Tips and Info from DPI's January 15, 2026 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 January 15, 2026 edition:

 

 

Hello All,  Check out these youth services weekly resources and reminders!  Building Community Based Summers CSLP Spring Cohort application open!  The Collaborative Summer Library Program is excited to launch a third national cohort of Building Community Based Summers in Spring 2026.  BCBS is designed to help member libraries identify the “whys” behind their summer services, build strategies to engage community voices, and create and provide inclusive summer services for all members of their communities. The spring 2026 cohort will gather for online learning sessions once weekly for 6 consecutive weeks in March-April 2026.   There is no charge to participate. The application period is open through Monday, January 26, 2026.  CSLP Unearth a Story 2026 Manual Highlights Recording  Dig into some 2026 manual highlights and unearth some exciting programs, ideas, and adaptations for next summer!  View highlights video here!  View the highlights slides  Play Make Learn 2026 Conference: Call for Proposals  You are invited to submit a proposal to present at the 2026 Play Make Learn Conference (PML). The conference is a place for collaboration and discovery in the design, research and practice of playful learning, games for learning and positive social impact, making and makerspaces, STEAM education, and arts in education. PML creates an inspirational space for educators, designers, developers, innovators, librarians, museum professionals, makers, and researchers of all kinds to tinker together, share knowledge, and celebrate one another’s work.  Call for Proposals Deadline for Submissions: March 9, 2026, at 11:59PM Central  Submit Your Proposal Here: go.wisc.edu/PMLsubmit  STARnet Science Across America  As America celebrates its 250-year anniversary, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and STAR Net have launched 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 and scientists, engage your communities 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.  The deadline to apply has been extended to Friday, January 23, 2026. For more information, visit the STARnet Community blog post.    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

Storytime is essential

Photo by Alejandro Barba on Unsplash

"Storytime is essential." This quote from an article in The Horn Book  caught my eye recently as I was flipping through the magazine. When we're in the weekly grind of storytime, it's easy to forget that. It's easy to get stuck in the monotonous routine of  nursery rhymes, movement activities, picture books, and puppets. Every once in a while it's nice to be reminded of how important what we do is to the community we serve. 

I want to share a story with you about a time I was sweetly reminded of what we are truly doing when we serve the families we serve. There was a young girl, we'll call her Ann. Ann came to storytime every week, and never spoke a word. Her mother told me that she didn't speak any English, so they came to storytime to help her learn, and to have her be around other kids. For months they came and Ann would smile and bop along to music, but still didn't speak. One day about three months after they started coming, we were ending storytime with bubbles (as we always do) and Ann yelled out as loud as her little lungs would allow, "BUBBLES!" It was the highlight of my year. It was the first English word I heard her speak, and from there she just kept talking. 

Her family moved recently, but her mom wrote a card to the youth librarians before she went she left a card saying, "You are literally her first teacher and through your storytimes she learned a lot. Now she can read and always loves bubbles, thanks to you." What an incredible reminder of the impact we as librarians have on the kids in our libraries. 

Do you have a story to share about a time when you felt the love? A compliment someone gave you, or a time that you could see the difference you were making? Let's end 2025 sharing some of that love with each other!

[Storytime Hits. Peterson, Hannah. The Horn Book. January/February 2026.]

Crayola Hosts Creativity Week!

Photo from crayola.com

If you're looking for a fun and free way to inspire creativity, Crayola has an idea! Creativity week kicks off on January 26th. Libraries that register will have access to 7 days of resources ready for you to use to spark some creativity with your students or patrons. 

"Educators know that kids are naturally curious, and they need to put their imaginations into action. When we nurture children's creativity, we give them a boost to reach their full potential and embrace innovative thinking." 

Learn more about creativity week
here.

Tips and Info from DPI's December 11, 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 11, 2025 edition:

 

