Free Tabletop Role-playing Training

Quest Craft Free Library Training & Pilot Interest — Winter 2026–27

Photo by Osmany M Leyva Aldana on Unsplash

Quest Craft is a nonprofit organization offering a free 12-week pilot program for libraries interested in hosting tabletop role-playing games for kids (age 8-14) this fall.

If your library already hosts Dungeons & Dragons games, Quest Craft can be a great way to introduce younger kids to more age-appropriate role-playing games so they can build creativity, collaboration, storytelling, and social-emotional skills before moving into teen programs. If your library does not yet have a tabletop role-playing program, Quest Craft is an easy way to get started.

No prior experience running tabletop role-playing games needed!

Quest Craft provides:

• Training to be a "Game Master," the person who oversees and guides players through role-playing games
• Original story scripts and step-by-step guidance for running each game
• Game material such as character sheets and virtual dice
• Free access to 12 games on its platform, including an easy-to-use Command Center for in-game support

Complete this short form to explore our free training and flexible pilot program. Select all the training times that could work for you. No commitment is required at this stage.

Please fill out the form by Friday, November 30 and join the fun!

To reach us, email info@questcraftstudio.com.

YSS Midday Mingle!

Please join us for the next YSS Midday Mingle on Monday, November 16 at 1pm. This month we're talking about Unexpected Hits. Come talk with other librarians about the programs that unexpectedly went well, or the ones that you thought would be popular, but weren't. 

Join the Zoom here. 

Tips and Info from DPI's November 5, 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 November 5, 2026 edition:

Weekly Resources & Reminders   Hello All,    BadgerLink Website Outage Sunday, November 8, 2026  The BadgerLink website is scheduled for an upgrade and general maintenance this Sunday, November 8. The website is scheduled to go down at 6 PM Central and come back online after an hour or so. This should not affect resource access from other websites, but we understand that this downtime may cause inconveniences.    The following content is shared as provided by the organization. The DPI Bureau of Libraries does not sponsor or endorse external resources or events.  Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) Swag Bag Giveaway  Enter for a chance to win one of four swag bags full of Mysteries Await at Your Library merchandise, courtesy of CSLP. Each bag includes a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle, uncut bookmarks, an Inspector Whiskers keychain or squishy, one lanyard, pencils, stickers, a poster, a magnet, and one glow sports bag.   The deadline to enter is 5 p.m. on Friday, November 20, 2026. Randomly selected winners will be notified on Monday, November 23, 2026.    Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) Updates  Check out the latest Collaborative Summer Library Program Newsletter full of great information and resources, including Manual access, CSLP Store, shipping timelines, 2029 Slogan and 2030 Theme, and more!  Registration for the CSLP Summer Symposium on Thursday, December 3, 2026, is open!  Designed to inspire, support, and energize your team, this full-day event features a clever and clue-filled keynote by G.T. Karber (author of the global bestselling Murdle murder-mystery logic puzzle series and our 2027 Summer Reading Champion!), 2027 manual highlights, and practical, ready-to-run programming strategies for all ages.      Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Starred Review Days  Join the CCBC November 16 @ 8:30 a.m. through November 20 @ 2:00 p.m. for Starred Review Days Hands-On Book Examination at the CCBC. All of the 2026 books received by CCBC that have received a starred review in one or more professional journals will be available for review.   Please complete the registration form to indicate which day or days you are going, and how many people are attending.     LibraryCon Live! November 12, 2026  Library Journal and School Library Journal are excited to present a day-long celebration of fandom, spotlighting genre fiction for adults and teens with panels devoted to comics and graphic novels, horror, Sci-Fi/fantasy, and more. Plus, network online while exploring the virtual exhibit hall, where you can chat with publishing reps and download free resources. Whether you're a public or school librarian, an educator, or a superfan, don't miss this chance to meet with some of your favorite creators. For more information and to register, visit: https://slj.com/?subpage=Events    Jeni Schomber Public Library Consultant Contact: jeni.schomber@dpi.wi.gov

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 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.

 

WLA on the Road in Kenosha - all about play!

You're invited to WLA's final WLA on the Road event this year at Kenosha Public Library on Friday, November 6, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, for a morning focused on play-based learning and children's library services. 

This event is especially geared toward YSS members and anyone who works with children and families. 

The morning will include:

• 9:00-9:30am: Tour of KPL Kids @ Uptown Lofts (6144 22nd Avenue, Kenosha WI)

• 9:30-10:00am: Network through play in the Discovery Area before the library opens

• 10:00-11:00am: Power of Messy Play in Public Libraries, followed by a group discussion and brainstorming session

• 11:00am-12:00pm: Learning-through-play station design challenges in small groups

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.

Register here!

Service Learning at the Library

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

roltgent@verona.k12.wi.us

Photo Credit:   

Krista Brinkmeier Photography