Director’s Report
March 2017
Meetings and Visits
The coordinators met to draft the May All Directors meeting agenda, discuss the 2018 budget and PLSR.
I attended the ILS, Technology and Delivery Committee meetings.
Jean Anderson and I met with the Madison ILL staff to discuss the system’s work with WISCAT in 2018.
I attended via Go to Meeting the PLSR Steering and Human Resources subcommittee meetings.
I participated via Go to Meeting in a LSTA evaluation listening session hosted by Library Strategies from St Paul, Minnesota.
On April 14, I started my day by attending the Middleton Public Library’s in-service day. Nancy Belmont of Vessence, http://www.vessence.com/our-team/ led the staff in creating a new brand for their role in the community. It was a great program based on Jung’s archetypes and Ms. Belmont had the staff engaged and excited about their roles in their local community and planning a successful future for the Middleton Public Library. I mentioned her presentation to our consultant staff as a possible resource for strategic planning with other members.
In the afternoon, I was at the Portage Public Library for their in-service day. Jessica Bergin, the director, led the staff on real life scenarios of how to protect patron privacy.
I met with Anjali Bhasin and Robert Seltzer, our two new board members, to conduct their orientations. Welcome!
Personnel
The Rocks Springs Public Library is in the process of hiring a new director. It is a part time position of approximately 20 hours a week.
Krista Ross, Director of the Southwest Library System, has resigned to take a position with a Minnesota Library System.
Gerrie Moeller, Director of the Outagamie Waupaca Library System, has also resigned to take a position with a Minnesota Library System.
Trustee Training
Save the date! Wisconsin Trustee Training Week will be held Aug. 21-25, 2017. There will be one webinar each day from noon-1 p.m. on a topic that’s relevant to public library boards, friends, and trustees. While the schedule is still being finalized, here are a couple webinars that are confirmed:
Tuesday, Aug. 22, will feature Bonnie McKewon from the State Library of Iowa talking about Policies for Results.
Wednesday, Aug. 23, will feature John Keister and Sarah Armstrong, Consultants from Illinois (topic to be finalized).
Friday, Aug. 25, will be an update on the Public Library System Redesign project.
Visit http://www.wistrusteetraining.com/ for updates and more information. Registration will be open in early May. The above URL will also give you access to recordings from the 2016 webinars. Trustee Training Week is sponsored by the South Central Library System, with financial support from other Wisconsin Public Library Systems, plus the Division for Libraries and Technology and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
Arrowhead Library System
The Arrowhead Library System received a unanimous recommendation from their ILS merger committee to join the Lakeshores Library System ILS.
Good News
Middleton Public Library celebrated its 90th anniversary.
Respectfully submitted by,
Martha Van Pelt
Martha Van Pelt