We currently have database trials from Proquest for Historical Newspapers and Safari Select. The full collection of Historical Newspapers is probably out of our price range, but perhaps one day we could afford just the Chicago paper. Coverage for the historical Newspapers is from 1849 to 2003. Safari Select is "A digital collection of over 400 technical e-books created just for public libraries, offering the latest content in popular technology ranging from books on digital photography, home audio/video, computing and home networking, and video gaming." For login information please go to the the database trials page. If you have any questions, please contact me.
> contributed by Evan
> contributed by Evan
The next Books R Us meeting will be Tuesday, August 12, 2008 in The Nest (room formerly known as the OWLS lab) from 11 AM - 12:30 PM.Our genre for August is fantasy. We will be reading one adult and one YA fantasy book. The following are some fantasy lists that may aid in your selection:
Bring your lunch, your reviews, and your clever minds for stimulating conversation and readers' advisory tidbits!
> contributed by Holly
(From Channel Weekly, Vol. 10, No. 36, posted with permission)
Three more chapters of "Administrative Essentials: A Handbook for Wisconsin Public Library Directors" are now available on the DPI website at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/aecontents.html.
The new chapters are
The Administrative Essentials handbook is a Web-based resource designed to assist directors of small public libraries and those with limited administrative training and experience while also serving as a review for experienced library directors. Its chapters can help focus thinking and suggest resources when dealing with particularly challenging or unique situations. It also can be useful to public library trustees and public library system staff members who have a responsibility for assisting and supporting public library directors, and as a tool to assist in the orientation of new public library directors. Other completed chapters cover broad areas of public library service, the relationship of the director to the board and staff, employment issues for libraries, as well as developing and managing the library's budget. Future topics include open meetings and public records law, managing the library facility, collection development, and copyright law.
Three more chapters of "Administrative Essentials: A Handbook for Wisconsin Public Library Directors" are now available on the DPI website at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/aecontents.html.
The new chapters are
- AE 15: Policies and Procedures, covering typical public library policies, legally defensible policies, the PLA "Policies for Results" process, and the distinction between policies and procedures.
- AE 16: Planning for the Library's Future, covering the importance of planning, PLA's New Planning for Results, utilizing Wisconsin Library Standards, county library standards, addressing technology planning, and an example of a plan outline.
- AE 17: Membership in the Library System, including the benefits of library system membership, the history of library systems in Wisconsin, system membership requirements for public libraries, membership requirements for counties, and required system services.
The Administrative Essentials handbook is a Web-based resource designed to assist directors of small public libraries and those with limited administrative training and experience while also serving as a review for experienced library directors. Its chapters can help focus thinking and suggest resources when dealing with particularly challenging or unique situations. It also can be useful to public library trustees and public library system staff members who have a responsibility for assisting and supporting public library directors, and as a tool to assist in the orientation of new public library directors. Other completed chapters cover broad areas of public library service, the relationship of the director to the board and staff, employment issues for libraries, as well as developing and managing the library's budget. Future topics include open meetings and public records law, managing the library facility, collection development, and copyright law.
The teen booklist factory at the Appleton Public Library has published two new lists - Leap of Faith: Believers and Doubters and Twilight Read-Alikes. Also updated and expanded is A Perfect World: Utopia & Dystopia Teen Fiction. Check out the Teen Reads page for all the lists.
Not to be outdone, the APL children's staff has also published new lists including more bug related fun in Insects & Creepy Crawlers (fiction) and Insects & Creepy Crawlers (nonfiction). Other new lists include Community and Community Helpers and Summer Books & Media. Visit the Family page for more booklists, award winners, and BookLetters features.
> contributed by Evan
Not to be outdone, the APL children's staff has also published new lists including more bug related fun in Insects & Creepy Crawlers (fiction) and Insects & Creepy Crawlers (nonfiction). Other new lists include Community and Community Helpers and Summer Books & Media. Visit the Family page for more booklists, award winners, and BookLetters features.
> contributed by Evan
Barbara Wentzel, Kimberly-Little Chute Public Library director, has an announcement!
Kathy is a mother of 3, loves reading and working with young people, and enjoys needle crafts, painting, nature, and camping. She is a graduate of Kimberly High School, UW Fox Valley Center (Associate of Arts), UW Madison (BA in English), and the Institute for Paralegal Training (certificate in litigation management). Kathy worked in the legal field prior to having children and worked at Barnes & Noble for 3 years before joining the library staff.
