A Look Back at 2024 on the YSS blog

Image by Igor from Pixabay

It's been a fun year for the Youth Services Shout-out blog. Thanks for joining us. Here's a look at some of the year's highlights.

• During 2024, we shared 288 posts. 
• These 2024 posts had over 11,000 views.
• Overall this year, we had over 170,000 views of all of our blog content - 3,446 posts from 2010 to the present - during 2024.
• We've had a total of 1,194, 530 views overo the life of the blog!

What were the most viewed posts that were published in 2024? They were a mixture of diversity and inclusion topics; advice and tips from the field; Summer reading program thoughts; and YSS/WAPL info.

• Two New Books in Menominee Language 
• Ideas to Create an Equitable SLP 
• Throw-It Thursday - Culturally Inappropriate Material 
• Autism Acceptance Month Webinar 
• Why ARE We Doing Summer Reading Programs? 
• It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect 
• What's Up at WAPL for Youth Folks? 
• A Few More Ideas for Summer 
• Tuesday Tips: Free Webinar on Serving Kids with Disabilities 
• 2025 YSS Board Candidates 

We check numerous sources to find out news to share with everyone working with youth in WI libraries: from the WLA newsletter; library system newsletters and Facebook pages; national blogs; wispublib; DPI, the CCBC; to folks sending us information and links throughout the year. We are grateful for the transparency and sharing that goes on among those in our profession! 

I want to give a shout-out to our contributors who took the time to write or create content for the blog this year.  A huge shout-out to our contributors from 2024:

• Cathy Pescinski
• Alison Loewen
• Hanna Collins
• Ashley Borman
• Sam Jones
• Jennifer Davis
• Jenna Gilles
• Leah Langby
• Jeni Schomber
• Chris Baker
• Katherine Schoofs
• Merry Lindgren
• Laura Sauser
• Megan Schliesman

If you would like to contribute to the blog, we'd love to have you! You can write about a program you've done; opinion piece; how-to; spotlight on great library service; upcoming event of interest to youth folks state-wide or whatever you think people working in youth services in WI would like to read! Plus we're always looking for links of interest to share with youth library folks. Simply email the blog admin at lochwouters@gmail.com and you can join the fun.

Thanks for being part of our YSS blog community this year and see you in 2025!

Starting a WLA Sustainability Interest Group?

From the Dec 27, 2024 WLA Newsletter

WLA Member Dawn Tevis is looking for other members interested in working with her to create a WLA Special Interest Group on the topic of Sustainability. If this is you, please email Dawn at dtevis@lacrossecounty.org by Monday, January 6. Dawn writes: "Libraries are in a unique position to help create vibrant, resilient communities in the face of environmental concerns, and the ALA has identified Sustainability as a core professional value—urging us to embody practices that are environmentally sound, economically feasible, and socially equitable. I would love to join forces to build momentum toward deeper sustainable thinking and mutual support in policies, programs, educational opportunities, partnerships, collections, operations, and more. Let me know if you’d like to be a part, and we’ll see if I can get the required minimum for an SIG."  Dawn Tevis, Youth Services Coordinator, La Crosse County Library

Tips and Info from DPI's Dec 26, 2024 Youth Services Newsletter

Jeni Schomber's DPI Youth Services Weekly Reminders and Resources is chockfull of great resources. If you are a WI youth library staffer and you don't receive this weekly missive in your email inbox, please contact Jeni (jennifer.schomber@dpi.wi.gov) to be placed on the list! 

Here is the December 26, 2024 edition.

 Color Our World with Citizen Science: From Space to Sea

• Tuesday, February 2, 2025 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
• Join SciStarter, STAR Net, and the Collaborative Summer Reading Program for an engaging webinar that explores how libraries can bring the 2024 Summer Reading Theme, Color Our World, to life through citizen science. Discover hands-on STEM activities for all ages, from exploring the wonders of space to uncovering the mysteries of the deep sea. Learn how these activities align with the theme and provide opportunities for library users to contribute to real-world scientific research. Gain valuable resources and ideas to integrate citizen science into your library’s programming, inspiring curiosity and creativity in your community!
• Register Today!

