In the coming weeks, all library locations in Wisconsin will be receiving a small stack of handbills about Census 2020. These are meant for patrons, especially those who might need a heads up that the Census is coming.
 
As a reminder, Census postcards will be mailed on March 12, arriving in households in mid-March. The postcards will have the info people need to login and do their Census form online. It’s expected that 90% of respondents will do their form online (that’s where our libraries come in). If people don’t reply in a timely manner, they’ll get additional mailings. If they still don’t reply, they’ll have paper forms mailed to them. If they still don’t reply, Census workers will knock on their door.
 
Let’s help people understand the importance of a good count in your area and across the state. For tips in providing assistance to Census takers, DPI is maintaining a resource page: https://dpi.wi.gov/pld/census-2020-wisconsin-counts
 
Of particular note, DPI recommends looking at ALA’s most recent Tip Sheet with dates and what to expect. It also recommends looking at Community Connect Lab’s screen grabs of the online Census form.  
 
Please share with all staff in your library so they can start familiarizing themselves with the process.

Updated 2/26/2020: Tip Sheet link was updated. PDF can also be downloaded below.

SALARY: $11.00 Hourly
OPENING DATE: 02/24/2020
CLOSING DATE: 03/13/2020     04:30 PM
LOCATION: Sturgeon Bay Library, 107 S. 4th Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, WI
HOURS: Averages 11.25 hours per week–year round – every other weekend
 
GENERAL SUMMARY OF POSITION: This position will require someone that likes to work with the public and is organized and detailed.  Responsibilities could be anything from sorting and shelving books to aiding patrons in the proper use of equipment and technology. ​

The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting to fill thousands of temporary positions across Wisconsin to assist with the census count. Paid training, flexible hours and a chance to keep Wisconsin moving forward together await!

​Apply now. Call 1-855-JOB-2020 or go to this U.S. Census Bureau web page to learn more. 

The Door County Speaks Oral History Kit is an exciting tool for promoting oral history projects, building community memory, and fostering deeper collaborations between public libraries and community organizations.

Each kit contains a set of tools for planning and conducting a professional-quality oral history interview: a Zoom H2n audio recorder, studio monitor headphones, a tripod and other essential accessories, and a resource binder with instructions for every stage of the oral history process. 

Kits will be available for checkout in 2020 at every Door County Library branch.
​
The Door County Library would like to thank NFLS for its support for this ongoing project, through its 2019 Library Improvement & Innovation Grant, which funds programs in the areas of workforce development, lifelong learning, and/or technology.​

Check out what other NFLS libraries have purchased with their grants here.

​Get more information about the kits below:

WebJunction’s free, online Course Catalog has 55 self-paced courses on library topics, as well as over 260 curated webinar recordings ready and available when you are. From customer service, to managing staff development, to designing programming for patrons of all ages, there is something to meet your learning needs!
 
Highlighted Content on WebJunction

• Legal Reference at the Library—Building Skill Through Practice: West Baton Rouge reference librarian, Luis Interiano, shares his real-life example of how civil legal issues that come up in the library, and demonstrates how helpful public library staff can be in a very significant situation.
• WebJunction at PLA in Nashville: we're excited to share that members of the WebJunction team will be attending! Here are some of the sessions and events we hope you'll add to your schedule if you'll be there.

 
WebJunction Webinars for You
The following upcoming webinar is open for registration. If you can’t attend a live session, all WebJunction webinars are recorded and available for free in the Course Catalog.

Cultivating Protective Factors for Safe Libraries and Resilient Communities
Thursday, March 5, 2020 ◆ 2:00 pm Central ◆ 60 minutes
Registration: https://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/protective-factors-safe-libraries.html 

​You're invited to WiscNet Connections 2020

Join WiscNet at the Monona Terrace in Madison on May 12 and 13 for its annual conference all about connecting people and strategies!

You can register on its website. That's also where you'll find details about the conference schedule (the content is still in progress as it works hard to bring you a wide variety of topics, ideas, and avenues for teaching and learning), keynote speakers, and hotel reservations.

Following are the headings in the February 13, 2020 Libraries Transform newsletter:

• Olympians Maia and Alex Shibutani to Chair National Library Week
• Harrison Ford Promotes Libraries in New Video PSA
• Winners of the Very Best Books and Media Announced
• Help Save Federal Funding for Libraries
• Sale on Libraries Transform Products
• We're Available for Conferences and Webinars
• More than 15,000 libraries and advocates have joined Libraries Transform!

​Registration is now open for the webinar Summer Food Service and Public Libraries webinar.
 
