Month: December 2023

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System Spotlight

By Staff

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Future Dates & Training Opportunities

Dec 22 – Dec 26, 2023 – SWKLS Office Closed

Jan 1, 2024 – SWKLS Office Closed

Jan 9, 2024 – 2:00 pm CT, Twosday Takeaway: Netizen 101 – Teaching Patrons Internet Safety/Registration Link

Jan 12, 2024 – 10 am – 3 PM CT, State Reports Workday at Grant County Library in Ulysses/Registration Link

Jan 16, 2024 – 10 am – 3 pm CT, State Reports Workday at Meade Public Library in Meade/Registration Link

Jan 23, 2024 – 10 am – 3 pm CT, State Reports Workday at Protection Township Library in Protection/Registration Link

Jan 29, 2024 – 10 am – 3 pm CT, State Reports Workday at SWKLS Office in Dodge City/Registration Link

Jan 31, 2024 – 10 am – 3 pm CT, State Reports Workday at Scott County Library in Scott City/Registration Link

February 5, 2024 – State Reports DUE

February 23, 2024 – 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, Summer Reading Workshop Featuring Will Stuck/Registration TBD

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Consulting

By Sara Wilson

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Interactive Movies – How To Make Your Movie Days Into Live-Action Events!

The image above is from Rock Island Public Library in Rock Island, Illinois. Have you ever heard of the Rocky Horror Picture Show audience participation events? For anyone who hasn’t, the Rocky Horror Picture Show is a cult classic that came out in the 1970s and many theaters and venues like to host audience participation nights with fans of the show. They dress up and they act out parts of the movie as it plays. Fans thoroughly enjoy these events and they draw sizeable crowds. We can do the same thing in our libraries and our communities with popular family movies.

There’s something to be said for watcing a movie AND participating with it – especially when it concerns movies that have a large fan base. Many of us have that relative or friend (or even ourselves) who is *obsessed* with Star Wars, The Princess Bride, Grease, etc. and would be first in line to attend an interactive showing! All you need is a popular family movie and some imagination to create actions to go along with different parts of the movie. (Of course, make sure that you are complying with your movie licensing agreement.) Invite patrons to dress up as their favorite characters and bring props, if they have them. You can even have a small prize for best-dressed. Adults and children alike enjoy sing-along movie events, as well. Hand out copies of the movie scenes and their actions before the film starts and watch the fun unfold.

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Patrons come in to use the Internet all the time, but do they know how to protect themselves online? In this Twosday Takeaway, join SWKLS Technology Supervisor Steve Andrews to learn the basics of teaching your patrons some Internet safety tips that will have them safely surfing the web with confidence. Register here and don’t miss out!

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ALA’s Games and Gaming Round Table National Gaming Survey

From State Librarian Ray Walling:

To improve relationships between libraries and vendors, gain donations and sponsorships for ALA Play and International Games Day, and grow collaborations with industry partners, the executive board of the Games and Gaming Round Table (GameRT) has created a short survey to collect data related to games in libraries. 

This short (10 question) survey will not only help with publisher relationships but will help GameRT understand the evolving nature of games in libraries. If your library does not collect or use games, we still ask that you take the survey to help us gain a better understanding of the field. Contact information will only be used to follow up for clarifications. Non-anonymized data will be kept separate and retained for a maximum of one year. If you have any questions before or after taking this survey, please contact the GameRT executive board at gamert@ala.org. https://bit.ly/GameRTgamingsurvey

Image provided by pixabay.com contributor OpenClipart-Vector

Question on Library Board Members – Richard Brookman

During the APPLE Library Law session I taught this last week a question was brought forth that I thought our membership might appreciate the answer to as well as the APPLE students.

In one city the City Clerk is voted into her position by the City Council and the question was since that job position was voted on by the City Council did that count as being in a public office. The answer is found in Attorney General Opinion No. 2013-19. The last sentence gives the overview of the opinion and the qualifiers in a position can be considered a municipal officer.

“…for appointment to a municipal library board is a fact-specific question that will turn on issues such as the type of municipality, the form of municipal government, whether a statute or ordinance creates the position,…”

The key words are whether a statute or ordinance created the position. If no statute or ordinance created the position the vote by the City Council to fill the City Clerk position is just a form of procedure and the City Clerk could still set on any board, to include the library board.

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Cataloging, Collection Development, and ILL

By Sara Wilson

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Click here to view the Collection Specialist job description.

Collection Development Inspiration

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For ILLers: Sharing About SHAREit

From SHAREit Product Manger Deborah Hensler: The recording and slides from November’s “Sharing about SHAREit Q&A” are posted here: Staff Dashboard > Support > SHAREit – they’re in the section at the top of the User Guides.

The above information has been sent to everyone who attended the webinar, plus those who registered but were unable to attend.

Courier Survey

From Caroline Handwork:

We are seeking your input on Kansas Library Express courier services!  The goal is to learn about what works well and where there is room for improvement.  Every KLE member is encouraged to complete the survey, regardless of library type and service level/indirect service.  It should take less than 10 minutes.  Please complete the survey by Friday, December 22,2023. 

