Six Seven

Photo by Haberdoedas on Unsplash

I'd like to share a story with you. Through a wonderful continuous donation, our library is able to invite every second grade student in our school district to come to the library for a field trip. They get a special wallet, can get a library card, spend an hour with us learning about the library, and hopefully leave with a few new favorite books. During one of these visits we had three classes visiting at once. Now, I was standing in front of the room, doing some quick math in my head to figure out how many students there were in the room. There were two classes with 23 students and one with 21. I proudly said to these kids, "there are 67 of you visiting the library today." They absolutely lost it! They spent a full minute doing the whole 6 7 hand thing. They were so fast, I didn't stand a chance. And, let me tell you, I don't think they'll ever forget that visit. Honestly, neither will I. 

In an article from Torrey Maldonado, he says, "my saying 'six seven' was a unifier." And, he's so right. The kids in that room were unified, and the fact that I just took it all in, unified me with them as well. Maldonado goes on to say, "using 'six seven' can take us into common ground with young people." He encourages adults to use it, and he himself uses it in both his teaching and writing. Could creating a connection with a child be as simple as this nonsense slang term? Maybe not, but it's a start. 

To read the full article from School Library Journal visit here.

[Not Gonna Lie, "Six Seven" and Slang Low-key gets Kids Attention. Campbell, E. December 8, 2025. pearlandrubys.slj.com] 

https://pearlsandrubys.slj.com/2025/12/08/not-gonna-lie-six-seven-and-slang-low-key-gets-kids-attention/

Celebrate National Library Lovers Month with PBS Wisconsin

Did you know that February is National Library Lovers Month? It’s true! While PBS Wisconsin Education loves to collaborate with and celebrate the amazing learning happening in libraries and library programs all year long, they are excited to celebrate  library lovers month with a special workshop connecting PBS resources and library programming for school-age learners.

PBS Wisconsin invites all who work in or with a public library in Wisconsin in a role serving learners in grades 3-12 (ages 8-18+), to their PBS Loves Libraries workshop to connect with their team, with colleagues, and with free multimedia resources you can use. 

Workshop Details

    Date & Time: February 13, 2026, 12:15 PM - 2:30 PM

    Location: Fitchburg, WI (address to be shared in confirmation)

    Good to Knows:

• You’ll get to explore high-quality, free-to-use, multimedia resources made here in Wisconsin!
• You’ll get to chat with colleagues from public libraries in Wisconsin about their program ideas while enjoying coffee, tea, and cocoa! ☕
• You’ll leave with fun swag, connections, and info about resources you can plug into your library programming.

Interested in attending?  Fill out this form by February 2, 2026. 

Please feel free to contact Mia Forslund at mia.forslund@pbswisconsin.org with any questions about this opportunity!

Sparking Joy Every Day

Pixabay Image

In a recent ALSC blog post, Jaime Eastman reflected on how to find joy and connections in your worklife.

Jaime writes: "Discussions, blog posts, podcasts, and books everywhere explore finding joy. It’s challenging, especially when searching for happiness in your job. Sometimes, we spend more waking hours at work than with our families, friends, and hobbies. Can we honestly say those hours spark delight? Many things threaten our joy, from grumpy patron interactions to unexpected community challenges. But I believe in finding the good every day and choosing the things that refill your heart amid difficulties. Here are three ways to spark joy through connection."

To read her ideas, please stop here. [Sparking Joy and Building Connections. Eastman, Jaime. ALSC blog. October 29, 2024]

Share Your Ideas about Collaboration & Help Connect Wisconsin Libraries!

Original post https://dpi.wi.gov/wilibrariesforeveryone/share-your-ideas-about-collaboration

Connecting Wisconsin Libraries

Almost two years ago a small group of librarians started thinking about the great things happening with public and school libraries and wanted to find a way to both promote these efforts and encourage even more collaboration. We began with great conversations and created this “Tidbit” column, which has become part of the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) and Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association (WEMTA) newsletters, as well as a fun blog post. Now, as we look toward the future, we are looking to all of our colleagues throughout Wisconsin to participate and help channel our group’s energy in the most productive, effective direction.

We began gathering feedback at the WLA Conference this past fall where we interviewed and surveyed people who visited our table in the exhibit hall, which was hosted by the Department of Public Instruction. As a way to say thank you, each participant received a sticker proudly announcing, “I’m Connecting Wisconsin Libraries.” We had hoped to do a similar activity at the WEMTA Conference, but the event was cancelled due to the pandemic.

Since not everyone is able to attend these conferences, and we truly want to hear from as many public and school librarians as possible, here is a link to our survey. Please consider filling it out so that we can get a clearer picture of what public and school library collaboration looks like in our state and find more strategies to overcome some of the challenges that may be standing in our way. We will be analyzing the data and sharing the results of these surveys in spring of 2020.

Thanks, in advance, for sharing your thoughts with us.

This message brought to you through the collaboration of Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association (WEMTA), Wisconsin Library Association (WLA), and DPI School and Public Libraries. If you are interested in working on future tidbits or have other suggestions for collaborations, please connect with us.

Join the WLA Mentorship Program!  WLA is pleased to announce the launch of a new statewide mentorship program. We are seeking applications for members interested in participating as a mentor or mentee in the WLA Mentorship Program’s pilot year. WLA has a mission to engage, inspire, and advocate for library workers and supporters to improve and promote library services for the people of Wisconsin. In line with that mission, the WLA Mentorship Program is designed to provide encouragement, support, and guidance to library staff seeking professional growth through connections with experienced colleagues within a structured mentoring program. Mentees gain experience from knowledgeable library colleagues while becoming further involved in the statewide professional association. Mentors gain opportunities to give back to the profession, model volunteerism, and help influence the future of librarianship. Any WLA member may apply to the year-long program. There is no additional cost to participate. Each mentor/mentee pair will work with a Leadership Committee liaison to set goals and develop a productive, professional relationship. Applications are due March 2. In this inaugural year, we are enrolling a limited number of partnerships. For more information about the WLA Mentorship Program and to see the program outline application, visit the website. LEARN MORE APPLY TODAY

The School and Public Library Connection

Summer's winding down and school may already have started in your neck of the woods. A recent School Library Journal article by David Blattner on August 23, 2016, discussed the five guidelines quoted below that school media specialists should follow in connecting with the school principal:

• Be ready
• Be solution-oriented
• Be connected
• Be succinct
• Be student-centered

These guidelines are equally effective for public librarians who want to connect with teachers, principals, or school media specialists.

Other insights into building school-public library connections can be found at these links:

WiLibraries for Everyone: "Public Library and Public School Connections" This 2015 post covers the interactive Department of Public Instruction resource Public Library andSchool District Service Factors Map, the WISEdash portal, and links for the supporting videos and webinar recording from the Division for Libraries and Technology.

The book Library Partnerships: Making Connections Between School and Public Libraries by Tasha Squires looks at areas and strategies for effective partnerships to the benefit of the community as a whole.

Finally, this 2014 brochure from Millis Public Library (MA) and Millis Middle/High School Library covers ways to begin and enhance communication, connection and collaboration.