Hello All, Check out these library youth services resources and reminders!  WiLSWorld Shorts: Take It Outside! Creative Library Programming in Outdoor Spaces  It might be cold outside now, but we’re dreaming of sunshine, story time under the trees, programs on the patio, and chalk art on the sidewalk!    Join us on Friday, January 23rd at 1:00 pm CT for a fun and inspiring webinar all about how libraries are using outdoor spaces to host creative, engaging programs.   Register to attend.   2026 Summer Teen Internship Informational Webinar  Registration for the DPI Bureau of Libraries Teen Internship informational webinar at 10 a.m., January 30, 2026, is open.  View the Teen Internship story on the WILibraries for Everyone blog.  Boosting Preschool Readiness: A Librarian’s Impact with PBS KIDS Resources  At Mead Public Library in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, families and children are getting ready for preschool – together. 2025 Wisconsin Librarian of the Year, Alison Loewen, developed the Ready, Set, PreK program designed for caregivers to help their children, and themselves, prepare for the first big day of preschool. The toolkit contains an activity book with activity suggestions, booklists, and more.   Interested in a FREE pdf of the activity book that you can use at your library? Fill out this PBS Wisconsin Education form and indicate in the notes field that you are interested in the Ready, Set, PreK Activity Book.   Talking Teen Services – Upcoming Webinars  Seeing Our Unseen Caregiving Youth – Tuesday, January 13, 2026,  at 12 p.m. CST - Caregiving youth who provide care for adults and/or younger children in their families, households, and communities often go unseen by professionals working in settings like public and school libraries. We ask “How do I get teens into the library?” instead of asking what responsibilities teens have at home that prevent them from visiting the library. During this session, our panel of experts and caregivers will help us learn more about how to better see these unseen young people.    How Could We Serve Caregiving Youth? - Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 12 p.m. CST - Through large and small group discussion, let’s come together to consider what shifts we could make to our spaces, systems, services, and programs that will allow us to meet some of the needs of caregiving youth and those in their care. From simple things we could change tomorrow, to big dreams with potentially big impacts on our organizations and communities, we can share in advancing our goal to serve all young people through our public and school libraries.  Participants may want to view the recording of the January 13th panel before this event for additional background information.  STARnet Science Across America  As America celebrates its 250-year anniversary, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and STAR Net have launched 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 and scientists, engage your communities 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.  The deadline to apply is December 27, 2025. For more information, visit the STARnet Community blog post.   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

Gotta Catch 'Em All! Pokémon in the Library

Ever thought about starting a Pokémon Club at your library?  Now is a great time!

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) are partnering with Pokémon to encourage and support Pokémon Clubs in libraries. "Through this partnership, AASL and ALSC will provide members with a Pokémon Club kit to participating libraries to run Pokémon Clubs for their communities. These kits will include materials, resources, scaffolded activities, and prizing for children ages 5-14 who are participating in these clubs."

Participation in the Pokémon Club program does require:

• That Pokémon Club coordinators are employed at a library or in a school as a librarian or media specialist.
• Have ALA Membership falling in either the Type I, Type II or Student categories.
• Membership in either AASL or ALSC. 

To find out more information and to sign up visit the ALA site here. 

Kid's Craft Fair!

Photo from Middleton Public Libray

This weekend the Middleton Public Library hosted around 50 kids for the 7th annual Young Entrepreneur Craft Fair. This was the biggest year yet with 40 different tables of kids selling their homemade creations. This event takes place on the main floor of the library drawing in patrons who are there for shopping and catching those who are there for their typical library business. 

We've finally gotten this event down to a science, making it easy and repeatable. 

1. An application goes out September 1st asking for age, type of craft, and availability on the date. 

2. Kids who are selected are notified October 1st and are required to confirm attendance.

3. Our sale takes place in November to coincide with a craft fair that takes place at the senior center across the street. 

It's truly amazing to see the work that the kids have put into creating their crafts. Many have created business names and signage about their businesses. They bring decor to set up their tables with tablecloths, lights, price menus and more. 

This program is becoming increasingly popular, and I will need to figure out how to limit the amount of kids next year. So far, we've been able to accommodate all the kids who apply and fit the criteria, but we've maxed out our space this year, and will need to change up the application process a bit next year.

See a video highlighting the fun on Facebook or Instagram. 

Tuesday Tips - Faux Stained Glass

Sam Jones is the Youth Services Librarian at the Beaver Dam Public Library. She shares tips to make your job easier in her Tuesday posts.

Over the years, I have seen many ways to create a stained glass craft project. The way I did it last month was super simple. 

You'll need: 

• A picture frame (I got mine from the Dollar Store)
• Sharpies
• Aluminum foil
• Optional: stained glass inspired coloring sheets for people to trace

First, you'll use a Sharpie to outline the design you want on the picture frame's glass. If you want to trace a coloring sheet, put the coloring sheet below the glass before you start tracing. Once the tracing is done, you'll color in the rest of the glass. 

Next, you'll take a piece of aluminum foil, crinkle it, uncrinkle it, and then put it in between the glass and the frame. Before putting the frame together, you'll want to flip the glass over so the part you colored on is facing the aluminum foil.

