System Spotlight
By Christopher Dressler
Rock On Everyone @ Tech Day+
SWKLS would like to thank everyone for their photos, videos, and other participation that made TechDay+ such a success. Thank you so much.
This is the first batch of pictures we have from Tech Day+! We’ll share more next week! A huge thank you to our wonderful and talented photographer of the day! Check the Consulting section of the Wrap UP to find out who she is! 🙂
Fowler Library Director Kelli Humiston Met Karin Slaughter, Y’all!
Immediately following Tech Day+ last Friday, Kelli was hitting the road to attend a speaking engagement where she got to meet and receive an autograph from none other then bestselling crime novel author Karin Slaughter!
What an honor! To see her autographed copy, you’ll have to stop by the Fowler Public library’s front desk because I doubt that book is going to be circulated any time soon! 🙂
Southwest Kansas Regional Friends Day
Join Hamilton County Library Director Amy Brucker for the Southwest Kansas Regional Friends Day on Friday, 09/15!
Future Dates & Training Opportunities
September 4, 2023, – SWKLS Office Closed for Labor Day Holiday
September 8, 2023, 10:00 am – RNR & Budget Hearing, Full Board Meeting, Registration Link
September 11, 2023, 10:00 am – Solar Eclipse Activities Workshop, Registration Link
September 13, 2023, 1:00 pm – Niche Academy’s “Basics of Helping Library Patrons with Social Media, Registration Link
Sept 20 – 23, 2023 – ARSL Conference/Wichita, Hotel Booking/Conference Registration
Nov 1 – 3, 2023 – KLA Conference/Wichita, Registration Link
Consulting
By Richard Brookman
Image provided by pixabay.com contributor Mohamde_hassan
SWKLS Office Closed
The System Office will be closed September 4, 2023, in observance of the Labor Day Holiday. We will be back open Tuesday morning with normal hours. Everyone enjoy the weekend.
Image provided by pixabay.com contributor OpenClipart-Vectors
Photographer of the Day
In this Wrap-Up and other editions to come you will be seeing many images from the 2023 TechDay+ from the System Office. I want to recognize the individual that was our photographer for the day, and that was Jacque Sherrill, Director of Jetmore Public Library. I asked her to lend us her talents and she was very gracious and agreed. When you see her again please thank her for all the wonderful pictures she took that the day.
KLA Registration is Now Open
The 2023 Kansas Library Association’s Conference will be November 1 – 3. Registration is now open and you can also book your room’s at this time as well. So jump over through this link to register.
When you land on this page it will take you through the keynote speakers, pre-conference sessions, hotel and parking information and more. To look at the schedule you can see it by using this link. When you get to the schedule page notice that towards the top of the page, before the actually schedule begins, there are tabs for each individual day to navigate for that specific day’s schedule.
Image provided by pixabay.com contributor Peggy_Marco
SWKLS RNR & Budget Hearing and System Full Board Meeting
Just a reminder that the RNR & Budget Hearing for the System’s budget is next Friday, September 8, 2023. We will begin with the RNR Hearing at 10:00 am with the Budget Hearing following. After the two hearings we will have the System Board Meeting.
Those that come in person we will be providing a platter from Quiznos. After we eat we will go into the Directors Forum. During this time I will talk about some of the updates around the country and in our own area of material challenges in libraries, discuss some possible changes coming in the Kansas Public Library Standards Guidelines, and discussion from our member directors on this and any other issues they would like to visit about.
Image provided by pixabay.com contributor Pixaline
Social Media Webinar through Niche Academy
Wednesday, September 13, 2023, at 1:00 pm CT Niche Academy has a free webinar entitled “The Basics of Helping Library Patrons with Social Media”.
The webinar will be hosted by Melody Karle. Topics of discussion will be: privacy settings; how to save and share safely, close out accounts; how patrons can utilize social media to benefit them the most; and take a look at some of the new platforms that are trying to join the ever change landscape of social media.
If you are interest in attending this webinar you can register through this link.
Cataloging, Collection Development, and ILL
By Sara Wilson
Collection Development Inspiration
Adult Fiction
Children’s & YA Fiction
In Literary News
An App to “Help” Libraries and Schools With Book Bans
It sounds like the plot of some dystopian novel, but here we are. A company has created an app to assist in banning books. Calling itself BookmarkED, the app promises to assist teachers, librarians, and parents in creating “personalized reading experiences” for children in libraries. To read more about the app’s inspiration and how it works, click here.
Recent Book Challenge Issues Making the News
Libraries are feeling the impact of book challenges across the country. Here are some recent news reports involving censorship, book challenges, and bans across the United States. (Special thanks to Sara Koehn, Director of Haskell Township Public Library and Sean Bird, Interim Dean of University Libraries at Washburn University for their contributions to this list!)
