System Spotlight
By Staff
Fowler Public Library Receives Grant
Congratulations to Fowler Public Library on receiving the Fowler Legacy Foundation Grant! Way to go, Kelli!
System Members Learned and Had Fun at KLA
This year’s Kansas Library Association conference was held November 1-3 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Wichita, KS. The theme was “Meeting the Challenge.” Several of our member librarians attended, as well as SWKLS Director Richard Brookman.
See who you can spot in this candid photo provided to us by Fowler Public Library Director Kelli Humiston! 🙂 Did you attend this year’s KLA? Do you have pictures? Send them to us and we’ll be glad to post them in the Wrap UP!
Fabulous Fall Displays!
Future Dates & Training Opportunities
Nov 15, 2023 – 1:00 pm CT, CSLP’s ‘Naturally Inclusive: Engaging Children of All Abilities Outdoors” Webinar/Registration Link
Dec 15, 2023 – 10:00 am CT, SWKLS Full Board Meeting (Online Only)
Consulting
By Richard Brookman
Image provide by pexels.com contributor Sora Shimazaki
Kansas Attorney General Opinion No. 2023-10
A question about whether a board member can be excluded from an Executive Session has recently been asked of the Kansas Attorney General. Specifically when the said public board is discussing the petition or possible future litigation.
The majority of what I will be writing is from the AG Opinion. If you would like to read the complete opinion you can do so at this link.
“KOMA does not directly address this situation…Nonetheless, KOMA’s language implies members of a public body may be excluded from an executive session under these circumstances.”
…”to invoke an attorney-client executive session, the ensuing discussion must be privileged under the attorney-client relationship. The presence of an opposing party at the meeting waives the privilege, thereby defeating the justification for the executive session and placing the public body at risk of violating KOMA.”
“In sum, we conclude a public body may exclude members who have threatened litigation against the body from an executive session held to discuss the possible litigation with its attorney. By reaching this conclusion we stress that our opinion is limited to these circumstances; we do not suggest a public body may generally exclude a present member from an executive session.”
So in brief a public board (library board) may exclude a board member(s) from an executive session only if said board member(s) is threatening possible litigation. This allows the library board to go into executive session under attorney-client privilege. You cannot exclude a board member(s) from executive session for any other reason.
Image provided by pixabay.com contributor Peggy_Marco
Question on Workplace Nepotism
The State Library office submitted a question to the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission regarding local workplace nepotism. The following is the key take away in the Commission Counsel’s response.
…”the Commission only has advisory authority regarding conflict-of-interest questions for local level libraires…and for the regional system of cooperating libraries.”
“For local libraries, the only conflict-of-interest laws that would apply are K.S.A. 75-4301a et. seq. There are no prohibitions on hiring family members or a spouse under the local level conflict-of-interest laws. So, hiring family would only be prohibited if the municipality has enacted rules prohibiting nepotism. The only conflict-of-interest prohibition that is likely to apply to the local library employees is K.S.A. 75-4304, which, concerns the making and administration of government contracts.”
Here is my opinion on the last sentence of the last paragraph. When the library board is looking at contract submittals and a board member is related to an entity or person submitting a bid for contract, then that particular board member should recuse themself from any decision making in regards to the contract. As with any questions concerning legalities you should consult with the appropriate legal counsel.
The office of the Ethics Commission also stated that, “Any of the three kinds of libraries you have identified,” (State, regional, local), “can request formal Commission opinions, including the local level libraries.”
Cataloging, Collection Development, and ILL
By Sara Wilson
Collection Development Inspiration
Adult Fiction
Children’s & YA Fiction
Science, But Make it Fashion!
Here at the system office, we have lots of circuits, but you may be wondering how you can use circuits in your programming. Fortunately, StarNet has provided us with the STEM Activity Clearinghouse! If you don’t know what that is, it’s a TON of programming ideas – absolutely FREE – that are centered around science, technology, engineering, and mathematics! So, back to those circuits. Here’s a cool, creative idea to use circuits in your programming: making high tech fashion accessories! This is a great program idea for kids ages 9-12 that will keep them motivated to learn new scientific concepts in a fun, creative way. What else could you do with circuits? Check out the STEM Activity Clearinghouse to find out! To borrow some of our circuit kits, call our office or email swilson@swkls.org.
National Book Awards Finalists
You may have heard the buzz that one of my personal literary heroes, Levar Burton (former host of the TV show Reading Rainbow) will be hosting the 74th Annual National Book Awards, but do you know which books are being considered? Lit Hub has the list, as well as short interviews with some of the finalists. The awards will be held November 15th, in person and online.
