Save-the-Date: AskAway Awareness Week

AskAway -- the statewide virtual reference service -- provides fast, friendly answers for residents of Wisconsin, any time day or night. 

Mark September 13-17^th as AskAway Awareness Week on your calendar, so you can spread the word about this great service!

Creative ideas and tips for ways your library can participate in this annual celebration are coming soon!

Visit www.askaway.info

MLA 2010 Annual Conference

The Minnesota Library Association is pleased to announce its 2010 Annual Conference, to be held October 6-8, 2010, in Rochester, Minnesota. This three-day conference will be of value to all library professionals and supporters.

We encourage you to share current information about this terrific educational opportunity on your Web site and/or through your regular communication channels (such as newsletters, listservs, and broadcast e-mails). Here are the basic event details:

Minnesota Library Association
2010 Annual Conference
Serious Play
October 6-8, 2010
Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, MN
Visit www.mnlibraryassociation.org/mlaconference10 for complete details and registration.
Please note the new URL for our conference information!

A press release with additional information is available for download here:http://mnlibraryassociation.org/uploads/conf10/PressRelease10_0622.doc

A PDF flyer is available for download here: http://mnlibraryassociation.org/uploads/conf10/MLA_AnnualConf10_Flyer.pdf. Please feel free to print and post or distribute copies as you see fit.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please don’t hesitate to contact me in the Minnesota Library Association office at the e-mail address above or at 651-999-5343 (toll-free 877-867-0982) oroffice@mnlibraryassociation.org.

Grant Proposal Writing Basics

The L. E. Phillips Memorial Public Library will host a free workshop on grantseeking basics for nonprofit organizations on Wednesday, July 7 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  Workshop location: Banbury Place, 800 Wisconsin Street, Eau Claire.  In the Eau Claire Conference Room on the third floor of Building 2. 

The Proposal Writing Basics session will be led by Kief Schladweiler, Coordinator of Cooperating Collections with the Foundation Center (http://foundationcenter.org).  The workshop will provide an overview of the proposal writing process for nonprofit organizations seeking grants from foundations, corporations and grantmaking public charities.  Mr. Schladweiler will offer tips on how best to identify funding sources for your organization, highlighting the electronic and print resources available for your free use at the L. E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, a Cooperating Collection of the Foundation Center.  The workshop will include a demonstration of the Foundation Directory Online, the Foundation Center's top-tier searchable database providing information on nearly 100,000 grantmakers and more than 2 million grant records, and will also provide an overview of the free resources on the Foundation Center's website.

Kief Schladweiler has been the Foundation Center's Coordinator of Cooperating Collections since 2005.  Prior to that he served as the Center's online librarian for several years.  He joined the Foundation Center in 1999 after working as a reference library for The New York Public Library.  He received his M.A. in Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Registration is filled but you can get on a waiting list.  Openings may occur.  Contact Information & Reference at 715-839-5004 or e-mail librarian@eauclaire.lib.wi.us.

Trustee Notes - Managing the Library's Money

Managing the Library’s Money—One of the key responsibilities of a library board is helping to manage the library’s money.  Effective money management is based upon a strong partnership between the Board and the Director.  IFLS has developed a brief presentation about Basic Money Management for Trustees and Directors.  It provides an overview of the responsibilities of the Board and the Director. 

In addition IFLS has developed a basic accounting budget spreadsheet that can be used as a basic financial report for the board as well as voucher list for the monthly bills. 

More information is available at the IFLS budgeting page including a sample budget; a long range planning overview and additional budget information from a 2007 Workshop.  If you have questions, please contact John Thompson, Director or Juli Button, Business Manager.

Local Author Gordon Grice

Tracy Hiatt Grice at the Somerset library is proud to announce her husband’s new book: Deadly Kingdom, The Book of Dangerous Animals by Gordon Grice, published by Random House.  Described as a wonderful, slightly terrifying, utterly captivating encounter with the animal world.  Gordon Grice is available for readings or or phone 715-247-2118.

A Garden Stroll in Chetek

The Chetek Friends of the Library proudly present A Garden Stroll on Saturday July 17 from 9a.m. to 4 p.m. Please make plans NOW to join the tours of these 7 unique gardens:  The Gardens of Bedlan Manor, Hosta Haven, Prairie Lake Hosta Garden, Waterman’s Wildflowers, Wood Carved Gardens, Good View Garden and An Artsy Drift Garden.  In addition to these lovely gardens, there will be door prizes, a flower quiz and light refreshments.  All proceeds benefit the Calhoun Memorial Library. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased on the day or pre-sale.  Contact Calhoun Memorial Library 321 Chetek, WI, phone 715-924-3195.

Grant Awarded to Library-Books-By-Mail

The 7-County Library Books-By-Mail program has received a $1050.00 grant from the AnnMarie Foundation to purchase paperback large print books. The AnnMarie Foundation is a philanthropic organization of the Phillips Plastic Corporation that provides monetary awards to local organizations to enhance quality of life and encourage future educational, humanitarian, cultural, recreational, and aesthetic activities.

Hudson Area Library in the Midst of a Move

Hudson Area Library closed the doors on May 29^th and plans to reopen at their new location, 700 First Street, in late June or early July.  For additional information visit their website hudsonpubliclibrary.org