Take the Leadership Development Institute Survey!

Closes Monday, June 20

WLA aims to develop goal-oriented and agile library leaders who are creative problem solvers able to navigate uncertainty, rapidly changing technology, and shrinking resources. We help our members develop these skills by offering a range of volunteer, networking, and mentoring opportunities, and formally through the Leadership Development Institute (LDI).

Help WLA identify ways to improve upon the LDI and better serve your needs as current and future library leaders by taking this brief survey by Monday, June 20. 

Survey for past LDI Participants only.

Survey for all WLA Members (past LDI participants do not need to take this survey)
 

The Nominating Committee Wants to Hear From You!

WLA’s Nomination Committee is in the “talent alignment” business. We want to connect you, a uniquely talented WLA member, with the perfect leadership opportunity in our organization.  How to get started? It couldn’t be easier! 

Log into your MemberClicks profile, then simply fill in this questionnaire, and a member of the Nomination Committee will be in touch. Thank you!   

Nominations Requested for the 2022 Library Hall of Fame

The Wisconsin Library Heritage Center Steering Committee is accepting nominations for individuals to be inducted into the Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame in 2022. Nominations must be submitted by Friday, September 9. Procedures and nomination form may be found at heritage.wisconsinlibraries.org/nominate.

Both the Wisconsin Library Heritage Center and the Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame are programs of the Wisconsin Library Association Foundation. Induction into the Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame is granted to individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to the statewide improvement of library service in Wisconsin over a sustained period of time.  Individuals who have worked in and/or advocated for Wisconsin libraries will be considered.  Both living and deceased individuals are eligible. Final selection of inductees into the Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame will be made by the Wisconsin Library Heritage Center Steering Committee and announced this fall at the Awards & Honors reception at the Wisconsin Library Association’s Annual Fall Conference. 

Nominations should be submitted to Annie Bahringer (Chair of the WLHC Steering Committee) as email attachments to [email protected] by Friday, September 9, 2022.

WAPL to Sponsor Virtual Library Hunt 

The Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries (WAPL) unit of WLA wants to know about your library! We are planning a scavenger hunt of sorts for all Wisconsin Public Libraries and would love to have you and your library be part of the hunt.

We are looking for facts and information about your library that your fellow library workers would be able to track down via searching the internet, or by calling or chatting with your staff. Please use the form found at https://bit.ly/MyWisconsinLibrary to submit your library factoids. And thank you for participating! 

What's In a Name?  TSS Wants to Know!

The Technical Services Section is interested in learning what different libraries call the Technical Services department. Help us put together a list by filling out this form!  TSS Form.  

Leader to Leader Quarterly Chat

(Virtual) Thursday, June 23, 1:00 - 2:00 PM

WLA Leaders (division/section/roundtable/special interest group chairs and committee members; standing committee members, board members, and any other leaders) are invited to attend the 2nd quarter WLA Leader-to-Leader Quarterly Chat! 

This informal, “open mic” event is an opportunity for you to talk with other WLA leaders, share ideas, solve problems, and build relationships with your WLA colleagues.

Join us via the Zoom link:  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/97338994320?pwd=Q0RqckNNbEQ5Y1R0V0F5eEFYNSsxUT09. 

Leadership Rosters Needed

Attention unit leaders, committee chairs, and more!  If you have not already done so, please send your Leadership Roster for 2022 to Hannah Bunting at [email protected]

Click here to download the roster form.

Be a Member, Get a Member Campaign 2022! 

Refer a new member to join the Wisconsin Library Association and both you and the new member will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win a cash prize ($250 each).  Learn more.  

Thanks for helping to grow WLA in 2022!   

Leadership Opportunities Available

The following leadership positions are available.  Please contact [email protected] for more information. 

• SSCS Vice Chair
• SSCS Director-at-Large (Academic)
• WLTF Vice-Chair
• WLTF Board Liaison
• AWSL Vice-Chair  

Newsletters & Blogs

• Youth Services Section:   Check out these recent posts from the YSS blog.

New! WLA Statement on the Freedom to Read and Intellectual Freedom

The Wisconsin Library Association advocates for libraries and library workers across our state in a variety of ways - from direct lobbying of state government leaders to educating our members on important issues and providing a platform for peer-to-peer resource sharing.  An important part of our advocacy work is upholding intellectual freedom, protecting the freedom to read, and providing our members with resources to address local challenges.  The WLA Board of Directors has developed this statement to support Wisconsin libraries and library workers. 

