FRIENDS OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN LIBRARIES

WLTA QUARTERLY MEETING

2007-11-16T05:09:00.000-08:00

The Fourth Quarter meeting of Wisconsin Library Trustees and Advocates (WLTA) was held at the Portage Public Library on Saturday, November 10th. Thirteen board members and two guests were in attendance. The following are highlights from that meeting:

A letter from the out-going Chairperson was read. She outlined what we have accomplished during the past year, as well as the role she intends to fill in the future.
Activities at the past week's COLAND meeting were reported
Discussion was held regarding the 2008 VISION Summit being planned by COLAND and the DPI. This meeting will discuss the "Library of the Future" and attempt to provide direction for Wisconsin libraries during the next 10 to 20 years. The last time a meeting of this type was held was in 1996. That session focused extensively on new technology for libraries. BADGERLINK was one of the outcomes of that session.
A report from our Advocacy Advisor was discussed. She indicates that since the budget has now been passed with many favorable features for libraries, we need to focus our activities on local issues. Many local budgets are still in limbo as a result of the procrastination of the State Legislature. Advocacy issue reports are provided to us by the Director of the Rhinelander District Library.
A one page summary of the "By-Laws" section of the DPI Trustee Manual was distributed. The importance of having up-to-date policies & procedures was stressed. Making sure that this was the case is a role of library trustees. These summaries are provided by the recently retired Director of Wisconsin Valley Library Service.
The trial "marriage" between ALTA (American Library Trustees Association) and FOLUSA (Friends of Libraries USA) was discussed. Also, information on a Friends of Libraries manual was shared.
The Conventions Chairperson reported on our participation in the recent WLA convention in Green Bay. Most of our sessions had standing-room-only attendance. Programs for the Spring WAPL convention in Stevens Point were discussed. Included was a program on Process-Flow analysis as part of a library quality improvement program. Similarity to automotive industry programs was noted.
The WLA Executive Director touched on several subjects including the use of OPAL as a means of conducting meetings. Electronic meetings will be becoming an ever increasingly attractive option as transportation costs continue to soar.
The DPI liason gave an extensive verbal report on activities in his area. These included follow-up action on the Greener Pastures - Rural Library Sustainability Project. No-cost education courses through Web-Junction were highlighted.
Our web-master has done extensive work on the process of changing our By-Laws to the Policies and Procedures format. The changes were discussed and further revisions suggested. The current format may be seen on our division web-site. Approval of the final format will be voted on at the February meeting.
The game-plan for our promotion program for Library Legislative Day was approved. We will work through the seventeen Library System Directors, encouraging formation of teams of non-professionals to attend. The coordinators of the Day and the WLA Executive Director will help in promotion of our program.
The date for the 2008 Friends Conference to be held at SWLS (Southwest Library System) will be set shortly. It appears that the theme of this conference will be "How To Start A Friends Group".
Board members were encouraged to visit our "Wiki" as this will be a growing method of communication in the future. Use of our "list-serv" will also be used for communication with the members of our Division.
The board had been considering how to display the new assimilation of Friends of Wisconsin Libraries into our group for over a year. We decided to make a formal name change. Our new name will be WISCONSIN LIBRARY TRUSTEES & FRIENDS -- WLTF. Actions will be taken at several levels to change our identify within the Wisconsin library community.
Two volunteers were obtained to satisfy the remaining committee appointments needed by the WLA Chair-Elect.
Discussion was held regarding establishing more extensive committee assignments within our board in 2008. These assignments will help define the ideal size of our board. We will also work toward establishing a Trustee and a Friend liason within each of the 17 Library Systems in 2008. This will also help communication avenues.
Portage and Saturday were approved as location and day of 2008 meetings. Meeting dates of 2/16, 5/17, 8/16, & 11/15 were agreed to.

This was a very good session, with a large number of issues being addressed. The Executive Committee of WLTF will be meeting electronically every month to ensure continued action on all our activities. We will work toward distribution of more informative materials before the meeting dates so board members come prepared to discuss the issues.

GREAT WIN FOR BUCKY !!

2007-11-11T05:03:00.000-08:00

This AP photo shows some of the team excitement in Wisconsin's great victory over the Michigan Wolverines at Camp Randall yesterday. 37-21 ..... who would have thunk it?

If you are one of those who just can't get enough of the coverage on the game, go to http://www.uwbadgers.com/podcast/

There you will find videos of game coverage, interviews after the game, etc. etc. There is an extensive archive of game information regarding other contests and other sports as well. Enjoy!

NAME CHANGE

2007-11-10T18:57:00.000-08:00

The WLTA Board of Directors met for their quarterly meeting today at the Portage Public Library. Considerable discussion was held regarding the new role of the Division as the home for Friends of Libraries activities in this state. Eventually, it was decided that our name should reflect who we are and what we represent. The new acronym will be WLTF, which will stand for Wisconsin Library Trustees and Friends. The name assumes that "advocacy" is a role that all of us have to play, whether we are a library professional, a trustee, a member of a friends of the library organization, or simply a friend of libraries in general.

A full report of the meeting will be issued shortly. Reporting of the name change will also becoming via many communication methods, and work will be done very shortly to change the existing website.

Welcome WLTF to the Wisconsin family of library organizations!

GREEN MANGO "RESCUED"

2007-11-07T14:32:00.001-08:00

The Milwaukee Journal/Sentinal reports today that the "misguided hummingbird from Mexico that alighted near Beloit in September has been spared the doom of a Wisconsin winter".

On Monday, Mike Ramsden, who is the birder who first identified the bird in the backyard of Joan and Karl Salzberg, lured the mango into a cage and rescued it. The hummingbird has been turned over to the Wisconsin Humane Society Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Milwaukee. They feel they have wonderful capability to care for a bird like this. So far the bird appears to be doing well in his new surroundings.

Whether or not the bird should be "rescued" was hotly debated among professional and amateur ornithologists. The point is now moot as the bird is in captivity.

My wife was among the first birders to travel to Beloit to view and photograph the mango. Over 700 people eventually showed up in the Salzberg's back yard!

BONES

2007-11-07T09:52:00.000-08:00

One of the TV shows that my wife and I have watched faithfully the last couple years is BONES. It centers on a forensic anthropolgist working at the "Jeffersonian" Institute in Washington DC, who is partnered with an FBI agent. They solve crimes using far out techniques and equipment. We always crank up the sound for the introductory music.

I've found out that the music is performed by a group called The Crystal Method. Amazingly there are only two people in the group (can two people make a group?). It is electronic music with very strong pounding bass.

The "group's" website is http://www.myspace.com/thecrystalmethod I particularly like their song "Keep Hope Alive". Give it a listen!

MIDDLE EAST HISTORY

2007-11-07T02:50:00.001-08:00

Events regarding the Middle East dominate the nightly news broadcasts in both direct and indirect manners. The USA is now approaching 4,000 deaths in the current military exercise. Instability in the entire region affects us economically as well as politically.

I've found a site that illustrates the history of the region in a vary enlightening way. They say you can't tell the players without a score card. Well, here it is .....

http://www.mapsofwar.com/images/EMPIRE17.swf

NEANDERTHALS ???

2007-11-01T04:07:00.001-07:00

Not very long ago most scientists felt that there had been no "fraternization" between Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens. Now that they have been able to isolate Neanderthall DNA those opinions are rapidly changing. It seems that every article I read suggests a higher percentage of Neanderthal genes in our modern human makeup than the last article.

Most scientific articles I come across are now of the opinion that when homo sapiens left Africa they had black skins. They encountered Neanderthals in what we now refer to as the mid-East and Europe, and these hominids had white skin. The white skin characteristic became dominant in at least some of the descendents of mixed parentage. Now studies are indicating that the Neanderthals also had a high percentage of their species that had red hair. This is a recessive gene that I'm reading may disappear from our makeup entirely in the next few thousand years.

However, the accompaning picture shows good old modern humans with both the white skin and red hair passed on by our distant relatives. I'm beginning to believe that the Neanderthals did not disappear from the face of the earth. They are still here as a part of those of us of European descent.

You can read an article on the subject from the Australian Broadcasting Company newsletter at http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/2007/2071061.htm?ancient

"BABY IN MY DRINK" - Washoe

2007-11-01T02:36:00.001-07:00

There is an obituary in today's New York Times that is quite different from "normal". The obituary marks the passing of a chimpanzee, named Washoe.

The Times obit is entitled "Washoe, a Chimp of Many Words, Dies at 42"

It begins " She spent her early years playing in the backyard of a small house in Reno, Nev., learning American Sign Language from the scientists who adopted her, and by age 5 she had mastered enough signs to capture the world's attention and set off a debate over nonhuman primates' ability to learn human language that continues to this day."

I remember Washoe well. It was around 1970 that I read my first article about her. She had been taught to take in water by using a coffee cup. She also had a small doll that she played with and "mothered". One morning she had placed the little doll in the cup and signed to her "parents" the immortal words ......."Baby in my drink!" Every few years I would run across another article about Washoe as she continued to amaze scientists around the world with her sign-language vocabulary.

Later in life I met a gentleman, now a good friend, that was well familiar with sign language. While with the Labor Department in the Carter administration he employed an attorney who was "deaf and dumb" as we called it in those days. My friend had to learn American Sign Language to be able to communicate with the attorney. The young man eventually got to represent the Labor Department in an action in a court in Atlanta, and became the first lawyer to argue and win a case using only American Sign Language as his method of communication.

One year I took a Civil War Battlefield trip with my friend and got to meet one of his daughters who lived in Winchester, Virginia. Her children were being taught three languages from toddler period on ...... English, Spanish, and American Sign Language. By the time I met them, they were in the general Kindergarten age group, and were fluent in all three languages.

ASL is apparently easy to learn, especially if you are working with an eager, developing mind. What a brilliant experiment for these scientists to do with Washoe. What a totally exciting event that must have been when those first moments of communication occured with another member of our "family tree" !! And how fulfilling it must have been to continue to communicate with her as she passed from "kindergartner" into adult life, and to know at least part of what she was thinking.

Goodbye Washoe......We humans, who most evolutionary scientists now label as "The Third Chimpanzee", mourn your passing.

Read the full NY Times article at http://www.decenturl.com/nytimes/washoe

FRIENDS OF LIBRARIES USED BOOK SALES

2007-10-31T03:23:00.000-07:00

November will be a great month for readers, bibliophiles, home schoolers, obsessive/compulsive book collectors and other sorts of bargain hunters and pack rats.

The following is a listing of Used Book Sales that I am aware of:

1 - Ripon

1-3 - West Allis

2-4 - Wausau

3 - Madison (Sequoya)

3 - Whitefish Bay

5 - Fond du Lac

6 - 10 - Green Bay

9 - 10 - Eau Claire

10 - West Allis

11 - 17 - Madison (Ashman)

16 - 17 - Appleton

17 - Kewaunee

19 - Fond du Lac

27 - Oshkosh

BRING YOUR PICK-UP TRUCK, YOUR CHECK BOOK, AND NUMBER-ONE SON TO HELP YOU CARRY ALL THE BOOKS

DAMON SCOTT & BUBBLES

2007-10-31T03:00:00.000-07:00

Multimedia clips have been all over YouTube and other sites on the Net of late regarding an act called "Damon Scott & Bubbles". Scott is a ventriloquist with a "monkey" for a dummy.

The video performance most seen is one from the British version of "The American Idol" show. Simon Crowell is even one of the judges in the UK production.

The clip is quite good and can be viewed at:

http://www.biertijd.com/mediaplayer/?itemid=3076

THE MARTIANS HAVE LANDED IN NEW JERSEY

2007-10-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

October 30th, 1938 ........ Orson Welles broadcast his "War of the Worlds" radio program. Thousands were terrorized.