For ILLers: Sharing About SHAREit Coming Up 11/29
From SHAREit Product Manager Deborah Hensler:
The next Sharing about SHAREit Q&A is scheduled for Wednesday, November 29, 2023 at 11am PT / 12pm MT / 1pm CT / 2pm ET.
Registration is open at: https://attendee.gototraining.com/r/1707955408538086401
As usual, there’s space on the registration form to ask questions in advance, and we try to answer as many as possible that are asked during the session.
Additional Sharing about SHAREit webinars are scheduled for:
- Wednesday, December 20, 2023
- Wednesday, January 24, 2024
The link to register for each session will be sent about a month in advance.
The recording and slides from last week’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.
For All VERSO Users:
Versed in VERSO Coming Up 11/14
From VERSO Product Manager Rae Schneider:
Dear VERSO users,
This is a reminder for the upcoming Versed in VERSO.
Please join us Tuesday, November 14, at 11:00AM Eastern / 8:00AM Pacific.
If you have a question, please ask it here: https://forms.office.com/r/g611y0f4Q5
To register for the next Versed in VERSO, please do so here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8765797513376280918
ICYMI: Details About the Latest VERSO Update
VERSO had an update on 11/02. The following are changes that occurred during that update, provided by VERSO Product Manager Julie Cavender:
RESOLVED
| AG-2675 | Some component colors, such as the “Show More” option in a facet list, have been adjusted to provide better color contrast. The changes comply with Section 508 requirements for accessibility. |
| AG-2728CS-77616 | After entering a Username/Barcode and Password/PIN on the Login screen, users were required to click the Submit button to log in. This has been corrected so that users can enter their Password/Pin and hit the Enter key to log in. |
| AG-2695 | Guests are prompted to login as patron or staff when requesting a hold on an item. After hold is placed, user was being returned to the login screen. This is resolved so that users return to where they were when they clicked on the hold button. |
| AG-2739 | When using the OverDrive API and selecting an issue of a magazine, the issue did not update on the screen. This has been corrected. |
| AG-2772CS-77796 | Searching orders using the Item Status screen and navigating the results screen sometimes led to an error. The issue was addressed, and the error screen resolved. |
| AG-2803 | Order status results were not displaying ISBNs when ISBNs existed in the order. This is corrected so all ISBNs in an order are displayed. |
| AG-2594 | Duplicate reports have been removed from the Reports Module. |
| AG-2799 | When transactions are not associated to a user, the Circulation by User Type report displayed the user type as “Undefined*.” This has been corrected so that only user-defined circulation data is displayed. |
| AG-2805 | The Weeding by Collection Type header of the downloaded report did not match the header shown on screen. This has been corrected. |
IMPROVED
| AG-2796 | The Circulation by Material Type report has been updated. The online view of the report is now displayed without page breaks. The PDF view of the report now displays a repeatable page header, and footer and report column header. This view also includes pagination and the report grand total in the page footer. |
NEW
| AG-2760 | A new search function has been added to the new Reports Module. This feature provides the functionality for users to filter by report name. |
Technology
by Christopher Dressler
No More Dust Bunnies an AI Poem
In the season of Fall, a cleaning tune,
Not just for homes, but for gadgets too, and soon.
Dust off the cobwebs, wipe the grime away,
Extend the life of tech, let’s do it today.
Old photos and videos, from your phone let them soar,
To the cloud they go, OneDrive and Google, and more.
Social media, a storage treasure,
Making space for Winter, a memory-filled pleasure.
Now gather supplies, a mix with care,
Isopropanol and water, a tech-friendly pair.
Electronics, wipe them down with a microfiber dance,
A poetic cleansing, a digital romance.
Cellphones, tablets, and monitors, behold,
A solution on cloth, a tale to be told.
A dance with the screen, camera, and case,
Canned air joins, a dust-busting embrace.
Laptops, computers, a saga unfolds,
A screwdriver’s touch, a story to be told.
Fans and heatsinks, secrets they hold,
Cautiously open, let the story be bold.
Metal fins and chips, a delicate dance,
Canned air whispers, a cooling chance.
The cover back, a protective stance,
Wipe it down, a poetic advance.
Cables, the unsung heroes, under desks they roam,
Unplug, swipe, check for breaks, make them a poem.
Shielding worn, cracked, or torn,
Replace the cable, a tech reborn.
In the poetry of Fall, a cleaning ballet,
Gadgets revived, ready for the day.
So, unplug, wipe, and dance with glee,
In the rhythm of cleaning, let tech roam free.
Always feel free to contact me for training requests, library cards, or technology issues at cdressler@swkls.org or (620)225-1231. – Christopher Dressler – 10/6/2023