System Spotlight
By Staff
Hellos and Good-byes
We have several new directors to introduce you to and we are bidding farewell to a director who is also our current board chair and who has been with the system for many years, Tammy Dickey of Kearny County Library. We will miss you, Tammy, and we wish you a very happy retirement! Please don’t be a stranger!
A hearty SWKLS welcome and congratulations to our crop of incoming new directors! 🙂
First, we’ll introduce Whitney Cummings! Whitney has been with the system a little while now and is getting acclimated to her new position at Greeley County Library in Tribune, KS. She is enthusiastic about programming and engaging her community at the library. Welcome, Whitney!!
Next up is Jessica Knoell who has recently moved to Kansas and just arrived at Kinsley Public Library to take on her new role. We’re looking forward to spending time getting to know Jessica better when we dive into new director training after summer reading. Welcome, Jessica!!
Next, Cesilia Enriquez will be taking Tammy Dickey’s place as director at Kearny County Library in Lakin, KS! Cesilia has been with the system for many years, as library staff, and Tammy and Cesilia have been working together to get her prepared for her new role. We are proud to say that Cesilia is an APPLE student and we are confident that she’s going to do an amazing job! Welcome to directorship, Cesilia!!
Finally, Laurie Dinges of Ness City Public Library will be promoted to director following Laurie Petersilie’s departure. (We will miss you, Laurie P.! Good luck in your future endeavors!) Laurie D. has been with the system for many years, as well, as staff at Ness City Public Library. We are excited to see her advance and confident that she will be an excellent leader! Welcome to directorship, Laurie D.!!
We hope you all will join us in making our new directors feel welcome and in wishing Tammy well in her retirement!


Consulting
By Sara Wilson

- June 30th: 12 PM – 1 PM – Recalibrate Your Events to Fuel Year-Round Fundraising| Webinar | Register Here
- July 3rd: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM – Library Conversation Day | Online Meeting | Zoom Link
- July 3rd: 10: 30 AM – 11:30 AM – Library Conversation Day | Online Meeting | Zoom Link
- July 3rd: 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM – Library Conversation Day | Online Meeting | Zoom Link
- July 3rd: 3 PM – 4 PM – Library Conversation Day | Online Meeting | Zoom Link
- July 4th: Office closed for Independence Day
Don’t forget to check our wiki for these archived, on-demand trainings!
All Library Staff and Directors : Join Us for Library Conversation Day 7/3

What is Library Conversation Day? It’s a day where library directors and staff are invited to come together, get to know each other, ask questions, and exchange valuable information in a guided, informal discussion. The purpose is for librarians to be able to grow their network, share their struggles and triumphs, and learn from one another.
Each Library Conversation Day will center on a topic or a handful of topics. This Library Conversation Day, we will be discussing the SWKLS accreditation requirements as well as Atriuum, the new ILS that we’ve been looking at.
We invite everyone to attend, but we will be recording the sessions for those who cannot be there but would like to hear the information. They’ll be available upon request. If you plan to attend, please also plan to participate. Come ready to talk and open to listen.
Library Conversation Day will be all day, from 9-4, but it will be broken up into 4 1-hour sessions. Please choose the session or sessions that work best for your schedule. Everyone is welcome to attend as few or as many as they would like. We’ll see you there!
Librarian App Alert! : Novel Effect!
You. Guys. I went to NWKLS this week and a teacher librarian demonstrated this app and it is amazing!! It is for public and school librarians. Parents can download it, too! It takes your storytime from 2D to 3D by adding soundscapes to your story that’s responsive to your voice and keeps pace with your reading! Watch the video below to see a demonstration!
In Case You Missed It: SWKLS Offers Art Programs!
SWKLS is partnering with S.L. Wilson Fine Art (that’s me!) to bring art classes to your library!
The cost? $0 for the class – the library needs only to buy materials. If you’re interested in a class: I would like to have at least 2 weeks lead time. You tell me what you’d like me to teach and I’ll tell you what materials I will need and we’ll go from there. 🙂


REMINDER: Office Closure Next Friday, 7/4

Cataloging, Collection Development, and ILL
By Miguel Coca
Collection Development Inspiration
From the SWKLS Pro Collection

Leaders have an unprecedented opportunity to overcome the great disconnect between employers and employees by inviting individuals to become part of something bigger than themselves—to belong.
Belonging Rules gives leaders the tools, knowledge, and confidence to harness belonging to address the workplace’s most critical challenges.
The need to belong is innate and enduring, yet often elusive. Genuine belonging requires a bold approach, one that offers both depth and credibility to the work required from leaders whose organizations are craving a sense of connection, security, and acceptance.
Belonging Rules offers nuanced, direct guidance for navigating both the pre-existing and ever-evolving social and organizational demands of today’s workplace. The five rules within, based on extensive research and application, create a framework to dissect and decode the complex, complicated, and controversial issues of the modern workforce.
Executive coach and award-winning management consultant Brad Deutser gives leaders the confidence to address the most critical societal imperative—belonging. His approach doesn’t tell leaders what to do, rather he provides leaders with the how to:
- Identify the heart of existing power structures and societal mandates
- Reframe the impact of inclusion at an individual and organizational level
- Challenge and fundamentally redefine the relationship with diverse stakeholders
Leading can be uncomfortable. This guide will empower leaders to shift attention, understanding, and effort toward bridging differences and uniting the “movable middle” which depowers the extremes, driving necessary change and desired performance.
Barcodes
I’m getting ready to place another order for barcodes. If your library would like to order some, please email me no later than 7/2. If you order barcodes through SWKLS, we will have them shipped to us, and we’ll send them to you on the courier, along with the amount your library owes.
The information I would need from you would be:
1. The barcode number that you would like this batch to start with.
2. How many barcodes you would like. I can order in batches of 1,000.
3. Whether you would like barcode sheets or barcode rolls. The difference in price is about $5, with the rolls being more expensive.
4. Your library name as it appears at the top of your barcodes.
5. A picture of 3-4 of your barcodes in order.
If you have any questions or would like more details, please get in touch with me directly! Thanks!
Technology
by Ryan Miller
The More Things Change…

The more they stay the same. It was with some bemusement this morning as I was finishing repairs to a library laptop that was suffering from this very error that Microsoft posted in the news that they are retiring the famous (or infamous) Blue Screen of Death. The Blue Screen of Death (or BSoD) is what was called when your PC would lock up and load an a generic blue screen with white text saying your computer had a problem, which then would require a restart, reloading Windows or replacement of components depending on the problem at hand. The Blue Screen has been apart of the world of Windows PCs for decades now, so it might be with some sadness to see it go, at least for some techs, as it was an easy way to identify a potential serious problem.
What does this mean for you? Not much, as its replacement, ‘the Black Screen of Death’ can still even use the same acronym, even if now the iconic frowny face is gone. However, if you call into SWKLS office with a PC problem, it might be worth mentioning if the PC has crashed and then said the words ‘Your PC has ran into a problem and needs to restart’.
Online Safety / Cybersecurity Resources
Courtesy of the national Cybersecurity Alliance
Tread Lightly Online: How to Check and Manage Your Digital Footprint
6 Cybersecurity Myths Debunked
Best Vacation and Travel Cybersecurity Tips
E-Rate News
SHLB, More Than 80 Others Urge House Not to Repeal Hotspot Order