Intellectual Freedom Resources Webpage

This newly refreshed page provides links to national and statewide resources.  

WLA Library Development & Legislation (LD&L) Committee 

The LD & L committee is responsible for recommending legislative policies and agendas to the WLA Board of Directors.  This committee works closely with the WLA lobbyist to monitor legislative activity and build relationships with political leaders, and keep our members informed about current issues.  The LD&L committee also helps WLA members make valuable connections with their local legislators through the annual Library Legislative Day.  

Intellectual Freedom Special Interest Group (SIG)

This special interest group will provide an opportunity for members to be more closely engaged with intellectual freedom principles and issues through programming and networking.   Meetings are virtual and open to all WLA members.   Mark your calendar!  The next meeting will take place July 25, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.

The Intellectual Freedom SIG Wants Your Input!

The WLA Intellectual Freedom Special Interest Group has put together a survey to get a better sense of the needs of the Wisconsin library community around the current climate in which libraries are facing increased challenges to and attacks on library materials and services.  Please complete the anonymous survey  by June 30.  

Contact Kristina Gómez at [email protected] with questions.

Mark Your Calendar for the 2022 WLA Annual Conference

This year’s annual WLA conference will kick off Wednesday, November 2 at the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa with Keynote Speaker Jason Reynolds. Reynolds is a #1 New York Times bestselling author whose award-winning book "Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks" was a National Book Award Finalist, Carnegie Medal winner, and named one of the best books of 2019 by NPR, School Library Journal, and many more. He's currently serving as the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. For more information on this speaker, please visit www.simonspeakers.com.  We can confirm Alison Macrina as another featured speaker.  Macrina is an activist librarian and the director of Library Freedom Project.  

Seeking Annual Conference Exhibits Co-Chair

We are seeking an additional volunteer to help with conference exhibits. This volunteer will be paired with an experienced Exhibits Chair who needs an enthusiastic co-chair to help with this year's conference. (Ideally, this volunteer will also be willing to consider taking on a greater leadership role with conference exhibits for 2023.)  You will help with planning and outreach to exhibitors leading up to the conference and help staff the exhibit hall during the conference.  This is a great opportunity to meet new people and expand your professional network!  

While all WLA members are encouraged to volunteer, the ideal candidate will represent an academic library or special library to help us secure more diverse exhibitors and help the conference committee be more representative of our membership.     

Click here to read the Exhibits Chair position description to learn more. 

Questions?  Ready to volunteer?  Please contact WLA Executive Director Laura Sauser via email at [email protected] or by phone at 515-865-6264.

Past Annual Conference Booklets Now Available Online

Take a walk down memory lane!  Annual conference booklets dating back to 2005 are now available online, making it easy for you to research past events, speakers, and programs.  Learn more. 

Winding Rivers Library System Launches Summer Billboard Campaign

Responding to the collective marketing needs of member libraries, Winding Rivers Library System is embarking on a summer billboard campaign that will raise awareness of library resources and encourage community members to return to their public libraries post-COVID.

Four billboards have gone up in the Coulee Region spanning four counties-- one in Black River Falls, one in Sparta, one in Whitehall, and one along the River Road near Fountain City.  Billboards went up the week of May 30 and will be up for twelve weeks.  View photos here and here.

Five Faculty Set to Retire After Decades of Service

Lawrence University, 6/09/2022

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes, 48 seconds

Five long-serving Lawrence University faculty members will step into retirement at the close of the 2021-22 academic year.

Paul Cohen (history), Jeff Collett (physics), Peter Gilbert (Mudd Library), Eilene Hoft-March (French and Francophone Studies), and Brent Peterson (German Studies) will be honored during the June 12 Commencement ceremony.  Congratulations to past WLA President Peter Gilbert! 

Forward La Crosse: Partners with La Crosse Public Library to Maximize Community Feedback

Wispolitics.com, 5/26/2022

Estimated reading time:  1 minute, 42 seconds

The City of La Crosse’s public engagement campaign “Forward La Crosse” is partnering with the La Crosse Public Library in order to maximize feedback from the community.

Month of Native American Themed Programs Begin This Week

The Verona Press, 6/02/2022

Estimated reading time: 1 minute, 38 seconds

The Verona Public Library is hosting a variety of events featuring Native American peoples and indigenous voices, in conjunction with a community-wide reading project.

