Now With Website Integration 

From the company that brings you wireless statistics comes WhoFi's Community Calendar.  The State Library provides access to WhoFi free of charge to Iowa's public libraries.  Many of you have heard about the calendar feature in District Office Hours, perhaps have seen a demonstration.  And even newer on the scene: WhoFi's calendar can be integrated into your library website.   

This new feature allows you to publish programs from your WhoFi Community Calendar dashboard directly to your library’s public facing websites (PLOW sites and non-PLOW sites)  So scheduling  and promoting your library’s events is easier when you take advantage of this calendar feature.  Streamline your program promotions and eliminate multiple entries with the WhoFi Community Calendar website integration.

Nate Rakestraw from WhoFi explains: “Setup is as simple as starting a conversation with your WhoFi Customer Service Advocate.  There is no charge for this additional feature. WhoFi will work directly with the State Library’s SILO team to integrate the calendar into the websites that use the PLOW option.

The website integration makes it easy for your staff to create one-time and recurring programs and publish them directly to your website. Contact our service team to learn how your library can take advantage of this new feature and make your program promotion easier.  Email us at support@whofi.com “

On this year’s Annual Survey (relax though, not due until October 2022 😊) library directors will need to submit information about program attendance for both in-person and online events.  This Community Calendar feature from WhoFi provides an easy-to-use solution to:

• Schedule programs
• Publish the program calendar to your library’s website
• View attendance insights
• Auto-generate board reports
• Provide Annual Report specifics all in one place
  
  

Learn More About WhoFi

Psychosocial Needs of Patrons

In recent weeks, library directors received a bulletin from the State Library regarding a needs assessment survey. This survey is part of a new initiative at the
State Library, trying to gauge how our agency can help support Iowa public libraries as your staff respond to patrons’ psychosocial needs.  Such needs can be revealed by requests for information assistance with mental health issues, substance abuse, poverty, and general health care needs.

In this effort, the State Library has partnered with Dr. Beth Wahler from the School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to conduct this needs assessment. Dr. Wahler's primary research interests focus on library patrons' psycho-social needs and how social work can help libraries address these needs.  Dr. Wahler has completed needs assessments of other public library systems and is now beginning to work with the State Library of Iowa.  

As this initiative gets underway, we're asking that public library directors respond to this survey.  Results will help us better understand your perceptions of patron needs, ideas about the library's role in addressing such needs, and how the State Library could best support you. This survey is voluntary, you may stop at any time.

Please be open and honest in your responses.  Information will be kept confidential;  names and any other identifying information will not be recorded or linked to responses. The State Library will receive a report of the overall findings from this survey, but care will be taken by Dr. Wahler so no identifying information or individual responses will be released.

After this study is complete, the data could be used for future research studies without additional informed consent.  If information from this assessment is used for future research studies, published or presented in any public format, Dr. Wahler will not include any information that would identify individual participants.

The survey should take approximately 20 minutes. If you have any questions about this survey, please contact Dr. Beth Wahler at beth.wahler@uncc.edu or 704-687-0642. If you have questions about your rights as a research participant or if you would like to discuss any concerns about this study with someone other than the researcher(s), please contact the Office of Research Protections and Integrity at uncc-irb@uncc.edu. 

The survey will remain open until Friday March 25, 2022

Psychosocial Needs Assessment Survey

PopYS Live For March.  Including the Neurodivergent Community in Library Space, Service, & Programming. 
March 17. 2:00-3:00PM

Burlington Public Library staff contribute to this webinar when focusing on creating equity in library spaces, services, and programming.  Topics will include partnering with local AEAs, school psychologists, creating sensory kits and hosting sensory-friendly family nights.  Presenters: Library Asst Allison Richert and Outreach & Program Services Manager Brittany Jacobs.

Friday Tech Focus.  March 18.  9:30-10:00AM

Friday Tech Focus is back with Northeast District Consultant Eunice Riesberg.  Learn about a new tech tool or web tool and how it can be used in a library setting.  Eunice will also demonstrate a “library-ish” mobile app and invite others to share their favorite app.  Perfect for busy library staff, spend 30 minutes learning about a new tool, then stay for informal discussion if your time allows.

Register in IALearns