Library of the Month

The Library of the Month is a celebration of Wisconsin libraries compiled by the BadgerLink team.

The Portage Public Library is doing amazing things in their community.

New Children’s Department Focuses on Events and Education

The Portage Public Library’s children's library department expanded in 2013 and is approximately 6200 square feet - plenty of space to host a variety of events without disturbing the traditional library user. Featuring expanded programming like after school book parties for Mo Willems, Dr. Seuss, and Magic Tree House, and seasonal events like "Marvelous Mustache Day" for 4th & 5th graders that included a mustache photo booth, decorate-your-own mustache sugar cookie station, tic-tac-tashe, and more, the children’s department is an exciting space bridging learning and fun.

Another focus of the Children’s Department is hosting several educational programs each month. A perennial favorite is the drop-in DIY stations. Kids can participate at their own pace and explore different reading, writing, math, and art activities. Providing an alternative to even the youngest or most special of their patrons, the stations have proven a successful addition to the library.

Working Together

The Portage Public Library sponsors programming with organizations in the community such as the Columbia County Extension, Columbia County 4-H, Portage Center for the Arts, Columbia County Master Gardeners, and the local public and parochial schools. The first Saturday of the month is "Family Fun Event" and the topics run the gamut from educational to pure fun. A local high school science teacher presented an interactive program on planets, enthusiastic volunteers gave a hula hoop demonstration and organized games, and approximately 135 kids and their families attended a family sock hop - with a DJ and cool lights!

Community Service

In addition to serving the community with educational and recreational programming, the library goes above and beyond and does its part in giving back. Last spring Portage Public Library built and planted two garden beds, and the harvest was used in the community’s first attempt at providing free lunches through the USDA summer food service program. The library served lunches to more than 1,000 kids and plans on offering the program again this summer. Also, last summer the library began a "community charity challenge". Each time a child read two hours, they had a vote for one of three local charities. At the end of the summer, children presented the winning organization with an oversized check.

Enthusiasm, passion, and creativity have driven this library to provide incredible resources to their community.

The Library of the Month is a celebration of Wisconsin libraries compiled by the BadgerLink team.

In 2014, the Eau Claire Area School District had the second highest clicks to the BadgerLink website! In this month’s issue of the Library of the Month, we will be spotlighting ECASD’s North High School.

To increase reading interest at North High School’s media, the library is set up like a book store. There are areas for local interest, post-secondary readiness, classics, an exceptional collection of Sci Fi and Fantasy, as well as a newly expanded graphic novels collection. The library even has a “Bloodsuckers” for vampire enthusiasts. To grab readers’ attention, rather than shelving books spine out, many books are displayed face out try to let the books speak for themselves. For even more reading appeal North HS uses shelf-talkers to share kid reviews and summaries. 

Recently North HS received grants for some fun technology projects including a 3D printer, a 3D digitizer, 2 Makey Makey boards, 2 Power Up flight sets, and a Hummingbird Duo Controller robotics kit. These STEM projects engage students in problem solving, critical thinking, and useful applications for science. The plan is to create a dedicated area in the library for ongoing maker projects.

North HS also spends time working on research projects. As part of their digital citizenship curriculum, North HS uses Badgerlink and other databases to instruct the kids in finding and using credible information. Throughout the second semester, library staff conduct trainings on using databases to find information in hopes of breaking the “Wikipedia/Google crutch” that kids develop. The sheer volume of material of dubious validity is too much to wade through when very little sorting can be done. Steve Olinger, librarian at North HS says “With databases/Badgerlink we can use limiters to sort the articles by source type, Lexile score, and get help to pursue other topics that pop up as part of the search returns on the databases.” By using note taking tools, permalinks, and citation tools, we make the databases so much easier to use than the Google searches. After a while, the kids start to go to the databases FIRST!

Steve Olinger likes showing his students how to use the Super Search, which searches multiple BadgerLink resources simultaneously, and then showing kids how to narrow their results. “I like the Super Search because it gets info from all of the BadgerLink databases at once. There’s just too many of them to introduce the kids to each one, so they get to see what sources are out there.” The search looks through most of the BadgerLink resources and returns results that you can narrow to find relevant information.

As innovative as this school library already is, they have plans for the future, like creating a “bookmobile” so library staff can do book talks and check out books anywhere in the school. Another project will be to have STEM and Makerspace summer programs. Active and innovative school libraries create active and innovative students! 

