And the winners are…
Congratulations! What a month!
- Five IFLS-area libraries won grant funding from the Flexible Facilities Program: Cadott, Fall Creek, Hammond, River Falls, and Stanley.
- Somerset won a grant from the WiLS Ideas to Action Fund.
- Rebecca Puhl (Phillips) won the WLA/WEMTA Intellectual Freedom Award.
- WLA Library of the Year goeUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire McIntyre Library, Eau Claire (Jill Markgraf, director, serves on the IFLS Board of Trustees.)
“These grant awards and recognition awards exemplify the quality of all of our 53 public libraries and their staff here in the IFLS Library System area,” John says. “They truly put community first in all the work that they do, working together to provide the best possible service to our region.” Reb copied some details from various sources, including John’s full quote for the upcoming News from IFLS. If you want a little more detail, click on Award Winners.
Return of the Tip Jar!
This one is from Leah: Did you know that one simple thing you can do to make your building and your bathrooms accessible is to check the weight it takes to open them and adjust it if it is too heavy? In Accessibility Audits at libraries around the system, door weight has been a common area for improvement. To measure the pressure needed to open the doors in your building, you can borrow a Door Pressure Gauge Kit from IFLS (with a Lend Items account).
The fall delivery study scheduled: October 28-November 1
Please share this information with relevant staff! Find the study instructions, worksheet, and an example of a completed worksheet on the Delivery Page on the IFLS website (https://iflsweb.org/for-librarians/delivery/).
Instructions for the Worksheet
- Write your library’s name at the top
- Count all the bins in your library (full and empty) on the morning of October 28 and write that number down at the top
- Record the time your driver arrives
- Record the number of gray bins sent and received per day of delivery
- Record the number of other items sent and received per day of delivery
- Tally and total the number of mistakes (missorts and mislabeled items)
- On the back, share any additional mistakes (e.g. Anytown PL got a bin for Everytown PL), compliments or comments.
Then scan and email the completed worksheet to Katelyn. Questions? Ask Katelyn with a HelpDesk ticket or directly to her email at noack@ifls.lib.wi.us.
Grant for small and rural libraries
Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities is offering grants for small and rural libraries to increase the accessibility of facilities, services, and programs to better serve people with disabilities. Applications for Round 3 are currently open and will close on December 11, 2024.
To be eligible, a library must have a legal area population of 25,000 or less and be located at least 5 miles from an urbanized area. That means most of the libraries in IFLS-land would qualify for a $10 or $20 thousand dollar grant! If you are interested but intimidated, consider these two things:
- 8 IFLS libraries have applied for and received these grants in the past few years! That includes Balsam Lake, Colfax, Ellsworth, Hammond, Ladysmith, Milltown, Osceola, and Stanley!
- Contact Leah if you want to talk through your ideas before you apply!
Banned Book Club expands reach
Since 2023, the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) has provided free access to books that have been removed from libraries, giving readers in affected communities the opportunity to read these titles. The Banned Book Club is a collection of hundreds of e-books and audiobooks available through the free Palace e-reader app.
DPLA is pleased to announce that The Banned Book Club is now open to anyone in the United States or Canada! Instructions can be found here. Follow links to learn more about the Banned Book Club, and the DPLA. Please share with your communities!
Ask JAN
The Job Accommodation Network is a service of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, and it’s a treasure trove of information for both employers and employees trying to figure out reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities. You can find resources, suggestions, information about specific disabilities, and you can also call to get free one on one assistance. New this month: Situations and Solutions, a resource that lets users explore various accommodation scenarios by searching for examples based on disability, limitation, and occupation.
BadgerLink doesn’t have to be scary. Here are October training opportunities.
Register to attend live 30 minute sessions or receive the recording:
- October 8th: New Elementary Resources
- October 15th: New High School Resources
- October 22nd: New Public Library Resources
- October 29th: Get the Most from Education Source and Library & Information Science Source
Upcoming events and this week’s spotlights
Improving Literacy: Understanding Dyslexia and Reading Instruction, November 12, 1-2 pm
Register. This webinar will be recorded and captioned. It will provide 1 contact hour for public library director certification.
According to 2023 data, only 37% of Wisconsin third-graders ranked as proficient or better at reading. There has been a lot of discussion nationally and statewide about the ways literacy instruction has been failing kids, especially dyslexic kids, and Wisconsin Act 20 was passed last summer to try to address this issue. Join two dyslexia tutors and former public school educators for a crash course about dyslexia and understanding some important things about the current landscape of reading and reading instruction. (Presenters: Orton Gillingham tutors and special education veterans Starla Dixen and Becky Glade)
Understanding this background will help library workers who want to do more to support all emerging readers, especially those with dyslexia.
Look for another webinar in January with some more specific and simple ideas of ways libraries can help kids and families.
Bookish Programs for Adults, October 30, 10-11 am
Register Get the inside scoop from three IFLS-area librarians about programs that have celebrated books and reading. You’ll come away with ideas, inspiration, and practical tips about some different angles on the traditional book club, including:
- A Book Tasting event to introduce adults to new books they might not have otherwise found
- A county-wide book club that is a collaboration of multiple libraries
- A choose-your-own-nonfiction title club and a serial club
- More about the logistics of off-site bookclubs, including dealing with challenges and joys
Presented by Rochel Karlson (Glenwood City), Karen Furo-Bonnstetter (Woodville), and Trevor Richards (Amery). This webinar will be recorded. It will supply one contact hour for public library director recertification.
Kathy Setter’s retirement party: please RSVP
Kathy Setter is retiring, and we’re excited to celebrate her career and launch her off into her next adventures. Join us for an Open House, 4 pm – 7 pm with a short program beginning about 5:45 pm
- Heavy appetizers, desserts, and nonalcoholic beverages will be served.
- Adult beverages will be available for purchase during the event.
Please RSVP by Oct 30 to help us plan. (RSVP not required to attend.) Send physical cards, stories and photos to IFLS attn: Katelyn. Digital files can be sent to noack@ifls.lib.wi.us.