Wild Wisconsin Web Conference

Reminder: 

Register for the FREE Wild Wisconsin Web Conference!

It's January 16th  8:30am - 5 pm

What is it? A state-wide virtual conference developed by the Nicolet Federated Library System and sponsored by several other public library systems throughout Wisconsin!  It will feature six webinars in one day (using GotoWebinar), with presenters from California to Maine.  Attend what you want -  one….four….or all six!  Door prizes will be raffled at each session, and there will be a Cheesy Sweater Contest! 

What is the cost? All sessions are FREE and will be recorded.  We'll also be live tweeting at #wwwc13 the day of the conference. 

Why in January? Why not?  January is cccooollllldddddd in Wisconsin, and no one likes to travel. We're bringing the speakers to you, virtually!  

Who are the speakers, when are they speaking, and what are their topics?  See the schedule below for the who, when and what, with the registration links!  Each session is worth 1 CE credit. And don't forget to check out information for the Cheesy Sweater Contest!


8:30 – 9:30 am The Great Library Swindle: Your Rights Are at Risk Carson Block, FounderCarson Block Consulting Inc.     Fort Collins, Colorado
Libraries, oft loved and honored, are under attack from the most unlikely of sources. Many of us feel that book publishers, municipal governments, eContent superstores and others are bent on library destruction.  We shudder when people question the relevance of the library in the digital age. If the library disappears, who will really defend the right to confidentially access free information? Libraries - and librarians - care. Come to learn what's really at risk, how the library is more relevant today than ever, and what you can do to change your world!

Carson served as a consultant to the Colorado State Library, helping libraries understand and comply with the Children’s Internet Protection Act through an informational Web site and public speaking.  He has also contributed library technology standards established by the Colorado State Library, and digitization best practices for the Collaborative Digitization Program.
Register here! 


10 - 11 am Dealing with Difficult SituationsSonja Plummer-Morgan, Library DirectorMark and Emily Turner Memorial LibraryPresque Isle, Maine
Think about the 10 most difficult situations you had to deal with in your library throughout the years. Were they with patrons?  With staff, with budgeting?  Seasoned rural library director Sonja Plummer-Morgan will discuss these types of situations and how she handled them, as well as what she might have done differently. 

Sonja Plummer-Morgan was appointed Director for the Presque Isle Library in 2003.  Prior to this, she directed a public library in Moab, Utah and worked as Ed Tech in a school library in Scarborough, Maine.  She received a BS in Library and Information Technology at the University of Maine at Augusta and an MLS from the University of South Carolina.  Sonja is past president of the Maine Library Association and the Association of Small and Rural Libraries.
Register here!



11:30 – 12:30 pm Marketing on the EdgeBen Bizzle, Director of TechnologyCraighead County Jonesboro Public LibraryJonesboro, Arkansas
From its billboard and poster campaign to its YouTube comedy series, Craighead County Jonesboro (AR) Public Library (CCJPL) takes an adventurous approach to increasing community awareness. Compelled to change the perception of the library as an antiquated and boring institution, CCJPL produces aggressive, comedic promotional material that’s sure to inspire. We'll discuss strategy, getting buy-in, budgeting, the creative process, and community response. 

 As Director of Technology for the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library, Ben utilizes over 20 years of technology experience to meet the challenges facing libraries in the 21st century. With an emphasis on virtualizing resources and extending the library’s reach beyond the library itself, he has developed a number of cost-effective ways to enhance the patron experience and increase community awareness of the value of public libraries.
Register here!


1 - 2 pm Library Self vs. Library ActionJenica P. Rogers, Director of LibrariesState University of New York at PotsdamPotsdam, New York
What kind of library do you want to be for your users?  We need to worry less about what we're doing, and more about why we're doing it.  Why did the academic library buy two hospital-style sleeper armchairs for our study area?  Why does the tiny public library offer a delivered book service for housebound patrons?  When we set looser goals, we can embrace spontaneity and allow room for change.  Jenica will discuss great projects and directions that can come about from focusing on “Library Self” instead of “Library Action.” 