All ages and abilities enjoyed this craft. During the promotion of the program, many people  complimented the sample and said it looked like real stained glass.

Free Library Programs and Trademarks Webinar

Image by Alexa from Pixabay

WLA Members are invited to a free webinar hosted by the Outreach Services Round Table. To register, visit https://wla.memberclicks.net/outreach.

Teardrops on my 

Trademarked Library Program
Monday, November 10, 2:00 pm

Bluey Celebrations! Taylor Swift Parties! What can you include? What will get you a cease-and-desist letter? Attend this webinar to discuss the copyright and trademark implications to help you craft your next popular library program! Note: We are not lawyers but well-read librarians!

This webinar will be recorded.

Kelly Nelson
Coordinator of Library Development | Bridges Library System

Miss the Midday Mingle?

The first YSS Midday Mingle was a blast as we chatted all things storytime with colleagues sharing their top 3 books, songs, tips for first-timers, and more. 

Go ahead and mark your calendar for our next Midday Mingle a lively 'this or that' session covering the great debates of our field: craft or no craft, theme or no theme, registration or walk-ins, YA or teen, cardigan or hoodie.

Topic: This or That? 
Date: Monday, November 10
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 PM
Zoom Link

But worry not friends – I've got a recap of our storytime mingle to catch you up and tide you over! 

Image by Lubos Houska from Pixabay

Favorite Storytime Books

• Shh…. We Have a Plan by Chris Haughton
• Misunderstood Shark by Ame Dyckman
• Almost anything by Ame Dyckman
• DinoGro by Matthew Myers
• About a dinosaur that grows in water, and grows and grows and grows
• Lena’s Shoes Are Nervous by Keith Calabrese
• Great for right before school is back in session, about being anxious for the first day of school
• Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey
• Any Jan Thomas Books
• Roo Knows Blue by Renee Treml
• about a kangaroo
• Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson
• 100 Mighty Dragons all Named Broccoli by David LaRochelle
  
• Great bit for WI peeps with the knowledge that this is written by a Minnesota author
• Entertaining, silly way to introduce math
• Bob Not Bob by Liz Garton Scanlon
• Great for winter when everyone is sick, about being congested/stuffy, perform it with a stuffy voice, kids find it hilarious
• Bear has a Belly by Jane Whittingham
• Bad Dog by Mike Boldt
• Case of mistaken identity, birthday gift was a pet dog (holds up cat), laments that Rocky does not do things like other dogs (again Rocky is a cat), kids are delighted by it
• Seals on the Bus by Lenny Hort
• Lots of chances for animal noises
• Can You Do This? by Megan Roy
• Book has questions that prompt interactive activities for the storytime crowd – can you touch your toes, hop like a bunny, dance, etc. lots of options for movements and getting the sillies out – may need to spread out a bit for some of the actions
• Groovy Joe Ice Cream and Dinosaurs by Eric Litwin
• Teach the song and dance afterwards, good for a music and movement storytime, teaches about sharing with friends, and has ice cream and dinos! Perfect

Image by Moondance from Pixabay

Favorite Storytime Songs

• Tootie Tot
• Icky Sticky Bubble Gum
• Susan Salmador
• Shiny New Shoes Album but also everything
• Jim Gill
• Silly Dance Contest
• Hammer & Saw – has the sounds of those tools
• Laurie Berkner
• Monster Boogie – has a book to go with it
• Rocket Ship Run
• P-I-Z-Z-A to the tune of Bingo
• using a felt pizza and removing a piece with each letter to help the kids keep track

Tonight we have my favorite food.

Yes, friends, we're having Pizza

P-I-Z-Z-A, P-I-Z-Z-A, P-I-Z-Z-A, yes friends we're having Pizza!