CSLP December Newsletter 

• Enjoy the latest newsletter from Collaborative Summer Library Program with information on product shipment and return policies, theme and slogan feedback, and the Smokey Bear Reading Challenge.

Save the Date - 2025 Teen Inclusive Internship Program - Friday, February 7, 2025 at 10 a.m.

• Registration for this informational webinar opens in mid-January - more details coming soon. 

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!

Once or twice a month on weekends, YSS posts round-ups of ads that are sent to us or that we come across. If you have a position opening up and would like to see it on the YSS blog, please forward the job ad link/descriptions to the YSS blog at the email address listed in the header above the day's blog post.

Here is a late December listing:

USS Liberty  (Grafton) Memorial Library                   Youth Circulation Aide

USS Liberty Memorial Library in Grafton is accepting applications for a Youth Circulation Aide in our vibrant youth Children’s Department! We are seeking candidates who are passionate about customer service and are excellent team players. Responsibilities include: planning and executing storytimes and children’s programming, answering patron questions, placing holds, registering patrons for a library card, checking library material in and out, sorting and filing material, answering telephone calls, pulling holds, and library projects as assigned. Successful applicants love working with people, are comfortable using technology, are flexible, self-motivated, value open communication, and enjoy working in and adding to a positive work culture for all. 

This position is 16 hours per week. In general, the schedule is flexible and includes: Monday - Fridays (varies): regular hours can include mornings, afternoons, and at least one evening shift per week.
Saturdays (9am-2pm): on a rotating schedule

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree or significant library, or customer service experience.
• Library experience in organization of materials preferred.
• Enthusiasm for library services
• Excellent analytical and communication skills

Candidate must be 18 years of age or older, have a high school diploma, be able to pass a background check and drug screening. Starting wages are $14.88 – $16.18 per hour depending on qualifications and experience.

The position is open until January 12th, 2025.

To be considered for this position, please complete an online application and provide a cover letter HERE!

"Taking a Break from Storytime" Activity Ideas

Storytime breaks are a great way to take a breather especially around holiday times. In a recent blog post on IFLS' Keeping Up with Kids blog, Youth Services Librarian Regina Arndt from Altoona Public Library shared some great ideas with Leah Langby.  

To check out Regina's ideas, please stop here.

WAPL 2025 - Call for Proposals

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Have you ever been at a conference and thought, "I wish there were more programs on some aspect of youth services that pertained to my size library."  Well, here is a great chance to create that program and pitch it to the conference committee. You can put together a panel of colleagues or invite a partner to present with you or go solo. There are so many great ideas in children's and teen services I see out in Wisco libraryland. You can do it!!! 

Read on! 

Plans are underway for the 2025 WAPL Conference taking place April 30 - May 2, 2025, at the Oshkosh Marriott Waterfront Hotel & Convention Center in Oshkosh, WI.  Hosted by the Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries (WAPL), a division of the Wisconsin Library Association, this annual event brings together members of the public library community to share big ideas and learn from each other through interactive breakout sessions and special events.  Watch the conference webpage for updates!   Submit a Breakout Session Proposal The application for submitting proposals for breakout sessions is now open, and your expertise is needed to make WAPL 2025 the best conference ever!   Our conference theme is also our state motto: Forward!  This means: Positioning Wisconsin’s public libraries as leaders in the field by showcasing innovative services and programs that can be scaled to libraries of all sizes. Using creativity and persistence to fuel positive momentum for ourselves, our staff, our services, and our communities. Identifying ways to overcome the many different challenges faced by public libraries. While this is a very broad theme, proposals are not required to fit within it.  We encourage innovative proposals on a wide variety of topics.  Learn more.   We welcome proposals from libraries of all sizes and from individuals who work in a variety of roles - from front line staff to technical services to programming and more.  We also welcome proposals from vendors, consultants, trustees, friends, and other library partners.     We will accept session proposals through midnight Friday, January 24, 2025.  Learn more and submit a proposal.    Questions? Please contact the WLA Office at wla@wisconsinlibraries.org or WAPL Conference Chair Heather Thompson at hthompson@mykpl.info.

