New WLAF Conference Scholarship Program

Are you a member of WLA? If so, read on for an exciting new scholarship opportunity!

New Conference Scholarship Program Now Available

Deadline to Apply: August 21

Dear WLA Members, The Wisconsin Library Association Foundation (WLAF) is excited to announce a new and expanded Conference Scholarship Program designed to help more members access valuable professional development opportunities. This year, we are launching a new scholarship application process for the 2026 WLA Annual Conference. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and supporters, five scholarships of up to $500 each will be awarded to WLA members to help cover conference registration. The goal of the scholarship program is to reduce financial barriers to participation, encourage first-time attendees and those with limited employer support, and strengthen the diversity and vitality of Wisconsin's library community. Who Can Apply? Applications are open to all current WLA members. Applicants will be asked to submit a brief application describing: Why they would like to attend the conference How attending will benefit their professional growth Any financial barriers they face Preference will be given to staff from small, rural, or special libraries,  first-time attendees, individuals with financial need, students, early-career library workers, new graduates, and others who may have limited access to professional development opportunities. Scholarships will be awarded as conference registration vouchers and may be used toward conference registration fees. They do not cover travel, lodging, preconference workshops, membership dues, or ticketed special events. This year's scholarships are available only for the WLA Annual Conference on October 20-23 at the Marriott Madison West. Beginning in 2027, we plan to expand the program so members may apply for scholarships to attend other WLA conferences and institutes, including WAPL, WAAL, AWSL, and other eligible WLA events. The number and amount of scholarships awarded each year will depend on the success of the Foundation's fundraising efforts. We're pleased to offer five $500 scholarships this year and look forward to growing this program as support allows. Timeline: Applications open: July 23 Applications close: August 21 Scholarship Committee review: August 24–September 4 Applicants notified: the week of September 7 If attending the WLA Annual Conference has been out of reach financially, we encourage you to apply. We hope this program makes it easier for more members to connect, learn, and engage with colleagues from across Wisconsin. How to Apply:  Follow the link to apply: https://forms.gle/uLrnjW7nxBB8d8PN8 We encourage interested members to apply by August 21 using the link above.  We look forward to seeing many new faces at this year's conference! Best, Kara Sullivan Executive Director Wisconsin Library Association

Play Make Learn Conference next week!

 There is still time to register for next week's Play Make Learn Conference taking place in Madison, WI. 

Photo by Quilia on Unsplash

Register for Play Make Learn 2026 TODAY!

Don't miss your chance to be a part of the conference; Play Make Learn has historically sold out each year. Come to Madison to Play, Make, and Learn alongside inspiring peers!

Calling all librarians, teachers, makers, designers, and more!!

Can you believe we are only a week away from the 2026 Play Make Learn Conference? The countdown has officially begun for registered folks to convene on July 9–10 at the Memorial Union in Madison, Wisconsin for a fantastic learning and networking experience. Whether you are coming to share, create, or discover, the energy of this community is something you won't want to miss!

To help you map out your experience, we have two updates for you today: The Full Session Schedule is officially live -- and we are introducing a brand new networking experience (more below). From hands-on workshops to groundbreaking presentations, this year's lineup is packed with inspiration. Take a look at some of our featured highlights:

• July 8 (Pre-Conference): Dive deep early with special sessions like CONTRACKED: Collaborative Complex Playful Learning through Noise and the STEAM and Making MiniCon.
  
  
• July 9: Kick off day one with an inspiring keynote by Brenda Baker (Co-CEO, Madison Children's Museum). After that, the schedule bursts open with interactive sessions: preview PBS Wisconsin's newest history video game project, discover how to blend tabletop RPGs with ePortfolios in the Questfolios workshop, or explore Teaching and Designing through the Fluxus Lens inspired by Yoko Ono. Don't forget to explore the interactive Arcade to level up your PML experience with community creatives, and wrap up day one with the Poster Reception.
  
  
• July 10: Start day two with an illuminating keynote from Camilla Zamboni (Wesleyan University). Dive back into more dynamic workshops and presentations exploring the intersections of play, design, and education, and make sure to explore more of the Arcade before we gather one last time for our community Closing Session.

View the Full Session Schedule Here

Power Up proposals now open

Photo by Headway on Unsplash

 Power Up: A Leadership Conference for Youth Services Managers & Staff

Call for proposals now open! 

