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2011 Annual Report Information

Timeline and Dates

Computer Requirements

Background and Getting Started

After You've Entered Your Information

Tips and Other Information You Will Need (Including 2011 Payment Information)
(Note: these supplement and do NOT replace the instructions from DPI, which you MUST read!)

Arranged by Annual Report Section:

• Section I (General Information)
• Section II  (Collection)
• Section III  (Services)
• Section IV (Governance)
• Section V (Revenue)

  State Funds:

  • SLP Performers
  • SLP Incentives
  • Net Lender payments

  Federal Funds:

Funds Carried Forward, Other Operating Income, and 2012 Appropriation

• Section VI  (Expenditures)
  • LINK payments
  • Delivery payments
• Section VIII (Other Funds under Library Board Control)
• Section IX (Trust Funds)
• Section X  (Staff)
• Section XI (Loans to Nonresidents)
• Section XII (Technology)
• Section XIV  (Assurance of Compliance)
• Certification

Annual Report Timeline and Important Dates:

• Information emailed to libraries from DPI:  January 17
• Annual Report Overview Workshop:  February 1
• Notify Mark Ibach when your report is ready to review: By February 15 (or earlier)
• IMPORTANT:  Your library board must review and approve, and your board president must sign, your annual report.  This may mean rescheduling your library board meeting.
• Send 2 printed and signed copies to Mark Ibach, at SCLS Administration:  By February 22 (these can be sent in Delivery)
  • One of these 2 copies will be sent to DPI:  By March 1

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Computer Requirements:

• Internet access
• A (recent) web browser, with CSS, images, and javascript enabled.  (The form will work with most browsers.  It may not work with versions of Internet Explorer 6.0 and older.)
• Adobe Reader. (7.0 or higher should be sufficient.)

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Background and Getting Started:

• IMPORTANT:  Read everything from DPI before starting.
• IMPORTANT:  LINKcat libraries—read the memo on using statistics from your LINKcat annual circulation reports to help you complete the State Annual Report. 
• The scls-annreport email list was created to communicate with those involved in the Annual Report process. Anyone who will be assisting with the report is encouraged to subscribe:  go to the scls-annreport page and follow the directions on the screen.
• The Annual Report blog will contain information about problems with the form, answers to frequently asked questions, etc. that occur during the annual report “season.” 
• You will receive and email announcing that the form is open—It will also include your Username and Password.  All usernames start with WI, (like the state abbreviation for Wisconsin), followed by four numerals, including “zeros” (not the letter “o”).  
• While you are entering information, in addition to referring to the Instructions, brief definitions for data items are available by clicking on the hyperlinked name of the item.  Fuller directions are available in the Instructions. 
• Help in using the online form software is available at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/pdf/eforminfo.pdf.  A couple of tips:
  • For some questions, the data you reported last year appears to the right of the input box.  Even if the 2011 data is exactly the same, you must enter it in the input box. 
  • An "edit check" may pop up if a number you enter is not with "acceptable ranges."  The popup includes an explanation of why the edit check failed, and a choice to "cancel" (and edit the answer) or "accept" it as correct.  In order to accept, you must put an explanation in the "notes" box as to why your answer is correct.  It is always a good idea to click on cancel and make absolutely certain your answer is correct.  If it is not, correct it.  If it is correct, put an explanation in the "notes" box. 
  • If you do not supply an explanation for edit checks, messages about them, as well as required questions you have left blank will appear when you click on Submit/Lock, and your report will remain unlocked until you rectify them all. 
    
