One of our greatest joys at WiLS is hearing our members tell the stories of the big and important work they are doing – interesting new projects or initiatives, or even interesting and new approaches to old projects. And, in addition to hearing about it, it makes us even happier when we can share those stories with other members. Each month, WiLS is proud to feature an interview with one of our library members. This month, we interview Kristin Vogel, Library Director at St. Norbert College’s Miriam B. and James J. Mulva Library and WiLS board member!Read more
One of our greatest joys at WiLS is hearing our members tell the stories of the big and important work they are doing – interesting new projects or initiatives, or even interesting and new approaches to old projects. And, in addition to hearing about it, it makes us even happier when we can share those stories with other members. Each month, WiLS is proud to feature an interview with one of our library members. This month, we interview Marc Boucher, Library Director at Lake Superior State University, former WiLS Board member, and first Michigander WiLS member!
This interview is part of a series of interviews with both WiLS member and vendor partners. Your feedback is appreciated. If you have any to offer on this article, or suggestions for upcoming interviews, contact Andrea Coffin at .Read more
One of our greatest joys at WiLS is hearing our members tell the stories of the big and important work they are doing – interesting new projects or initiatives, or even interesting and new approaches to old projects. And, in addition to hearing about it, it makes us even happier when we can share those stories with other members. Each month, WiLS is proud to feature an interview with one of our library members.Read more
One of our greatest joys at WiLS is hearing our members tell the stories of the big and important work they are doing – interesting new projects or initiatives, or even interesting and new approaches to old projects. And, in addition to hearing about it, it makes us even happier when we can share those stories with other members. Each month, WiLS is proud to feature an interview with one of our library members. This month, we interview Andrea Schmitz, Librarian at Verona Area School District and WiLS Board member.Read more
One of our greatest joys at WiLS is hearing our members tell the stories of the big and important work they are doing – interesting new projects or initiatives, or even interesting and new approaches to old projects. And, in addition to hearing about it, it makes us even happier when we can share those stories with other members. Each month, WiLS is proud to feature an interview with one of our library members. This month, we interview Lisa Viezbicke, Director of Library and Archives at Beloit College and WiLS Board Member.
This interview is part of a series of interviews with both WiLS library and vendor partners. Your feedback is appreciated. If you have any to offer on this article, or suggestions for upcoming interviews, contact Andrea Coffin at .
Why did you, personally, choose to work in libraries?
It has been a lifelong commitment – I volunteered in my grade school learning center and worked in various departments at the public library in high school and college. My college work-study position assisted the reference librarians and library director with preparation and evaluation of the library research skills instruction and assignments. I’d been mentored by librarians my entire life but it wasn’t until I returned to my local public library to add part-time copy cataloging work to my already busy full-time work schedule that their hints came together to suggest a path. In the quiet, after-hours of the TS workroom I realized how much satisfaction I received from facilitating learning, enrichment, serendipity, and information need fulfillment.
What is unique about the culture of your library? How do you influence it?
Many people retire from Beloit College Library – we have a long tradition of library directors, librarians and staff finding their ‘forever home’ here. The community within and beyond the library and the commitment to student development from all corners of campus lend an interesting mix of comfort and energy. That, combined with the continuous evolution (natural and engineered) of our work, work roles and opportunities it sometimes feels like you have a new job every four or five years.
The community within and beyond the library and the commitment to student development from all corners of campus lend an interesting mix of comfort and energy.
What do you think is important to know about the patrons or community you work with? What helps you understand those needs?
Beloit students and faculty embody the language of the college’s mission statement – intelligence, curiosity, high achievement, personal responsibility and public contribution. As a residential college, we are part of the community. We know and support our faculty, students, and fellow staff members. Our library team is visible, approachable, and questioning. They attend student and faculty symposium presentations, work side-by-side with students in daily operations, and consult on and support projects and research, co-host events in the student run-bar
What big ideas are being worked on at your library? What problems are being solved?
We are actively working to capture, organize and preserve the born-digital components of the College’s culture and operations. A new digital archivist position and pilot repository have been established to ensure continuity of the institutional record as we find less and less physical documentation and communication in our daily operations. On another front, librarians and archivists, collaborating with our IT peers, are consulting on and supporting faculty-driven digital humanities projects. Our teams are engaging and exposing unique elements of our collections as they develop new skills and contribute to evolving forms of scholarship. Finally, with the recent release of the new ACRL Framework for Information Literacy we are beginning a project to help faculty realize and assess information literacy outcomes in the context of campus developmental and learning objectives.
One of our greatest joys at WiLS is hearing our members tell the stories of the big and important work they are doing – interesting new projects or initiatives, or even interesting and new approaches to old projects. And, in addition to hearing about it, it makes us even happier when we can share those stories with other members. Each month, WiLS is proud to feature an interview with one of our library members. This month, we interview Jennifer Peterson, Library Media Supervisor at the Menasha Joint School District and one of WiLS’ Board Members representing K12 libraries.Read more
One of our greatest joys at WiLS is hearing our members tell the stories of the big and important work they are doing – interesting new projects or initiatives, or even interesting and new approaches to old projects. And, in addition to hearing about it, it makes us even happier when we can share those stories with other members. Each month, WiLS is proud to feature an interview with one of our library members. This month, we interview Kelly Kroes, WISPALS Consortium Coordinator at Gateway Technical College and current WiLS Chair.Read more
One of our greatest joys at WiLS is hearing our members tell the stories of the big and important work they are doing – interesting new projects or initiatives, or even interesting and new approaches to old projects. And, in addition to hearing about it, it makes us even happier when we can share those stories with other members. Each month, WiLS is proud to feature an interview with one of our library members. This month, we interview Tasha Saecker, Assistant Director at Appleton Public Library and WiLS Board Chair-Elect.Read more
One of our greatest joys at WiLS is hearing our members tell the stories of the big and important work they are doing – interesting new projects or initiatives, or even interesting and new approaches to old projects. And, in addition to hearing about it, it makes us even happier when we can share those stories with other members. Each month, WiLS is proud to feature an interview with one of our library members. This month, we interview Peg Billing, Library Media and Technology Specialist for the Tomahawk School District and WiLS board member representing K12 libraries.Read more
One of our greatest joys at WiLS is hearing our members tell the stories of the big and important work they are doing – interesting new projects or initiatives, or even interesting and new approaches to old projects. And, in addition to hearing about it, it makes us even happier when we can share those stories with other members. Each month, WiLS is proud to feature an interview with one of our library members. This month, we interview Jeff Dawson, Director of the Lester Public Library in Two Rivers, Wisconsin.
