Waukesha Public Library - Gossage Sager Associates

Waukesha Public Library
Wisconsin Library of the Year Nomination
Two challenging long-term projects that came to fruition over the last year led us to
pause long enough to take a fresh look at the Waukesha Public Library. We liked what
we saw, and we are proud of the many ways our Library contributes to its community.
Therefore, we respectfully present our case to be considered as Wisconsin’s Library of
the Year. We offer eight highlights that address the five criteria established for this
award.
1. The completion of the library building’s renovation, accomplished in two phases over
the past decade, was celebrated in March, 2010.
2. Approximately 10 years ago, Waukesha Public Library responded to a need for a
county-wide shared integrated library system, incubated and nurtured it for nearly a
decade, and in 2011 “gifted” the now thriving partnership to the Waukesha County
Federated Library System.
Four innovative and noteworthy user-oriented services stood out:
3. A new, growing public art collection is located within the public spaces of our
renovated facility.
4. The unique early childhood literacy center called 321 Alphabet Square is a highlight
of the renovated children’s area.
5. The colorful Teen Zone is a magnet for teens and enables the library to solidify its
connection with that age group.
6. The Library has an exceptional record of integrating its resources into the fabric of
our entire community through cooperative partnerships.
And solid, traditional library practices that take advantage of new technologies
influence:
7. Our collection development
8. Our commitment to a well-trained staff
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Criterion: Changes or improvements in physical
facilities resulting in better service
The Waukesha Public Library now boasts a vibrant, contemporary look after the
completion of two separate renovation projects resulting in improved service to the
community.
A complete renovation and expansion of the Children’s Services area was completed in
2010 and is garnering recognition and awards, along with “oohs and ahs” from both
children and adults. Staff members report that a frequent occurrence is hearing a
heartfelt “Wow!” from first-time visitors.
Midwest Construction Magazine gave the construction project its award of merit in the
category of Interior Design/Tenant Improvement. For its design, Engberg Anderson
Design Partnership was awarded the platinum award by the Wisconsin chapter of the
American Society of Interior Design. The platinum award is ASID’s highest honor. The
renovated children’s area was also featured in the Children’s and Teen’s Spaces
section of the American Libraries online 2011 Library Design Showcase. The Waukesha
Freeman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and MetroParent have featured articles lauding
the renovation’s many innovations for children.
Over the years, Children’s Services on the second floor had vastly outgrown its home.
All available spaces were overflowing with books and audiovisual materials, and the
former program room had long since been filled with bookshelves. Programs had to be
held in the first floor meeting room, far away from the children’s area.
As planning for the renovation began, the architect held brainstorming sessions with
various stakeholders, including the Library Board, library staff, parents and school
children, to hear their visions for the new space. A highlight of this process was hearing
the ideas of a group of second through sixth graders at Summit View School. The
Manager of Children’s Services returned from the meeting commenting that it reminded
her once again how very much Waukesha’s children were invested in the project and
that it wasn’t “our” library, but “their” library.
The addition was seamlessly integrated into the existing library
building. The renovation contributed 3,800 square feet of additional
space and completely reconfigured the existing space. The new
configuration allows parents and staff members to more closely
supervise children, and it provides for a more logical layout of the
collection. Some notable features are: a multi-function performance
space, pop-out window seats for private reading nooks that overlook
the Library’s first floor, a “tween” area for upper elementary children,
an early childhood learning center called 321 Alphabet Square, and
large windows allowing an abundance of natural light.
Pop-out window seats
overlook the first floor.
Having the performance space located within the children’s area
helps families make stronger connections between children’s programs and books.
Greatly expanded computer facilities have separate areas for preschoolers and for older
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school-age children. Age-appropriate software provides many opportunities for learning,
play and homework help. The overall design includes a wide variety of colorful,
comfortable seating and gallery space on which to display student art and writing.
“If you are a dreamer, come in.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were
perfectly normal, thank you very much.”
“Sheila Rae wasn’t afraid of anything.”
These evocative first lines and many others are
woven into the graphic design throughout the
renovated children’s area. Starting on the airy,
light-filled bridge that serves as an entry to the
area, first line quotations are intertwined with
graphics on the acrylic panels that flare out over
the first floor. Other quotations float overhead on
lighted panels in the “tween” area and wind their
way over the art on the curved, tempered glass
wall that slides open to reveal a versatile
performance space. These quotations form word
puzzles that challenge readers to identify the
Room design highlighted with first line quotations.
books from which they are drawn and to recall or
discover some of the old and new classics of children’s literature.
