Tips and Info from DPI's May 15 , 2025 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 May 15, 2025 edition  

Hello All,

Check out these valuable youth services resources and reminders!

Getting Started with Building Community-Based Summers

• This FREE WebJunction course will provide you with the foundational ideas behind Building Community-Based Summers (BCBS) and give you what you need to get started or to continue building best practices.
• You will need to sign in or create a FREE account to access this 1 hour self-paced course. 

Color Our World Resources - Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP)

• PSA videos in English and Spanish are now available.
• Standalone Printables - forms, bookmarks, reading logs, activity sheets, and more - are available in Chapter 8 in the online manual. Check with your Library System Consultant for the access code.
• Looking for ideas or want to share what works for your library? Join the Official Summer Library Programming Group on Facebook. It’s a private group where ideas are shared, templates are created, and brainstorming happens. 

BadgerLink Bulletin

• Prepare for Summer Reading with BadgerLink Resources. Summer is already around the corner! Check out these BadgerLink resources for activities, programming ideas, and more to keep kids reading all summer long.
• View the story here.

WiLS World shorts: Roll for Initiative! Wisconsin Adventures in the Library

• Proven education foundations and dragon-slaying go hand in hand! Wisconsin Adventures combines the myths and legends of Wisconsin’s past with the deep learning opportunities of fantasy role-playing games.
• Join WiLS and Wisconsin Historical Society’s Manager of PK-12 Education Initiatives Kurt Griesemer on Friday, May 23rd at 1:00 pm CT to hear about how you can engage new audiences, connect players with Wisconsin and its history, and build community and literacy skills with Dungeons and Dragons and Wisconsin Adventures.
• Register here.

Have a great weekend!

Sustainability in Summer Library Programs

This week we are continuing our thinking on summer library programs. Recently, the IFLS Keeping Up with Kids blog shared a member librarians key takeaways from her attendance at the UW-Madison CE course on Sustainability in SLPs taught by Dawn Tevis.  

IFLS consultant Leah Langby wrote: "This blog post was written by Nicole Witt, Youth Services Coordinator at D.R. Moon Library-Stanley, based what she learned from the UW Madison iSchool’s Continuing Education course Sustainably Grow Your Summer Library Program. Nicole was able to attend this online course thanks to a scholarship from IFLS, made possible with a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and funded by a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services. Thanks for sharing Nicole!"

Please click here to read the post.[Key Take-Aways from Sustainably Grow Your Summer Library Program Course. Witt, Nicole. Keeping Up with Kids blog. April 1, 2025]

ALSC Offering SRP Grants

 As seen in Nicolet Federated Library System's newsletter: Nic News Weekly, October 20, 2023

ALSC/Baker & Taylor Summer Reading Program Grant applications due November 14

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Program and Services Recognition Committee is accepting applications for the 2024 ALSC/Baker & Taylor Summer Reading Program Grant.

This grant is designed to encourage reading programs for children in public libraries by providing $3,000 in financial assistance while recognizing ALSC members for outstanding program development.

Applications and supporting materials, including an itemized budget and the required signature form, are due by November 14, 2023. Learn more and apply here.

October 2023 State Youth Library Consultants/Liaisons Meeting Notes

Meetings of all the state youth library consultants and liaisons hosted by Jeni Schomber at DPI's Division for Library Services team take place bimonthly over Zoom. The Oct 20, 2023 edition of Nicolet Federate Library System's weekly newsletter, Nic News Weekly, recently posted a great summary of October's meeting. A big thanks to NFLS liaison Susan Lagerman for these helpful notes.

State & System Youth Services updates

The October 17 State & System Youth Services meeting was full of great information. Here are some highlights from NFLS' Youth Services Liaison, Susan Lagerman:

• Have you seen this? DPI Equity Agreements is a valuable one-page resource to support meeting decorum.

• Mouna Algahaithi mouna.algahaithi@pbswisconsin.org from PBS Wisconsin Education was the guest presenter and she gave an informative update on a world of learning with PBS Wisconsin. View her slide deck here. Links to note:
  • pbskids.org/apps
  • pbswisconsineducation.org offers authentic, high-quality resources for programming and professional development including self-paced, on-demand courses for early childhood educators

• Reservations are filling fast for the SEAL kits - most of February, all of March, and the first part of April are booked. Request form

• The YSS blog had its 1 millionth view!  Read the celebratory post here. Remember, if you have anything to share, please email Marge at lochwouters@gmail.com.

