Wisconsin Library Stories

Renowned cheese artist, Troy Landwehr, carved a pop-out book featuring Thomas the Tank Engine from a 40-pound block of cheddar to help Kaukauna library staff raise community awareness of the programs and resources available at the library. Read all about this fun --- and unique --- celebration of Wisconsin Libraries Say Cheese! A Day in Pictures at the Kaukauna Public Library.

.... dedicated to remembering and honoring those who have served/are serving in our military forces. If you are in the Madison area this summer, be sure and stop by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Research Center on the Capitol Square, 30 W Mifflin St., Madison. A new manuscript exhibit in the third floor Research Center focuses on the music and bands of the 32nd "Red Arrow" Division. Using instruments, sheet music, photographs, and other documents, the exhibit highlights the role that the 32nd Division bands played in World War I and World War II, with special attention given to two bandleaders and the famous 32nd Division March. See 32nd Division Bands and Music Flyer.doc. While in the Research Center, you can also view the ongoing Wisconsin National Guard Gallery exhibit that highlights the history of Wisconsin's National Guard unit (the former 32nd "Red Arrow" Division of World Wars I and II).

Be sure to include the first floor main gallery in your visit, where you can view the featured special, the Rise of the Fallen - Wisconsin. This exhibit, created by Madison artist Andre Ferrella, honors the 101 service men and women from Wisconsin who have given their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ferrella's unique "spirit boxes" feature the likenesses of the 101 KIAs from Wisconsin that capture the spirit of the soldier in ways that a portrait cannot. For more information on this exciting project, visit www.theirseofthefallen.org.

...who really knows what it means to support his Wisconsin library, the Franklin Public Library. I’ll let Justin Weis (14 years old and resident of Franklin WI) tell the story in his own words:

“I am in what some may call a garage band. We practice about twice a week and we’ve been playing for about 3 years now. We also have albums on iTunes if you want to check them out at http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/dark-vortex/id284443748?ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Anyway, I was always complaining about how my dad’s band got all the cool gigs and such, and so he told me that I had to go out there and make it happen. So, I started to look for places my band could play. Most places my dad’s band played were bars and other non-children friendly places, so I decided to do it at a place that didn’t have the constant faint aroma of liquor, A.K.A. the library. My dad suggested that I make this a benefit concert to raise money for the library since the library was in need of more books and because he thought that way Mrs. Roark (Barbara Roark, Director, Franklin Public Library) would most definitely accept my proposition.

I asked Mrs. Roark if and when I could do this and she elucidated how it would need to be run by the library board. All of them were apparently overjoyed by the idea of a fundraiser and even more so that it was a concert. So, a date was set up. In the meantime, I got two other bands to join us for the concert (the Curb Farmers, a comedic funk ensemble which contains Phil Kirst -- if you don’t know Phil, you don’t know what you’re missing says Eli Smith, my band’s guitarist -- and Midnight, an 8th grade rock band).

We all sold tickets in advance for $3 each and about 250 tickets were sold, thus leaving us with about $750 right off the bat. At the concert on January 30th, we sold water, soda, and assorted candy for about $2.50 on average. The total at the end of the night was a whopping $1000. At the next Common Council meeting on February 16th we presented an oversized novelty check to our library director and we all got certificates of recognition from the mayor. And that’s what went down!”

I wonder if Justin’s band is free the night of our next WLA Foundation Fundraiser at the Kalahari in November?

Mark Wednesday, November 17, 2010, on your calendars as the day to have your cameras ready and your "cheese" activities set to go. The committee is currently in the planning stages for this year's Day in Pictures for libraries across the state of Wisconsin and, as details become finalized, the committee will post updated information once again to the Say Cheese website. Watch for new details and announcements to come. (Watch, too, for an upcoming article to be published in the ALA's American Libraries magazine about our state's 2009 Wisconsin Libraries Say Cheese event!)

For questions, contact Pat Eschmann, WLA Foundation Communications Coordinator and cheese lover at 608-345-3645 or eschmann@scls.lib.wi.us.

Paul Waelchli, information literacy and instruction librarian at Wisconsin's St. Norbert College, is focused on using video games as a new electronic method of education and showing the positive upside these games can play in the learning process. You can learn more about Paul's approach in a recent article in Campus Technology. And, for anyone interested in the issue of gaming behaviors leading to successful learning behaviors, you might want to investigate James Paul Gee's What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy.