• IMPORTANT:  This report is mandated by state statute, and must be approved by your library board and signed by the board president and library director.
  • The statement in the Certification at the end of the report says: "I certify that, to the best of my knowledge, the information provided in this annual report and any attachments are true and accurate and the library board has reviewed and approved this report."  Please note that this statement refers to the entire report, not just Section XIV, the Assurance of Compliance. 
  • Be sure to keep your board informed about the information in the report. 
  • In order to have the report approved by your board you may have to reschedule a board meeting. Please meet the deadlines described in the timeline above. 
• The report is very similar to last year’s:
  • Section II (Library Collection): You MUST enter something in every field, even if the response is zero.
  • Section II:  The questions about databases have been divided into 8a: “Locally owned or leased,” and 8b: “Purchased by library system or consortia.” We have provided these numbers to DLTCL, so they should be pre-entered. See more information about these in the Tips and Other Information below.
  • Section III (Library Services), #4, 5 and 6: The option for “actual count” or “survey week” have been replaced with "annual count" and "method" from the How Collected drop-down. (Reminder: Not collecting, and reporting “did not collect” is the worst option—every library should at least do a one-week sample survey. However, if you did not, you must report “did not collect;” you may NOT estimate or guess.) Also in this section are questions about uses of “e-resources,” and some of these numbers have been given to DLTCL so they should be pre-entered. 
    
  • Section IV (Library Governance). This section will be pre-populated with the names from the previous year’s annual report. (NOTE: Be sure you do not just automatically accept what is entered—instead, review the information and make any necessary corrections.)
  • Section X (Staff), #1:  Names of employees are not entered.
  • Section XI (Loans to Nonresidents): Questions 2, 3, and 4 will automatically subtotal, and, if the amount entered in #1 is less than the totals of 2-6, you will get an error message.
    
• Try to access and use the online form as soon as you can, even if you don't plan to begin entering information yet.
  • See if you can access the online form, following the instructions from DPI. (If more than one person works on various parts of the form, you will need to perform this test at every workstation that will be used.)   This will give you time to address any problems with getting into the form, and still give you time to enter your information.
  • Test to see that the data you are entering is actually saved: fill in some of the parts in a section, click Save, exit, then re-enter the annual report.  Verify the data you saved.    
• Gather all of the answers to all of the questions before you sit down to start entering the information online. You may want to complete a paper copy of the form first.  The actual time it takes to enter the information, once you have it, is relatively short. If you are interrupted while entering information online, save your work before you walk away.

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After You've Entered Your Information:

• Do NOT click on Submit/Lock, until Mark Ibach has reviewed your report and you have made any necessary changes. Clicking Submit/Lock will electronically submit your data to DPI and lock the file.
• Notify Mark Ibach when your report is ready to review: By February 15 (or earlier)
• Click on the word Print (in the upper right hand corner) to generate a PDF of your report.  Click on the printer icon in the upper left hand corner of the PDF to print a copy of the report so you can refer to it when called or emailed about any questions or corrections.
• When your report has been reviewed, and corrected (if necessary), you may submit it by clicking on Submit/Lock to route your form to DPI.  This will lock the file, and remove the "Draft" watermark. 
• Print a copy after you click on Submit/Lock when you are certain all corrections have been made.  DPI will only accept as final approved documents those without the "Draft" watermark.  Do NOT click on Approve. 
• After your board approves your report, make additional copies (see below) and have all copies signed by the Library Board President and Library Director.  Remember that these signatures signify that the report has been reviewed and approved by the library board. 
• You will need at least 4 copies; most of you will need at least 5.  Distribute the copies as follows:
  • Send 2 copies to Mark Ibach, at SCLS Headquarters, by Wednesday, February 22. One copy will be kept at SCLS and the other sent to DPI by March 1.
  • Keep 1 copy for your files.
  • Give 1 copy to your municipality.
  • In Columbia, Dane, and Sauk Counties, give 1 copy to the director of your county resource library.  In Wood County, send 1 copy to the Chair of the Wood County Library Board.  In Green County, send 2 copies to your county resource library. 
  • Follow your local procedures for any additional copies (for example, library board members.)
    

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Tips and Other Information You Will Need (arranged by Annual Report section):

(Including 2011 Payment Information)

(Note: these supplement and do NOT replace the instructions from DPI, which you MUST read!)

Section I (General Information)

#1b. Outlet information. ALL libraries must complete this, not just those with branches and/or bookmobiles. This section should be pre-filled, but be sure to review it and make any additions or corrections. (see the instructions )

Section II (Library Collection)

#1. Books in Print.  Also includes any serial publications for which you keep back ussues, such as a year's worth of a particular magazine or journal.