Tips and Info from DPI's Dec 19, 2024 Youth Services Newsletter

Jeni Schomber's DPI Youth Services Weekly Reminders and Resources is chockfull of great resources. If you are a WI youth library staffer and you don't receive this weekly missive in your email inbox, please contact Jeni (jennifer.schomber@dpi.wi.gov) to be placed on the list! 

Here is the December 19, 2024 edition.

My thoughts are with the entire Madison community this week. Here are some resources library staff might find useful for families in your own community:

• Resources for Families Processing Grief and Traumatic Events - Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
• Talking To Kids About Fear And Violence – Mental Health America
• Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers – National Association of School Psychologists
• AACAP Resource Library on Guns and Violence – American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
• Resources to Help Youth Cope After a Mass Shooting - Youth.Gov

DPI 2025 Programming and Activity Count Tracker 

• The program and activity tracker workbook for calendar year 2025 is available.  This workbook can be used to track programs and activities throughout the year and prepare program and activity counts, attendance, and participation for Sections III and XIII of the Annual Report. For more information, please visit Wisconsin Public Library Annual Report. 

BadgerLink Training on Points of View Reference Source

• February 4, 2025 at 12:00 p.m.
• Register Today!

CSLP Summer Symposium 2024 Recap

• View the Keynote with Mychal Threets recording, slides, and chat
• View session recordings, slides, and chats

Ask Me Anything: Youth and Teen Services

• Do you have questions about serving youth and teens at your library? I'm here to support you! Ask me anything about best practices for programming, engaging with children and families, collection development, and more. Your insights and questions are invaluable, so don't hesitate to reach out on the Ask Me Anything form. 

The next Weekly Reminders and Resources will arrive after the holidays. I hope you are all able to enjoy some time off with friends and family. 

Jeni Schomber 

Public Library Consultant 

Library Services Team 

Division for Libraries and Technology 

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction 

608-266-2749 

jennifer.schomber@dpi.wi.gov 

 

Throw It Thursday - What's Your Personality?

Ashley Borman, Technical Services Librarian at the Clintonville (WI) Public Library, is back with another weeding tips column.

If you do a large portion of the weeding for your library, I highly recommend checking out the book “Making a Collection Count: A Holistic Approach to Library Collection Management” by Holly Hibner and Mary Kelly (2023). It has some great information about all aspects of collection management, from acquiring items, to policies, to best practices for discards. 

One interesting thing they talk about is weeding personalities. Did you know there are different types of weeders? I never really thought about it, but they point out some characteristics that I found interesting. The four types of weeding personalities Hibner and Kelly talk about are: The Professor, The Snob, The Randomizer, and The Saver. 

• The Professor is all about the statistics and data. If the data supports weeding, out it goes. 

• The Snob wants to preserve all of the classics and important works, even when the patrons don’t want or use them. 

• The Randomizer tosses whatever they feel like, using an approach known only to them. 

• The Saver (or The Hoarder, as I like to think of them) can’t get rid of anything because everything is useful. 

Which of these best describes your weeding style? And how can you work to become a better, more rounded weeder?

I have to admit, I sometimes struggle to be a well-rounded weeder. Some days I can be more of a Professor, going directly by the reports I run. Other days, I can be a Randomizer and see something that just doesn’t look nice and rather than worry about whether or not it should be replaced, I might just throw it in the discard pile. I have to stop myself some days and think about what I’m doing and if I’m doing it in the best way.

On my best days, I find a good balance between using my reports (Professor) and saving something that maybe hasn’t circ’ed much but holds value as literature or in my community (the Snobby Saver). Whichever personality type you lean more towards, try to remember that balance can be helpful and don’t be afraid to try a different approach. Go out of your comfort zone and cross into another personality zone. It could just make you a better weeder.

New "Babies Need Words Every Day" Booklist

From the December 2024 ALSC Update newsletter:

ALSC’s Early Childhood Programs & Services Committee is excited to announce an updated version of our Babies Need Words Every Day booklist!

This FREE resource provides libraries’ youngest patrons and their caregivers with age-appropriate books to build literacy skills and introduce topics including daily life, math, bodies, and family.

You can find a printable 2-page PDF of the booklist here, which we encourage you to share with your patrons and use for your own collection development and programming purposes.