The Library of the Month is a celebration of Wisconsin libraries compiled by the BadgerLink team.

Thank you to Racine Unified School District! In 2014 the RUSD website had the most referrals to the BadgerLink website--over 9,000 clicks to BadgerLink.net!

At Racine Unified School District the library is a place to create, collaborate, and learn. Recently, RUSD updated one high school and three elementary libraries to be 21st Century Learning Centers. These new library spaces provide a fun space for students to learn. Students can conduct research, read, and work on projects in comfortable and movable furniture. Going beyond the regular table and chairs that you find in most libraries, in a 21st Century Learning Center students feel “at home” at the library. The 21st Century Learning Center is more conducive to engagement than a traditional library setting; students enjoy using technology in comfortable surroundings which leads to more studying, collaboration, and learning. The 21st Century Learning Centers have been so successful that there are plans to transform 5 more libraries this summer with the help and support from Superintendent Lolli Haws. Rosalie Daca Chief Academic Officer is also working hard to make all RUSD Libraries' fun learning environments for students.

Educators at RUSD find that BadgerLink is an awesome resource for students and staff to use. At Park High School, Librarian Mary McGlade teaches all freshmen information literacy skills during a Health Research Project. Students use BadgerLink and other online resources to research a health topic and then share the information gathered with their classmates. Through this assignment, students learn to evaluate sources, how to use information responsibility, how to find information, and along the way, students begin to understand the value of being able to locate and use information from multiple sources

Students at RUSD use BadgerLink every day for research projects, class work, and much more. In Racine, the library is a great place for students to come and learn and engage.

The Library of the Month is a celebration of Wisconsin libraries compiled by the BadgerLink team.

The Western Library serves a small population of students but that doesn't mean that the library is quiet and empty. The Western Library collaborates with other organizations to promote collections and programs. Some of Western’s partners include Veteran’s Services, the Multicultural Center, Violence Prevention & Student Advocacy, Health Science Center (a partnership with UW-La Crosse), and Diesel & Heavy Equipment Center. The partnerships and outreach programs are paying off and during this Fall term the library had 40,000 people come to the library--which is an amazing number because enrollment at Western is about 5,000.

When students visit the library, they can and use technology like netbooks, digital cameras, and laptops. Providing these materials levels the playing field so all students have equal access to the tools needed to succeed. Also available are instruction sessions covering a variety of topics. Additionally, the Western baseball team players and their coaches have participated in a variety of team activities at the library. From library instruction sessions on doing research and developing time management skills, to weekly study halls, Western ball players continue to further their education. During the Fall term alone, Western Library hosted 50 library instruction sessions reaching about 1000 students, 1/5th of the student body.

Internally, Western staff use and promote BadgerLink resources through instruction sessions. Western staffs have created pathfinders to assist students use resources. Sam Wood, a reference librarian at Western, says “we are very happy with the selection of databases.” Students use search features, like the Super Search, to find recent articles for research projects, business plans, speeches, essays, and a variety of academic and personal purposes.

The Library of the Month is a celebration of Wisconsin libraries compiled by the BadgerLink team.

Arrowhead High School (AHS) was the top school in student referrals to the BadgerLink website in November 2014. BadgerLink staff contacted Donna Smith, Director of Library Media and Technology at Arrowhead School District, to find out what made the district so successful.

At AHS, information literacy - being able to find and evaluate information - is a top priority. A strong commitment from the school board resulted in the addition of technology integrators who support the growing professional development needs of staff, as well as contribute to student training. With assistance from library staff, the technology integrators focus on helping teachers incorporate information technology and technology tools into classrooms.

BadgerLink plays a major role in the district’s goal to teach technology literacy skills. For example, every AHS freshman uses BadgerLink to complete an English research project. While students are taught how to narrow search results by full text, format, and publication date, the real focus is on the evaluation of information. These research projects are just one example of how students are using technology to build 21st Century skills.

Acquisition of information literacy at AHS doesn’t stop there. Students must be able to analyze and cite the resources they find. Using BadgerLink, students can locate content, discern credible information, and apply it to projects. The permalink and citation tools available in BadgerLink resources are helpful, but students still need to use critical thinking skills.

All this makes the library a place to gather, analyze, and synthesize information, and discover something new.

Our thanks to Arrowhead High School for your continued support of BadgerLink!

The Library of the Month is a celebration of Wisconsin libraries compiled by the BadgerLink team.