Expansion of the children’s area was actually the second phase of renovating the
building. In 2005, renovation of the first floor involved constructing a welcoming new
entry, a lively and colorful new area just for teens, and an efficient workspace for the
circulation department, and reorganizing the adult book collection into a coherent, easyto-navigate layout. New audiovisual shelving was installed, and a variety of colorful,
upholstered chairs provide ample, comfortable seating for customers. Newspapers and
magazines were relocated in the pleasant, well-lighted Carnegie Reading Room. A new
Local History area brought together all of the Library’s materials of interest to
genealogists and local history researchers. Public computer space was expanded and
wireless access was added.
Both construction projects allowed for expanded library services and programming.
Teen services have been augmented, and the already very active Children’s Services
department now offers more early learning opportunities for young children and their
caregivers.
The Waukesha Common Council, Plan Commission, and the Board of Waukesha Public
Library deserve recognition for having the vision and courage to move forward with
these two building projects, even though the fiscal landscape for public construction was
not entirely favorable. A large part of the credit goes to passionate citizens and library
users of all ages who spoke up in support of funding the renovations. At public hearings,
aldermen received input from speakers representing senior citizens, teens, children,
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families and educators. The result of all these efforts is a beautiful facility that celebrates
reading and learning and that shows where this community’s values lie.
The city of Waukesha is justly proud of its renovated public library, and area residents
make heavy use of its services. In 2010, 63,402 library card holders made a total of
470,011 visits to the building, with many thousands more visiting its website regularly.
The more-functional library building gives the Board and staff the ability to support the
kinds of services that the community needs in the 21st century.
Criterion: Structure of library service including development and
participation in networks and systems and cooperative planning
and programming with other types of libraries
For the past decade, Waukesha Public Library served as the owner and operator of a
unique partnership of fourteen public libraries in Waukesha County.
Most automation consortia in Wisconsin and across the United States are operated by
federated or consolidated library systems, library districts, or independent library
consortia. But in 2000, when some libraries within Waukesha County Federated Library
System were ready to begin planning for a shared integrated library system (ILS), the
timing was not right for the System to facilitate such a sharing.
Two libraries in quest of a solution, Brookfield Public Library and Muskego Public
Library, approached Waukesha Public Library to see whether Waukesha would be
interested in sharing its existing successful ILS. After some months of dialogue, a
unique partnership christened CAFÉ (Catalog Access For Everyone!) was formed.
Brookfield Public Library, the original partner library, went live in 2003. Muskego Public
Library and Mukwonago Public Library went next. By 2005, the libraries serving Big
Bend, Butler, Delafield, Eagle, Elm Grove, Hartland, North Lake, Oconomowoc,
Pewaukee, and Sussex/Lisbon had followed suit.
From 2003 until April, 2011, Waukesha Public Library continued to own its original
investment and to act as vendor to the group. A contract between the Waukesha Public
Library Board and the boards of each of the thirteen other participating libraries
specified that member libraries would meet quarterly as the CAFÉ Council to make
decisions on upgrades, software changes, hardware acquisitions, replacements,
policies, downtime, and similar wide-ranging issues. Staff from member libraries, aided
by CAFÉ staff, met as committees as necessary to discuss specific issues and to
develop recommendations for the CAFÉ Council.
The decision-making process within the Council was as unique as the organization.
Contracts specified that, although Waukesha Public Library’s Board of Trustees served
as ultimate arbiter, decisions would be made through a process of consensus building.
Rather than voting an issue up or down, conversation continued until participants were
able to reach agreement regarding what direction was best for most libraries within the
organization.
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In 2009, member libraries were polled about their satisfaction with CAFÉ and the unique
organization of the alliance. All library directors expressed satisfaction with the
partnership and the decision-making process. Comments heard at Waukesha Public
Library’s public service desks indicate that customers appreciate the ease of obtaining
materials from the consortium members and that they are aware of how this expands
the resources available to them. It has been documented that holds are filled more
quickly, due to drawing items from all of the member libraries instead of just the
customer’s home library’s collection.
By 2010, Waukesha was satisfied that CAFÉ had morphed into a mature organization
and that conditions within the Waukesha County Federated Library System were
different than they had been ten years earlier. Recognizing these milestones,
Waukesha began another dialogue with the thirteen member libraries. This dialogue
culminated with Waukesha Public Library “gifting” the Waukesha County Federated
Library System with the CAFÉ organization, now a thriving partnership, in April, 2011.
