At WiLS, we want to bring valuable information to our library partners, including information about the missions and big ideas of the vendors they may already do business with. Each month, WiLS interviews a vendor partner in order to bridge the gap and open the door to valuable collaborations. This month, we are delighted to share insights from Brad Simpson, Senior Account Executive at AWE Learning.
Tell us about your company’s background.
AWE Learning provides literacy-focused digital learning solutions for early learners, ages 2 – 12, to public libraries throughout North America. Our mission is to inspire an enthusiasm for learning by supporting school readiness and literacy in the community. Since launching Version 1 of our Early Literacy Station™ (currently running Version 12) in 2004, our digital learning tools have provided more than 355 million hours of learning. We focus on early learners as we strongly understand the importance of preparing young children to read on grade level by the conclusion of third grade. The Early Literacy Station™ (available in English, Bilingual Spanish, and Bilingual French), and AfterSchool Edge™, are available in more than 47% of public libraries across the United States.
Why do you, personally, choose to work with libraries?
I’ve chosen to work with librarians for a number of reasons. Perhaps the biggest incentive is the gratification I get for partnering with an institution that does so many wonderful things for their respective communities. This includes, but is not limited it, building readership, offering educational resources, providing informative and fun programming for all ages, and overall offers a “safe spot” for patrons to gather for whatever reason they choose to enhance their lives.
What do you like to know about the libraries you work with? What helps you better understand their needs?
I like to always ask that very question to the librarians I meet with – “what are your goals and how can we help you achieve them?” It is always beneficial to get a feel for the amount of community support a library is receiving, as well as what resources they already have available to help promote our products and services so that we can reach as many patrons as possible. What type and how much programming a library does is also a very good gauge to measure this support by.
What big ideas are being worked on at your company? What problems are being solved?
AWE Learning’s products provide a fun, safe, and engaging learning product. These features, along with more than 4,000 pre-loaded learning activities, provide an educational resource on a digital platform they enjoy interacting on. We are constantly looking for new and improved software titles so we can keep our product modern and relevant.
In the effort to assist libraries with their Summer Reading programs, this summer we provided a free Summer Implementation Guide with every purchase. This six-week guide integrates AWE Learning music and art themed content, coding, websites, worksheets, and more!
How can librarians become partners in product or training development?
AWE Learning offers several ways librarians can partner in their product & training developmental skills. We offer a bi-monthly webinar that reviews the features and benefits of our workstation, from the perspective of the early learner and the parent, as well as an in-depth tutorial of how to utilize our Administrative Control Panel, and Customer Portal to retrieve usage reports. We also have several pre-recorded video tutorials available on our website. Librarians are always welcome to contact their local sales representative for details on all our products.
Do you have anything else you’d like to share?
I strongly feel that the strength of a public library’s ability to serve and have its finger on the pulse of their community, combined with the exceptional products AWE Learning offers in strengthening the core of its young readership, can have a positive impact that will be felt for years to come.
We are excited to partner with WiLS to meet the needs of all the Wisconsin library systems in terms of early literacy. Look for more information coming soon on our partnership and opportunities to support your library.
This interview is part of a series of interviews with both WiLS library and vendor partners. Your feedback is appreciated. If you have any to offer on this article or suggestions for upcoming interviews, contact Andrea Coffin at acoffin@wils.org.