Month: January 2022

2022 Decorah Public Library Annual Report

Text only version below image. Click here for a downloadable pdf version.

Decorah Public Library Annual Report Jan 2022

Decorah Public Library Annual Report

Kristin Torresdal, Director

Board of Trustees:

Andrea Beckendorf, Ed Brooks, Bob Felde, Scott Fjelstul, Andrew Hageman, Shannon Horton Elliott Johnson, Cheryl Pellett, & Shanna Putnam Dibble

LIBRARY UPDATES

Staffing: DPL staff were hard at work this year finding new and inventive ways to meet community needs in an

ever-shifting environment. The library filled several vacant staff positions that are key to helping the organization better serve the community.

Programs: Our 2021 programs took us outdoors, indoors, online, and a mix of all the above as library staff responded to the ebbs and flows of the pandemic and direct feedback from library users.

Library staff offered weekly

take-and-make activities for kids and their caregivers, in-person, online, and hybrid book discussion groups for adults, and ongoing drop-in programs for children and families.

Building: We were able to reopen the building to the public this year after being closed for interior renovations and the pandemic. Library users have commented repeatedly about how good the building looks after the renovations. The library also began replacing all signage in the building to align with updated branding guidelines.

Technology: Thanks to a grant through the State Library, staff were able to install a videoconferencing platform in the library’s public meeting room that allows groups to participate in virtual and hybrid meetings.

Other: Library staff created a new marketing plan and rebranding effort to attract new and inactive library users.

UPDATE FROM THE CHILDREN’ S AND YOUNG ADULT DEPARTMENT

This year we collaborated with Decorah Public Schools, Winneshiek County Conservation, Decorah Parks and Recreation, Root to Rise Community Wellness, ArtHaus, HSAP, the Decorah Volunteer Firefighters, Crave Dance Studio, Brittany Todd Photography, Vesterheim, Absolute Science, the Mississippi River Museum, the International Owl Center, and others to offer distanced and in-person programs indoors, outdoors, and at home.

Some highlights include

  • Creating Take-and-Make projects for over 3,000 registered participants (that’s over twice as many as we did in 2020!)
  • Curating 3 Book Walks around Decorah with Parks and Recreation and Decorah Public Schools
  • Hosting over 150 Decorah middle schoolers on field trips to the library this spring
  • Field Trips on Foot in June and Biking Field trips this fall
  • Outdoor parties, storytimes and yoga at Phelps park, the Decorah Middle School playground, and the Decorah prairie’s butterfly garden
  • Reintroducing Dog Tales and welcoming a pack of Papillon puppies into the Dog Tales crew
  • Having a firetruck visit the library parking lot
  • Costume making at ArtHaus
  • Seeing over 300 of you at the Absolute Science Bubble Stations this fall
  • Co-hosting book clubs with the Decorah Home School Program and Decorah High School
  • Outreach storytimes at John Cline, Carrie Lee, Sunflower, and St. Ben’s
  • Seeing so many kids and grown-ups petting a corn snake during the Mississippi River Museum’s visit
  • Crafting after school on Thursdays throughout November & December

We couldn’t have done any of this without your interest, ideas, energy, curiosity, and enthusiasm. Our library
community amazes and inspires us. Thank you for being part of it!

STATISTICS

Library Staff and Population Served:

  • Library staff: 12 (10.48 FTE)
  • RSVP staff: 2 (1.4 FTE)
  • Library users: 6,778 (up 3.7% from last year)

Circulation:

  • 91,618 (total checkouts of all items, both physical and digital) (down just 11.5%, despite being closed to the public July-February and offering curbside only)

Interlibrary Loan:

  • We lent 731 items to other libraries and borrowed 859 items for our patrons

Large Print Collection:

  • 9,395 items were checked out 16,124 times to local patrons, care facilities, and over 120 libraries across the state.

Programming and Outreach:

  • 264 programs with 6,592 attendances (in person, hybrid, virtual, inside/outside/distanced) despite being closed to the public until late February, 2021.