Not me! I was 13 days old and was not yet into listening to the radio. I was specializing in drowning out the radio with my cries to be fed.

The broadcast was an amazing event. When you listen to recordings of that show now, it's hard to believe that so many people were duped. However, Americans were nervous with the conflicts which had already began in Europe and China and were primed to believe just about any terrible thing that they heard on the airwaves.

Orson Welles, a Wisconsin native, went on to many great performances. Citizen Kane is still regarded by many as one of the greatest movies every made.

I'm not sure how much radio I'll be listening to today. However, if I tune into PBS and hear Garrison Keillor talking about Martians invading Lake Wobegon, well ..........................

Check out the article at http://www.decenturl.com/wired/orson-welles

You can actually download the radio broadcast onto Real Audio and listen to the full one-hour show at http://www.earthstation1.com/wotw.html

FUTURE READING

2007-10-30T07:36:00.000-07:00

THE NEW YORKER magazine recently ran an article by Anthony Grafton entitled FUTURE READING which deals with "digitization and its discontents". It is an excellent treatise on libraries, digitized books, reading, Google, and just about everything else related to how we are going to read and do research in the 21st century. The article touches on the history of reading, printing, and libraries.

It's an extensive piece. So be prepared to get immersed in an extensive treatment of the subject. You can find it at ..... http://decenturl.com/newyorker/future-reading

TRUSTEES / FRIENDS RELATIONSHIP

2007-10-30T05:08:00.000-07:00

In April of 2006 the FOWL organization (Friends of Wisconsin Libraries) voted to disband the group. The WLA representatives at the meeting offered to meld Friends activities into the Trustee branch, WLTA (Wisconsin Library Trustees & Advocates). Ever since then efforts have been made to make Friends, Trustees & Advocates a united front as library related issues are faced. There has been much conversation about a potential name change to reflect the new relationship. (This will be on the agenda again at the November 10th WLTA board meeting).

It appears that the same sort of merger is currently under investigation at the national level as well. ALTA (American Library Trustees & Advocates) and FOLUSA (Friends of Libraries - USA) are experimenting with a "trial marriage" of the two organizations. Final decisions on the potential merger are to be made mid-year in 2008.

Information about this national experiment can be found at http://www.decenturl.com/libraryjournal/alta-folusa-merger

Thanks to John DeBacher of DPI for alerting me to this situation.

SHIFT HAPPENS !

2007-10-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

These days we seem to be spending a lot of time envisioning what the future will be like. This certainly is the case when we consider global warming, climate change, population growth, water depletion, energy sources, to name just a few.

Planning for libraries of the future is something that is going on very seriously in many parts of the country at this time. The library of the future is going to retain most of it's old roles and yet have many new roles to fill in our society. (And probably have to do it with fewer people and less money).

To get an idea as to the magnitude of the changes and culture shifts we will be facing this century, go to http://www.glumbert.com/media/shift

It's humbling and frightening!

POLITICAL JUNKIE INFORMATION

2007-10-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

This photo shows some of the many Presidential candidates who have been debating each other and competing for their party's nomination. I believe primary elections will begin as early as January 3rd.

Many of us feel that this is way too early to begin this stuff. The cost will be just unbelieveable this election. Others feel that prolonged debate is the only way that Americans can truly find out what the candidates stand for, so as we can avoid some of the mistakes voters have made in previous elections.

For the latter group, TIME Inc. has started a new web-site that is devoted to displaying all the "juiciest political stories" each day. In addition to text information, it contains videos, a daily timetable for TV appearances by candidates, and programs discussing the election. There are links to campaign ads and TV clips from debates, talk shows and YouTube.

The site is orchestrated by journalist Mark Halperin and is called THE PAGE. You can find the site at http://thepage.time.com/

This could be a breakthrough approach in informing voters for this Presidential election!

THE COLBERT REPORT

2007-10-10T07:00:00.001-07:00

Last night I recorded The Colbert Report on my DVR and watched it this morning. Per usual he was a riot.

Colbert is currently pushing his book I AM AMERICA (AND SO CAN YOU) very hard. He interviewed himself regarding the book on this show. He complained that he has video evidence that the communists at Powell's Books in Portland are already discounting the price on the book.

He highlighted a website called http://www.makemeamerica.com/ on which you can get details on his plan for book-based world domination.

In political related material he supported Obama's decision not to wear an American flag pin on his lapel. If Obama took off his coat you would not know what country he supported. In response, Colbert projected a photo which shows that he (Colbert) has an American flag nipple-ring, which removes all doubt.

Colbert also reported that Republican presidential candidates are avoiding George W. Bush like the plague. This is primarily because the plague has a higher approval rating!

Regarding Bush's status as a lame duck President Colbert said that he was lamer than Mallard Fillmore.

In this period of such serious stuff going on in our country, I think it helps to laugh at ourselves so we don't cry.

HOLLYWOOD LIBRARIAN

2007-10-10T06:08:00.001-07:00

A documentary film has been released regarding librarians. It pieces together film clips from famous movies (and some not so famous) that have included librarians. Some of the clips are complimentary.....some are not. The purpose of the documentary is to illustrate how this glorious profession has been depicted on the silver screen, thus influencing the general public's perception of what a librarian is.

The film was first shown at the ALA convention, and subsequently has been shown around the country (including in Wisconsin) during Banned Books Week which just concluded on 10/6.

You can check out the details on the film at http://www.hollywoodlibrarian.com/about.html

PRIVATIZATION OF LIBRARIES

2007-10-09T12:44:00.000-07:00

The State of Oregon hit the news in recent months when a large number of libraries were forced to close. A significant portion of their funding came from Federal grants which were tied to the lumbering industry. When these funds disappeared, the CLOSED signs began appearing on library doors.

Many of these libraries are now reopening because their communities have contracted a private for-profit company to operate the libraries. Hours the libraries are open has been reduced, manning is at a slimmer level, and salaries are rumored to be lower as well.

There are many who are not in favor of this arrangement for a wide variety of reasons. You can check out the full article from Boston.com on the Library Link of the Day site which you'll find at http://www.tk421.net/librarylink/

2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

2007-10-05T06:57:00.000-07:00

It's a little early to be attempting to finalize which candidate you are going to support in the 2008 Presidential Election, but since the whole process started so early this time, perhaps not.

A friend forwarded the URL for a website which helps you make up your mind as to which candidate best represents your views. The site has a questionaire that takes just a couple minutes to complete, but gives very interesting results. Try it at

http://www.wqad.com/global/link.asp?L=259460

WLA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

2007-10-05T06:22:00.001-07:00

The 2007 WLA Annual Conference is fast approaching. This year's event is being held in Green Bay from October 16th through the 19th.

WLTA is presenting or co-sponsoring seven events this year. Thus the views of Friends and other library non-professionals will be well represented.

Be sure to check out the WLA website for details.

SEE YOU THERE !!

BIO-OPTIC ORGANIZED KNOWLEDGE DEVICE

2007-10-05T05:50:00.000-07:00

Introducing the new Bio-Optic Organized Knowledge Device; trade-name: "BOOK".

BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: no wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It's so easy to use, even a child can operate it. Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere - even sitting in an armchair by the fire - yet, it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a CD-ROM disc.

Here's how it works .......... BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper (recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information. The pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder that keeps the sheets in their correct sequence. Opaque Paper Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the sheet, doubling the information density and cutting costs. Experts are divided on the prospects for further increases in information density, for now, BOOKs with more information simply use more pages. Each sheet is scanned optically, registering informatiion directly into your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet.

BOOK never crashes or requires rebooting, though, like other devices, it can become damaged if coffee is spilled on it and it becomes unusable if dropped too many times on a hard surface. The "browse" feature allows you to move instantly to any sheet, and move forward or backward as you wish. Many come with an "index" feature, which pinpoints the exact location of any selected information for instant retrieval. An optional "Bookmark" accessory allows you to open BOOK to the exact place you left it in a previous session - even if the BOOK has been closed. Bookmarks fit universal design standards, thus, a single Bookmark can be used in BOOKs by various manufacturers. Conversely, numerous BOOK markers can be used in a single BOOK if the user wants to store numerous views at once. The number is limited only by the number of pages in the BOOK.

You can also make personal notes next to BOOK text entries with optional programming tools, Portable Erasable Nib Cryptic Intercommunication Language Styli (PENCILS). Portable, durable, and affordable, BOOK is being hailed as a precursor of a new entertainment wave. BOOK's appeal seems so certain that thousands of content creators have committed to the platform and investors are reportedly flocking to invest. Look for a flood of new titles soon!

Note: This technology article was "lifted" from the USC Faculty Forum newsletter. The author is acknowledged to be "Anonymous".

INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM

2007-10-03T04:11:00.000-07:00

Check out website http://www.librarian.net/technicality.html

They list five Technically legal signs for your library (plus one) relating to the Patriot Act.

RADIO ON YOUR COMPUTER

2007-10-03T03:53:00.001-07:00

One of the advantages of radio is that you can listen to it while you are doing something else. And these Generation X-ers think they invented multi-tasking!

I have fond memories of my childhood when the entire family was in the living room listening to our favorite radio programs. Mom was sewing, Dad was always fixing something, my little sister was scribbling in a coloring book, and I was playing with cars or soldiers or something. Fibber Magee & Molly or Boston Blackie or some such program was filling the room.

You can still do this sort of thing today, while you are working on your computer. There are thousands of stations you can get over the Net. Try out the following:

www.listenlive.eu (Europe)

www.canadianwebradio.com (Canada)

www.usliveradio.com (United States)

www.australianliveradio.com (Australia)

www.nzradioguide.co.nz (New Zeeland)

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

2007-10-03T03:36:00.000-07:00

BANNED BOOKS WEEK

2007-09-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

The American Library Association has put out it's annual list of most frequently banned books. Their 2006 list features one title that I think is an absolute scream.

The book by Carolyn Mackler is called: THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG ROUND THINGS.

Just the title should be incentive enough to read this book!

MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM

2007-09-27T07:18:00.001-07:00

The current administration in Washington has been proposing for some time that a Missile Defense System be set up in Poland. The purpose was stated as to protect NATO countries from potential missile attack from North Korea, Iran, and/or China. The Russians have long protested such a system as they felt it was "aimed" at them. Condoleezza Rice has dismissed Russia's concerns as "ludicrous".

A group of top U.S. physicists from institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have just announced that the Russian concerns were justified. Theodore Postol a physicist at MIT has said "It is hard to understand how the they ( The Missile Defense Agency) could get something so basic, wrong." The scientists agree that the proposed US system would be overwhelmed in an all-out attack from Russia, but would be effective against smaller strategic offensives from our former cold-war adversary.

A complete article on the subject can be found at ..............

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/2007/0927/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_missle_defense_3;ylt=Ah

BANNED BOOKS IN PRISONS

2007-09-27T07:07:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of media coverage the last year on the subject of religious materials being removed from prison libraries. Much of the inspiration to do so has come from the Department of Homeland Security who felt that prisoners were going to read certain books, become religious fanatics, want to start a jihad, etc.

Pressure has come from religious groups, civil libertarians, librarian groups and recently even from members of Congress.

Now in a sudden reversal of policy the Federal Bureau of Prisons has decided to return all these religious materials that had been purged from prison chapel libraries. It's downright humorous that they are doing this right before Banned Books Week.

The complete story can be viewed at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/27/washington/27prison.html?th&emc=th

BIOSPHERE 2.0

2007-09-27T06:52:00.001-07:00

You may remember when Texas oilman Ed Bass spent over $150 Million to erect the biosphere near Tuscon. It was a hermetically sealed, self-sustained living area with the aim of revealing how humans might fare on space colonies.