 Jenica P. Rogers is Director of Libraries at the State University of New York at Potsdam, coming from a background in cataloging, collection development, and staff training. Jenica earned her MLIS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2001 after graduating from Trinity College in Hartford, CT in 1998 with a BA in English Literature. In 2009 she received a SUNY Potsdam President’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service and was nominated one of Library Journal’s Movers and Shakers for 2009.
Register here!

2:30 – 3:30 pm Are We Hypocrites? 
Library Ethics and Digital Content
Sarah Houghton, Director 
San Rafael Public Library
San Rafael, California

The digital content market for libraries is changing more rapidly than most library professionals can keep up with. Libraries have been in a rush to acquire eBooks and other digital content to meet user demand, often glossing over critical issues: legal limitations such as copyright, contract terms and conditions, and how eBook acquisition and access is affected by library ethics including the ALA Library Bill of Rights. This webinar offers an overview of the evolving notion of content, legal and contract issues to consider when acquiring digital content, how library digital services can be guided by library ethics (such as providing equitable access to information, formats and fair budgeting, challenging censorship, and promoting free access to ideas), and how digital content is shaping the future of libraries.

Sarah Houghton is the Director at the San Rafael Public Library and is best known for her blog: Librarian in Black. She was named a 2009 Library Journal Mover & Shaker as a Trendspotter.  She speaks internationally at online and realspace events for libraries and other institutions.  Sarah received her MLIS from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign and an MA in Irish Literature from Washington State University.
Register here!



4 – 5 pm Scale Up: 10 Ways to Increase Your Impact Without Increasing Your Workload
Joan Frye-Williams
Library Futurist
Sacramento, California
Traditional library service has focused on – and done a good job with – individual service transactions.  We’re always happy to help you, one-on-one.  But there’s no way we can touch everyone who’s entitled to our service, one person at a time. 
Consultant and futurist Joan Frye Williams thinks that the long-term viability of libraries may depend on using our talents in new ways, to benefit far more people.  In this lively session, Joan will offer practical suggestions for changing how we work, in order to multiply – and get credit for – the benefits each of us provides to the communities we serve.
 
For more than 25 years, Joan Frye Williams has been a successful librarian, consultant, vendor, planner, trainer, evaluator, and user of library services. Her clients include libraries of all types and sizes, library consortia, state library agencies, professional library associations, library boards, library vendors, and architects.  Joan is best known as an acute--and sometimes irreverent--observer of emerging library trends, issues, and practices. She is an internationally recognized library futurist and designer of innovative library services.
Register here! 

Wisconsin Tops in Library Usage & Interlibrary Loan

From the Leader-Telegram post Dec. 11, 2012.

Wisconsin residents borrow more than 1 million library materials each week, ranking the state among the top 10 in the nation for library usage.

“The collaboration and cooperation among Wisconsin’s public libraries and library systems is a testament to the value we place on libraries and the connections libraries form to serve their local communities,” said State Superintendent Tony Evers. “During our recent economic struggles, libraries stepped up their employment resources. Librarians helped patrons search for jobs, write resumes, and submit employment applications online, many times in partnership with local job centers and employment organizations.”

Wisconsin’s 385 public libraries are part of a network of 17 public library systems that work together to fill requests, share materials, and provide services more economically than if each library worked alone. State funding for library systems was cut 10 percent each year of the 2011-13 budget, which amounts to $3.3 million over two years. Those cuts, and local and county funding decreases, have made it difficult for libraries to maintain their historic high service levels.

The $15 million in library system aid for 2013 operations will help libraries

• ensure that system residents have complete access to all public libraries within the system area. State residents made 34.4 million visits to public libraries and checked out 64.5 million items in 2011.

