Take your Library to Pride

Photo from Middleton Public Library

 This past weekend, Middleton WI hosted its 3rd annual Pride Fest to celebrate the LGBTQ+ members of our community. Over 3000 people attended this festival. There were vendors, foodtrucks, live music, drag storytime, a DJ and so much more! It was a festival of color and love and of people being their authentic selves. And, the library was honored to be part of it.

This is the second year we've taken our bookmobile to Pride, and people are so excited to see the library represented. This year we added a tent for teen volunteers to offer free glitter tattoos, too! We had 4 staff people and 5 teen volunteers help out at this year's event. We checked out books, handed out fans, flags, stickers, bookmarks and even some free books. 

We get so many positive comments from the local community and from people from around the United States that always mention that their library could never come to a pride event. And, this is why we do it. This is why we go. The library is for everyone. Happy Pride!

2026 WLA Call for Proposals

 

The 2026 WLA Annual Conference Call for Proposals is officially open! This year’s theme is “Rooted in Community,” and WLA is looking for presenters to share the creative, impactful work happening across our libraries, communities and campuses.

Session proposals for presentations, panels, and workshops from all library types and organizations, across departments and roles at every level, and from people of all backgrounds are welcomed.

Presenting at WLA is a chance to grow professionally, expand your network, and share your work with colleagues across Wisconsin. You’ll build confidence, strengthen your résumé, and spark conversations that help libraries learn from one another. Whether you’re a seasoned presenter or trying it for the first time, your experiences can make a meaningful impact on the library community.

Please submit your proposal by 5 p.m. CST on Friday, May 9: https://rebrand.ly/jgqptqj 

Save the date!
The 2026 Wisconsin Library Association conference is October 20-23, 2026
Marriott Madison West in Middleton, WI

 

 

Join the Library Makers Community

The Library Makers community is for people who run services and/or programs for library staff, past or current, or individuals who work with libraries, who have an interest in makerspaces and maker programming. Our community is inclusive, diverse and filled with hope and positive energy! Whether you are just starting out in the world of making or you have been at it for years, you are in a small library or big, you have a dedicated makerspace, a maker cart, or just maker programs, this is the place to collaborate and connect.

To keep Library Makers members engaged and to continue to bring value to LM, we need help from our members. We are looking for volunteers to provide leadership (in big ways and small) to keep LM growing and evolving as an integral part of the maker movement.

What’s in it for you? LM leaders say that they:

• Gain skill professionally (presenting at conferences, being tied to a nationally recognized initiative, learning new skills)
• Appreciate the time spent collaborating with colleagues across the country at various types of libraries (rural, urban, university-based, etc.)
• Love having their input matter and show up in how things change within the community that can affect the larger library field

There are four committees to choose from:

• Community building
• Sustainability
• Leadership Team
• Events & Programming

Election Information
The self-nomination form opens March 1 and closes March 31. Candidate profiles and interest statements will be shared April 25. The general election will run May 1 through May 15.

Join us in shaping the future of Library Makers—get involved in our committee elections and help drive our community forward!

Sarah French (she/her) 

Programming & Makerspace Librarian 

Irvin L. Young Memorial Library 

431 West Center Street 

Whitewater, WI 5​3190 

office: (262) 458-2782 

www.whitewaterlibrary.org 

sfrench@whitewater-wi.gov 

Two IFLS Webinars, Open to All!

A Community for All: Disability Inclusion in Libraries
with Shelley Harris

Wednesday, February 19, 1:00-2:30 pm

REGISTER HERE

 

“When children cannot find themselves reflected in the books they read, or when the images they see are distorted, negative, or laughable, they learn a powerful lesson about how they are devalued in the society of which they are a part.” (Rudine Sims Bishop)

This is also true for community settings! To best serve patrons with disabilities, we need to understand their community, culture, and needs. Together, we will

• build a foundation of disability knowledge
• explore disability experiences,
• learn how to provide safe and inclusive spaces,
• consider how to serve patrons through our collections without causing harm.

Although the examples are youth focused, they can be adapted for any age.

Please contact Leah (langby@ifls.lib.wi.us) with requests for accommodation by January 30. 

 

A Community for All:  Building Lifelong Community Connections Through Programming 

with Shelley Harris

Wednesday, March 12, 1-2:30 pm

REGISTER HERE

 

77% of people with multiple disabilities don’t engage in community activities, per a 2005 study. How can we reach this beautiful, vibrant community, gain their trust, and create programming and services that include and welcome them? We will

• discuss ways to make all of your programming more inclusive of people with disabilities
• share examples of ways to build upon the work you already do
• discuss ways libraries can support and amplify disability culture and identity, an important aspect of creating a welcoming environment.

