2/6/2013

PHOTO: Carolyn Caffrey Gardner of UWS, Matt Rosendahl of WITC, State Superintendent Tony Evers and Adam Brisk of Marshall School.

Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College along with partners St. Scholastica, Duluth Public Library, Marshall School, Northern Waters Library System, University of Minnesota-Duluth, University of Wisconsin-Superior, Superior Public Library, and Superior Public Schools earned the State Superintendent’s ‘Standing Up for Rural Wisconsin Schools, Libraries and Communities’ Award for their work in successfully organizing the first ‘Lake Superior Libraries Symposium’, which took place in June of 2012 at the WITC Conference Center in Superior.

State Superintendent Tony Evers presented the award to the organizers February 1 in Madison at the capitol.

“Libraries are still an important resource in our communities, and in these times of financial constraint, our collective efforts are more valuable than ever. Thanks to the Lake Superior Libraries Symposium, we can grow and develop professionally to benefit the patrons in our communities without having to travel far from the rural northland,” said Matt Rosendahl, a symposium organizer and WITC Director of Learning Resources.

Rosendahl says Pew research shows libraries are still highly valued by the public. Libraries are now viewed as technology centers for human interaction and information. The symposium helps teach best practices in use of technology in libraries, as well as keeping a sense of community.

Topics covered at the first Lake Superior Libraries Symposium included use of ebooks, iPad lending programs, how to use various technologies, strategic planning, and information literacy as well as better use of free and open access resources.

The WITC-Superior campus has implemented several new ideas from the symposium including an I-pad bar, which gives access to students to familiarize themselves with the technology, more e-books in the classroom and for research, and conducting student activities in the library for community life, such as a book club.

The second annual Lake Superior Libraries Symposium will be held June 7.

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