Library of the Month

The Library of the Month is a celebration of Wisconsin libraries compiled by the BadgerLink team.

The Marshall Community Library, a beautiful, modern building with swooping roof lines and an abundance of natural light, provides innovative services and resources to the public including meeting and learning spaces, readers’ services, and digital literacy training.

The Community Room and the Math and Science Center both provide a space to gather and learn.  Built with the help of funding from the Madison Community Foundation, the Community Room has hosted politicians, performers, and fundraisers, and can be reserved by non-profit groups.  The Math and Science Center offers an open play area where kids of all ages can get their hands on abstract concepts.  A microscope, magnetic math board, plastic money, rock specimens, lab coats and much more are available to experiment with and learn from.

Libraries have been, and will always be, synonymous with reading.  Supporting literacy is a key way the Marshall Community Library enhances the community.  “Automatically Yours,” is a unique program where library staff automatically place holds for new fiction titles based on a patron’s favorite authors.  “Vacation Bags” include a variety of materials suited to a patron’s age, interest and destination.  The love of books is evident in Marshall, and it is safe to say books aren’t going away anytime soon!

The Marshall Community Library also became the first Village Post Office in Wisconsin on January 28th, 2013.  Satisfying the community’s needs for convenience, the library now sells stamps and accepts mail, offsetting the local post office’s limited hours of operation.

Computer skills and digital learning are a high priority at the library.  Staff are always willing to sit down with patrons and teach them how to use a Kindle, download ebooks, write resumes, download pictures, and teach them how to take advantage of the many resources that BadgerLink provides.  Library Director Diana Skalitzky’s favorite BadgerLink resource is LearningExpress Library.  She said, “This fantastic resource means not having to purchase study books for the Compass, SAT, ACT, CLEP and other major tests.”  Wisconsin residents can easily access these test prep and skill-building materials from anywhere with internet access.

Innovation and libraries go hand in hand.  Visit the Marshall Community Library and learn about all that libraries have to offer!

The Library of the Month is a celebration of Wisconsin libraries compiled by the BadgerLink team.

The Fond du Lac Public Library’s mission is to support a high quality of life in Fond du Lac through reading, lifelong learning and community involvement. To that end, FDLPL provides a variety of programs including a dedicated space for job seekers in the Opportunity Center and access to online resources through BadgerLink.

Fond du Lac Public Library’s Opportunity Center opened in November of 2009 and is a computer lab and resource center for job seekers. In this space, library users can use the computers to write resumes and cover letters and apply for work online. The computers in the Opportunity Center have no time limit so that users don’t have to hurry through applications and resumes. Additionally, the Opportunity Center supplies volunteers to offer assistance to job seekers like help with technology and proofreading.

In the past 5 years, the center has been a success because of the convenience of the location and the reliability of the volunteers. The center is open 27 hours a week, including evening and weekend hours, and is located centrally in the downtown Main Library. The center is large enough to accommodate job seekers but small enough to provide privacy and individualized help. When open, the center is always staffed by helpful and friendly volunteers.

Libraries provide a space for learning as well as materials such as books, videos, and magazines. BadgerLink acts as a supplemental resource for libraries, providing online access to magazines, newspapers, and journals. Information Services Librarian Annette Clark supplements the FLDPL collection with BadgerLink resources: “I use the Auto Repair Reference Center when we don’t have an auto repair manual on the shelf.” Additionally, Debbie Rosenberg, an Information Services Library Assistant at FLDPL commented, “We provide as many journals as is feasible for our patrons, but certainly can’t afford everything. Many have expressed their delight in being able to find full-text articles.”

“I wouldn’t want to be without <BadgerLink>,” said Susan Ringer, Information Services Librarian at FDLPL. And Fond du Lac wouldn’t want to be without FDLPL!

The Library of the Month is a celebration of Wisconsin libraries compiled by the BadgerLink team.

Recently, in honor of National Library Week, Lester Public Library supported local commerce by partnering with 50 businesses. Library patrons got discounts by showing their library card at select local businesses. Back at the library, the receipts could be entered to win prizes, including an iPad and a Kindle. Director Jeff Dawson comments, “Two Rivers was buzzing about the library and the message was pretty clear. Shop locally and visit your library.”

If the winner of the Kindle or iPad needed assistance using the device, they could sign up for one-on-one computer training with a librarian. Jeff explains, “This service is incredibly rewarding for staff and library users.” Patrons leave with skills that help them at work, home, and the library. Trainings include how to connect with family on Facebook, using Excel spreadsheets effectively, downloading books from OverDrive, and use of other library resources.

When working with new or seasoned patrons, Jeff always shares BadgerLink. He says, “When presenting library services to our community, BadgerLink takes a front seat in 24/7 library services…We are not only promoting this outstanding resource, but also telling our constituency how BadgerLink makes our local library and our local services stronger.“ Whether in the library or at home on BadgerLink, access to quality information benefits the community.

Together, public libraries and BadgerLink can grow stronger communities!

The Library of the Month is a celebration of Wisconsin libraries compiled by the BadgerLink team.

BadgerLink is an excellent resource for educators and students!

At Luck High School, students and teachers take advantage of the resources in BadgerLink. According to Lori Nelson, the  PreK-12 Luck Library Media Specialist, students use BadgerLink for research projects “because BadgerLink provides reliable information on virtually any topic.”

BadgerLink is a great resource for basic fact-finding or an in-depth research project. BadgerLink allows Wisconsin residents to access popular, current full-text magazines and newspapers that are easily incorporated into the research and classroom projects. Students can use encyclopedias in BadgerLink to get general knowledge. Students and teachers alike, can download audio and sound effect  tracks from Soundzabound to put in presentations, YouTube videos, or other multimedia displays without worrying about copyright infringement.

Likewise, in BadgerLink, educators can easily access to exceptional classroom resources. Multimedia from a variety of resources (videos in Wisconsin Media Lab, animations is Consumer Health Complete, or images in Britannica School) provides clarification and helps educators describe complex ideas. Using BadgerLink, educators and librarians can access ideas for classroom activities and games as well as conduct educational research and participate in self-guided training.

BadgerLink resources are great for all students and lifelong learners and are available to all Wisconsin residents at BadgerLink.dpi.wi.gov. Annually, BadgerLink costs over $2.2 million. It sounds like a lot of money, but if each library in Wisconsin purchased the same resources, the total cost would be over $74 million. In the era of small budgets, BadgerLink is particularly important to communities that are without the funding to spend on licensing reliable online resources.