2008 Support Staff Conference

Thanks to all who attended this year's Support Staff Section Conference, co-sponsored by the Waukesha County Technical College Library. The theme for this year's conference was Initiate and Innovate in 2008.

Stay tuned for information about next year's conference, and take a minute to learn how you can get more involved in the activities of WLA's Support Staff Section or other units.

2008 Program Recap:

Keynote speaker: Stuart Stotts, Author

Lutie Stearns and her Library Legacy

Lutie Stearns started over 1,500 traveling libraries in Wisconsin between 1895 and 1914, while working for the Wisconsin Free Library Commission. She traveled alone, from lumber camps to the industrial centers of southeastern Wisconsin, bringing books in boxes to communities where there were no libraries. She was a strong woman with an ambitious agenda, and her story is inspiring to library workers today. Lutie’s life can teach us lessons, as we move into the uncharted waters of the information age, and seek to find libraries’ place in this brave new world.

Nothing To Laugh At: Surviving and Thriving in a Humorless Workplace

James A. Gollata, UW Richland

Nursing an active sense of humor on the job is essential for mental health and balance, particularly in a climate of accelerated technological developments and demands. This presentation will discover and discuss the sources, methods, and importance of humor and laughter, especially in the library workplace.

Secrets of Google: Scholar, Patents, Books, & More

Jon Jeffryes, UW Madison

Get better search results quicker, using a variety of Google’s search tools. This hands-on workshop developed by librarians at UW-Madison will provide you with new Google skills that you can pass on to your co-workers and patrons.

Exemplary Public Service in a Time of Change

Cheryl Becker, South Central Library System

What do your users want? Are you remaining relevant to them? Are things changing too fast? What can you learn from what other libraries are doing? Explore these questions and take a look at the ways libraries serve the public; we'll brainstorm ways to keep your library's future bright.

Managing Paranoia: Seeing Computer Security from the Other Side

Mike Simpson, UW-Madison

An overview of IT security as viewed by system administrators: risks, responses, and a bit of ranting. Topics will include an analysis of possible compromises, proactive steps to reduce risks, and some brief case studies on current security technologies.

Marketing on a Shoestring

Rachel Muchin-Young, Manitowoc Public Library

Budgets are tight, but we still have collections, services, and programs to promote. This workshop will provide some practical tips to make your limited budget stretch farther and increase its efficiency - all while adding value to everything you offer.

SSS Book Exchange: Be green and bring a used book you've enjoyed to exchange at the conference. We'll each go home with a new read!