Please contact Leah (langby@ifls.lib.wi.us) with requests for accommodation by February 26.

 

Both webinars will be recorded, captioned, and available on the IFLS website and IFLS Staff Academy.  Each will provide 1.5 contact hours for public library directors certification.

 

Presenter: Shelley Harris, MLIS, is a children’s librarian in Oak Park, IL with a passion for early literacy, serving and celebrating the disability community, and exploring technology. She has a younger brother with a rare genetic syndrome who has used AAC for almost 30 years, which inspired her to earn a Bachelors in Speech and Hearing Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She previously worked as a 1:1 paraprofessional with deaf and autistic children and has helped program her brother’s communication devices for decades. Everything she has learned from these experiences is funneled into creating inclusive and engaging library services and spaces for disabled kids and tweens, and helping families connect with services in the community. She can often be found practicing storytime songs with her black lab, Bingo.

 

Great Lakes, Great Read Book Selections Announced

As part of today’s Earth Day commemorations, the Wisconsin Water Library at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Wisconsin Library Association announced the books selected for a basin-wide shared-reading experience, Great Lakes, Great Read.

“The Water Walker” by Joanne Robertson is the children’s selection and the adult selection is “The Best Part of Us” by Sally Cole-Misch.

“The Water Walker” is the story of a determined Ojibwe grandmother, a “nokomis,” named Josephine Mandamin who walks to raise awareness of the need to protect “nibi” (water). Robertson wrote and illustrated the book, which was published in 2017.

Sally Cole-Misch published the novel “The Best Part of Us” in 2020. It explores a family’s ties to an island on an inland lake in northern Ontario, just north of Lake Huron—how those ties are tested both through natural processes and family dynamics.

“The Great Lakes have shaped Wisconsin as we know it. These inland seas provide drinking water and fuel our agriculture, shipping, manufacturing and recreation,” said WWL Senior Special Librarian Anne Moser. “These two books will bring the lakes alive in new and evocative ways. We hope readers will reflect on the lakes and be inspired, become passionate and feel more connected to them.”

WLA Executive Director Laura Sauser said, “All Wisconsinites are encouraged to read these titles, and we also hope to be a catalyst for libraries throughout the upper Midwestern states and Canadian provinces to engage patrons through a range of activities.”

Both selected authors will be featured in a free webinar series happening on Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 and 9. All events will start at 6 p.m., CT, and will be open to the public.

In November, the authors will be visiting Wisconsin for a variety of events. Please check the Wisconsin Great Lakes, Great Read webpage later this summer to learn more.

The Great Lakes, Great Read website offers further details on the authors, their books, book discussion questions, an email list signup option and other resources.

Please follow Great Lakes, Great Read on Facebook to get the latest updates, 

This initiative is made possible by an Ideas to Action grant from WiLS. Wisconsin Sea Grant and the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute support the Wisconsin Water Library.

 

# # #

 

Established in 1964 by the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute (WRI), the Wisconsin Water Library (formerly known as the Water Resources Library) is unique among UW-Madison’s many libraries for its collection of 30,000 volumes about the waters of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes. The library’s mission is to collect, preserve and provide science-based resources in support of  WRI and the Sea Grant College Program.

 

The Wisconsin Library Association is a professional organization representing all types of libraries – school, public, academic and special. Its membership comprises more than 1,300 librarians and support staff, library trustees, friends of libraries and business vendors who advocate and work for the improvement of library services for all Wisconsin citizens. .

 

 Link to press release here. 

Boost Your Own Professional Development

Image by Manfred Steger from Pixabay

A recent ALSC blog post by the ever thoughtful Jaime Eastman breaks down the many ways you can boost your own professional development outside employer-provided opportunities.

Jaime writes: "Does your job require regular professional development or continuing education? Often, this means mandatory training facilitated by your employer. It covers important topics and may provide useful tools and resources. But what about development that’s just for you?...What if you could explore topics just because they resonate, not because someone said you had to? I firmly believe choosing development opportunities that excite you should be an option. I’ll also admit that might not be your reality right now. Let’s talk about ways to add professional development that really resonates. What sparks your joy?"

Stop here to read all her great suggestions. [Boost Your Career: Professional Development Tips for Library Staff. Eastman, Jaime. ALSC blog. April 2, 2024.]