Webinar Information:
When: Friday, March 6, 2020
Time: 1:00 - 2:00 pm
Where: your computer.  The program will be recorded and archived
Speakers: Amy Kolano, Summer Food Service Coordinator, Dept. of Public Instruction and regional public library staff
 
Program description:
The Summer Food Service Program provides free meals to low-income children during school vacations. More than 26 million children eat school lunch every day when school is in session, and about half of them receive their meals free or at a reduced price due to low household income. But what happens during the summer months?  The Summer Food Service Program offers those children nutritious food when school is not in session. During Summer 2018, Wisconsin served 2.9 million meals at 965 sites operated by 240 sponsoring organizations, including public libraries.
 
This webinar will provide information about Wisconsin’s program and will share ideas about ways that public libraries in the state have partnered with local agencies to become host sites for the summer program.  Join us and as we hear from Summer Food Service coordinator, Amy Kolano, and public library staff about ways that libraries have successfully hosted the Summer Food Program in their communities.

The US Census Bureau released a sneak peek of the 2020 Census online form during the National Advisory Committee Fall Meeting. This walks you through the whole form so you can make sure your library is ready for Census 2020.

Please share these screenshots with library staff who might be in a position to help patrons with their Census survey so they can provide the best possible service to folks who need a hand.

Go to the NEWI list of free webinars to find continuing education opportunities in which you can participate without leaving your library; most sessions are 60 minutes long, and are provided – at no charge to you – by associations, agencies, companies, and library systems.
 
Here’s a sample of webinars offered this month:

• Activate Your Rural Community – Feb 5
• Free Tools for Working with Social Media – Feb 5
• Rural & One-Person Libraries: Safety & Security for Staff, presented by Dr. Steve Albrecht – Feb 6
• A Deeper Understanding of the Lives of People Experiencing Homelessness by Ryan Dowd – Feb 6
• Hiring & Recruiting Library Workers: A Guide for Small and Rural Librarians – Feb 7
• How to Create Video for Social Media on a Shoestring Budget: Tips & Tools – Feb 11
• Intro to Creating a Library Marketing Plan (includes a customizable template) – Feb 13
• Fine Free: How Libraries Are Increasing Equity, Engagement and Access for Their Communities – Feb 13
• Financial Literacy at Small & Rural Libraries: Little Library, Big Impact– Feb 18
• Outreach Programming: Finding & Serving Hidden Patrons – Feb 26

WebJunction is partnering with the nonprofit organization, Legal Services Corporation (LSC) to offer Improving Access to Civil Legal Justice through Public Libraries, a free national training initiative for public library staff to help strengthen access to civil legal justice.

Barriers to civil legal justice disproportionately affect low-income people in the US, creating the justice gap—the divide between the civil legal needs of low-income people and the resources to meet those needs. Though legal issues can be intimidating for library staff, public libraries are well positioned to help reduce this justice gap by providing more access points to legal information and services.

“Legal matters are unfortunately one of life’s necessities, yet too many Americans lack the knowledge and resources to access civil legal justice. There is a larger role for public libraries to assume in improving access to legal justice for all our community members, and this free training intends to fill this void,” says Chris Le Beau, former President of ALA’s Reference & User Services Association.

WebJunction will host a webinar on February 11, Civil Legal Justice: The Crucial Role of Libraries, where participants will learn about the status of civil legal justice in our system, the vital role public libraries can play in reducing the justice gap, and about the live, multi-week course to be offered in April, which takes a deeper look at supporting people to navigate the complexities of the legal system. 

Event: PBS KIDS Early Childhood Edcamp Fox Valley
Date: Saturday, February 15, 2020
Time: 8am - 12:30pm
Location: Community Early Learning Center Fox Valley, 313 South State Street, Appleton, WI 54911
Register here
 
PBS Wisconsin Education and Community Early Learning Center Fox Valley have partnered to bring a free professional learning experience to librarians and others who care for young children. A PBS KIDS Edcamp is a local gathering of educators connecting through shared experiences and peer-led conversations with a PBS twist.
 
Here are a few things you can expect to find at PBS KIDS Early Childhood Edcamp Fox Valley:

• You will enjoy a free breakfast. Sharing a meal leads to shared conversations, shared ideas and shared fellowship. Sounds like a great way to start the day!
• You will meet PreK-3 Educators. PBS KIDS’ focus is early childhood, so naturally our PBS KIDS Edcamp is designed for the PreK-3 adults who teach them … like you! Expand your professional learning circle and make some new friends!
• You will discover free educational media. Classroom-ready, standards-based, PBS resources will be shared. Who doesn’t love free lesson plans?
• You could win fun stuff. Whether you call it swag, giveaways, tchotchke, whatever – PBS has fun stuff! And we all know teachers like fun stuff.

Attendees will receive a certificate of attendance.

Questions? Contact Katy Kraemer at katy.kraemer@pbswisconsin.org