Children's Book Conference • Why Libraries Matter More Than Ever • Two DVDs at Reference and Loan • WLA WeLead Program • New ILL Contact • Patron Online Library Services • Wisconsin Blue Book Online • Digitization Workshops • Useful URLs • Reflection

June 12 Library Directors Meeting, 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Land O' Lakes

June 14 Library Directors Meeting, 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Webster

July 21 NWLS Board of Trustees Meeting, 10:00 a.m., NWLS

June 21-27 American Library Association Annual Conference, Washington, D.C.

July 26 Merlin Consortium Meeting, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., NWLS

Summer 2007 UW-Madison SLIS Continuing Education Courses in Madison (If you have questions please contact Anna Palmer, ahpalmer@wisc.edu or 608-263-4452. Visit the School of Library and Information Studies for course descriptions and registration information. Continuing Education Courses in Madison:

• June 4-7 Grant Writing, Instructor: Jane Pearlmutter
• June 25-29 Summer Camp by the Lake: Public Library Administration, Instructor: Kelly Krieg-Sigman
• July 14-25 Travel Opportunity-Librarians' Tour to Scotland, Tour Director: Jane Pearlmutter
• August 13-17 Summer Camp by the Lake: Cataloging, Instructor: Debra Shapiro
• August 20-24 Puppets in the Library, Instructor: Susan Santner

Online Graduate Credit Courses June 18 - August 12: Cataloging and Classification, Collection Management, Digital Libraries

Online Skills Courses: In cooperation with a national network of educational institutions, we offer online courses on a variety of technical topics and a few non-technical topics. While the courses do not have a library focus, they may be useful to anyone who needs to develop these skills.

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Northwest Wisconsin Children's Book Conference:
Learning, Literacy & Leisure at the Lodge!

Sign up before July 1st to get the Early Bird Savings for the 5th annual Northwest Wisconsin Children's Book Conference (NWCBC) September 27 & 28 at the Telemark Resort and Conference Center in Cable WI. Designed specifically for librarians, teachers and writers, this conference provides 2 pre-conference presentations (2.5 CEUs) along with 16 workshops (5 CEUs) that explore the best of children's literature and fresh ideas in programming.

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Why Libraries Matter More Than Ever
From the Project for Public Spaces' April edition of Making Places: News and Ideas

The creation of the "information superhighway" threatened to make libraries obsolete, but today they are as prominent as ever, redefining themselves as community centers for the 21st Century." The following articles in this newsletter focus on libraries extending their mission well beyond the storage of knowledge.

• Libraries That Matter: Stories of innovative programs and effective partnerships
• How to Make Your Library Great: 14 lessons from local libraries all over the continent
• Libraries and Placemaking: Libraries are the new commons for the 21st Century
• Library Placemaking in Action: Six success stories in community building
• The Stumbling Blocks to Creating Great Civic Centers...and How to Overcome Them: Solutions to four common problems
• Love, Learning and the Pursuit of Happiness: Notes from a lifetime spent at the library
• The Emerging Culture of Place: Here's how one city is making it happen

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Two DVDs at Reference and Loan

Two DVDs are now available for loan from the Reference and Loan Library. "Breaking the Mold: Innovative Libraries and Programs" examines some of the innovations public libraries are adapting to improve service and make themselves relevant in their customers' lives. It looks at libraries in the United States and in Hong Kong and Singapore to see achievements in areas such as technical services, library design and display, self-service operations, digital delivery of audio visual materials, and in special activity efforts including a community disaster preparedness clearinghouse and themes for a children's reading club.

"Library Safety" is a DVD presenting security checklists and tips to help keep staff and patrons safe in the library. A trooper from the West Virginia State Police discusses safety procedures, identification of gangs, weapons concealment, danger zones, and low and high-level threats.

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Wisconsin Library Association WeLead Program
From Ann Lewis, WeLead Task Force Chair

Wisconsin Library Association's WeLead Program (Wisconsin Emerging Librarians Exploring and Developing) was created to attract new WLA members, and to help cultivate and prepare future leaders. Applications for the program will be accepted until Friday, June 15th at 5pm. To those who are selected, the WeLead offers special leadership opportunities and a one-year membership to WLA with stipends to attend annual conferences. WeLead is also recruiting mentors willing to make a 3-year commitment to the initiative, beginning in July 2007. It's a great way for current library leaders to share your wisdom and expertise, and to gain new ideas for yourself! Visit the WLA website for applications and more information.

New Interlibrary Loan Contact

Lynn Garrington is now the Interlibrary Loan contact for the Vaughn Public Library in Ashland. You can contact her at lgarring@coawi.org.

