Katie Rahman officially stepped into a new role today in the Wyoming State Library WYLD Office as the next Systems Manager. She will replace Marc Stratton, who will still be with the WSL until his planned retirement in July.

“I’m very excited to have Katie step into the system administrator job,” said Desiree Saunders, WYLD Program Manager. “It’s a huge advantage that she already has years of experience in the WYLD Office and with our library users.”

Katie joined the WSL in January 2017 as the Systems Librarian. In that position, she provided support and training, created documentation for the web-based reporting program, BLUEcloud Analytics, SirsiDynix Workflows, Circulation, Acquisitions, the WYLDcat Mobile App, and assisted with database authentication issues.

Before she came to the WSL, she worked for the Laramie County Library System from 2011 to 2014 in interlibrary loan and reference, and earned her Master of Library and Information Science degree from San Jose State University’s online program in 2016.

As Systems Manager, Katie will be responsible for the overall technical management of all aspects of the integrated library system (ILS), supporting automated system operations and related technologies for all libraries in the WYLD consortium. She’ll lead the WYLD Office support team and oversee day-to-day operations and maintenance of the SirsiDynix Symphony ILS (SirsiDynix Symphony) and the public access catalog (SirsiDynix Enterprise).

“I’ve enjoyed my time in the WYLD Office helping launch Analytics and WYLDcat Mobile,” Katie said. “I’m now ready to expand my knowledge of the integrated library system. I’m looking forward to working with WYLD member libraries on new features for the ILS and the public access catalog.”

Free, online, continuing education events for the week of  May 10 from the Wyoming State Library Training Calendar. Descriptions and links are below. You can subscribe and view the events in your calendar software, or you can find all the events at library.wyo.gov/services/training/calendar.

All times MDT

Monday, May 10 (12-1 pm)
Introducing “Outdoor School” from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group (Booklist)
This April, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and Odd Dot are introducing OUTDOOR SCHOOL, an immersive, eight title series from some of the most-recognized names in the outdoor community, encouraging kids to put away the screens and head outside. From rural to urban communities and from outdoor enthusiasts to cautious new adventurers, there is something for everyone!

Monday, May 10 (1-2 pm)
Bridging the Opportunity Gap: What Culturally Relevant Educators Do (edWeb.net)
We will share how Culturally Relevant Teaching is not about changing what you are teaching as an educator, but changing how you are teaching it—the delivery, the scaffolding, and the relationship building.

Tuesday, May 11 (8-9 am)
Critical Hit: Using Dungeons & Dragons to Gamify Training and Evaluation (ALA’s Games & Gaming Round Table)
This session will distill Dungeons & Dragons down to its key concepts and show you how they can be implemented to track employee progress, achieve goals, and build a closely connected team of adventure seekers and problem solvers. Whether you’re a new adventurer or an expert D&D player, everyone is welcome to join in on the fun.

Tuesday, May 11 (9-10 am)
Sustainable development goals: Insights and inspiration (OCLC)
Learn how libraries around the globe are using the SDGs to make an impact in their communities and how libraries compare regionally in their use and awareness of SDGs. Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Director, Library Trends and User Research, and OCLC Global Council will share the results from the 2020 OCLC Global Council survey on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and gather your additional insights on how SDGs have impacted your library and thinking.

Tuesday, May 11 (9:30-10:30 am)
Don’t Forget to Remember: Tools to Support Memory (PACER Center)
Parents, guardians, teachers, and other adults can be helpful in providing reminders, but remembering is an executive (thinking) function that is greatly beneficial as an individual transitions to independent adulthood. Some individuals can find memory tasks challenging. This presentation will provide a variety of apps, programs, devices, and strategies to help remember things such as instructions, tasks, appointments, and more.

Tuesday, May 11 (10-11 am)
Mobile Device Lending: What Works and What Doesn’t (Utah State Library)
Join Carrie and Meg from Grand County Public Library (Moab) as we share our experiences with Mobile Device Lending both as a pandemic response and as regular library service. GCPL has been circulating mobile devices since 2014 with a substantial increase in offerings early 2020 in direct response to COVID-19. In our pursuit of creative ways to address access and connection issues in our community, we’ve stopped expecting people to visit the library and instead strive to offer library services at times and locations convenient to them. This webinar will discuss how GCPL collaborates with partners, connects with people in creative ways, learns from mistakes and has fun doing it!