• coordinate the sharing of library materials among participating libraries to meet user needs. Annually, libraries loan more than 9 million items to each other in response to users’ requests, ranking Wisconsin first in the nation for per capita interlibrary loans. System-supported delivery networks deliver interlibrary loan items at no charge to library patrons.

• support the download of digital materials. Wisconsin’s digital collection ranks third in the nation in volume of use. In 2011, state residents downloaded more than 500,000 ebook and audiobooks from their local libraries and regional library systems. For 2012, use has already exceed 1 million downloads.

• offer programming to support child and adolescent literacy. In 2011, children’s programs provided by public libraries attracted more than 1.6 million attendees. The Department of Public Instruction coordinates an annual Summer Library Program along with 46 states that are part of the Collaborative Summer Library Program. Wisconsin library usage data and system aid. 

Summer Library Program attendance for children and young adults was more than 500,000 in 2011.

• provide training and continuing education for local library staff to help them offer the best possible service to their communities.

• coordinate cooperative library technology projects. About 93 percent of the state’s public libraries now participate in shared computer systems that offer users online catalog access to regional library holdings. All public libraries provide the public with the use of computers with high-speed Internet connections and most offer free wireless access for laptop users in the library.

“Even though library visits and circulation have increased over the past five years, the number of library staffers per capita working in our libraries has decreased by 2.6 percent,” Evers noted. “I know librarians are dedicated to helping patrons get the information they need and commend the 5,000 plus individuals who work in our state’s libraries and library systems for their devotion to the public.”

 http://www.leadertelegram.com/news/daily_updates/article_d9fe83fa-43ae-11e2-8b8d-001a4bcf887a.html

Plug Your LIbrary Into the Local Music Scene

Paten Locke performs at Jackson Public Library.

It’s hard to miss the ever-growing enthusiasm for the “buy local” movement. People want locally grown food, locally made handicrafts, locally created products. Now is the best time for libraries to join that movement and provide space in their collections for local content, particularly local music. These collections are a plus for libraries in terms of economics, partnerships, and plugging libraries into the local creative “scene.”
Read more....
http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/features/1211212/live-your-library

Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference

When is it? Jaunuary 16th from 8:30am - 5pm

What is it? A state-wide virtual conference developed by the Nicolet Federated Library System and sponsored by several other public library systems throughout Wisconsin!  It will feature six webinars in one day (using GotoWebinar), with presenters from California to Maine. Attend what you want -  one….four….or all six!  Door prizes will be raffled at each session, and there will be a Cheesy Sweater Contest! 

What is the cost? All sessions are FREE and will be recorded.  We'll also be live tweeting at #wwwc13 the day of the conference. 

Why in January? Why not?  January is cccooollllldddddd in Wisconsin, and no one likes to travel. We're bringing the speakers to you, virtually!  

visit the website for more information and to register:

http://nicbits.blogspot.com/p/wwwwc.html

3 Ways to be More Social in Social Spaces

from David Lee King's blog http://www.davidleeking.com/2012/08/30/3-ways-to-be-more-social-in-social-spaces/#.UHbOLhY-sYE

Successful posts in social media spaces like Twitter or Facebook are the more social, friendly posts (at least for my library, anyway). How can you be more “social” in those spaces? here are three ways to do it:

1. Think “Business Casual.”Anyone like that formal, stilted, edited to the max writing style that appears on brochures and markety emails from businesses? Nope – didn’t think so. That type of language doesn’t help you connect to the organization, does it? So don’t do that. Instead, try to make your photos, videos, blog posts, and status updates more “business causal.” How do you do that? Here’s one way – write like you talk. That way, your posts will naturally sound more conversational. More in the next post!
2. Ask, then Respond. Ask questions. Ask for input. Ask readers to add their thoughts. For example, if you share a list of five favorite action movies in Facebook, make sure to include a question asking readers to add their favorites, or to add what’s missing in the list. People love adding their own favorites to a list!
3. Include your customers. So you asked your customers to add their favorites to your list in #2. That’s awesome … and that can be your next post! Compile that list of customer favorites, post it, and include everyone’s name that added to the list. The people you included might share that list out (i.e., an appeal to vanity), and more customers will add to the list, too.

