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Jump to navigation Library Sparks Winnefox Library System Ideas to Make Your Library Shine Sharing ideas from around the system & around the country, on programming, fundraising, grants, free stuff, and more. Brought to you by the Winnefox Library System . Rural & Small Libraries Provide Vital Infrastructure for Communities Submitted by schwarz on August 1, 2019 - 7:31am Storytime-ChristmasFairy.jpg Feel inspired and get ideas: take a few minutes to read Small Wonders: Rural and Small Libraries Provide Vital Infrastructure for Communities at SLJ. Here are highlights: Even though her library is only open 20 hours a week and staffed by just her and one assistant, she knows her building is the town’s hub. I do think libraries are more important in towns like this,” she says.There’s nothing else. There’s no community center, no bank, no gas station. There’s just a post office, a church, a bar, and the library.” Still, she knows the importance of staying up-to-date in the community, so her programs don’t compete with other activities. I adjust my programming for Vacation Bible school meetings, I know when swim lessons are going on.…There’s so few things to do, I don’t want to have three things on the same day.” As in many rural communities, Internet access at the library is usually the strongest in town. Pool thinks nothing of letting residents into her library before it officially opens so they can complete Skype calls for their work. She created a food shelf where patrons can leave or pick up nonperishables or toiletries. That action has taken the least amount of time and provided the biggest payoff of anything the library has done, Pillard says. For children in school, she runs a Read’N’Feed program twice year. That’s where everyone reads the same book and then comes to the library to eat food featured in the books. Hat tip: thanks for Mark Arend for sharing this article via email Image source: Blue Mountains Library via Flickr , Creative Commons license Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0) Category: inspiration programs Tags: rural schwarz’s blog Log in to post comments Free Webinars Submitted by schwarz on July 1, 2019 - 3:40pm Plan to attend these free webinars; all you need is your computer & speakers or headphones (no microphone needed.) If you attend a live webinar, it may be counted as a Category B continuing education activity towards renewing librarian certification. Webinars with a ★ are the ones I think you’ll find most useful. Category: continuing education Tags: webinar schwarz’s blog Log in to post comments Help Your Community Get Counted Submitted by schwarz on June 6, 2019 - 9:25am Census2020.jpg Gone are the days of the door-to-door census taker — the 2020 Census will take place primarily online, even as many residents lack home internet access. Helping people who use your library’s public computers or Wi-Fi to complete their census survey online next spring can benefit your community in the future, because every individual counted helps to maximize federal and state funding for municipal services . Assignment of House of Representatives seats, federal funding apportionment, and our own LSTA "Grants to States" award are all based on the decennial census! According to the American Library Association, 99% of the hard-to-count census tracts are within five miles of a public library . This demonstrates why it is so important that the library as a trusted community entity, get involved in helping their community and state achieve a complete count. For the first time, the Census Bureau will promote online response as the preferred method. Households have the option to respond to the census questionnaire in one of three ways: online, by telephone, or using a paper questionnaire. For many people, the online response option will make it easier and more convenient to respond. Because libraries provide reliable internet access, they will play an important role in supporting a complete count in the 2020 Census. Library workers can prepare for an uptick in need for these resources by considering how to speed up technology access for non-library card holders and how to handle peak demand—perhaps by designating one or more computers or mobile devices for express” use or temporarily dedicating a device specifically for census response. ALA’s free Libraries’ Guide to the 2020 Census contains practical information to assist you and your staff in addressing potential patron and community requests regarding the upcoming 2020 Census. It includes basic information about the Census process, highlights of new components in the 2020 Census, such as the online response option, a FAQ, and a timeline of key Census dates. Bonus: you can also register to attend a free Libraries and the 2020 Census webinar at 9am 1pm on June 25th July 1st. Expect more resources and support for library staff in the months leading up to Census Day on April 1, 2020, from both ALA and DPI. sources: • Libraries and the 2020 Census: Vital Partners for a Complete Count • Libraries’ Guide to the 2020 Census • ALA releases new Libraries’ Guide to the 2020 Census • ​​​​​​​Census 2020 – Complete Count • Census 2020 Libraries Can Make it Count Category: advocacy this ’n that Tags: customer service schwarz’s blog Log in to post comments Need Money to Attend a Conference or Training? Submitted by schwarz on June 5, 2019 - 2:22pm Want to attend a conference, training or other library continuing education event, but need financial assistance? Apply for one of these grants or scholarships to help pay for it: WLAF Gloria Hoegh Memorial Fund Education for Rural Librarians Scholarship Amount: $900 Deadline: June 29, 2019 Application form and criteria for eligibility WLAF George Bauer Memorial Fund Continuing Education Scholarship Amount: $850 Deadline: June 29, 2019 Application form and criteria for eligibility Wisconsin Small Libraries Amount: $400 to attend the WLA Conference Deadline: August 1, 2019 Application form (Word document) Source: WLA Scholarships & Grants web page Category: continuing education fundraising Tags: conference scholarships grants schwarz’s blog Log in to post comments Ideas to Action Fund: Apply for Money and/or Staff Time Submitted by schwarz on June 4, 2019 - 11:26am WiLS-IdeasToActionFund-2019.jpg The WiLS "Ideas to Action Fund" application period has been extended through June 14, 2019. So there’s still time — if your project meets their eligibility and requirements, you can apply for up to $5000! Apply here . Hint: if your library isn’t already a WiLS member , just fill out the short WiLS General Member Agreement to join for free! (For inspiration and ideas, look at McMillian Memorial Library’s Community STEAM Kits proposal , which was funded in 2018.) WiLS will award up to $5,000 per applicant . Instead of or in addition to funding, you can apply for WiLS staff time to help organize the project or provide expertise in facilitation, survey administration or other project activities . The Fund aims to provide support for innovative or collaborative projects, to help members reach their goals and have a positive impact on the Wisconsin library ecosystem. Find all details on the Fund’s Goals, Eligibility and Requirements, and Review Process and criteria used to evaluate applications at the WiLS Ideas to Action Fund page. Category: collaboration fundraising Tags: grants collaboration programs schwarz’s blog Log in to post comments Low-Cost High-Interest Craft Program: Wire Bird’s Nest Charm Submitted by schwarz on May 6, 2019 - 2:20pm BirdsNestCharm.jpg Katie Bloor works at a library that serves a population of 240 and is open just 15 hours a week, and had 29 people come to her library for a craft program. In the words of Sheri Szymanski , "When 12% of the population turns out for a library program YOU are doing something right!" Katie is generous in sharing details of the event at her post in the Library Think Tank Facebook group,...