Last month, Carbon County Library System celebrated its newly relocated and renovated main library in Rawlins with an open house.

The event, which took place August 13, featured special guest C.J. Box, the well-known Wyoming author of the best-selling Joe Pickett series. Box spoke of fond boyhood memories of riding his bicycle to the Natrona County Library where the staff looked out for him.

The newly renovated library was just one part of Carbon County’s 6th Penny Specific Purpose Tax Project: “Restoring the Past to Build the Future.”

The library was relocated to the first floor of its building. This allowed it to have street level entry with no stairs, making the library more accessible. The library also now provides focused activity areas for children, teens, adults, and groups.

This summer at the Wyoming State Library our intern Kate Dennis worked on a project about the histories of the public libraries in Wyoming. Kate’s last day with us was August 10.

Many of the public libraries were funded by the Carnegie foundation and later rebuilt or expanded. The project can be found on the State Publications database under the State Library Division in Public Library Histories (browse by agency under Administration and Information). Within the collection, individual histories of the county libraries can be found as well as interesting documents surrounding the community and the efforts it took to provide library services. 

Because Wyoming is a smaller state it had an opportunity to create collaboration among libraries that benefits the population in ways larger states cannot. This collection shows how individual each county library is and how combined they create a Wyoming library community that provides every state resident with quality library services. The histories show the development of the counties and the state and the resources they were able to provide over time.

There are also many personal stories within the collection. The file, “Rock Springs Carnegie Public Library- Wyoming Libraries; Plus, Stories of Rock Springs, 1969” offers a unique perspective of old Rock Springs and the people who created that community. For facts about the State Library, “The Wyoming State Library and Carnegie Public Library 1943” offers a unique look into the evolution of the State Library’s services.  Browse by agency under Administration and Information.

Thank you, Kate, for the great work this summer!

August 9 is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, observed by the United Nations. SIRS Issues Researcher has created a Leading Issue page for Indigenous Peoples, characterized as “the descendants of a land’s first inhabitants.” SIRS Issues Researcher is one of the many great resources found in GoWYLD.net.

Indigenous Peoples. ProQuest, Ann Arbor, 2021. SIRS Issues Researcher.

The Leading Issue page includes a summary, Viewpoint and Critical Questions, along with a Timeline. There are links to additional resources such as an editable Research Guide for the Critical Thinker, a downloadable pdf to help with the research process. By clicking on Find More Sources, a search is launched within the database, resulting in books, magazine and journal articles, newspapers, government sources and images.

SIRS Issues Researcher can be found in GoWYLD.net using the Browse by Title. The GoWYLD resources are available in every Wyoming library and remotely with a Wyoming library card and pin. For more information please check with your local library or contact Chris Van Burgh, Database Instruction Librarian at the Wyoming State Library, chris.vanburgh@wyo.gov.

July 11 is World Population Day, and you can find great resources on this topic in GoWYLD.net.

In the GoWYLD.net resources, we have access to Statistical Insights, containing state, federal and international statistical publications and information. Search “world population” (by putting your search terms in quotes take the results from over 78,000 down to 5800!) or try a search “international statistics” 2021 for tables such as: Total World Population and Projections 1980-2050, or World Population by Continent 1970-2050.

Statistical Insights includes Statistical Abstracts of the World, a comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions. By selecting a country, you can get country-level data not easily found elsewhere, as reported by the statistical offices of individual countries. Within Statistical Abstracts of the World is the UN Demographic Yearbook and World Development Indicators.

If you like statistics and tables, Statistical Insights is the place for you! Find it in Browse Databases by Title. You can access Statistical Insights from GoWYLD.net, available in your local library or from home with a Wyoming library card and PIN. For assistance, check with your library or contact Chris Van Burgh, Database Instruction Librarian at the Wyoming State Library, chris.vanburgh@wyo.gov.

The Teton County Library Board has hired Kip Roberson as Director of Library Services. He officially joined the library on July 6.

Roberson has relocated from La Grande, Oregon, where he served as Director at the Cook Memorial Library. Prior to leading Cook Memorial, Roberson had been Regional Manager of Seattle Public Library for five years and had served as director at libraries in New England before heading West.

“Kip’s background demonstrates compassion and caring for staff, effective management capability and focus on community needs,” said Grace Robertson, Teton County Library Board Vice Chair. “We look to his expertise to lead our library forward, so that it remains our community’s essential place to thrive in the future.”

Kip brings professional experience in small and rural libraries, along with an ability to develop meaningful relationships with people – from library staff to board members to local civic leaders to community residents.

He also acknowledged the library’s recent upheaval. “Coming out of COVID and a somewhat tumultuous period at the library, I believe that this is an exciting time to be the incoming director. I will get to lead staff in defining what library services will look like for all Teton County residents — those the library has long-served well and those who have been underserved — as we all move into a ‘new normal.’”

The Library Board worked with consultant Maureen Sullivan, former president of the American Library Association, to help with recruitment. The recruitment team also included former Library Foundation Board member Judy Opatrny and Library Board members.

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).