• You're invited to the WLA Social at CCBC on October 25. You don't have to attend the conference to attend the social. Register here.

• Save the Date for the Performers Showcase on December 8. Registration will be coming soon.
• Save the Date for the Connecting 1,2,3 to ABC webinar on January 11, 3-4 pm. Learn how to connect early literacy and early math.

• Friends of the CCBC Book Sale will be December 1-2, 2023.  The sale offers new and gently used books for children and teens and low prices.

• Please be reminded of CCBC Intellectual Freedom Information Services and the What IF…Forum (a Q&A forum for librarians and teachers about Intellectual Freedom topics).

Reflecting on This Year's SLP

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

As the end of summer library program approaches and you are yearning for vacation, cooler weather and the return to school year rhythms, it is a perfect time to reflect on how this year's summer activities and program have gone and what might be different next year.  

What?!? Now?!? When energy is low and the furthest things from our mind is next summer?

ALSC's Early Childhood Programs and Services Committee hears you! In a recent blog post, they suggest 8 questions to help you evaluate and reflect on SLP that look less at stats and data and more at the bigger picture. 

Click here to read the full post. [Save Time and Alleviate Evaluation Stress with These 8 Questions. ALSC Early Childhood Programs and Services Committee. ALSC blog. July 22, 2023.]

Starting to Hit Summer Lag?

Image by Elisa from Pixabay

After the first rush of summer library program registration/explanation frenzy, hordes of kids and families, a huge program push, It's easy to come back from the July 4th holiday a little more tired and strung out.

Don't be discouraged though. You've got this! A recent ALSC blog post written by members of ALSC's (ALA's Association for Library Service to Children) Public and Awareness share some great tips on how to cope with part 2 of a busy summer.

Read their helpful hint here. [In a SRP Slump? YOU CAN DO THIS! ALSC Public Awareness and Advocacy Committee. ALSC blog. June 30, 2023]

ALL.THE.THINGS. with Jonathan Dolce SLP 2023 Edition

We haven't heard from our favorite link- and info- crazy colleague Johnathan in a while but he popped up on the ALSC blog recently sounding the clarion call of getting ready for SLP 2022 with a zillion ideas to get you revved up and motivated.

He writes: : "But It’s Still Winter…Believe it or not, this is my 20th year working – as a paid employee – in Central Florida libraries. If you include volunteering…well…that’d be most of my life. From all I’ve ever experienced, you can never be fully or overly prepared for a season of summer reading programming. As a matter of fact, I am known for ALWAYS having a backup plan for each program, right down to duplicates of mission critical equipment. Sounds like a military operation, doesn’t it?

So, yes, it’s January and we are talkin’ All Together Now, our 2023 Summer Reading Program!"

To read the full post, please stop here. [All Together Now 2023 SRP. Dolce, Johnathan. ALSC blog. January 19, 2023.]

ALSC SRP Grant Opportunity

This particular grant is open to members of ALA's Association for Library Service to Children members. What? You're not a member yet? No worries, stop here to renew or begin a new membership. ALSC is a fantastic division that does amazing things on a national level for youth services that all of us in libraries around the country have benefited from. Plus you meet amazing people and learn a ton and get wonderful benefits!

Don't have this kind of cash in a tight economy. We hear you. One strategy we have used in the past is asking that rather than physical gifts for big occasions, your loved one(s) gift you with a professional association membership. Another strategy is to tuck aside $10-20 month in a safe spot and use it for membership. The rewards are huge!

The ALSC Program and Services Recognition Committee is now accepting applications for the 2023 ALSC/Baker & Taylor Summer Reading Program Grant! This grant is designed to encourage reading programs for children in public libraries by providing $3,000 in financial assistance, while recognizing ALSC members for outstanding program development. 

Applications and supporting materials, including an itemized budget and the required signature form, are due by November 18, 2022. Please visit: https://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/profawards/bakertaylor

ICYMI: Problematic Artwork for CSLP 2020

Earlier today, Tessa Michaelson Schmidt shared the following:

"Recently, DPI shared the information for accessing the 2020 Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) online manual and store catalog. Upon reviewing the numerous materials in the manual and catalog, it has come to our attention that the 2020 artwork is problematic for many reasons."

In the following letter, the DPI expands upon the concerns:

Dear Wisconsin Library Staff,

Recently, we shared the information for accessing the 2020 Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) online manual and store catalog*. Upon reviewing the numerous materials in the manual and catalog, it has come to our attention that the 2020 artwork** is problematic for many reasons.

