Happy New Year!

First, my heartfelt condolences to Emily, Rosa, and Zander who have all lost loved ones recently. Our hearts are with you.

It's been a trying week for many of you as 12 staff members tested positive for COVID, all at once. For those of you who switched schedules or locations to fill in where needed, thank you so much! Special thanks to Linda who fills in so often, sometimes giving up her day off, just so things will run smoothly. Please reach out to Linda and let her know you appreciate all she does for us! There are many days when I wonder what we would do without her!

DPI and the Wisconsin Workforce Development folks have partnered to promote libraries as support agencies for people needing help with job searches. The marketing campaign is bound to bring people in, so if you work a public service desk, please review the job center resources so we are ready to live up to the promises promoted through the marketing campaign.

Our next board meeting is Tuesday at 5:30pm. We're going back to virtual this month to be safe.

Part time employees have already seen an increase in their weekly paycheck and full time employees will see their raise in next Friday's check. Happy New Year! There's a tremendous amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to make these adjustments. Thanks to Jeremy, Sandy and Michelle for getting all the spreadsheets and employee records updated accurately in time for the new year.

Thanks to everyone who weighed in on a new and improved meeting room policy. We'll get a revised version to the Board for approval in February.

If you attend Board meeting or read the packets, you've heard me talk about the book vending machines going in at the Boys and Girls Club and the YMCA. Both locations have set aside a space right next to the drink and snack machines for maximum visibility. We are waiting on DPI to give us the green light to order, then it will take 6 weeks for the machines to arrive and be installed. I think they're going to be very popular!

We have agreed to be the educational partner with UW Extension to work with teens and guide them toward college or vocational training and a successful life. That program will kick off at SW in April.

We're also partnering with UW Madison and UW Parkside to host an oral history project that will capture the stories of individual and group experiences of Latinx community members. That project will begin at Northside in March.

Bright Spot Nominations for the week:From Patty: "My colleagues and I would like to nominate Jeff Linders for a very well-deserved Bright Spot Award for responding quickly and very professionally to urgent cleaning and sanitizing work in heavily trafficked public areas at Northside Library."


From Barb: I want to express my deep admiration for Phillip and Linda's compassion for the homeless couple at Uptown this week. You both embody the meaning of Public Service and I am proud to work with you.



Stay warm and healthy, Everyone!
Barb