System Spotlight
By Staff
Fowler Public Library’s Summer Activities
Fowler Public Library was swamped with patrons this summer, taking advantage of the summer library program! Great job, Kelli!!
Future Dates & Training Opportunities (All Times in CST)
July 8th, 12 PM – 1 PM – Amazing STEM Experiments Made Easy (Webinar)/Register Here
July 10th, 2 PM – 3 PM – Why Do We Fall for Misinformation? (Webinar)/Register Here
July 11th, 3 PM – 4 PM – DEI Taskforce Meeting Online/Zoom Link
July 17th, 2 PM – 3 PM – Cultural Humility in Library Work (Webinar)/Register Here
July 23rd, 9 AM – 9:45 AM – Koha eCard Admin Training/Zoom Link
August 2nd – 10 AM – 3 PM – Tech Day+/Register Here
August 9th, 10 am – 12 pm – Southwest Kansas Library System Board Meeting/Registration Link
September 26th – 27th – SWKLS Retreat/Register Here
Consulting
By Sara Wilson
When: August 9th at 1 PM, following the budget hearing & system board meeting.
What: Get together w/SWKLS librarians and trade ideas, props, stories, and more! Please fill out this quick questionnaire about 3 children’s programs that you’re doing at your library that someone else can adapt for their library. If you have gently used StoryTime props or costumes that you may like to trade, bring those along. Also, feel free to bring some of your favorite storytime stories! We will provide StoryTime training and SWKLS support resources. Everyone will leave with a ton of new programs they can try, new ideas from me, possibly new props or costumes, and awareness of resources through SWKLS. Come ready to have fun, learn, share, and maybe even listen to a story or two . . . 🙂
Summer Library Program Evaluation
For many of you, the Summer Library Program is coming to a close. Congratulations on another awesome year! 🥳 Please take the time to fill out the Summer Library Program Evaluation Form, now available on Google Forms. All Summer Library Program Evaluation forms must be turned in by the end of August. Thank you!
Reminder: SWKLS Retreat Coming in September
This is a reminder that we have our retreat coming up on September 26th and 27th in Syracuse, KS. We have a speaker lined up and it’s going to be a fun, relaxing experience! Come get to know your area colleagues, share stories, laugh, learn, and get away from it all.
Image provided by Pixabay.com contributor Mariakray
SWKLS Budget Hearing and Board Meeting Set
The Southwest Kansas Library System does not need an 2025 RNR hearing this year because we are below the RNR rate. Because of this the System’s date for submitting our budget is earlier in the year. This year we will only need a 2025 budget hearing and then we will have the board meeting after the budget hearing to certify the 2025 budget
The hearing and meeting will be a hybrid meeting. The in-person hearing/meeting will be held at the Dodge City Public Library in there Lois Flannigan Room (upstairs meeting room). For those that are unable to attend in person the meeting will be available through Zoom. The 2025 Southwest Kansas Library System Budget hearing will begin at 10:00 am with the regular System meeting following the budget hearing. Lunch will be on your own
The CE for this meeting is a Story Time Swap Meet! We will begin the Swap Meet at 1:00 pm. If you have any unneeded Story Time decorations bring them to the meeting so other libraries can possibly use them for one of their libraries upcoming Story Time. Bring your ideas for themes, activities and crafts that you can share with other libraries! Bring you favorite storybooks for Story Time to share with everyone…there might even be some readings?!
Please register for the SWKLS Budget Hearing and Board Meeting through this link.
Image provided by Pixabay.com contributor StockSnap
State Aid for 2025
Everyone one is in the middle of Summer Reading and preparing for the 2025 budget year. I just wanted to send out a reminder of what I mentioned at our last System Board meeting.
The Special Session that was called by Governor Kelly has came and went with no changes to the 2025 budgetary cycle. This means that each public library will receive more in State Aid than they have in the past few years. Public libraries will receive a $1,000.00 base grant and then they will also receive the regular population formulated amount on top of the $1,000.00. This formula has been increased by $.02. Therefore, if you received $453.00 last year in State Aid (without taking in the $.02 formula increase) in 2025 your library could receive $1,453.00.
As we have mentioned before the State Library is following the guidelines for State Aid more strictly now. There are two qualifications public libraries have to meet to receive State Aid. They are: complete the yearly public library survey and have a budgetary maintenance of effort. The maintenance of effort means your budget each year needs to increase by some degree. Both of these qualifications have to be met. If they are not the State Library will not award State Aid to your library. I encourage you to mention this to your local governances so they know what could be gained or lost to your library in funding.
Image provided by Pixabay.com contributor sferrario1968
Retreat Update
The staff have been working on the retreat details at this time. I also have some news from Amy Brucker, director of Hamilton County Library, that pertains to the retreat and hotel accommodations. The Borders Inns and Suites is in transition to new owners at this time. If you have already made reservations with the hotel for the retreat, she encourages you to make sure you receive a confirmation receipt and to print the receipt out to have with you when you come over. If you haven’t made your reservations yet it is encouraged to do so now to get a room reserved. Remember many of the rooms are doubles so if you don’t have a room made, please consider sharing your room with another person because the beds are limited.
The retreat is a 2 day, 1 night event on September 26 and 27, 2024. To make your reservations you can do so with Borders Inns and Suites at 620-384-7829.
Cataloging, Collection Development, and ILL
By Sara Wilson
Collection Development Inspiration
Adult Fiction
Children’s & YA Fiction
For ILLers:
Sharing About SHAREit
From SHAREit Product Manager Deborah Hensler:
The recording, slides, and transcript from June’s Sharing about SHAREit Q&A are posted here: Staff Dashboard > Support > SHAREit – the Sharing about SHAREit webinars are posted at the top of the chart.
The next SHAREit about SHAREit will be a general ILL Q&A on Wednesday, July 24, at 11am PT / 12pm MT / 1pm CT / 2pm ET.
- Registration is open at: https://attendee.gototraining.com/r/9100649385783920900
- There is space on the registration form to ask questions, and we’ll answer as many as possible during the webinar.
The topic for the August Sharing about SHAREit, scheduled for Wednesday, August 21, is “SHAREit and NCIP.”
I hope to see you at a future Sharing about SHAREit session!
For All VERSO Users: Versed in VERSO
From VERSO Product Manager Julie Cavender:
Next weeks’ Versed in VERSO will include a special presentation by Jessi Curley, Quality Assurance Specialist. She will review VERSO’s accessibility statement as well as share tools, tips, and tricks. If you have specific questions, please submit them when registering.
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7945533257032555095.
Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at 10 AM CST
Technology
by Christopher Dressler