This restructuring of responsibilities fits well with the respective missions and strategic
plans of both the Waukesha Public Library and the Waukesha County Federated Library
System, and the consortium continues to thrive and serve all fourteen libraries well.
Criterion: User oriented services
The Library Board is committed to serving all segments of the Waukesha community,
and library staff endeavor to develop programs and services that target a variety of
population groups.
Public Art in the Library
Located in Cutler Park in the center of Waukesha, the library building is a destination in
its own right. In addition to many other services, Waukesha Public Library serves as a
gallery for locally produced fine art. One artist said that he was eager to have his work
represented in the Library because the foot traffic there far outpaced the number of
people who enter all of the local art galleries in a given week.
This collection of public art is an effort in concert with the Library’s central city
neighbors. Over the last ten years, the city of Waukesha has developed a reputation as
a center for the visual arts. The West End Artists Association has acted as a catalyst for
attracting artists to the historic center of the city; this, in turn, has attracted more small
businesses and restaurants and has resulted in a lively, vibrant downtown area. More
than twenty galleries and studios are now located within a one mile radius of the Library.
Artwork is integrated into the restaurants and shops. Art Crawls that attract hundreds of
attendees are featured five times each year. Mayor Jeff Scrima has declared a goal of
making Waukesha the #1 arts city for its size in the country.
This burgeoning citywide emphasis on the fine arts coincided nicely with the 2005
renovation of the facility’s first floor. Upon its completion, the Library Board established
a Public Art Committee for the Library. The committee’s explicit goal is to enhance the
community’s quality of life through art. The renovated building provides an exceptional
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setting for exhibiting works of art. These works are selected to “inspire joy, provoke
thought, and reflect the nature of the Waukesha community.”
The Committee is charged with overseeing all aspects of the Library’s growing original
art collection, with selections subject to final approval by the Library Board. Members of
the Committee include representatives from the Library’s Board and staff, the Friends of
Waukesha Public Library, and the local art community, as well as other interested
citizens. The current chairperson of the Committee is also a professional art consultant.
The art is funded by private monies donated by community members and the Friends
group. A rigorous application and selection process ensures the highest quality of art.
To date, eleven distinguished artists are represented in the Library’s permanent art
collection. The collection contains a wide range of media and techniques, from oil
paintings to textiles to sculptures, and showcases the talents and skills represented in
the Waukesha area.
Located in the Library’s spectacular rotunda
entrance is Sensing the Whole, a series of
portraits in oil, each seven feet tall, by Michael
Foster, a high school art teacher who used
local residents as models. This signature
series is one of the first art works
commissioned by the Library in 2006, and
images from it have been used on the Library’s
website. On the opposite side of the entrance
is an original art quilt called Soul Mates. This
landscape rendered in fabric was
Sensing the Whole by Michael Foster
commissioned by the Public Art Committee
and privately funded in memory of a long-time, avid library user. The creator, Casey
Puetz, is an award-winning, published fiber and mixed media artist. Her work is so
exquisite that many people who view the quilt for the first time are surprised to learn that
it is not an oil painting.
Continuing through the first floor of the Library, one encounters the following art works:
▪Serenade, by David Fode – stained glass
▪Evolution of Expression, by Peggy Thurston Farrell – silkscreen relief pieces
▪Tradition on the Line, by Janet Roberts – oil painting collage
▪Giant Bone from Widow Fischer’s Quarry, by Gary John Gresl – assemblage
sculpture
▪Coming Home and Haying, by Chuck Weber – oil paintings
▪Word Work/Waukesha, by Chuck Wickler – collage
▪Waukesha Cityscapes, by Philip Krejcarek – photographs and metal sculptures
▪Untitled, by Charles Dix – oil and acrylic painting
▪Garden House I and II, by Amy Cropper - paintings
When new artworks are acquired, the Public Art Committee sponsors a reception in the
Library. The respective artists are recognized and are invited to discuss their specific
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artistic visions and the process of creating the pieces. These exciting public events have
also served as excellent promotions for the Library.
Additionally, in 2010, the Library introduced a gallery wall for rotating art collections,
also coordinated by the Public Art Committee. Each artist or group of artists selected
may exhibit their work for two months.
The renovated children’s and teen areas also provide gallery space for local artists. In
this case, it is the creativity of local elementary, middle and high school students that is
on display. In a monthly rotation, art teachers from local schools are invited to display
their students’ art on the gallery walls of the children’s area and the Teen Zone.