#2. Electronic Books.   For LINKcat libraries, this number has been pre-filled for you, and you should not change it, unless you have portable e-book readers that are cataloged, in which case you may add them to this number (see instructions).  Portage County should enter only the number of netLibrary titles available in their catalog through WPLC.  (Please note:  All other libraries should probably enter 0 here.)

#4.  Downloadable audio materials.   For LINKcat libraries this number has been pre-filled for you, and you should not change it.  All other libraries should probably enter 0 here—If you think your library owns something that should be counted here, please let Mark Ibach know.

#6.  Downloadable video materials.   For LINKcat libraries this number has been pre-filled for you, and you should not change it. All other libraries should enter 0 here.

#8a. Locally owned databases. This number has been pre-filled for you. SCLS has provided the number of databases that we know you subscribe to, and that SCLS provides authentication for. Databases available through BadgerLink do not get counted here. The pre-filled number does not include any that you may subscribe to directly (an example of this is Clio III at Marshfield, or Magill’s Medical Guide at Marshfield and Sun Prairie). You should add any of this type to the pre-filled number. Do NOT include locally created databases.

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Section III (Library Services)

#3a and 3b. Registered resident and nonresident borrowers.  LINKcat libraries—follow the instructions in the LINK memo. Resident borrowers live in your library’s municipality. Nonresident borrowers live outside your municipality.

#4. Reference Transactions.   Review the definition of a reference transaction in the Instructions, and refer to the SCLS "Reference Questions and Statistics" page.  Be sure to count all reference questions, no matter how they were received (in person, by phone, by email, etc.), but NOT directional questions.  You may use a typical week sample and multiply it by the number of weeks you were open.  You must choose either “actual count” or “survey week,” OR “did not collect” from the How Collected drop-down. (Reminder: Not collecting, and choosing “did not collect” is the worst option—every library should at least do a one-week sample survey. However, if you did not, you must choose “did not collect;” you may NOT estimate or guess.) In the worksheet this dropdown is represented by the “method” box.

#6. Annual number of uses of public Internet computers.  Report the number of uses (sessions) of public Internet computers in the library in the last year.  The instructions allow you to report all usage if computers are used for multiple purposes, and internet usage can't be isolated.  LINKcat libraries, include usage of LINKcat public workstations. In past years this item asked for "users," but this year asks for "uses."

Information about suggested ways to collect this information is sent to you annually, and is also available on the SCLS website at How to collect the number of users of electronic resources in a typical week.

Do NOT include usage by patrons using their own laptops and your library's wireless internet access. 

As in question 4, you must choose either “actual count” or “survey week” from the How Collected dropdown.

#7a. Database sessions for locally licensed databases.  The number you report here is for usage of all databases, except BadgerLink resources, (or locally created resources, which get reported in 7b). This number has been pre-filled for you, and includes databases that SCLS provides authentication for. The pre-filled number doesn’t include any that you may subscribe to directly (an example of this is Clio III at Marshfield, or Magill’s Medical Guide at Marshfield and Sun Prairie). If you can get usage statistics for these from your vendor, you may add those to the pre-filled number, otherwise, you should not change this number.

#7b. Database sessions for locally created databases. (NEW question.) This would include such sources as Marshfield’s genealogy index to Marshfield newspapers. If you can isolate database sessions, as defined in the instructions for 7a, report those here.

#7c. Uses of e-books. This has been pre-filled for you, and you should not change it.

#7d. Uses of e-audio. This has been pre-filled for you, and you should not change it.

#7e. Uses of e-video. This had been pre-filled for you, and you should not change it.

#8.  Program attendance.  Include only those sponsored or co-sponsored by the library, NOT those sponsored by other groups.  Include adults who attend children's programs or young adult programs in children's or young adult program attendance.  Do NOT include activities delivered on a one-to-one basis, such as tutoring or homework assistance. 

#9.  Public use computers.  Do NOT include self checkout workstations, or laptops brought in by the public in this count.  DO include LINKcat or other nonLINKcat catalog computers that may have limited Internet access. You may also include library owned computers or laptops that use wireless access. 