 Download the New Babies Need Words Every Day Book List

Free "Raising Wisconsin’s Children" Virtual Conference

 As seen in IFLS Keeping up with Kids blog, December 12, 2024

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

8:15 AM – 4:30 PM

Get ready for an exciting, day-long event designed for everyone who raises and educates Wisconsin’s children—dads, moms, grandparents, teachers, and caregivers. This FREE and VIRTUAL conference is also approved for up to 4 Wisconsin Registry hours for early childhood professionals. Discover cutting-edge, science-based ideas from today’s leading experts.

This year, dive into the transformative power of social and emotional skills in children and teens. Topics include:

• Early brain and child development
• Mindfulness and compassion
• Navigating challenging behavior
• The transition to kindergarten
• Anxiety in children and teens
• Raising resilient teenagers

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to enhance your skills and knowledge. Learn more and register here: http://go.wisc.edu/raisingwi

Planning a Polar Party

In a recent ALSC blog post, Wisconsin youth librarian Kristen Caldwell shared her initial planning ideas for a Polar Party that their library will be offering in early 2025. This post is full of fun ideas for Polar-themed activities that will delight kids.

Kristin writes: "My library is hosting its first Polar Party this February! The initial idea was to create a program incorporating our new VR headset as part of the PolarVR Fellowship I participated in. However, the concept has quickly grown into something much bigger and I am excited to share my initial planning ideas with you!"

To check out the hands-on as well VR activities, please stop here. [Polar Party. Caldwell, Kristin. ALSC blog. December 4, 2024.]

Try a Winter Reading Challenge

Image by Bianca Van Dijk from Pixabay

Recently on the ALSC blog, Amy Steinbauer shared her tips on developing a winter reading challenge for kids.

Amy writes: "December is a great time to offer a Winter Reading Challenge. The rush of summer reading has finally ended and you are no longer suffering those anxiety dreams of forgotten programs or mis-booked performers, right? It’s almost the time to start thinking of next year, and this is the perfect way to remind patrons of how much fun reading programs can be at the library. Winter Reading is also a good time to test out some different methods of reading challenges."

To read her tips and examples, please stop here. [Winter Reading Challenge. Steinbauer, Amy. ALSC blog. December 1, 2024]

Congratulations to our New YSS Board Members

The results are in for the WLA elections for YSS board positions.

Vice Chair/Chair-Elect
Kate Davis, Prairie Lakes Library District

Secretary

Hanna Collins, Slinger Community Library

 

Directors-at-Large 

Lynn Christiansen, Manitowoc Public Library

Katie Ganser, Middleton Public Library

Thanks to all who stood for election this fall. We appreciate you. 

And thanks to all YSS members who took the time to vote in the election.

YSS Chair's Corner - November 2024

This November YSS board meeting update is from Cathy Pescinski, our YSS 2024 Chair and Teen Librarian at Shawano County Library.

Greetings from the YSS Board!

Thank you to all of those who joined us at our first YSS Breakfast Club at WLA! New connections were made, engaging conversations were had, and a delicious breakfast was consumed! We did, however, decide that next year there should be balloons, so look for that in Middleton! One of our primary goals is to help create connections within youth service staff around the state. As such, we are always looking for ways to provide networking opportunities for youth service staff in Wisconsin and are open to ideas and suggestions on ways to do that.

With 170,00 views this year, the blog continues to thrive thanks to the work of our wonderful blog master Marge! As a reminder, any Wisconsin librarian is welcome to submit content for the blog, you do not need to be a member of YSS.

As of this writing, the WLA elections have concluded, and winners are being notified. We are, however, always on the lookout for folks who want to step up into leadership positions. The only requirements are being a member of WLA during your time on the Board and serving youth as a librarian in Wisconsin. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or are interested!

Jeni Schomber provided DPI updates including the Teen Inclusive Internship informational webinar that will be held on Friday, February 7, 2025, at 10 a.m. Registration details will be coming soon. The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families is partnering with Dolly Parton Imagination Library grants for 501c3 organizations to run their own Dolly Parton Imagination libraries. Libraries already participating can also apply. She also shared some links with information about the DPI 2025-2027 Biennial Budget (Policy, Budget, and Research Team) and the DNR Park Pass program.

