greatstories or contact publicprograms@ala.org. Page up NWLS Board of Trustees Meeting Agenda January 19, 2008, 12:00 Noon, NWLS Headquarters, Ashland 1. Call to order / Roll Call 2. Introduce new Board Members 3. Guest Comments 4. Minutes of the November 10, 2007, Board of Trustees Meeting 5. Election of Officers 6. November and December 2007 NWLS Expenditures 7. December 31, 2007, Financial Statement and Budget Report – Pending Audit 8. Approval to purchase from the Equipment Fund Desktop computer Laptop computers (2) Workgroup laser printer 9. Approval of Travel Policy 10. Director’s Report 11. Other Business 12. Adjourn Page up T E C H N O L O G Y New BadgerLink Toolkit The Reference and Loan Library has developed a Toolkit of materials to assist in the promotion of BadgerLink resources. The Toolkit includes a set of Resource Hunt cards for students and parents designed to help guide users learning to use various resources on BadgerLink. The BadgerLink Resource Hunt cards were distributed as a boxed set for library public access terminals and intended for training users in various aspects of searching BadgerLink resources. A template for the cards is available on the BadgerLink Toolkit site and can be used by any Wisconsin library to print additional copies of the BadgerLink Resource Hunt cards. The web address is http://www.badgerlink.net/toolkit-parents.html. Page up Blogging Resources Common Craft has released a new paperwork video entitled Blogs in Plain English. You can view it and other instructional video clips on the web by visiting . For an explanation of the differences between a website and a blog visit Socialdesire.com. The following is a sample list of librarian blogs: 1. Tame The Web 2. Conversational Reading 3. LibWorm 4. Ubiquitous Librarian 5. The Resourceshelf 6. American Indians in Children's Literature 7. Information Wants to Be Free 8. Musematic 9. YALSA Page up U S E F U L . U R Ls Library Support Staff Certification Project The Library Support Staff Certification Program (LSSCP), a project to develop a national voluntary certification program for support staff in public and academic libraries, has a new website, http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/supportstaff.html. This project addresses the Library Support Staff (LSS) community's need for a national certification program to help the profession standardize expectations for LSS; helps support staff master critical job competencies; provides educators with guidance for training curricula; and helps employers articulate job requirements. LibraryPalooza LibraryPalooza is a new summer reading library resource web site at http://www.librarypalooza.net/summerreading.html. You’ll find ideas for crafts, games, activities, interactive stories, and links to resources related to the summer reading theme. Page up R E F L E C T I O N My spirits were elevated by the enchanting appearance of nature; the past was blotted from my memory, the present was tranquil, and the future gilded by bright rays of hope and anticipations of joy. - Mary Shelley, Frankenstein Contact NWLS for subscription services or to submit an article for publication: email Marsha at newsletter@nwls.lib.wi.us or call 715-682-2365. NWLS: 3200 E. Lake Shore Dr. • Ashland, WI 54806 • Phone: (715)682-2365 • Web: http://nwls.wislib.org • Serving libraries in Ashland, Bayfield, Burett, Douglas, Iron, Sawyer, Vilas and Washburn Counties.