• ​Q&A with Ryan Dowd – 1pm on Thursday, June 4
• Compassionate Accountability: Dealing with Problem Behaviors in the Library – 10am on Thursday, June 11
• Getting Started with Virtual Storytimes – 1pm on Tuesday, June 16
• Small, Rural, and Independent Libraries Mini-Conference – 2 – 5pm on Wednesday, June 17
• 5 Languages of Workplace Appreciation – 1:30pm on Thursday, June 18
• Is Strategic Planning Dead? Preparing for the Future When Tomorrow is Uncertain – 12pm noon on Monday, June 22
• Preparing Your Organization for Your Retirement – 9am on Wednesday, June 24
• Library Services to Latinos & Spanish Speakers – 2pm on Wednesday, June 24

Missed a webinar? It might have been archived, so check NEWI’s list of webinar recordings you can watch for free, anytime.
 
NEWI is a continuing education (CE) partnership of library systems located in North Eastern Wisconsin.  The NEWI website aims to be a central source of CE info for staff working at libraries in four library systems: Manitowoc‐Calumet Library System (MCLS), Nicolet Federated Library System (NFLS), Outagamie Waupaca Library System (OWLS), and Winnefox Library System (WLS).

Below are the headlines from the 05/22/2020 - 📢 Nic News Weekly:

• Palaces for the People: Part 4
• IMLS CARES Act Grant Reminder
• Register for Trustee Training Week
• Virtual Training: BadgerLink's TeachingBooks & Book Connections
• Record-setting Learning on WebJunction
• June is Rainbow Book Month
• Color the Great Lakes

Libraries as Social Infrastructure Virtual Discussion  Part 4 (Healthy Bonds) is now available! Part 4, Healthy Bonds, touches on a wide range of topics that impact communities of all sizes including: food security, the Opioid Epidemic, and aging and living in communities. Discussion questions and additional resources are ready for you to use. 
 
If you want to participate in the discussion of the themes and ideas from Eric Klinenberg's book Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life, you can join in any time! You can go back to Part 1 , Part 2, or Part 3.  Sign up here so we know who is participating (even if you don't add to the discussions).
 
Each folder contains a discussion document and a document with additional resources.   Reading the book is great, but not required, you can check out the additional resources to learn about some of the themes or delve a little deeper.
 
There are extra copies of the book and audiobook in Overdrive so hopefully wait time will not be too difficult.  You might also want to purchase a copy for yourself, or maybe your library has a copy.
 
If you have questions, please contact:
 
Leah Langby (langby@ifls.lib.wi.us)
Mark Jochem (mjochem@scls.info)
Shawn Brommer (sbrommer@scls.info)
Jean Anderson (jean@scls.info)

Please check the NEWI list of free webinars to find online continuing education opportunities you can attend from where you are, whether at work or at home. Most sessions are 60 minutes long, and are provided – at no charge to you – by associations, agencies, companies, and library systems.
 
For webinars on COVID-19, click on a title to register:

• Being Still in an Emergency – 1pm on Tue, May 5
• Reopening Lives with the Library – 1pm on Wed, May 6
• Guidelines for Reopening Wisconsin Public Libraries <-click to join at time of webinar – 2pm on Thu, May 7
• Safety Tips for Reopening Your Library (Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, presenter) – 1pm on Tue, May 12
• Maximizing and Measuring Virtual Programs – 1pm on Wed, May 13
• Connections Summit Online Conference includes these sessions:
  • Preparing Your Library for a Post-Quarantine Environment – 10:15am on Tue, May 19
  • Preparing and Implementing Tools to Re-Open Post Quarantine – Noon on Tue, May 19
• In Times of Crisis: Managing Key Relationships – 2pm on Thu, May 21

Please see below the call for program proposals from the WLA Conference Program Committee:

Below are the headlines from the 04/17/2020 - 📢 Nic News Weekly:

• National Library Week, April 19-25, 2020
• Looking for a Few Good Stories
• Libraries as social infrastructure: Palaces for the People Virtual Discussion
• Professional Development Opportunities: Youth Services Resources
• Top Ten Tips to Educate Your Board
• Small, Rural and Independent Libraries Conference
• All of Us Dementia Awareness for Public Libraries
• Financial Resources during COVID-19 Crisis: A Webinar Event for Wisconsin Practitioners & Educators
• IMLS Federal Emergency Relief Funding for Wisconsin Libraries
• DPI Wi-Fi Mapping Survey

All of Us Dementia Awareness for Public Libraries
Tuesday, April 28, 1:30-3:00
Register at https://www.librarylearning.info/events/?eventID=31313

This interactive presentation will introduce library staff to National Library of Medicine resources, enhance understanding of the public library's role in supporting families living with dementia, and present an opportunity to contribute to our understanding of disease by participating in the All of Us Research Program, a national health research project funded by a grant from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. Participants will also learn strategies to help libraries and their staff become more supportive to people with dementia and their care partners.

Learning Outcomes:

• Increase library staff knowledge of, and comfort with, select medical databases of the National Library of Medicine
• Increase understanding of dementia and its effects on families living with dementia
• Increase recognition of concrete communication strategies and best practices for supporting people with dementia
• Increase awareness of environmental changes that can make libraries more welcoming and supportive environments for people with dementia and their care partners
• Learn how participation in the All of Us Research Program can improve healthcare for All of Us.

Learning something new can be a diversion from the news; you can go to the NEWI list of free webinars to find online continuing education opportunities in which you can participate while your library is closed and you shelter in place. Most sessions are 60 minutes long, and are provided – at no charge to you – by associations, agencies, companies, and library systems.
 
