SLIS Library News

Extra, Extra! New Zine Titles Available!

2012-10-29T13:36:00.001-05:00

As some of you may already know, the SLIS Library collects Zines, small, self published magazines about, by, or for librarians and libraries.

Currently the library has a collection of over 25 zines. However, due to their somewhat lack of consistent release dates, zines can be difficult to follow. The SLIS Library has come up with a solution: from now on, you can walk through the Zine collection and any time you see the green call out, like the one in the picture below, you will know that this Zine has been in the library for less than thirty days. Stop by and check them out!

Do you know of any Zines by, about, or for librarians and libraries that you think the SLIS Library should collect? Let us know about it! E-mail us the title and/or how to find it at slislib@library.wisc.edu.

WLA Picks and Info

2012-10-23T15:58:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, this week is the Wisconsin Library Association's Annual Conference in La Crosse. Lots of SLIS students, staff, and faculty are going, but if you're not one of them, it's still a good idea to get a taste of what's going on, who is speaking, and what will be discussed. Below are some of the SLIS Library's picks on speakers and programs, but there are TONS of wonderful and interesting topics we don't have space to mention! If you are interested in learning more, take a look at WLA's website here.

Developing a Concert Series at Your Library
Learn how to organize and implement a popular concert series in your library. This session includes recruiting musicians, performance contracts, scheduling, marketing, funding, sound systems, room requirements and much more.

Library Interiors: Maximum Impact for Minimum Input
At a time when swelling library use puts pressure on dwindling budgets, it's tempting to ignore the updates your library interior needs. But increasingly savvy customers expect more from their library experience. Fortunately, re-imagined library interiors don't have to be costly. With creativity and resourcefulness you can make a great impact even with small investments.

Photo of Whangaparaoa Library Teen Area

Accessibility Best Practices for Instruction Librarians
*Featuring UW Librarians, including Anjali Bhasin!
As champions of information literacy and access, librarians often intend to provide universally accessible service, but don’t always have the knowledge to do so. At UW-Madison, the Instructional Design Working Group developed accessibility best practices to help our librarians make learning content, whether delivered online or in-person, accessible to all students. We will talk about these best practices as well as how to handle accommodation requests, write curriculum and accessibility statements, and create accessible documents and tutorials.

Open Source on a Budget
*Featuring SLIS's Dorothea Salo!
You might have heard all sorts of things about open source software. Perhaps you've heard how wonderful the open source community is, or maybe you've instead swapped horror stories of working with non-tech-supported programs.... Come learn how open source really can be a viable option for techies and non-techies alike!

At the Movies with Librarians: Books Coming out as Movies at a Theatre near You
The panel will be discussing popular books being made into upcoming movies in late 2012 and 2013. We will screen the trailers for these films and talk about how well (or how poorly) we think these books will translate to the screen.

Image from firstshowing.net

RDA Implementation: An Update and Overview
This session will be a general overview of RDA, and give an update on the implementation as done by the Library of Congress and its national partner libraries.

Creating Quality Library Programming for Boys
It can be difficult to dream up programs that work well for boys once they've left storytime. Join us for a discussion on creating programs boys from elementary school through high school will want to attend. We'll also discuss ways to make them feel welcome, how to fill your library with the stuff they want and how to take gender out of the planning process.

eReaders for the Common Good: Instituting an eReader and Other Device Lending Program @ Your Library
Journey with us as we take you through the jungle of trials and tribulations necessary to establish an eReader lending program and policy at your library.

From Madonna's Sex to 50 Shades of Grey: Collection Development Decisions
*Featuring SLIS's Jane Pearlmutter!
Join this program for a lively discussion about the phenomenal success of the "50 Shades" series. Has something changed in the world and in libraries since Madonna's "Sex," or is it even possible to compare "Sex" to "50 Shades?" We will hear different viewpoints on this particular book and the more general issues surrounding erotica in publishing and libraries today.

Image from USA Today

Using Technology to Make Local History Accessible to the Community
After gathering dust for decades in tucked-away file cabinets, historic photographs became community resources when uploaded to an online photo album. No longer trapped in the memories of village citizens, immigration stories came alive when videotaped and posted online. With a few technological tools and the library website, the presenters made their area's history accessible worldwide and increased community involvement.

SLIS in the news

2012-10-16T14:56:00.000-05:00

SLIS Director Kristin Eschenfelder was recently featured in both The New York Times and the Sauk Prairie Eagle newspaper. She weighs in in the NYT's Room for Debate section, discussing the topic "Does the Law Support Inventors or Investors?" Read Kristin's arguments here. She is also quoted in the Eagle, discussing the role of libraries in small communities, saying "libraries have always been about more than books." Read the Eagle article here.

