Public libraries

Jan 3

OCLC Publishes 2013 Annual Report

OCLC Publishes 2013 Annual Report

In his first report, which will be mailed to the membership this month, OCLC President and CEO Skip Prichard said that the cooperative’s current work is bold and important and that he is excited about the potential ahead. “Users’ expectations continue to accelerate, driving demand for new services and approaches that are cloud-based, mobile and social. With its new technological platform and cloud-based services, OCLC is well‑positioned and committed to serve libraries in a period of rapid change.”

Read the full report here>>

Dec 12

Thoughts from regional meetings

Read the summary from our regional meetings!

Earlier in the fall, libraries around the state got together for six regional meetings. We laughed, we cried, we talked about successes and challenges. Read more

Dec 2

Learning Opportunity – Upcoming WorldShare Management Services Webinar

Streamlining management, discovery and access of print collections with OCLC WorldShare Management Services

During this live, one-hour demonstration, you’ll see how OCLC WorldShare® Management Services simplify library management workflows and improve discovery and access of your library’s physical collections, including print materials, journals and serials. Q&A will follow the demonstration.

Date: 10 December 2013
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time [UTC -5]

Register for this webinar here>>

Dec 2

Save the date – OCLC Americas Member Meeting and Symposium: The Hype and Hope of MOOCs

Join OCLC member-leaders and staff at ALA Midwinter for updates on OCLC programs, a Regional Council business meeting and a debate-style symposium on MOOCs. The meeting will take place on Friday, January 24, 2014, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, Eastern Time. Lunch will be provided and a reception will follow the symposium, which begins at 1:00 pm. Please make plans now to attend this event in person or virtually!

Update your Population / Enrollment Numbers and IP Information

Dearest Members – It’s that time of year again! You all thought about turkey, didn’t you? No, a different time of year. Please take a few moments to update your population/enrollment numbers and IP address with us so we can continue to provide the best service we possibly can.

Click here to update your FTE / Enrollment/ Population Served

Click here to update your IP Addresses

Yours in gravy and pumpkin pie,
The WiLS Team

Nov 17

Make It @ Your Library Launches Project Website

Make It @ Your Library, in collaboration with Instructables.com and the American Library Association (ALA), has finally launched its fully searchable website, makeitatyourlibrary.org, for librarians seeking Maker ideas and projects, ALA announced on October 28. Make It @ Your Library—an initiative developed through the ILEAD USA program (Illinois Libraries Explore, Apply and Discover) over the past year—aims to help librarians realize Maker space projects in their own communities at low cost. The new site, featuring web development by Sean Fitzpatrick of LISHost, classifies Maker projects by several criteria, including the tools and space needed, age level, category, and cost and time needed for the project. Search terms are completely customizable to aid librarians in planning their projects, ALA noted. For examples, category options include “workshop,” “living,” “outside,” “play,” “technology,” and “food,” as well as cost options. Make It @ Your Library, through ILEAD USA, is funded in part by a Institute of Museum and Library Services Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program Grant.

Nov 12

New digital collection: Kewaunee Ships of War

During World War II, the Kewaunee Shipbuilding and Engineering Company delivered 80 vessels to the United States government for wartime use. The Kewaunee Public Library has recently made available online nearly 300 photos Read more

Nov 12

Spring SLIS Online Continuing Ed Courses

SLIS has released the online courses it will be offering for Spring 2014, and it’s a lively and interesting mix with material useful to librarians in all types of libraries. Some highlights include:

The Spring Grant Writing Workshops Series – This three-part series is designed specifically for library staff and students will help new and experienced grant writers alike brainstorm, polish, and submit grant proposals.

Project Management for Librarians – This course is designed to help library staff understand and manage the life cycle of projects, large and small, going on at their library.

Digital Asset Management – Aiming to help you deal with your digital “stuff,” this course will lead you through a systematic process of finding, inventorying, assessing, describing, and managing your library’s or archive’s digital objects.

Get Your Ducks in a Row: Disaster Planning – Don’t be caught off guard! This course will help you identify the information your library needs to have on hand, develop a simple disaster plan, and devise a strategy to keep the plan current.

Working Successfully with Your Library Board – Building a successful, supportive, and honest relationship with your library board is a crucial factor in the success of your library and its projects. This course will teach you the ways you can foster a positive relationship with your board.

Nov 5

BadgerLearn Pro – Because You’re a Pro!

BadgerLearn has expanded its family to include another training portal, BadgerLearn Pro!

The new BadgerLearn Pro website (http://badgerlearnpro.dpi.wi.gov) will provide continuing education opportunities specifically for Wisconsin library professionals:

Training materials produced by the Wisconsin Library Systems
Videos, webinars, and guides to the Affordable Healthcare Act
Websites, webinars, and videos about cataloging books and digital resources
Workshop presentation slides about reference interview skills

BadgerLearn Pro is a joint project under active development by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Resources for Libraries and Lifelong Learning (RL&LL), WiLS, and the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC).

We’re looking for experts!

WiLS is happy to announce that we are now recruiting experts for our “Experts Connection” service. We’re looking for smart, talented people in the Wisconsin library community that are interested in sharing their knowledge and expertise with others for paid projects.

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