• Fruit and Veggies Unite!
• Good active movements song, and chance to be silly – go bananas, go bananas
• Good chance for early literacy tips to caregivers - We’re going to sing a song now about fruits and vegetables. This song has lots of great action words in it like peel, mash, shuck, pop, slice, and squeeze.  Today when you eat lunch or dinner, try using these words again or introducing new words about the foods you’re eating with your child

Image by Martine den Engelsen from Pixabay

Favorite Non-Traditional Props

• Water explorers storytime
• Jar of water, shaving cream, blue food coloring
  
• Thinking how else to incorporate STEM into storytime props 
• Water, sink and float, experiment, guess if it will sink or float
• Bag of water, stick pencils into
• Farmers Market Storytime
• props, costumes, a lot of books with dialog, spray bottles to spray at crowd, hats for interrupting chickens, penguin hats, crow and pitcher costumes
• Rainbow stew
• bowl/pot and the felt veggies and fruit, spoon
• Magic Envelope
• different ingredients or parts of theme, put the stuff in and on the other side is the end product (i.e. pics of seed, water, soil, and on the other side of the envelope is a flower, have them guess what you are making before revealing
• A bus!
• Had a Pigeon storytime and had a person in the Pigeon costume roll up in a bus (not driving though!)
• Discussion of Stretchy Bands
• One participant did not like them, used them once, hard for kids to hold the tension correctly, got a bit wild
• One loves them
• Used at the beginning of music and movement when caregivers and kids are coming in, has them immediately grab the bands and start participating – sets the tone for the rest of the storytime – caregivers as active participants 
• Great for Row Row Row Your Boat, Wheels on the Bus, etc.

Favorite Rhymes

• My Two Hands

My two hands go clap, clap, clap

My two feet go tap, tap, tap

My two hands go thump, thump, thump

My two feet go jump, jump, jump

My one body turns around

and it quietly sits down

• Dinosaur Dinosaur

Dinosaur, Dinosaur

Dinosaur, Dinosaur stomp your feet.

Dinosaur, Dinosaur show your teeth.

Dinosaur, Dinosaur swing your tail.

Dinosaur, Dinosaur show your scales.

Dinosaur, Dinosaur show your claws.

Dinosaur, Dinosaur snap your jaws!

Dinosaur, Dinosaur give a ROAR!

Dinosaur, Dinosaur sit on the floor.

• I'm a Tiny T-Rex

I'm a tiny T-Rex, hatched from my egg

I’ve got tiny arms, and big, stompy legs

I want to make a sound, like a big dinosaur

Are you ready? Here it comes! 1-2-3 …

Meow. 

                    [Repeat with other noises for as long as you like]

You've totally guac this. Image by Katie Alford.

Tips for First Timers

• Keep it simple
• You don’t have to do it like the person who was there before you, make it your own, do what makes you comfortable
• You don’t have to be a great singer, you don’t even have to sing at all, you could exclusively use recorded music
• Remember its about the little people, your audience is the kids, don’t get nervous about the adults in the room, just pretend its all kids and lean into the silly fun time
• Slow down – slow your reading down, take your time, any story can be made interactive, use open ended questions, read a sentence and blank out the last word, have the kids fill in the blank on how the sentence ends
• Find an opening and closing song you love and repeat repeat repeat

Unexpected Storytime Happenings

• Color Our World Storytime – red theme, can you name red things, kids call out the usual things –  apple, fire truck, etc. But one kid calls out BLOOD
• Fire alarm pulled
• Child took their first steps
• Showing off injuries and then everyone wants to show and tell
• This could be incorporated into the story time start – check-in time, everyone show their ouchies, and then its done and you can move on

Books You'd Never Read Again

• Issues reading the Book with No Pictures, seemed like it’d be great, watched B.J. Novak do it, but in reality it went terrible and wouldn’t do it again
• Seconded – overthinking the pronunciations and tripping myself up trying to read it

The Scoop on Poop 💩

Book cover illustrated by Anna Su¨ßbauer

Mileage may vary on this one but one thing is for sure — kids find bodily functions and potty humor hilarious. Embrace their fascination with the foul through books and programming! 

Melissa Taylor notes in her post on Read Brightly, "Young readers will adore these stinky stories of our grossest yet often hilarious bodily functions: farts and poops. If your kids love potty humor in their picture books, these titles will be their next favorite read-alouds. Because whether it’s people or animals, poops and farts happen."

See her entire list here. [Gross Me Out! Hilarious Poop and Fart Books for Kids. Taylor, Melissa. Brightly blog.]

Then check out the Programming Librarian Interest Group on Facebook for program suggestions! Like this Poop Party post featuring TP races, Poop Shoot, Put the Poop in the Potty, and a photo booth! Or this thread discussing ideas and advice for a poop-themed programs for ages 6-10. From reaching out to local wildlife resources to teach scat identification and pairing it with a storytime featuring similarly themed books to DIY Poop Emoji squishies, this thread includes a ton of great ideas.

Are you on board with a poo themed party or have you already held one?  If so, please share your experience! Inquiring minds want to know, how did the poo party go?