No Recall Petition At Library

Judging from several phone calls received today, there is a rumor in town that the Chippewa Falls Public Library is a place where the recall petition can be signed.

This is untrue. For the record, it is a matter of policy that such political activity would not be allowed on the premises of the library.

Call 715-720-4720 with questions regarding the recall petition.

Academy Day 2011

A letter from Representative Sean Duffy just crossed my desk, and he is asking us to pass on that Academy Day 2011 is coming up on September 17th at the EAA in Oshkosh.

Parents and students will have the opportunity to meet the Wisconsin Congressional Delegation and learn more about applying to the various U.S. service academies at the event.

Budget Cuts, Networking & the Titanic

Check out this article from the Utne Reader from last summer:

A Library Renaissance: Despite Higher Demand and Less Money, Libraries are Stepping Up

It seems that budget cuts are happening everywhere. Places you might normally think of as being in pretty good shape:

>Seattle

>Southern California

>Boston

And many other places are taking drastic measures, as well: cutting hours, reducing operating budgets, furlough days, etc. Some are even cutting staff.

Libraries run on money, just like all other enterprises. In an economy such as ours continues to be, libraries are not immune to the difficulties that low tax revenue and budget cuts entail. Libraries, however, have an advantage over many other types of government and, indeed, most private enterprises. That advantage is networking.

When police or fire or sewerage and drainage departments suffer budget cuts--and I use the word "suffer" on purpose--they have a hard time simply calling a city 50 miles away and asking to borrow a salt truck or taser gun. It does happen, yes, but the limits of geography apply. The Chippewa Falls Fire Department contracts with the state to handle hazardous material accident cleanup in nearby communities, for instance.

But libraries everywhere, by the very nature of their operational structure, have ALWAYS shared resources and have done so eagerly and usually pretty quietly. The State of Wisconsin, unlike many states, even has a formal system whereby municipalities are reimbursed for the library service they offer to other counties and municipalities, including those municipalities within their own county (provided those towns/cities don't have libraries). The law says that only 70% of the actual cost of the service needs to be covered, but the rest has theoretically been absorbed by state revenue sharing. 2011-2012 is going to be a tough year though, so that theory is probably out the window. But I digress.

Budget cuts make life difficult for all government services, libraries included, but it is a point of pride among library professionals that, in this field, the big naturally reach out to help the small and the small don't hesitate to ask for help.

In an economy/budget cycle like this, I think of the natural networking tendency of libraries like shipwreck survivors sharing body heat in frigid water: they know they have to huddle together to survive and know that a few may not make it, but the closer they hug each other, the better the chance they have to survive.

Here's hoping the water warms up, though. Because even a cluster of fifty will all freeze to death unless help comes. And just now, the horizon is unbroken by any approaching ship.

Labor History Links

There's some interesting stuff going on in our state. If you're looking for some historical perspective, try these links:

University of Washington's Collection of Labor History Links

Wisconsin Labor History Society

Wisconsin Historical Society: The Birth of the Labor Movement

MORE Catalog Search: "Labor Unions--History--Wisconsin"

MORE Catalog Search: "Labor Movement--History--United States"

The US Department of Labor: Wirtz Labor Library

History @ The Department of Labor

National Right to Work Committee

Agclassroom.org & Wisagclassroom.org

Ever since I arrived in Wisconsin, one thing I have noted is the high profile agriculture has in this state as an industry and employer, much higher than anywhere I've ever visited or lived. What's more, there is a fascinating and admirable diversity to the agricultural production. I've read about dairy, malting barley, wheat and even ginseng being grown not terribly far from Chippewa. The ginseng thing just amazes me, for some reason. Did you know Wisconsin produces 95% of the ginseng grown in the U.S.?

All this is bringing me to some information we just got in the mail from the USDA. They have a really interesting online resource called Agclassroom, which is chocked full of information for students and teachers seeking to learn (and teach) more about agriculture in the United States. Lesson plans, virtual tours, government publications, all online and all free. There's even a profile for every state.

And, if you want to just concentrate on our great State of Wisconsin (America's leading producer of snap beans), try the Wisconsin-centric page of Agclassroom.

Take a look.

Election Day 2010

Where Do I Vote?

Quick tip:

If you click the link above, it will tell you where your polling place is. You just enter your address. It's pretty handy, and we've been using it pretty steadily down here at the library. Check it out.

Having Your Say...Broadband Survey

LinkWISCONSIN is trying to find out how broadband availability is coming along throughout the state and if there is a need for more service--or perhaps a public provider.

Take This Survey

LinkWISCONSIN is a service helping Wisconsin map and plan its broadband network, which should improve Internet service all over the state. Do your part! Take the survey!

Unclaimed Property--May 6th

Ever wonder if somebody out there owes you something and you don't even know it? Well, there's a way to find out, and you can do it at the library.

Wisconsin State Treasurer Dawn Marie Sass will be here at the Chippewa Falls Public Library on May 6th, 2010 from 10:00am-11:30am. She's asked us to be a host site for her Unclaimed Property Outreach Tour. The State of Wisconsin has a nifty database that compiles the names and addresses of people to whom money is owed (from estates, settlements, etc.), who owes them and how much they are owed. You can claim your money right on site and help them clear this database, which is pretty sizable, from what I understand.

In Chippewa County alone, there are more than 4,000 accounts worth nearly $2 million.

The kind folks of the Wisconsin Treasury Department will be set up in the LARGE MEETING ROOM right off the entrance hall, and participation is absolutely free, even if you don't have anything in the database. Tell a friend! Maybe you'll BOTH get paid.

Chippewa Falls History: Playing Catch-Up

Early this morning, I stood in the area of Chippewa Falls that long-time residents call "West Hill" and looked down toward the center of town. Snow covered many of the sidewalks and ice was glistening in the branches of the trees in the front yards all along the streets. The cold air seems to sit kind of heavy and muffle sound, so it's very quiet here in the early morning hours as the street lights are still flashing.

As I stood there in the frigid quiet, something in me could feel the history of the town very close at hand. Maybe it's the design of the city or the way historic buildings have been left in peace here (or maybe it's the big, old Victorian house I'm staying in), but I could feel the spirit of the history of this place, even if I have yet to delve too terribly deeply into its substance.

So, in honor of the history of Chippewa Falls and to help those who, like me, don't know enough about it to satisfy themselves, here are some links that might get us all started:

The Chippewa Falls Chamber of Commerce's History Page

The Chippewa County Genealogy Site, Debra McCann, Site Coordinator--Includes an interesting link to information about "Old Abe" the eagle who accompanied Wisconsin troops during the Civil War, becoming famous among both sides at the siege of Vicksburg.

A History of the Chippewa Falls Public Library

History of the Parks of Chippewa Falls

A History of Chippewa Falls, by the Rotary Club of Chippewa Falls

A History of Leinenkugel Brewery, With Handy Bibliography

The Tribe That Gave the Area Its Name

Wisconsin Historical Society Full-Text Book: History, Tradition and Adventure in the Chippewa Valley

Also, feel free to come by the Chippewa Falls Public Library and see what else we've got in the Wisconsin Studies section. In my office, there are several old, thick volumes that I've been trying to leaf through when I have some time, such as an illustrated history of the Chippewa Valley and several histories of the county, which appear to be very well-written and surprisingly thorough. Come by and see me if you want to take a look at some of these; they aren't in the regular collection because they seem a little old and maybe a bit fragile.