The Future of E-Books and Libraries

2012-09-25T19:35:00.000-05:00

When you walk into a library to borrow a book, traditionally we think of a printed book. A solid material you take home after it is checked out. However, a growing number of library patrons now turn to electronic devices to enjoy their reading; thus, the question of e-book enters the equation.

Earlier this year there have been several talks between the Big Six Publisher (Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin, Random House and Simon & Schuster) and libraries regarding the introduction of e-book lending. Overall, the Big Six has been reluctant to team up with public libraries due to their fear of library e-books undercutting other sales. Currently, libraries are paying high prices to obtain e-books' titles from the Big Six Publisher. HarperCollins has a 26-lend limit on its library e-books. Random House nearly triples its e-book prices in March and Hachette recently confirmed it would more than double its prices.

Although there have been many obstacles, things are moving slightly forward. In June, Penguin launched a one year pilot project with vendor 3M and the New York Public Library. Macmillan officials recently announced that the publisher is also working on a pilot program that would enable e-book lending for libraries. This development is monumental since libraries have been fighting for equal access to e-books citing that library patrons should have equal access to print and electronic books. Despite recently developments, the future of e-books and libraries remain uncertain.

What do YOU think?
Readers what do you think about e-books and public libraries? Do publishers have the right to be concern about their sales? Do public library patrons have the right to access e-books? Do you think a six-month delay release for public library e-books is fair?

For more articles on the future of e-books and public libraries:
The Digital Shift: Macmillan Confirms Ebook Pilot for Libraries Publishers Weekly: Macmillan Poised to Test Library E-book Model
The Wall Street Journal: Libraries Cut E-Book Deal With Penguin
paidContent: Hachette to Raise Ebook prices for libraries by 220%

E-Books in America (and at SLIS)

2012-05-14T12:26:00.000-05:00

Nothing provides a quick dose of information quite like an infographic. Particularly a pretty infographic. We're big fans of the site Daily Infographic here at SLIS, and the perfect one came across the desk this morning:

Via dailyinfographic.com

There were little tidbits on borrowing vs. buying behavior for e-reader users:


Via dailyinfographic.com

And on overall reading habits for e-book users:

Via dailyinfographic.com

You can check out the whole thing here: http://dailyinfographic.com/e-books-in-america-infographic

Whatever your stance on the paper vs. e-reader debate (this article appeared in the Twin Cities' Star Tribune this weekend), chances are that many of your patrons will be using e-readers. Did you know that the SLIS Library has a bunch for SLIS students to try out? We have several Kindles (Fire, Keyboard, and Touch), a Nook Color and a Nook Simple Touch, and an iPad. Summer's a great time to play around with an e-reader (anyone else hiding a summer romance novel cover?) and get to know what the fuss is about.

SLIS Student Awards

2012-04-22T13:03:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to this year's SLIS Student Awards winners!

Laura Farley - Valmai Fenster Award for Outstanding Promise of Exceptional Scholarly contribution to the Profession

This award was created in honor of Valmai Fenster, a former SLIS faculty member, to recognize exceptional scholarship of a SLIS student as evidenced in a scholarly paper.

Dawn Wing - Dianne McAfee Hopkins Diversity Award

This award was created in honor of Dianne McAfee Hopkins, the first African-American SLIS faculty member and committed leader in school library education, intellectual freedom, and diversity in the library profession.

Megan Schiebel - Penelope and Stephen Klein Scholarship Award

Penelope Klein earned an MA from SLIS in 1997. In thanks for her years at SLIS, she and her husband offer this scholarship to a SLIS student who is entering into the second year of study at SLIS, intends to have a career as a public librarian, and has a background in the humanities.

Jennifer Kirmer - Lawrence C. Zweizig Student Leadership Award

This award, given in honor of late SLIS graduate Lawrence Zweizig, serves to recognize and nurture leadership in the first year master's students, thereby helping to sustain the School's commitment to graduating future leaders in the profession.

Carissa Christner, Nicole Colburn, Kat McLarn, Angela Terrab, Jackie Zook - Award winners

Sara Cummins, Melissa Nicholas, Molly Khan - Honorable Mention

James Krikelas Award for Innovative Use of Information Technology

This award, in honor of Emeritus Professor James Krikelas, recognizes the work of SLIS students who have presented the innovative use of information technology through a SLIS course assignment.

