WPR Program on School Libraries

If you didn't get to tune in this morning to hear about school libraries, go to
the Wisconsin Public Radio archives for the following:

The following program was broadcast today on Wisconsin Public Radio's The Kathleen Dunn Show:
The number of certified Library Media Specialists in Wisconsin has fallen dramatically in recent years. After ten, Kathleen Dunn and her guests discuss the shortage, and what the state should do about it. Guests:
- Kate Bugher, School Library Media Consultant, Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
- Madge Klais, assistant professor, School Library Media Program Coordinator, UW Madison.

The program can be heard at http://www.wpr.org/kathleendunn/.

Madge and Kate did a great job talking about the issues - of course.

Chippewa Falls in the News

Kathy McAlister, reference librarian at the Chippewa Falls Public Library, has a nice article in the Chippewa Herald: "New electronic services offered at library."

From the article: "The Chippewa Falls Public Library is introducing new services to expand access to information and streamline customer service, including self-service computer registration, after-hours access to reference service, and access to a digital repository of items regarding Wisconsin heritage."

Get the word out...

Librarians in the News

The La Crosse Tribune did a nice "Monday Profile" of La Crosse County Librarian, Chris McArdle Rojo: "God bless the teachers at St. James Elementary School. They’re the reason Chris McArdle Rojo became a librarian...."

Interesting Journal Sentinel story about Ewa Barczyk, interim director of libraries at UWM, and her husband, history professor, Neal Pease. They returned an important collection of medieval diocuments from Wisconsin to Poland...

Not so good news in the Journal Sentinel: "MPS often lacks librarians:
Staffing cuts put schools at odds with state policies." The JS notes that Milwaukee Public Schools had "more than 100" librarians 6 years ago and now is down to 56. Since we know that "research links school library media centers and library media specialists to student success," fewer library media specialists is a Bad Thing.