Tips and Info from DPI's May 28, 2026 Youth Services Newsletter

Jeni Schomber's DPI Youth Services Weekly Reminders and Resources is an email newsletter chockfull of great resources we've come to rely on. 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 May 28, 2026 edition:

Weekly Resources & Reminders

Hello All,  The following content is shared as provided by the organization. The DPI Bureau of Libraries does not sponsor or endorse external resources or events.

 

University of Wisconsin-Madison Free Summer Webinar Series  The UW-Madison Information School’s annual free webinar series is returning this summer! One-hour webinars (Mastering Job Interviews, Canva for Public Libraries, and more!) Thursdays (July 9, 16, 23, and 30) will take place from 12 to 1 p.m. (CDT) and will be recorded. Sign up for one or all four. Registration is now open.

 

STARnet Artificial Intelligence Education and Utilization in Public Libraries Survey  Please consider completing STARnet’s brief survey about Artificial Intelligence Education and Utilization in Public Libraries survey. Results from this survey will inform future direction for STARnet programs and training, as well as a potential pre-conference webinar at the 2027 American Library Association Conference. Please follow the link to access the survey.

 

Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) Newsletter  Check out the latest CSLP newsletter full of great information and resources, including the 2028 Vendor and Artwork survey, partnership spotlight with the IDEA Squad, the Dan Santat Summer Storytelling Challenge, manual highlights, and more!

 

Jeni Schomber Public Library Consultant Contact: jeni.schomber@dpi.wi.gov

Tips and Info from DPI's January 15, 2026 Youth Services Newsletter

 Jeni Schomber's DPI Youth Services Weekly Reminders and Resources is an email newsletter chockfull of great resources we've come to rely on. 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 January 15, 2026 edition:

 

 

Hello All,  Check out these youth services weekly resources and reminders!  Building Community Based Summers CSLP Spring Cohort application open!  The Collaborative Summer Library Program is excited to launch a third national cohort of Building Community Based Summers in Spring 2026.  BCBS is designed to help member libraries identify the “whys” behind their summer services, build strategies to engage community voices, and create and provide inclusive summer services for all members of their communities. The spring 2026 cohort will gather for online learning sessions once weekly for 6 consecutive weeks in March-April 2026.   There is no charge to participate. The application period is open through Monday, January 26, 2026.  CSLP Unearth a Story 2026 Manual Highlights Recording  Dig into some 2026 manual highlights and unearth some exciting programs, ideas, and adaptations for next summer!  View highlights video here!  View the highlights slides  Play Make Learn 2026 Conference: Call for Proposals  You are invited to submit a proposal to present at the 2026 Play Make Learn Conference (PML). The conference is a place for collaboration and discovery in the design, research and practice of playful learning, games for learning and positive social impact, making and makerspaces, STEAM education, and arts in education. PML creates an inspirational space for educators, designers, developers, innovators, librarians, museum professionals, makers, and researchers of all kinds to tinker together, share knowledge, and celebrate one another’s work.  Call for Proposals Deadline for Submissions: March 9, 2026, at 11:59PM Central  Submit Your Proposal Here: go.wisc.edu/PMLsubmit  STARnet Science Across America  As America celebrates its 250-year anniversary, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and STAR Net have launched a new campaign to help libraries highlight the history of scientific achievement in our country, and the local connections to science in our communities. SCIENCE ACROSS AMERICA, the newest campaign from Spark of Science@ My Library, invites libraries to showcase local scientific advances and scientists, engage your communities with focused Community Dialogues, and host educational and inspirational activities that shine a light on the past, present, and future of science in our lives.  The deadline to apply has been extended to Friday, January 23, 2026. For more information, visit the STARnet Community blog post.    Jeni Schomber  Public Library Consultant  The DPI does not sponsor or endorse external resources or events. They are provided for your consideration only. Contact: jeni.schomber@dpi.wi.gov

Tips and Info from DPI's December 11, 2025 Youth Services Newsletter

Jeni Schomber's DPI Youth Services Weekly Reminders and Resources is an email newsletter chockfull of great resources we've come to rely on. 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 11, 2025 edition:

 

