NFLS Blog

Here are the headlines from the January 28, 2022 - 📢 Nic News Weekly:

• WAPL 2022 Call for Proposals
• PBS KIDS Community Learning Cohort for Youth Services Staff
• Game On! Grant
• Lake Michigan Shipwrecks, Mysteries: Virtual Programs by Ross Richardson
• Continuing Education:
  • Copyright for Librarians: What You Need to Know
  • PLA 2022 Virtual Conference Registration is Open

In 2021, Wisconsin’s Digital Library, a collaboration of all 16 of the state’s public library systems, broke records by lending over 7.2 million digital books and audiobooks. Since its inception in 2016, Wisconsin’s Digital Library has seen steady and occasionally explosive usage growth, demonstrating the ongoing value of public libraries lending ebooks and digital audiobooks. Even as physical library buildings reopened and collections were once again accessible, usage of the library continued to climb.

To meet last year’s growing demand from patrons, Wisconsin’s Digital Library added more copies of popular titles and collections of always-available ebooks and digital magazines for readers who want to avoid the line and start reading right away.

Of the more than 115,000 titles in the collection, the following were the most popular in 2021.

Here are the headlines from the January 21, 2022 - 📢 Nic News Weekly:

• Employment Opportunities:
  • Now hiring: Head of Circulation - Door County Library
• Grants & Scholarships:
  • Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grants
  • Memory Lab Network final call for applicants
  • Juvenile Justice Positive Youth Development: Mentoring Programs
• Continuing Education:
  • NEXT WEEK: Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference
  • Transitioning to Libby: Tips for winding down the OverDrive app and welcoming more readers to Libby
  • Summer Library Program Learning & Fun: Catch the Wave

Here are the headlines from the January 14, 2022 - 📢 Nic News Weekly:

• WLA Intellectual Freedom Special Interest Group Meet-up: January 24
• "Blowing in the Wind" Concert by David HB Drake
• REMINDER: Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference is Jan. 26-27
• Wisconsin Libraries Talk About Race

The Nicolet Federated Library System (NFLS) is excited to announce that it has been granted two American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grants.

• Library Space and Safety Improvement Grant: $200,000
  This grant was a collaboration between NFLS, the Outagamie Waupaca Library System, the Manitowoc-Calumet Library System, and the Winnefox Library System. Each member library has been awarded $3,000 to purchase items such as modular shelving and furniture that will provide library spaces more flexibility for social distancing and programming during the continuing pandemic. The libraries can also purchase meeting room enhancements for virtual and hybrid meetings, video equipment for virtual programming, and technology-enhanced workstations for patrons.
• Tribal Library Outreach Program for Community Partnerships: $190,569
  This grant, shared between the four tribal public libraries within NFLS and Northern Waters Library Service, will attempt to reduce barriers for tribal members needing assistance in the areas of workforce development, education, healthcare, and social services. The grant will provide the participating tribal libraries with a master class in community partnerships and with individualized support to assess community needs and develop community relationships. The goals include: defining the library community and assessing community strengths, opportunities, and aspirations; growing new and existing relationships to address community needs; and leveraging local knowledge and partnerships to support and market the community-focused library programs funded by the grant.

​Learn about the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for Wisconsin Libraries here.

Algoma Public Library was recently announced as a winner of the “East Asia in Wisconsin Library Program” grant competition by the Center for East Asian Studies at UW-Madison. "Grants were awarded to public libraries throughout Wisconsin, enriching their collections with new titles that will enable patrons to deepen their understanding of East Asia (which includes China, Japan, and Korea)."

The library purchased books, DVDs, and programming materials that will enable people to deepen their understanding of East Asia. They were able to purchase over 30 new titles that include materials for all ages. These materials include DVDs, children's fiction books, children's picture books, children's nonfiction, young adult graphic novels, and adult fiction and nonfiction titles. 

With this grant, the library will also be able to host three programs.

• Two of these programs will be kits available for patrons to pick up and do at home.
  • One will be a Chinese New Year Good Fortune Kit for children and will include one lantern craft, a Chinese New Year Activity Book with Stickers, and a 12 Days of Lunar New Year book.
  • The other kit will be a DIY Silk Scarf kit for adults.
• The library will also be playing Bingo in the library to bring in the Chinese Year and will have Chinese New Year prizes for their winners.

Here are the headlines from the January 7, 2022 - 📢 Nic News Weekly:

• Volunteer for the WAPL Annual Conference
• Register for Library Legislative Day by January 14
• 2021 Public Library Staff and Diversity Survey Due Jan. 14
• Programming Resources:
  • CSLP Newsletter: December 2021
  • Free Comic Day Library Program Enrollment
  • National Library Week 2022: Connect with Your Library
• Employment Opportunity: Director, Door County Library
• Grant Opportunities
  • Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant
  • Creative Communities Project Grants
  • Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant Program Competition
• Training Videos Demonstrate Inclusivity

When the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) was looking for sponsors for its annual conference, Nicolet Federated Library System (NFLS) jumped at the chance to sponsor keynote speaker Nigel Poor.
 
Nigel is a woman of many talents: visual artist, author, professor, and podcast co-host. In her keynote address at the WLA Annual Conference, Nigel spoke about podcasting as a form of storytelling, the creation and evolution of her podcast, Ear Hustle, and connecting with underserved communities.

NFLS Trustee Kathy Pletcher said “I especially liked her "key components" of storytelling and how she used Ear Hustle stories to illustrate the components.”

"In her powerful keynote, Nigel Poor shared poignant anecdotes about her work with prisoners and the importance of storytelling," recalled Laura Sauser, WLA Executive Director.

Ear Hustle was the first podcast created and produced in a prison. It features first-hand stories from those incarcerated about the daily realities of life inside California’s San Quentin State Prison. In 2020, Ear Hustle was named a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in audio reporting for bringing audiences “a consistently surprising and beautifully crafted series on life behind bars.”

Signed copies of Nigel’s books, The San Quentin Project (June 2021) and This Is Ear Hustle: Unflinching Stories of Everyday Prison Life (October 2021), were available after her keynote and sold out quickly.