321 Alphabet Square
The timing of the renovation of Children’s Services provided a golden opportunity to
incorporate recent research findings on the importance of early brain development into
the new space. Armed with the knowledge of how vital it is to capitalize on the earliest
years in a child’s development, the Library’s Board and staff made a commitment to set
aside a portion of the children’s area specifically for young children from infancy to age
five.
The result, 321 Alphabet Square, transforms the traditional library into a play-based
learning environment. It is an extension of the Library’s commitment to provide support
for early literacy and learning including storytimes, playgroups and an extensive
collection of books and other media for preschoolers. For adults, there are workshops
and programs on early childhood development and parenting, as well as a
Parent/Teacher Collection of books for adult caregivers. The Library is taking an active
role in ensuring that all children in Waukesha have access to the building blocks they
need to become successful learners.
More than 100 learning and pre-literacy activities are incorporated into 321 Alphabet
Square. It includes a puppet theater, playhouse, career dress-up corner, hide-away
reading house, a felt board garden wall and a nine-foot tall kid-powered ABC whirligig
with a spinning sun that shines down on the learning town.
This unique learning and play area was funded by a
Library Services and Technology Act grant, a grant
from the Waukesha County Community Foundation
and additional support from the Friends of
Waukesha Public Library. To design the most
effective learning activities for the targeted age
group, library staff drew on the expertise and advice
of the leaders of area early childhood organizations.
They included The Birth to Three Program of
Lutheran Social Services, Born Learning Waukesha
Coalition, the School District of Waukesha’s Early
Childhood Chair, the Family Day Care Association
of Waukesha, and Waukesha County Project Head
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321 Alphabet Square
Start. The advice of these local experts was incorporated into the design developed by
Burgeon Group, a designer of interactive learning spaces for children.
The result of their efforts is a popular destination for local young families. It is great fun
for everyone to watch the toddlers enter the room and make a beeline for 321 Alphabet
Square.
Teen Zone
In 2005, after years of occupying a small area between the Library’s Spanish and Large
Print collections, the teens of Waukesha finally got their very own space. The lively and
colorful Teen Zone with its undulating glass wall is one of the focal points of the Library.
The Teen Zone has been featured in DEMCO’s library furnishings catalog and in Teen
Spaces: The Step-By-Step Library Makeover, by Kimberly Bolan (ALA, c2009). It
features booth seating and other lounge furniture to promote group collaboration, and
fabric wall panels are used to display student artwork and writing. Art classes at Central
Middle School, located directly across the street from the Library, provided feedback
regarding colors and furnishings for the space. The Library’s Teen Advisory Group also
contributed ideas for the design. The new space immediately became popular with its
intended audience.
The flexibility of the space allows for increased use. Seating can be moved to
accommodate a variety of programs, from crafts to author visits to Wii tournaments.
Computers with Internet access, word processing and PowerPoint are available for
teens only. The Young Adult collection housed in the Teen Zone includes fiction and
nonfiction books, graphic books and magazines. Book lists, created by staff, on genres
of interest to teens are also displayed in this area.
Teen Zone
Along with the dedicated physical space, the
Library Board’s strategic plan also
emphasizes services to this important
constituency. The number of staff hours
devoted to teen programming and collections
has been expanded. The Teen Advisory
Group, Teen Book Club, and Teen Anime and
Manga Club all meet monthly. The Library
also sponsors regular Teen Tuesday afterschool activities. Participation in the Teen
Summer Reading Program has more than
doubled since the 2005 renovation.
Community Partnerships
The Waukesha Public Library collaborates with many community organizations in an
effort to expand beyond the library walls and to form productive connections in the
community. The Library Board is fully committed to community partnerships. Library
employees are sometimes leaders of the cooperative efforts and sometimes
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participants, but they always strive to work together with representatives from other
agencies. Following is a sampling of these partnerships.
Waukesha Reads
This fall, Waukesha will celebrate five years of community-wide reading. The Waukesha
Reads mission is “Uniting the Community Through Great Books.” The Waukesha Public
Library has taken the lead in organizing, leading and securing funding for this program,
but invites a wide variety of partners to become involved. The program offers citizens
the opportunity to read, discuss and celebrate a single book and author within their
community.
In 2007, with the
enthusiastic backing of
then-Mayor Larry Nelson,
the Library applied for and
received its first BIG
READ grant from the
National Endowment for
the Arts. The Library also
received BIG READ
funding in 2008 and 2009. In each of those years, funding was supplemented by local
donations. Beginning in 2010, the program, now called Waukesha Reads, has been
funded through more local sources.
