Memorandum:

 

To:                  Winnefox Library System Trustees 

From:              Mark Arend, Interim Assistant Director

Subject:           Report of System Activities

Date:               January 18, 2006

 

 

Greetings and Happy New Year!  The following is an update of activities since our last meeting.  I would be happy to provide further details at our meeting, or feel free to give me a call or send an email in advance.

 

 

Library Legislation Day:  There are several bills working their way through the legislative process that will have major effects on library service in Wisconsin if passed.   Library Legislation Day is an excellent opportunity to make your views known.  Information on all these bills was included in the November meeting information and I’ve included a short legislative update in the next paragraph.  By the time we meet, advance registration will be over but you can still plan on attending.  Winnefox will reimburse you for registration and travel.  If you cannot attend, consider writing letters or making other personal contact with your Assembly representative and Senator.  They need to hear what you think of these proposals.

 

 

Legislative Update:  The latest word is that there will be no further action on SB 258, the R-rated video bill.  It was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Children, Families, Aging and Long Term Care and Sen. Roessler, the committee chair, has said that the bill will die in committee.  
 
SB 272 & SB 273, the ‘Language bill’ and the ‘Reform bill’ have passed the Senate and have been referred to the Assembly Committee on Urban and Local Affairs; they have had a hearing there but no action was taken.
 
AB 438, the bill to repeal the Maintenance of Effort requirement has been in the Assembly Committee on Urban and Local Affairs for some time.  This bill would also allow a county to set standards for libraries and make those standards a requirement for system membership.  On 10 January the committee approved the bill and recommended it for passage on a 4-4 vote.

 

 

Library use up in 2004:  We have only begun to compile 2004 statistics but early indications are that library use increased again last year.  Nineteen of the 26 libraries who have been automated with WALS for more than a year saw increases in use; 6 of them double-digit percent increases.  Overall, circulation was up 4.5% in the 26 WALS libraries. 

 

 

LSTA Grants:  In 2006 we will be using our $20,520 System Technology Grant to help pay for enhancements to the SIRSI automated system: the continued purchase of additional content for the catalog records (contents notes, reviews, cover art, etc), for additional documentation for the API report-writing software which will allow staff to use that feature more effectively, and for maintenance on the Z39.50 interface to allow other libraries ILL access to the WALS catalog and for licenses to allow Overdrive audiobook users to be authenticated through our patron database. 

 

We will be receiving up to $15,000 in Shared Automation Systems funding to be used to help pay for a portion of the automation costs for Brandon Public Library to join the WALS catalog/circulation system.  Brandon will be the last Winnefox member library to join the WALS system.

 

 

Hurricane Katrina Relief Collection:   You’ll remember from my September report that I had registered Winnefox with the American Library Association’s 'Adopt a Library' Program.  We were partnered with the Harrison County (Mississippi) library system, which manages 10 libraries in Biloxi, Gulfport, and other communities.  As of this writing 6 of the libraries are still closed.  So far we have collected $1,445.85 and expect more to come in over the next few months.  In addition, some libraries have sent money to them directly.

 

 

Wisconsin Library Association Activity:  I don’t believe it’s ever been reported to the board the high level of participation in professional activities by staff of Winnefox and its member libraries.  These persons are serving as WLA officers & committee members in 2006: 

  • Desiree Bongers (Ripon PL)     Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries (WAPL) Director
  • Nancy Britten (Neenah PL)   Circulation Services Roundtable Newsletter Editor
  • Christine Carroll (Berlin PL)      Youth Services Section Chair
  • Ken Hall (Fond du Lac PL)      Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries (WAPL) Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect
  • Chris Kalupa (Berlin PL)   Support Staff Section Director-at-Large
  • Laurie Magee (Oshkosh PL) Nominations & Elections Committee

·        Susan Gillis Ringer (Fond du Lac PL)   Government Information Round Table

  • Tasha Saecker (Green Lake PL)    Social Responsibilities Round Table Secretary

 

  • Joy Schwarz (Winnefox)    Media and Technology Section Director-at-Large
  • Cindy Wallace (WCTS)   Support Staff Section representative to the WLA Board
  • Julie Schmude (Winnefox)    WLA Finance Committee
  • Mark Arend (Winnefox)    Nominations & Elections Committee

This list shows a high level of commitment on the part of these persons, and their supervisors and boards of trustees.

 

 

Library Director Changes:   There have been several library director changes since our last meeting.  Bridget Donohue, director of the Ethel Everhard Library in Westfield has taken a position of director of the Hatch Public Library in Mauston.  Marie Boleman, current director of the Hancock Public Library has been hired to replace Bridget.   Nancy Paul left the Brandon Public Library at the end of 2005.   The new director there is Heather Wegner.  And finally Jack Fry, director of the Menasha Public Library, has announced his retirement for this summer. 

 

 

Winnefox Staff Changes:  Char Ziebell has been hired as an Interlibrary Loan clerk.  Jesse Schroeder has been hired in the print shop.

 

 

Winnefox Tours:  Part of the interview day schedule included tours of the Winnefox offices with John and a member of the Search & Screen committee.  Those trustees who participated found this very interesting and informative and so we thought we’d schedule tours for any trustee who would like to see our offices.  I’ll be doing this before board meetings this year and if there’s a light agenda I’ll schedule one after the board meeting as well.  To make moving the group easier I’d like to limit each tour group to about 6 persons. 

 

The first tour will be at 3:30 on Wednesday 25 January.  Please call the office to reserve a spot.