In particular, the poster artwork for all age groups--early literacy, children, teen, and adult-- uses imagery that is culturally appropriated from several American Indian nations. The stories that the raven and coyote images reference are sacred stories, not fairy tales or folk tales. On the poster intended for adults, there is an image near the bottom suggesting a woman imagining herself in what appears to be a feather headdress, which is inappropriate and offensive.

In addition, there are many images from the posters that reflect stereotypes, tokenism, and biased references. For example, there is a shirtless African boy sitting outside of a grass hut next to a zebra on the teen poster. In the Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books by Louise Derman-Sparks, examples of harmful/undermining stereotypes are listed. The 2020 slogan of “Imagine Your Story” carries the theme of fairy tales, mythology, and fantasy. The Guide identifies why fairy tales and folk tales are problematic:

•Folk and fairy tales have long been a mainstay of children’s literature. In the cultures from which they come, folk and fairy tales were used to teach important lessons and values related to their culture of origin. Children love them in their original versions—not their commercially sanitized adaptations. However, folk and fairy tales also carry messages that convey sexism, classism, and racism and must be used thoughtfully as part of introducing young children to diversity and anti- bias values of quality and fairness.

•Overuse of folk tales to “teach” about a specific ethnic/cultural group leads to misinformation and confusion. They are about animals and occasionally people from a mythical past and are designed to teach core values and beliefs in their culture of origin. They are not about how people actually live in contemporary society—and that is what young children need to understand. Information and images about how people really live now is what enables young children to build connections to people who are from different cultures while countering stereotypes that children have already absorbed (e.g., how American Indians really live).

With this context, we hope you can see why many of stories referenced in the artwork convey messages that are not in line with our priorities of inclusion and equity in Wisconsin public libraries. While we believe the intent of the illustrator was positive, the impact on our communities will still be negative. It is our recommendation that your library not use these images to promote the summer library program due to their problematic nature, and to evaluate any programs for appropriative or non-inclusive content.

This recommendation comes after careful review of the materials and through discussion with content experts such as the DPI American Indian consultant and the Cooperative Children’s Book Center library staff. In addition, Wisconsin is not the only state to respond in this manner.

The CSLP staff and board have been responsive to these concerns. If a resolution develops, we will share additional information with the Wisconsin public library community. In the meantime, we feel it necessary to communicate our concerns to you before your planning and purchasing begins in earnest.

Sincerely,

Tessa Michaelson Schmidt

On behalf of the Public Library Development Team

*Membership to the (CSLP), which includes access to the manuals and online store, is provided to all Wisconsin public libraries through the Public Library Development Team (PLDT) using federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant funding."
_________________________________________________________
Shortly after this was sent to library staff throughout the state, the following response from CSLP was shared:

"Dear CSLP Member Libraries,

We are writing to address the serious concerns raised over the use of Native American imagery in the 2020 poster art.

CSLP recently became aware that there were serious concerns over the use of Native American imagery being paired with fairytale and fantastic images in the 2020 poster art. These concerns apply to all four posters.

On November 6th the CSLP Board of Directors held their monthly Board meeting and a discussion of the artwork was added to the agenda. Library representatives from twenty-five different states participated in the conversation. It was decided that input from subject experts from the Native American community, as well as others, would be sought and a plan would be developed.

CSLP quickly reached out to tribal libraries, educators, and specialists in the field for their expert opinions. We believe this statement from the Utah Division of Indian Affairs best sums up the feedback we received:

"The Utah Division of Indian Affairs would like to encourage the CSLP Board to edit and remove the Native American imagery from the posters. The imagery is not bad, it just does not belong on a poster with folklore characters where it can be misleading to suggest that Native American beliefs and cultural stories are "fairy tales" or "make believe". We believe the artist's intent was good but it would have negative impacts towards the Native American Community.”

Taking this advice to heart, CSLP must take action. The following changes will be enacted for the 2020’s “Imagine Your Story” Program:

●Remove and/or replace (if possible) all artwork with Coyote, Raven, and/or a Totem pole image on the online manual

●Remove all posters from the online store.

●Remove product containing Coyote, Raven, and/or a Totem pole image from the online store.

●Update the PDF product catalog.

●Make building and codifying internal processes and procedures the “Strategic focus” for the next two years.

●Commission one poster design, and one "timed reading" record design for the 2020 program.