The project was a flop. The complex was taken over by the University of Arizona for a while to run biological experiments and later stood idle for several years when this project was abandoned.

Now some real-estate developers have purchased the Biosphere and surrounding lands for $50 Million and are making a resort complex out of it. Amazing!

Read the entire story at http://discovermagazine.com/2007/sep/buying-biosphere-2

PUBLIC READING OF BANNED - BOOKS

2007-09-27T05:59:00.000-07:00

To kick off Banned Books Week this year, you are invited to a Public Reading Of Banned Books in Madison, today. This event will be held at the Open Book Cafe' in the College Library at the corner of N. Park & Observatory Drive, between 6:00PM and 8:00PM.

The banned books will be publicly read by various Madison area individuals from many walks of life and generations. Some of the people involved in putting on this event are Shawn Brommer, Janice Rice, Denise Aulik, Chris Wagner, Don Johnson, & Terry Ross, as well as many others.

So if you're in the Madison area this evening .... show up, stand up, and be counted!

DAWN SPACECRAFT

2007-09-27T05:49:00.001-07:00

NASA is planning to launch their new "DAWN" spacecraft, TODAY!

This space vehicle will be probing two planet wannabes which reside in the asteroid belt. They will arrive to begin their exploration in August 2011.

The would-be planets that they will be exploring are CERES and VESTA

There is enough material in orbit between Mars and Jupiter for a planet to form. But the huge gravitational forces from Jupiter have prevented this from happening. Ceres and Vesta are the largest pieces of material that have been able to form, with the two of them being 330 miles and 600 miles in diameter.

A full report on the spacecraft can be read at:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0926/p03s03-usgn.html?s=hns

USED BOOK SALES

2007-09-27T05:33:00.001-07:00

The following are library used book sales that I am aware of for the remaining days in September and for the month of October.

Sept 26-29 Hatley

Sept 27-29 Lake Mills

Sept 27-29 Stoughton

Sept 29-30 Green Lake

Oct 1 Fond du Lac

Oct 4 - 6 Madison (Main Library)

Oct 4 - 6 West Bend

Oct 4 - 6 Wisconsin Rapids

Oct 6 Madison (Sequoya)

Oct 6 - 7 Racine

Oct 10 - 13 Madison

Oct 11 - 14 Neenah

Oct 13 West Allis

Oct 15 Fond du Lac

Oct 20 Kewaunee

Oct 20 Madison (Lakeview)

Oct 24 - 27 Stevens Point

Oct 25 - 28 Appleton

Oct 25 - 28 Kaukauna

Oct 29 Fond du Lac

HAPPY SCAVENGING !

FANTASTIC PANORAMAS

2007-09-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

I've come across a site that I feel is very, very cool. It features panoramas of world famous wondrous sites, presented by Hans Nyberg. These are 360 degree interactive panoramas from internationally known panorama photographers. Featured are the NEW SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD, as announced at a ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal on Saturday, July 7,2007.

They consist of 1) The Great Wall of China, 2) The Colosseum, 3) Petra, 4) The Taj Mahal, 5) Machu Picchu, 6) Rio De Janeiro, & 7) Chichen Itza.

There is also access possible to panoramas of The Eiffel Tower, The Giza Pyramids, The Cordoba Mosque, Ankor Wat, and many other interesting sites.

This is definitely worth taking a look at ................

http://www.panoramas.dk/7-wonders/

ONLINE SEMINAR (WEBINAR)

2007-09-25T14:24:00.001-07:00

The OWLS library system will be conducting an on-line seminar on October 11th. It will be sent on the web from the OPAL auditorium. The Presenter is Karen G. Schneider, Research & Development Consultant College Center for Library Automation. Many of you know her as the author of the Free Range Librarian blog. The subject is Getting the most out of the time and money you spend maintaining your library's resources.

Prior to the workshop you need to visit the link listed and download the plug-in. http://www.conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rs1641902f62b4

For those librarians out there that actually read this sorry blog, going through the course will net you 1 contact hour towards recertification.

If you have any questions contact Leslie Farrell at lfarrell@mail.owls.lib.wi.us

"IF I DID IT"

2007-09-21T11:43:00.001-07:00

"O.J." has been much in the news this past week as a result of alledgedly committing armed robbery and "kidnapping" at a Las Vegas hotel. He is currently free on bond, pending another scheduled court appearance in October.

Also in the news is the fact that the Goldman family has purchased the rights to Simpson's book IF I DID IT which had previously been snuffed by the publisher. The Goldmans (parents of the man killed in the infamous murders of a decade ago) intend to market the book, slightly changing the title to eliminate doubt as to who committed the murders, in an attempt to obtain part of the money awarded them in the civil suit for wrongful death, after O.J. was cleared in the criminal suit.

This brings to mind that September 29th we begin BANNED BOOKS WEEK in this country. What are your thoughts regarding this book? SHOULD YOUR LIBRARY ADD THIS BOOK TO ITS COLLECTION?

If you don't think it should, what would be your justification in banning the book?

GREEN BREASTED MANGO !!

2007-09-21T11:13:00.001-07:00

My wife took a trip to Beloit yesterday, accompanied by Dan Belter, one of the Wausau area's most outstanding birders. They went to see the Green Breasted Mango which had been reported showing up at a feeder in the Beloit area. These are birds which seldom venture into the United States, let alone Wisconsin. There were six birders there during the day, some from as far away as Indiana and Illinois. Most had camera equipment which put my wife's gear to shame. The photos in this blog are copywrited shots by two of the guys there, which they quickly posted to the Internet. My wife's photos are good but not of the quality of these shots.

This bird is in the hummingbird family and is about half again as big as the Ruby-Throated variety that show up at Wisconsin feeders. It also has a long curved bill which makes the bird easily identifiable.

Mrs. Joan Salzberg whose feeder the bird has been coming to was very personable. She recorded the names of all the birders who have come to see the rare bird. Her patience may be tried this weekend as it is expected that hoards of birders will be descending on her back yard, including an expected busload who are attending a birding festival in Rockford, Illinois this weekend.

The Journal Sentinal ran a good article on the bird on 9/20. This can be viewed at http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=665321

My wife felt very fortunate to be able to add this bird to her life list, as it is unlikely she would ever have seen one, except for this little guy who some feel got blown up here by Hurricane Dean.

PENALTIES FOR SPYING

2007-09-16T08:39:00.001-07:00

There was a lot of turmoil in the National Football League during the past week because of charges made by the New York Jets that the New England Patriots were using video cameras to steal defensive signals. The NFL seized cameras and confirmed the charges. It is uncertain how long the recent Super Bowl Champions have been doing this, but a couple years ago the Green Bay Packers complained about a similar offense when the Patriots visited historic Lambeau Field. The result of this entire fiasco was fines being leveled totalling $750,000 and draft choices being taken away. Serious stuff.

However, the international Formula One racing system has had similar problems. Charges had been made that Team McClaren Mercedes had spied on Team Ferrari and obtained engineering data on 2007 and 2008 model-year racing cars. The FIA , Formula One's governing body began investigating the charges. However, when two time world-champion driver Fernando Alonso (pictured here) current McClaren driver, reported he had the incriminating evidence on his laptop, the FIA came down with penalties on Thursday of this week which make the NFL's sanctions seem like peanuts.

In addition to eliminating McClaren Mercedes from the Constructor's Championship competition this year they fined them $100 million dollars! Yes, that's $100,000,000.00 !!! Certainly not chump-change by any measure.

Sports has turned into such a huge economic investment that some participants have turned to their own version of industrial espionage to attempt to maximize return on investment. In the overall scope of what should truly be important, our priorities are getting totally out of hand.

I WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AT THE WLA CONFERENCE

2007-09-16T04:30:00.000-07:00

I will definitely NOT be speaking at this year's WLA Conference in Green Bay. One of the reasons is highlighted in this photograph which shows the audience the last time I spoke at a conference.

That all means that you should definitely plan on attending WLA this year!

You have until September 18th to get the "Early Bird" discount when you register.

For details on the conference and registration information go to the WLA website http://wla.lib.wi.us/

The program sessions being offered this year are fantastic! Also of note is that Alice Sturzl, librarian from Laona, who is also the President of the Board of Trustees of Wisconsin Valley Library Service, will be honored as the Librarian of the Year.

"FOREVER JODIE -- FOREVER A PRO"

2007-09-14T14:19:00.001-07:00

This afternoon my wife and I went to see Jodie Foster's new movie THE BRAVE ONE. Going to matinees is something we can now do together with my wife joining me in retirement. It cuts down on the cost as well. The showing we went to was the first one as the film opened today. We were both very impressed.

There is a lot of violence in the film. But Ms Foster's performance carries the plot leaving you with the feeling that much of the violence was justifiable. My wife liked Jodie in SILENCE OF THE LAMBS best. I liked her most in Carl Sagan's CONTACT. In any event, the actress who rarely smiles is one of our favorites.

The New York Times just ran an article on her under the same title as I used for this blog post. For a preview of the film go to ..... http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/movies/20070909_FOSTER_FEATURE/index.html

AP Photo

MARATHON CITY SESQUACENTENIAL

2007-09-04T05:55:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday I was a reenactor in the cemetary tour which was a part of the Marathon City Sesquacentenial Celebration. Eight of us impersonated individuals buried in the town cemetary who had been instrumental in the establishment of the community.

I portrayed August Ritger who lived from 1857 to 1927. Mr. Ritger built the first brick building in town as a place to house his general store. He was elected the first mayor of Marathon, was president of the bank which he helped establish, started the first creamery in the community, and in his spare time he fathered 13 children.

The lady in the lower picture is an actual great-grandaughter of August Ritger. She was born in 1920 and was 7 when he died. She remembers him. What a wonderful lady. I was proud to be in the picture with her.

It was a great weekend in Marathon. They organized the event well. The Marathon County Historical Society also did a fine job in arranging for "living history" portions of the celebration.

It should be noted that folks in Marathon are considering arranging funding to find a new location for their very busy branch library. They are part of the Marathon County Public Library organization.

NEW DIRECTOR AT MCPL

2007-08-30T05:24:00.001-07:00

The board of the Marathon County Public Library has announced that they have made their selection regarding a Library Director to succeed Mary Bethke. The new director will be Phyllis Christensen. Bethke has been grooming Christensen for several years, with Phyllis getting experience in all phases of operation of this great library. MCPL has nine branches in other communities in Marathon County in addition to the main facility in Wausau.

Ms Christensen is sure to continue the cutting edge library practices put into place by Mary Bethke, but is sure to be adding new "wrinkles" of her own as she establishes herself in the position.

Congratulation Phyllis ....... best of luck in your new position!

GREAT CAMPING TRIP

2007-08-30T05:13:00.000-07:00

Our extended family had a great time on the camping trip. Who knows when the next time the group will get together for such an outing? With the college age kids beginning to cut, or at least loosen, ties it may be a while before they regard it as being cool to get together with the older members of the family and have "fun".

One of the things that made the camping trip great was a virtual lack of insects. I attract mosquitos like a magnet. Others like to have me around because I keep the "skeeters" off of them. I received only two mosquito bites and both of those on the last day. Nobody else was attacked. There were some flies around who were annoying but did not bite. I guess that when August rolls around most insects have already done their thing for the year.

My wife and I are currently planning another trip up the Gunflint Trail in Minnesota, northwest of Grand Marais, right after Labor Day. We were there last year and totally enjoyed it. Friends of ours who live in Washburn would like to see the area. There were extensive forest fires in the region in spring, so it might not look as pristine as last year. The Gunflint has a tremendous history. It ends in Ely, which is the jumping off place for most expeditions into the Boundry Waters canoe area. This could be our final camping trip of the year considering that most places shut down after the Labor Day weekend. Bummer!

