Ideas from Washington

No, not from Congress- from informed and clever librarians.
This morning's theme:
Creating a New Nostalgia
It's a simple concept, but for many a little difficult to accept. Those warm and fuzzy feelings  our patrons have for books and quiet spaces is lingering, yet diminishing as generations turn over. The reason this is difficult for us is the nostalgia is associated with particular symbols that may be fading, but we all know our role has always been sustaining community, and we are even better at that now than we have ever been. So how do we create a new nostalgia that speaks to the emotion of the public, creating a refreshed sense that libraries are indispensable?
Share your ideas here and I'll share what I hear the rest of the day.

Continuous Innovation and Transformation

This morning's keynote address is by Steve Denning, who writes books like The Leader's Guide to Storytelling. He's talking about the Creative Economy. Here he is presenting a TED Talk  on leadership.
Steve is talking about how libraries can support a creative economy, so naturally he's talking about makerspaces and shared information creation, but I think the need goes deeper. How many adults do you know that believe in their creative abilities? I think a huge role for the public library is to engage adults in activities the same way we do with children. Let them explore their creative side in a safe place where they can't fail. That's a very different space than most people experience at work or at home. Adults are always trying to please someone and fit in. Then there are the left brained people like myself. I was always very good at math and science, so I assumed I couldn't be creative, too. It was only later in life that I gained the confidence to not place myself in any category- I could be both analytical and creative. And that combination in a world where scientific and computer innovation are so impactful, is just the right mix we need.
I hope all of you believe in your creative abilities. We need all of you to contribute your genius to this extraordinarily important work we do. Add the understanding that failing is okay if your intentions are good. That's the mind of an innovator. That's the foundation of the innovative organization.

Strategic Metrics: Integrating Data Collection & Measurement into Day-to-Day Decision Making

Hello, Everyone
I'm in Washington at the Computers in Libraries conference and today I attended two sessions. The first was 

Strategic Metrics: Integrating Data Collection & Measurement into Day-to-Day Decision Making

If you hang around me much, you hear me talk about data driven decisions. What that means, of course, is that collecting statistics and patron feedback can tell us things we might not recognize through observation. This workshop was taught by 2 librarians who make it their work to conduct impact studies and return on investment analyses for libraries like Toronto, the 4th largest library system in North America. Naturally they had a lot of advice to give about collecting more data than circulation numbers and attendance. The session really morphed into what all the participants were really concerned about- how to evaluate whether what we do really makes an impact on our community. 

Basically, it's all tied back to the strategic plan. Luckily, we have a very good one that's tied to what our community wants the library to do to develop and sustain community. We've created a work plan of activities that are designed in hopes that they will satisfy the goals identified by the community. What we should have done at that point was create a program statement for all the activities that identifies why the activity was chosen and what the expected impact will be. That makes it clear how we will evaluate success right from the beginning, whether that's by collecting data such as improved reading proficiency levels or getting the job the patron wanted. And so we know what we need to track while we do the activities.

So, that's one of the tips and tricks I picked up today, along with some sources of research that will help us understand how to better design programs and consider how to measure impact.

Here's a really cool research discovery that will make you feel good and is a great example of measuring outcomes, or stories about how lives are changed by the work we do:

Reading fiction makes children more empathetic human beings because they practice relating to characters who go through some sort of trial in the book that they might not experience in their own lives.

That's a nice fact to keep in your pocket if a patron ever suggests that children should learn math and science and facts and figures and forget about stories!

Northside Children's Room

We have the paint colors picked out for the Northside Children's Room! Thanks to the artful team of Dina, Linda, Shawn, Laura, and Jen for proposing the main colors and to our stellar Communications Assistant  Aaron for developing the final concept. We're hoping to get started before the end of May.

The KPL Kids logo will become the new brand for all our children's spaces and events. That logo will be printed on a decal that can be applied at all four locations. Can you feel the energy?