Here is a link to the survey, https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KLE_2023

Downloadable ILL Tracker

Making an ILL tracker can be time-consuming! Have no fear, SWKLS has done the work for you. To download a tracker for all your ILL statistics-keeping needs, click here and enjoy. The tracker includes all information you are required to keep for documentation, plus it’s fully customizable, so if your library has additional metrics you’d like to track, you can add those to the sheet as well. It’s sure to make your end-of-year statistical reporting a little easier.

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For All VERSO Users: December Versed in VERSO Recording Now Available

From VERSO Product Manager Rae Schneider:

To access the recording and slides, go to Staff Dashboard > Support > VERSO.

Topics/questions covered:

• New Reports
• AGEdit (Beta) Update
• “Online Content” Full Record Enhancement
• Is there a way to format the overdue notices? I know how to change the message, but they print terribly. I usually type them individually myself.
• Is there a way to get the total material cost to print on my Circulation checkout receipts?
• How can I copy my splash page without recreating the page? I would like to do seasonal or events-driven splash pages that I can auto-activate as I need them.

The next Versed in VERSO is scheduled for Tuesday, January 9,^, 2024, at 11:00 AM ET / 10:00 AM CT / 9:00 AM MT / 8:00 AM PT.

The question from for January’s Versed in VERSO is open. If you have a question or topic you’d like covered, please submit it here: https://forms.office.com/r/PiyFwiL73M.

Here is the registration link for the January Versed in VERSO: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4540939478066474333.

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Technology

by Christopher Dressler

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System Spotlight

By Staff

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Kearny County Public Library Has Decked Their Halls

Check out these whimsical decorations that Tammy and her crew have on display in Lakin! Their library has decked the halls with Grinches, trees, presents, a Christmas village, and even some winter snow. It looks amazing! Great job, Kearny County!! 🙂

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Future Dates & Training Opportunities

Dec 12, 2023 – 2:00 pm CT, Train UP: End of Year Reports Overview with SWKLS Director Richard Brookman/Registration Link

Dec 12, 2023 – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm CT, ESU SLIM Webinar: Process Before Product – Strategies for Harnessing the Benefits of AI in the Classroom/Registration Link The recording will be archived at this link.

Dec 13, 2023 – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm CT, Scholastic Presents: Picture Books That Inspire/Registration Link

Dec 15, 2023 – Deadline to submit Penguin Random House Small & Rural Library Grant Application

Dec 15, 2023 – 10:00 am CT, SWKLS Full Board Meeting (Online Only)

Dec 22 – Dec 26, 2023 – SWKLS Office Closed

Jan 1, 2024 – SWKLS Office Closed

Jan 9, 2023 – 2:00 pm CT, Twosday Takeaway: Netizen 101 – Teaching Patrons Internet Safety/Registration Link (registration opens 12/18)

February 23, 2024 – 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, Summer Reading Workshop Featuring Will Stuck/Registration TBD

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Consulting

By Sara Wilson

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January 2024 Children’s Activity Calendar

If you need ideas for January’s children’s programming, Demco has you covered! They offer free downloadable calendars full of children’s activities for every month of the year. They also have early literacy calendars. To browse all of their activity calendars, click here.

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Do you need some guidance when it comes to end-of-year reports? Wondering what’s coming up? Have no fear, SWKLS is here! Director Richard Brookman will be giving an overview on end-of-year reports next Tuesday at 2 PM. Register here and don’t miss out! See you then!

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KLA Grant Opportunity for APPLE 2024

From April Hernandez, President of the Public Library Section of KLA:

This year the Public Library Section of KLA has two $500 grants available to fund library director participation in APPLE 2024. The application will open by the end of January, so keep an eye out for it. These grants are available to library directors who have no other funding options for the program.

More information: APPLE (APplied Public Library Education) is a year-long training program exclusively for public library directors in Kansas. Managing a library has no counterpart in other types of work and day-to-day library operations are not the focus of library science schools. The APPLE program covers the vast array of topics required to operate a Kansas public library and connects the cohort of new directors with resources: fellow directors, regional system staff and experts from around the state.

If you have any questions before then you can email plsofkla@gmail.com.

Don’t forget to check out the PLS website to access wonderful resources http://www.plsofkla.org/. If you have resources you would like to share or think we should add, please let us know.

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Cataloging, Collection Development, and ILL

By Sara Wilson

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Collection Development Inspiration

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Struggling to Find Book Club Picks? This Book Club Has Only Read One Book Since 1995!

Finnegan’s Wake, by James Joyce, was read for 28 years by a book club in Venice, California, who recently finished their epic task (or did they?). It took Joyce 17 years to write the text, so they spent 11 more years reading it than he did writing it! You can read about why they embarked on this journey and what they learned along the way by clicking here. Skip to the end of the article to find out what they’re reading next. 😉

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For All VERSO Users: Versed in VERSO Coming Up

From VERSO Product Manager Rae Schneider:

The next Versed in VERSO is on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, at 11:00AM Eastern / 8:00 AM Pacific.

