School Public Library Collaboration/Networking

 From DPI's Jeni Schomber's weekly Youth Services Weekly Reminders and Resources Updates 4/4/24:

Connecting Wisconsin Libraries is a networking group of school and public libraries that meets quarterly to facilitate collaboration with WLA stakeholders and WEMTA stakeholders, and to foster collaboration between school and public libraries on a statewide level.

               

                Click here to join us for our next meeting on Thursday April 25^th at 3 p.m.

 

                Mary Ellen Graf from TeachingBooks will be presenting: 

Powerful Partnerships: Schools, Public Libraries, & TeachingBooks 
Collaboratively support readers at home, school, and the public library with TeachingBooks. Learn how to create and share reading lists, integrate TeachingBooks resources into school and library visits,      and cross-promote library programs and school literacy initiatives.

Gotta Whole Lotta Love...

Image by Monika from Pixabay

In a recent ALSC blog post, middle school librarian David Saia, on behalf of the AASL/ALSC/YALSA Interdivisional Committee on School/Public Library Cooperation, writes about some of the things that school librarians love about their public librarian colleagues.

David writes: "As a middle school librarian (and a soon-to-be-appointed member of the Board of Trustees of our local public library system), I often think about my public library colleagues.  When I reflect on all the things I see going on in public libraries, I find so many things to admire about public librarians and the work they do!  "

To read the full post on those things, please click here. [Top Things School Librarians Love About Public Librarians. Sais, David. ALSC blog. December 14, 2023.]

Join the Connecting WI Libraries Conversation

Would you like the opportunity to network with school and public library folks from around Wisconsin? Yes! Then, Connecting Wisconsin Libraries is the group for you! 

This group, facilitated by leaders from WEMTA, WLA, YSS and the DPI, strives to improve communication and collaboration between school and public libraries through sharing information, experiences, and best practices in virtual gatherings throughout the year. Please join us on Thursday, September 28, at 3:00PM to hear more!

 See the information at the bottom of the post to join the meeting. No reservations necessary. We hope to see you there.

Contact Alison Loewen for more information at alison.loewen@meadpl.org

[The Connecting WI Libraries networking group, which originated in 2018, was originally formed to facilitate collaboration with WLA stakeholders and WEMTA stakeholders, foster collaboration between school and public libraries on a statewide level,  share information pertinent to school and public libraries, share ideas/events/best practices related to youth services, develop cooperative support for the youth we serve. Since then, the group has presented at WLA and WEMTA conferences, provided information links and resources statewide and supported collaborative projects throughout the state between school and public youth librarians.]

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Microsoft Teams meeting

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Meeting ID: 229 018 198 925
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+1 872-703-5321,,516406286# United States, Chicago

Phone Conference ID: 516 406 286#

Join the Summer Math Adventure!

Summer reading programs have a longstanding history in schools and libraries, but how can libraries support students’ engagement with mathematics all year long? To keep students engaged in mathematical thinking throughout the summer, the

Wisconsin Mathematics Council (WMC) brought together a group of Wisconsin math educators in 2022 to create the Summer Math Adventure program for preK - 5th grade students and their families.

 

WMC wants to ensure that all children experience the wonder, joy, and beauty of mathematics in school and beyond. Students and families participating in the Summer Math Adventure build number sense and explore mathematics in the world around them through authentic activities related to five categories: around the home, outdoors, the arts, books, and games and puzzles.

 

The program is based on a “bingo board” of math activities for three age groups: PreK, Kindergarten - Grade 2, and Grades 3 - 5. A digital version of the activity sheets and support documents is hosted on the WMC website. A printable version is also available. The Summer Math Adventure was piloted in a few Wisconsin communities during the summer of 2022 and is ready for state-wide roll out in summer of 2023.

 

In coordination with the WI Department of Public Instruction (DPI), WMC has plans to promote the Summer Math Adventure alongside DPI’s Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP). Information about CSLP can be found at the CSLP website. WMC is happy to make the Summer Math Adventure FREE to all Wisconsin libraries. Through the generosity of the Wisconsin Mathematics Education Foundation we are able to offer grants to libraries to support this program.

 

To become a participating library, complete the brief interest form at this link.

 

This message is brought to you through the collaboration of Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association (WEMTA), Wisconsin Library Association (WLA), and the DPI.

Supporting Our School Colleagues

A recent Teen Services Underground blog post reflected on the importance of school and public library collaboration. It's also a call to action to support our school colleagues at this time.