This has been a very important and hard lesson learned by CSLP. As an organization comprised of library volunteers, we often share the same blindspots that can afflict the profession as a whole. Historic library categories such as “myth”, “folklore” and “legend” are being examined in recent scholarship. CSLP must continue to strive to reach out to experts across all areas of work, and take steps to further develop CSLP processes. We will continue to engage with our libraries, educators and experts in the field to ensure we develop summer programming that is welcoming to all.

We ask that all member libraries consider the message shared above and to use your best judgement when representing cultures outside your own. If you received an early shipment of print materials and would like a refund or replacement, please send your request, along with your order number, to custserv@cslpreads.org. If you have access to the original manual art, CSLP is granting additional flexibility on how the artwork may be used. For the program year 2020, member libraries may modify the CSLP artwork to conform to their personal, or institutional standards of inclusivity.

CSLP looks forward to continuing to serve you as a collaborative and in light of CSLP being a volunteer-driven organization, we encourage you to serve by signing up for committees, offering survey feedback, submitting manual ideas, and continuing to work with us as we empower you to foster community through your summer library programs.

Sincerely,

CSLP Board of Directors and Staff"

**Per Tessa, the following solutions - - in addition to using your best judgement when utilizing the artwork and/or taking advantage of the CSLP's permission to modify this year's artwork--are available:

"Of note, a new poster design and timed reading record will be commissioned and available later this year.

Also, if you have any orders already placed, contact custserv@cslpreads.org for a refund or replacement."

NASA's Media Library...At Your Fingertips!

Did you know NASA's entire media library is available for you to use?

That's right, the ENTIRE MEDIA LIBRARY.  Even better?  All the media is free to utilize, both in terms of cost and copyright.

Can you imagine the potential for next year's Summer Reading Program?  A Universe of Stories--complete with real photographs, sounds, and more of the ACTUAL universe!  They can be utilized for decor, promotion, or even programs! 

(What's that, lovely patron?  You want legit space sounds to use in your stop motion project?  Boy oh boy, do I have some good news for you!)

 

Happy exploring!

  

ALSC 2016 Summer Reading Lists

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) recently published their great summer reading lists. The lists are in brochure format and can be downloaded, printed, and distributed for free! They make great handouts and reader's advisory tools for kids of all ages. Find them here: http://www.ala.org/alsc/2016-summer-reading-list

Collaborative Rewards: A Supergreat Idea

Thanks to Abby Bussen from Cudahy Family Library for submitting this post!

After my first summer as a children’s librarian last year, I spent all fall and winter thinking: How can I do that better? Inspired by the superhero theme Every Hero Has a Story, I drew three life-size superheroes on white butcher block paper (thanks to the help of a truly ancient opaque projector that sounds like a freight train, but works like a peach). Each stood roughly 5 feet tall and were simple black-and-white line drawings. During school visits, I challenged the children in my community to fill in those drawings to earn a supergreat reward – a party with face painting, icy pops, cookies, window painting, and a superhero training school obstacle course.

Here’s how it worked: For every log the children (ages 0-12) turned in, we added one dot to a superhero. They could turn in one log every week throughout the summer. They received other rewards along the way for filling out their logs (books and coupons for their first return of the month, small prizes for every log they turned in after the first log), but I made sure to tell everyone that if those superheroes weren’t filled in, we would have NO party.

Here’s how we prepped: Aside from the drawing of the heroes, which took a couple hours due to the scale and frankly the tiredness of my arm, all we had to do in preparation for this was to cut out an epic amount of circles in various colors. We made the circles for Hulk slightly bigger than for Superman and Ms. Marvel because he’s just huge.

Will we do this again? Definitely! I’m already considering what color-ins we can use to complement the 2016. All told, it took 1,050 logs to complete all three superheroes, but we had many more logs turned in after Hulk was finished. The elementary-aged kids were particularly motivated by this collaborative reward and several went out of their way to encourage their friends to work harder so we could all have this great party at the end of the summer. The party landed on a rainy day, so we had to cancel the outdoor window painting, but the obstacle course was a hit. In the end, I painted so many smiling faces, I knew we’d made a positive step toward making summer reading a group effort.

More Than Crafts

Every summer, I've always done "teen crafts". And I'd get a handful of girls. This year I wanted to try something a little different. I wanted to find something to encourage more boys to come. And I wanted to increase participation. So I lowered the target age group a little. Now the program includes 5th grade and older. Then I eliminated the word "crafts" from my program title. I still think it could use a little tweaking, but I went with "DIT Tuesdays" - Do It Together Tuesdays. And I tried to include more activities. 

