System Spotlight
By Staff
Rock On Everyone @ Tech Day+
SWKLS would like to thank everyone for their photos, videos, and other participation that made TechDay+ such a success. Thank you so much.
Future Dates & Training Opportunities
Sept 20 – 23, 2023 – ARSL Conference/Wichita, Hotel Booking/Conference Registration
Sept 28, 2023, 1:30 pm CT – After-lunch Course “Incorporating EDI into the Whole Collection Development Cycle/Registration Link
Sept 29, 2023, 1:30 pm CT – APPLE Webinar “HR Basics and Employment Law/Registration Link
Oct 27, 2023 – Deadline to Submit SEED Grant Application/Main Page, Application Page
Nov 1 – 3, 2023 – KLA Conference/Wichita, Registration Link
Consulting
By Richard Brookman
APPLE HR Workshop being Offered to Entire State
The 2024 APPLE “HR Basics and Employment Law” is being offered to the whole State as a free webinar. These classes are usually reserved for the APPLE participants, but the consultants believed this was a workshop that would be appreciated by library directors statewide. The presenter of this webinar is Tiffany Hentschel, Deputy Director of Human Resources at Johnson County.
The discussion topics will be: basic understanding of employment law; Approaches to handling employee performance or conduct concerns; and understanding of the Board/Director relationship and a method for both keeping the Board informed and documenting Director performance.
The workshop will be held on September 29, 2023, from 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm CT. If you are in attending this workshop you can register through this link.
Next After-lunch Course for 2023
The After-lunch Course for this quarter is “Incorporating EDI into the Whole Collection Development Cycle”. A select group of librarians from the Pioneer Library System in Norman, Oklahoma will be the panelists. They include: Leanne Cheek; Meghan Hollingsworth; Jennifer Marshall; Anne Harris; Theresa Tittle; and Kelsey Gourd. This webinar will be September 28, 2023, 1:30 pm CT.
These librarians will be discussing how Equity, diversity, and inclusion can be applied to the collection development cycle. “From careful, conscious selection, diverse subject headings, intentional weeding of the entire collection, including the classics, and applying it to staff training.
For those interested in attending this webinar you can register through this link.
Image provided by pixabay.com contributor PeterDargatz
Seed Grants Applications being Taken
I mentioned this Friday during the System Board Meeting. The SEED Grant is continuing for another round and libraries can apply for this grant.
You need to remember that the SEED grant goes counties that are eligible and if multiple entities in your county apply you will be competing with them for these funds. The grant committee encourages teaming up with one or more other entities when you apply for this grant. By doing so this will be weighted more than just applying for the grant by yourself. However, this still does not guarantee that you will be awarded the grant funds.
Libraries are eligible for the following funding, if awarded:
“Libraries – projects that support providing free and open access to a broad range of materials and services, including reading material, technology, furniture and building improvements”
If you are interested in applying for this grant you can follow this link to the main page for the grant and this link to the actual application form page. The deadline to submit applications is October 27, 2023.
Cataloging, Collection Development, and ILL
By Sara Wilson
Collection Development Inspiration
Adult Fiction
Children’s & YA Fiction
New Resources for You!
Solar Science Programming Kit!
The State Library of Kansas sent us a solar science programming kit, provided to them through the NASA @ My Library project. This kit includes a solar telescope and tripod, 2 pairs of solar binoculars, literature, activities, and promotional materials (while supplies last).
The next solar eclipse will be OCTOBER 14th! This kit is available for you to check out from SWKLS – you can search its availability on our VERSO using the phrase “solar science kit.” Checkouts will be allowed for 3 weeks’ use. We will be checking this kit out on a first come, first serve basis, so reserve this kit for your library today by calling the office or emailing swilson@swkls.org!
Professional Collection
We’ve recently added these titles to our Professional Collection. The Professional Collection is available to all library personnel at every level. If you see something you would like to check out, you can request it on SHAREit, ask your ILL personnel to request it on SHAREit for you, call the office, or email swilson@swkls.org. The images of the books are clickable and will take you to the book’s page on our VERSO so you can easily check the availability.
From the ALA store: The clichéd and vague notions about outreach services for teens that so many librarians encounter in job descriptions and performance evaluations do not reflect the importance or day-to-day realities of this undertaking. In this primer for those new to the profession, Snow demonstrates how youth librarians can approach outreach systematically and mindfully to ensure success.
From the ALA Store: Creativity needs a platform. As technology consultant David Weinberger puts it, “A platform provides resources that lets other people build things.” The library is an ideal platform, and in this book Batykefer and Damon-Moore, creators of the Library as Incubator Project, share the experiences of numerous creative library workers and artists who are making it happen. Their stories will show you how to move beyond merely responding to community needs towards actively building a platform with your community. And best of all, you don’t need to start from scratch—rather, you amplify what’s already working.
STREAM Collection
We’ve recently added these items to our STREAM Collection for use in your library. If you see something you would like to check out, you can call the office, or email swilson@swkls.org. STREAM items will be delivered in person. The images of the items are clickable and will take you to the item’s page on our VERSO so you can easily check the availability.
Reminders
For ILL Personnel
It was so great to see some of you at the statewide training on Wednesday! One thing that came up that I wanted to address, as an FYI: if you are requesting multiple copies of the same title, please remember to submit your request as a multi-copy request. This ensures that each individual request will go to different lender lists. Otherwise, if you submit individual requests, the same libraries will receive that same request each time. If you have questions on how to submit a multi-copy request, please reach out! I will be more than happy to assist you.
For Catalogers
When copy cataloging, please remember to check the 490 and 8XX fields. It was brought to my attention at the statewide ILL training that some original catalogers have started putting book club kits in the 490 and 8XX fields (series statement fields). When searched in SHAREit, ILLers are seeing these individual books appear when they search for book club kits. This causes confusion because they may think they’re requesting a book club kit when it’s really just an individual book. So, when copy cataloging, please do not attach your holding to a book that has “book club kit” in the 490 or 8XX field to avoid confusion. As always, if you can’t find a record that has the information that matches the book you’re cataloging, send it to me and I will be happy to create one for you!
For All VERSO Users
From VERSO Product Manager Rae Schneider:
The September Versed in VERSO is now available in the customer portal and VERSO Support pages.
To access the recording and slides, go to Staff Dashboard > Support > VERSO.
Topics/questions covered:
- Quarterly Product Update
- The New Reports Module
- A-G CAT Module Update
- Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD) Catalog Enrichments
- Are we able to generate a list of overdue books checked out from our library? Are we able to generate a list of overdue ILL books?
- Is there a way to prevent patrons from putting certain collections on reserve? For example, non-circulating collections, reference or library use only materials, archives, etc.
- Does VERSO support patron accounts with multiple barcodes? (Enabling “Store and search previous patron barcodes” and using ‘Nicknames’ as alternate logins.)
The next Versed in VERSO will be held on Tuesday, October 10th, at 11:00 AM ET / 10:00 AM CT / 9:00 AM MT / 8:00 AM PT.
The question from for the October Versed in VERSO session is open. Please submit questions here: https://forms.office.com/r/83zA0xk0Hy
Registration for the October Versed in VERSO is open. Registration link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4926062115379483992
SEE YOU AT ARSL!!! 🙂
Technology
by Christopher Dressler
Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is quickly approaching. Being online safety conscience is a lifelong activity but in October, we will take the time to study ways we can improve online safety and learn to identify and strengthen our online safety weak points.
Always feel free to contact me for training requests, library cards, or technology issues at cdressler@swkls.org or (620)225-1231. – Christopher Dressler – 8/4/2023