CAMPING TRIP

2007-08-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

I'm heading out for a three-day camping trip at a campground in the National Forest northwest of Minocqua. This is the final family get-together of the season. A couple of the boys head off to UW Eau Claire shortly. Unfortunately, all of the State Forest campgrounds close after the Labor Day weekend. My wife and I had hoped to do some fall camping, but we will have to look farther afield that some of our normal spots.

I'm taking along some recent copies of the Lakeland Times newspaper to study their articles regarding Arbor Vitae and Vilas County objections to being billed by Minocqua for use of their library. MPL is doing this in conformance to the legislation recently passed which was strongly supported by WLA. The Lakeland Times is sort of the Northwoods version of the National Enquirer so the articles must be taken with a grain of salt. However, I'm sure some people are very upset over the prospect of having to now pay for services that their friends in Oneida County had previously picked up the tab for.

I'll be back on the blog before the end of the weekend, as we are leaving our cats at our cottage, and I have to drive back to feed, water, clean litter boxes, etc. I may have some more insight on the Arbor Vitae/Minocqua situation at that time.

Now where did I put that mosquito dope?

LAND - O - LAKES FRIENDS GROUP

2007-08-23T04:21:00.001-07:00

Recently my wife and I traveled up to Land-O-Lakes and visited the library. We timed our trip so I could sit in on a Friends group meeting. The President of their group, Tony Zoars, had been a participant in one of the recent Northwoods Friends Conference sessions.

The Land-O-Lakes library is an excellent facility. It was built with cooperation of people from both sides of the Wisconsin/Michigan border. The library associations of both states had to get involved to pull it off. Watersmeet, MI is just a few miles away on the other side of the boundry.

Their Friends group had just completed a very successful book sale. A great portion of the meeting was spent analyzing their sale and discussing what should be done to make future sales even better. They had held a Silent Auction in conjunction with the sale, with goods and services being donated by businesses from all over their area. This was a huge success.

I had to leave before the meeting was over as I was committed to attend the Friends of the Minocqua Public Library meeting that afternoon as well. As a result I missed the part of their agenda when they were going to discuss their "Garden Gawk" (Yes, that's Gawk - not Walk). The Land-O-Lakes Friends are a very dynamic group and serve their library well. It's a super place. Stop in and visit if you are in the area. I'm sure you'll be made to feel very welcome!

BEARSKIN TRAIL ENCOUNTER

2007-08-23T03:21:00.000-07:00

My wife has been doing a lot of birding along the "Bearskin Trail" this summer. This trail starts in Minocqua and runs 17 miles south along the old railroad right-of-way established in the late 19th century.

Recently she was photographing butterflies on a section of the trail near Harshaw when she heard a noise behind her. She turned and saw a very large bear about 20 yards away that had just emerged from the brush. Both of them froze. The bear looked at her and she looked at the bear. Not knowing what else to do ..... she took a picture. The camera settings were for closeups of butterfiles but the shot turned out fairly well. She then slowly backed up. The bear turned and headed north up the trail for about 10 yards and then stopped turned around and looked at her again. My wife and the bear went through this routine two more times and then the bear disappeared back into the trailside brush. Mary decided she had enough photography for the day.

This was the sixth bear she has seen this summer while out attempting to photograph wildlife of a much smaller nature. This was definitely the largest of the six bears she's seen.

A "TRIUMPHANT" SUMMER

2007-08-23T03:03:00.000-07:00

One of the activities I've been engaging in this summer is having fun with my TRIUMPH TR-4A roadster. I bought this car new in October of 1966, 41 years ago! (I've had it longer than I've had my wife). I have yet to hit 29,ooo miles on it. Last year I only logged 288 miles before I put in back in storage, but this year is different. My wife and I have been racking up the miles and having a great time.

I've also been doing a bit of maintenance, thanks to parts from Moss Motors. The car is not restored. It is original ! The only basic things I have replaced have been tires, the top, and things such as windschield wipers, belts, plugs, etc. Actually, I still have the original tires, but I thought it not wise to be running around on 41 year old rubber. I'm having some muffler weld repair done in Minocqua today. I also need to replace the valve-cover gasket as I'm leaking some of that expensive Mobil One lubricant. But no big surprise really. British cars of that era always leak oil from some place.

I had always envisioned that my wife and I would travel around in this thing when we were both retired. Well, now we ARE both retired. It's time to begin! Now if only I could get my 1957 Jaguar running ..............

BACK TO BLOGGING

2007-08-23T02:29:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm finally back to blogging again. I'm not sure if I had "blogging burn-out" or what. But I do know that my two month absence coincides with the first two months of my wife's retirement. She called an end to her teaching career in early June and we have been adjusting to our changed relationship where we are together 24/7, forever!

Obviously, we have spent many summers together in the past, but somehow or another this is different. A lot of the time has been spent at our cottage. But now that there is not that pressure to be at the cottage as much as possible before she has to go back to school, we've also been enjoying spending time at our home. We normally have not spent much summer-time at home.

We've also been doing a bit of traveling around the state, doing some camping, and YES visiting some libraries and Friends' Groups. I've been involved in a significant amount of library organization related activity this summer, and that will continue well into the fall (probably forever). There will be personal adjustments to be made in the sense that Wisconsin Valley Library Service will have a new Director, as Heather Eldred is retiring. Also, there will be a new Director at Marathon County Public Library as Mary Bethke is retiring. It seems like most of the really significant women in my life are all retiring about the same time!

As my wife and I have gotten adjusted to this new phase of our life, and have "re-packed our bags" so to speak, we've found that the way to approach "Forever" is by tackling it "one day at a time". It's manageable that way and downright exciting. Getting up each morning with a spirit of "wonder" as to what life has in store for you that day is awesome.

So far life has not had much blogging on the daily agenda, but that is going to change again. I may not post as often as I used to, I may not do quite as much searching for appropriate graphics, but I may also search out technological features that I never got to before. I will have to contact individuals personally to inform them that I'm back on, for I'm sure I've destroyed whatever reader base I previously had. But even if I'm just talking to myself for a while .... that's OK .... I can live with that.

HELLO (as I knock on my computer screen) IS THERE ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE? (knock...knock) I'M BACK!

SOUTH WEST LIBRARY SYSTEM

2007-06-14T16:27:00.001-07:00

During the course of our "Road Trip" to Wyalusing State Park my wife and I stopped in at the headquarters of the South West Library System. We spent a little time with Jo Don Anderson (who is the Secretary of Wisconsin Library Trustees & Advocates - WLTA) as well as with the System Director, Krista Ross. SWLS has a very beautiful building on the West side of Fennimore, right on US Highway 18.

We had a chance to discuss the possibility that SWLS will host a Friends Conference in 2008, similar to the Northwoods Conferences we have been holding for Friends groups and other library supporters. WLTA would like to hold one of these get-togethers in a different quadrant of the State every year, and is very happy that South West is considering being the first area to step up to the plate in this program. Another system in that area of the state may be invited to join in as well. In any event, communication is the key, and Friends getting together to discuss problems and opportunities results in improving everyone. We'll keep you posted as the plans for this conference develop.

ROAD TRIP !!!

2007-06-14T15:51:00.001-07:00

My wife and I just took a short mid-week trip (we can do that now that she has retired) to Wyalusing State Park, near Prairie du Chien. What a beautiful place! It is located on bluffs overlooking the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers. She had heard about it from fellow birders, as a great place to see warblers who do not travel as far North as our home in Central Wisconsin.

My wife did see a couple of "lifer warblers" (birds she has not seen before in her life). But we also saw a tremendous number of beautiful brilliantly colored birds: Scarlet Tanagers, Red-Headed Woodpeckers, Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks, Baltimore Orioles, Indigo Buntings. The air was alive with color. There were other birds we had never seen before as well, such as the Blue-Grey Gnat Catcher (No I did not just make that name up!). We saw what we believe were Golden Eagles soaring over the Mississippi.

Wyalusing is a different forest from what we are used to in Central and Northern Wisconsin. It is primarily a Walnut forest. There are some other hardwood species as well, but very few pine species. The understory is quite different as well. Rather than bare areas covered with needles & dead leaves or areas populated by ferns, this forest floor is totally covered with broad leaf plants about 2 to 3 feet high. When exposed to direct sunlight the leaves wilt. We saw the usual variety of mammals, including does with fawns.

The park is extremely well maintained. There are many clean bathrooms for us older folks with bladder problems. The two main campgrounds are terrific with sites well isolated from one another. About 1/4 of the sites have electricity. One campground is on a bluff overlooking the rivers. The other is on a heavily wooded hill in the center of the park. There are also two "group camping" sites which accommodate 20 - 40 people per site. There are 22 miles of hiking trails in the park. A road leads down to a boat launch area. You can launch your power boat, or rent canoes & kayaks to enjoy the Mississippi river.

It was a great experience! I just wish it wasn't so far away from where I live. Despite that, we will be planning a camping trip there soon to fully enjoy this Wisconsin treasure.

THE PAINTED VEIL

2007-06-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

I recently read a very glowing review of the movie THE PAINTED VEIL. I purchased a copy and found it to be a great investment. Both my wife and myself liked the movie very much. The scenery is terrific and the acting well done. I particularly like the performance of Diana Rigg as the Mother Superior of a convent. It's the story of a doctor and his wife and a cholera epidemic in China.

This movie has been done before in the '30s and is derived from a 1925 novel written by Sommerset Maugham. After enjoying the movie, I decided to read the novel. As is frequently the case, the novel is even better than the movie. I also found that the movie ends at a convenient point only about 2/3 of the way through the story. So if you view the film, you won't be bored by the book as it carries to completion this amazing story of England and China in the '20s. Per usual, Maugham is superb in character development.

Both the film and novel get 2 thumbs up from me. Give either or both a shot!

The graphic is the DVD cover as displayed on Amazon.com

MEET THE AUTHOR

2007-06-12T12:26:00.001-07:00

The Athens Branch of the Marathon County Public Library will have a special treat for their Book Club which meets Thursday, June 14th, at 6:30 PM. They will be discussing the book ESSENTIAL LIES by local author Cindy Conway. Cindy will be in attendance to talk about her book.

BE THERE !!

LIFE - LONG LEARNING

2007-06-12T12:13:00.001-07:00

The University of Wisconsin will be conducting sessions in Central Wisconsin this summer for adults needing advice on how to obtain a UW degree. The UW System adult student advisor will discuss programs and service that are available at system campuses as well as those available on-line. Mr. Rob Rhoads will be available at area libraries on the following dates:

6/12 - Antigo Public Library - 1PM to 3PM
6/25 - Medford - Francis L. Simek Memorial Library - 1PM to 3PM
6/28 - Antigo Public Library - 2PM to 4PM
7/11 - Wausau - Marathon County Public Library - 10:30AM to 10:30PM
7/16 - Medford - Francis L. Simek Memorial Library - 1PM to 3PM
8/1 - Antigo Public Library - 10:30 AM to 12:30PM
8/8 - Mosinee - Joseph Dessert Branch Library - 10AM to Noon
8/8 - Wausau - Marathon County Public Library - 1:30PM to 3:30 PM

For more information on this program you can contact Rob Rhoads at 715-261-6293 or by Email at rob.rhoads@learn.uwsa.edu

GET CAUGHT READING

2007-06-11T07:44:00.000-07:00

The baseball season is in full swing. (Pardon the pun). The Brewers are begin to break our hearts already, after they had such a great start. I think they have been studying the Chicago Cubs approach to baseball. The Yankees have started poorly but are now edging up towards .500 and you know they'll be a factor in fall.