Technology:

  • 981 wired internet sessions and 5455 wireless internet sessions
  • Usage of BRIDGES (free digital audio books and e-books) increased 15% over the year prior- on average 496 library users checked out nearly 2600 items per month

note: all statistics are from our official state reporting period, July 2020–June 2021

Community Services:

  • The Northeast Iowa Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) for which DPL serves as host and fiscal agent has grown from 451 to more than 500 volunteers; these volunteers meet critical community needs at 70 nonprofit stations in a 3-county area (the majority in Winn. Co.). Volunteers served over 23,000 hours this year.
  • Certified Notary Public services available free of charge (Mon-Fri 8-5, by appointment)
  • Long Distance Learning test proctoring available free of charge
  • Local Public Access TV- the library runs the TV channel which assists local municipalities,  schools,  and nonprofits with publicizing  local events and broadcasting programming (i.e. City Council meetings and local church services)

Funding:

  • City of Decorah
  • Winneshiek County
  • Friends of Decorah Public Library
  • State Library of Iowa
  • Marion E. Jerome Foundation
  • Joey Headington Memorial
  • First United Methodist Church Trust
  • Individual donors

Looking Ahead

In 2022, Decorah Public Library is renewing its accreditation with the State Library of Iowa, launching a new strategic plan, rolling out new children’s and adult programs, and continuing to find new and innovative ways to serve library users.

Source link

Decorah Board of Education Provides an Update on Superintendent Hiring Process

January 14, 2022

Decorah, IA – The Decorah Schools Board of Education would like to provide an update on the superintendent hiring process. The board recently met with Dr. Trent Grundmeyer and Roger Wilcox with Grundmeyer Leader Services to review the candidate pool. The position was posted from December l to January 2 and resulted in nineteen candidates.
The candidate pool included one out-of-state candidate. There were seventeen male candidates and two female candidates. Five of the candidates hold a terminal degree (Ed.D. or Ph.D.), while nine have three or more years of administrative experience.
All nineteen candidates were presented to the Board of Education in closed session on January 11. After the review of candidates’ application materials, references, licensure verification, and social media, five candidates were selected for screening interviews that will take place on January 26. The screening process will allow the board to further evaluate the candidates’ qualifications for the position and narrow the process to three finalists.
The search consultants will set up and facilitate the screening interviews and finalists will be publicly named shortly after the screening interviews take place.
The desired qualifications that were identified from the stakeholder survey will continue to drive the hiring process. Those desired qualifications included:

• Is approachable, accessible, and welcoming
• Recruits, hires, supports, develops, and retains effective staff members
• Demonstrates collaborative leadership
• Demonstrates ethics and integrity
• Promotes a community of care and support for students
• Possesses strong communication skills
• Follows through on tasks and responsibilities
• Builds community and school relations
• Strong instructional leader

The board will soon reach out to community members to serve on the team conducting formal interviews with the finalists, which will take place on Monday, Feb. 7. The new superintendent will begin leading the Decorah Community Schools effective July l, 2022.

Source link

Preschool Skating Party with Parks and Rec

Preschool skating party inforgraphic
2/3
3:15-4:15

Join us at the ice rink for a storytime and skating party! We will a couple read stories about skating in the warming hut and then head outside for a skate.  Hot drinks and snacks will be provided outdoors.  Sponsored by Friends of Decorah Public Library.

Registration required by 1/28. Use the form below to register.

Enter a phone number where you can be reached in case of changes in the event status

Enter an email to contact you in case of changes in event status

Select the name of the event you are registering for from the list

Enter the total number of people in your group attending or participating in this event

First and last name of person/s attending or participating in the event. Separate multiple names with a comma.

Source link

Winter Field Trips

Winter Field Trips Infographic
Wednesdays, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16
3:15-4:45

Are you interested in spending time outside, exploring Decorah, and doing some winter recreating? Join Winneshiek County Conservation, Upper Exploreland’s Walking School Bus, and Decorah Public Library for Winter Field Trips. During this four week session, we’ll try out cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and other winter activities.  We are able to provide snacks, gear, and support but not detailed one-on-one instruction due to group size and limited time.  Come dressed for outdoor fun.This hands on program is perfect for middle school students (5th-7th grade) who love to move, spend time outside–even in cold weather.  Space is limited.  Use form below to register early.