Stop here to read the post. [School and Public Librarian Partnerships Are a Beautiful Thing. Ingaham, Jenna. Teen Services Underground. August 15, 2022]

Speaking of beautiful partnerships, Connecting WI Libraries (a collaborative group of youth librarians from DPI, WEMTA and WLA) created the infographic below a few years ago that is worth sharing again. If you are hesitant or confident in reaching out to your school or public colleagues, this graphic has suggestions to help you!

Find the full infographic with survey results here.

Connecting WI Libraries image

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.

WEMTA Virtual Conference: Registration Open, Request for Proposals and More!

YSS folks, many of you attended this conference in this past. And many YSSers have submitted and had proposals accepted presenting innovative ideas of service for our school colleagues. There's still plenty of time this year to propose programs - you may be lucky and be a picked to be a presenter!

And now a word from our friends and colleagues at WEMTA with the details!

The WEMTA (Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association) Conference brings together current, future and past educators to share knowledge of library, literacy and technology topics. Nine concurrent sessions over two days offer a wide variety of choices. Many sessions will be recorded and available for conference attendees to view asynchronously. 

 

We’re excited to announce attendee registration is OPEN for our virtual WEMTA Conference February 7th-8th 2021. Special student, retiree, bring your administrator pricing & presenter discounts. Early bird pricing ends November 7th.

 

Have an idea for a general session? Check out our proposal submission directions and how to submit your session/s (due September 30th). More information on our website including: Case to Attend, Schedule Overview, Registration Information and more. We look forward to seeing you at #WEMTA21!!! 

 

Renee Deschard & Malena Koplin, #WEMTA21 Conference Co-Chairs

conference@wemta.org   and conference-co@wemta.org

Decisions, Decisions - Thinking About Fall, School and Your Library

Now that SLP is winding down, many of us are continuing on the COVID-19 roller coaster of uncertainty as we navigate our service and program plans for fall. Will our local schools be starting in person classes or online - or some combination of both? Will parents be considering homeschooling their children?  And what does any of this mean in terms of our programming as we look ahead to autumn.  

For libraries who have been able to offer outside challenges or do programs outside, how do cooler weather and earlier darkness play into planning? We know many families feel overwhelmed by virtual options and these types of programs offered a welcome respite. But WI is WI and we know what is coming.

Will our school partners be overwhelmed or is it possible that there is some cooperative plans we can make with our school colleagues? Can we create mutually beneficial grab-and-go activities to distribute at the schools to help take some of the burden off our teaching peers and still connect to kids?

And how much bandwidth do you have going forward knowing that we are in for a long haul of upheaval yet in this pandemic? How do we continue to take care of ourselves when we may feel isolated and, frankly, burned out.

Image by Thanks for your Like • donations welcome from Pixabay

This post clearly doesn't have answers to alot of these questions. But we do have resources to help you start thinking about which way you might want to go while also taking care of you. School decisions are local, but the DPI's Education Forward: Reopening WI Schools is helpful to understand what schools may be looking at. Refreshing yourself with the constantly updated DPI WI Public Libraries Reopening Guide can help you with your programming planning.

DPI also has a webpage of  resources to help families doing homeschooling and this is a resource that can be helpful to library staff as well. Abby the Librarian recently posted an excellent list of recommended homeschooling books and resources for libraries. These resources can help you navigate questions from families new to homeschooling.

Finally, in these tumultuous time, when making these decisions not just in our work life but within our own homes sometimes gets overwhelming, DPI and WI library system staff have pulled together some incredible resources to help you cope with stress and mental health issues. This is a much needed list.

Re-Opening Issues YSS blog COVID-19 series:

WI Library Reopening Guide Addendum 4/6/21

The Mask Ask – Strategies for Cooperation  11/15/20

You Are not Alone – Coping with Your New Library Life  9/19/20

Decisions, Decisions – Thinking About Fall, School and Your Library  8/5/20 

Back to School Considerations and Tips for Libraries  8/15/20

We’re Re-opening – You’ve Got This!  7/15/20

We’re Re-opening – Should We Do In-Person Programming This Fall?  7/9/20

Digital Bytes – Unpleasant Convos (During a Pandemic) & Communication Tips (While Wearing a Mask)  7/7/20

We’re Re-opening – Wisconsin Public Libraries Reopening Guide  6/4/20

We’re Re-opening – Coping with Reluctant Patrons and Programming 6/3/20

We’re Re-Opening – Cleaning and Disinfecting Youth Areas  5/13/20

COVID-19 and Libraries: Your Questions Answered with Dr. Dipesh Navsaria (webinar) 5/19/20

Back to School Collaboration

In the spirit of work at the national level through ALA’s State Ecosystem Initiative and the new Public Library & School Library Collaboration Toolkit done through collaborative efforts of AASL, YALSA, and ALSC, WEMTA, WLA, and DPI are working together to support and foster communications and collaborations among Wisconsin public and school librarians in order to better support the communities we serve. Each quarter we will share a resource, strategy, or example with you that could be used as a talking point in your community. Please use these ideas to initiate or continue to build relationships with public and school librarians.

