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 July 30, 2026 edition:
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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!
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Teenagers (Part 3): Teenagers in Groups
Date & Time: Thursday, September 11 at 1:00 PM (Central)
Description:
Register here.
Be sure to check out the other parts of the series as well!
Teenagers Part 1: Basics of Teenage Behavior may be found here. It covers:
Teenagers Part 2: Teens with Trauma/ACES may be found here. It covers:
All staff that interact with teens would benefit in viewing the introductory webinar as it goes through teen brain development, how teens view/react to situations differently, how to set/enforce boundaries, and how to build a relationship with teens that leads to better outcomes.
The first part of the series Teenagers: Basics of Teenage Behavior may be found here.
Teenagers Part 2: Teens with Trauma/ACES will be held on Thursday, August 14 from 1-2 PM (Central Time). The topics covered will include:
You can register for this webinar here.
Jason Reynolds/Simon & Schuster Travel Grants will be awarded annually to five black/African American youth/teen services public or school librarians to attend the ALA Annual conference.
The grants provide up to $3000 (and not less than $1500) to cover actual expenses for five black/African American librarians selected by ALA for travel, housing, registration, and cost of ticket to the Coretta Scott King (CSK) Awards Breakfast.
The Wisconsin Valley Library Service shares this recent information from their January 2023 newsletter.
YSIE Get-Togethers Continue in 2024
The first Youth Services Information Exchange (YSIE) of 2024 will be held virtually from 9 - 11 a.m. on Thursday, January 18. Resources on STEAM programs, kits, and passive programs will be shared. Attendees are asked to bring examples and ideas.
Due to staffing changes, WVLS hasn’t hosted a YSIE opportunity since late 2022. In this newsletter, WVLS Public Library Services Consultant Kristie Hauer talks about the importance of these discussion and information-sharing experiences and what to look forward to in the future.
Why is it important to continue these opportunities?
YSIE get-togethers are informal grassroots gatherings of library staff who serve youth. These collegial discussions are important to resource- and information-sharing as well as brainstorming, as participants are encouraged to share their own success stories as well as questions and advice. Learning from and sharing with our colleagues, whether virtual or in-person, can energize, inspire, and inform all who attend.
How many people do you hope will attend on January 18?
It would be great to have 10-12 youth services staff at our first get-together of the year and work together to grow it from there!
What are possible topic areas for 2024?
The first YSIE will discuss STEAM programs and resources as well as passive programs. Possible topics for future YSIEs include all ages/multigenerational programming and collection development, including collection organization. While each get-together will focus on one or two topics, there will also be time for participants to bring their own topics for discussion.
Are youth services staff from libraries outside of WVLS welcome to attend?
Absolutely! Anyone with interest or involvement in youth services is welcome to attend. There will be 3-4 YSIE get-togethers in 2024. Get-togethers will be a combination of virtual and in-person. The in-person YSIEs will showcase the host library’s spaces and services that support youth. In-person get-togethers will be held at the Granton Community Library and Minocqua Public Library in 2024.
How else can library staff who serve youth share information?
There is a WVLS Youth Services Information Exchange group on Facebook! This is another communication channel for youth services staff to post program and service ideas and resources.
Check out the latest edition of Monday Mentions for registration information for the January 18 YSIE or contact Kristie at khauer@wvls.org.
The program is a continuation of the 2023 Teen Internship pilot program. In the summer of 2023, five Wisconsin public libraries offered paid summer internships using LSTA grant funding to recruit and hire teens that reflected the diversity of their communities. The teen interns brought their skills, interests, and experiences to the library by developing a Connected Learning Project. Participating libraries learned how to engage and support teens while creating career pathways to increase diversity in the field of librarianship.
For more information on how your library can apply to become one of the five participating libraries in this year’s Teen Inclusive Internship Program, register to attend one of two informational webinars being held. Please register for only one date:
In this 2024 Teen Inclusive Internship webinar, participants will learn about the program’s goals, what is expected of the library, the mentor, and the intern, and how to apply for the program. Up to $3,000 in funding is available for each of the five Wisconsin public libraries chosen to participate in the program that runs from June 1 to August 31, 2024.
This webinar will be recorded and available for those unable to attend the February 8 or February 9 webinar.
Important Dates:
For more information or questions, please reach out to the DPI’s Library Services Team Public Library Consultant Jeni Schomber at jeni.schomber@dpi.wi.gov.
Lots of great online spring CE courses coming up. For all courses, you get 10% off your registration when you register at least 2 weeks in advance. These courses are asynchronous - which means you can access the content each week at a time most convenient for you!
Check out the offerings:
Teens in the Library Feb 5- March 17 (6 weeks) Linda Jerome, La Crosse Public Library
You’ve got teens in the library–now what? Or maybe you’d like to have more teens in the library, so how exactly do you do that? This course will help provide library staff with a foundation upon which they can build successful service to teens in their community through programming, attractive space for teens in their library, teen collections, and outreach and community partnerships. Learn to create opportunities for teens to become happy, healthy, and successful adults. Class discussions will address how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected teen services, as well as strategies for success moving forward.
Programming with Purpose Feb 26-March 24 (4 weeks) Kelsey Johnson-Kaiser, St Paul (MN) Public Library
We all want our libraries to have strong programming. How do you know if your library is producing meaningful programs that align with vision, support the mission, and recognize staff capacity versus simply falling into the “more is more” trap? Regardless of your library’s size, there are ways you can bring intentional thinking into programming so you’re supporting the community while working smarter. This course will explore broad perspectives on identifying programming values and goals as well as in-depth strategies for planning thoughtful, intentional programs for any age. Participants will actively focus on defining programming priorities that are informed by both current practices and goals; using a methodical practice to identify pain points and realistic solutions; implementing a project charter tool; and effective communication to aid in change management.
STEAM for Youth Services Mar 4 -March 31 (4 weeks) Kirsten Caldwell, La Crosse County Library
Are you interested in learning more about Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) for youth ages 0-5? This course will cover why STEAM is important for children, how libraries can support them in their learning, and how to include STEAM skills in library programs and storytime. We will also look at what’s coming next with STEAM in preschool.
Babies in Libraries March 18- April 28 (4weeks) Brooke Newberry, La Crosse Public Library
Library
service to patrons begins at birth. How can library practitioners offer the
best programs, collections, and services possible to the youngest members of
our communities (0-23 months)? After laying the groundwork for developmentally
appropriate practice, this course will provide strategies and ideas for
providing outstanding services to families with young children. Whether you are
new to the profession, considering starting a baby storytime, searching for
outreach partners, or looking to refresh your collection, this course will
build a foundation for working with the very young.
There are alot more classes of interest in other areas as well. Check out the full listing of tutorials and classes.
And if YOU have an idea for a class you'd like to develop and teach, reach out the iSchool continuing ed department at ce-info@ischool.wisc.edu. Sharing your knowledge and expertise is a great thing. The planners there are always happy to have new proposals. You can do it!