This week we've got Johnny Damon demonstrating that there is more to life than playing ball. Find a quiet spot outside under a tree or along a river and Get Caught Reading.

ON DEMAND BOOKS

2007-06-11T07:03:00.000-07:00

The era of the digitization of books is upon us. Google has announced that all of the members of the Big-Ten, plus a former member ..... The University of Chicago, have signed on to the Google digitization project. Other major universities are already part of the project. Whether we as individuals like to read books on line (I don't) they will be available whether we like it or not. However, much in their favor, most of these will be in a searchable format, which will be terrific.

But just when you think you know it all about digitization, along comes a company which will employ the technology in another way. The company is On Demand Books LLC. They are planning on becoming the first company to globally deploy a low cost, totally automatic book machine which can produce 15-20 library quality paperback books per hour, in any language, in quantities as low as 1. Their process can produce 1 copy of 10 different books in the same amount of time that it can produce 10 copies of 1 book. They already have two test machines in place, one at the World Bank InfoShop in Washington DC and the other at the Library of Alexandria in Egypt. They call their machine "The Expresso Book Machine"

The latter part of my business career I was much involved in study of the Japanese approach to productivity. Zero inventories was always a goal. Book stores have a tremendous investment in an assortment of books to satisfy all the diversified needs of their customers. Just imagine walking into a store and asking for a copy of Hardy's "Jude The Obscure" and the clerk saying, "If you've got five minutes, I'll print you one!"

A visit to this new company's website is well worth your time. Be sure to take the time to watch the video of the machine in action producing a book with a four-color cover. The site includes links to other sites which discuss the future of books. http://ondemandbooks.com/

THE BOOKNERD BLOGGER HAS RETURNED

2007-06-11T06:37:00.001-07:00

I have returned! My hand has healed fairly well from the Carpal Tunnel operation. The doc had said I should avoid any type of repetitive motions during the recovery period, so I have stayed away from the computer as much as possible. Much can be accomplished one-handed with the mouse when going through Email. You can hit the delete button just fine. Answering Emails one-handed is another story.

I've done a lot of reading the last three weeks, and I'll be passing on some observations on what I read. I attended an IFRT meeting in Madison last week (Intellectual Freedom Round Table). A very dynamic learned group. WLTA will be co-sponsoring with IFRT the Pre-Conference at WLA this year. They've lined up a fantastic speaker and I'll be relaying information about the program to you throughout the summer.

I'm also starting a new phase of my life. My wife retired on Friday after well over a quarter-century of teaching in the Wausau School District. I look forward to having a companion 24/7. Already my life is changing as we have begun our joint fitness program. Among other things she wants me in tip-top shape for our trip to China next Spring.

I will also be working to improve this blog, both from the aspect of content and technological features. Feel free to give me your suggestions for improvement.

IMPAIRMENT

2007-05-23T04:47:00.000-07:00

My posts over the next week or so will be briefer than my normal wordy epistles. Yesterday I had a Carpal Tunnel operation. I am attempting to type with one hand, which I am finding is not fun. I'll continue to try to pass on pertinent information but in a "Reader's Digest" fashion.

WHAT'S NEW IN PODCASTING ??

2007-05-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

The SirsiDynix Institute will be putting on a "Webinar" on Tuesday, June 5th, 2007 from Noon to 1PM Central Daylight time, on the subject of "What's New In Podcasting?"

This form of information exchange has exploded in recent years, with tens of thousands of podcasts of all types now available. According to the SirsiDynix promo on the 6/5 program "This presentatiion builds on the previous SirsiDynix Institute podcasting series by examining developments in the library podcasting landscape over the past year, including a look at (and listen to) new podcasts created by and for the library community. Tips for considering, planning, creating, evaluating, and sustaining a podcasting program at your library are also included. Learn now to create quality podcasts that will engage your audience from one of the first library podcasters."

The program sounds great and an opportunity for staff from libraries of all sizes to learn how to use this technology. You can register for this FREE webinar at ........ https://events.livemeeting.com/SirsiDynix060507Reg.htm

Go For It !!

WLTA BOARD MEETING

2007-05-21T05:12:00.000-07:00

The Board of Directors of the WISCONSIN LIBRARY TRUSTEES AND ADVOCATES group met on Saturday, May 19th, at the Portage Library for it's second quarterly meeting of 2007. Twelve people were in attendance, including two new representatives from Appleton and Madison.

The financial status of the group was discussed. As of this point, proceeds from the WAPL conference held in early May have not been determined. A report will be issued when this information becomes available.

The WLTA representative on the WLA board gave an extensive report. The WLA Board has issued a draft proposal for a Unit Advisory Council that, potentially, would give the divisions, sections, and roundtables of WLA a structure for greater collaboration and communication. The WLTA secretary will Email copies of this proposal to board members. Under changes to the WLA Bylaws, unit By-Laws would be replaced by Policies and Procedures. Only WLA would operate under By-Laws. A draft of the new Policies and Procedures for WLTA will be available for discussion and potential adoption at our August meeting.
The WLTA website will be reviewed and streamlined. It will include a link to the Friends of Libraries - USA website (FOLUSA), so Friends can get direct access when visiting our site. These revisions will be in place and available for discussion at the August meeting.

The WLTA representatives on the COLAND board (Council on Library and Network Development) reported on discussions at their recent meeting. The top issue was the competition between WISCAT and OCLC. It was felt that a state-wide conference must be held to address and resolve the issue.
Also discussed was the fact that several Wisconsin school districts are on the brink of bankruptcy with the resulting effect on libraries.
FBI surveillance under Patriot Act provisions was also mentioned.

Our representative on the LD & L board (Library Development and Legislation Committee) reported on several issues. Included was discussion on My Space access in libraries as well as other social-networking sites.
Also discussed was Police access to surveillance videos. The problem is the videos record not only people who are committing crimes but also other patrons of the library as well. A bill to allow public libraries to release the videos without a court order under very specific circumstances may be introduced this session. WLA is working to make sure that the bill is narrowly constructed such that the privacy rights of patrons are maintained.

The ADVOCACY Mission Report included comments regarding the favorable results of the Joint Finance Committee voting on library issues in the Governor's Budget Proposal.
The Gates Foundation software package on communicating your libraries value in your community that we had discussed in our February meeting was distributed to all attendees of the "Greener Pastures" Rural Library Sustainability series of workshops. Information of this software as well as books available at the FOLUSA website were listed in the lastest WLTA newsletter.
It appears that no one from our group will be attending the ALA & ALTA convention in Washington DC in June.
Status of planning for Wisconsin Library Legislative Day (2/22/08) was discussed.

The TRUSTEE EDUCATION Mission Report included distribution of a one-page summary of Essential Number Two from the Trustee Essential manual. These summaries are being prepared by the Director of the Wisconsin Valley Library Service, who has just announced her intent to retire in fall.

The FRIENDS OF LIBRARIES Mission Report included information that Tomahawk Public Library will receive WLTA assistance at an orgnizational meeting to be held to launch their new Friends Group.
It was reported that the MCPL Friends group will be deciding this month on a variation of the Eau Claire model of "sponsoring" new members, in order to increase the membership ranks.
People in the SouthWestern portion of the state are interested in conducting a Friends Conference similar to the Northwoods Conferences of recent years. WLTA will play a major role in putting on this conference, and hopes to conduct conferences in other quadrants of the state in future years.

The CONVENTIONS Mission Report included a recap of the WLTA presentation on THE TOP TEN THINGS LEARNED AT THE NORTHWOODS CONFERENCE that was given at the WAPL conference. It was decided that a review of this presentation should be included in the next WLTA newsletter.
WLTA will be very busy at the WLA conference in October. We will be co-sponsoring the Pre-Conference with IFRT (Intellectual Freedom Round Table), co-sponsoring a RSRT program (Resource Sharing Round Table), co-sponsoring an IFRT program, putting on a WLTA luncheon and business meeting, as well as putting on three programs of our own. The programs will center around Libraries Involvement in Their Communities, Open Meeting Laws, and "What's My Role?" The group also discussed potentially having a Newsletter display at the conference. We will have a lot on our plate.

Under Association reports, the Executive Director of WLA discussed the association's strategic plan with three major goals: Advocacy, Community, Education (ACE).
They are working on putting together a directory of library supporters for help in the legislative activities.
They will also work on producing a directory of Friends groups in the state.

The DPI report included an excellent report on Trustee Education Resources by System. We will attempt to create a link on our website so it is available to all. Also submitted was a list of 2007 library related meetings in this state.

Under OLD BUSINESS we discussed the absorption of FOWL into WLTA. The discount program on WLA membership was related.
Creation of a new WLTA brochure was discussed. Two "volunteers" were annoited. This work will begin after the Policies/Procedures and the Website revisions are completed. Artwork and layout will be coordinated through the WLA office.

A motion was passed requiring board members to attend a minimum of two meetings per year to maintain an "active" status. Provisions were made for excused absences. This ruling is important for establishing what constitutes a quorum for us to legally conduct business.

Adding WLTA board members to a WLA list-serv has been accomplished.

Further work on the WLTA Wiki has not been done. Coordination with the WLA Wiki was discussed. Action will be reported on by the August meeting.

Under NEW BUSINESS library digitization was discussed. Some libarians have expressed the opinion that they do not feel libraries are being measured properly in the age of computers and internet access. The WLA Executive Director reported that there is a national organization working on a system to do this. People at the Department of Public Instruction are involved in these efforts.

A pitch was made for all board members to sign up for WISPUBLIB. This communication distributes a ton of library related information which should be very useful. It was determined that many people in positions of responsibility are not on the system.

Extensive discussion was held on WLTA funding a scholarship program for 2008 LLD. Several alternate plans were proposed. It was felt we should discuss this among our constituents and library directors and make a decision on a program at the August meeting.

CONCERNS AND COMMENTS among board members generated many interesting ideas. Library and Friends brochures were shared. A great idea was presented by the Janesville representative. They issue Library Discount Cards similar to those sold by high school sports teams. This is a fund raiser for their Friends group and Library.

The moderator of the meeting suggested the possibility of joining AAAA. This is the American Association Against Acronyms.

GET CAUGHT READING

2007-05-14T10:55:00.000-07:00

This week's celebrity that has been Caught Reading was a surprise to me when I first saw the graphic. It is Don King, the boxing promoter . Over the past 20 or 30 years he has been involved in most of the major bouts held in this country. He promoted most of the Ali fights. However, just like you can't tell a book by it's cover, you obviously can't tell a reader by his physical appearance either. The book Don King has been Caught Reading is one called "THE MIND OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS" Just as King is expanding his knowledge of his heritage, we should do the same and get Caught Reading about our own.

RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT

2007-05-14T03:01:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 12th, Heather Eldred submitted her Letter of Resignation to the Wisconsin Valley Library Service - Board of Trustees, who were conducting their bi-monthly board meeting. At this point, she intends to leave sometime after Labor Day. The Board accepted her Letter with great reluctance and sadness.

Heather has been with WVLS for 35 years, serving as Director the last 24 years. During that time she has also held many state-wide offices such as President of WLA and VP of the WLA-Foundation. She is well loved and respected by the people who have worked for her and with her, both past and present. Heather has guided her ship through many storms and hazards during the last quarter-century of library growth and development in this state. She has built a strong organization that will be of great assistance to whomever follows in her footsteps as Director.