“Four years later, thanks to the leadership of the Waukesha
Public Library and a diverse coalition of community
organizations, its incredible success has exceeded my wildest
expectations.” “…it’s just the kind of interdisciplinary
program that helps to create lifelong learners with an
interest in literature, art, and theater that can change
people’s lives.”
~Former Mayor Larry Nelson
In a 2011 letter of support to the Wisconsin Humanities Council, former Mayor Nelson
wrote, “Four years later, thanks to the leadership of the Waukesha Public Library and a
diverse coalition of community organizations, its incredible success has exceeded my
wildest expectations.” “…it’s just the kind of interdisciplinary program that helps to
create lifelong learners with an interest in literature, art, and theater that can change
people’s lives.”
Waukesha Reads promotes reading for pleasure and enlightenment and offers
opportunities for individuals to come together to explore the book and share their
thoughts and ideas. Improving literacy would itself be worth the effort, but there are
also benefits to uniting people and key agencies of the community. Many cultural and
non-profit groups have come together to make Waukesha Reads a success. In the
process, persons associated with these agencies have developed and strengthened
relationships and continue to join forces throughout the year on projects beyond
Waukesha Reads. The result is community-wide energy that Waukesha Public Library
has helped to build over the last five years. The numbers are impressive: dozens of
involved agencies, hundreds of volunteers, thousands of books distributed in the
community, and more than 30,000 participants.
Each year, the unique themes of the selected book allow for creative programming by
Waukesha Reads partners. Over the past four years more than 120 programs and
discussions have been offered. Sample programs include:
•
Art displays inspired by the book at the West End Artists’ Fall Art Crawl
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dinner and a Movie at the Marcus Palladium theater
Theatrical productions at UW-Waukesha
Scholar-led talks and panel discussions
Fieldtrips to Ernest Hemingway’s birth place and Old World Wisconsin
Student writing and You Tube contests
Film showings at retirement communities and area universities
Music and dance performances at the Waukesha Farmers’ Market
Book discussions at the Library, book stores, coffee shops, UW-Waukesha,
Carroll University, Waukesha County Technical College, La Casa de Esperanza,
area high schools and middle schools, retirement communities, the jail, the
Museum, and Waukesha Civic Theater
Books featured in past years are: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald, A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, and My Ántonia by
Willa Cather. The selection to be featured in October, 2011, is The Hound of the
Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Since 2009, the Waukesha Reads program has expanded to incorporate a service
project. As the community read A Farewell to Arms, comfort items were collected to be
sent to military personnel serving overseas. In 2010, a collection of food for the
Salvation Army’s Snack Pack program for low-income school children complemented
the reading of My Antonia. This year, new or gently used children’s books will be
collected for distribution through the Hope Center.
Waukesha Reads has grown to include nearly 50 partners and community agencies,
ranging from educational institutions to arts and recreation organizations to area
businesses. The Waukesha Reads website and Facebook page are used to promote
reading and provide information about all of the Waukesha Reads activities.
The Library Director and Waukesha Mayor Jeff Scrima serve as co-chairs of Waukesha
Reads. The Library’s Deputy Director is the project coordinator. The Steering
Committee, which includes representatives from UW-Waukesha, Carroll University,
Waukesha County Technical College, School District of Waukesha, West End Artists,
Oasis Readers, and the Waukesha Freeman newspaper, meets year-round to plan,
implement and evaluate this large-scale reading promotion.
Taking Reading on the Road
Children’s Services presents a series of traveling storytimes at area businesses and
agencies. The series, entitled “Where in Waukesha Is Library Storytime?,” is extremely
popular with children and their parents. Book selections and activities are tailored to
their respective locations.
The idea behind this series is not only to give the kids an up-close view of their
community, but also to let the businesses and organizations see the Library’s services
for children and families in action. Organizations are very generous with giving tours of
their facilities and giving the kids “lovely parting gifts.”
At the recycling center, children heard stories about the environment, participated in
recycling games and activities, and toured the facility. At the hospital, they heard stories
about hospitalization, tried on surgical attire, and took gurney rides. At an auto
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dealership, they listened to transportation stories, drove with paper “steering wheels” to
music, learned about car safety and saw a variety of automotive parts.
During the summer, Children’s Services also takes storytimes into the parks, working
with the built-in audience of the Waukesha Parks, Recreation & Forestry (WPRF)
playground program. We target farther-flung areas as well as neighborhoods with lowincome housing. Within the past three years, very successful bilingual storytimes in
parks were presented in Spanish-speaking neighborhoods.
