Free Teacher Admission at Old World Wisconsin

Photo from oldworldwisconsin.org

Looking for a fun summer adventure? Try out Old World Wisconsin. Teachers! Look for free admission on July 31st!

Enjoy a day of history inspiration at Old World Wisconsin! Bring your teacher ID on July 31 for free admission to explore the living history site, discover classroom resources, and scout out field trip possibilities.

Help Review/Revise WI Library Standards

Here is a information from DPI about an amazing opportunity that you, as a youth librarian, may want to take advantage of. 

I've always believed that the voices of youth librarians and those who understand the needs of youth should always be at the table of any library planning  - whether within your own library and system or at the regional, state or national level. Our voices count and can bring valuable insight in representing the concerns and needs of youth AND of WI youth librarians from all library sizes across the state.

Here is an opportunity to sit at that table and help review and revise our state library standards. And it's an opportunity to activate library supporters from your community government to also step up to the plate. 

I've been part of this work in the past and YOU make a real difference with your youth service expertise. Let's do this! Marge L-W

The Wisconsin DPI Bureau of Libraries is seeking volunteers to help review and revise the
Wisconsin Public Library Standards. We are looking for people with a variety of administrative backgrounds in libraries of all sizes to participate! 

View the volunteer job description for more information.

If you are interested, please fill out the project volunteer form by September 19.

We'd also like to include representation from Wisconsin municipal and/or county government in this process. If you know a thoughtful library supporter in your local government, please forward this message and encourage them to consider participating.

Teresa Schmidt, MLIS (she/her/hers)
Public Library Administration Consultant | Bureau of Libraries
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
201 West Washington Ave | Madison, WI 53703
608-224-6167 | dpi.wi.gov

On, Wisconsin! End-of-Summer Survey Results

Check out the one-page PDF “report card” summarizing the end-of-summer survey:

Want a closer look or to print off a copy of your very own?  Click HERE.

Thanks to Michael Dennison for compiling and arranging this data on behalf of Wisconsin public libraries!

Coding Initiative in Wisconsin Public Libraries

Are you coding curious?  The Coding Initiative in Wisconsin Public Libraries webpage has been updated in response to the needs and interests of Wisconsin public library staff.

The updated webpages offer:
-  An interest inventory-brief quiz to identify your specific coding interests
-  Searchable and sort-able resource list of coding essentials
-  Concrete guides for eight coding topics,including coding basics, coding events, and finding coders.

You can also sign up to join the coding email list, or simply provide feedback on what else you'd like to see.  Whether you are just dipping your toe in, or taking a deep dive, you can enjoy these new coding resources!

Check out the webpage HERE.

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.

Data on Kids in WI

Kris Adams Wendt, Public Library Consultant for Wisconsin Valley Library Service shares some great info with state youth consultants and we share it with YOU. Kris writes:

I ran across Wisconsin Council on Children and Families changes name to Kids Forward during my morning media scan and wondered how many around the YSANDSN table were aware of this organization and the work they do.

When you have a minute, I encourage you to poke around the Kids Forward website, paying particular attention to the WisKids Count page. 

WisKids Count tracks, analyzes, synthesizes, and communicates data about the health and well-being of children and families in Wisconsin. WisKids Count is a part of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count project which seeks to enrich local, state and national discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all children.


The Kids Count Data Center provides access to a wide range on data on indicators of child well-being in Wisconsin. Using the tools in the Data Center, you can easily create a profile of your county or school district. For more information on how to use the Kids Count Data Center, see our instructional presentation.

YSS Powerhouse Presents: Serving Homeschoolers

May 2, 1:00 PM

YSS Powerhouse Presents is a series of webinars which features Wisconsin Library Association Youth Services Section Members. In this session, get some general information about homeschoolers in Wisconsin, and then hear about specific programs and services designed to meet the needs of homeschooled families, and about ways you might be able to slightly tweak existing offerings to reach this group of potential power-users. 

Panelists:  Sarah Cournoyer, Beaver Dam Public Library, Kathleen Larson, G.E. Bleskacek Public Library in Bloomer, Leah Langby, Indianhead Federated Library System, and Ashley Theim-Menning, Kaukauna Public Library.

Register here:  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4887241605853101314

The other sessions, coming in the fall, are called STEAM Programming for the STEAM-Averse and Where Are They?!  Getting Out to Get Teens In.  More details coming soon.

YSS Powerhouse Presents is co-sponsored by the Indianhead Federated Library System.  You can also access archived webinar sessions from YSS Powerhouse on the YSS Resource page.

Check Out These New Program Blogs

Every so often the forces of the universe align in a perfect way. This past week must have been that time. Let me share four wonderful new-to-me blogs (three from Wisconsin!) that have great programming content.

Library Makers is a blog that is written by Carissa Christen from Madison Public Library. I caught her presentation on preschool STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) programs in late February at the outstanding Southwest Library System Early Literacy Science and Math workshop in Fennimore. Her blog explores a number of her programs - WonderWorks, a preschool STEM series; Toddler Art class; CraftLab for teens and NeedleReads for teens and adults. Carissa generously shares her programs and tips. A keeper!


Miss Meg's Storytime is a brand new shiny blog from the "Meg"nificent Meagan Schiebel. Currently a UW-Madison SLIS student, she has been presenting storytimes IRL and gathering her goods in a binder. Binder has now morphed to blog. Meagan shares her books, songs, literacy tips and activities with confidence and a fun perspective. A definite blog for your feeds.

In Short, I am Busy (the title is based on a Mbundu poem) is by Jennifer Wharton of the Matheson Memeorial Library in Elkhorn. She has carefully divided out her original blog into posts on positive reviews; meh reviews and programs. This blog contains her programs and she shares the good, the bad and the bizarre. Well worth reading.

My final blog props go to a very new blog, Knowledge Matters, from Christina Jones of the Bloomington IN Library. She shares early literacy ideas in a profound and thoughtful way (just reading her "About" statement made me glad to meet her).

Get cosmic and put these blogs on your feed! 

Questions about the new budget?

From the March Library Connection - ESLS

The University of Wisconsin - Madison librarian Beth Harper has a research guide " to
government documents related to the Wisconsin state budget: the 2011 state budget, the 2011 budget repair bill, the 2011-2013 biennial budget, and the budget process". Click here to access this timely information. WLA has a legislative information status page available at: http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/legis/status.htm.