:
This program will be structured around field trips to specific destinations that surround downtown for winter fun. We will meet at the middle school at 3:15. Participants will be expected to wear winter coats, snow pants, hats, and mittens. A snack will be provided. We are able to provide skis, snowshoes, and other winter equipment will be provided on an as needed basis.  Please provide your sizing information when you register.  Feel free to reach out to Rachael at rbutton@decorahlibrary.org for any additional questions about accessibility, accommodations or logistics.

Enter a phone number where you can be reached in case of changes in the event status

Enter an email to contact you in case of changes in event status

Select the name of the event you are registering for from the list

Enter the total number of people in your group attending or participating in this event

First and last name of person/s attending or participating in the event. Separate multiple names with a comma.

Source link

DPL IS FINE FREE!

 

Starting January 11, 2022, Decorah Public Library will no longer be collecting fines on any materials and all existing fines have been deleted from library users’ accounts. Why go fine free? Well, lots of reasons. DPL exists to provide equal access to materials and fines get in the way of that by creating a financial or social barrier for some users. Fines also disproportionately affect the finances of lower-income library users because fines only punish people who can’t easily repay them. There is also little evidence that fines make people return things on time. Fine free libraries report fewer overdue materials and a decrease in the number of days materials are overdue.

Fine revenue was only .3% of the library’s annual budget (and it takes staff time to collect overdue fines, so any revenue brought in was pretty much cancelled out in staff time.) We know some of you liked paying fines because it was your way of supporting the library. Great news! You can still do that, but just call it a free will donation. If you want, toss us a few bucks when you return things late, we’ll use that money to add new things to the collection, pay for fun and interesting programs, etc. If you don’t ever have cash, you can donate to the Friends of Decorah Public Library with a credit card and they’ll route those funds to the library for programs and collections.   

You must still return your materials by their due date. Anything that is 28 days overdue is considered lost and library users will be billed for the replacement fee of those materials. And accounts with materials that are 28 days overdue will be blocked from future checkouts until materials are either returned or paid for. Feel free to reach out to DPL staff if you have any questions!

Source link

DHS/DMS Teacher-Librarian Shannon Horton Winner of “I Love My Librarian” Award

January 10, 2022

Today the American Library Association (ALA) announced 10 winners of the coveted “I Love My Librarian Award.”  Decorah High School and Middle School teacher-librarian Shannon Horton was one of 10 chosen from around the country.  Honorees are exceptional librarians from academic, public, and school libraries who were nominated by patrons nationwide for their expertise, dedication, and profound impact on the people in their communities. 

Horton’s nomination included this statement: “She is fiercely dedicated to best practice in all areas of library science, whether that be teaching media literacy, finding ways for students to connect to books, adding more current titles to the collections, or vetting new technology tools to help teachers and students get the most out of their learning experiences.”

“Even in these unprecedented times, our nation’s librarians continue to empower their patrons, promote inclusion in their space and collections, and provide essential services for their communities,” said American Library Association President Patty Wong. “Congratulations to this year’s I Love My Librarian Award winners, who impact the lives of those they serve every day.” 

ALA received more than 1,300 nominations from library users for this year’s award, which demonstrates the breadth of impact of librarians across the country. Hundreds of nominations focused on librarians’ swift and effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic, from hosting virtual programs to distributing books and technology safely to those in need. This year’s award recipients include three academic librarians, four public librarians, and three school librarians. 

Honorees will each receive a $5,000 cash prize, a $750 donation to their library, and complimentary registration to ALA’s LibLearnX. The virtual award ceremony will take place during the conference at 3:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022 and will be available to stream live at https://www.youtube.com/user/AmLibraryAssociation. 

Source link

Library Open For Regular Hours

Decorah Public Library is back open for regular hours. Follow DPL on social media for the most up-to-date information about building closures and other important information. This will be especially true over the next several weeks as COVID cases continue to rise locally. Thank you for your flexibility as we continue to monitor and adjust staffing levels according to City of Decorah policies.

Source link

DCSD Reports Active COVID Cases, Updated CDC Guidance

January 7, 2022

District COVID-19 Active Positive Cases

  • Total number of students and staff in isolation (currently positive) for COVID-19: eleven (11)
  • Current district facilities with known positive cases: Carrie Lee Elementary, Decorah Middle School, Decorah High School

DCSD reports COVID-19 data in alignment with the direction of the Iowa Department of Public Health. The full guidance can be found at the link below.