Tuesday, May 11 (12-1 pm)
Picture Books for Summer & Beyond (Booklist)
With their wit, whimsy, and ability to spark the imagination, picture books remain a constant source of inspiration for readers of all ages. And what better time than now to peruse upcoming picture-book releases? Please join Booklist’s Books for Youth senior editor Julia Smith in this free, hour-long webinar.

Tuesday, May 11 (12-1 pm)
Census Data for Librarians (U.S. Census Bureau)
This Summit on “Census Bureau Data for Librarians” is a FREE Virtual Webinar which will teach users more about the demographics and economics characteristics of the patrons you serve. Featuring data from decennial censuses and various census surveys, this training will take a deeper dive into demographic, social and economic tabulations and how you can access them using the Census Bureau’s enterprise-level data-access tool.

Tuesday, May 11 (12-1 pm)
MarcEdit for Beginners (Federal Depository Library Program)
For those catalogers who want to use MarcEdit but don’t know where to start, this webinar will cover topics such as setting preferences, breaking and making a file, and basic editing. By the end of the webinar, attendees will have a basic understanding of MarcEdit and be able to use it to batch edit a file of MaRC bibliographic records.

Tuesday, May 11 (1-2 pm)
Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA Free Resources (National Girls Collaborative Project)
This Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA (part of NASA’s Universe of Learning) webinar will provide a brief overview of the program and its free resources, including a range of computer-based and paper-based activities, print products, and a Program Cookbook for facilitators. Presenters will then delve deeper into some Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA activity-based resources. In addition to the content, the NASA’s Universe of Learning team will respond to questions and comments to support participants in implementing the Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA materials in programming and events.

Wednesday, May 12 (11-12 pm)
Finding Genealogy Resources and Tools on Archives.gov (National Archives)
This presentation will provide an overview of what’s available for genealogists on the archives.gov website, and demonstrate how to navigate to its many resources and tools, including the National Archives Catalog, the Access to Archival Databases (AAD) system, the Microfilm Catalog, topic pages, articles, reports, and blogs. We’ll explore the Genealogy portal page, and also see how the website is organized, which will enable you to do even more expansive searches for information.

Wednesday, May 12 (11-12 pm)
Managing Difficult Conversations at Work (EdSurge)
Workplace conflict and tension are inevitable; when working closely with others, we often face tricky conversations on a range of topics, be it mental health, performance, burnout, promotion or bad management. In this event you will learn how to approach tricky conversations with confidence. Participants will have actionable strategies for leveraging strengths and addressing challenging areas.

Wednesday, May 12 (12-1 pm)
Consulting Secrets Revealed: Why Tech Adoption Fails (TechImpact)
Join our webinar for a discussion of some common pitfalls of tech implementation and rollout and get tips on how to avoid them.  Spoiler alert: they mostly don’t have to do with technology.

Wednesday, May 12 (12-1 pm)
Innovation at Census: Experimental Data Products (U.S. Census Bureau)
This webinar will dive into innovative statistical products developed to provide timely economic data. The session will include a live demonstration of data tools.

Wednesday, May 12 (12-1:30 pm)
The Power of the Podcast: How Consultants and Other Experts Can Reach a Wider Audience (Early Childhood Investigations)
Join Kristen Peterson, host of the popular podcast The Play Based Podcast on Learning Wild to explore the possibilities that podcasts present for consultants, speakers and advocates.

Wednesday, May 12 (1-1:30 pm)
Introduction to HeritageQuest (ProQuest)
Wondering how to get started using HeritageQuest Online for family research? This 30-minute webinar will provide tips for kicking off your genealogy research. We’ll review the content included in HeritageQuest Online, as well as tips on searching. This session is appropriate for beginners – both librarians looking to help patrons and patrons using this family research tool directly.

Wednesday, May 12 (1-2 pm)
OF-BY-FOR ALL: Co-Creating Programs and Developing Community Partnerships to Serve People with Disabilities in Libraries (Infopeople)
In this interactive webinar, you will learn how you can be an advocate for people with disabilities and break down barriers to library access. Utilizing Nina Simon’s OF/BY/FOR ALL framework of authentic and effective community-centric partnerships, learn how to build trusting relationships with people with disabilities and the community organizations that serve them to create more inclusive and welcoming programs and services at your library.