The Cedarburg Public Library re-opened July 12, 2014 with a long awaited new building. The 25,000 square foot facility more than doubled the size of the previous library building. With this large, modern facility CPL mixes new and old; providing traditional library services while finding inventive ways to serve the community.  

Technology is a priority. Staff are trained on how to use technology and are available to assist library users with their devices. The Cedarburg Friends of the Library generously donated a 3D printer for public use and continue to provide filament. Members of the community can download the Thingaverse, design projects and “print” their designs freely at CPL. The 3D printer has attracted new users and continues to draw a crowd when a project is printed.

This library is a destination. The library is a place to create, learn, and explore and learners of all ages are welcome. For kids, the Children’s Room is filled with books for all ages with interactive literacy and learning tools, and technology for children and their caregivers. Teens and adults can venture to the 2nd floor, wander the collection or reserve a quiet study room for independent work, tutoring, or small meetings. For everyone, there is a MediaScape room with technology equipment to create and share digital information.

Modern facilities make connecting easier. The new building has a large community room that holds up to 100 people and has a built-in hearing loop to aid those who are hard of hearing. The room is equipped with a projector with surround sound and screen/white board are available for meetings and events. Since opening the community room has been used by individuals, local community groups, and schools for events such as book discussions, birthday parties, and lectures.

See what the library has for you! Stop in and check CPL out.

The Library of the Month is a celebration of Wisconsin libraries compiled by the BadgerLink team.

The Fairchild Public Library is the heart of the community. With the multitude of valuable programs and resources available, it’s easy to see why traffic to the library has greatly increased in the past year and a half.

Thanks to a generous gift donation from a former library patron, FPL now has an area dedicated for children's programming. In partnership with Fairchild Public Elementary School, the library provides study assistance and a reading program twice a week. Middle school students, community members, and retirees volunteer assistance. Many alternative education students also participate in a twice-monthly theme-based story program and art time. These programs have seen great results, and the community is grateful for the opportunity to grow kids’ love of reading!

Without a high school diploma, it is nearly impossible to make a living wage. FPL and the Chippewa Valley Technical College collaborated on a pilot program to assist adults working to complete their GED or HSED. Donations to the library helped pay for economically disadvantaged adults’ final tests and transportation costs. Taught by two certified volunteer teachers, pre-testing, study lessons, and computer classes were offered. BadgerLink resources, especially LearningExpress Library, were often used by these students. “We are very thankful for BadgerLink and other sources for patrons and staff to use,” said director Rozanne Traczek. Last year, 25 people enrolled, with three graduating and completing their GED!

Along with providing educational programs, the library also celebrates local history. Recently, FPL agreed to display a Carole Landis memorabilia collection. Born in Fairchild, Wisconsin, Carole Landis was a famous actress and entertainer for the troops overseas during WWII. A special museum display case for the collection will be placed near the library’s entrance, for all to see. To further celebrate the community’s local history, the library has created a new history room. This small room, used as a jail cell many years ago, will provide a space for the community to contribute items, preserving the past for those in the future.

Fairchild Public Library is essential to its community. The library may be small, but it is powerful!

The Library of the Month is a celebration of Wisconsin libraries compiled by the BadgerLink team.

Eager Free Public Library plays an important role in Evansville’s lifelong learning by granting users access to learning opportunities through timely programming and productive partnerships.

New in 2014, adult patrons were offered incentives for participating in the Summer Reading Program. Not only did participants enjoy the perks of reading, but also became aware of other programs at the library. “Summer reading was a great success, and we plan to offer the incentive program again next year” said library director Megan Kloeckner.

As overall library attendance grows, the Evansville community has quickly discovered their library contains more than just books. The library is also a purveyor of information, which in the modern world means providing access to technology. Public computers, Wi-Fi, computer training, and access to databases such as Reference USA, Mango Languages, Ancestry.com, and those offered through BadgerLink, are just a sampling of resources patrons use for school assignments, job searching, and independent learning. Centralizing these services through a library is a cost-effective way to provide equitable access across a large user group.  

In addition to supporting literacy and technology, a recent partnership with the Grove Society has introduced new educational programming to the library. Working collaboratively with the library’s Genealogy Group, the Society has provided training on Ancestry.com and other genealogy resources in BadgerLink. Recent events using historical information gathered at the library include Fashion in the 19th Century and Civil War Medicine. And on any given day, members of the group can be seen in the historic building’s local history room; sharing notes, offering valuable assistance to one another, or planning for the next event. The Genealogy Group honors the past and embraces the future!

