Performer Showcase

Photo by Conor Samuel on Unsplash

Planning for the next Virtual Performer's Showcase has begun! The Performers Showcase, presented by the Youth Services Section of the Wisconsin Library Association, connects performers with members of the Wisconsin library community through live virtual demonstrations. 

Our last showcase was held in 2024 and we are hoping to discover some new and engaging acts to feature this year! We are looking for performers interested in sharing quality programming for children, teens, and/or families at a reasonable cost for Wisconsin libraries.  

How you can help:

• Do you know of an amazing performer that you think more people should know about? 
• Fill out this Google Form to suggest them for the showcase!

• Are you yourself a performer looking to expand your presentation offerings?
• Send us an email at yss.wla@gmail.com with your name and contact information

• Do you have specific performer needs you're looking for?
• Email us at yss.wla@gmail.com

Tips and Info from DPI's March 19, 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 March 19, 2026 edition:

Hello All,  Check out these youth services resources and reminders!  DPI Website Modernization Project  As part of the Department of Public Instruction’s strategic plan and commitment to modernizing and improving the agency, and in preparation for the April 24, 2026 Title II ADA digital accessibility deadline, the DPI is currently undertaking a major update to its external website, www.dpi.wi.gov. Visit the DPI Website Modernization Project page for more information.  Summer Reading with BadgerLink Resources  Summer reading is already around the corner! BadgerLink content providers TeachingBooks and Britannica Education offer excellent activities and programming ideas for this year’s summer reading programs at your library. Read the full story.   BadgerLink Bulletin EBSCO Resources Highlight  Check out the latest features, tools, promotional materials, and training on BadgerLink’s EBSCO resources. View full story.  Dinosaurs 101 for Librarians  Join us on Friday, March 27 at 12:30 PM for Dinosaurs 101 for Librarians, a webinar on the core concepts and techniques used by the American Museum of Natural History in teaching paleontology to young learners. Raoul Seroy, Children and Family Learning Educator at the Museum, will guide participants through foundational concepts to connect with young learners and get them excited about paleontology.   This live session, hosted by AMNH and part of a new professional development webinar series for Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) members, will feature a presentation by Raoul followed by an interactive Q&A session with participants. Registration is now open.  PBS Educational Multimedia Resources for School-Age Learners  The PBS Wisconsin Education team is excited to be collaborating with the South Central Library System and Portage County Library to host a free workshop on May 7 for public library staff who serve school-age learners (grades 3-12 / ages 8-18+) to learn about PBS educational multimedia resources and plan for ways to use these resources with library programming. More details and the link to RSVP are included in this invitation.  CCBC Choices 2026 is now available  CCBC Choices 2026 is a digital publication. Entries for each book include full bibliographic citation, annotation, age recommendation and cover image, and a link to the book’s entry in the CCBC-Recommended Book Search database, where custom lists can be created. The publication also includes an introductory essay and name/title index. A citation list (bibliographic information only) of CCBC Choices 2026 is also available on the CCBC website.  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

Throw-It Thursday: Book by Book

Ashley Borman, Technical Services Librarian at the Clintonville (WI) Public Library is back with her monthly column and has some great advice on making sure your collections are updated.

    Do you ever take the time to go through your collections book by book to look for problem items? If you can make the time to do a shelf at a time, I highly encourage going through book by book and doing a visual assessment and weed what is necessary. I cannot tell you how many times this has helped me find books with issues that were missed at check in. I’m talking torn pages, spine damage, gross stains, MOLD! I try to periodically go through our collections shelf by shelf (I do my whole library, but you could split it up by departments or enlist the help of other staff members if that is too overwhelming for you), on the hunt for items that need to go. 

    I pull each book off the shelf, flip through the pages to look for tears and stains. Then I flip the book and check for spine issues. If I find damage that is repairable, I bring it back to the workroom and repair it. If it is beyond repair, I throw them in the discard pile. If it has some kind of damage that is minimal and non-repairable, but the item can still circulate, I put a damaged sticker in it to tell what kind of damage staff have noted and when. This is helpful, especially when we send items to other libraries, so they know the damage was already there and their patrons won’t be charged for it.

    There are so many ways to weed. Many people stick to the basics, but I find that going through the entire once in a while and doing an in depth look at items is a great way to find those items that are past their prime that may get overlooked. It is also a great way to learn your collection and find gaps that you may want to fill.

Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!

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 blog's header.

Now hiring: Youth Services Librarian

The Cudahy Family Library is seeking a creative and energetic individual to be a part of the Library’s Youth Services Department. The Cudahy Family Library is located in Cudahy, Wisconsin, and is a member of the Milwaukee County Federated Library System. The City of Cudahy is approximately 8 minutes south of Milwaukee on the shores of Lake Michigan. The automation system is Innovative Interfaces, Inc.

Primary responsibilities, under direction:
Assists in providing Library services and programs for children and young adults
Provides reader’s advisory and reference services
Assists in the maintenance and development of the Library’s Youth Collections
Please review the job description for more information.

Compensation: The position is part time, approximately 20-24 hours per week, with weekends and weeknights required. The hourly wage is $22.00-24.00 per hour, depending on qualifications.