Please join us in wishing Kathy well in her new position!
> contributed by Beth and Barbara Wentzel
"We have a new co-youth librarian who will be job-sharing that position with Jill Hasseler. Her name is Kathy Tomasovic. She got the job as an internal candidate who applied when former youth librarian Louise Van Hammond retired at the end of April."
Kathy is a mother of 3, loves reading and working with young people, and enjoys needle crafts, painting, nature, and camping. She is a graduate of Kimberly High School, UW Fox Valley Center (Associate of Arts), UW Madison (BA in English), and the Institute for Paralegal Training (certificate in litigation management). Kathy worked in the legal field prior to having children and worked at Barnes & Noble for 3 years before joining the library staff.
Please join us in wishing Kathy well in her new position!
> contributed by Beth and Barbara Wentzel
A new web form is now available to request spare delivery tubs, bags, and additional Waltco manifests for OWLS libraries. The form is linked to from the Delivery Services page on OWLSweb under the heading "Order Supplies" and requires the extranet username and password for access.
Please note that it's best if you place your orders before 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. Orders placed after 2 p.m. may be delayed by one delivery day.
Contact me if there are any questions about the form or if you are experiencing delays in receiving your requested supplies.
> contributed by Dave
Please note that it's best if you place your orders before 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. Orders placed after 2 p.m. may be delayed by one delivery day.
Contact me if there are any questions about the form or if you are experiencing delays in receiving your requested supplies.
> contributed by Dave
There was recently a discussion thread on PR-Talk regarding library annual reports, formats used, etc. One reader submitted a link to Omaha Public Library's annual report from 2005/2006. Take a look at this pdf and see what you think (warning - the file is large, so it'll take a minute or two to completely download). It's certainly not your typical annual report, eh? But probably a lot more fun to create! This might be a fun way to promote what your library does, whether for an annual report or a program or other special event.What would your community think of something like this?
> contributed by Beth
Terry Dawson, Appleton Public Library director, recently posted on his blog about his involvement with the NEW World Cinema, the Fox Cities' foreign language film series, which celebrates two years on screen this summer.
Read the Post Crescent article for more information about the film series and be sure to attend at least one this summer! Are you a foreign film fan? If so, what's your favorite film? Post it in the comments.
> contributed by Beth
"Through involvement in the Fox Cities Rotary Multicultural Center, I'm part of a committee that brings foreign films into the area for screening and discussion. Participation in this effort is natural for the public library. The predecessor to the current series was films on DVD shown here at the library, co-sponsored with a variety of groups, but the current series, with an organizing committee, using actual films in a theater, brings better quality showings and larger audiences.
We got a nice article about this in our paper, and I was glad of the opportunity to plug library collections. Because of market differences, our foreign film selection is better than video stores can offer, and our staff has developed an interesting and diverse collection."
Read the Post Crescent article for more information about the film series and be sure to attend at least one this summer! Are you a foreign film fan? If so, what's your favorite film? Post it in the comments.
> contributed by Beth
If you missed the CCBC workshop this past April, never fear! Both the morning and afternoon sessions have been posted in the OWLSweb blip.tv channel. The workshop sessions had to be chopped up a bit to make them more manageable, so for easy access to all the parts, you might want to try our episode archive. Here's part one of "Outstanding Books for Children:"
The OWLS summer library program web sites are off to a good start! Take a look at Catch the Reading Bug (kids) and Metamorphosis @ Your Library (teens) to see what we've been up to. If you haven't already linked to the sites from your library's web site, please do! And if you need help with that, please contact Evan.The sites are basically blogs of material reviews/suggestions with additional pages for signing up, adding a review, and other activities. We need help with book reviews, so if you'd like to submit a review (or two or three) for either site, just use the online form or email them to me. I'll take care of the posting and adding book art and links to InfoSoup. (If you use the online form, please indicate you are library staff in the name field.) Please let your patrons know that they can submit reviews and comments on the sites, too, if they'd like to get involved this summer.
In other buggy news, Appleton Public Library has created a Bugs, Bugs, Bugs! book (and movie and music) list. Check it out on InfoSoup!
> contributed by Beth and Evan