Great Lakes, Great Reads Program Announced

The Wisconsin Water Library at UW-Madison and Wisconsin Library Association to Partner on Great Lakes, Great Read

Program Aims to Connect Wisconsinites to the Great Lakes Watershed Through Reading

Calling all Wisconsin readers! The Wisconsin Water Library at UW-Madison and the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) are pleased to announce plans for Great Lakes, Great Read, a basin-wide community read program scheduled to launch in 2024. Great Lakes, Great Read is designed to inspire passion and connection to the Great Lakes Watershed through reading. The Wisconsin program will serve as a pilot with the goal of being a catalyst for the development of similar programs in other states and provinces in the Upper Midwest and Canada.

There is a need for greater education about the Great Lakes as an important natural resource. While approximately 34 million people in the US and Canada live in the Great Lakes Watershed, recent surveys, such as the 2021 International Joint Commission Great Lakes Regional Poll, show a lack of understanding of the threats facing the greatest freshwater resource in the world. Greater education – greater environmental literacy - is critical to cultivating stewardship of the Great Lakes and of water resources more broadly.

Enter Great Lakes, Great Read. The program’s “one book, one community” model, already adopted by many libraries, is a natural fit for a basin-wide project, and Wisconsin is the perfect state to pilot the project. Wisconsinites have a deep connection to water through culture, economy, tourism and way of life. Wisconsinites also have access to a well-connected network of academic, public and special libraries that serve as the center of our communities.

Funded by a grant from WiLS, the Great Lakes, Great Read program will officially kick off on February 1, 2024. The selected titles will be announced on Earth Day (April 22) 2024. Two books, one for adults and one for children, with themes related to the Great Lakes watershed will be announced. All Wisconsinites will be encouraged to read these titles, and libraries around the state will be encouraged to engage their residents through book discussions and related activities. While program designs are still being finalized, the plan is to host public presentations by the selected authors and a website that includes book discussion questions and other ideas for engagement. 

Watch the WLA website and join the Great Lakes, Great Read 2024 email list for program updates:  Great Lakes, Great Read email list.

Creating Connections When You Are New

Changing jobs or starting in a new position is always challenging. For some, the greatest challenge lies in building new connections and networks in the community you are now serving. From school contacts to collaborations with youth-serving organizations and businesses, your outreach can be vitally important in helping you serve your new community.

A recent ALSC blog post by Chelsea Arnold, on behalf of the ALSC Managing Children’s Services Committee, has some very practical tips on ways you can go from a newbie to an old hand in creating connections in your new place of work.  She writes: "Starting out in or moving to a new library can be daunting, especially if it’s in a new geographical location. Not only do you have to learn new systems and policies but you have a whole new community to get to know. Regardless of your role in a library, getting to know your community is one of the most important things you can do. You need to connect to the people who live around your library so they know what is happening and they are invested and interested in using the library."

And if you are not new to a community or job, these are tips you can share with new colleagues in your library, library system or region. Almost everyone who is new welcomes a helping hand!

Stop here to read the great list of practical tips. [Connecting to New Communities. Arnold, Chelsea. ALSC blog. May 21, 2023.]

Doing Good Together - an 2023 SLP Idea

Cole Zrostlik, Winding Rivers Library System consultant, recommends the Doing Good Together website. 

She writes: "In November, WRLS YS librarians welcomed MiaLisa Millares, executive director at Doing Good Together, a national, Twin Cities-based organization that empowers families to raise children who care and contribute, for a kindness-themed summer library program workshop. Please subscribe to the Doing Good Together newsletter and check out awesome resources, like book recommendations, service projects, printables, and more on the Doing Good Together website"

 

The goal of the organization is: "Doing Good Together™ (DGT) is a Minnesota-based national nonprofit that works to make volunteering and service, along with daily kindness, easy for every family. Our mission is unique and deeply layered. We provide tools to both families and organizations to help them raise compassionate, engaged children. Our innovative activities, resources, and support help make empathy and "giving back" a natural part of life's early lessons."

It's a great place to find projects, toolkits, book ideas  and program ideas that promote kids helping in the community.

Here are pictures from the WRLS DGT workshop:

Boredom Buster Bags Collaboration Project

The following fun is from the WVLS (WI Valley Library Service) December 2021 newsletter edited by Jamie Matczak.

Contributed photo

Each year, the Colby Community Library sponsors a holiday service project. In 2021, community members and patrons were invited to provide items for “Boredom Buster Bags” for children undergoing medical procedures at local hospitals.