Mobile Library Book Challenges Rescinded; Both Challengers Had Not “Yet Seen Nor Read the Books”
Lubbock Reacts to Texas House Bill 900, Banning Some Books in Public Schools
Volunteers Identify ‘Inappropriate’ Books at Centennial Library [TX]
Rutherford County [TN] Library Board Bans Four Books Centered on LGBTQ Topics
First Amendment Coalition: https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/news-opinion/first-amendment-news/
Empowered by Reading (Unitedagainstbookbans): https://uniteagainstbookbans.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Empowered-by-Reading-final.pdf
Next Week’s Train UP : DEI [Programming] Done
It’s that time of year again! We’re gearing up to kick off our monthly Train UPs again and we’re starting on September 12th at 2 PM with a presentation by SCCC Library Director Casandra Norin! Casandra will be presenting on DEI programming – why it’s important and how to do it easily. This month’s Train UP was delayed by one week to give everyone more time to sign up. Please click the link here to sign up today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/train-up-dei-programming-done-tickets-710381549337?aff=oddtdtcreator
For ILLers
Statewide ILL Training
The State Library of Kansas and Auto-Graphics will be hosting a state-wide ILL training event coming up next month, on September 13th and 14th. The first training will be in Great Bend, at Central Kansas Library System and the second will be in Emporia, at Emporia Public Library.
If you are interested in attending and would like to sign up for the training, the State Library would like for you to fill out this sign up sheet and include the kinds of topics you would like to hear about at the training. (If you don’t know, or can’t think of any, you can always just type “No” or “N/A.”
If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Nikki Hansen at nicole.hansen@ks.gov or (800) 432-3919.
For All VERSO Users
Versed in VERSO
From VERSO Product Manager Rae Schneider:
Dear VERSO users,
The next Versed in VERSO will take place on Tuesday, September 12, at 11:00 AM Eastern / 8:00 AM Pacific.
This edition of Versed in VERSO will include the quarterly product update presented by Cheryl Slinkard, Chief Operations Officer at Auto-Graphics.
The first 15 minutes of Versed in VERSO will be a product update followed by the regular Q&A session.
If you have a question, please ask it here: https://forms.office.com/r/MBBfeVBSSk
To register for the next Versed in VERSO, please do so here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/97560100141288026
Recent Update/New Features
VERSO recently updated last Tuesday and you may or may not have noticed a new feature. If you were in my session on the SWKLS collections at Tech Day+ last Friday, you’ve seen it in action. 🙂 (Let me know if you’ve tried it out and what you think!) Here are the notes from that update, per VERSO Product Manager Rae Schneider:
RESOLVED
| AG-1569 | On small mobile devices, when opening saved page links from the menu, a blank screen appeared. This is resolved and the page links will open the saved link in a new tab or window. |
| AG-2469 | The format link in a results grouping with multiple formats was not changing from blue to purple when:1) the user clicked a format link and went to the brief browse then back to the results list, or when2) the user clicked a format link, went to the brief browse, then to a full record, and then back to the results list.This has been corrected so the format color will correctly change on the results list, indicating that the format link has been clicked. |
NEW
Additional statistical report categories have been added to the new Reports module.
• Users •Collections
The additional reports provide insight into key performance indicators of the library’s Users and Collections.
Intuitive graphical representations of the library’s performance will be rendered with the option to download in pdf format.
Users Reports
Collection Reports
Technology
by Christopher Dressler
Click Awareness
In the digital era, clicking links has become an integral part of our online interactions. However, this seemingly simple action carries profound implications. Vigilant link clicking in emails and on websites is paramount due to its pivotal role in safeguarding personal security, preserving data integrity, and enhancing the overall digital experience.
Cyber threats like phishing, exploit unwary link clicking to deceive users into divulging sensitive information. By carefully examining links in emails for anomalies and verifying sender authenticity, users can shield themselves from falling victim to scams.
Likewise, the same cautious approach is essential for website links. Malicious software and compromised websites can jeopardize devices and data. Relying on established and reliable sources and scrutinizing URLs aids in avoiding potential dangers.
Additionally, responsible link clicking streamlines online experiences by preventing wasted time on irrelevant or harmful content. This approach guarantees that users efficiently access accurate information from credible sources.
In conclusion, the seemingly mundane act of clicking links demands prudence. By prioritizing safety over haste, users can navigate the digital realm securely, ensuring data protection, personal safety, and a gratifying online journey.
Always feel free to contact me for training requests, library cards, or technology issues at cdressler@swkls.org or (620)225-1231. – Christopher Dressler – 8/4/2023
Digital Signage Notice
Hey everyone,
Bernardo here to let everyone know that an app that we’ve been pushing for our member libraries to use for digital signage ‘Posterbooking’ has, without notice, eliminated their free tier. It came as a surprise to everyone in their community as they were still promoting their 10 free screens last month. Anyone still running the app will notice that any playlist still running on a screen will have this pop up at the end of the playlist before it loops again.
We have been vetting alternatives that would meet the requirements of allowing current devices, while maintaining a similar feature set and We’ve landed on a product called Yodeck. The main drawback in comparison to the 10 free screens that Posterbooking had is that Yodeck only has 1 free screen.
I will be creating documentation on how to get started with Yodeck in the following weeks as time permits, but if you’re looking to give a go yourself, you have our number if you hit any snags in your setup!