If you have questions about this interview or want to suggest someone for us to interview, contact Andrea Coffin at .
Why did you, personally, choose to work in libraries?
The profession chose me, not an uncommon answer in the library world. While reading was instilled at an early age by my parents, it wasn’t until my early twenties that I signed up for my first public library card. After college and a variety of jobs that included working for Waldenbooks I landed my first library job at the Ohio Northern University Law School, ten years later after working in a variety of academic libraries I received the MLS from the University of Iowa. My first professional library job was running a branch library for the Northland Pioneer College in Winslow, Arizona. I felt destined to be an academic librarian until a good friend and mentor suggested I give public libraries a try. I switched to public libraries with a job at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, Topeka, Kansas. After seven years of working every possible job and department I felt it time to take a crack at being a library director for a public library. March 2015 will mark eight years as director of the Lester Public Library, Two Rivers.
What is unique about the culture of your library? How do you influence it?
The Lester Public Library is an open, inviting, customer friendly library. Comments from long-time patrons and newbies as well, speak to our beautiful open facility, and friendly staff. Over the past seven years we have made concerted efforts to make our patrons not only feel welcome, but offer services that surprise and delight.
As the leader of this organization I have fostered the culture of ‘yes.’ I do not live in a vacuum, creativity flows from every staff member, without whom Lester Public Library would not be the innovative, industrious library it is today. We have changed job descriptions and duties that reflect our commitment to quality customer service; for example our circulation clerks are now customer service clerks. I am fortunate to have a staff that engenders new exciting ideas from new early literacy initiatives to programs for adults that have us partnering with a variety of local agencies and decision makers.
What do you think is important to know about the patrons or community you work with? What helps you understand those needs?
Two Rivers is a conservative, blue collar city with a population of nearly 12,000. In recent years we have lost a majority of manufacturing jobs that have moved to Mexico. This story is repeated across the rust belt time and time again. Most devastating to our community was the final closing of the Thermo Fisher (formerly known as Hamilton) industries in 2012. Hamilton Manufacturing defined Two Rivers in so many ways and the closing and subsequent demolition of the plant has had enormous impact.
But like other communities facing this harsh reality, I find a resiliency and certain drive in our community to move forward. Our unique and beautiful location on Lake Michigan, not to mention our two rivers flowing through town, has us positioned to take advantage of tourism in new and exciting ways. As a department head for the city, I am at the table for discussions about the direction and future of Two Rivers. I am Vice President of the Manitowoc Area Visitors and Convention Bureau Board, and Secretary of the Two Rivers Business Association Board, these organizations lend great insight and influence towards the future of our community.
With this deep understanding of our community, the library is positioned to serve, front and center, well into the future.
What big ideas are being worked on at your library? What problems are being solved?
After two successful marketing campaigns in 2013 (Black Friday promotion) and 2014 (National Library Week promotion) we centered our next three year strategic plan around three major points – awareness, access, and usage.
Our Black Friday campaign pitted us against all the other consumer competition, on their terms. We spent serious money on advertising in our local paper that netted certain results; we blew all previous Friday after Thanksgiving statistics out of the water while raising library awareness on a local, state and national level. Here is a link to a detailed article on what we did and the impact on our library and community: http://www.infotoday.com/mls/sep14/MLS-Sept-Oct-2014.pdf
National Library Week 2014 we partnered with 60 local businesses where your library card suddenly had buying power – walk into a participating business and show a library card from anywhere in the world and you would get a special discount, free order of fries or some type of benefit; bring the receipt back to the library and enter to win one of several grand prizes (donated by local businesses) that included an iPad, Kindle Fire and Kindle Paperwhite. The library then purchased a media blitz utilizing local newspaper and radio advertising (bankrolled by the Library Foundation) – businesses received free advertising for the event. Local media also provided in-kind ads that extended our marketing budget by another 50%. A week-long effort that had the entire city buzzing about the great deals around town with the library at the center of that buzz! It was incredibly successful and garnered a television interview (as did Black Friday) and tons of positive attention on our library and services. This was an extensive promotion that had me, the library director walking into over 80 local businesses, making contact directly with many friends old and new.
My staff, library board and I feel strongly that raising awareness of our services is paramount to our future success. In a community where the library and the fire department tied for favorite community services we realize that many value what we do; however, we feel there are many more who have no idea what the library holds in terms of collections, classes and services. With our new strategic plan and concerted effort to raise the level of marketing and promoting the library we hope to solve this problem. We are also getting ready to interview for an entirely new position for our library, Public Relations Coordinator, a move that will literally put our money on where we feel the future rests for our library.
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