So far everything has been successful. But the pudding pictionary, was great. And it was so cheap and easy! I used bulletin board paper that we had left over to cover the tables. Our library always posts a wish list for summer reading and I asked for pudding cups and cheap plastic table cloths from the dollar store. I used a pictionary generator to come up with words. And we were set. 
I divided the kids into two teams and they all took turns drawing. 

Organizing Volunteers aka Shaping Adults

I adore my teen volunteers but organizing their schedules drives me bonkers. I'd love to compare notes with librarians. We can't be the only library to have summer helpers but I feel like I'm constantly reinventing the wheel.

When do you start recruiting?
Do you have a cutoff date?
Maximum number of participants?
Incentives for volunteering?
What tasks are they responsible for?
Age range?
How do you manage their summer schedules?
How do you manage the library volunteer schedule?

I had a father email me yesterday about his son's schedule. He was worried about the inconvenience of changing the schedule. It occurred to me as I was replying to him that this is the stage in their young lives for them to learn responsibility and managing time and schedules. And I do enjoy having the opportunity to help them learn this skill.

Some parents are very hands on. Sometimes I never hear from the volunteers but only their parents on the phone and in email. Sometimes I don't ever meet the parents. The kids show up when their scheduled and if I have questions I can email them directly and they respond. Ok, not always. But I'd rather speak directly to a teen volunteer and help them learn how to communicate with a supervisor then always go through their parents.

This is one area where I feel I'm constantly re-evaluating procedure.

More Tidbits

Want to snag a few more checkouts for Hoot by Carl Hiaasen? Watch this:


And check out this cookie I got a few weeks ago:



Speaking of Cool Things for SRP, look at these fun art projects:
Paper Plate Earths
Coffee Filter Earths

Sharing

It's link time!

• Check out this list of songs that work great for this summer's theme.
• Marge is blogging about librarianship~check out her posts about dealing with attitudes, weeding, program ideas and much more!
• Lots of book and author news on last Thursday's Talk of the Nation program.
• A mom blogger has started something she's calling Feed Me Books Friday. She's put out the call to caregivers to share their favorite picture book or series.
• Have you heard of The Book Whisperer? I first heard her interviewed as a guest on Wisconsin Public Radio on Veronica Rueckert's show on 6/5/09. The archive is still available for a few more weeks and members of WPR can download the show.
  

summer memories

Now that school has started, we can look back at summer with fondness and a bit of regret that it's over. Then we take a deep breath and start thinking of the next summer! Here are a few memories (if you have one, post it in the comments section!):

My most memorable moment was eating a chocolate covered cricket after losing a challenge to a teen participant. The chocolate part was good, the crunch gave me pause.

Ellen Connor

Sturm Memorial Library

Manawa, WI

Garden Bug Lab
This summer we offered a Junior Gardener's Club, taught by master gardener, Diane Kackle. In order to receive their certificate, each child had to help plant, water, weed and harvest two library vegetable gardens. The also had to attend three special labs: Good Bugs, Good Plants, Make Your Own Compost (red worms invited!), and Bugs: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly! This last lab was a highlight when Diane brought in a whole can of "Hissing Cockroaches"...they don't bite, but boy can they hiss!

Science Alliance Bug Eyes
Larger than life ants, grasshoppers and lots of buggy atmosphere made the Science Alliance Guy a big hit. However, it was the kids who stole the show with a funky bug eye dance!

Shelly Menzer

Dwight Foster Public Library

Fort Atkinson, WI

As one of the things the teens could do to fill out theirreading slips was eat a real bug. (Now, just to set this straight, they could do this--they didn't have to; there were many other choices of things to do.) Yes, real bug, dead or alive, it didn't matter. The bug of choice was an ant, but I had moths, crickets, grasshoppers and worms devoured too. The worms were by far the most disgusting.

Diane Raschke

Clintonville Public Library

In Madison we had Duck Tape workshops called "Duck Tape Mania". The program at Sequoya filled with over 30 kids ages 10 and up, who made ties, purses, pop can holders, wallets, a leopard sculpture and more. Kids spent an hour and a half creating and having a ball!

Supplies: 36 rolls of Duck Tape brand tape in all colors, scissors, tables (marked at 1" intervals for measuring tape), permanent markers and old grocery bags, and instructions downloaded from The Duck Tape Club. We'll definitely do this one again!

Pictures are posted on Teen Topix.

Karen Lucas

Madison Public Library

Sequoya Branch