Wisconsin Book Festival Celebrates 20th Anniversary

City of Madison, 5/23/2022

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

The Wisconsin Book Festival marks its 20th anniversary this year, beginning with two signature upcoming events featuring James Beard Award-winning chef Kwame Onwuachi and best-selling author James Patterson.

Alive Inside: Free Film Screening and Panel Discussion

NNLM, 6/06/2022

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 40 seconds

Join the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM), FiftyForward, and the All of Us Research Program to watch the award-winning documentary, Alive Inside. Then, on June 16, 2022 at 3 pm CT/4 pm ET, join us for a panel discussion about the intersection of Alzheimer’s, music therapy, and precision medicine

FTRF Virtual Symposium "Where Intellectual Freedom and Social Justice Meet: A Call to Action"

Freedom to Read Foundation

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 18 seconds

The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) invites all library workers, educators, authors, journalists, publishers, social justice workers and First Amendment advocates to attend and participate in its free virtual symposium, Where Intellectual Freedom and Social Justice Meet: A Call to Action to be held on July 12 and 13, 2022. The symposium will take place from 11:00 AM-3:00 PM Central Time on both days. 

Promoting Virtual Reality Experiences in Rural Libraries

Department of Public Instruction, 6/06/2022

Estimated reading time:  48 seconds

Want to bring the Arctic and Antarctic to life in your library? Want to give your patrons an opportunity to see the world through the eyes of a penguin or experience what it’s like to work at a polar research site?

2022 LSTA Grant Guidelines Now Available

Department of Public Instruction, 5/26/2022

Estimated reading time:  1 minute, 6 seconds

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) released the final version of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grant Information and Guidelines 2022. All Wisconsin regional public library systems are eligible to apply 

Beyond Words: The Dollar General School Library Relief Fund

American Library Association

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Dollar General, in collaboration with the American Library Association (ALA), the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the National Education Association (NEA), is sponsoring a school library disaster relief fund for public school libraries in the states served by Dollar General.  

Wisconsin Humanities Mini & Major Grants

Wisconsin Humanities

Estimated reading time:  5 minutes, 23 seconds

Wisconsin Humanities awards grants to support locally-initiated public humanities programs. Grants for humanities programs are awarded to encourage greater public participation in humanities programming, spark imagination, and promote thoughtful conversation across the state. We especially encourage you to apply with ideas for programs that engage underserved communities.

“Top Gun” — The Library of Congress Keeps Receipts

Library of Congress Blog, 6/01/2022

Estimated reading time:  2 minutes, 3 seconds

“Top Gun: Maverick” took your breath away, did it? The sequel to the 1986 blockbuster is, if anything, a bigger hit than the original. The film, in which Tom Cruise reprises his role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, took in a Memorial Day weekend record of an estimated $156 million at the box office. Fighter jets, “Danger Zone” and popcorn. Good times.

'Dark Academia' Novels Plumb Murder, Nostalgia on College Campuses

Wisconsin State Journal, 6/05/2022

Estimated reading time:  4 minutes, 48 seconds

A rising genre of literature — “dark academia” — mixes the cozy fantasy of chummy, tweed-filled, fancy-school settings with violence and murder. Think Harry Potter without the magic and more death.

Connect with Your Colleagues - Use the WLA E-Lists

A benefit of your WLA membership is access to our exclusive E-lists (listserv). This tool allows you to distribute messages to all of the members subscribing to the list with a simple email to the list address. Communicate with the entire membership, or simply those belonging to a specific division, section, roundtable, SIG, or committee through a single email. Uses of the E-list benefit include:

• Search the online archive for valuable information and resources
• Ask your peers questions that are most important to you
• Manage your subscription and preferences through your member profile

Ready to get started?  View detailed instructions with photos here: https://www.wisconsinlibraries.org/member-to-member-communications .

We want to hear from you!  Share your press releases, photos, and points of pride with WLA for publication in the biweekly WLA Bulletin or in our quarterly digital newsletter, WLA News.

Featuring quick reads for busy library professionals, WLA Bulletin is a curated collection of industry and member news, funding opportunities, and other interesting tidbits emailed to WLA members every two weeks.  Content is accepted on an ongoing basis and can be submitted to [email protected]. 

WLA News is a digital publication with more in-depth news and feature articles, announcements, and more distributed quarterly via email to WLA members.  The next submission deadline for the WLA News is September 1, 2022.  Please email your articles for consideration to [email protected].

WISCONSIN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

PO Box 6437 | 112 Owen Road #6437 | Monona, WI 53716

608.245.3640

[email protected]