Dawn Wing - Lawrence Jacobsen Innovations in Library Science Scholarship Award

This award was established by Larry Jacobsen to support a second year SLIS student who needs financial assistance in completing his or her second year, has a focus on academic and/or special libraries, and demonstrates skills as a potential difference make in librarianship.

Click here for full descriptions of each award.

Celebrate National Library Week!

2012-04-08T10:23:00.001-05:00

National Library Week is an annual celebration sponsored by the American Library Association. Each April, we celebrate the country's libraries and librarians and promote the use and support of all kinds of libraries, from public and academic to school and special. Other NLW events include National Library Workers Day (4/10), National Bookmobile Day (4/11), and Support Teen Literature Day (4/12).

This year, National Library Week is April 8-14, and the theme is "You Belong @ Your Library." Here at SLIS, we're celebrating by holding a Silent Auction, and setting up our very own Create-A-Button station. We will have a button maker, paper, and even a chart of Dewey numbers, so you can show some love to your favorite subject. Stop by and celebrate with us!

SLIS Teaching Slides Collection

2012-04-03T17:03:00.000-05:00

Back when the cataloging ("cat") lab actually contained cataloging materials and slideshows actually used slides, SLIS faculty made use of a collection of 35mm slides of library superstars for their lectures. This collection, after several years of obscurity in the remember-when-slides-were-nifty? cabinet, has recently seen its star rise in the form of a new digital collection.

The collection, under the imposing name Historic Librarians and Benefactors, can be found here: http://uwdc.library.wisc.edu/collections/SLISTeaching/HistLibrBen

In the collection, the shining lights of librarianship spring to life. Have you ever wondered what Melvil Dewey looked like pre- and post-beard?

The visage of the man who created the

Dewey Decimal System, was an original

member of ALA, and co-founded

Library Journal. No big deal, right?

University of Wisconsin School of Library and Information Studies faculty and staff gathered this collection of teaching slides. It covers individuals from the late 19th and early 20th century, as well as some group shots of the American Library Association from 1887 and 1889. Which, like the one below, prove that librarians - then and now - are awesome.

American Library Association Excursion Party - Lookout Mt., May 1889

Snarky book jackets protect privacy

2012-03-19T19:22:00.001-05:00

Since the explosion of ebooks/readers, many ereader users say they like the privacy of their screen, because it prevents onlookers from snooping on what they're reading. Well, print lovers, you can now enjoy the same privacy, and hopefully some uninterrupted reading time! Designed by some ingenious minds, the "Go Away" Dust Jacket series are free, downloadable, and printable book jackets that provide book privacy and inform onlookers that you don't want to be disturbed! Feast your eyes:

The jackets feature snarky comments (notice the lower left book in the right picture says "In Forks, send help") and fit average-sized YA Books. Click here to visit Erin Bowman's blog, where you can download the book jackets.

SLIS Silent Auction

2012-03-10T13:12:00.000-06:00

To celebrate National Library Week, SLIS is holding a silent auction to benefit the SLIS Library. In years past, the silent auction has been a great success, and this year we hope it will be too!

The SLIS Library will be collecting donations through Friday, April 6. Donations include new or used goods - from cooking utensils to decorative items to electronics to anything else you can dream up. Donations can also be services, which includes things like a ride to the airport, and batch of freshly baked cookies, etc. To donate a service, fill out a Service Receipt slip at the Library. Then, during the auction people will bid on the service and the winner will contact you for that ride or cookies!

The auction will take place in the SLIS Library from Monday, April 9th at 8:00 AM to Thursday, April 12th at 5:00 PM. Be sure to check back often on your bidding items throughout the week to ensure a victory!

If you have any questions, contact the SLIS Library at slislib@library.wisc.edu.

Shiny-ing up your skill set with Lynda.com

2012-02-15T20:24:00.002-06:00

If you're like many SLISers, you may be looking at a long list of desired skills on a job application and thinking, "Gosh, if only I had experience with [technology-related item here]." Sigh no more, my friends.

DoIT recently purchased a subscription for the UW community to Lynda.com, which contains more than 1,200 self-paced online courses and more than 50,000 individual tutorials. Courses cover everything from Drupal to Photoshop to XML and range from 45 minutes to several hours.

