Upcoming projects and other news

On Monday, the board's Buildings and Grounds Committee will meet to review three current projects:

1. Electric vehicle charging stations at NS and SW
2. Geothermal air conditioning system at Simmons
3. SW Children's Story Garden

The EV stations are ready to install. We'll lease the stations. We'll have a contractor run electrical and data to the stations. Patrons will be able to use them with an app and credit card. No staff intervention required. See my previous blog post for more information. The Simmons air conditioners are on their last leg. We are making the choice to replace them with environmentally friendly green technology. The story garden plan is complete and ready for the city's planning commission review. We have renderings of various fence heights to propose and the footprint may need to be cut back a bit to line up with the building. We should have everything approved within the next 30 days.

The federal American Rescue Plan Act has been passed by Congress and allocates $3.2 million for Wisconsin libraries. We will be actively involved in creating a guide for libraries statewide that outlines how to conduct community assessments, how to create rapid responses through library services, and how to evaluate the impact of those responses. Once the framework is in place, 10 libraries from across WI, including KPL, will test the model by developing new programs to offset the learning loss children have experienced this last year, support small business and entrepreneurs, and support community reconciliation. This is a year long project that will be generously funded through ARPA.

Stephanie has secured $500 from the National Book Fund to develop a New Readers Collection at Uptown. Thanks, Stephanie!

As part of our commitment to removing barriers to library service, we'll be ending our contract with Unique Management for collection agency services. 

This week's Bright Spot award nomination comes from Marcia:

"I wanted to nominate Jeff for making the toddler book bins for the bookmobile as well as the custom shelf and cup holder on the book truck. It shows that he really cares about his work. Not only are they very useful, but we all benefit from them. I really appreciate that he did that as well as all of the help he has given me since I started."

These are great! Thanks, Jeff!

Have a wonderful spring weekend, everyone!

YFS Introduces P.L.A.Y. Packs

In 2021, the Kenosha Public Library will be developing and rolling out “P.L.A.Y. Packs” (Preschool Learning and You Packs) for parents and caregivers of preschool-aged children. Each P.L.A.Y. Pack will focus on a different skill to help prepare young children for Kindergarten. Kindergarten readiness skills include not just the knowledge of shapes, colors, numbers, and letters, but also things like learning how to use scissors, tracing letters and writing your name, getting dressed, using the bathroom independently, gaining impulse control, and engaging in social-emotional roleplay. These are skills learned in preschool, but as preschool attendance is not mandatory in the state of Wisconsin, children who do not attend preschool may enter Kindergarten well behind their peers. Even children who are enrolled in preschool would benefit from these skills being further reinforced at home with their caregiver.

P.L.A.Y. Packs will include themed activities for children, all necessary supplies to complete the activities, and easy-to-follow tips for caregivers. Currently, the main supplies we anticipate including across the entire series of packs include: safety scissors, adhesive velcro, laminated tracing sheets, highlighters, dry erase markers, crayons, a jumbo paintbrush, Play-Doh, bingo dauber, glue stick, ruler, 3-ring binder, and a school supply pouch.

P.L.A.Y. Packs will be presented as a series. Alongside the base pack, participants will receive the first P.L.A.Y. Pack (which is themed around animals) and complete the activities at home. Each P.L.A.Y. Pack will have 10 themed activities that promote a Kindergarten readiness skill: reading, writing, playing, singing, talking, gross motor, social-emotional, visual math, counting/numbers, and a craft. Once they complete all activities in the pack, they will go to a Kenosha Public Library branch to pick up the next P.L.A.Y. Pack in the series. The aim is to create sustained engagement between families and the Kenosha Public Library. We want to not only bring them into the library, but encourage them to check out books, participate in the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program, and join in our our weekly storytimes to help boost their child’s early literacy skills as they also work on Kindergarten readiness skills through the P.L.A.Y. Pack program.

Our library can fund 100 of these P.L.A.Y. Packs (that is, 100 children will be able to participate in the entire series). The Kenosha Public Library Foundation is providing $7,825 for 500 additional P.L.A.Y. Packs. The first round of P.L.A.Y. Packs will be handed out through community partners (such as the Kenosha Literacy Council, the Urban League and NAACP, and childcare centers serving disadvantaged populations), so that, according to the 3rd grade reading statistics, we are reaching those who are most likely to need assistance with preschool learning. The community partners will thus be encouraging those families to come to the library to continue picking up P.L.A.Y. Packs and taking advantage of all the services we have to offer.

A new Children's Library in the Uptown Neighborhood and other news

Here's a timely article during our Citizen Science programming this month and next. Citizen Science is Booming During the Pandemic. Personally, I'm indulging in the bee sign for my perennial garden at home and I loved the Xerces Society presentation last night. Hope you're enjoying the programming, as well!

Hopefully you've read my email announcement this past Tuesday about the new Uptown Children's Library we're planning with the city and developers. There are many similar projects completed by public libraries nationwide. Locally,  Milwaukee Public Library's Villard Square Branch occupies the first floor of a multifamily housing project for grandparents who are primary caretakers of their grandchildren. The Mitchell Street Branch building includes 60 apartments. To quote a Chicago Crain's Business article  that describes the benefit to both business and government in these library/ housing projects, In these neighborhoods, the library is more than a book depot. As New York Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman noted, “In cities across the country, branch libraries, which futurologists not long ago predicted would be made obsolete by technology, have instead morphed into indispensable and bustling neighborhood centers and cultural incubators.” 
It is indeed our dream that this new Uptown Children's Library will be just that- bustling early childhood center and cultural incubator. Just be aware that this hinges on a yet to be negotiated developer agreement with the city. This is NOT a done deal. It's going to come down to affordability.

The next city-sponsored shredding event for the public will be on May 22nd at SW and NS. Here is the full announcement. 

I'm taking off for a few days to hug my grandchildren. I'll be back on Tuesday. I'll bring back some warm weather.

Happy spring, everyone!

Barb

Quarantine, Evening Hours, and a new Bright Spot

Not much to report this week. Here are a few tidbits:

Many libraries in Wisconsin have either ceased to quarantine returned items or are planning to. This is not based on vaccination schedules but on increasing evidence that the COVID-19 virus is transmitted by airborne particles, not surface contamination. While the virus can survive in a weakened state for a few days on surfaces, there's no evidence that surface virus is potent enough to infect us. Still, we'd feel better if we knew all our staff was vaccinated before we quit quarantining. We feel that the safest transition for KPL is 2 weeks after the last vaccination for staff, which by our calculations is May 17th. So, along with restoring evening hours at SW and NS, we'll also cease quarantines on returned items beginning May 17th.

Don't miss all the great Citizen Science programming coming up as well as the youth author events. You can sign up for any and all from our website. I'm excited to create my little bee patch sign for my garden that's this week's program kit through ADS!

This week's Bright Spot nomination comes from Early Literacy Specialist Megan Nigh. "I would like to nominate Bennett Schuner for a Bright Spot Award. I have had a lot of deadlines the last couple weeks, including two of the KPL Kids To-Go Boxes that went out. Bennett spent a lot of time helping me gather materials and assemble all the boxes. I wouldn't have been able to do it without all of his help the last couple of weeks! Thanks Bennett!"

Looks like we might have nice weather this weekend! Enjoy!

Barb

Spring has Sprung

 

Hello, spring, and hello, Cora, Simmons' Spring Mascot.