Wednesday, May 12 (12:30-1:30 pm)
Events in a Digital Age: How to Maximize Offline Events in an Online World (Firespring)
With the vast number of online tools available, you can streamline everything from event registration to email marketing to social media, ensuring you capture your audience right where they are: online.

Wednesday, May 12 (1-2 pm)
Resilient Fundraising in 2021: Adjusting Strategies to Today’s Reality (Nonprofit Hub)
It’s time to leave the past behind and focus on new ways to cultivate support to drive your mission forward. Nonprofit expert, Darian Rodriguez Heyman, will guide attendees through practical insights and inspiring new ways to build support using three major vehicles in 2021: Virtual Events, Online Giving, and Board Support.

Thursday, May 13 (9-10 am)
Orientation to Legal Research Webinar Series: U.S. Federal Statutes (Law Library of Congress)
This entry in the series provides an overview of U.S. statutory and legislative research, including information about how to find and use the U.S. Code, the U.S. Statutes at Large, and U.S. federal bills and resolutions.

Thursday, May 13 (12-1:30 pm)
Becoming… An Early Childhood Leader with a Progressive Lens (Early Childhood Investigations)
Early childhood education is currently prominent in the news and the forefront of recovery from Covid-19. Suddenly there are new opportunities for early childhood educators to advance in the field with many new funding sources both local and federal. Now is the time to leverage these new opportunities to ensure high quality and excellence in early education programs through progressive leadership.

Thursday, May 13 (2-3 pm)
First Steps to Nonprofit Strategic Planning, Now! (Bloomerang)
Dr. Renee Rubin Ross will provide concrete steps organizational leaders can take to plan strategically, building investment, ownership and fundraising.

Friday, May 14 (9-10 am)
Working towards Wellbeing: Belonging: Practices, Beliefs and Impacts (Southern Tier Library System)
Wondering what social wellbeing is and how public libraries support it? Margo Gustina, Special Projects Librarian, will orient participants to thinking about community librarianship through a social wellbeing lens, share helpful resources for both getting started in the work and deepening impacts, as well as offer practical how-to-do-it guidance. This is a four-session series.

Wyoming educators and librarians can now apply for the second cohort of WySLICE 2021 or for GenCyber. WySLICE is open to teachers, school librarians, and those in public libraries. GenCyber is open to teachers and school librarians.

WySLICE 2021 (Cohort 2 – Apply now – Due by end of April)
Programs run June 28-July 2, 2021
WySLICE is a professional development for 40+ K-8 teachers or librarians. WySLICE is an opportunity for educators to integrate computer science into their existing spaces, and it is funded by the National Science Foundation. Teachers/librarians get paid over $1000 plus materials for one week and implementation/reflection of two lessons.

Several librarians took part in the first cohort of WySLICE. The program was featured in a recent UW News article.

GenCyber 2021 (Apply now – Due by end of April)
June 21-25, 2021 and then you decide mid-July through Oct 10, 2021
GenCyber,a nationally sponsored program focusing on cybersecurity, is a professional development for 10+ teachers or librarians. GenCyber is funded by the National Security Agency. Teachers/librarians get paid over $900 plus materials for one week and then implementation with a four+ student group (30 hours of time).

Happy Haiku Day! Today, April 17, is International Haiku Poetry Day.

An old pond
Sound of a frog jumping in
Splash of water

The above is a Haiku by Basho (1644-1694).

Check out ProQuest Learning-Literature genre pages for some great information about Haiku and its beginnings:

“Haiku, Tanka and Renga,” Proquest Learning Literature

Find this and other sources for poetry on GoWYLD.net Literature. These sources are available in your library or at school. For remote access you will need your Wyoming library card and PIN. For more information, contact your local library or contact Chris Van Burgh, Wyoming State Library Database Instruction Librarian, at chris.vanburgh@wyo.gov.

Each April during School Library Month, our nation celebrates the essential role of strong school libraries in transforming learning.

For this year’s celebration, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), sponsor of School Library Month, is encouraging school libraries to raise awareness of their unique contribution to both teaching and learning.

