Library Card Order Starting Early

There have been staffing changes at the printer. In order to get cards in hand by early November we need to start now! This form is mandatory, deadline is Sep 9: We need an answer from everyone to make sure nobody misses this annual order. Here’s the link with all the details: https://forms.gle/WXDEgnbbANqCe4zr6

Labor Day Delivery

From Gail: WALTCO will be closed & not running any library routes next Monday, September 5, to celebrate Labor Day. WALTCO plans to run Monday & Tuesday libraries on Tuesday whenever possible.

News from Barron County

John Thompson presented to the Barron County Board of Supervisors meeting on Aug. 22 at the Barron County Government Center. Here’s the scoop: Five-year County Library Plan approved despite rising cost concerns – apg-wi.com

Katelyn’s pick of the week

Trustee Training Week 2022: Materials Challenges and Your Library from the Trustee Table 

Hopefully you were able to watch some of the wonderful Trustee Training webinars from last week! I truly enjoyed them all but there was one in particular that if you missed, I highly recommend you taking the time to watch it. “Materials Challenges and Your Library from the Trustee Table” with presenter Becky Spratford. This webinar has a plethora of information that can be useful to your library during this time of increased materials challenges. Becky gives advice on how to strengthen your library’s policies, educates the board on what their role is regarding challenges and how far their power extends when it comes to making decisions about challenged materials. I certainly learned some new ways to protect the Freedom to Read with this webinar, and hopefully you will gain some useful knowledge too.

Check out the entire week of webinars HERE.

Free + good

Thanks to Wisconsin Valley Library Service for sharing these two short video tutorials!

• Navigating the Legal Reference Interview
  Time: 14:55
  In this Digital Byte, Carol Hassler from the Wisconsin State Law Library, talks about handling legal reference questions. This is part one of a five-part series.  Watch
• Tools for People with Disabilities
  Time: 6:40
  One in four people in the U.S. live with a disability. In this Digital Byte, Jamie talks about five mobile tools that could be helpful for this demographic.  Watch

Also, please check the NEWI list of free webinars to find online continuing education opportunities you may attend from where you are. Most sessions are 60 minutes long, and are provided – at no charge to you – by associations, agencies, companies, and library systems.

Scholarships for you

Thanks to a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, with funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services, IFLS has funding for scholarships this fall!  Please look over the following opportunities carefully.  Even if you have received scholarships from IFLS in the past, you are welcome to apply.  This opportunity is for all public library directors and staff in the IFLS region.

UW-Madison iSchool Online Courses, apply by September 15, 2022

Full scholarships to allow registration for one of five iSchool courses.  These courses are asynchronous–you participate weekly, but on your own schedule.

• Courses include:  Inclusive Marketing; Copyright in Libraries; What’s New in Children’s Books; Personnel Management; Trans-Inclusive Librarianship
• Information Sheet
• Application (due September 16)

If there is an offering by the iSchool or another provider you would like to take, please contact Leah at IFLS.  We might be able to cover other opportunities.

Wisconsin Library Association Annual Conference, apply by September 30, 2022

A full scholarship (up to $1200) to attend the Wisconsin Library Association Annual Conference, November 1-4 in Lake Geneva.  More information about the conference coming soon, keynote speaker is Jason Reynolds.

• Information sheet
• Application (due September 30)

Justice at Work in Public Libraries, apply by September 30, 2022

A full scholarship to participate in a 4-5 hour asynchronous (do it on your own schedule) course with video lessons, templates and resources, discussion forums, and support from the instructor, Mia Henry.

• Information Sheet
• Application (due September 30, 2022)

Coming Right Up

Cultivating a Great Relationship with your Municipal Clerk webinar

September 20, 10-11:30 am, $20 for Wisconsin Library Association member/$25 for nonmembers. Directors, please email Leah by September 15 if you would like to participate in this webinar but don’t have funds to do so. IFLS will register up to 10 directors. We’ll require an evaluation and some proof of attendance by October 14. There will be a recording available. All the webinar details and registration are on the WLA site.

In-Person ARSL Conference Registration is Closing Soon!

Advance registration to attend the 2022 ARSL Conference in Chattanooga, TN will close on Wednesday, September 7. Learn more and register.

Last Day

September 1 is the last day the recording of the Wisconsin Homeschooling Parents Association 101:  Library Edition will be available.  The handout about WI Homeschooling Law will be available indefinitely!

On the IFLS calendar

• Fri Sep 2nd 10:00am – 11:00am: MORE Executive Committee Meeting (details in Aug 31 This Week at MORE email from Lori Roholt)
• Tue Sep 6th 1:00pm – 3:30pm: IFLS Advisory Council virtual meeting, Go to the Advisory Council page on the IFLS website for meeting details.
• Fri Sep 9th: Library Card Bulk Order response deadline
• Tue Sep 13th 1:00pm – 3:30pm: Youth Services IN PERSON Check-In (L.E. Phillips Library, Eau Claire) Register by Sep 9.
• Thu Sep 15th 2:00pm – 3:00pm: Mental Health in Library Customer Interactions

See the full IFLS calendar.

Changes at IFLS

Changes are coming to our ILL staff at IFLS. In a few weeks, Gail Spindler will be retiring from a long and dedicated library career.

Gail has worked her magic behind the scenes for our IFLS libraries for over 30 years. She has been handling the day-to-day challenges of ILL requests, searching for hard-to-find materials for our patrons, and ensuring timely delivery. Most recently, she has also taken on the challenge of acting as our delivery consultant, tackling daily communications between our libraries and the courier vendor.

Gail began her career in December of 1976 at L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in downtown Eau Claire. This was just a month after the “new” library opened at the current location on Farwell Street.

By 1988, Gail had transitioned to working for the Indianhead Federated Library System (now IFLS Library System) in the Interlibrary Loan Department at the Golf Road location in Eau Claire.

Over the years, she has worked through many changes to Wisconsin’s ILL and IFLS as an organization. She remembers starting with the three-county Tri-Valley Library System and the establishment of our current 10-county system, as well as the transition to WISCAT.

She also recalls sending ILL requests via teletype and checking titles in the card catalog.

If you’ve had the opportunity to work with Gail over the years in any of these areas, you know how dedicated she has been to our libraries and their patrons. It has been a pleasure for us to have her on staff at IFLS. We will miss her, and we wish her the best in her well-deserved retirement.