Throw-It Thursday: Weeding is for Everyone!

Ashley Borman, Technical Services Librarian at the Clintonville (WI) Public Library is back with her monthly column and has some great advice on making sure your collections are updated.

Last month, I attended a webinar through the Wild Wisconsin Web Conference (Post-Conference Resources - Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference) about Managing Library Collections (because we can always learn something new from others, amiright?) presented by Kymberlee Powe a children/young adult consultatnt at the Connecticut State Library (Kymberlee Powe - LibGuides Home at Connecticut State Library.). She was interesting and engaging. It was a great refresher course for me, as I know I tend to get hyper-focused on one way of doing things sometimes. I also learned some new ideas about managing collections.

One of the best takeaways I found was who weeds and how.  In my library, front desk staff (and sometimes even the pages), typically only give me books that are damaged to see if I can repair them or if they should be discarded. However, in her presentation, Powe points out that all staff members need to understand why weeding is essential in libraries. When they understand the importance, they can look at items and think, this looks really old and outdated, or this looks too damaged, etc. For their library, they have a “weeding slip”:

Managing Library Collections 2026.pptx

I love the idea that staff could see something and think, ‘I wonder if this should really still be circulating?’ I am tempted to come up with my own, similar slip for our staff to use for materials when they come back in and encourage them to look at items just beyond their condition. Of course, they don’t have the authority to just delete items from the system, which is why a slip would be great - it covers most everything and leaves space for other notes. Items should then be given to the person(s) responsible for collection development so they can make the final decision. 

What do you do in your library? Is it time to make some changes to your weeding ways?

Tips and Info from DPI's December 3, 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 December 3, 2025 edition:

View as a webpage  /  Share     Hello All,  Check out these library youth services resources and reminders!  CSLP Swag Bag Winners!  Congratulations to Natalie (Slinger Community Library), Annette (Tomahawk Public Library), Kirbie (Deerfield Public Library), and Lara (Stephenson Public Library)!  Each library will receive Unearth A Story swag (pencils, bookmarks, stickers, and more!) courtesy of Collaborative Summer Library Program.  CSLP Newsletter  Check out the latest Collaborative Summer Library Program newsletter full of great information about the 2026 Summer Symposium (Thursday, December 4, 2025 - you can still register to attend!), new items in the CSLP shop, and the Color Our World Annual Survey Report.  Wild Wisconsin Winter Webinar Conference – Registration is open!  Registration is now open for the Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference. This is a free two day virtual conference taking place on January 21st and 22nd. It includes two full days of informative sessions and opening speakers based on the tracks of management, collection development, programming, small libraries, and more!    Learn more about the conference and register for individual sessions here.  Friends of the CCBC Book Sale  Friday, December 5, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 6, from 8:00 to 11 a.m. The final hour on Saturday is a bag sale!  This sale includes thousands of new and gently used books for children and teens.  All proceeds benefit the Friends of the CCBC, Inc., which supports the work of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, a library serving pre-service and practicing librarians and teachers across Wisconsin.   Please visit https://ccbcfriends.org/book-sale/ for more information.  Space Science Institute: Science Across America  As America celebrates its 250-year anniversary in 2026, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and STAR Net are launching a new campaign to help libraries highlight the history of scientific achievement in our country and the local connections to science in our communities.   SCIENCE ACROSS AMERICA, the newest campaign from Spark of Science@ My Library, invites libraries to showcase local scientific advances, engage communities in a discussion about how local science is relevant to their lives with focused Community Dialogues, and host educational and inspirational activities that shine a light on the past, present, and future of science in our lives.   All materials are free to participating libraries. Learn more on the Application Page. We are looking for at least two libraries from every state and territory to participate.   Applications are due by December 27th, 2025.  Jeni Schomber Public Library Consultant  The DPI does not sponsor or endorse external resources or events. They are provided for your consideration only. Contact: jeni.schomber@dpi.wi.gov

Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference

Photo from wildwinterweb.com

Registration is now open for the Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference. This is a free two day virtual conference taking place on January 21st and 22nd. It includes two full days of informative sessions and opening speakers based on the tracks of management, collection development, programming, small libraries and more! 

Learn more about the conference and register for individual sessions here.

Tips and Info from DPI's Jan 9, 2025 Youth Services Newsletter

Jeni Schomber's DPI Youth Services Weekly Reminders and Resources is chockfull of great resources. 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 January 9, 2025 edition:

So many good things in this week's email! 

Play Make Learn Annual Conference

• Call for Proposals is now open!
• You are invited to submit a proposal to present at the 2025 Play Make Learn Conference, held August 21 and 22, 2025, in Madison, Wisconsin.
• Deadline for submissions is March 7, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Notification will be sent in April 2025.
• Submit your proposal here!

Wild Winter Wisconsin Web Conference

• There is still time to register for this virtual conference that will be held January 22 and 23.
• Fourteen session will be available in four different tracks, including Management, Internal Communications, Reference and Reader's Advisory, and Small Libraries.
• Register online today!

2025 CLEL Bell Awards Shortlist Announced

• Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy has announced the Bell Awards shortlist. Librarians, caregivers, and all children's book lovers are encouraged to vote for their favorites until January 31, 2025. The winners will be announced in early February.

