Congratulations and Bright Spots for this week

Congratulations to Heather, who is the spotlighted WLA member for December 2023! We look forward to reading all about you in the December WLA newsletter.

Congratulations to Aaron who is the Kenosha.com  Kenoshan of the Week! If you didn't know, Aaron creates an incredible haunted house every year and it is very popular with fans of the macabre. Visit if you can and you won't be disappointed!

News from Heather:

"Principal Ursula Perry at Harvey Elementary reached out to KPL, wondering if we would participate in a reading program for their students. In this program, students are encouraged to come to a KPL location 10 times between now and mid-January. All we have to do is punch their reading card (shown below) for them. Of course we said yes, we would be happy to participate! Tara is ordering extra hole punchers to make sure that every service point has one. They should be arriving soon. Until then, feel free to make an "X" through the circles with a marker if presented with one of these cards."

Look who graduated from WLA Leadership training this year

 Bright Spots this week:

From Amanda: "Everyone who made Haunted Simmons and Slightly Spooky Simmons possible has a great deal of my respect, admiration, and thanks. Just as much of that goes to all of the Simmons staff who have watched the building get coated in bats and spiderwebs and coexisting with Mister Boneman McGee (my skeleton) who has been hanging out in the Staff Space. These events could not have been done without all of them.
Extra special shout out to Laura Kastelic for volunteering again this year to share her stories from when she worked at Simmons. She may not see this, but she is still part of this Bright Spot.
The Day Of staff took a group photo as well before the event.

From Emily: "I’d like to nominate the Haunted Simmons crew for Bright Spots! Amanda, Kahlil, Ed, Michaela, Alex L., and Nate were amazing and the event went so well! All the guests loved it, and by my surveys at least six of them are now believers in our ghost(s)! Also a shoutout to Elliot for sourcing amazing props from the Kenosha theater and Jessica for playing a very spooky ghost. It was a great night!"

From Amy Rae: "Customer service is more than just being polite and remembering to smile: When a Chromebook and hotspot set was returned earlier this week, DJ and Luiza immediately knew who we should try to get it to.  One of our regular patrons, familiar to YFS Southwest staff especially, had asked about the hotspots before, because she and her children needed internet access.  We checked the set out to my work card and placed it on my desk, then made sure that relevant staff knew to flag her down and ask if she still needed the set.  On Wednesday, she came in and was happy to check out the hotspot and Chromebook.  Her family will have WIFI for the next two months and a laptop for the next year because our staff listened and internalized a patron's needs."

Welcome to Joy

The contract is signed and construction will begin shortly on our gorgeous new library just for kids birth through 5th grade! We've been working for months with our architects to create a space where kids will love to learn and have a whole lot of fun doing it. This library will be for every child from across the city, the county, and the region, and our greatest hope is that it will inspire children to discover their interests and develop the confidence to pursue their dreams.

Our location in the heart of a disadvantaged neighborhood comes with challenges. We are bound to see more children with cognitive and/ or physical disabilities. That's why the Kenosha Achievement Center will host Early Head Start, Sprouts Playgroups, and Help Me Grow programs at our new library. These programs are designed to support the children and families struggling with these challenges. 

We are also likely to see more children who have experienced trauma. That's why we're using an LSTA grant to provide Playmaker Project training for all our YFS staff as well as the YFS staff at Community Library. Playmakers support childcare professionals and organizations creating optimal environments to help kids overcome traumas associated with Adverse Childhood Experiences like poverty, violence, and substance abuse. Helping our staff recognize these traumas in our young visitors and design joyous programming that nurtures and heals will be lifechanging for many young children.

How lucky we are to have a chance to help people every day and give them the support to be successful in their lives! Please take a moment and let this sink in. Every one of you contributes to the success of the library, whether you plan programs, fix the air conditioning, or check in returned materials. All of you are important and all of you are valued, not just by me, but by your coworkers and all the people who count on us as a place where they are welcome and free to explore the world of ideas. On behalf of them, I thank you for the tremendous service you provide and for creating a safe and welcoming place for everyone.


Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
Barb

Marcia Accepts Outreach Award for KPL Team

Look who's onstage at the annual Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services conference to accept a national award! Here's the award letter and a great pic of Marcia, who is just bursting with pride for her team! Special congratulations to Lisa Langsdorf for her marvelous work highlighted in the award letter. Miss Lisa, you are amazing!

Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services

 

1190 Meramec Station Road

Ballwin, MO 63021

Press Release – For Immediate Release

The Outreach Department at The Kenosha Public Library, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, is the recipient of the 2023 Preschool Outreach and School Services Inspirations Award. The Preschool Outreach and School Services Inspirations Award, sponsored by the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services and in honor of Danielle Marshall for her outstanding work with 3C Patient Advocacy, is presented annually to a library, department, or an individual who has provided exemplary library outreach services to children and students in their community, from age infant to college.

The Kenosha Public Library's Outreach Department, led by the dynamic Ms. Lisa Langsdorf, has consistently demonstrated outstanding dedication and creativity in their outreach efforts. Throughout the year from August 2022 to July 2023, the Outreach Department spearheaded a wide range of programs specifically tailored to various age groups, solidifying their impact on the community's education landscape.

For children aged 0-5, the department orchestrated an impressive 256 programs, hosted at local preschools, daycares, city parks, community partners, and even on their bookmobile. Notably, they offered literacy-enriched Storytimes at federally funded low-income Head Start locations, contributing to early childhood education initiatives. The summer Park & Play programs, featuring engaging Storytimes followed by physical activities and bookmobile visits, became a beloved tradition in the community.

A staggering 721 programs were designed for children aged 6-11, featuring STEM and STEAM sessions, Literacy Enrichment programs, and special events in local schools. The Outreach team's dedication to making learning interactive and engaging shone through Ms. Lisa Langsdorf's STEM or STEAM with Ms. Lisa program, where hands-on exploration of scientific concepts left a lasting impact on young learners.

Programs for ages 12-18 and "all ages" family programs totaled 45, including diverse activities like Citizen Science programs, family To-Go program kits, and interactive events. Notably, their partnership with local teen organizations showcased their commitment to fostering a sense of community and engagement among youth.

The Outreach Department's dedication and perseverance were aptly summarized by a community member in their recommendation letter: "The library outreach program is what makes Kenosha great."

The Preschool Outreach and School Services Inspirations Award will be presented at the Awards Ceremony during the 2023 Conference of the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Bright Spot Awards -Lots of them!

We are getting closer to the commencement of construction on the new library. The construction contract will go to Council on Monday evening and barring any disasters, we should have the thumbs up to begin. Check your email for the 3D images of the new spaces- they are simply stunning! We will begin posting photos of the space under construction over the next few weeks so we can all watch the progress and share the excitement with the public. I'll also share the pictures of the fabrics and play areas Heather and her team have selected for the space when I get updates from our architect..

Lots of Bright Spot Awards this week:

From Jennifer : "This morning, Patty spent an enormous amount of effort helping a patron in need. The patron is somewhat visually impaired, completely unfamiliar with technology, and assigned to do some coursework online by the government. Patty spent time showing him computer basics, helping him through the instructions he had been given, made sure he could see everything, and ultimately found him a more accessible way to complete this work - and even helped him get connected with KAFASI to request safe travel in the process. I overheard him telling her how grateful he was for her efforts, and how she made a difficult day much brighter. "I'm SO glad you were here to help me today - I will be back."

"Miss Shawn is clearly a bright spot for the kiddos and caregivers at our Thursday storytime here at Northside. They handpicked a stunning bouquet, just for her! (Photo attached)"

From Kimmy:

"I want to nominate Jennifer & Marcia for a bright spot. I was involved in a car accident on the way to work on Friday, September 29, where a lady turned in front of me and hit my driver's side of the vehicle. Both Jennifer and Marcia stepped up to the plate immediately to help me out. Marcia came in and covered my shift for me to be able to go to the ER and get both my baby and I to be checked out (we are okay) and Jennifer was super understanding of the situation and helped me come up with a solution while I figured out how to get to work since my car is now in the shop due to it not being driveable. I could have not asked for better individuals to be working with."


From Barb:

Thanks to everyone who pitched in this morning when the book sale opened at SW. The crowds were impressive! Thanks especially to Phillip who graciously assisted our elderly volunteers.