When thinking beyond Summer Reading Program promotion, how often are we public librarians in the schools? How often are we school librarians present in the public library? Finding simple strategies to engage throughout the year can foster better relationships between school and public libraries that benefit the entire community. What’s our first step? Know our contact at the school/library so that you have a go-to person for communication and collaboration!

Ways to break the ice:

• Set up a breakfast meeting to chat, share information and learn about each other
• Stop by and visit the school library or public library and chat with colleagues; get to know their space
• Ask how you can help your colleague
• Invite a school or public library colleague along for a road trip to the CCBC to look at books or attend a book sale

Ways to engage: 

• Public and school collaborative library presentations at school faculty meetings and/or public library staff meetings throughout the year (Key: Keep it short!)
• Sharing important dates in advance (testing; big programs for either organization; closed dates; etc)
• Co-teach a library resources class during a professional development day 

Extending engagement:

• Offer to do a program for your public library and promote it with the kids at your school
• Offer to lead a story time/author study at the school and/or public library
• Offer to come to classes during Poetry month or at another time to do mini-popup booktalks
• Consider developing a mutual event (literacy night; reading carnival; book club; cooperative winter reading program) and plan it together

The key is to open the conversation, listen, and see where opportunities lie to strengthen service to families in our communities. Anytime is a great time to start collaborating with our peers in the public or school library!

This message brought to you through the collaboration of Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association (WEMTA), Wisconsin Library Association (WLA), and DPI School and Public Libraries. If you are interested in working on future tidbits or have other suggestions for collaborations, please contact Marge Loch-Wouters (WLA) or Micki Uppena (WEMTA) .

We Are Warriors Fighting Summer Slide

In the spirit of work at the national level through ALA’s State Ecosystem Initiative and the new Public Library & School Library Collaboration Toolkit done through collaborative efforts of AASL, YALSA, and ALSC, WEMTA, WLA, and DPI are working together to support and foster communications and collaborations among Wisconsin public and school librarians in order to better support the communities we serve. Each quarter we will share a resource, strategy, or example with you that could be used as a talking point in your community. Please use these ideas to initiate or continue to build relationships with public and school librarians.

Click here for Full Size Graphic

We all know “summer slide” can affect school-age children during the summer months – especially children who lack access to books. Schools and public libraries are powerful partners to help engage kids both prior to and throughout the summer.  Summer learning, summer reading, opportunities for discovery, experimentation and exploration are all ways libraries can support youth and families during vacation time.

Here are a few ways to collaborate between school and public library peers and support kids in their summer learning adventures:

• Work with your schools to create a summer lunch site for children at the public library. This an opportunity to present both active and passive programs for families to engage in while at the library. There are several libraries that have already put this in place, i.e. Neenah Public Library, T.B. Scott Free Library (2019 will be their first summer).

• Create summer learning adventures with kids at the public library– and include not just active programs but passive programs that families can engage in any time they come to the library: STEM programs; coding; discovery stations; literacy areas (word games; puzzles; challenges; scavenger hunts).
• School library collaborative ideas focused ideas/conversation starters:

• Can we schedule a library card sign-up day, either before the end of the school year, or during open house evenings at schools in August/September?
• Can we schedule time to promote our public library summer reading programs before the end of the school year?
• What kind of STEM/Makerspace/Coding Clubs do you have? We would like to compliment the learning with continued opportunities throughout the summer at the public library.
• What type of summer school programs are happening at your school? We would like to compliment the learning with continued opportunities throughout the summer at the public library.

If you’re looking for more information on summer learning/reading, here are two organizations with great resources:

• The National Summer Learning Association offers online resources, research, and practical tips related to summer learning and preventing summer slide.
• Summer Matters is a California organization that provides research and tools on preventing slide that are relevant nationwide. Check out their Learning Recruitment Guide and follow the Twitter hashtag #whysummermatters  to keep the discussion going.

This message is brought to you through the collaborations of Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association (WEMTA), Wisconsin Library Association (WLA), and DPI School and Public Libraries. If you are interested in working on future tidbits or have other suggestions for collaborations, please contact Marge Loch-Wouters (WLA) or Michele Green (WEMTA) .

This Message Brought to You by WLA and WEMTA!