To Apply: Please submit a City of Cudahy job application and resume to Michelle Gibbs, Cudahy Family Library, at michelle.gibbs@mcfls.org or 3500 Library Drive, Cudahy, WI 53110. Review of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Incomplete application submissions will not be considered. The Cudahy Family Library is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Get Outside This Spring with BioBlitz

Lingering winter got you down? It’s time to think of bioblitzing! 

You, your family, and your learners can
celebrate Earth Day with the Center for Great Lakes Literacy’s/Sea Grant 7th Annual Great Lakes BioBlitz! This event is a great opportunity to engage youth and the public in community science, collect data to support biodiversity research and conservation, and learn more about the organisms in the Great Lakes Basin.

What is the Great Lakes BioBlitz?

A free event that focuses on finding and identifying as many wild, living things as possible in the Canadian provinces and the U.S. states that have coastline on the Great Lakes during a specified period of time. You need not be in the Great Lakes basin watershed to participate, just in a Great Lakes state or province.

When is it?

It begins on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, and runs for 4 weeks, ending on Saturday, May 23, 2026.

How do I participate?

The beauty of this project is that you decide your level of participation! Take an afternoon to explore and document some plants or wildlife in an area, or pick a location to return to weekly, or set a goal to find something new every day–there are many ways to participate. 

1. Visit iNaturalist or download the app onto your phone and create an account.  
2. Become a member of the 2026 Great Lakes BioBlitz project
3. Get outside, get out your cameras, and start making and posting observations!

[Additional action: As you are able, verify other participants' Great Lakes BioBlitz Project postings to make them “research grade.”]

Why participate? 

There are many benefits of becoming a BioBlitz wizard, here are just a few:

• Engage in an outdoor activity, discover the wild living things in the world around you, form and strengthen a place-based connection
• Join a global community of observers, learners, and scientists passionate about biodiversity and the Great Lakes
• Contribute to a global database of organisms. Observations made on iNaturalists contribute to research, conservation, and educational outreach programs

And please note: you don't need to bioblitz for four weeks – you can do it for an hour, a day, etc.

Want to learn more?

• Visit the Great Lakes BioBlitz Educator Google Site for more information about the project and educator resources for engaging youth in this wonderful learning experience!
• All the links for the BioBlitz are also available on the WiSG Webpage.

Want to help market this event to others? 

Her are some resources to help you get the word out:

• 2026 BioBlitz Poster 
• 2026 BioBlitz Challenges 
• 2026 BioBlitz Social Media Post

Tips and Info from DPI's March 12, 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 March 12, 2026 edition:

Hello All,  Check out these youth services weekly resources and reminders!  2026 Programming and Activity Count Tracker  This workbook can be used to track programs and activities throughout the year, and prepare program, activity counts, attendance, and participation for Sections III and XIII of the Annual Report. Visit Wisconsin Public Library Annual Report for more information.  Summer Math Adventure Program The purpose of this Wisconsin Mathematics Council program is to bring fun, engaging mathematics related activities to students and families across Wisconsin. This year’s updated version includes all new activities for grades 6-8. All materials are free. If you are interested in receiving updates and the link to printable versions of the activities, please complete the 2026 WMC Summer Math Adventure Interest Form.   Promoting Your TeachingBooks Access at the Public Library  Wednesday, March 25, from 12 to 12:30 p.m. Make the most of your TeachingBooks access with tips and tricks for promoting the site to your library patrons. Explore resources that can be easily included in patron interactions and programs, increase staff awareness of time-saving tools, and bring reading to life in your community. Even if you can’t attend the live webinar, you can still register here to receive a recording of this session.  Job Posting: Project Coordinator Bureau of Libraries (DPI)  The Bureau of Libraries is seeking applicants for a Project Coordinator. This position is responsible for the coordination of complex projects and activities among staff of the Bureau of Libraries working with public library systems, Cooperative Educational Service Agencies, public and school libraries, vendors, and organizations representing external partners. For full details and how to apply, visit https://wj.wi.gov/20324  CSLP Theme and Slogan Wordsmithing Sessions  Do you adore wordsmithing words and phrases? Do you love word play? Staff from Wisconsin libraries are welcome to join the Theme & Slogan Committee for a deep dive into developing the short list of slogan options for 2029's Nature theme. Join us and share your thoughts.  We're offering two 90 minute Zoom sessions to try and get input from as many libraries as possible:  Register for Tuesday, March 24 at 1pm PST/2pm MST/3pm CST/4pm EST  Register for Wednesday, April 8 at 10am PST/11 am MST/12pm CST/1pm EST    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

Your Voice, Our Community: Write for the YSS Blog!

Ready to shape the future of library services for kids and teens across Wisconsin? Join the YSS Blog! The Youth Services Shout-Out (YSS) Blog, with over 1.5 million views and almost 4,000 posts, is a dynamic resource that highlights recent library news, programming ideas, and professional development opportunities for youth services folks in Wisconsin.

Image by Sophie Janotta from Pixabay

We’re looking for fresh voices and dedicated library champions to keep this momentum going! There are two ways to join in:

• Become a Guest Contributor: Got a brilliant program idea, a deep-dive "how-to," or an opinion piece on the latest library trends? We want to hear it! Sharing your expertise helps peers statewide. 

• Join the Admin Team: Want to go behind the scenes? Help us curate the best resources, manage community content, and keep Wisconsin’s youth services community connected and informed.

Email the blog team at yss.wla@gmail.com to get started!

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!