Submit your idea today: go.wisc.edu/64f8cx 

Power Up 2027 will occur March 22-23, 2027, in Madison, WI. Share your strategies for project management, mentorship, program evaluation, staff morale & retention, advocacy, change management, culturally relevant programming, and more with fellow youth service librarians! Submit your proposal by September 7, 2026, for full consideration.

Conference sessions can take one of several formats, and you are welcome to submit multiple proposals. 

• Lecture presentation: 45-minute presentation + 15 min Q&A
• Panel Discussion: 2-4 presenters focused on one big topic and sharing their experience
• Workshop presentation: One-hour hands-on learning experience
• Programming lightning talk: 5–8-minute mini presentation on or about a successful program

Selected presentation, workshop, and panel sessions will receive one complimentary conference registration. Selected lightning talk presenters will receive a discounted conference rate. 

Roundtable Facilitator 

In addition to general session proposals, we are also looking for roundtable facilitators to help moderate conversations about:

• Fostering positive teen relationships and engagement in the library
• Welcoming and engaging families in the library

Roundtable moderators will prepare discussion questions in advance, introduce the topic, and guide the discussion during a conference breakout session.

Selected roundtable facilitators will receive a discounted conference registration. Submit your application by September 7, 2026, for consideration. 

Roundtable facilitator application: go.wisc.edu/0ic7wx

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Questions? Email ce-info@ischool.wisc.edu

2026 WLA Call for Proposals

 

The 2026 WLA Annual Conference Call for Proposals is officially open! This year’s theme is “Rooted in Community,” and WLA is looking for presenters to share the creative, impactful work happening across our libraries, communities and campuses.

Session proposals for presentations, panels, and workshops from all library types and organizations, across departments and roles at every level, and from people of all backgrounds are welcomed.

Presenting at WLA is a chance to grow professionally, expand your network, and share your work with colleagues across Wisconsin. You’ll build confidence, strengthen your résumé, and spark conversations that help libraries learn from one another. Whether you’re a seasoned presenter or trying it for the first time, your experiences can make a meaningful impact on the library community.

Please submit your proposal by 5 p.m. CST on Friday, May 9: https://rebrand.ly/jgqptqj 

Save the date!
The 2026 Wisconsin Library Association conference is October 20-23, 2026
Marriott Madison West in Middleton, WI

 

 

Register for WAPL!

You’re invited to join us at the Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries (WAPL) Annual Conference at the Osthoff Resort from April 27 - April 29, 2026! This year’s conference theme is "Library As A Test Kitchen". Registration is now open - be sure to sign up by March 23 to take advantage of early bird rates! This year's conference features: Choose from 36 dynamic breakout sessions! Featuring a networking reception with hors d' oeuvres and a cash bar, Pizza Making Cooking Class, At the Movies with Librarians*, and Friday Afternoon Tea and Library Tour at the Elkhart Lake Civic Center. Opportunities to network with your library colleagues. Expert keynote speakers including past WLA President Kris Turner, Bobbi Newman, Debby Waldman and Lindsay Starck. Invest in your professional development and bring valuable information back to your library. To learn more and register, visit the conference webpage.  *WLA would like to thank the sponsor for the At the Movies with Librarians Session!

                    

Play Make Learn 2026 Registration Open NOW!

Calling all creatives, educators, librarians, games & learning practitioners, and education researchers!

Play Make Learn is getting ready to bring you the best in research and practice on educational games, making, arts, playful learning, creative education, and more! The Play Make Learn 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 preK-12 educators, designers, developers, innovators, librarians, museum professionals, makers, and researchers to tinker together, share knowledge, and celebrate one another’s work – each year!

Play Make Learn 2026 will be hosted on July 9^th and 10^th (with optional pre-conference activities on July 8^th) the at the beautiful Memorial Union on the historic University of Wisconsin-Madison campus in Madison, WI.

 Register Now!

• Registration is open now (until we sell out) — but don’t wait! Register by May 29, 2026 to secure the Early-Bird discount. Play Make Learn has sold out for multiple years in a row; don’t miss your chance to attend! We have different pricing options available.
  
  

Call for Proposals still open!