From Linda Jerome, WLA Liaison, the WLA Board has passed its 2025 budget. They have a goal of hosting 4 regional events throughout the state in 2025. The first event will be hosted by the Bridges Library System and the second quarter event also has a host. They still have the third and fourth quarters available. Please reach out to Linda or Laura if you or your system is interested in hosting. The events may or may not have a cost associated, depending on what the hosting library/system decides to do. There are a lot of new legislators in office in 2025, so you are encouraged to write a letter introducing your library to your new legislators! Library Legislative Day is February 11.

Our next meeting is Friday, December 27th at 1pm. We will be looking at Board position job descriptions, exploring committee development, welcoming new Board members, and looking ahead into next year!

As always, we are here to serve you, the youth service librarians of Wisconsin. Please do not hesitate to reach out with suggestions, comments, or concerns.

Flexing - From Baby Time to Tot Time

Youth librarians are great at creating programs. But what happens if we create a new program and the result is... crickets. Minocqua Public Library's Youth Services Coordinator Erica Dischinger shares how she pivoted and created a successful program from a new one that just wasn't working. 

Reprinted with permission from the December 2024 issue of the WVS Newsletter:

Minocqua Public Library

Sometimes a library service needs minor adjusting before it hits its stride.

Such is the case with the Minocqua Public Library, who recently pivoted a recent program, BabyTime.

In this edition of the WVLS Newsletter, Youth Services Coordinator Erica Dischinger spoke about a programming change and why it was necessary.

Tell me more about BabyTime. When did it start and what ages was it geared toward?
I noticed a high number of babies that attended our regularly scheduled StoryTimes, so I wanted to start an activity just for babies.

In September, we started BabyTime. This was a shortened version of StoryTime with finger plays, lap play, and games. The caregivers held their babies on their laps and it was geared toward babies zero to 18 months. It started at 9:30 on Mondays, because I thought that was a good time for caregivers and babies to attend.

That sounds fun! How many people participated?
We had the same three families attend in September. In October, we didn’t have any families participate.

After no one attended in October, did you want to keep trying it or find other ways to promote it? I’m in a mom’s group on Facebook and I asked them what they thought. They liked the idea of BabyTime, but many of them have older kids, so BabyTime left out this age group. The caregivers didn’t want to or couldn’t leave the older kids at home. They also didn’t want the older kids roaming around in the library.

Did they have any suggestions?
Yes! They asked if we could open this program up to anyone ages 0 - 4. I also asked if starting it at 10 a.m. would be a better fit.

What was the feedback for the time change?
They overwhelmingly said yes to the later time. I learned that many of their babies nap around 9-9:30, so a library program for them at 9:30 a.m. was not ideal.

So you changed the program to TotTime? When did that start and how many people participated?
The first one was held in November and 36 people participated. Now, we are regularly seeing between 25-35 attendees.

Minocqua Public Library

What activities happen at TotTime?
We have free-play stations, such as art making and paper with water color paint. We have bins with toys, a basketball hoop with balls, dramatic plays, stuffed animals with blocks, and more. It lasts a full hour and the kids can rotate to as many stations as they want. The caregivers can chat and the children can interact with each other.

What is the feedback from the caregivers?
They are so thankful! They told me that it’s nice to be able to bring more than one kid to this program. They feel fortunate that the library has something for kids most mornings during the week.

Was it difficult to make the change? Did you want to try to make BabyTime work?
I knew something was up when no one attended for four weeks in a row. I thought, what can I do to make it work for them? I better get some feedback. I want to serve as many people as possible.

What advice would you give to other librarians if a program or service has low attendance?
As a library programmer, don’t be afraid to “be wrong.” Reach out to your library’s patrons and find out what they want. I’m fortunate in that as a parent, I was able to easily reach out to this target audience via Facebook. Start conversations and have one-on-one conversations with people.

For more information on TotTime, contact Erica at edischinger@minocqualibrary.org.

Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference - Registration Open

 

It's heeeerrrreeee! The grandmama of all WI online conferences is back for its 13th year of online, nationally (and state) recognized speakers offering dynamic learning sessions to help you be the best of the best in your work. 

Register here.

