Farewell (But Not Forever!) to Miss Cindy

Gillett's Superstar Librarian Cindy Tuschy is taking some time off to cross things off her bucket list.  Her last day and farewell party was on September 20. We will miss her, but hope to see her back in library land someday! 


1) What do you plan on doing on your "bucket list?" 


CT:  I think some people associate a 'bucket list' with exciting things, like skydiving (which I've done twice), and I don't really have lots of that stuff on my list. I'm not planning to go on any exotic vacations, and I'm running out of extreme sports to try that I feel I can survive.  I'm saving the hot air balloon ride for my when I'm 80.  The only fun things I've got on my 'to try' list so far are log rolling and trapeze classes.
   However, I do have LOTS of hobbies, so I won't ever be bored. And I want to get bees. And take day trips in Wisconsin, visit my mom and relatives in Illinois, and my kids in MN. Do jigsaw puzzles. Go to a Renaissance Fair.  Instead of doing library programs, I'll probably start throwing themed parties for my family and friends.  And if I ever get in shape, that will open up lots of new avenues for me.
   People keep asking what I'm going to do the first day. Maybe my husband will take me fishing!


2) Why was this the right time to leave the library?

 CT: We sold our dairy cows, so for the first time in our married life we are not tied down every single day of the year.  Plus, my husband is 10 years older than me, so I thought of this great idea to take two years of my retirement now, while we can both still kind of walk around. I wanted two years, one year to get through 36 years of crap treasures and do house projects, and one year to just goof off.


3) What will you miss the most? 
        
  CT: Of course the patrons. How many people have jobs where people bring you food?!  And the kids are so much fun, as we kind of egged each other on to do goofy things.  Each day is a little different, so we're lucky to have jobs that are not boring.


4) How long have you been working there?



 CT:  I was at Gillett for 13 years.  It's been quite the adventure and I'm grateful to Gillett for the opportunity. 



Check out more pictures from Cindy's Farewell Party ! 

   

Grassroots Meeting Recap

The Grassroots meeting took place at NeighborWorks on September 18th. Rebecca Van Dan of the Middleton Public Library shared some insights into Teen Services, and Terry Ehle from the Lester Public Library talk about light painting. A great time was had by all who attended!

If you missed the meeting but you would like to access Rebecca's powerpoint, you can access it here.

Pew Report on Younger Americans and Libraries

The Pew Research Center released a new report titled “Younger Americans and Public Libraries: How those under 30 engage with libraries and think about libraries’ role in their lived and communities.” This report surveys younger Americans ages 16-29, which they found were three different generations, according to reading habits, library usage patterns, and attitudes about libraries. The youngest of the three generations is comprised of high schoolers (ages 16-17), the next generation is college-aged (18-24), and the third generation is 25-29. Library usage among these groups together is significantly higher than those of older generations with 50% reporting having used a library of bookmobile and 36% reporting having used a library website (this is up from 28% in 2012) within the previous 12 months.

Despite being more likely to use a library or its resources they were less likely to say that closing a library would have a major impact on their family or their community. Of those under 30 only 19% say that closing a library would have a major impact on their family and 51% say it would have a major impact on their community, compared to older adults responding 32% and 67% respectively. From the report: “Deeper connections with public libraries are also often associated with key life moments such as having a child, seeking a job, being a student, and going through a situation in which research and data can help inform a decision.” They found that socioeconomic status played a roll  in whether younger Americans and adults found the library to be important. Potentially another aspect fueling this perceived lack of impact of libraries could be that 36% of Millennials say they know “not much” or “nothing” about what the local library offers.

Younger Americas do describe libraries as warm, welcoming places. Younger patrons are more likely than older adults to say they have had a negative experience at a library but this is only 11% vs. 8%, the vast majority of both groups have not. 52% of those 16-29 disagreed that “public libraries have not done a good job keeping up with newer technologies”, while 43% agreed.

One point on which younger Americans do see libraries playing an important roll is giving everyone a chance to succeed, with job searching help and young adult programming being important to them.

This post just scratches the surface of the report. Don’t forget to check out the full report!

- YALSA Blog

CCBC Shorts Available This Fall

Join us for brief, timely tours through some of the newest and best in children’s and young adult literature. Librarians from the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) will be your guides for these monthly 30-minute sessions designed to give librarians a heads-up about selected brand new titles of note. We’ll also revisit some of the gems already in your library collections. Each month will feature a different topic or theme.

Register for a session now by clicking a date below: Wed, Oct 22, 2014 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM CDT Wed, Nov 19, 2014 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM CST Wed, Dec 17, 2014 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM CST -Jean Anderson, South Central Library System

GWR Webinar Series Begins and October Youth Showcase

The Growing Wisconsin Readers Fall Webinar Series begins next week on Tuesday, October 7, 2014.  Several Wisconsin public librarians and a few experts will share their early literacy experiences on a variety of topics throughout the series. From October through December, we will be offering two webinars each month.   All webinars will be held live, recorded, and available for free--no registration required. Mark your calendar for the following dates and times:

·         Tuesday, October 7, 1:00-2:15pm: Community Connections

·         Tuesday, October 21, 1:00-2:15pm: Responsive Storytimes

·         Tuesday, November 11, 1:00-2:15pm: Partnership Spotlight--Janesville, WI

·         Tuesday, November 18, 1:00-2:15pm: Looking Closer at Family Literacy

·         Tuesday, December 2, 1:00-2:15pm: 1000 Books Programs

·         Tuesday, December 9, 1:00-2:15pm: Early Literacy Activity Areas

All sessions will be hosted through Blackboard Collaborate via the following link: http://tinyurl.com/pqn7svo

• Attendees who need telephone audio (versus VoIP) should use the conference number:  1-877-820-7831 and enter participant passcode:  697156.
• Test your system beforehand 
• Blackboard Collaborate overview video
• Blackboard Collaborate online support or phone (877) 382-2293

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It’s the first of the month, which means that the newest edition of the Wisconsin Youth Services Showcase is available for your perusal and pinning: http://pld.dpi.wi.gov/pld_showcase

This month’s edition features backyard birds, a pigeon in pajamas, a giant wedge of cheese, marshmallow poppers, and MORE!   

What’s happening in your youth services neck of the woods?  Send in your submission for a future edition of the Wisconsin Youth Services Showcase.

Tessa Michaelson Schmidt

Public Library Youth and Special Services Consultant

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction