News for the Week

Hello, KPL Staff
Here's news you can use:
 
The UX Team (User Experience) met this week for the first time. The first activity was to start from a sense of appreciation for the great things we do and the great people you all are, so each team member was handed three sticky notes and asked to write down three things KPL does really well. Here is what the team said:

• Programs for kids (( mentioned 5 times!)
• Multiple locations (mentioned 5 times)
• Great collections (mentioned 4 times)
• Reference (mentioned twice)
• Great staff, particularly a strong work ethic, sense of humor, teamwork, relationship with the community, flexibility and customer service focus. (7 mentions)
• Trying to stay up with trends

I want you to know as we move forward with the UX Team, that the group greatly appreciates our strengths and the point of the team is not to criticize, but to build on our amazing strengths. We believe in the wonderful product that is KPL and we want as many people as possible to use this product and make it part of our daily lives. We know libraries change lives. We know a book in someone's hand is better than a book on the shelf. So you will see the UX team working to find ways to do these things better:

• Expand our adult programming (see below for Jill's fresh lineup of offerings underway)
• Expand patron access to new technologies
• Promote all the good things we offer. That means signage and banners on light poles and electronic newsletters and wraps on the bookmobile and delivery vans and most of all, creating public spaces that are comfortable, inviting, and provide a sense of discovery. Walk in the door and see something that intrigues you, something you didn't expect. Feel a sense of comfort and belonging when you enter. Feel like you want to stay forever. Ever notice how little kids cry when they leave the library? I want to create libraries where adults cry when they have to leave (Okay, silently :) )
• Develop our digital branch (MyKPL)
• Encourage out of the box thinking. Your UX Team is anxious to get started. If there's a sign missing for New Books and Laura can create a fast pretty sign, then Laura should be able to do that. (She did!) If Kala thinks having program brochures ready to hand to someone at the circ desk who asks about children's programs is a good idea, then Kala should move a stack of program brochures to a place where she can easily grab a brochure and hand it to a patron, not refer the patron to the children's area. There are things that need supervisor control, there are things that do not need a committee. We need to take the "flexible" staff and bend it further so our customers are getting an incredibly satisfying experience. Have a conversation in your department about what's okay and what's not. Then try something and see how it goes. Just remember to consider anyone else you will affect with the change and get their feedback before you move forward. But don't be afraid to ask and suggest. The best ideas are coming from people who think they have no authority to do anything new.
• Creating community connections. I think we're off to a good start here with the Kingfish and Gateway and Carthage and the women's business initiative. There are a lot of agencies eager to partner with us and we are gladly saying yes.
• Internal Customer Service, Cohesiveness, Shared Visions, cross training to create interest and team spirit, train staff to work outside their silos. There is wonderful energy across all departments toward these goals. In the end, it's up to everyone to step up. This is a team anyone would be proud to work with. Show your pride, put a smile on your face, and meet the community that loves you with the knowledge that you do make a big impact on people's lives everyday!

 
Jill's Amazing Program Partnerships (Give her a high 5 when you see her!)

Continuing once-a-month programs:

• Fantasy/SciFi Book Club – SW, 1^st Mondays (eve) led by Cindy Bryan
• Mystery Lovers Book Club – NS 2^nd Mondays (aft) led by Kristin
• Teen books for adults book discussion series: one title each in June, July and August – SW.  Led by Jill.
• Summer book club – NS(?) 3^rd Wed, using our Book Club in a Bags – June, July, Aug .  Led by Jill. 
• Chess Night at the Library – SW and NS
• One-on-One Genealogy sessions will stop for the summer, but continue in the fall.

Other summer programs:

• Adult Summer Reading Program
• Joe is working on a menu of computer classes
• June 5  Program about the Beatles at SW
• June 7   FantasyFest summer reading program kickoff, with youth services.
• June 14  Fresh, Inc. concert at SW featuring UWParkside students in this special program playing classical pieces.  http://freshincfestival.com
• June 14 Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the Simmons Library – in conjunction with 2^nd Saturday downtown.
• June 14 or 21 – Kenosha Kingfish baseball player program at SW
• June 24  Travelogue on Florence & Pisa at NS
• June 25  Internet privacy and/or safety at SW
• July 15  Mark Moran antiques appraisal at SW
• July 22  Travelogue on Tuscany Hill towns at NS
• Aug 28 Steve Justman plays the music of Pete Seeger at SW

Other fall programs so far:

• JeTaun is cooking up a book club to start in the fall
• Computer classes from Joe
• Sept 13  Make It Kenosha Show at SW
• Sept 18 music program at SW – aiming for a music series on Aug 28, Sep 18 and Oct 23, all Thursdays
• Sept 22-28 Banned Books Week
• Oct 11 National Chess Day at SW
• Oct 23 Kraig Kenning live – music at SW
• Morningstar  Financial Literacy Series webinars June 19, Sept 25, and Dec 11.
• Sometime before the HarborPark Jazz & Blues Festival on Aug 16, “Learn About Jazz” program with a music professor
• In October, we’ll be involved in 2 community undertakings:  UWParkside’s Big Read, which we’ll provide several programs for, and Carthage College’s screening of the film “Following the Ninth”, about Beethoven’s 9^th symphony and its worldwide appeal and influence; we’ll be providing a book discussion (and maybe a program). 
• Speaker or two from local colleges about creative writing in October to get ready for NaNoWriMo (Natl Novel Writing Month, which is November). 
• Community Cinema program (the Independent Lens thing)

Business Programs: News from Jill

The Wisconsin Women’s Business Corp. (WWBIC)

Plans are in the works for the following programs:

Social Media for Your Business 101 – SW – July

Encore Entrepreneurship (over 50 & thinking of starting a business?) – NS – Aug

Exploring Entrepreneurship – aimed at women and minorities.  UPT – Aug

4-part Financial Basics series – SW – last 2 weeks in Sept, first 2 weeks in Oct

And a class or two in Spanish – we’re looking in to that; they likely have someone for this; they’re checking.

 

Wow! That's a lot of activity on our horizon. Awesome job, Jill! I hope you all are as inspired as I am.
Our success is only hampered by our own limiting beliefs. Be good at what you do, be an inspiration for the person working next to you and the community member you meet in our libraries. Kenosha is so lucky to have you working for them! Let's give our community an experience to remember!
Happy weekend!
Barb