You’re invited

New Richmond is having a ceremony to celebrate the groundbreaking on our new library. I am attaching an invitation for you all to share with your staff and contacts. Anyone who is interested in joining us is welcome to head over to New Richmond next Friday, September 27 at 11:00am.

IFLS scholarship deadline extended

We extended the deadline to apply for a scholarship to the Wisconsin Library Association Conference, November 5-8 in Green Bay.  Apply by Sunday, September 22 if you would like help with costs to attend the conference!

Directors and library staff can apply for full or partial scholarships. We’ll give priority to people who have not received a scholarship in the past but will definitely consider applicants who have financial need who have received scholarships in the past.

Here’s what the scholarship can cover:

• Early bird registration
• 3 nights in the conference hotel – not including taxes
• Mileage at $.67/mile from your library
• Incidental parking/transportation costs

The scholarship does not cover the cost of any meals not provided with conference registration (breakfasts and lunches are covered).

Questions go to Leah at langby@ifls.lib.wi.us

Intellectual Freedom

Anonymous survey will collect community data about censorship

The Intellectual Freedom Committee of the Wisconsin Library Association  (WLA) and the Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association (WEMTA) are partnering to conduct an anonymous survey of the Wisconsin library community to gather data about censorship challenges, the feelings/confidence level of library staff in managing those challenges, and feedback on the kinds of resources needed to better prepare library staff to manage challenges.

Your responses will help gather data on the current state of Intellectual Freedom in Wisconsin, build off of the information gathered in last year’s survey, and inform the Committee as they work to develop resources to support Wisconsin libraries.

Banned Books 101 free webinar

Join United for Libraries and the Freedom to Read Foundation for a FREE webinar during Banned Books Week:

Banned Books 101: What Library Boards & Trustees Need to Know
Tues., Sept. 24, 2024
1 p.m. Eastern

Whether or not their community has experienced book bans, library Trustees/Board Members have a responsibility to protect access to books, programs, and resources in their libraries. Learn what board members need to know about the current state of book bans in the U.S., and how to advocate for the freedom to read and activate local support networks. Find out about United for Libraries and ALA resources, including Unite Against Book Bans, Advocacy Academy, and “Reader. Voter. Ready.” Presenters: Joyce McIntosh, Assistant Program Director, Freedom to Read Foundation, and Amelia Aldred, Deputy Director, State & Local Advocacy, ALA’s Public Policy & Advocacy Office. Register

Resources from the DPI

Election misinformation dashboard

Digital and media literacy is, of course, extraordinarily important, especially in a ‘big’ election year. As such, you might want to refer inquiring folks to the Misinformation Dashboard: Election 2024, which is hosted and facilitated by the News Literacy Project.   In addition to the dashboard, the NLP also has respective web sections “For Educators” vs. “For Everyone”; links and resources included therein might be of value to any libraries that are embarking upon digital/media literacy campaigns with their community.

Healthcare coverage resource

Covering Wisconsin is a program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension to help Wisconsin residents find health insurance and other programs that support health.  You can find resources and assistance on the site, and free health insurance navigators to set you up with the plan that best fits your eligibility and needs.  A useful resource for library staff and patrons alike!  You can find a recording of a presentation about healthcare coverage by Covering Wisconsin’s Tina here, and you can find out about resources relevant to job-seekers on the DPI’s Public Library Workforce Assistance Page.

Great Lakes, Great Read 2024-2025 program announces free webinar series

Great Lakes Great Read (GLGR), the “one book, one community” program designed to inspire passion and connection to the Great Lakes Watershed through reading, will kick off the season with a series of three webinars to introduce the authorsand books chosen for the 2024-2025 season.

Meet GLGR authors Sally Cole-Misch and Joanne Robertson in conversation with Wisconsin Water Librarian Anne Moser on September 25 at 7 pm ET/6 pm CT. Individual author webinars will be held on October 2 with Sally Cole-Misch and October 9 with Joanne Robertson. Both webinars will also start at 7 pm ET/6 pm CT. Everyone is invited to join this Great Lakes basin-wide book club!

Registration is required for these webinars.

Local public libraries and bookstores can host watch parties, and individuals can register on their own or host their own watch party. Go to the GLGR webinar toolkit for flyers and other event goodies.

WebJunction seeks guidance for future courses

WebJunction needs your help as we develop a new series of self-paced courses. They’re collecting feedback in a survey for all library staff about the foundational skills for your job and how you learned them. The survey has been designed with busy schedules in mind and should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. Please provide feedback by Friday, October 4.

Curious about Future CSLP (Collaborative Summer Library Program) Slogans and Themes?

• 2025:  Color our World (Art is the general theme, artwork by Mike Mullan)
• 2026:  Unearth a Story (Dinosaurs/Archaeology/Paleontology is general theme, art by Kaylani Juanita)
• 2027 Slogan – Mysteries Await at Your Library (Mystery/Detectives/Suspense)
• 2028 Theme – Mythical Creatures (Slogan to be chosen in 2025)

Passport prize winners

First of all: THANK YOU to library staff that make this program successful! I’ll have an end-of-program report for you soon.

• Grand Prize: Alvinia Moore, River Falls Public Library
• Second Prize: Asher Johnson, Chippewa Falls
• Third Prize: Jeff Tubbs, Turtle Lake Public Library

nine runner up prizes

• Diane Westerberg, Pepin Public Library
• Colleen Gifford, Geraldine E. Anderson Village Library, Dresser
• Jaime West, Turtle Lake Public Library
• Erin Whitfield, L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, Eau Claire
• Madeline Kreyer, Friday Memorial Library, New Richmond
• Kari Baxter, Frederic Public Library
• Christopher Bechel, Plum City Public Library
• AJ Zevenbergen, Ellsworth Public Library
• Christina Tingo, Phillips Public Library

Prizes will be delivered by courier to the library they listed as their local library, with their contact information. Please notify winners when prizes arrive. Pictures appreciated if they’d like.

Staff prizes will go out soon as well.

Next on the IFLS calendar