Library staff selects and provides rotating reading collections for after-school programs
sponsored by the WPRF department. One very rewarding cooperative effort is the Mrs.
Santa storytime at the annual Christmas party for low-income children.
Books for Babies and Bright Beginnings
Books for Babies and the annual Bright Beginnings workshop are direct extensions of
321 Alphabet Square. Having this beautiful play and learn area is only part of the effort
the Library has made to bring the youngest children and the adults in their lives into the
Library.
In addition to a variety of storytimes and playgroups for babies, toddlers, and
preschoolers, the Library sponsors the Books for Babies program funded through the
Sunrise Rotary Club of Waukesha and the Friends of Waukesha Public Library. Firsttime parents involved with birthing classes at Waukesha Memorial Hospital and
Waukesha Family Practice Clinic receive a booklet on early brain development (in both
English and Spanish), an invitation to visit the Waukesha Public Library, and a gift
certificate for their baby. The invitation is to come to see the beautiful children’s area
and get to know 321 Alphabet Square. The gift certificate is for the baby’s first book, a
classic board book selected by library staff.
The Books for Babies program encourages new parents to take advantage of their
infant’s early capacity for learning. Parents are encouraged to begin talking, singing and
reading to their child as early and as often as possible and to visit the Library and make
use of all of its valuable resources.
Bright Beginnings is an annual celebration/workshop for day care
providers and nursery school teachers. This very popular event
provides continuing education hours and allows the Library to get
the early literacy message out to the folks who work directly with
the youngest children. This workshop also gives library staff a
chance to thank and honor the work of these entrepreneurs and
educators, thereby forming a closer working partnership with this
significant community.
Bright Beginnings
Joint Projects with School District of Waukesha
A strong alliance between the Library and the School District has developed over many
years and continues to grow with new and innovative programs. This collaboration is
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encouraged by management in both institutions. These cooperative efforts are woven
into the fabric of our regular operations and have taken many forms.
The School District is involved in the Waukesha Reads program and sponsors
programs for students around the theme of the chosen book, in addition, school
librarians, along with Public Library colleagues, develop and distribute a bibliography of
“Read Alike” books for younger readers and families.
Collection development has been enhanced by input from both library settings. Joint
monthly book selection meetings have been part of the collaborative efforts. As the
curriculum changes, the Library relies on its school colleagues for updates, to ensure
the collection stays current and offers students the resources they need.
The district’s Early Childhood Chair was a member of the advisory committee that
developed 321 Alphabet Square.
Perhaps one of the most successful collaborative efforts in the last decade has been
“Stories Jubilee,” a city-wide author in-residence program. The school librarians and
WPL children’s librarians worked together to plan this annual event, a three-day
program bringing nationally known children’s authors and
storytellers to Waukesha. These authors gave presentations to
thousands of children in the public schools and to families at the
Library and La Casa de Esperanza. They also presented
writing, storytelling and poetry performance workshops for
students, families and staff. In 2003, Waukesha Public Library’s
Manager of Children’s services received a “Friends of Education
Award” from the Education Association of Waukesha. She was
Poetry contest winner with
recognized as being the driving force behind the “Stories
poet/author Naomi Shihab Nye
Jubilee” collaboration.
The Library also partnered with the School District to pursue grant opportunities, such
as a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for the program “The 60’s:
A Film History of America’s Decade of Crisis and Change.” The films and community
discussions were held at the Library, UW-Waukesha, and two of the city’s high schools.
As the School District moved forward with technology, the Library’s IT director shared
his years of experience with library automation and served on the committee that
developed the request for proposal for the $300,000 automation project.
Waukesha Public Library has received recognition for these efforts. The collaboration
between Waukesha Public Library and the School District’s Library Media Department is
so notable that the School District of Waukesha’s prestigious Most Valuable Partner
Award was presented to the Waukesha Public Library in 2004.
The successful dynamic that developed in Waukesha between the public library and the
school district received further acknowledgment when the Library’s Manager of
Children’s Services was invited to speak at a 2007 statewide Department of Public
Instruction conference about how public librarians can work to support the efforts of
school librarians.
