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 November 5, 2026 edition:
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| Image by Satheesh Sankaran from Pixabay |
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.
Burlington Public Library - Youth Services Librarian (full-time, 40 hours a week, $22.74/hr)
The Burlington Public Library of Burlington, Wisconsin is seeking a personable, energetic, creative, and community focused candidate for the full-time position of Youth Services Librarian. A successful candidate will be visionary, skilled at relationship building, knowledgeable of children’s literature and programming, have strong computer skills, and enjoy working in a fast paced and changing environment. Preference will be given to candidates with previous experience working with children and libraries. This is a full-time position with varied work hours including some required evenings and weekends, and includes a full benefits package.
The Burlington Public Library serves the Burlington community in Racine, Walworth, and Kenosha counties, with a total service population of 19,500. The library is a member of the Prairie Lakes Library System and the SHARE Consortium. The library is currently undergoing a $6.2 million renovation and expansion, and is temporarily operating in the City Hall building until Autumn 2027.
More info and application here, application deadline 11/6/2026.
Platteville Public Library - Youth Services Manager (full-time, $60,000-76,000/year)
Platteville Public Library is seeking an adaptable, welcoming Youth Services Manager to lead and develop library services, programs, collections, and outreach for children, young adults, and caregivers. This position supervises department staff, supports youth literacy development, cultivates community connections, and helps shape services in response to evolving community needs.
Requirements:
A bachelor’s degree is required; a master’s degree in Library and Information Science from an ALA-accredited institution is preferred. Candidates should have experience working with children and young adults, strong communication and organizational skills, and supervisory or progressively responsible library experience.
How to Apply:
Full job description and application instructions are available at https://plattevillepubliclibrary.org/youth-services-manager/
Application reviewing begins on November 16, 2026. The position is open until filled.
The morning will include:
The event is free and open to all library staff, whether or not they're WLA members.
This is a great opportunity for our YSS community to see how other libraries incorporate play into their spaces and services.
Did you know today is National Make a Difference Day? Now you do! Check out this article from Tiffani Roltgen with suggestions and actionable ways you can make a difference!
Dear Youth Librarians,
My name is Tiffani Roltgen, and I am the library director/teacher librarian at New Century School and Verona Area International School in Verona, WI. Over the years, my K-5 students have been involved in a wide variety of community service projects. Not only do students practice planning, leadership, writing, and creativity skills, they also build community connections and see themselves making a difference in the world. Public libraries can join the fun by providing these free/low-cost opportunities for their patrons. Here are some ideas and inspiration to help facilitate service learning at the library!
STEP 1: IDENTIFY a need or problem to solve and connect with community partners to ensure the project is making a difference and adding value. These organizations below are often in need of support:
Badger Honor Flight - write letters of thanks and safe travels to veterans
Letters Against Isolation - write letters to lonely elders
Ronald McDonald House Pop Tabs - provide containers for collection at the library and get patrons involved with tracking, weighing, and counting
Acts of Kindness Boards/Walls - decorate your library’s walls or windows with acts of kindness
Senior Center Decorations - passive seasonally-themed craft station with a purpose
Centerpieces/Placemats for Community Meals - passive upcycling craft station with a purpose
Earth Day Bags - share an environmental message on paper bags provided by local grocery stores or decorate reusable cloth bags
Acrostic Poems - show gratitude and honor educators or others with these creative works of poetry
STEP 2: ORGANIZE your project to align with a national celebration day such as:
Make a Difference Day - Fourth Saturday in October
National Day of Community Service - November 4
National Random Acts of Kindness Day - February 17
National Volunteer Week - Third week of April
Earth Day - April 22
National Day of Gratitude - August 20
Pair with favorite read alouds or display books about kindness such as A Flood of Kindness by Ellen Leventhal; Share Some Kindness, Bring Some Light by Apryl Stott; and When We are Kind by Monique Gray Smith.
STEP 3: SECURE funding if needed. Be sure to look into Thrivent Action Grants. Members who have 1 or more Thrivent products are eligible for these $250 grants every year. They are a great way to kickstart small projects, and the application takes only a few minutes to complete. Costco and Walmart also have short mini grant applications that can be submitted at your local store.
STEP 4: SHARE your impact on social media, on your library website, and in the library. Ask patrons what ideas they have for service learning. Watch your acts of kindness ripple throughout the community!
If you have successfully implemented other service learning projects in the library, please email me your suggestions. They may be featured in a “Service Learning in the Library: Hands On, Hearts On” presentation proposal for the upcoming WEMTA Conference.
Yours in service,
Tiffani Roltgen
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Photo Credit: Krista Brinkmeier Photography |
You can also share what programs were homeruns for you and contribute to The Vault by filling out this Google Form: https://forms.gle/itsMPWrDFJMWQfYi6.
Open The Vault today!
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| Photo from Katie Ganser |
Fiction:
Ballpark Mystery Series by David A. Kelly features not one, but TWO books about the Milwaukee Brewers The Bobblehead Bunt and The Sausage Race Chase
Inside the Park by Andrea Williams is a fun story about a kid who gets locked in a baseball stadium.
The Grip by Marcus Stroman is the first in a series written by Stroman, a professional pitcher himself.
Warrior on the Mound by Sandra Headen is a historical fiction set in 1930s North Carolina.
Tryouts by Sarah Sax is a graphic novel about a young girl who wants to play baseball on the all boys team.
Nonfiction:
Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series by Traci Sorrell about two Native American baseball players facing off in the World Series.
Mamie on the Mound: A Woman in Baseball's Negro Leagues by Leah Henderson about the life of Mamie Johnson and her road to the Negro Leagues.
Call Me Roberto!: Roberto Clemente goes to Bat for Latinos by Nathalie Alonso, a book about baseball legend Roberto Clemente.
You can find more suggestions on the following websites:
Go Brewers!
