WLA Foundation Hosts Silent Auction at WLA Conference

Bid on a framed Renoir print, original paintings, jewelry, or beautiful hand-bound journals. Dozens of items will be available at this year's WLA Foundation Silent Auction, held Wednesday, November 3, and Thursday, November 4, at the WLA Conference in Lake Geneva. All proceeds increase the Foundation's endowment, which funds special programs, scholarships, as well as WLA professional and literary awards.

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WLA and WLA Foundation Annual Business Meeting is November 4

For both the WLA and the WLA Foundation, the annual business meeting is Thursday, November 4, 2004, 5:30-6:30 p.m., in Lake Geneva at the WLA Conference. An agenda for the business meeting and related attachments are provided at http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/conferences/2004/program/businessagenda.htm. Both the WLA Board and the WLA Foundation Board are proposing amendments to their governing documents, and members will be asked to vote on these amendments at this meeting.

"I Love Libraries & I Vote!" Campaign Continues

There's still time to order and display your "I Love Libraries & I Vote!" buttons and decals! And, of course, make sure to vote on November 2 before you come to the WLA Conference.

The "I Love Libraries & I Vote" campaign is going strong. WLA has distributed nearly 19,000 buttons and 6,000 static-cling decals with the I Love Libraries logo. (Thanks to Deb Haeffner, South Central Library System for creating the design.) Library supporters in Illinois, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, and Florida have placed orders for I Love Libraries promotional merchandise.

In addition to distributing the stickers and decals, several library systems have hosted or have scheduled Library Listening Sessions with state legislative candidates and office holders. Eastern Shores Library System and Waukesha County Library System each hosted one earlier this summer, and Nicolet Federated Library System has schedule four sessions in September. South Central Library System members are holding four sessions in September and October. Milwaukee County Federated Library System will host one October 23. Consult with your library system office for a detailed schedule.

Leadership Discusses Amendments to Governing Documents

On Wednesday, September 15, the Committee on Organization (COO) met with members of the WLA leadership to discuss proposed changes in the Association Constitution and Bylaws. The meeting, though attended by only a few, gave members a chance to ask questions about the changes and allowed clarification of key points.

COO will be recommending to the WLA Board that the Association's Rules of Order, currently Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, be changed to The Standard Rules of Parliamentary Procedure. These are the rules used by the American Library Association, and they were recommended by David Weinhold, WLA Parliamentarian. COO will also recommend that language regarding recall of elected officers and directors be added to the bylaws. Currently, these provisions are part of the procedures manual, requiring only board action.

Proposed changes and comments, along with a summary of the meeting on 9/15 can be viewed at: http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/board/structure/amendments.htm.

WLA Board Approves New Dues Structure

The WLA Board approved a new dues structure, which takes effect January 1, 2005, that will ask members to calculate their dues based on $3.00 per $1,000 of salary, with a cap of $250. WLA President Nancy McClements requested members' opinions on the proposal via the WLA listserv. The feedback was highly in favor of a change from using a member’s salary range to the more specific $3 per $1000 salary. Of the 89 responses, 75 were pro, 1 was con, and the remaining 13 were comments or questions without a stated opinion. Find out more about the responses online.

Board Proposes Constitution & Bylaws Changes to WLA Membership

At its August 20 meeting, the WLA Board approved the recommendations of the Committee on Organization to eliminate 10 committees and merge the constitution and bylaws. Merging the two governing documents required significant amendments, and there were also substantive amendments that were necessary to reflect changes within WLA's structure. For instance, WLA and the Wisconsin Educational Media Association (WEMA) have been working on a dual membership program that requires changes to the WLA Board structure. The Wisconsin Association of School Librarians will likely vote to dissolve the division (ballots are counted in early October), and it is proposed that a dual WLA-WEMA member represent school librarians on the WLA Board.

In addition, the proposed bylaws will allow for electronic balloting. (COO has recommended that the WLA Board appoint a task force to research the feasibility of paperless elections.) The amendments also simplify language throughout the document, but especially the sections pertaining to membership categories, records, archives, and publications.

All members should have received a postcard notification of the proposed amendments. Members may suggest amendments on the floor of the annual business meeting November 4 in Lake Geneva. For the text of the amendments and comments, frequently asked questions, and a timeline of the amendment process, please go to "Rethinking WLA's Structure."

Wisconsin Library Association Announces Library of the Year, Librarian of the Year and Other Award Winners

The Wisconsin Library Association’s Awards and Honors Committee is pleased to announce the following award recipients for 2004: DEMCO/Librarian of the Year, both Rob Reid, Indianhead Library System, Eau Claire, and Peter G. Hamon, director of the South Central Library System, Madison; Library of the Year, Hedberg Library, Carthage College, Kenosha; Trustee of the Year, Sandralee Thiele, president, Darien Public Library Board of Trustees; Special Service Award, Donald Bulley, Trustee, South Milwaukee Public Library; WLA/Highsmith Award, Marathon County Public Library, Wausau; and Muriel Fuller Award, Laura Moss Gottlieb, Reference Librarian, Hedberg Public Library, Janesville. Congratulations to all! More information is available on the WLA website.


2004 Banta Award, Notable Authors, and Outstanding Books Selected

Larry Watson’s book Orchard, a beautifully crafted novel set in 1950s Door County, has been selected as the winner of the 2004 Banta Award by the WLA's Literary Awards Committee. WLA will formally present the award, which includes a $1,000 honorarium, to Mr. Watson at the WLA annual conference in November. Mr. Watson will also do a book signing and speak at the conference, which attracts approximately 1,100 librarians, staff, and trustees from throughout the state.

According to Sandra Sechrest, chair of the WLA’s Literary Committee that selects the Banta winners, Orchard is a beautifully crafted novel set in 1950s Door County. It deals with the tragic relationships between a gifted but self-obsessed artist, his patient wife, his model/muse and her jealous husband.

Notable authors selected this year are Charles D. Stewart, an essayist and novelist, Jack Ritchie, a short story writer, and well- known novelist Peter Straub. The following were selected as 2004 Outstanding Books:
Bradley, James. Flyboys: A True Story of Courage
Fromm, Pete. As Cool As I Am
Ligon, Samuel. Safe in Heaven Dead
McGilligan, Patrick. Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light
McLain, Paula. Like Family: Growing Up in Other People’s Houses
Maraniss, David. They Marched into Sunlight: War and Peace, Vietnam and America, October 1967
Peters, Margot. Design for Living: Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne: A Biography
Salter, Anna. Predators: Pedophiles, Rapists and Other Sex Offenders: Who They Are, How They Operate, and How We Can Protect Ourselves and Our Children
Sidran, Ben. Ben Sidran: A Life in the Music
Townsend, Alison. The Blue Dress: Poems & Prose Poems

WLA Board Approves 2005 Legislative Agenda

The WLA's 2005 legislative agenda includes ambitious budget and legislative goals to improve library service in Wisconsin. Funding for public library systems and BadgerLink, securing the Common School Fund, and supporting UW system libraries are important agenda items once again. WLA also looks forward to promoting district library legislation, a "reform" bill related to public library systems, an early childhood learning initiative, and much more. The legislative agenda also includes a statement of purpose, and this will guide the legislative committee as it responds to challenges and new proposals throughout 2005.