WSL Updates for March 23, 2017

Volume 13, March 23, 2017 for the WSL Updates mailing list Topics include: 1) REFRESHING SCHOOL LIBRARIES GRANTS 2) RAISING VISIBILITY AND RELEVANCY 3) PUBLIC LIBRARY POLICIES UPDATE 4) THINK, DO, SHOW – EVALUATION WORKSHOP 5) IMLS RELEASES STATEMENT ON BUDGET 6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) REFRESHING SCHOOL LIBRARIES GRANTS The Washington State Library (WSL) is accepting applications for RSL-2: a new cycle of Refreshing School Libraries grants. The purpose of the grant is to help bolster schools’ nonfiction collections. We hope to help support Common Core Standards and student enjoyment. We anticipate making 100 awards of $2,000 in reimbursable funding. Libraries in public and non-profit K-12 schools are eligible. The deadline for both the online application and the signature sheet (postmark) is May 1, 2017. Awards will be announced on May 30, 2017. For more information, including the guidelines and application documents, visit sos.wa.gov/q/grants. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) RAISING VISIBILITY AND RELEVANCY A library that supports its community has a community that supports its library. Raising visibility means raising relevancy. As part of ALA's Libraries Transform initiative, Spokane County Library District spent the past two years doing just that by turning outward to their communities. April’s First Tuesdays webinar, “Raising Your Library's Community Profile,” will be presented by Amber Williams and Kris Barnes, Spokane County Library District, Tuesday, April 4, 2017, 9:00 AM Pacific Time. Webinar topics include:

  • How community engagement has changed day-to-day job functions;
  • Strategies for making the time to be present in your community;
  • Best practices for implementing an engaged community focus.
The “Reaction to Change Quiz” tool will be discussed so feel free to take the quiz ahead of time. For webinar logon instructions, visit sos.wa.gov/q/FirstT. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) PUBLIC LIBRARY POLICIES UPDATE The Washington State Library is pleased to announce that the semiannual comprehensive update to the Washington State Public Library Policies webpage has been completed. Need an example of a Collection Development or Social Media policy? This is the place to go for a list and links to over 1,700 online Public Library Policy and Procedure documents, everything from ADA compliance to Volunteers, compiled from Washington libraries. If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Lindberg at [email protected]. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) THINK, DO, SHOW – EVALUATION WORKSHOP Libraries collect a lot of data: circulation, program attendance, user satisfaction, etc. In this free, all-day workshop, “Think, Do, Show: Practical Techniques for Using Evaluation to Improve Practice and Demonstrate Impact,” straight from the Research Institute for Public Libraries, you will learn how to go beyond simply collecting and reporting on these numbers. Through a series of interactive exercises, you will discover how to conduct outcome-based evaluation, use your results for data-driven decision making and planning, and present your data in infographics and other formats to demonstrate your library’s impact. Workshop outcomes:
  • Become familiar with the evaluation process;
  • Recognize the differences between inputs, outputs, and outcomes, and why all three data types are needed to conduct meaningful evaluations;
  • Gain an introductory understanding of how to use data for planning, management, and communicating about impact;
  • Develop a plan for next steps.
Sponsored by the Washington State Library. Lunch is on your own. Here’s the workshop schedule:
  • May 1, 2017, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Fort Vancouver Regional Library Headquarters
  • May 3, 2017, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Spokane County Library, Moran Prairie Branch
  • May 5, 2017, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Sno-Isle Libraries Service Center, Marysville
To register, visit sos.wa.gov/q/ThinkDoShow. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) IMLS RELEASES STATEMENT ON BUDGET On Thursday, March 16, Institute of Museum and Library Services Director Dr. Kathryn K. Matthew released a statement on the President’s proposed FY 2018 budget, which includes elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Access the statement via this link: sos.wa.gov/q/budget. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK Monday, March 27 Tuesday, March 28 Wednesday, March 29 Thursday, March 30 For more information and to register (unless otherwise linked above), visit the WSL Training Calendar at sos.wa.gov/q/training. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER: The State Library regularly highlights third-party events and online resources as a way to alert the library community to training and resource opportunities. By doing so, we are not endorsing the content of the event, nor promoting any specific product, but merely providing this information as an FYI to librarians who must then decide what is right for them. The Washington State Library has gone social! Friend/follow us at:
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