Signing up is easy. So easy, in fact, that it's already done. If you have a UW Madison NetID, all you need to do is click on this link, and then log in using your NetID. From there, you can search by subject (photography, video, business, design) or by specific software (CSS, iMovie, Microsoft Access). Or, if you're feeling adventurous, browse the "latest releases":

Once you've found interesting courses, watch them immediately or add them to your queue. Each course has a detailed outline so you can get an idea of what's being covered or you can skip to the part you need. There are also exercise files to try out your skills and a transcript in case you want to go back to look.

Happy searching!

(For more info from DoIT, go here: http://www.doit.wisc.edu/training/lynda.aspx)

Protests Against Journal Publisher

2012-02-09T11:31:00.000-06:00

Following the lead of British professor Tim Gower, a growing number of professors, librarians, researchers, and like-minded professionals are refusing to publish in, referee for, or join the editorial board for academic journal publishing giant Elsevier.

Supporters of the protest cite the incredibly high journal subscription prices as a main reason for their disassociation with Elsevier. Thomas Hales, a math professor at the University of Pittsburgh, stated his frustration plainly, asking "Why should university researchers donate their labor and intellectual property to Elsevier, just to have the publisher turn around and charge university libraries exorbitant prices for access?" (http://www.utimes.pitt.edu/?p=19679).

The price of scholarly journals has long been an issue, especially with university and library budgets being so tight. Open access, which allows unrestricted online access to scholarly journals for little or no cost, is gaining momentum as a viable solution. Time will tell whether this Elsevier protest will be a step toward bigger changes in the journal publishing market.

First JLG Processing Party of the Semester!!

2012-01-25T14:14:00.000-06:00

Join the Jail Library Group on Sunday January 29th from 3-5 pm in the SLIS Library!

Lend a hand processing books & magazines for distribution to the inmates of the Dane County CCB and PSB Jails while hanging out with your friends, then head to the Union for happy hour afterward!

Leery of Facebook? You're not alone!

2011-12-14T09:06:00.000-06:00

Today, the NYT has an interesting article on "Facebook resisters"-- people who refuse to join the social media juggernaut for lots of reasons: from feeling that the amount of information you could know about someone you've never spoken with is unhealthy to feeling suspicious of just how much of your own info Mark Zuckerberg and his cronies are harvesting-- and who they're selling it to.

If you're taking Digital Tools Trends and Debates this semester, you're already familiar with the reasons librarians are worried about privacy when it comes to Facebook, and the shady dealings that Facebook has gotten slammed for in Canadian and European courts. But this article presents an interesting account of the folks who are resisting FB on their own. Check it out:
The Facebook Resisters

New Book by two SLIS Professors!

2011-11-17T13:06:00.000-06:00

Professor Emerita Jane Pearlmutter and Adjunct Professor Paul Nelson have penned a new guide to public library management!

For more details check out the ALA Store here:
Small Public Library Management

Synopsis:
Anyone at the helm of a small public library knows that every little detail counts. But juggling the responsibilities that are part and parcel of the job is far from easy. Finally, here’s a handbook that includes everything administrators need to keep a handle on library operations, freeing them up to streamline and improve how the organization functions. It’s packed with practical advice and numerous checklists for

Preparing budgets, writing financial reports, and working with the library board
Simplifying workflow through effective delegation
Collection development, including tips for effective weeding
Launching initiatives and outreach programs, such as adult literacy programming and homework help centers

“Tales from the Field” offer real-world perspectives from library directors across the country. From finance and HR to collection development, policy, and programming, this resource puts ready-to-use information at your fingertips

Check Out the LAMP Wordpress Site!

2011-10-31T16:18:00.001-05:00

Mel Nicholas and Dawn Wing have created a new Wordpress site. Check it out! UW-Madison’s SLIS was given a grant in 2009 from LIS Access to Midwest Program (LAMP) which allowed for SLIS to develop diversity recruitment initiatives and sustain programming that supports students of color.

The 2011-2012 UW-Madison LAMP Project Assistants are here to serve current students the support they need to succeed during their studies at SLIS and beyond by providing resources on this blog, MadSLISdiversity, coordinating Librarians of Color Panels, potluck get-togethers, lectures and other events of interest that students wish to participate in at UW. We’re open to new ideas, so please let us know if you have any!

Check out the website here:
http://madslisdiversity.wordpress.com/

All Hands on Deck! JLG Processing Party 10-23!

2011-10-19T11:41:00.000-05:00

The Jail Library Group is hosting another Processing Party this weekend, Sunday 10/23 from 3-5 PM. We'll be cleaning out the ENTIRE inventory of donated books and magazines and we need your help!

Join us in the SLIS Library on Sunday; afterward we'll head to the Terrace to hang out :)