• You are invited to submit a proposal to present at the Play Make Learn Conference! Applicants will be asked to select themes that applies to their proposal, including: Playful learning, Games for learning and positive social impact, Making and makerspaces, STEAM education, and Arts in education. There are multiple session “formats” to choose from for your proposal, including: Hands-on Workshop (75 minutes, 1-6 presenters), Organized Panel Presentation (75 minutes, 3-4 presenters), Individual Presentation (15 minutes, 1-2 presenters), Poster, Playful Demo, or a “Break the Mold” session. For more details about session strands and formats, please visit our Call for Proposals webpage.
  
  
• In the interest of providing diverse perspectives any individual will be limited to participating in a maximum of two sessions. Posters and Arcade Demos do not count towards this maximum.
  
  
• Sessions should focus on new insights, learnings and innovations of broad interest to the PML community and should not be promotional in nature. If you are a for-profit company interested in showcasing your product to the PML audience, please reach out to conferences@education.wisc.edu for sponsorship opportunities.
  
  
• We believe that everyone has unique contributions to bring to the conference. PML aspires to foster a learning community that has a diversity of perspectives and practices. Are you a first time presenter, young person, or practitioner considering submitting for Play Make Learn and need additional support? Reach out to our planning team at: conferences@education.wisc.edu.
  
  

 This year's conference theme: “Scrappiness”

• Setting out to create something involves both big dreams and many obstacles. We quickly run into time constraints, limited materials, access challenges, administrative rules, and the inertia of how things have always been done. We push against that resistance. We fight to get in and get on with it. We are scrappy. We pull from the bottom of our own buckets of energy. We are outsiders, leftovers, left-outs. We are educators who deserve more but make do. We are makers who build with the materials at hand. We are inventors who cobble together rules to turn our surroundings into a game.
  
  
• “Scrappiness” means using whatever is around us—the trash, the leftovers, the scraps. We cut construction paper and leave tiny bits behind. We make a meal and compost eggshells and orange peels. Those leftovers become opportunities to make again, to play, and to learn. A cardboard box becomes a rocket ship. Compost becomes soil for a community garden. From scraps, we create beautiful art, meaningful experiences, and community.
  
  

Questions? You can email organizers at conferences@education.wisc.edu or connect with Chris.Baker@dpi.wi.gov!

Play Make Learn Conference Proposals Open Now!

Logo from Play Make Learn Website

The 2026 Play Make Learn Conference Call for Proposals is OPEN NOW!!!

 

The Play Make Learn 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 preK-12 educators, designers, developers, innovators, librarians, museum professionals, makers, and researchers to tinker together, share knowledge, and celebrate one another’s work.

 

• July 9-10, 2026 | Madison, WI
• Call for Proposals deadline for submissions: March 9, 2026 at 11:59PM Central
• Notifications sent out: April 2026
• Submit Your Proposal Here: go.wisc.edu/PMLsubmit

 

We believe that everyone has unique contributions to bring to the conference. PML aspires to foster a learning community that has a diversity of perspectives and practices. Are you a first time presenter, young person, or practitioner considering submitting for Play Make Learn and need additional support? Reach out to our planning team at: conferences@education.wisc.edu

 

 

WAPL needs you!!

Plans are underway for the 2026 WAPL Conference taking place April 27-29, at the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake, 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.

Submit a Breakout Session Proposal

The application for submitting proposals for breakout sessions is now open, and your expertise is needed to make WAPL 2026 the best conference ever!

The conference theme is Library as Test Kitchen. 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.  Innovative proposals on a wide variety of topics are encouraged!

Submit your proposal below or by clicking HERE. 

Proposals accepted until  midnight Friday, January 30, 2026.

WAPL welcomes 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.  As well as proposals from vendors, consultants, trustees, friends, and other library partners.   

Questions? Please contact the WLA Office at wla@wisconsinlibraries.org or WAPL Conference Chair Roxanne Staveness at director@riolibrary.org

Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference

Photo from wildwinterweb.com

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.

WLA 2025 Annual Conference Registration Now Open!

Photo from WLA website

Are you ready to "Be the Change" at the Wisconsin Library Association Annual Conference? Registration is now open, and the full schedule of events is available on the WLA website. 

Beginning on Tuesday, October 28th the conference, held in Middleton, includes time for fun, learning, connecting, and more! With a wide variety of sessions and notable keynote speakers, there is something for everyone! Early bird rates end on September 22, so register soon to get the best deal!