Hello All, Check out these library youth services resources and reminders!  WiLSWorld Shorts: Take It Outside! Creative Library Programming in Outdoor Spaces  It might be cold outside now, but we’re dreaming of sunshine, story time under the trees, programs on the patio, and chalk art on the sidewalk!    Join us on Friday, January 23rd at 1:00 pm CT for a fun and inspiring webinar all about how libraries are using outdoor spaces to host creative, engaging programs.   Register to attend.   2026 Summer Teen Internship Informational Webinar  Registration for the DPI Bureau of Libraries Teen Internship informational webinar at 10 a.m., January 30, 2026, is open.  View the Teen Internship story on the WILibraries for Everyone blog.  Boosting Preschool Readiness: A Librarian’s Impact with PBS KIDS Resources  At Mead Public Library in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, families and children are getting ready for preschool – together. 2025 Wisconsin Librarian of the Year, Alison Loewen, developed the Ready, Set, PreK program designed for caregivers to help their children, and themselves, prepare for the first big day of preschool. The toolkit contains an activity book with activity suggestions, booklists, and more.   Interested in a FREE pdf of the activity book that you can use at your library? Fill out this PBS Wisconsin Education form and indicate in the notes field that you are interested in the Ready, Set, PreK Activity Book.   Talking Teen Services – Upcoming Webinars  Seeing Our Unseen Caregiving Youth – Tuesday, January 13, 2026,  at 12 p.m. CST - Caregiving youth who provide care for adults and/or younger children in their families, households, and communities often go unseen by professionals working in settings like public and school libraries. We ask “How do I get teens into the library?” instead of asking what responsibilities teens have at home that prevent them from visiting the library. During this session, our panel of experts and caregivers will help us learn more about how to better see these unseen young people.    How Could We Serve Caregiving Youth? - Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 12 p.m. CST - Through large and small group discussion, let’s come together to consider what shifts we could make to our spaces, systems, services, and programs that will allow us to meet some of the needs of caregiving youth and those in their care. From simple things we could change tomorrow, to big dreams with potentially big impacts on our organizations and communities, we can share in advancing our goal to serve all young people through our public and school libraries.  Participants may want to view the recording of the January 13th panel before this event for additional background information.  STARnet Science Across America  As America celebrates its 250-year anniversary, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and STAR Net have launched a new campaign to help libraries highlight the history of scientific achievement in our country, and the local connections to science in our communities. SCIENCE ACROSS AMERICA, the newest campaign from Spark of Science@ My Library, invites libraries to showcase local scientific advances and scientists, engage your communities with focused Community Dialogues, and host educational and inspirational activities that shine a light on the past, present, and future of science in our lives.  The deadline to apply is December 27, 2025. For more information, visit the STARnet Community blog post.   Jeni Schomber  Public Library Consultant  The DPI does not sponsor or endorse external resources or events. They are provided for your consideration only. Contact: jeni.schomber@dpi.wi.gov

Tips and Info from DPI's December 3, 2025 Youth Services Newsletter

Jeni Schomber's DPI Youth Services Weekly Reminders and Resources is an email newsletter chockfull of great resources we've come to rely on. 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 3, 2025 edition:

View as a webpage  /  Share     Hello All,  Check out these library youth services resources and reminders!  CSLP Swag Bag Winners!  Congratulations to Natalie (Slinger Community Library), Annette (Tomahawk Public Library), Kirbie (Deerfield Public Library), and Lara (Stephenson Public Library)!  Each library will receive Unearth A Story swag (pencils, bookmarks, stickers, and more!) courtesy of Collaborative Summer Library Program.  CSLP Newsletter  Check out the latest Collaborative Summer Library Program newsletter full of great information about the 2026 Summer Symposium (Thursday, December 4, 2025 - you can still register to attend!), new items in the CSLP shop, and the Color Our World Annual Survey Report.  Wild Wisconsin Winter Webinar Conference – Registration is open!  Registration is now open for the Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference. This is a free two day virtual conference taking place on January 21st and 22nd. It includes two full days of informative sessions and opening speakers based on the tracks of management, collection development, programming, small libraries, and more!    Learn more about the conference and register for individual sessions here.  Friends of the CCBC Book Sale  Friday, December 5, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 6, from 8:00 to 11 a.m. The final hour on Saturday is a bag sale!  This sale includes thousands of new and gently used books for children and teens.  All proceeds benefit the Friends of the CCBC, Inc., which supports the work of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, a library serving pre-service and practicing librarians and teachers across Wisconsin.   Please visit https://ccbcfriends.org/book-sale/ for more information.  Space Science Institute: Science Across America  As America celebrates its 250-year anniversary in 2026, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and STAR Net are launching a new campaign to help libraries highlight the history of scientific achievement in our country and the local connections to science in our communities.   SCIENCE ACROSS AMERICA, the newest campaign from Spark of Science@ My Library, invites libraries to showcase local scientific advances, engage communities in a discussion about how local science is relevant to their lives with focused Community Dialogues, and host educational and inspirational activities that shine a light on the past, present, and future of science in our lives.   All materials are free to participating libraries. Learn more on the Application Page. We are looking for at least two libraries from every state and territory to participate.   Applications are due by December 27th, 2025.  Jeni Schomber Public Library Consultant  The DPI does not sponsor or endorse external resources or events. They are provided for your consideration only. Contact: jeni.schomber@dpi.wi.gov