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Ironically, budget cuts in 2007 resulted in the elimination of all but one elementary
school librarian position in the district. This adversely affected some of the very
successful joint programs, but it also inspired new and innovative collaborations to
bridge the gap. For instance, children’s services staff currently offers the Booklegger
reading promotion in the upper elementary classrooms. Bookleggers is a way to offer
4th, 5th and 6th graders a smorgasbord of books to tempt their reading appetites. The
Waukesha Public Library children’s department staff goes out to classrooms in area
schools to “booktalk” a selection of age-appropriate titles. Children are introduced to a
variety of books at their reading level, and can mark their choices on a “Reading
Shopping List” to bring along on their next visit to the school or public library.
Services to the Homebound
The Library Board has chosen to dedicate a significant amount of staff time to serving
homebound persons in the city of Waukesha. As the population ages, this service
becomes ever more important. Staff contact and deliver library materials to persons who
are confined to their homes because of illness, disability or age. Most library services
available to walk-in customers are also available to individuals who are homebound.
Access is provided to a wide variety of books, audiobooks, DVDs and other formats
from the Library's extensive collection. Total circulation through this service is
approximately 25,000 items per year.
The majority of the service is delivered by working with activity directors at more than 20
group living sites: health care facilities, assisted living facilities, retirement communities.
The staff member assigned to Outreach makes 275 scheduled visits per month to these
sites and to approximately 20 persons residing in their own homes and apartments who
have no other means of receiving library service.
Other Community Partnerships
In addition to the examples detailed above, the Waukesha Public Library has developed
relationships and actively works with many other community agencies and
organizations. In the year 2010 alone, the Library worked with more than 50 local
organizations and businesses, including: La Casa de Esperanza, Literacy Council of
Greater Waukesha, Waukesha Civic Theater, Waukesha County Historical Society and
Museum, Waukesha Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department, Waukesha Youth
Collaborative, Workforce Development Center.
Criterion: Collections based on sound selection policies
Waukesha Public Library consistently has circulation statistics that are among the
highest in the state for a single site library. In 2010, the 326,459 items in the Library’s
collection were checked out a total of 1,409,738 times. Customer holds are monitored
closely, and additional copies of high-demand items are purchased as needed.
The Library Board updated its materials selection policy in 2009; based on that policy,
the staff updated a detailed collection development plan in 2010. Its intent is to give
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guidance to staff members selecting new items, reflecting changing community interests
and demand.
Waukesha Public Library is dedicated to providing materials in a wide variety of formats
and is making a concerted effort to meet an increasing demand for non-print materials.
In 2007, a staff committee met regularly for several months to study the available
formats, to assess demand, and to make recommendations for future actions. In 2010,
they reviewed the progress of the recommended actions to once again assess the
Library’s status with regard to non-print materials. Older formats have been decreased
or eliminated to make room for newer, high-demand formats. Recently, the Library
purchased fifteen Kindles, and staff members are exploring how these can be made
available for customer use.
The Library’s strategic plan for 2009-2011 established a goal of increasing the size of
the Spanish collection by at least 10% each year. The Library staff is diligently working
toward that goal. In 2010, the adult and children’s Spanish collections, comprised of
both print and non-print materials, increased by 15%.
The Library is a partial government documents depository and added 884 state and
federal documents in 2010. More than 100 of them were electronic documents, and
direct links were added to the online catalog for each of the documents solely available
in electronic format in order to facilitate access for customers.
The city of Waukesha values its history. While the Library
had a Local History collection for many years, since 2009,
concerted efforts have been made to enhance the
historical materials that are available. Several finding aids
were created to make it easier for customers to locate
needed materials. In 2010, the Library was awarded an
LSTA grant for the purpose of digitizing local historical
Waukesha Public Library, 1915
materials. The Library’s project manager worked closely
with the archivist at the Waukesha County Historical Society and Museum to design the
project, and WCHSM contributed more than 300 historical photographs. The digital
collection, “Waukesha County History, 1870-1920,” includes maps, monographs and
photographs that focus on an important period in the development of Waukesha
County. It is part of the online State of Wisconsin Collection hosted by the University of
Wisconsin Digital Collections Center. Making digital copies of unique historical materials
freely available to anyone with an Internet connection addresses one of the Library’s
goals of reaching out to citizens outside the Library’s walls. The WCHSM and the
Library co-presented a workshop that introduced local librarians to ways to use the new
digital resource.
In 2010, online catalog content was enhanced with NoveList Select. Anyone who
searches for an item in the Library’s online catalog will see customized suggestions for
other titles that they might like. Also in 2010, the Library’s website was revised and
updated. It now includes forms for customers to use to suggest titles for purchase and
to request personalized recommendations. Extensive BookLetters content integrated
into the website also makes it easier for customers to find “good reading.”