While there are no specific youth tracks this year, the four tracks offered (internal communications, reference and reader's advisory, management and small libraries ) have a ton of great content that apply to anyone in any area of library work. Speakers hail from Washington state, Washington DC, Colorado, New York, Idaho, Minnesota, Michigan and our own stellar speakers from Wisconsin.

Thanks to WI Library systems, who sponsor this mega-CE professional development conference, this conference is free.  You can sign up for as many or as few sessions during the 2-day conference as you would like. 

All fourteen conference sessions will be captioned and recorded if people are unable to attend the live webinars. Each webinar is worth 1 contact hour for public library certification.

For more information about the conference, contact Jamie Matczak at jmatczak@wvls.org.

And for those in the know, you can access much of the content of previous conferences as well at the website. A huge thanks to Jamie Matczak, founder of this conference and continued leader, in bringing this annual winter CE to WI library staffers.

Tips and Info from DPI's Dec 5, 2024 Newsletter

Jeni Schomber's DPI Youth Services Weekly Reminders and Resources is chockfull of great resources. If you are a WI youth library staffer and you don't receive this weekly missive in your email inbox, please contact Jeni  (jennifer.schomber@dpi.wi.gov) to be placed on the list! 

Here is selected information from the December 5, 2024 edition.

Smokey Bear Reading Challenge

• FREE Smokey Bear stamps and 500 per roll stickers available while supplies last! Send an email to sm.fs.symbols@usda.gov with the number of each that you would like to receive. 
• Available to all Smokey Bear Reading Challenge libraries that participated in the challenge this year. 

Raising Wisconsin's Children Conference 2025

• The Raising Wisconsin’s Children Conference is a FREE online learning event for parents, teachers, and caregivers of children providing supportive, practical parenting and child development information.  Join us in 2025 to unlock the power of social and emotional skills in children and teens! Learn more and register here:  https://go.wisc.edu/raisingwi

I will be out of the office the office December 9-13, 2024, and will resume the Weekly Reminders and Resources email the week of December 16, 2024.

Have a great weekend!

Jeni Schomber 

Public Library Consultant 

Library Services Team 

Division for Libraries and Technology 

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction 

608-266-2749 

jennifer.schomber@dpi.wi.gov 

Upcoming Webinar: Video Game Collections in Libraries, Pt. #2

Hello once more, games-interested library colleagues!

Just sending a reminder that next week Wednesday, December 11th, from 10:00-11:00 am CST (11:00 am - Noon EST), I'll be co-presenting alongside the inimitable Jenna Gilles (Youth Services Associate, Chippewa Falls Public Library) and Jamie Hein (Library Director, Clintonville Public Library) as we continue our series helping guide librarians in how to create robust video game collections in libraries! Here's brief description about what we'll be covering in part #2:

• "So - once you’ve acquired the games themselves for your collection… what then? Have no fear! In this second part of our series, we’ll return to tackle the functional, 'nuts and bolts' methods and best practices of ongoing video game collection management. This webinar will delve into processing recommendations (like labeling, marking, & barcoding), cataloging considerations (e.g., how long should games’ checkout periods be?), displaying the collections to be browsable for patrons (where in the library? How should they be organized? Should you ‘care’ about ratings?), procedural standards for keeping your games ‘safe’ (and easily navigable for staff!) - and more. We aim to illustrate that – with a bit of diligence and learning for staff and patrons alike – the ongoing facilitation of video game collections in libraries ought to be no more burdensome on day-to-day operations than offering any other collection, all while allowing libraries to better meet the needs of entirely new user groups – and increase circulation!"

• For more information (and to add the event to your calendar), head here!

• And if you missed part #1 (about Selection & Acquisition), you can check it out here!

Special thanks to the Indiana State Library for hosting us, and for the American Library Association's Games & Gaming Round Table for co-sponsoring the event! We look forward to seeing folks on December 11th!

Stay groovy, 

~Chris

Chris Baker (he/him/his) Public Library Consultant, Games & Learning Consultant Library Services Team, Division of Libraries and Technology Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction 201 West Washington Avenue | Madison WI 53703 608-264-6709 | chris.baker@dpi.wi.gov | dpi.wi.gov