Catch-up on Library News

Don't forget to sign up for the Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference on January 26-27. Everything is online and you can choose one or many sessions. It's all paid up front by our library system. All you need is the time away from your regular duties.

We're moving ahead with plans to have notary public training for a few ADS staff. This has been a service the public has asked us for over the years and we're delighted to get it up and running. We hope to launch the service in March.

We'll soon have 100 Chromebook/ hotspot kits to check out to the community courtesy of an Emergency Connectivity Fund federal grant. The kits will go out for one year. Patrons will need to sign a statement for the feds that says they or their children do not have access to the Internet any other way. Rob will soon send out all the logistics/ requirements for checking these units out.

We're finalizing plans with Carthage College to host a social work student at UPT and SI this semester. The students will help us hone our skills for referring patrons to local social services and teach us some techniques for identifying mental illness and ways to communicate with highly stressed patrons for better outcomes. At the completion of their assignment, students will provide their opinions on whether we could benefit from having trained social workers on staff. 

We're also finalizing plans to host Clinical Psychology masters degree students to analyze the psychosocial needs of our patrons and match library services to those needs. More details to follow.

Brandi sent this email out earlier and I wanted to repeat it here:

"As a part of Kindness Week, Zander came up with the idea for a community panel to discuss relevant social and civic issues in Kenosha. Partnering with the Coalition for Dismantling Racism this idea served as their theme for a Courageous Conversation. I highly recommend finding some time to watch this panel. The panelists represent many different parts of our community and include the County Executive and DA. As I was moderating this program I found myself both inspired and enlightened by the experiences the panelist shared. This is a great way to hear from the community we serve.

Kudos to Zander.

The recording for the Courageous Conversation - Chaos or Community: Where Do We Go From Here? is now available on Youtube. "

Two Bright Spot nominations from Brandi this week:

Michelle wore many hats this last week and wore them with grace and decisiveness. She sprang into action to make sure we had a plan to get more masks to the branches when snow was on the way. Even yesterday, when I arrived at SW, who was out front shoveling? Michelle. She knew maintenance was busy clearing the lots and down a couple guys so she grabbed a shovel and made sure there was a path for both the staff and patrons before we opened. Michelle continues to be an excellent example of a leader in our organization and pitches in to support all of us - whether navigating the pandemic, offering a counseling ear, or actually clearing a path for us to safely enter the building.


Last Friday when I joined the team to go get masks I had a meeting scheduled with Madelynn and a community partner. I needed someone to tap in for me and I am so glad I asked Shannon! Not only did Madelynn and Shannon handle the meeting perfectly - they secured a new partner for the Big Read that I am sure will prove to be very successful! Shannon had less than 20 minutes to prepare and never waivered when I asked her to step in for me. That sort of support means so much when we are all working at full capacity and trying to stay nimble. I am very proud of both of them and grateful that I know they have my back when I need it.

Nominations from Barb

Many thanks to Jeff and Dan who managed the snowfalls this past week by themselves! We really, really appreciate you guys!

Thanks to Amanda for heading to city hall to help mail absentee ballots in time for the primary election!

And thanks to everyone who pitched in and helped the library carry on as usual during my medical leave! I'm back and I can see you all so much better!

Thanks to everyone who's been pitching in so cheerfully moving boxes, picking up loads of masks, and distributing masks to an eager public. Go ahead and wear jeans for the rest of the week in case you're called on to help with some work that might be a little more dirty than normal.
And thanks for being such a terrific team to work with!
Barb