Next Big Ideas Book Discussion

Stage (Not Age) on November 18

The fourth and last book in the Big Ideas Book Discussions for this year is Stage (Not Age) scheduled for November 18.  The book’s subtitle lends insight into the contents “how to understand and serve people over 60—the fastest growing, most dynamic market in the world.”

Author Susan Wilner Golden is an expert on innovation and entrepreneurial opportunities created by new longevity.  She teaches this subject at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and advises companies on their longevity strategies.
In an August interview with Next Avenue Media, she said this about the later stages of life “We need better language because there's ageism in the language, calling people ‘senior’ or ‘elderly.’  I came up with a concept that we're not in elderhood or seniorhood, we're in furtherhood ... we're going further and we're looking forward to it.  But we're going to need to be continuous learners to keep going forward.”

From Amazon: “In the time it takes you to read this, another twenty Americans will turn sixty-five. Ten thousand people a day are crossing that threshold, and that number will continue to grow. In fifteen years, Americans aged sixty-five and over will outnumber those under age eighteen. The key is to stop thinking of older adults as one market. Stage (Not Age) is the concise guide to understanding that people over sixty are a deeply diverse population…”

The Iowa Dept on Aging projects that Iowa’s population of adults aged 65+ will make up nearly 20% of the state’s population by 2050.  What do these demographics look like in your town?  Sure to have programming implications, Stage (Not Age) will reshape your understanding of what it means to be an older person.  And how one-size-service does not fit all people in the boomer+ generation. 

We encourage participants to purchase books used throughout the Big Ideas series for your own collections. And join us for the next good read: Stage (Not Age)

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WhoFi Unveils a New Feature:

Program Registration

This is breaking news comes from the staff at WhoFi.  If you are using WhoFi services provided from the State Library—notably the wireless Internet counter and the community calendar—then you’ll want to latch onto their newest feature that handles program registrations.  Thanks to Ashleigh Matos, WhoFi Partner Advocate, for providing this summary and link to a YouTube tutorial.

Ashleigh writes “You asked and we listened ? Preparing and planning for programs is now simpler with the WhoFi Community Calendar’s new optional registration feature. 
How does it work? Patrons can register for events from the library website's integrated calendar. Registered patrons will receive a confirmation email upon registration and a reminder email before the event to help increase the likelihood of attendance. All events utilizing registration can be viewed in one place for staff to manage and prepare for events. By using registration, libraries can better prepare for capacity and potential material constraints.”

Here are some advantages of WhoFi’s Program Registration:

• Reduce current registration burden for staff and patrons (paper forms, emails, phone)
• Reduce time spent sending reminders to registered patrons
• Manage program capacity 
• Plan for needed program materials
• Boost attendance rates
• Provide easy means to thank attendees or suggest other similar future events
• Highlight the number of unique patrons attending programs over time
• Provide links (like Zoom room links) and other e-material to registered patrons pertaining to the event

Ashleigh has this additional information: “Librarians requested an up-to-date list be made available to mark event attendance, as well as to contact registered patrons should there be an unexpected change to the program.  Libraries are also now able to add the program organizer’s contact information to help patrons connect with the right contact the first time. Providing this information helps save both staff and patrons’ time when event specific questions arise. Adding organizers is independent of using the registration feature.”

Read more about WhoFi as provided by the State Library on our website. Then learn more about how to get started using WhoFi's new Program Registration feature by viewing the tutorial linked below.

WhoFi Program Registration Tutorial

Summer Library Program Survey: Submit by September 30th to Win a Prize Pack of Books

Iowa public libraries are asked to complete the 2022 Summer Library Program Survey.  The survey asks about the onsite, online and passive programs offered this summer, as well as the total number of people who attended in-person programs in June, July, and August.  The survey also includes questions about the 2022 iREAD theme “Read Beyond the Beaten Path,” as well as the resources, training, and support offered by the State Library. There's also an opportunity to share photos of your summer programming highlights.

The main goal of this survey is to gauge the impact of Iowa's summer library programs. Results from the survey will be shared with the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, which provides funding for the State Library to provide summer reading materials to Iowa public libraries. The feedback will also help us know how to improve or enhance the program for next year and beyond.

Note: This survey should be completed by the person directly responsible for managing the library's summer reading program. If that is a different person than you, please forward this email and survey link to the appropriate staff member. 

By entering your contact information and completing the survey by September 30, your library will be entered to win a prize pack of books for children and teens.  So don’t delay, take the survey today ?

Thank you in advance for your participation and feedback!

Take the 2022 Summer Library Program Survey

This Week ...

Learning Circuit Reminder

If you haven’t already registered for the State Library Learning Circuit, there’s still time to do so.  The date is October 20 and the topic is disaster preparedness.  Back as an in-person event this year, you’ll find a Learning Circuit workshop held in six locations.  Our continuing education webpage shows those locations and the day’s agenda.

This reminder: the Learning Circuit registration is being handled through Seamless Docs because there is a $15.00 registration fee.  Click below to register, deadline is October 13. The fee can be paid online with a credit card or e-check.  If you registered, but did not pay electronically, paper checks will also be accepted by mail but must be received by October 13.

Register for State Library Learning Circuit

Strategic Treasure Hunting Part 2: Local History Digitization Project--Panel Discussion & Lessons Learned.
September 28. 1:00-2:00PM.  

Join four Iowa librarians as they share how they took local collections and digitized them, preserving and promoting items for future generations. They’ll share how they identified which collections to digitize, what community partners they leveraged, and some lessons learned for next time. Panelists include Chris Brown (Pella Public Library) Mara Edler (Gutekunst Public Library in  State Center) Jeanne Nitz (Clinton Public Library) and Dara Sanders (West Point Public Library) They’ll be joined by State Library Consultant and digital history expert Tom Keyser. This is part 2 of our two-part series on digital preservation.

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