In the spirit of work at the national level through ALA’s State Ecosystem Initiative and the new Public Library & School Library Collaboration Toolkit done through collaborative efforts of AASL, YALSA, and ALSC, WEMTA, WLA, and DPI are working together to support and foster communications and collaborations among Wisconsin public and school librarians in order to better support the communities we serve. Each quarter we will share a resource, strategy, or example with you that could be used as a talking point in your community. Please use these ideas to initiate or continue to build relationships with public and school librarians.

HOW TO GET STARTED WITH ASCHOOL/PUBLIC LIBRARY COLLABORATION

There are many ways that we can initiate partnerships and networking with our school and public library colleagues. One excellent way is capitalizing on already existing national efforts with high visibility and support materials. To get started or refresh your collaborations, the Public Library and School Library Collaboration Toolkit, developed by AASL/ALSC/YALSA Interdivisional Committee on School/Public Library Cooperation, suggests: “The American Library Association (ALA) hosts various initiatives relevant to both school and public libraries, offering opportunities to partner and share resources:   

• ALSC’s Every Child Ready to Read initiative is relevant for preschool and elementary schools, as well as public libraries year-round
• Teen Read Week and Teen Tech Week are national celebrations that occur annually
• National Library Week is held every April, which is also School Library Month
• September is Library
• Card Sign-up Month
• Additional ALA events occur throughout the year

If you have already planned activities, consider suggesting a joint flyer that promotes opportunities at both locations. Joint promotion shows patrons that the public library and school library are extensions of each other. Promoting each other’s events is a simple way to start a partnership and can evolve into co-hosting events.”

You can find more information about hosting collaborative events in the Toolkit (pp 22-33). Both WLA and WEMTA value the partnerships of all type of libraries. There are several of these partnerships happening around the state right now! Want to share how you have partnered and potentially be spotlighted in an upcoming Tidbit? Fill out THIS FORM and share your ideas!  

This message brought to you through the collaborations of Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association (WEMTA), WisconsinLibrary Association (WLA), and DPI School and Public Libraries. If you are interested in working on future tidbits or have other suggestions for collaborations, please contact Marge Loch-Wouters (WLA) or Michele Green (WEMTA).

This Message Brought to You by WLA and WEMTA!

In the spirit of work at the national level through ALA’s State Ecosystem Initiative and the new Public Library & School Library Collaboration Toolkit done through collaborative efforts of AASL, YALSA, and ALSC, WEMTA, WLA, and DPI are working together to support and foster communications and collaborations among Wisconsin public and school librarians in order to better support the communities we serve. Each quarter we will share a resource, strategy, or example with you that could be used as a talking point in your community. Please use these ideas to initiate or continue to build relationships with public and school librarians.

INTERNET DISCOUNT FINDER

Digital equity has become an urgent issue as schools assign more and more of their students with personal, mobile devices to access classroom materials and productivity tools, however, 20% of Wisconsin households do not have access to the internet. For many children and adults, the public library is the only source of internet access outside of the school day where these devices can be used.

The Internet Discount Finder, created by the Wisconsin Public Services Commission, can help low-income households find discounted internet service. Discounts are as deep as 80%. Schools and public libraries can play a critical role in promoting the Internet Discount Finder, to help all of their students and library users get internet access at home.

The Internet Discount Finder is not just for households with students. It is designed to help *all* Wisconsin families and residences get internet access. Check out this blog post for more details and this slide presentation for helpful PR ideas to spread the word to your families

Schools and public libraries both can play a huge role in getting this information out to our families and communities. Let’s work on this together!

This message brought to you through the collaborations of Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association (WEMTA), Wisconsin Library Association (WLA), and DPI School and Public Libraries. If you are interested in working on future tidbits or have other suggestions for collaborations, please contact Marge Loch-Wouters (WLA) or Michele Green (WEMTA) .

ALA Public Library & School Library Collaboration Toolkit

Look at our colleagues at ALA - so many helpful resources shared with us!

Just out is the joint ALSC/YALSA/AASL Toolkit focusing on best practices for initiating and engaging in public and school library collaborations. This uber helpful toolkit can be downloaded or linked to and contains:

• information on how to start and continue a school-public library collaboration
• research that supports that collaboration
• examples of successful collaborations
• useful templates

Stop here to read and/or downlaod your free copy!

Gimme a C (for Collaboration!): Let’s Talk

We know school collaboration and outreach to schools are both important.  But how often do we take the time to stop and talk about the specifics? Why is it a priority and how are we building these important relationships?

The Youth Services staff at the Sacramento Public Library spent the month of February exploring outreach to schools and what to prioritize with their outreach efforts.  The topic at the heart of the discussion was "building relationship with schools."

Why not take a moment in the lead-up to summer to talk with your colleagues about your strategy for building relationships with schools?  Read the conversation starters HERE.