Delivery
Arrowhead transports library
materials to all Rock County Public Libraries; Beloit College and Blackhawk
Technical College and all public schools in Rock County, (except Clinton &
Edgerton.) Arrowhead’s delivery system connects with the statewide delivery
to bring materials from throughout Wisconsin to Rock County public, school,
and college libraries.
Payment is received from school, college, and technical libraries, and this
payment covers nearly ½ of the delivery costs for the system. To be sure we
have the most cost effective delivery service, bids were let for delivery in
the spring of 2001 and they ranged from $27,000 to $50,000, all higher than
the cost for the Arrowhead System to own and operate its own van.
The statewide delivery system brings interlibrary loan
and other library materials directly to the Arrowhead office and the items are
distributed to the libraries in the Arrowhead system. This cooperative effort
is just one of the many ways that the library system is working with other
agencies to cut costs and improve service to citizens. Arrowhead pays the
cost of the statewide delivery service.
Public Relations
Arrowhead provides a full-time public relations consultant to assist
the seven libraries with publicity, news releases, print pieces (brochures,
posters, etc.), program planning and special projects. The Arrowhead Library System also
participates in the Rock County 4-H Fair, works with the Janesville and Stateline
Literacy Councils and in 2008 will sponsor "The Great Outdoors @ your
library".
Continuing Education
Arrowhead provides at least
eight continuing education workshops for library staff. These workshops
are designed to improve skills and efficiency of staff and present new
concepts in library service. Several of these workshops are sponsored
with other library systems, in order to reduce costs and provide quality
workshop presenters. Workshops have included summer reading program preparation, genealogy,
customer service, Spanish collection development, long and short-range
planning, children materials collection development, storytelling, and
starting and maintaining a Friends group.
Interlibrary
Loan
Arrowhead serves as a
clearing house, training center and substitute interlibrary loan assistance
for member libraries. An Arrowhead staff person is available to assist member
libraries with difficult interlibrary loan transactions. Training for member
library interlibrary loan staff is also provided, either by an Arrowhead staff
member or Reference and Loan staff. An Arrowhead library staff member can
also serve as a temporary substitute for interlibrary loan staff at member
libraries who are ill or on vacation.
Nursing Home
and Assisted Living Collections
Arrowhead maintains a large-print collection that is rotated among more
than 15 Rock County nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Because of
reduced state funding we will no longer be able to add materials to this
collection, but will continue to rotate the old materials. There is no other
service that provides large print books to these facilities.
Jail Library
Services
Working jointly with
the Rock County Sheriffs department, the Arrowhead Library System, with a
$2,000 grant from Rock County, supplies paperback books to the Rock County
jail. Rock County deputies make recommendations, pickup and deliver the
books. This is another cooperative effort between Rock County agencies that
saves money and staff time for jail inmate services. Member libraries also
donate used paperback books for this collection.
Computer Training and Technology Support
Cooperative efforts with Rock County Public Schools, Gates
Foundation grants, and Arrowhead Library System’s computer trainer, Arrowhead
provides workshops for staff and the public in all seven Rock County
communities. Arrowhead contracts with the Hedberg Public Library for a
computer trainer.
Workshop training includes e-mail, word processing,
spreadsheets, and the Internet. Two libraries, the Hedberg Public Library and
the Beloit public library have computer labs with space for 10 – 16 students.
Library staff from all Arrowhead libraries are encouraged to attend staff
training sessions at these libraries. LSTA grants have also provided computer
classes with a Spanish translator for Spanish speaking clients at the
Janesville and Stateline Literacy Councils. Arrowhead, through reimbursements
to member libraries, assists with computer and other technology maintenance
and repair.
Consulting
The Arrowhead Library System provides consulting services for the
public libraries in Rock County. These services include ADA accessibility
issues, budgeting, purchasing and expanding library collections, children’s
services, programming for adults, technology maintenance and repair, and
services to people with special needs.
For more information about library services and
cooperative cost saving benefits for Rock County libraries and taxpayers
contact Ruth Ann Montgomery at montgomery.ruthann@als.lib.wi.us