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Criterion: Development of opportunities for professional growth
and job satisfaction for all employees
The Library Board and management team strive to create an environment that
encourages and facilitates ongoing education and training. By reimbursing staff
members for 70% of the cost of membership in professional organizations, the Board is
sending a message that attendance and involvement in organizations such as the
Wisconsin Library Association is strongly encouraged and supported. Staff members
have been and continue to be involved as committee members and officers in WLA’s
sections and divisions, such as the Reference and Adult Services Section, Technical
Services Section and Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries. Several staff members
attend the fall WLA conference each year. At least one employee attends the American
Library Association annual conference each summer. Local area workshops are also
attended whenever possible.
Since the first Virtual Public Library Association Conference in 2008, staff members
have participated in national conferences from the comfort of the board room, while
gleaning information, ideas and best practices from colleagues around the country.
Online webinars have been a boon to continuing education. Even with tight budgets and
staffing constraints, they make it possible for many more staff members to take part in
training sessions, because no travel time or expense is involved. When not in use for
Library Board meetings, the newly wired board room is frequently used as a site for
online education for staff.
Since 1992, with a few interruptions, the Library Board has set aside an annual day for
staff education. The building is closed to the public for one day to allow all staff
members to attend. In addition to the informational theme of the day, Staff Education
Day is invaluable for team-building and communicating organizational goals and culture.
The most recent Staff Education Day in December, 2010, featured a technology update,
with eleven different staff members making brief presentations to their colleagues on
such topics as selected electronic databases, AskAway, Waukesha’s digitization
project, the Library’s website and Facebook page, E-books, NoveList Select, NetLibrary
and Overdrive. Another major component of the day was a speaker on “Understanding
Personality Styles.”
Over the last three years, internal communication efforts have been expanded using
both high and low tech means. Departmental blogs that may be viewed by all staff
members keep employees up to date on programs and services throughout the entire
Library. A bulletin board in the staff entrance hallway is used to post activities of the
week.
Each year, Waukesha Public Library’s librarians present three to four workshops for the
Waukesha County Federated Library System. Preparing these sessions benefits the
presenters by enhancing their own knowledge of the topics and developing valuable
presentation skills. In the last two years, examples of workshop topics included:
electronic government resources, going green, reader’s advisory, and resources for
unemployed.
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Since 2008, following the retirements of several of the Library’s management team,
three of the four vacancies have been filled through internal promotion. After extensive
searches, the very best candidates were found among the Library’s own staff. This is
not only a tribute to the success of the Library’s efforts to encourage professional
growth, but it also demonstrates the level of job satisfaction that these employees have
with Waukesha Public Library. Further proof of this is demonstrated through the
demographics that show 76% of its full-time staff members have remained at the Library
over 10 years, 64% at least 15 years, and 44% at least 20 years.
Conclusion
The Library has developed collaborations
“We are fortunate to have one of the best
with many agencies in order to reach out
libraries in the state of Wisconsin. I have lived in
to residents of the community. The
three different cities in Wisconsin and I can
renovated building draws visitors to use
vouch for the fact that our library tops them all.”
the Library’s collection and technology, to
view public art, to attend programs, and to
~Don Pfaff, Waukesha Resident
continue lifelong reading and learning.
Services and programs are developed to target specific audiences, but all segments of
the community are welcomed. An informed and educated staff with a unified purpose is
the most important component of these efforts.
We are always gratified to hear from the citizens we serve. Waukesha resident Don
Pfaff stated in the February 16, 2010 issue of the Waukesha Freeman newspaper: “We
are fortunate to have one of the best libraries in the state of Wisconsin. I have lived in
three different cities in Wisconsin and I can vouch for the fact that our library tops them
all.”
Betsy Peters moved to the Waukesha more than 15 years ago for a new job and writes:
“I could have chosen to live in any of the neighboring cities, but the day I was apartment
hunting I found the Waukesha Public Library. And I was immediately impressed. I knew
I could live happily in a community that had at its center such a vital resource. So I
chose to live in Waukesha. Literally and figuratively, the library’s been a part of my
“home” ever since.”
In the April 16, 2011 issue of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, columnist Laurel Walker
wrote: “I stopped in at Waukesha’s public library on Wisconsin Avenue on Friday and
found exactly what its slogan suggests: Inspiration, ideas, information.”
We are proud of what we have accomplished, and we continue to strive for excellence
in service to the Waukesha community.
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