Hang Out with School and Public Library Colleagues!

Greetings Wisconsin Public and School Librarians!

We invite you to watch this 20 minute video about school and public library collaboration. As you can see from this summary provided by School Library Connection, it is both inspiring and relatable:

When asked how school librarians connect with their community, public library collaboration was among the top responses. Therefore, this video may reflect a partnership that many school library professionals are already familiar with. But whether you already have a strong relationship with your public library or not, hearing from this duo is inspiring all the same. Meet high school teacher librarian Anthony Devine and public youth services librarian Miko Osada, who serve a shared community and have developed a commitment to working together as they do so. The two meet regularly, with or without a formal agenda, and often find that some of their best ideas emerge spontaneously from their conversations. It may be discouraging that there isn't a simple formula for creating strong collaboration, but Devine and Osada's professional bond is a good reminder that sometimes the answer is just a matter of prioritizing one another, and finding value in learning about the work of each collaboration partner without expectations. When genuine care and interest is in place, serendipitous results emerge. While it may not appear to be strategic at face value, the productive and positive results are clear.

If this video leaves you curious about how to find and meet your public or school library counterpart, please consider joining us! The Connecting Wisconsin Libraries group invites you to our next networking meeting on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at 4:00PM. This virtual event is for anyone interested in building professional relationships in order to better serve the young people of our communities. Please email lochwouters@gmail.com or monica.treptow@dpi.wi.gov for the meeting link!

This message is brought to you by the Connecting Wisconsin Libraries group, a collaboration between the Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association (WEMTA), Wisconsin Library Association (WLA), and the DPI Library Services Team.