The Friends of the Colby Community Library supplied gift bags for people to take home and fill with new items for children ages 3-11. Suggested items were activity or puzzle books, games, crafts, action figures, dolls, stuffed animals, building block sets, or anything that would fit in the bag and provide entertainment. The Friends purchased new books to insert in each bag. When the bags are returned, library staff and Friends members check each bag to make sure the items are age appropriate and match the bag with a child. 

The first deliveries were made to Marshfield Medical Center and Aspirus Health in Wausau. Medical staff members were elated with the donations. So far, 72 holiday themed bags and 105 year-round bags have been delivered! Another delivery will be made at the end of December.  

Director Vicky Calmes estimates another 150 bags will be collected.

"The Colby community has been SO generous. It is unfortunate that so many bags are needed for children requiring medical care, but it is heartwarming to know patrons and staff can help make their long days more enjoyable,” she said.

For more information on this project, contact Vicky Calmes at director@colbypubliclibrary.org.

"Creating Community Fun" Programs - Summer Storyteller Series

Engaging your community is a common--and important!--goal of every library.  But how can you do that when COVID-19 limits your opportunities to interact with one another?

One solution that we came up with at Aram Public Library in Delavan, WI was to create a Summer Storyteller Series: each week, we'd feature a guest reader--or readers!--in a video series on the library's Facebook page.

Now, the first thing to do was to secure our arsenal of readers.  I put out feelers to a multitude of local entities, including some of the more expected sources, such as the local schools and/or city departments. It was important, however, that a wide variety of our community was represented.  To ensure that this was the case, I also reached out to local businesses and different clubs, including some of the local restaurants, the nearby UW-Extension office...even a local motorcycle club!

Once I had my list of interested folks, I provided them with some basic information and offered to either: a) contact the publisher of their preferred read or b) send a suggested list of possible titles, if they didn't have a specific title or author in mind.  Additionally, I let folks know that, if they needed assistance filming, that could be arranged.

As the submissions began arriving, I scheduled out the posts for the summer.  While my extraordinarily talented coworker created some opening and closing credits to use for each installment of the series--ensuring that our patrons would recognize it as part of the Storyteller offering--I set to work alerting the publishers of our intent to read their titles online.

In order to allow viewers to participate as though it were live, I'm scheduling the videos using the Premiere function on Facebook.  I also made a point to announce our guest readers, the author, the illustrator, and the publisher, tagging their social media account whenever possible.

Our Summer Storyteller Series officially kicked off today, with our guest readers, the members of the Rustic Road Riders!  

Creating Community Fun YSS blog COVID-19 series

• Mini-Golf Reader’s Cup  9/25/21
• Beep! Beep! Honk if you have Bingo!    9/1/21
• Letters to Guinea Pigs  8/18/21
• Stuffed Animal Fun for Everyone  7/13/21
• Pet Show and Tell  4/17/21
• Campfire Storywalk 3/10/21
• Outdoor Storytimes 1/17/20
• Family Trivia Night  10/7/20
• Flipgard, Fanfare and Friends: River Falls Celebrity Storytime  9/21/20
• Tie Dye Masks  8/24/20
• Summer Book Picnics  7/13/20
• Engaging Kids Outdoors  7/10/20
• Downtown Story Stroll    6/5/20
• Book nCover Double  6/8/20
• Going the Extra Mile 6/15/20 
• Summer Storyteller     6/16/20

"Creating Community Fun" Programs - Downtown Story Stroll

Rhinelander (WI) District Library displays
 a story stroll in downtown businesses

We saw this idea of a downtown businesses "story stroll" in the June 2020 issue of WVLS (WI Valley Library Service) newsletter. The Rhinelander District Librarty's passive program was featured in a local TV news story too! 

Acting Children's Librarian Denise Chojnacki writes:

My colleague Marianne Steadman and I wanted to find another way to provide  storytimes during "Safer at Home," in addition to  our weekly virtual storytime. I contacted   businesses to see if they would be interested in  being part of a story stroll with an author who  had ties to the community. This was a visible  way that the library could show its presence, and   it would be a fun collaboration.

The response was very positive as we wanted to  not only give families a fun activity to do outside  but to spotlight the businesses that may be  struggling during this time.  The spreads are  displayed in plastic pockets and hung on the  outside of the window.

The book featured is "Hannah's Tall Order: An A to Z Sandwich,” by Linda Vander Heyden. The story can be read two pages at a time, in the windows of 15 downtown businesses. Families can stroll through downtown Rhinelander and read a children’s book along the way.