More news for the week

Hello, Everybody
There's so much good news to share-

• The Bookmobile has fresh carpet! Stop by if you have a chance and see the new look.
• The iPads for the children's lighthouse at SW are ready to install- they should be up and ready to go soon.
• We are adding a hot spot to the Bookmobile for customers to use wireless Internet during bookmobile stops. There is a lot of potential for mobile Internet cafes at the Harbor Market or at other community gatherings.
• The Big Weed is on temporary hold at SW due to completely filled storage spaces. Staff will be focusing on the Northside collection for a while.
• Thanks to everyone for completing their Core Competencies worksheet. The #1 desired training was for electronic devices like ebook readers and associated downloading techniques. Michelle will be working to pull together training opportunities for every gap identified. See you there!
• An intern from UW Parkside is wrapping up an Outreach Needs Assessment for KPL. He will present his findings to the library board at their May 12th meeting. 
• We are adding LCD screens to the lobbies of NS and SW to deliver our news and events notices electronically. Just a few more logistics to figure out and they will be up and running.
• CNS will be installing a projector in the ceiling of the SW activities room, then adding sound for presentations. No more wheeling out the projector cart!
• The Library Foundation is planning a celebration of the Simmons 115th anniversary on July 18th. If you would like to participate in planning or at the event, please let me know.
• Chuck and I are meeting with Public Works and Carlson Racine Roofing mid April to finalize construction plans. The roof work should begin shortly after. During construction, street parking rules will be modified to accommodate staff parking needs and longer customer visits.
• National Library Week is April 12-18. National Library Workers Day is April 14th and we have a few surprises in store, so prepare to be thanked, admired, and generally appreciated.

Enjoy the holiday weekend!

Barb

Linda Potter in the News!

Thank you, Linda, for the great work you do!
http://www.kenoshanews.com/e-paper/kenoshanews/482025473.htm

KPL Foundation Funds NS Children's Room Remodel

Over the past few months, the User Experience Team and Youth Services staff have contributed their ideas to a plan to completely redesign the Northside Library's children space. We started with the question, "What do we want to do here?" We agreed on three different levels of activity: Collaborative, classroom, and discovery.
Here is the floor layout.

At the entrance we will build a modular power wall for new adult books facing the circ desk and a power wall for children's books on the opposite side facing the  new collaborative space. You will see tables and chairs meant to support team activities like homework, robotics activities, and other group projects for school age children. The children's nonfiction collection will be brought across the aisle to form a boundary wall for the space and a wider aisle for preschool parents to bypass the school age collaborative space and park strollers outside the glass wall of the discovery area.
The discovery area is designed for fiction readers and smaller children. There will be oversize chairs for parents and children reading together. There will be interactive wall mounted activities at toddler height. Fiction will be housed along the curved shelving in the middle of the room, with soft play pods and benches scattered between the shelving for children to cuddle up with a book. The seating along the window provides a natural space for parenting classes. And picture books will remain in the face front bins, painted in bright colors.
Finally, the children's story time room will get new flooring- washable flooring to encourage messy activities and a sink to allow cleanup.
This project represents a collaboration between public and private funding. $20,000 will come from the library's budget, $2,500 from a private donation, and $78,908 from the Kenosha Public Library Foundation. Our Foundation collects private donations and funds projects on our behalf throughout the year. Past projects include the Hannah Stocker room at Simmons, support for the Big Read, and funds for the children's book collection.
The first phase of our project will be painting all the walls within the new space. We are aiming to do that during the weeks when story time is not in session, starting May 18th. A team of artistic staff members will be convening to choose paint, fabric, and vinyl colors. Our new communications assistant will pull together a plan to keep the public informed and generate excitement for a grand opening around Labor Day.
We will work toward keeping children's materials always available to our guests during the project.
And finally, if you know any of these Foundation Board members, please thank them personally for their generosity. The children of Kenosha are going to be very happy with their new space!
Don Cress
Gina Madrigrano- Friebus
Pat Demos
Patty Mahoney
Louise Mattioli
Rosana Molinaro
Len Iaquinta (also on our Library Board)
Bill Althaus
Carol Heide
Jens Emerson
Tip McGuire

Kudos from Peter Barca

Praise is pouring in for the LSTA funded Computer Coding Camps for Kids! Here is a letter from our state representative Peter Barca.