Friday, January 27, 2017

News for the week

If you attended the first Business Plan meeting yesterday, you may feel completely informed- I hope you do! If you're planning on attending session #2 or #3, prepare to spend 2 hours learning about a very successful 2016 and the amazing projects planned for 2017.

Here's what else is in store:

  • Chuck and I are determined to find a solution to the NS drive up book drop that really isn't a drive up book drop. You might have seen the "Fix it!" section of the Kenosha News recently that highlighted the difficulty in using that book drop in its current location. Luckily, we have Chuck, the wizard of all things logistical. He is devising several suggested placements. We will share those with staff for your feedback and votes. Look for that soon.
  • Jill and her delivery team will be trying out different delivery vehicles to see which makes the most sense to purchase. 
  • AMH at SW is still due to be installed at the end of March.
  • RFID tagging continues. NS reports that their collection is nearly finished. SW will get a boost from additional volunteers shortly.
  • The next FOL book sale is scheduled for February 10-12 @NS
  • The next library board meeting is scheduled for February 14th @5:30pm @SW 
  • Congratulations to Pam Penza on her new job in North Carolina. We wish you all the best in this exciting new adventure!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
Barb

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Investment in early childhood programs yields robust returns

Excellent article describing the outcome of the outstanding work our Youth Services staff engages in every day. You will see a link to this article in the next newsletter. In the years ahead, we will need to intensify our efforts to educate the public about our value. We begin now.

Monday, January 23, 2017

Compliment

Hello, Everyone
I received a call this morning from the Wisconsin Library Association letting me know that a Kenosha News reporter had contacted them to dig into the answer to this question posed to the paper by a local:
"Why is the Kenosha Public Library system so much better than all the other libraries in Wisconsin?"
I wanted to share that complimentary question with you, the staff that make this person so happy every time he visits. Thank you for working so hard to delight your community. It's paying off! 
I can't wait to see what the reporter decides to write in response.
Barb

Friday, January 20, 2017

Should we keep it?

We have this space divider on trial loan from a vendor. Should we keep it? Comment on this post.

Friday Update

Last December I promised I would resume my weekly blog posts in an effort to keep everyone more informed. I hope you engage with this blog weekly to make sure you know what's happening and what's next. Senior managers met yesterday to talk about the plan to improve communication, so also expect more regular information updates from your supervisors and managers going forward. If you have any particular questions that go unanswered please communicate that upward and I'll be sure to answer to all.

  • Business Plan meetings are scheduled for:
    • Thursday January 26, 1pm @CCB Collection services staff, Uptown, Simmons)
    • Tuesday, January 31, 1pm @NS
    • Thursday, Feb 16, 1pm @SW
Meetings should last about 90 minutes. We'll talk about the impact of SHARE, the AMH project, our program and service ideas for 2017, and the biggest project for 2017: Strategic Planning.
The 2017 Business Plan is available on our library website under the "About" tab.

  • Hats off to the NS circulation staff who are so cleverly redesigning their workflow around the new AMH system. It's wonderful to see your innovative ideas for making the system work the best it can. Until all of our collection is tagged with RFID tags, the value of AMH will not be fully realized. So help your coworkers at the Northside branch by volunteering for an hour or two a week to tag. We'll be hosting some after hour tagging parties soon, as well. The more the AMH system recognizes, the less the NS staff need to scan by hand. Let's all pitch in and help!
  • Thanks to the Bookmobile and Outreach Staff for welcoming Brandi into their fold during Scott's absence. Brandi is working hard to cover her regular job and also help with scheduling and logistics for the bookmobile to keep everything running smoothly. We are so grateful to her for stepping into this role. Scott will recuperate from knee surgery at SW when he returns in February until he can maneuver the 
  • The library will be hosting a public forum to gather information leading to a plan to develop a Creative Economy in Kenosha. We'll hold that discussion after hours at the Uptown Library on Tuesday, March 7th starting at 6pm. If you are an artist, performer, musician, actor, writer, or any other creative person, please come on out and express your views on how the city can support your dream of supporting yourself yourself through the arts.
  • We'll be hosting the SHARE Directors Council, a group of about 30 directors, tech people, and trustees from Lakeshores Library System and Kenosha County Library System, on March 7th at Northside Library. The group wants to see AMH in action. Racine Public Library is at the beginning of their RFID project, so this will be helpful for their staff to see. Other LLS libraries are also interested in tagging their collection. Wouldn't that make our workload so much easier?
  • The annual  Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference begins this week. We have reserved NS and SW meeting rooms for group viewing. See Joe's email for details about the schedule. Please do your best to attend at least one session, especially if you have very few chances for continuing ed. There's always a lot of good stuff to inspire you, generate new ideas, and make you proud to work in a library. We pay one fee as a sponsor of the conference so your attendance won't cost us a dime more than already spent.
  • The KPL Foundation is planning a gala event at the Simmons Library on Saturday, September 30 from 6:30-9:30pm. They will be launching an annual Library Legacy award. If you have a suggestion for someone in the community who has been a tireless supporter either with money or time, let me know so I can pass your nomination on to the Foundation board.
  • The Kenosha Expo is at Parkside on March 4 and 5. We will host a table there to spread the good word about our programs and services. If you are willing to meet the public at our table either day (paid time) contact Aaron. 
That's the news for this week. Have a warm and happy weekend!
Barb


Friday, January 13, 2017

News for the Week

Hello, Everyone
Here's news you can use:

  • Congratulations to Kathy Duba on her 25th anniversary with KPL!
  • Congratulations to Lori Mohr  on her 20th anniversary with KPL!
  • Self check machines have arrived at CCB. Self checks will go out for the public at the end of the project, most likely in May, when all our collection is tagged and security gates are installed. 
  • If you haven't stopped by Northside to see AMH in action, please do. All returns are running through the machinery now. 
  • AMH will install late March/ early April @SW
  • We are scheduling Business Plan meetings in January and February- stay tuned for that announcement.
Have a warm and wonderful weekend, Everyone!



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