... and for two co-workers at the UW-Green Bay Cofrin Library, love was found amongst their books! Read more about this special couple on the Cofrin Library News blog.

Thanks go to Leah Liebergen, Acquisitions Assistant at David A. Cofrin Library, for a heads up on this Valentine's Day library love story along with congratulations to Emily and Steve!

This Saturday, August 8, 2009, marks the 20th running of the annual Lodi Library Run & Walk. Since the running of that first race, an amazing $60,000 has been raised to benefit the local public library. Proceeds from the run have helped pay off the building, purchase lots of great DVD & CDs, and helped the library stay up-to-date on technology.

One enthusiastic runner who’ll be hitting the pavement this coming Saturday morning is Dan Calef, Adams County Library Director. Dan has been running and racing for about 45 years. He admits that “Unlike most people who run in high school or college, I never stopped. Obviously running has been good for me physically and mentally but the social aspect at the races is also very important.” Dan illustrates that point by relating the story of his stop at the Culvers in Portage last summer. He was about to pay for his order when a kid yelled out from the kitchen, “Hey … give that guy his meal for free. I run against him every week --- he’s terrific!”

“Never blessed with speed, I always did better the longer the race. I actually had considerable success as an ultra-marathoner. I ran the Edmund Fitzgerald 100K (62 miles) ten times and finished as high as 4th one year. The greatest race ever was a 24 hour race in California about 15 years ago where I ran 125 miles and finished 2nd." (Way to go, Dan!)

“Lately I have been running MUCH shorter races that include the 5K Lodi Library Run & Walk. It is a wonderful event and I have run it every year since I returned to Wisconsin (from Canada) in 2000. Peg Hilliker was one of the nice librarians who made me feel so welcome back in the Badger State. We all miss her.” (Peg Hilliker, former Lodi Public Library Director, passed away on November 13, 2008, after a short but intense battle with cancer. This year’s race brochure honors Peg with the salute “This one’s for you, Peg!)

We salute you, too, Dan --- good luck and safe travels as you make your way along the course on Saturday! Thanks for running on behalf of the Lodi Library! (Note: Pledges for Dan are welcome from any and all interested parties. To sponsor Dan, please send checks (made out to the Lodi Library Run & Walk) to him at the Adams County Library.)

Leah Liebergen, Access Services Assistant at UW-Green Bay Cofrin Library passes this information along for anyone interested in the following online government document:

"EXAMINING THE ROLE OF MUSEUMS AND LIBRARIES IN STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES"

This extensive document presents the transcript of a hearing held in Washington, D.C. (September 2008) before the U.S. House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities/Committee on Education and Labor. The purpose of the hearing, as pointed out by chairwoman, U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (DNY), was for Members of Congress to examine the role that both libraries and museums play in strengthening communities. Testimony was given by involved citizens from across the United States of the wealth of innovative and creative activities, initiatives, and programs undertaken by libraries and museums to serve communities as well as to participte in addressing community needs and challenges.

Leah's recommendation also presents a timely opportunity to reacquaint WLA members and other interested parties with GIRT, the Wisconsin Library Association's Government Information Round Table which serves librarians and other library staff who work with the information provided in all formats by government agencies at the local, state, federal, and international levels.

You can find out more about GIRT by visiting the WLA website.

A reminder from Paul Nelson, Chair of the WLA Library Development & Legislation Commitee, to exercise your right to vote on Tuesday, April 7 --- and to encourage your library patrons to do the same! A previous survey report prepared for the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium by Morrill Solutions, showed that library users are more likely to vote than non library users.

Visit the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin site to find information on candidates for statewide office and for some local and county races.

Take time to investigate the WLHC online site for a fascinating look at Wisconsin's rich library heritage.

The WLHC, a program of the Wisconsin Library Association Foundation, was established to foster an understanding and appreciation of the history of libraries and librarianship in Wisconsin; to promote the preservation of library artifacts and archives; and to encourage research and publishing that will contribute to an understanding and appreciation of Wisconsin's library heritage.

Thanks go to the WLHC Steering Committee and its Chair, Larry T. Nix, for the creation and guidance of this exciting and ongoing historical preservation project. The opportunity still exists to become a "Founding Contributor" of the Wisconsin Library Heritage Center. Visit the WLHC website to learn how.