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Section IV (Governance)

While most of the annual report requires that you report as of the last day of 2011, this section requires you to report CURRENT data, as of the date you are entering it. New this year, last year’s data has been entered here—BE SURE to review what is entered, and make corrections as necessary. Additionally, many libraries have not been entering email addresses for these board members. DLTCL needs an email address for at least one board member, preferably the board president.

Section V (Library Operating Revenue)

Report ONLY operating income here, NOT capital.   See the definitions of both operating and capital funds in the instructions from DLTCL for Sections VI and VII.

Expenditures may NOT Exceed Income. 

#2b.  Other County Payments. If you issued statements to any adjacent counties for serving their rural residents, and received payment in return during 2011, enter those payments here. Enter the Name of the county, and the amount.

#3. State Funds.  These are state funds, received by the library from SCLS, or another state program. State funds reported here do NOT include continuing education grants since those are sent to a person, not the library. 

If your library received funds from SCLS for SLP Performers, SLP incentives, or net lender payments in 2011, they are listed below, alphabetically by municipality. Report these on separate lines in #3a.  Include the description.

2011 SCLS Payments for SLP Performers

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2011 SCLS Payments for SLP Incentives

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2011 SCLS Net Lender Payments

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#4. Federal Funds.   Libraries that apply for and receive e-Rate funds on their own should list them here.  All LSTA project funds received should be reported here, unless they were used for capital expenses (in which case they are reported, as both revenue and expenditure, in Section VII, Library Capital Revenue, Expenditures, and Debt Retirement).

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#6. Funds Carried Forward refers to tax funds, not gift monies, carried forward from 2010. (Gift monies are reported as "all other operating income" in the year they are expended.  All Gift monies carried forward are reported in Section VIII (Other Funds Held by the Library Board) or IX (Trust Funds).

#7.  All Other Operating Income includes fines, lost book payments, copy machine money, rental fees, other miscellaneous income and gift money or reserve funds held at SCLS, etc. which were expended in 2011.  Gift money should be reported as income in the year it is expended, which may not be the year in which it was received. All unspent gift funds should be reported in Section VIII (Other Funds Held by the Library Board) or IX (Trust Funds).

#9.  2012 appropriation.  This is the amount you will receive from your municipality in 2012 for your operating budget. 

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Section VI. (Library Operating Expenditures)

Report only operating expenditures here, NOT capital.   See the definitions of both operating and capital funds in the instructions.

#3.b. Electronic Material.  Be sure to include here the amount expended by your library for databases in 2011. 

#3.c. Audiovisual Materials.  If your library is a member of the Books on Cassette Circuit (BOCC), include those costs here.

#4. Contracts.  Amounts paid by libraries and counties for shared ILS and Delivery are reported here. Costs for 2011 are provivded below.

Libraries' and Counties' Payments to SCLS for shared ILS costs in 2011 (the provider is SCLS)

Libraries' and Counties' Payments to SCLS for Delivery in 2011 (the provider is SCLS)

#7. Expenditures from federal sources.  Of all the operating expenditures you report in #1-5 in this section, report those fund expenditures that came from federal sources.  This is a subset of the total expenditures reported in question #6, not an additional amount.  This should almost always be the same amount you reported as the total income from Federal funds, in question V.4.

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New in 2010: There are now two sections about “other funds” under the library’s control. The main difference between Section VIII (Other Funds), and Section IX (Trust Funds) is that for Section IX, a library board member has been appointed as financial secretary for the funds and is bonded, and the funds have been invested (see 43.58(7)). I’ve offered some suggestions of what to report where, but the main thing is that these funds get reported somewhere in this report.

Section VIII (Other Funds)

This could include such things as funds from donations, investment interest, funds in SCLS “holding accounts,” funds in an account with SCLS Foundation, etc. Follow the instructions to enter Beginning Balance, Additions, and Subtractions. The Total will calculate automatically. If you have no “other funds” click the “No other funds” box.

Section IX (Trust Funds)

If the library board has appointed a board member as financial secretary, who is bonded, and has invested funds as permitted by Wisconsin Statutes 66.0603(1m), 112.11(3), 66.0603(2), or 112.11(5), information about the activity of those funds is reported here. Follow the instructions to enter a Beginning Balance, Additions, and Subtractions. The Total will calculate automatically.