This edition of Versed in VERSO will include the Quarterly Product Update presented by Cheryl Slinkard, Chief Operations Officer at Auto-Graphics.

The first 15 minutes of Versed in VERSO will be a product update followed by the regular Q&A session.

If you have a question, please ask it here: https://forms.office.com/r/e3cbQ6saKW

To register for the next Versed in VERSO, please do so here:  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2812974491027422048

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Technology

by Christopher Dressler

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System Spotlight

By Staff

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Future Dates & Training Opportunities

Dec 4, 2023 – Penguin Random House Small & Rural Library Grant Application Submissions Open

Dec 7, 2023 – 10:00 am – 3:30 pm CT, CSLP’s 2023 Virtual Summer Symposium/ Registration Link

Dec 12, 2023 – 2:00 pm CT, Train UP: End of Year Reports Overview with SWKLS Director Richard Brookman/Registration Link

Dec 15, 2023 – Deadline to submit Penguin Random House Small & Rural Library Grant Application

Dec 15, 2023 – 10:00 am CT, SWKLS Full Board Meeting (Online Only)

February 23, 2024 – 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, Summer Reading Workshop Featuring Will Stuck/Registration TBD

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Consulting

By Sara Wilson

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Here’s a Fun, Easy Craft for Your Next Holiday Program!

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Do you need some guidance when it comes to end-of-year reports? Wondering what’s coming up? Have no fear, SWKLS is here! Director Richard Brookman will be giving an overview on end-of-year reports next Tuesday at 2 PM. Register here and don’t miss out! See you then!

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Penguin Random House Small & Rural Library Grant Application Opening Soon!

From ARSL:

Penguin Random House Grants for Small Libraries

Through the generosity of Penguin Random House, we are pleased to announce this grant opportunity for small, rural libraries nationwide! This grant is available to libraries that meet both the IMLS definition for small libraries (a service population of 25,000 or fewer) and the definition for rural libraries (libraries located 5 or more miles from the nearest town of 25k or more)

Applicants may request:

One (1) monetary grant in support of a community-oriented project for up to $1,000.
or
An in-kind grant donation of up to $1,000 in equivalent value to support a circulating collection in your library.
Applications may be submitted beginning December 4, 2023 [at this link: https://social-impact.penguinrandomhouse.com/our-awards/u-s-library-awards/].

Deadline to submit applications is December 15, 2023.

Notifications of funding decision will be sent to applicants by March 8, 2024.
Funded projects must be completed by December 31, 2024.
Project reports must be submitted by February 1, 2025.

The program will award grants to libraries that demonstrate a true need. First-time recipients will receive priority when reviewing the applications. Monetary grants are not limited to literacy and may be used for everything from library programming and books to resources like hotspots that help community members access important information. Library seeking support for digital collections should request a monetary grant.

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Cataloging, Collection Development, and ILL

By Sara Wilson

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Collection Development Inspiration

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Webcomics Are Going Analog

Are you familiar with web comics like Strange Planet, Heartstopper, or Sarah’s Scribbles? These are just a few examples of comics that got their start on the world wide web and branched into traditional publishing. To get the latest on what webcomics are hot, who’s reading them and why, and how you can use this to build your graphic novel collection, check out this article by Publisher’s Weekly. When you’re finished with that, you can browse Goodreads’ webcomics section for even more info.

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For ILLers:

Sharing About SHAREit Schedule –

From SHAREit Product Manager Deborah Hensler:

The next Sharing about SHAREit webinars are scheduled for:

Wednesday, December 20, 2023 – registration is open at: https://attendee.gototraining.com/r/6167283200216195073

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Registration links for January and February will be sent about a month in advance of each webinar.

There’s space on each registration form to ask questions in advance, and we try to answer as many as possible that are asked during the session.

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A message from Caroline Handwork –

This is an update for those libraries that ship via Trans-Amigos Express, one of our out-of-state partners that connects to libraries in Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas.

Trans-Amigos libraries are now using new shipping labels.  The look is slightly different than before, but the information on the label is still the same.  Their new labels each feature a unique single-use QR code that TAE drivers will scan.  Their drivers will no longer scan the sticker barcodes that have been placed on bags.  If you come across any KLE or TAE courier bags with the TAE sticker barcode attached, please remove the sticker and throw it away.  If your library has any extra sheets of the TAE barcodes, please send them to me at the Northeast Kansas Library System, KS131, and I’ll return those to Trans-Amigos.

* Please note, KLE libraries will still use the same shipping labels you have been using to ship to TAE libraries.  Here is a link to that template and information, https://kslibexpress.mykansaslibrary.org/trans-amigos-express-connection/.  Kansas libraries will not have a QR code or barcode to use or keep track of when shipping to TAE libraries moving forward.  This change is effective immediately.

If you have questions, please get in touch with Caroline at chandwork@nekls.org.

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Technology

by Christopher Dressler

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