Heather Eldred has been a delight to be associated with. She has a great sense of humor, loves word play, and sports a new hat every month. Heather is a quiet lady, but of strong will and great tenacity. She manages with a velvet glove that covers the iron hand. Heather was the driving and guiding force behind the Northwoods Friends Conferences held in recent years. Her input transformed the concept of "Let's get Friends together to talk" into a viable conference that people from all around the state were eager to attend. We've all seen those people that spend a number of years "coasting" before they retire. This is definitely NOT the case with Heather. She is proceeding full-speed-ahead and I'm sure will continue to do so right up to the last day.

The WVLS Board President, Alice Sturzl will be organizing a committee to begin the search for a replacement. Alice has also been with WVLS for many years and also has a broad base of experience, having been WLA President herself. Whomever the successful candidate turns out to be, they will be very fortunate to be able to take over the strong, vibrant organization that Heather Eldred has built.

Hats off to you ..... Heather !!!

CHOCOLATE

2007-05-06T07:37:00.000-07:00

How would you like to be forced to live on chocolate? I can see the line forming already. Researchers "down-under" are working on making a new form of chocolate that will be a staple for the Australian army. They intend to enrich the tasty treat with vitamins and minerals, make it more stable at warm temperatures, and to stay fresh for years. Obviously, they shouldn't have any problems making their troops eat it.

Check out the article on the Australian Broadcasting Network site ..... http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/2007/1912320.htm

PACKER RUMINATIONS

2007-05-06T04:47:00.000-07:00

The picture on this post is one of a young man who will undoubtedly draw a lot of attention at the Packer training camp as well as during the entire season. He is James Jones of San Jose State. Jones was drafted with the Packer's pick in the third round of the NFL draft. The Packers lost the Randy Moss derby when they refused to give up a fourth round pick to the Oakland Raiders. Thus, Ted Thompson, the Packer's general manager rates Jones as being of higher value than Moss. Brilliant move or Blunder? We should find out fairly soon.

In other notes ..... John Stocco, former University of Wisconsin quarterback, and MVP of the Capitol One bowl, is currently trying out with the Packers. Mark Zalewski, former University of Wisconsin middle linebacker and Wausau East graduate, has signed a free-agent contract with the New York Jets.

RURAL LIBRARY SUSTAINABILITY

2007-05-05T09:29:00.000-07:00

One of the mealtime conversations I had at the WAPL Spring Conference was with a couple of librarians from very small libraries in very small towns. They related a long laundry-list of problems encountered in village libraries that were indeed very daunting. They included things such as the Village administrator commandeering library fines to put in the village coffers to be dispensed at his discretion on his projects; nepotism and favoritism conducted by the Village administrator; constant change of library board members (in violation of state statutes), so they don't get too enamoured of the goals and objectives of the library; distrust of librarians because of having association with organizations outside the village; librarians getting denied approval to put a sign on their building stating that the site was a library; the library getting closed on election days because the library is the polling place; the librarian rarely getting approval to attend functions because she is the only library employee and in her absence the library has to shut down; failure to invite the librarian to meetings affecting the operation of her library; the fastest form of communication in the village being word of mouth; many in the village sharing much of the same DNA; etc. etc. The librarians can not get too militant on these issues because their jobs would be on the line.

Discussing potential solutions, certainly legal ones, things that would work in villages might well prove to be offensive or unworkable in large communities. There is definitely need for advocacy and selling the community on the library's worth and value to the village.

Despite the Gates Foundation and Web-Junction program, Rural Library Sustainability in some small communities depends upon much more than computers.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

2007-05-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

I have a nephew who lives in Scottsdale, Arizona who was born on the 5th of May, so today is his birthday. I am living up to our family tradition of always being late with his Birthday card again this year. But he should receive it in the mail sometime next week.

I'm therefore taking the opportunity of using this blog to actually extend birthday greetings to him on the day of his birth! Amazing what technology can do.

Happy Birthday, Tyler ....... the check's in the mail!

WAPL CONFERENCE

2007-05-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Maggie Waggoner and her Conference Committee for doing an excellent job in organizing this year's WAPL Spring Conference! The site selection was very good. If I have any complaint at all regarding the Plaza Hotel & Suites is that they serve too much food. At each meal they presented a mountain of delicious fare on my plate, more than I could and should eat. Once I got the lay of the land I was able to find the meeting rooms. The selection of programs was good. Once again, I had to make difficult choices when intriguing presentations were scheduled at the same time.

Keynote speaker, Keith Curry Lance, presented a ton of information regarding obtaining statistics and research regarding libraries. This can be of use both in planning efficient operation of your library as well as documentation for demonstrating the value of your library to your community.

One of the sessions I attended was quite exciting. This was the WHAT'S NEW UNDER THE DOME session of Library Legislative Issues. The State Joint Finance Committee was meeting at the same time and Richard Grobschmidt kept receiving phone calls relaying the lastest voting information coming out of the Committee. Unanimous votes accepting two of the governor's proposals generated excitement, applause and cheers from our group. The timing could not have been better.

I was pleased to have Michael Golrick, the Director of the host L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library attend the session I was speaking at. Eau Claire has a huge, very dynamic Friends group that Golrick was very proud of. Attendence was a bit slim at my session, but I was competing with Victoria Houston in my time slot. I would have liked to hear her talk too!

Per usual, I learned as much over meals and in casual conversation as I did at the programs. Much of the time the subjects were far over my head and I tried to keep quiet so I didn't display how stupid I was. But I met a large number of very interesting folks and renewed acquaintenances with many more.

The WAPL president, Mr. Ken Hall summed it up well at the luncheon closing the conference when he said "As your president I say ... Mission Accomplished!"

DEMOTIVATIONAL POSTERS

2007-04-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

We'll all seen those motivational posters that get hung on the walls of offices to "inspire the troops". Some organizations use so many of them that it makes a person a bit ill.

Now, a guy by the name of Al Lowe has come out with a series of "de-motivational posters" that are a hoot!

Check them out at http://www.allowe.com/humor/demotivationalPosters.htm

SUPER - BIG - LARGE - HUGE - COLLOSAL ------- BOOK SALE

2007-04-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

The Friends of the Marathon County Public Library are holding another huge book sale this weekend. Well over 30,000 items are available ..... Books, CDs, DVDs, VHS Tapes, Puzzles, Artwork, LP Records, and other items.

The Special Members Only Preview Sale is Thursday evening, 4/26, 5:00 - 8:00 PM. What a great time to join the Friends and get the advantage of first pick!

Friday, 4/27, the sale runs from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Saturday, 4/28, the sale also runs from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Sunday, 4/29, there is a Special Bag Sale...All you can get in a grocery bag for $5.00. Bags will be provided.

And per usual, there will be a tip jar. So, if you have any money left in your jeans after you bought all the bags and boxes of books, you are welcome to empty your pockets in the jar.

Home schoolers and Seniors are encouraged to come. We'll treat you with Tender Loving Care. We have people who will help you get your books to your vehicle. See you this weekend at MCPL

WAPL CONFERENCE

2007-04-26T03:43:00.000-07:00

The Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries is holding it's annual Spring Conference in Eau Claire - May 2nd - May 4th. It's not too late to register. The DPI will be putting on their RURAL LIBRARY SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT - GREENER PASTURES seminar as part of the pre-conference program. The line-up of programs for the conference is impressive.
WLTA will be putting on a "Friends-Of-The-Library" oriented program on Friday. It will highlight the Top Ten Things learned at the 2006 Northwoods Conference of Friends and Library Supporters, during which they discussed best practices ideas related to what to do Before/During/After a Used Book Sale.

WAPL always stages a excellent conference, good for library professionals and volunteers alike. I hope to see you there!

THE STATE OF AMERICA'S LIBRARIES

2007-04-26T03:29:00.000-07:00

The American Library Association has issued a report this month entitled THE STATE OF AMERICA'S LIBRARIES Similar to the President's "State-Of-The-Union" message, it gives the ALA's opinion as to the overall health of the nation's libraries and library systems, and also points out potential dangers that threaten the health and well-being of our libraries.

It's well worth a read. If you're a bit pressed on time, they have an Executive Summary available. Check it out at ... http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/salexecsummary.htm

KEEP ON BLOGGING

2007-04-25T03:35:00.000-07:00

I've located a very interesting blog for this week's library/librarian related site. It is published by a lady named Mary Ellen Bates, and is called the Librarian of Fortune.

This month's posts include some very cool stuff on search engines. Yes, there is an alternative to GOOGLE !

Ms Bates claims to add "white noise to the blogosphere".

Check it out at ............... http://www.librarianoffortune.com/

POTENTIALLY HABITABLE PLANET FOUND

2007-04-25T01:45:00.000-07:00

Seth Borenstein of the Associated Press reports this morning that astronomers have announced discovery of a planet outside our solar system that is potentially habitable, with Earth-like temperatures. The planet, located about 120 trillion miles away is about the right size and may have water.

Although much is still unkown about the planet, it is significant that it orbits a "red dwarf" star. These are much dimmer than our sun and put out much less energy. But if the planet is in the right location the dwarf could still provide what is necessary to support life. The find opens up a new area in the search for life in the universe. Not much attention has been paid to dwarf stars to this point. Who wants to buy some real estate on planet 581c? It's only 20.5 light years away!

Read the full article at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070425/ap_on_sc/habitable_planet_14

AP Drawing

GET CAUGHT READING

2007-04-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

This week's celebrity who has been caught reading is one that virtually everyone will recognize, even if they are not science fiction movie fans. YODA from the Star Wars series!

I confess that I am more of a STAR TREK series fan that a STAR WARS series fan, but the work done on the three movies in the latter group was monumental and culture changing around the world.

I'm also impressed that a character from the future (or was it from a galaxy long ago and far away?) has been caught reading. You should be too!

RAPTOR EDUCATION GROUP

2007-04-22T06:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my wife and I and a couple other members of the Wausau Bird Club spent a couple hours at the Raptor Education Group facility in the Antigo area. I was extremely impressed by their complex, which was much larger than I had ever anticipated. Marge Gibson, the Director, had many birds in outdoors display with handlers. These ranged from tiny Saw-whet Owls to magificent Bald Eagles. In between were many species of hawks and owls, even a Peregrine Falcon. "On display" meant most of them were on tethers, sitting on a leather glove worn by the handlers. These birds were "education birds" who had physical deformaties which prevented them being released back into the wild. REGI uses them for the many programs they put on around the state.

These birds are amazingly beautiful when seen up close (even the Turkey Vultures). The subtle nuances in the coloring of the feathers is fantastic. Also fantastic is what this organization accomplishes in the recovery programs for injured or rejected birds. I found out that the "education birds" also double as foster parents and help raise the young ones.

It is definitely worth the trip to go and see this facility. You can make yourself a map on Mapquest or ASK.com You should also check out their website for further information about this wonderful organiztion.

http://www.raptoreducationgroup.org

Naturally one guy threw in a little bird humor. He asked me if I knew why pelicans raise one leg and stand on the other. I said I didn't. He replied, "Because, if they raise both legs they'll fall on their butts!"

GREAT TURTLE RACE

2007-04-22T05:05:00.000-07:00

One of the things I did after returning from my trip to Costa Rica was to sign up for a Yahoo group that consisted of people who were interested in all things Costa Rican. I got a message today informing me of a turtle race currently underway. Some of the leatherback turtles that spend the majority of the time in the Galapogos Islands off of Equador actually come back to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica to lay their eggs. This year some scientists have tagged 11 of them in order to track them as they return to the Galapogos.