If you report an amount here, you must also attach a report of those funds to the final print copies you send to SCLS.  It need NOT include all the bank statements throughout the year.

If you do not have any funds that meet the definition of trust funds click the “No Trust Funds” box.

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Section X (Staff).

#1.   Report as of the last day of the year just ended. Report all positions funded by the library's budget whether those positions were filled or not. Libraries with 20 or fewer employees must include all employees under 1a and 1b. Libraries with more than 20 employees should list the director, chief assistants, branch librarians, department heads, and other supervisory personnel in #1a, and certain information in #1b.  ALL libraries must complete question #2.

#1a.  Provide the information requested for library staff holding the title of Librarian, and other staff, as space permits.   Libraries with more than 15 employees list branch librarians, department heads, etc., and include others by title in 1b.   There is now a pulldown for “Type of Staff”—select the one which applies for each position. The Director must be entered on the first line—and indicate whether or not the director has an MLS using the “Type of Staff” pulldown. This section no longer requests the names of employees.

#1b. Libraries with 20 or fewer employees may report all staff in #1a. Libraries with more than 20 employees should provide the requested information for as many position classifications as space allows, beginning with those classifications with the most hours worked in a week. This question includes all employees paid from the library's budget.  Even if space doesn’t permit entering all staff in 1b, ALL staff must be included in the calculations in #2, below.   Enter the position classification in “Job Title,” the TOTAL wages paid to everyone in that classification in “Total Wages Paid,” and the TOTAL number of hours worked per WEEK by everyone in that classification in “Hrs Worked / Week.” In the "Type of Staff" pulldown, indicate whether the position has the title of "librarian" or requires an ALA MLS. See the example in the Instructions.

#2. All libraries must complete this question. Refer to the instructions. Contact Mark Ibach if you have questions.

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Section XI (Public Library Loans of Material to Nonresidents).

This section is only about circulation to nonresidents—people who live outside your library's governmental unit.

#2b, #3b, #4b and #9 are important, because they will determine your county funding from your own and adjacent counties next year.  You must separate circulation to county residents by those who support a local library and those who do not.  LINKcat libraries, pay close attention to the directions for completing this section found in the LINKcat Annual Report memo.  

The totals for lines 2 through 6 must equal the number reported in question #1.

#3.   The counties in your system (SCLS) are Adams, Columbia, Dane, Green, Portage, Sauk, and Wood.

#4.  "Adjacent county not in your system" means adjacent to your county. You may find it helpful to refer to the map at the bottom of Wisconsin Public Library System Directory (from DPI) to identify counties adjacent to your county, but not in SCLS.

#9 is important because it will be used to calculate the amount your library is eligible to receive from adjacent counties.  Include only documented circulations to county residents who don't directly support a local library.  This is a subset of the amount reported in lines 1-6 above, not an additional amount.   Remember to include adjacent counties both within and outside of SCLS.

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Section XII (Technology)

LINKcat libraries, see the LINKcat annual report memo.  NonLINKcat libraries should probably choose "Only a broadband cable or DLS line," or "Both."  If you have wireless access, the answer is probably "Both."   If you are uncertain what type of Internet connection your library has, contact Dan Jacobson. 

Section XIII (Assurance of Compliance with Membership Requirements)

Read and review the statements carefully, and indicate those that are being met by your library.  Unchecked requirements indicate noncompliance.   If there is a problem with a compliance issue, non-complying libraries will be required to complete steps necessary to attain compliance with all statutory requirements as soon as possible.

There is quite a bit of information in the instructions from DLTCL to assist you in indicating whether your library complied with the "Maintenance of Effort" requirement. Be sure to read this carefully.

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Certification.

This report is mandated by state statute, and must be approved by your library board and signed by your board president.  The section for Certification appears when you click on Print in the upper right hand corner to generate a PDF of your report, and it says: "I certify that to the best of my knowledge, the information in this annual report and any attachments are true and accurate and the library board has reviewed and approved this report."  Please note that this statement refers to the entire report, not just Section XIII, the Assurance of Compliance.

 You may need to reschedule your board meeting in order to meet the required annual report deadlines.

For more information about the annual report, contact Mark Ibach.

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