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Patron Online Library Services
By Sally Drew, Director, Reference and Loan Library, and Mary Clark, Supervisor, Resource Sharing Technology Reference and Loan Library

Casual conversations with Wisconsin library users and non-library users alike show that many do not know about statewide online services such as BadgerLink, Ask?Away, Wisconsin Heritage Online (WHO), WISCAT, or the Wisconsin state government portal. Libraries play a major role in informing users of these free services by featuring them on their websites. The Division encourages libraries to promote the statewide services. The following resources can be used for promoting online services on your websites. Logos can be copied from the Web: right click on the image and choose Save Picture As (Windows) or click on the image while holding down your mouse button until a menu of choices appears (Mac).

BadgerLink: http://www.badgerlink.net
Logo: http://www.badgerlink.net/promote.html
Text: BadgerLink provides Wisconsin residents access to full text magazines, newspapers and reference resources, literature and other information.

Wisconsin Heritage Online (WHO) http://wisconsinheritage.org/
Logo: http://wiheritage.pbwiki.com/
Text: Wisconsin Heritage Online provides a gateway for searching and displaying content for Wisconsin library digital image collections. Subject matter includes all aspects of Wisconsin history, culture, government and industry.

Wisconsin.Gov: http://www.wisconsin.gov
Logo: http://www.wisconsin.gov/state/core/acceptable_use_policy.html#linktoportal
Text: Wisconsin.gov is the state government portal for state agency online services and information.

2007 Database links available for patrons in the NWLS region:

Ancestry Library Edition: http://www.ancestrylibrary.com/default.aspx
Text: A genealogy research tool available to use in any NWLS library.

Ask?Away: http://nwls.wislib.org/about/ask.htm
Text: Ask?Away is a statewide virtual reference service staffed by Wisconsin public and academic librarians and the national 24/7 Reference Cooperative. Reference service is provided through chat or email services.

Chilton Library: http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/northern
Logo: http://infotrac.galegroup.com/menu
Text: A vehicle repair database that includes diagnostics, repair procedures, maintenance schedules, wiring diagrams, recalls and Technical Service Bulletins. To access it outside the library, ask your library for a password.

PriceIt! Antiques & Collectibles: http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/northern?db=PIAC
Logo: http://infotrac.galegroup.com/menu
Text: An antiques pricing tool for people who purchase, sell or appraise art, antiques and collectibles. Patrons can access this database at any NWLS library or at home. For more information, contact your nearest library.

WISCAT: http://www.wiscat.net/agent/login.asp?cid=stwi&lid=stwi&mode=g
Logo: http://www.dpi.wi.gov/rll/wiscat/presskit.html
Text: The catalog of Wisconsin library collections.

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Wisconsin Blue Books Now Online
From Beth Harper, Government Documents Reference Librarian

The University of Wisconsin Digital Collections now include the full text of the Wisconsin Blue Books, going back to 1853. The State of Wisconsin Blue Book remains the primary one-volume reference source about the state, documenting the organization of the state’s three branches of government (legislative, executive, and judicial). Typically, each volume includes extensive description and statistics on aspects of Wisconsin, including major sections on the state’s population, geography, history, election data, educational resources, social services, finance, agriculture, industry, transportation system, etc. Various useful lists are also provided, such as of statewide associations, news media, local governmental units, post offices, political parties, etc.

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Digital Collections Workshops

Adding a Digital Collection to Wisconsin Heritage Online
June 14, 2007, 10:30-11:30
WisLine Conferencing - Wisconsin Library Services; WiLS Hour (register)
Instructor, Debbie Cardinal, Wisconsin Heritage Online Coordinator

Want to learn more about whether you have a digital collection that could be added to Wisconsin Heritage Online? Join Debbie Cardinal's program for the WiLS Hour to learn more about starting a new digital collection, metadata harvesting, static repository options, and database importing into CONTENTdm. Register directly with WisLine Conferencing (WiLS Hour sessions are listed under Wisconsin Library Services.) Participants will receive an email with URL login information and the WisLine free 800 number for the audio portion of the session.

Grant Writing for Digitization and Preservation Projects
July 12, 2007; 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Marshfield Public Library, 211 East Second Street
Cost: $125 per person (register)
Instructor, Tom Clareson, PALINET

This full-day workshop focuses on preparing for and writing grants for digitization and/or preservation projects funded through the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). Developing proposals for state, local and foundation funding sources will also be addressed. The workshop includes matching your institution's project with the appropriate funding agency and preparing to write a proposal. The majority of the day is spent covering the elements of a grant proposal and practicing writing those elements. Outcomes: The ability to properly choose and prepare a grant proposal including, evaluating appropriate funding sources, project preparation, and hands-on practice in preparing a proposal.

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Wisconsin Library Stories

The web site for the Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries was recently updated to include a Wisconsin Library Stories blog for sharing news and updates about Wisconsin libraries, along with stories shared by library fans across the state. Add your comments to the blog, and encourage your patrons to share their library story. Keep us all in a better state!

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The America I love still exists at the front desks of our public libraries.

— Kurt VONNEGUT [In These Times, 8/6/2004]

Contact NWLS for subscription services to the Streams news: newsletter@nwls.lib.wi.us

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