Jan.

2017

Happy New Year!

Community Engagement Focus

With a new year comes all kinds of possibilities! Districts have an opportunity to apply for an LSTA grant for Trustee Training in 2017. Part of the grant process is to conduct a survey to determine workshop timing and topics. This survey went out last month. By far the topic most interesting to the respondents was community engagement with 77%. I'm really excited because I love this topic! So let's talk about that buzzword, community engagement. What is it? Is it about improving the level of community involvement in public life? Is it the process of getting people better connected to community life? Is it about creating positive feelings about your organization? Or are the services we're providing meeting the specific needs of our communities? Is it about how libraries can be catalysts for change in their communities? It's all of the above!

We're planning what we think will be a great Trustee Training with the community engagement theme and how to integrate it into the planning process. Look for this 2 part workshop in early summer.

In the meantime, here are some resources to help us to think about community engagement in the public library context:

The Role of Librarians in Advancing Community Goals

The Aspen Insitute

Libraries Transforming Communities

Engage Your Community When Planning for Change

What's Your Story

The Harwood Institute

And just to warm your heart watch this:

--June Houghtaling

Planning for Continuing Ed Opportunities

What can you expect?

Here's a tentative lineup:

Summer Reading Training is being planned. Our hope is to deliver it earlier this year; possibly in late February or early March.

STEM workshop in April for youth services staff on April 5, 2017. Save the date.

Developing a Volunteer Program May 10, 2017. Save the date.

Trustee Training -- Community Engagement with Michael Kumer, a two part workshop on June 13 and July 13.

Stay tuned for more info. We're just getting started!

Pennsylvania Public Library Data Collection (Annual Report)

Don't let it get you down!

It's that time again! Annual reports can be frustrating so here are a few tips to help you on your way:

Read the "Changes for 2016" before you begin. The changes can be found after you login to LibPas but before you begin the report. These changes address circulation figures; lines 52 through 52e. Report Overdrive statistics in line 52a. Here are the stats for 2016.Power Library statistics can be found here and should be reported on line 52c.
Gifts: If you plan to report gifts as a portion of local financial effort, read the gift guidelines located on the page after you login but before you begin under "Documents and Forms". In kind donations can not be reported as local financial effort.
Also located in "Documents and Forms" is the signature page and the cover sheet and Certification of Estimated Costs. At minimum you will need to fill out the signature page and cover sheet to send with your supporting documentation either to your system administrator or to me. You will need a Certification of Estimated costs only if a municipality or other organization pays for services used by the library such as (but not limited to) janitorial services or lawn care.
If your library participated in an employment program, you must have documentation from the agency that provided the employee and that documentation must be sent with your supporting documentation.
Audits: Most of you will not have your audits for 2016 completed in time to submit with your annual report. It is not necessary to send an older audit or financial review. Don't check off your audit on your cover sheet unless you submit your 2016 audit with your supporting documents.
A treasurer's report must be sent with your supporting documents. This is the report you used to fill out the financial portion of the annual report.
Remember that the annual reports need to be submitted by March 3, 2017 and I'll need everyone's supporting documents. This allows me enough time to approve and lock the reports by the April 7, 2017 deadline. I will send your documents along to the state when I am finished.

As always, please email or call with questions.

--June

Overdrive's New Web Site

It's time to reach out and help our patrons become familiar with the new Overdrive interface. Training resources can be found here.

Need some marketing materials for Overdrive? Look no further. Flyers, stickers, bookmarks, posters and more are available for download here.

Have fun!

We Have STEM Maker Kits!

The North Central Library District received funding through a Library Services and Technology Act grant to provide STEM Maker Kits for our member libraries to check out. Access the STEM Resources page on the District web site.

If your library would like to check out a kit, please request it through James V Brown's interlibrary loan department using this ILL Form . Kits can be checked out for up to a month.

Please fill out the brief survey included with the kit. If you use the kit in a program, we'll ask you to briefly describe the program so that we can compile a list of program ideas for our district members. But you don't have to use the kits in a program. You can check them out just to see how they work!

Don't Forget the Compendium

Don't miss out on news at the state level. The latest Compendium is packed with information about workshops, webinars, the recent PEW Research Report, library news and more.