OverDrive's Digital Bookmobile in Wisconsin

OverDrive's "Digital Bookmobile" will be in Wisconsin in July--in LaCrosse on July 1, and in Madison on July 2. The Digital Bookmobile is a high-tech, 18-wheel download experience with instructional videos and interactive computer stations.

Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award announced

The Children's Book Award Committee has selected the 2008 Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla award winner, "Rabbit’s Gift: A Fable from China." Written by George Shannon and illustrated by Laura Dronzek, the book emphasizes the importance of friendship, community, and sharing. The warm, beautiful illustrations are a perfect complement to the story. Both the author and illustrator of this year’s book have significant Wisconsin ties. George Shannon lived in Eau Claire for many years, and Laura Dronzek lives in Madison.

The committee also named seven titles as exemplary of Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Literature:

"The Silenced" by James DeVita
"The Perfect Nest" by Catherine Friend
"The OK Book" illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
"Babies Can’t Eat Kimchee!" Written and illustrated by Susan L. Roth
"Terrible Storm" illustrated by S.D. Schindler
"Circle the Truth" by Pat Schmatz
"Keeping Corner" by Kashmira Sheth


The Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla award is given annually for excellence in children’s literature to a book by a book creator with Wisconsin ties. The award is named for Elizabeth Burr, who made outstanding and important contributions to library services for young people during her 27 years of service in Wisconsin, and Worzalla Publishing Company, which funds the award through a grant to the WLA Foundation.

WAAL 2008: Diversity and Undergrad Internship Programs

"ISIP: Diversity and the Information Specialist Internship Program at the UW-Madison"

• Keisha Simpson, Jeanne Witte, Lisa Saywell, Carrie Kruse
• http://www.library.wisc.edu/jobs/isip.html

Why an internship program?

• Diversify future of the profession
• Admin support - $$$ - so we can pay the interns
• Provide variety of work experiences to spark interest

About the ISIP program

• Work 8-10 hours/week within regular business hours - librarian supervisors are volunteering
• Initially, thought 4 modules/year - now varying 1 16-week and 2 8-week modules - gives time to recruit both interns and supervisors
• Breadth and depth - balanced experience
• How recruit? Partnered with other diversity programs on campus, able to target 2nd-3rd year students - able to get many applicants - also went to student fairs, get it out there in front of students and staff - wanted to get on radar
• Keisha is one of our 1st interns - very valuable feedback to improve
• Not necessarily a goal for students to go on to LIS grad school and profession - helping to create more informed citizenry - more library supporters - better research skills

An intern's experience - Keisha

• Looking for job - saw posting on student job website
• Previous experience just with being a reader, checking out books at library
• Great experience, now applying to grad school
• Have completed 5 modules: life of a book, reference/instruction, special collections, branch library (Art), library technology support, digitization/metadata
• Life of a book - from purchasing to discarding - good introduction
• A lot more went into libraries than I thought - didn't know you needed a master's degree - thought librarians just went "ssshhhhhh!" [laughter]
• Really enjoyed working at Art Library - hands-on Cuban artists' book display with faculty - mentor in art history had passion - I even go to the art museum now!
• Mentorship - Nola Walker working on PhD at SLIS, met with other masters students at SLIS - what they love and hate - real feel for what goes into it

Running the program

• Set goals for program - Defined an "information specialist" - beyond librarian
• Collection management - including analysis to assess what we have and find out what we don't have that we should that interns could help with - gave budget
• Other institutions - could make specific to your subject areas (ex: nursing)
• Keep focus on the goals, big picture - here are the tasks, and here's why we do that - beyond training a student to do hourly work which is short-term + intensive
• 8 week modules are short - need to find appropriate projects and work with them all along
• 5 new students each year - currently have 5 new and 3 continuing
• Detailed timeline across 2 years
• Meet & greet at beginning of each module brings everyone together, interns can re-connect and discuss experiences, see old supervisors
• Part of their hours include occasional activities - some in conjunction with SLIS
• Remember: these are undergrads, pulled in many directions, they aren't in grad school
• Contingency plans: relevant projects to work on day-to-day if supervisors get busy, something is cancelled, etc. - don't show up and find nothing to do
• Supervisors asked to bring interns along to meetings, social events, etc.

What have we learned?

• Successes: "Life of a Book" has a narrative with beginning and end
• Projects that interns can complete and have tangible result they can take pride in
• Seeing the behind-the-scenes work at meetings
• Passionate volunteers who love what they do, and love ISIP program
• Realistic: some of the work you do is boring, but fits into big picture
• One-on-one meetings between steering committee member and intern - constant checking in, especially during 1st semester, so could change as we go - not necessarily with their current supervisor
• Small group meetings - like focus groups, one intern's comment would spark others to share
• Realized that we didn't have interns write anything 1st year - started module summaries - could share with next supervisor so they'd know what they'd already done, to customize (don't have to sit through 5 iterations of same workshop)
• Needed more supervisor feedback - started supervisor trainings - had them also write module summaries, helpful with recommendation letters in future
• Want supervisors to benefit from interns' work
• 20 supervisors + 8 interns + steering committee = communication complex
• Confusing to talk about both ISIP program and LIS grad school at same time - bring close SLIS ties into 2nd year
• Marketing - "ISIP" as an acronym, or even spelled out, doesn't clearly communicate to potential interns or supervisors what the program is all about
• 40 applicants 1st year, fewer 2nd year - why? we did the same things - timing, turnover at diversity programs
• Requires more focus on why interns might be interested in what you do - that interest isn't necessarily already there
• Interns becoming library advocates - telling their friends that library/librarians can offer some surprising things
• 2 of 3 finishing interns from 1st cohort are going on to LIS grad school, 3rd more interested in museum studies
• Will be hiring a project assistant to help with this program - what can we expect them to do? - has been challenging to have a committee-run program due to communication overlaps and gaps

Questions/comments

• UW-Eau Claire similar paid program in reference.
• I've been a librarian for 23 years; some of these things we've been trained to do, and others you read about and have to try - way to rethink what you're doing and see if applicable across our "one system, one library" - perhaps a weekend CUWL training? How make scalable? Many supervisors also want to take the modules. 5 interns is a LOT - you could have 1. But cohort is good - 3 minimum? But doubles in 2nd year. Keisha would have still done program if only intern.
• How get time commitment? Stress it from the beginning. Expand hours with evening/weekend librarians. These tend to be highly-involved students, differently involved from grad students.
• Library administration seems to be missing? Starting this; one student has requested. Could have work with different directors for a week. What about issues that are of a sensitive nature?
• 2 interns dropped out after end of 1st semester, another 2 dropped out after end of 2nd semester.
• Grad students would be very envious of this program - what did SLIS students say to interns? Talked about the school aspect. Makes us think about what we can develop for grad students, and current librarians.
• Important that this is an ongoing budget line item - not just a short-term project.