Tips and Info from DPI's August 14, 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 August 14, 2025 edition 

Hello All, Check out these youth services resources and reminders! Upgrade: Enhancing Library Services with Technology Conference October 6-7, 2025, in Madison, WI This dynamic two-day conference is dedicated to exploring the intersection of libraries and technology. Hear from leading experts, share best practices, and network with peers. This conference will include topics such as artificial intelligence applications in libraries, effective use of social media for community engagement, best practices for digital collections, and the crucial importance of cybersecurity in protecting our digital resources.  Don’t miss this chance to learn, connect, and inspire at Upgrade: Enhancing Library Services with Technology 2025! More details and registration athttps://ischool.wisc.edu/continuing-education/upgrade/. Can’t attend in Madison for the full conference experience? Register for thevirtual track and hear from both keynote presenters along with six additional hybrid sessions. Cooperative Children’s Book Center is hiring The CCBC is a unique examination, study, and research library of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is hiring at Senior Librarian/Children’s and Young Adult Literature Specialist. Please see the following link for details: https://jobs.wisc.edu/jobs/senior-librarian-children-s-young-adult-literature-specialist-madison-wisconsin-united-states  CSLP Launches 2nd National Cohort for Building Community Based Summers (BCBS) Learn More and Apply: CSLP member libraries are invited to learn more about the upcoming CSLP/BCBS cohort and apply by end of business on Monday, August 25, 2025, to be considered for the Fall cohort. Accepted participants will be notified the first week of September.  Questions? Contact bcbs@cslpreads.org   CSLP Annual Survey is open! Collaborative Summer Library Program has created a survey so they can better assess the usefulness of the materials offered by the program on a national level to better serve you. The survey can be found here: https://forms.gle/QW7eHaVMGCfbdbrr6  The survey is open until Friday, September 12, 2025. And now for some interesting statistics from CSLP: Wisconsin libraries logged in to the Color Our World Manual 2245 times since it launched in October 2024. That averages out to 4.8 logins per library (we have 467 libraries and outlets in WI), and 149 logins per each of the 15 library systems.  Jeni Schomber Public Library Consultant

Lake Superior Library Symposium Registration Open

Registration for the thirteenth Lake Superior Libraries Symposium is now open! LSLS25: Embrace, Engage, Excel: Libraries & Their Communities will be held on Friday, June 6th  at the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College campus in Cloquet, Minnesota. Library staff, administrators, trustees, and students from the Upper Midwest and beyond are invited to attend and participate. Register today!

For just $70, you’ll experience:

• a keynote by Sam Helmick from Sam For Libraries and ALA’s incoming president-elect.
• 14 inspiring presentations that will inspire you to embrace and engage your communities!
• Social networking during a catered taco bar lunch!
• A Thursday evening pre-conference trivia and social event. Stay tuned for details!

 

Register by May 23 to ensure that any dietary requests can be accommodated. 

 

The Symposium will take place in-person with registration opening at 8:00 am and concluding with the last session at 4:15 pm at the Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College campus in Cloquet, MN.

 

LOCATION & ACCOMMODATIONS

Our conference is located in beautiful Cloquet, which has small town hospitality and is adjacent to the scenic St. Louis River. The region features plenty of outdoor activities for enthusiasts and art murals throughout town at local businesses.  Find local accommodations and activities at Visit Cloquet Minnesota. 

 

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES!

We are offering two different scholarships for the 2025 Lake Superior Libraries Symposium! The scholarships will cover the cost of conference registration ($70).

• Student Scholarship: Students currently enrolled in a library science program are encouraged to apply for a scholarship to attend the 2025 Lake Superior Libraries Symposium.  Apply here.
• Working Professional Scholarship: Individuals who are currently working at a library, museum, or local history institution that would have difficulty paying the registration cost for their employees are encouraged to apply for a scholarship to attend the 2025 Lake Superior Libraries Symposium. Apply here.

 

ABOUT US

The Lake Superior Libraries Symposium is a conference developed by library staff members from Northwestern Wisconsin and Northeastern Minnesota. The Symposium was created to promote resource sharing and communication between organizations and to help librarians develop enhanced professional networks. Our continued operations are thanks to the in-kind and monetary contributions of our supporters.

 

Have questions? Contact us:

http://lakesuperiorlibrariessymposium.com/contact/