IDPH Information Sharing Guidance for Schools and Local Public Health

Updated CDC Guidance for K-12 Schools

On January 6, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools. The CDC lists the following key takeaways in the introduction to the new guidance.

Key Takeaways

  • Students benefit from in-person learning, and safely returning to in-person instruction continues to be a priority.
  • Vaccination is the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Promoting vaccination can help schools safely return to in-person learning as well as enable extracurricular activities and sports.
  • CDC recommends universal indoor masking by all students (ages 2 years and older), staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.
  • New CDC guidance has reduced the recommended time for isolation and quarantine periods to five days. For details see CDC’s page on Quarantine and Isolation.
  • In addition to universal indoor masking, CDC recommends schools maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance between students within classrooms to reduce transmission risk. When it is not possible to maintain a physical distance of at least 3 feet, such as when schools cannot fully reopen while maintaining these distances, it is especially important to layer multiple prevention strategies, such as screening testing.
  • Screening testing, ventilation, handwashing and respiratory etiquette, staying home when sick and getting tested, contact tracing in combination with quarantine and isolation, and cleaning and disinfection are also important layers of prevention to keep schools safe.
  • Students, teachers, and staff should stay home when they have signs of any infectious illness and should be referred to their healthcare provider for testing and care.
  • This guidance emphasizes implementing layered prevention strategies to protect students, teachers, staff, visitors, and other members of their households and support in-person learning.
  • Localities should monitor community transmission, vaccination coverage, screening testing, and occurrence of outbreaks to guide decisions on the level of layered prevention strategies (e.g., physical distancing, screening testing).

In his weekly message to families, Superintendent Mark Lane shared, “Schools and local public health agencies just received this updated guidance yesterday. As we have throughout the pandemic, we will work with Winneshiek County Public Health to understand the guidance and will work collaboratively to protect the health and safety of our learning environments.”

Lane added, “January and February are busy months for student activities. You can find information and schedules for our activities through our website. I encourage everyone to support our students as they engage in our diverse extra-curricular activity offerings.”

Source link

2/8: Take-and-Make Tuesday: Valentines

Take and make decorative image

We provide the supplies for a project–you pick them up at the library and do the project at home.

— :  Valentines

Please pick up materials at the library Tuesday 2/8 between 9 am and 7 pm. Supplies are limited. Register early to guarantee a space. Registration ends 1/31 at 3 pm. 

Registration required please use form below to register.

Enter a phone number where you can be reached in case of changes in the event status

Enter an email to contact you in case of changes in event status

Select the name of the event you are registering for from the list

Enter the total number of people in your group attending or participating in this event

First and last name of person/s attending or participating in the event. Separate multiple names with a comma.

Source link

Reduce and Recycle Single Use Plastics

Did you know that plastics are the third-highest waste produced annually in the US? That made up to 35.4 million tons per year in the US alone! Sadly, the majority of these plastics are single-use plastics that are not recyclable and usually end up in landfills, rivers, and oceans. Follow these tips to ensure that what you put in the recycling bins can actually be recycled.

  • DO recycle plastic water bottles, clamshells (like berry containers) and microwavable food trays labeled with PET#1. Please remove the lids/caps.
  • DO recycle plastic milk jugs and shampoo bottles label HDPE #2. Please remove the lids/caps.
  • DON’T recycle plastic grocery bags. Try using reusable bags or paper bags when you go grocery shopping.
  • DON’T recycle plastic delivery envelopes and delivery packages lined/padded with plastic bubble wrap.
  • DON’T recycle plastic straws, juice pouches, and plastic coffee pods.
  • DON’T recycle colorful plastic party cups, foam coffee cups, paper coffee cups, and lids. Bring your own reusable cup or bottle.
  • DON’T recycle “to-go” plastic utensils.
  • DON’T recycle RX bottles. Instead reuse them to store nails, buttons, etc.

Note: Do not bag any of your recyclable waste, place in the bins loose.

Source link

1 2 3 4 5