The turtles are returning at a brisk pace of 1.7 miles per hour. So far its a close race, even though the rivals don't realize they are competing. You can track the progress of these reptiles by signing on to http://www.greatturtlerace.com

The race is actually a fund raising event. The money raised will go to the Leatherback Trust to buy land on the Playa Grande beach, which is the last viable nesting ground for leatherback sea turles in the eastern Pacific. I've been there on a previous trip to Costa Rica. If you've never seen one of these endangered creatures, be aware that they can weigh up to 2,000 pounds.

Enjoy the race .... Make a contribution ..... Place your bets!!

NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK PROCLAMATION

2007-04-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

I realize that this is the end of National Library Week instead of the beginning, but I couldn't let the week pass away completely without passing on the Proclamation that State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster gave in support of this national observance.

"LIBARIES SUPPORT DIGITAL FUTURE

In our interconnected, digital world, libraries are serving an ever more critical role in preserving and disseminating information.

Wisconsin citizens conducted 18.8 million searches using BadgerLink the state's on-line library during 2006. BadgerLink provides access to articles from thousands of newspapers and periodicals, image files, and other reference materials and websites, including children's and adult literature, business, medical and education sources, and many other specialized resources not available through regular internet search engines.

While BadgerLink opens many new doors to information, the computer systems that support interlibrary loans make Wisconsin libraries national leaders in cooperative resource sharing. Interlibrary loan maximizes citizens' opportunities to borrow items from libraries anywhere in the state and avoids unnecessary duplicate purchases. Wisconsin residents borrowed 6.3 million items in 2006 through interlibrary loan, an increase of about 1 million items from 2005.

A relatively new project that further explores the power of technology is the digitization of library materials. A joint agency project in 2001, created the Great Lakes Maritime History site, which is now part of the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections. With that success and federal funding coordinated through the Department of Public Instructiion, a number of public libraries have created electronic resources from local history materials, including early city directories and maps, photographs, and local history books. Digitization allows libraries to preserve the original materials, which are often fragile and only available locally, while making the information available to a much wider audience.

Taking digital dissemination even further, Wisconsin libraries recently formed a consortium to encourage more libraries to digitize collections. Wisconsin Heritage Online, provides a web-based gateway to digital collections of Wisconsin's history, heritage, culture, and people. Teachers, students, genealogists, history buffs, and others who value our state and its cultural heritage will find an expanding resource through the Wisconsin Heritage Online project.

Every public library provides public Internet connections for those who do not otherwise have access. In our school libraries, children learn to evaluate and used digital resources properly. So, whether it is bricks and mortar or online, each library visit opens doors to information that supports Wisconsin citizens in their everyday lives. From improving literacy or recreational reading to starting a new business or planning for retirement, Wisconsin libraries contribute to the economic vitality of their local communities.

During Natiional Library Week, let's celebrate the important contributions libraries make to our democratic society and quality of life. Please visit your local library to take advantage of the wonderful resources available and thank your librarian and library workers for making information and education accessible to all."

I'm sorry that I was out enjoying the much anticipated final arrival of Spring in Wisconsin and didn't get this to you earlier in the week. But Ms Burmaster's message is pertinent and timely no matter when you read it.

WEBJUNCTION

2007-04-21T15:58:00.000-07:00

In the previous post relating to the Wisconsin Rural Library Sustainability Project, I mentioned that the project was coordinated through WebJunction (a division of OCLC). If you haven't visited their website recently (or at all) you owe it to yourself to take a look. They have a tremendous amount of resources for libraries, librarians, and even Friends groups. There is a section on the Rural Library Sustainability Project; there are courses available for you to expand your knowledge that are either free or available for a very reasonable fee.

Don't waste any more time reading this blog posting ..... take a look at http://www.WebJunction.org

GREENER PASTURES

2007-04-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

Thursday, April 19th, I participated in the Wausau area session of the DPI's Greener Pastures seminar, coordinated by Wisconsin Valley Library Service. This is "The Wisconsin Rural Library Sustainability Project."

The project is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The program is coordinated through WebJunction. The session was conducted by John DeBacher and Bob Bocher of DPI.

This program was one of the series of identical programs that John and Bob have been doing all around the state of Wisconsin. It was very well done. Library Directors I talked to were very pleased with the content of the session. The format gave them a plan to work on areas needing improvement in their libraries and a means to communicate their progress as well as view the progress of others in the program.

Smaller libraries in rural areas frequently do not have the resources that larger systems have to draw upon. They need to know every trick in the book to accomplish their mission. This session defintely helps in that regard.

In case you missed it ....... the last session in the series will be given as part of the pre-conference agenda at WAPL. So go early. If you hadn't planned on attending WAPL, this should tip the scales to make you decide to go for the entire show.

NEIL SEDAKA, STILL KEEPING IT TOGETHER

2007-04-17T03:39:00.000-07:00

NPR has been running an interview with Neil Sedaka who is celebrating his 50th anniversary in the music business, on their Fresh Air program. The photo in this post is from the Hulton Archive and shows Sedaka in a recording studio in 1955. That year I was "16 going on 17" and starting my senior year in high school. (Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen was one of his hits) How time flies!

The interview is a good one and surprising at that. It turns out that Sedaka comes from a classical music background having studied piano at the Julliard school in New York. A critical juncture was reached and he had to make a decision whether to continue his classical career or jump to rock and roll. He chose the latter. Who knew? Many of his songs have survived the decades. I think I liked "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" the best. His career (and CD sales) got a boost when Clay Aiken from American Idol recorded Sedaka's "Solitaire". That was in 2004. Neil has now released a new CD called "The Definitive Collection" which is a career-spanning greatest-hits compendium.

You can hear the interview which includes clips of some of his songs at ...... http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9603438

WOULD YOU BELIEVE TWO-THOUSAND - EIGHT HUNDRED ???

2007-04-16T13:46:00.000-07:00

Today, at the monthly Marathon County Library Board meeting, Director Mary Bethke reported that the official count of attendees at yesterday's 100 Year Birthday Celebration was 2,800 people! She had staffers taking attendance and this was verified in part by the amount of food dispensed.

So in 2 1/2 hours, MCPL greeted, pampered, informed, entertained, and fed nearly three thousand library supporters! Congratulations again, MCPL, for a job well done!

LIBRARIANS KEEP ON BLOGGING

2007-04-16T04:39:00.000-07:00

I had promised several months ago to pass on the address of a library related blog every week. I apparently lied!

However, to rectify this error of omission, I am going to take up the cause again and give you some good links. There are over 1,000 blogs out there that are maintained religiously by librarians. As with any group this large, the quality follows a traditional "bell curve". I'll try to find some of the better ones for you.

Let's start by checking out http://www.abigailbordeaux.net/abs/

CARBON FOOTPRINT

2007-04-16T04:11:00.000-07:00

The subject of GLOBAL WARMING appears in virtually every magazine or newspaper you pick up these days. The country and the world has finally begun to wake up to the seriousness of the situation. However, merely wringing your hands and rolling your eyes, lamenting the condition is not going to get anything done. Individuals need to take personal responsibility for the crisis.

A new site named http://www.carbonfootprint.com/ helps you determine how much carbon YOU are contributing to the atmosphere each year. The site also gives you ideas as to how YOU can reduce your personal Carbon Footprint.

Check it out. Your planet is depending upon you!

GET CAUGHT READING

2007-04-16T04:05:00.000-07:00

The celebrity who has been caught reading this week is Renee Fleming. Renee is a fascinating individual, with a simply amazing voice. In addition to her work with the Metropolitan Opera Company, she maintains an amazing schedule - singing all over the world. She has also appeared in many television specials in recent years, particularly ones around the holidays. Ms Fleming is a single mother who says her primary mission in life is that of raising her daughter. Renee got her impetus to launch a career in music from her mother, who also had an excellent voice.

If you are not familiar with her work, you owe it to yourself to give it a listen. You are bound to be impressed. You can find out more about Ms. Fleming by checking out her website: http://www.renee-fleming.com/

Also like Renee, you owe it to yourself to get caught reading!

WHAT A BIRTHDAY PARTY !!!

2007-04-15T17:05:00.000-07:00

"Schedule a party, and they will come"

That's what happened at the 100th Birthday Celebration for the Marathon County Public Library! Director Mary Bethke and her staff planned an excellent event. Staffers and members of the three boards of the library (including the Friends) performed various functions including acting as greeters. A band played; the barbershoppers sang; a radio station broadcast live from the main floor; a TV station crew wandered all over filming the patrons; drawings were held; stories were told to children; a Trolley carried people around the downtown area; and cake, cookies and punch were consumed. People even searched the stacks and checked out books!

All of this happened because an estimated 1,000 people came to join in on the birthday party! The Mayor was there, senior citizens were there, little children were there, teachers were there, students were there, people of many races and colors were there.

Many thanks to all of you who came to help MCPL celebrate. Those of you who couldn't make it missed one heck of a good party!

BIRTHDAY PARTY !!

2007-04-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

The 100 Year Birthday Celebration for the Marathon County Public Library is being held tomorrow, April 15th at MCPL. The party runs from 1:30 - 4:00 PM.

What's happening??

Andy Z and the Spankin' Monkeys Band

The Golden Glow Barbershop Quartet

Free Trolley rides through downtown Wausau

Storybook characters, stories & activities for kids

Treats and birthday cake

Basket Silent Auction

100th birthday items to buy

Historical displays

WIFC 95.5 live remote

EVERYONE IS WELCOME

Note: Please do not come in your birthday suit!

SHHH !!

2007-04-11T04:24:00.000-07:00

Changing times in libraries.

An article in the April 11th issue of the LA Times purports that "Shhhh" is one thing that you won't hear in a library anymore. I have to admit that I come from an era where, if you spoke at all in the library, it was always in hushed tones. But our culture is changing. Read the article at .... http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/

DOSTY

2007-04-11T04:02:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd throw in another shot of Dosty. This is one my wife took from a boat as we and a guide went out in the early evening looking for wildlife. An obviously well-fed Dosty was resting on the bank of the canal. My wife thinks he's cute!

As I said previously, he is about 5 feet long. Notice the eyes positioned on the top of his head which identifies him as a Caiman.

RAPPORT WITH REPTILES

2007-04-11T03:22:00.000-07:00

One of the things that my wife and I found most suprising during our trip to Costa Rica was people establishing relationships with reptiles. We just never thought this possible.

The top picture on this post is one which appeared on the front page of the March 30th edition of THE TICO TIMES, Costa Rica's English language newspaper. The photo shows Gilberto Sheedan and his one-eyed crocodile friend, Poncho. Gilberto had found Poncho near death, lying on a riverbank after having been shot in the eye by an unknown person. Sheedan took the croc back to his ranch and nursed it back to health and a special bond was created. Both man and croc are about 50 years old. Now, every Sunday afternoon, about 4PM, Gilberto jumps into a 100 square meter artificial lake he constructed for Poncho, and calls quietly for his companion. When Poncho appears he is given some simple commands in Spanish slang and the crocodile performs. He does many tricks, and when Sheedan feels that Poncho is in a very good mood he even puts his head into the reptiles mouth. The tourists love it!

The lower picture is one my wife shot. One day we were walking around the grounds of the resort we were staying at in Tortuguero, looking for birds, when we saw a woman standing near a boat landing, looking out on the water and calling out, "Dosty, Dosty!" We asked if a child or dog was missing. She informed us that she was calling her pet caiman. She said that the resort frequently serves chicken. When all the guests are fed and chicken is set aside for the staff, anything left over is fed to their caiman. He has begun to associate hearing the name he was given with getting a good meal, and he comes to eat. After the lady called "Dosty, Dosty!" a few more times, sure enough, around the bend in the canal he came, and my wife shot the picture. Dosty is about 5 feet long. Poncho is obviously much larger.