Smokey Bear Reading Challenge

• Did your library participate in the Smokey Bear Reading Challenge in 2024? If so, the USDA Forest Service is excited to learn about how the Smokey Bear Reading Challenge went at your location. If you can please take just a few moments to complete the following survey, that would be greatly appreciated: https://forms.office.com/g/QQq84KgKut. We kindly ask for responses by January 31st. Your responses will provide vital information regarding the program’s reach across the country. The Forest Service also welcomes any additional stories, pictures, or other information you would like to share about the challenge that you are not able to include in the survey response (just email those to rachel.bayer@usda.gov).

Save the Dates! Wisconsin Science Festival Curiosity Unleashed

• We are also thrilled to announce that this coming festival will be held October 16-26, 2025. This year, we’re giving science even more room to shine! To celebrate the 15th Wisconsin Science Festival, we’re expanding from one week to ten days. By kicking off on a Thursday, we’re incorporating two weekends of events, making it easier for everyone to join the fun. More days, more discoveries, and more opportunities to explore the wonders of science!
• While you’re marking your calendar, be sure to also put a hold on Thursday, April 24, 11:30-12:30p for our official kickoff party. All are welcome to attend this virtual call to learn more about this year’s festival and how to get involved as an event host. Stay tuned for registration information for the kickoff party and event submission details for 2025.

BadgerLink Bulletin

• Britannica School - High is being updated in late January to early February 2025. Updates include redesigned Homepage, revamped article layouts, and enhanced navigator tools. 
• Register for a free, live webinar next Tuesday, January 14 at 3PM CT or Wednesday, January 15 at 10AM CT to view the updates before they happen. If you can't make it, register to receive the recording link. 

Need Mental Health Help But You Aren't in a Crisis? Try a "Warmline" - Huffpost article

• Please consider this resource for your patrons and for yourselves. "Warmlines" help prevent smaller issues escalating to mental health emergencies and fill the gap when counseling or therapy is not readily available or affordable.

Jeni Schomber 

Public Library Consultant 

Library Services Team 

Division for Libraries and Technology 

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction 

608-266-2749 

jennifer.schomber@dpi.wi.gov 

Save the Date!

 

Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference - Save the Date: January 24-25, 2024!

Yes we know it's early, but the newly crisp air says we need to have fun stuff on the horizon when the real WI winter hits. Post -holidays can be cold, dark and miserable. But not if you have the shining light of this home-grown-and-nationally-recognized-speakers-web-conference to fill up your mind and heart with all things library. 

Watch the website and your system newsletters for news as we get further into November and December!

Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference - Recordings and Presentations Available for Perusal!

Did you miss a session for the Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference last week?  

Or, perhaps, you were unable to attend at all? 

Good news!  You can find the slides and recordings on the conference website!

Click HERE to start exploring!

Wild WI Winter Web Conference is Almost Here

Just a few more days until this wonderful learning opportunity begins (Jan 22-23) . Mindful of uncertain winter weather, this conference meets you where you are during January's ice and snow - in your office or home.  There are fourteen sessions to choose from!

Register here.

Call for Proposals for SSCS Conference

Below is another great opportunity to share your knowledge and experience with other library staff serving youth (and all our other library patrons!) in Wisconsin. The YSS Board is always happy to help members polish a proposal; just send us an email.

Marge Loch-Wouters, WLA President, also highly recommended this session from the Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference 2018 on public speaking: Kick Starter: How to Become a Great Speaker: A Step By Step Guide    Recording    Slides

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Greetings on this chilly, sunny day!

 

Planning for the 2018 WLA Support Staff and Circulation Services (SSCS) One-Day Professional Development Conference is in full swing! The conference will be held Thursday, May 24th, 2018 on the picturesque campus of UW-Baraboo.

 

The conference planning committee is now accepting proposals and recommendations for presentations, panels and workshops. Suggested topics include but are not limited to: technology, managing difficult patrons, training student workers, bringing the library outside, community partnerships, bridging the generational divide, stress reducers, etc. What is it that makes your library shine?  Successful presentations should be approximately 45 minutes, include 10-15 minutes of question and answer, showcase effective and innovative practices, and be applicable to many types of libraries.

 

Presenters should fill out the online registration form (linked below) by Friday, April 6th, 2018. Presenters will be notified of acceptance by April 13th at the latest. 

 

Please let me know if you have any questions.  We're looking forward to an excellent conference--and your program ideas help make it that way! 

 

Cheers!

Brendan Faherty, 2018 SSCS Chair

Online Program Proposal form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScmiOwnCuZLjzN24-5oTsvwUcoitqKc_eYjx_DwcupUY2Cmkg/viewform?usp=sf_link

We Know How to Winter CE in Wisco!

Here comes my favorite time of year - January. I snuggle up, immerse myself in a hygge mindset, read, relax and learn while snowflakes whirl outside.

Oh, and of course, January means the return of the wildly popular Wild WI Winter Web Conference, the brainchild of Jamie Matczak. The 2 day conference is held January 23-25 in the comfort of your office or home. The state-wide virtual learning fest is sponsored by 16 library systems.

Nineteen great programs (including a youth track) will keep your mind engaged and your discovery/innovation brain cells hopping! Registration for these free sessions is now open.