Here are webinars related to COVID-19; click on a title to register:

• Pandemic Mini-Conference: Libraries Stepping up to Serve the Needs of Communities in Crisis (4 webinar sessions) – March 26
  • Self-Care During A Crisis: Breathe, Think, And Grow
  • Why and How to Promote Your Online Services During the Quarantine
  • Serving Patrons In A Crisis
  • Preparing Your Digital Branch for Increased Use
• Public Libraries Respond to COVID-19 series of 4 webinars:
  • The Current Landscape – March 26
  • Successful Ways to Work Remotely – April 2
  • Managing Stress and Anxiety – April 9
  • Innovative Solutions in Times of Crisis – April 16
• Coronavirus Frauds and Scams: What You Need to Know – April 8

 
Need a break from pandemic news? Here’s a sample of webinars on other topics; click on a title to register:

The video is also broken into shorter segments. Click the "Read More" link below to see these shorter videos.

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; click on a title to register:

• Body Odor: The Most Dreaded Conversation of All Time – March 5
• Marketing Crash Course for Librarians: The Beginner’s Guide to Promoting Your Collection and Events – March 10
• Services for Older Adults: Library Programs for Any Time and Any Place – March 11

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

Follow-up message from WiLS:

It was wonderful to have you at our 2020 Membership Meeting last week. Thank you so much for being part of the community and for your interest in what we are doing to support our members.
 
The meeting recording and slides are available.
 
Also, we are excited to share that the WiLS 2019 Annual Report has been published and you can find it here.
 
Please let us know at information@wils.org if you have any questions.
 
Thank you!
--
WiLS General Information
information@wils.org

Below are the headlines from the January 31, 2020 📢 Nic News Weekly:

• Annual Reports: It's that time of year again!
• 2020 Collection Development Grants
• Homelessness 201: A Deeper Understanding of the Lives of People Experiencing Homelessness (Free Webinar)
• Disability, Diversity, and Inclusion: Lessons Learned from Industry Leaders
• Advisory Meeting: February 7th
• Voices of Women in America: Survey Due TODAY

The Great Lakes ADA Center in collaboration with the ADA National Network invites you to attend the February ADA Audio Conference Series session titled “Disability, Diversity, and Inclusion: Lessons Learned from Industry Leaders” featuring  Robert Gould , PhD, Instructor and Project Coordinator , Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois Chicago (UIC); Sarah Parker Harris, PhD, associate professor and director of graduate and undergraduate studies, Department of Disability and Human Development, UIC; and Courtney Mullin, MPA, PhD Candidate in Disability Studies at UIC.

Session Description: Discussions about the meaningful inclusion of workers with disabilities are often missing from research and practice. Join us as the presenters discuss the findings from a research study that included interviewing industry leaders involved in the diversity and inclusion efforts of more than 40 businesses across the Great Lakes Region (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin).  The research team worked with the businesses to better understand the process of creating an inclusive workplace culture in relation to informal and formal policies, programs, initiatives, and practices that support the recruitment, hiring, and retention of workers with disabilities. The presenters provide a summary of some of the emerging best practices and challenges to implementing them. There will be time for participants to ask the presenters about their work.

This session is offered via the telephone and/or via the web based Blackboard Ultra webinar platform.   The session will be captioned via webinar platform. Registration is available at www.ada-audio.org  (you will need to set up an account on the website if you do not have one already).

Questions regarding the session should be directed to webinars@adaconferences.org or at 877-232-1990 (V/TTY).

Because we want to provide the best possible service to all people – and some patron interactions require a thoughtful and deliberate approach – you now have anytime access to online training from Ryan Dowd that will give you practical tools you can use every day. Through this training, you will learn how to compassionately manage problems and prevent conflicts with all patrons who enter your library, including those who are experiencing trauma such as mental health issues, homelessness, and substance abuse issues.
 
The online training is 3½ hours long and is on-demand, so you can watch it little by little or in bigger chunks, whenever works for your schedule. The subscription runs from January - December 2020.
 
Supervisors & Department Heads: please share this info with your staff. If someone on your staff does not have a work email address, please contact Joy Schwartz with their alternate email address and she’ll send them a personalized invitation.

Below are the headlines from the latest 📣 Nic News Weekly newsletter.

• New Mileage Reimbursement Rate for 2020
• FREE Courses on Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Free webinars on teen outreach, guiding staff through change, programs for babies & more this month (NEWI)
• Website Accessibility Checks Anyone Can Do
• Are You Using Images Legally? Get FREE Sources Below!
• Time to Register for Library Legislative Day

The Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference is a state-wide web conference developed by the Nicolet Federated Library System and supported by 15 other library systems in Wisconsin since 2013.

This year, we welcome two new session tracks in Adult Services and Library Management. ​

The sad reality is that most PDFs found online are not very accessible to screen reader users. For many PDFs, screen reader users can only access the words in the document and not the structure (like headings or lists). In an online survey of over 1000 screen reader users, over 75 percent of people said PDF documents are likely to pose significant accessibility issues. By contrast, just over 30 percent said the same thing about Microsoft Word documents. Considering the large number of PDFs on websites, this is very troubling.
​
The good news is that the process for creating accessible PDFs can be very straightforward. For example, it often only takes a couple minutes to turn a well-structured and accessible source file (like a Word document) into an equally accessible PDF.

Source: ​https://www.macfound.org/pages/get-started/pdf/

NFLS member library staff: if you need further assistance making your documents or media more accessible, please contact Lori Baumgart.

It takes a specialized skill set to conduct a complete web accessibility evaluation, but there are several things anyone can do to evaluate a website. Below are 6 things you can do without a knowledge of HTML.

Start by watching this 6-minute video demonstrating these evaluation steps. Then use the details below to try it yourself.

See below for WiLS learning opportunities in January - February 2020:

Check out more Upcoming Events that WiLS is hosting at
​https://www.wils.org/wils-events/wilsevents/upcoming-events/.