So – those are some ideas to be more social in social spaces. Do you have any additions to this list (yes, I’m doing #2 right now)? Please add them in the comments below!

If you liked this post, you’ll also like my new book, Face2Face: Using Facebook, Twitter, and other Social Media tools to Create Great Customer Connections. Get it now!

Look What's Up in Osceola!

How I Write Awesome Content

by Kivi Leroux Miller

Let me start by saying that I am fully aware that not ALL of my content is awesome. Far, far from it.

But, I do know that I do write awesome stuff on a regular basis, because you tell me I do (and you are the judge). I often get emails or tweets that say things like, "I was struggling with this exact problem today! How did you know that?" or "I agree with you 100% but could never say that in my office. Now we can talk about it, because you wrote about it."
So I am doing something right, at least part of the time, for some of the people. And honestly, that's the best you can hope for, since awesome is always in the eye of the awesome-gauge holder. What you think is great flew right by a whole bunch of other people who couldn't care less. Maybe next time you'll impress them.

Here are my not-so-secret tips on creating awesome content.

1. Listen.

I am a sponge for needs, concerns, wants, angst, and excitement of nonprofit marketers. I am constantly listening (which is often actually reading) all the time to pick up what's going on in our professional world. I do it by paying attention to questions and reactions on webinars and in workshops, by reading comments on my blogs and others' blogs, by following nonprofits in social media, and more. Creating awesome content is much easier when you know what your readers are thinking about.

2. Find Your Way to Add Value.

But listening is really just the first step. To create awesome content, you have to go beyond just aggregating a bunch of ideas or topics, and to figure out a way to add value. I'm pretty good at seeing patterns, connecting dots, and boiling a whole bunch of stuff down to its essence. That's how I can add value. You need to figure out what your brain is good at, and then apply that to what you are hearing to create value of your own, which you then share in your own awesome content.

3. Put Something New into the World.

I like to do a few big surveys each year of hundreds of nonprofits, and often do smaller polls during webinars to capture anecdotal information, and then I share that information on my blog. I report back on various experiments of my own, from what happened when I gave donations to 20 national nonprofits to the impact of daily blogging. Think about what new information you can help bring to light. Don't get all hung up on whether something is statistically significant or scientifically accurate. As long as you explain your methods and don't overstate your claims, even sharing anecdotal information can be very helpful to people.

4. Show the Thinking Behind the Result.

I see my role as not only showing you how to do things, but helping you see how I came up with the process in the first place, so that you can think through your own problem solving. For example, I could have just given you the agenda for the recent board retreat I did on marketing, but I don't think that would have been nearly as helpful as giving you the adult learning and participation principles I used to create the agenda.

5. Take a Position - And Get Out There with It.

If you can write something that people can't say for themselves for whatever reason -- because the thoughts just haven't coalesced in their own heads yet, or because it would be politically unpopular in the office -- they will love you for you it. Strong opinions are also naturally more interesting and engaging, even if you don't personally agree with them (if you have any doubt about this, you obviously don't watch cable news, which is based entirely on this reality.)
One good example is the post I called My Communications Director is an Idiot. On timely topics, it does pay to get your views out there quickly, instead of just being another "me, too" voice. My blog post that received the most comments ever is one where I shared a strong opinion, and was one of the first to do so, in The Accidental Rebranding of Komen for the Cure.

6. Add Some Clarity.

This may be the most important tip of all. People are so overwhelmed with information, and details, and all the ifs, ands, and buts that they are often paralyzed by it all. If you can add some clarity, so people know where to start and where to focus, they will love you. That's the whole goal of big projects like my six-month mentoring program, and little blog posts and graphics, like the "Is My Message Relevant?" Checklist.

That's how I do it.