SPANISH LANGUAGE OUTREACH

2007-04-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

The Spanish language is becoming of ever increasing importance in American life. A very large percentage of new immigrants to this country, both legal and illegal, are coming from Spanish speaking countries. As a result, Hispanics are an ever increasing portion of our population, even here in Central & Northern Wisconsin.

Libraries play an important role in assimilating these people into our society. Libraries are a source of information to people in ESL programs as well as information in general. Some Friends groups are getting involved in helping their libraries respond. I know that in Abbotsford the Friends helped finance Spanish language keyboards for the library's computers. Hispanic people are beoming an important part of that community.

Webjunction has just outlined a "Spanish Language Outreach" program which outlines steps you can take in your Friends group and library to better respond to the changing makeup of the population in your area. Check it out at in the "Groups" section at: http://www.webjunction.org/

GET CAUGHT READING

2007-04-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

This week's celebrity who has been caught reading is Marlo Thomas. Marlo, the daughter of Danny Thomas, had a great hit on TV with THAT GIRL. She is seen most often these days in connection with charity work she is doing, particularly for St. Jude's Hospital for children. It is therefore very appropriate that she has been caught reading with some children. You should read to/with children as well.

NEW CS MONITOR WEB-SITE

2007-04-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

The Christian Science Monitor announced today the creation of a website to monitor activities, actions, and news related to Global Warming. They felt a "one-stop shopping center" was needed so people had easy access to the latest information. This site is http://www.csmonitor.com/globalwarming/

Also today, they issued a report on whom will be hit the hardest ...first...by the Global Warming phenomenon. And it isn't people! Check it out at http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0406/p01s03-wogi.html?s=wklyenv

BOOK SALES

2007-04-04T05:56:00.000-07:00

April is going to be a very active month for Used Book Sales in the State of Wisconsin. Following is a list of the ones I am aware of:

April 5 Ripon
April 7 Madison (Sequoya)
April 13-14 Eau Claire
April 14-15 Racine
April 14 West Allis
April 15-21 Deerfield
April 19-21 Medford
April 21-22 Hales Corners
April 21 Kewaunee
April 21 Madison (Lakeview)
April 21-23 Milton
April 26-28 Madison (Main Library)
April 26-29 Wausau (MCPL)

Help support these Friends groups and their libraries. Go hunting for treasures!

FRIENDS

2007-04-04T05:25:00.000-07:00

Having "Friends" is a very important part of life (as well as the name of a popular TV show). My trip to Costa Rica confirmed that I have many. As I have discovered on previous trips, wherever I go there are millions of insects that are happy to see me. My doctor says it is not just because they like "foreign food". I am among many humans who issue pheremones that attract insects. Some just come by to say "Hello!". But others insist on an intimate, blood relationship.

My doctor also has said that there is hope for people like me beyond slathering on buckets of Deet. Extensive research is now being done regarding people who attract insects, namely mosquitos. Researchers feel if they can prevent bites in this group they can protect virtually everyone from the bites that transmit malaria. 3 million people in the world die each year from malaria according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University.

There are nine different species of mosquitos in the State of Wisconsin, and I'm sure I've been bitten by all nine. I have no idea how many additional mosquito species I've established an intimate relationship with in other areas of this country as well as in other countries. So, as I pop another chloroquine pill that I have to take for 8 weeks after my return to stave off a case of malaria, I offer all encouragement possible to those researchers working on the man/mosquito relationship.

The 1920's newspaper columnist, Don Marquis, was told by his friend, Archie the cockroach, "Man may regard himself as something special .... but to a mosquito....he's just something to eat!"

GET CAUGHT READING

2007-04-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

This week's photo of celebrities caught reading is of Mary Kate & Ashley. These two teenage multi-millionaires have been fascinating us since they were little kids. For our offspring now in high school Mary Kate & Ashley have been around "forever". It's great to see them setting a good example for the kids by getting caught reading!

WE'RE BACK !!

2007-04-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

Somebody said they were going to make daily postings on a blog, complete with photographs, while they were traveling. Hey .... that was me! I hadn't realized that when you travel to a Third World country things do not necessarily function the way they do in the good old USA. When I did encounter places that had Internet access it was of the dial-up variety with the computers running Windows 95. That combination did not allow me to post anything on Blogger.

But the trip was great. We definitely lived the "PURA VIDA". When we re-entered the US we had 1,066 photos on our three cameras. And that was after deleting at least 200 shots that were blurry, or the subject flew..ran..dove...whatever, just as we were clicking the shutter. We saw an incredible amount of exotic wildlife and got great shots of some of it. My wife is in the process of organizing all the pictures on her computer and we will be making a site on Flickr for anyone who wants to view the photos. (I make sneak a few into this blog as well).

The place we stayed at in Tortuguero was like the United Nations. There were people there from England, France, Germany, Spain, Canada, Japan, and two Chicago Bear fans from Northern Illinois. And that doesn't even consider guests from Costa Rica and Nicaragua! Bird Nerds come in many different nationalities.

Our day-hike at the La Selva Biological Station was tremendous. They are doing some very important rain forest research-work there. Our personal guide was extremely knowledgeable and found many things for us.

Our stay at the Selva Verde Lodge was very enjoyable. They've made many upgrades in their facilities and we felt pampered. The trip they arranged for us up the Sarapiqui River produced many species we never dreamed we'd see. We met a fascinating woman there as well. She was German born, married to a Cuban born gentleman, and currently lives just outside Washington DC. They had worked in the US Diplomatic Service and had been stationed at many exotic posts such as Cusco, Peru and Bangkok, Thailand. Her husband no longer likes to travel so she goes on her own to her favorite places such as South Africa, India, and Costa Rica. She is a very good birder.

Costa Rica was very kind to us, and we can't wait to go back.

WE HAVE ARRIVED

2007-03-25T21:04:00.000-07:00

All elements of the trip to San Jose when very smoothly. What a difference a day makes! We were a little screwed up on the time when we arrived as Costa Rica has not jump-started Day Light Savings Time as we did in the States.

We had a very pleasant conversation with the rep from our tour company on the way to our hotel. Among other things my wife asked him what he called hummingbirds. He said, "Hummingbirds! ... I speak English so often, I forgot what to call them in Spanish" Ya Think?

In any event, we have a 4AM wakeup call as we are to be picked up at 5AM to head for the airport to jump in the little plane on our trip to Tortuguero.

Buenas Noches

BAD START TO TRIP

2007-03-25T02:55:00.000-07:00

The weather was great in the Wausau area when my wife and I started our trek to Costa Rica. However, the weather was rotten in Chicago. All afternoon commuter flights were cancelled. We found out they were cancelled out of Green Bay as well. Taking a chance on a late night flight was not good because all flights to Los Angeles were booked solid because of heavy travel on the Spring Break weekend.

So we booked a flight out of Green Bay on Sunday. Green Bay/Atlanta/San Jose. As a result we will miss all the activities planned for Sunday in San Jose. That includes my special tour of the National Library ! Bummer !

Also, the lodge in the Tortuguero area, where we head to first, does not have Internet access so I will be out of touch until mid-week. However, with a lifetime of experiences behind me, I've "learned to hit the curve-ball" and we'll handle the situation and still have a great time !

Hasta Luego

GET CAUGHT READING

2007-03-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

This week's post of a celebrity who has been caught reading is Patty Duke. She is shown with a person who is visually impaired reading a braille book. Patty Duke has always been a favorite actress (actor) of mine. She has tackled some very tough roles centered on significant social issues. Hats off to her!

I also make this particular post because of a visually impaired person I met this year. She is Katherine Schneider. Kathy teaches at UW-Eau Claire. She is also very active in the Friends of the Library group in Eau Claire. Kathy was at Library Legislative Day and stood up and spoke up for library issues and legislation regarding impaired people of all varieties. I know that Kathy gets caught reading all the time!

DOS PINOS

2007-03-23T09:10:00.000-07:00

A gentleman I met a number of years ago has had a significant effect on Costa Rica. He was the brother-in-law of a person I worked with in my job. This guy came from a farming background and achieved an agriculture degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. In the Sixties he went to Costa Rica as a member of the Peace Corps. He got some Costa Ricans interested in dairy farming. Next they needed a way to market their product so he helped them form a cooperative known as Dos Pinos (Two Pines). It has developed into the major distributor of dairy products, not only in Costa Rica, but in all of Central America. They now market fruit juice products as well as their dairy offerings.

In his spare time, this Wisconsinite spent time on the beaches near Quepos on the Pacific shore of Costa Rica. He convinced officials that the area should be protected from development and helped them form the first Costa Rican National Park .... Manuel Antonio! A photo of the part of the beach at Manuel Antonio is included in this post.

I haven't seen this gentleman in a few years, but the last time he and his wife were at our house they indicated that they planned to buy a house in a small town about 30 miles outside of San Jose and retire there. Vacationing in Wisconsin during June, July & August was also in their plans. Sounds like a good plan to me. I hope they've followed their dream!

One man, willing to work hard and give of himself, can make a big difference in the lives of people ..... and even of a country!

www.dospinos.com

www.manuelantoniopark.com

FINAL PREPARATIONS FOR TRIP TO COSTA RICA

2007-03-23T06:41:00.000-07:00

The picture accompanying this post shows something I hope I will NOT see when I look out the window of the aircraft.

My wife and I are in the final stages of preparation for the trip. We packed several times, weighed the luggage, repacked, tried over again, repacked .... you get the idea. Because of various modes of transportation during the trip, we are limited to a total of 30 pounds each. When you figure in cameras, binoculars, birding manuals, BOOKS, and underwear there's not too much room for anything else. But we'll do it!

We also hope all the internet access points are up and working so we can remain in contact.

AMERICAN DIABETES ALERT DAY

2007-03-21T06:51:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, March 27th, is the 19th Annual American Diabetes Alert Day. The ADA is issuing a one-day "wake-up" call encouraging diabetics (I am one) to inform their family, friends, co-workers, whomever, about the seriousness of diabetes, particularly when diabetes is left undiagnosed or untreated. Since I will be on vacation that day, I am passing on the Alert today.
DID YOU KNOW?
Sixty million Americans are unaware they have diabetes or are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
WHO'S AT RISK?Your risk for type 2 diabetes increases as you get older, gain too much weight, or if you do not stay active. Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include:

Having high blood pressure (at or above 130/80)

Having a family history of diabetes

Having Diabetes during pregnancy or having a baby weighing more than nine pounds at birth.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Take the test that appears on the ADA website http://www.diabetes.org

Take the American Diabetes Risk Test and if you score high, schedule an appointment to see your doctor. This test is available on the site in both English and Spanish.

Listen to the American Diabetes Alert podcast that you can find on the ADA website. It is an easy way to learn more about the risks and complications associated with type 2 diabetes especially for busy people on the go. The free podcast is also available on iTunes.

The growth of diabetes in our "fast-food" culture is enormous. Education regarding the growing problem could be a program for your library or your Friends group to help stem the tide in your own community.

Be sure to visit the ADA website. http://www.diabetes.org

100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

2007-03-19T03:00:00.000-07:00

Mark April 15th on your calendar. No...your taxes don't have to be in the mail on that day...its a Sunday, so you have an extra day to get started on doing that! April 15th is the day of the official celebration of the Marathon County Public Library's 100 Year Anniversary. That afternoon there will be all sorts of activities going on at the Library. The members of the Friends Board, the Foundation Board, and the Library Board will be acting as greeters and guides to show you around the library. Displays will range from the library of the past to the library of the future. There will be a trolley running to take you from your parking area to the library. There will be refreshments. There will be something of interest for everyone.

So, if you're in the area be sure to stop in. If you're not in the area....make a special trip....it will be worth it.