These programs fill multiple needs in the community by providing education, entertainment, and a space for adults to learn together. Patrons with similar interests can network together in the Book-to-Movie Book Club, Adult Writing Group, or the Genealogy Group. Plus, the library sponsors author visits and many other programs geared towards a range of ages. The Eager Free Public Library opens doors for curious minds by encouraging literacy, inspiring learning, and connecting the community.

The Library of the Month is a celebration of Wisconsin libraries compiled by the BadgerLink team.

The Muehl Public Library on Main Street in Seymour, Wisconsin is a small but vibrant library that works to create an innovative learning environment through collaboration and technology.

Library Director Elizabeth Timmins doesn’t see the size of the library as a constraint; she and staff take advantage of these challenges to connect with library users. For instance, area authors can showcase their work by donating their books to the library’s collection. Local artists also have space in the library and this fall the library will exhibit a local artist’s weavings. Recently, two Girl Scouts painted book quotes around the interior of the library and received their Silver Awards, the highest a Girl Scout Cadette can earn. The list goes on and on. “Library staff are always thinking, ‘What MORE can our library be?’,” says Timmins.

Because many patrons are choosing to further themselves through midlife career changes, supporting lifelong learning is an important element at the library. The changes in technology and learning can be challenging for non-traditional students and BadgerLink resources like LearningExpress Library are widely used for skill-building and test preparation. The Muehl Public Library also coordinates events, like Google training, at the local high school. Students from the Future Business Leaders of America teach participants, including library staff, how to use the suite of Google tools. “It’s critical that we know what our schools are teaching and support their goals,” says Timmins. To that end, the library has Chromebooks and a SMART Board which students may use to do homework, prepare for a presentation, or learn about technology.

The recent Stihl Tree Fund Bike Rally was another great example of how the library collaborated with the community for a good cause. Participants biked a 583-mile tour around the state to raise money for tree research and education, and the library acted as a rest stop on the bike rally’s route. The mayor welcomed library patrons of all ages together to cheer on the bicyclists and picnic in the library’s backyard. The Fire Department Explorers set up picnic tables and tents, local businesses provided sandwiches and ice cream, and flowers were purchased from the local farmer’s market. For the community’s children, Muehl Public Library provided free books about trees and sponsored science programming. The day culminated with a talk for adults and teens about “localizing the economy,” hosted by the UW-Extension. Everyone benefited from celebrating trees, biking, science, and reading. The event was a great success and the Stihl Tree Fund Bike Rally raised $483,000.

The Muehl Public Library facilitates access to ideas, information, and recreational reading to enhance the quality of life for all the people of the Seymour area.

The Library of the Month is a celebration of Wisconsin libraries compiled by the BadgerLink team.

Libraries in rural settings are energetically expanding services to stay ahead of community expectations and challenges, but with limited budgets and small spaces, creating a thriving library community can seem daunting. Lone Rock Community Library has found success by providing computers with internet access, offering games and learning programming, and promoting the use of BadgerLink resources.

With many services, from job applications to filing taxes, only available online, access to the internet is key to supporting rural communities. Lone Rock Community Library provides public computers with  WiFi, and through the TEACH/DOA Library Fiber Project, the library will upgrade bandwidth to a minimum of 10 Mbps and replace several computers. The library replaces computers on a five-year cycle to make sure the hardware and software available is suitable for the latest applications. With these changes, the library will continue to be the online information hub in the community.

In addition to providing a sound technology infrastructure, the library also offers learning opportunities like computer classes for adults and gaming programming for kids. In June, the Lone Rock Community Library hosted classes to help users find genealogy resources and connect with others using social media. Due to their popularity, the library is planning to extend these programs in the future.

Minecraft, a multiplayer sandbox-style online game, is another popular activity at the library. Kids play, build, chase monsters, and connect with others in the community and around the world. "I have been waiting to do this all my life"  said a 3rd grade Minecraft player. The success of the program has drawn kids in, where they become more familiar with technology and everything else the library has to offer.

BadgerLink is another way the Lone Rock Community Library provides support to its community. Director Rita Magno comments, “When I show patrons how to use the databases, they are surprised at the depth and breadth of information that is available!” Whether looking for health information or auto repair manuals, or ideas for your next read, BadgerLink provides resources with information on your topic. “It's a wonderful resource for the Lone Rock Community Library,” says Rita Magno.

Libraries across Wisconsin provide essential support to rural communities with access to technology and information.