We have heard great comments about this project. In the future, the library plans on leaving the displays up and changing out the stories.

Creating Community Fun YSS blog COVID-19 series

• Mini-Golf Reader’s Cup  9/25/21
• Beep! Beep! Honk if you have Bingo!    9/1/21
• Letters to Guinea Pigs  8/18/21
• Stuffed Animal Fun for Everyone  7/13/21
• Pet Show and Tell  4/17/21
• Campfire Storywalk 3/10/21
• Outdoor Storytimes 1/17/20
• Family Trivia Night  10/7/20
• Flipgard, Fanfare and Friends: River Falls Celebrity Storytime  9/21/20
• Tie Dye Masks  8/24/20
• Summer Book Picnics  7/13/20
• Engaging Kids Outdoors  7/10/20
• Downtown Story Stroll    6/5/20
• Book nCover Double  6/8/20
• Going the Extra Mile 6/15/20 
• Summer Storyteller     6/16/20

Guest Post: Manitowoc Public Library: Trunk or Treat Family Event!

Guest Post: Julia Lee, Youth Services Manager, Manitowoc Public Library

This past October, Manitowoc Public Library hosted our first-ever Trunk or Treat event! For those who might not know, the premise of a trunk or treat program is to provide a family trick-or-treat experience in a safe, public environment. We started by contacting local organizations in town, such as the Police, Fire Department, Head Start, volunteer organizations, etc. We also reached out to any Scouts or 4-H contacts. I was hoping for 10 organizations to participate our first year – we had 27!!! *HAPPY DANCE*

We held Trunk or Treat in our library parking lot on a Tuesday evening. We normally hold a Family Activity Night with solid participation numbers, so we held it as one of our Family Activity Night programs. Though the weather was unseasonably cold, we had over 1,000 people attend. All the organizations are interested in participating next year – we just need to use a bigger parking lot! Clean-up was a breeze – all the cars pulled out of the lot and drove away.

For those looking for ways to get connected, this was a fantastic community building event! As the event got closer, our Facebook page BLEW UP! While at first I estimated maybe 300 people would attend, we soon had over 1,000 people interested on our Facebook event. In the weeks leading up to Trunk or Treat, I had organizations calling and reaching out to us instead of the other way around, trying to see if they could still participate. Trunk or Treat was easy to plan (mostly just emailing my contacts on a regular basis and setting up an evite), simple to execute, and easy to clean-up.

Notes from the program: This year, I created a vendor map of the parking lot for my staff so we knew where to direct them when they arrived. Next year, I am planning to send the map out ahead of time to my organizations for a smoother check-in process. I also bought extra treats and candy to have on hand in case organizations ran out. This was a GREAT idea, as some organizations ran out of candy in the first 10 minutes of our hour-long program. They were grateful to have something to pass out!

Multilingual Glossary for Library Users (and Staff)

The Instruction for Diverse Populations Committee of the ACRL Instruction Section is pleased to present the Multilingual Glossary for Today’s Library Users, now available as a Google Doc. This multilingual glossary includes a language table of commonly-used library terms presented in seven languages, and definitions for each term in English. These documents are designed to assist ESL speakers and the librarians who work with them. Converting the glossary table and definitions to Google Documents enables the committee to readily implement new terminology and make revisions as the lexicon evolves.

​Learn more about the Multilingual Glossary on the ACRL IS website.​

Ariana E. SantiagoOpen Educational Resources CoordinatorM.D. Anderson Library, University of Houston
ariana.e.santiago@gmail.com asantiago2@uh.edu | 713-743-7419

[Note: When people ask why spend the money or time to be part of an association, I point to this sort of focused effort made possible by the crowd-sourced work of dedicated library staff who volunteer time and effort to create needed resources within associations. Associations push the profession forward. We are the engine that powers great resources and resource sharing through our association work]

Youth Services Workshop: Community Engagement

Wednesday, October 4, 2017 

9:00am - 12:00pm

Presenters: Alicia Woodland, Kristi Helmkamp, Shawn Brommer
New Berlin Public Library, 15105 Library Lane, New Berlin 53151

Join us and learn how libraries can reach out and become more involved in the community with children's and teen services.   Find some unconventional outreach programs that are irresistible and impactful; learn how you can take care of yourself while providing services to others; see and talk with some libraries who have done some projects that shows community involvement and engagement.  More information and registration is available at https://sewilibraries.org/event/youth-services-workshop-community-engagement/