Wyoming has more than 300 school libraries in public K-12 schools, serving more than 90,000 students. Every day, the librarians and paraprofessionals in these libraries support literacy and learning across the curriculum.

For more information on School Library Month, visit www.ala.org/aasl/slm or follow #AASLslm.

Libraries may have questions about what the broadband provisions of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) will mean for libraries. We came across the summary below that details some of the funding.

Wyoming should see some of this funding, and the State Library will keep the library community informed as things develop.

On e-Rate, our WSL Library Development Office is developing a list of consultants. The normal e-Rate application closes on March 25, but we anticipate that the ARPA funding will likely be offered outside of the traditional window, although no official announcement has been made yet.

Broadband Impacts

From CTC Technology and Energy

President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act into law on March 11, 2021. Included in the $1.9 trillion package is significant funding that can be used to support expansion of broadband infrastructure. Here are some of the key broadband-related funding provisions:

• Economic Development Administration (Department of Commerce): $3 billion in additional funding to the Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance (PWEAA) program through September 2022
• Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (Department of the Treasury): $10 billion for “capital projects directly enabling work, education, and health monitoring, including remote options, in response to the public health emergency”; in addition to capital projects, eligible efforts include ancillary services (such as broadband mapping) to increase efficiencies of capital projects, and cost support efforts (such as subsidies)
• Emergency Connectivity Fund (FCC): $7.2 billion for E-Rate support to reimburse schools and libraries for provision of eligible equipment and advanced telecommunications and information services during the pandemic, including for locations other than schools and libraries
• Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund: $219.8 billion for investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure
• Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund: $130.2 billion for rural community development block grants (CDBG) ($45.6 billion), rural areas ($19.5 billion), and counties ($65.1 billion, population-based), including for investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure
• Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund: $500 million ($250 million per year for 2022 and 2023) for Tribal use only “for any governmental purpose other than a lobbying activity”

Teen services librarians — are you tired of feeling like you just can’t quite “reach” your teens? Would you like to meet with other teen librarians across the state to discuss ways to engage teens in library programs and services? Does forming a professional network of other teen services librarians sound like an opportunity you would enjoy?

Join Paige Bredenkamp from the Wyoming State Library and Darcy Acord from Campbell County Public Library for a four-week online course for youth service librarians. “Transforming Teen Services through Connected Learning Opportunities” (T3) is an initiative from the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) and the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA). This initiative is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

The course will be free, and will require a minimum investment of time: coursework will take approximately one hour per week, and the group will meet online for an additional weekly hour-long discussion. At the end of the course, you will:

• Understand connected learning theory and why it is important for public library staff serving teens
• Formulate ideas for implementing connected learning opportunities into the teen programming at your own libraries, with an awareness of the unique circumstances of Wyoming libraries
• Form a community of practice with other teen services library staff in Wyoming

The  course begins Friday, February 26, and enrollment is limited to 10 participants. Questions may be directed to Paige Bredenkamp, paige.bredenkamp@wyo.gov or Darcy Acord, darcy@ccpls.org. Those interested in participating should discuss this opportunity with supervisors, and then contact either Darcy or Paige to enroll.

We’ve gathered together resources for Black History Month. This research guide includes GoWYLD.net databases, primary sources and classroom materials.

Research databases include Black Freedom Struggle, a resource featuring select primary source documents related to critical people and events in African American history; Black Studies Center, a resource that brings together essential historical and current material for researching the past, present, and future of African-Americans; and U.S. History (Gale in Context) featuring a topic header, African American Perspectives.

From GoWYLD.net, select a database title from the alphabetic list or go to the Black History Guide.

Classroom materials in the guide are from a variety of sources. The Digital Public Library of America includes topics such as, Exodusters: African American Migration to the Great Plains and WyoHistory.org has a lesson plan around the topic of The Black 14. The U.S. National Archives has put together primary sources and educational activities for teaching about African American history.

Explore the Black History Guide at gowyld.libguides.com/BlackHistory. For all subject guides, go to GoWYLD.net and click the Subject Guides link, then select All Guides.

For more information on GoWYLD.net resources, contact Chris Van Burgh, Wyoming State Library Database Instruction Librarian at chris.vanburgh@wyo.gov.