See below for WiLS learning opportunities in January - February 2020:

Check out more Upcoming Events that WiLS is hosting at
​https://www.wils.org/wils-events/wilsevents/upcoming-events/.

The NFLS office will be "closed" December 31 - January 1. Happy New Year!

Click here see the staff in action (external link). Expires 1/1/2020.

Last year, InfoSoup made a switch and subscribed to My Heritage Library Edition rather than Ancestry Library Edition. Ancesty can only be made available for use inside the library, while My Heritage can be used from home. During the year, however, numerous users expressed a preference for Ancestry Library Edition, even though it was library use only.

Given that, InfoSoup is going back to Ancestry Library Edition rather than continue with My Heritage.

 Ancestry Library Edition is now available again for use from within any InfoSoup library. 

My Heritage will remain available until December 31, 2019.

Date and time:Tuesday, January 14, 2020 1:00 pm
Program: Booklist Webinars
Duration:1 hour

Join Booklist for this exciting Q and A with four of the five authors nominated for YALSA's 2020 William C. Morris Debut Award, an honor presented annually to first-time authors writing for teens.

Featuring conversations with Ben Philippe (The Field Guide to the North American Teenager), David Yoon (Frankly in Love), Katy Rose Pool (There Will Come a Darkness), and Nafiza Azad (The Candle and the Flame), this free, hour-long webinar will be moderated by Booklist Books for Youth editor—and Morris Award Committee consultant—Sarah Hunter and sponsored by HarperCollins Children’s Books, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Penguin Young Readers, and Scholastic.

​For more information about the Morris Award, visit http://www.ala.org/yalsa/morris-award.

As new subscribers to Ryan Dowd's Customer Service program, we are eligible for occasional webinars with his team. Below please find information on the first one in 2020. 

Topic: Issues around Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (In Libraries)
Issues Covered:

1. Signs to look for of domestic violence and stalking.​
2. How to provide resources to someone who is not disclosing an issue.​
3. What/When/How to say something to a survivor.

Time: Jan 2, 2020 01:00 PM CST

Below are the headlines from the latest 📣 Nic News Weekly newsletter.

• 2019 Library Improvement & Innovation Grant Purchase
• Libraries Transform Communities: Engagement Grant
• WI Libraries Transforming Communities Info Webinar Recording
• 2020 Census Resources at @ WVLS
• Youth Services & SLP 2020 Workshop: Registration Open!
• Voices of Women in America: Survey Due January 31, 2020
• Attend Library Legislative Day on February 11, 2020
• The NFLS office will be closed Dec. 24-25 & Dec. 31 - Jan. 1. 
• Trying something new

The Department of Public Instruction is also running the Wisconsin Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC) project, for which this conference will serve as the kick-off event.

​Participants in the LTC project will have their registrations for this conference paid for as part of the project. The conference webpage includes a link to the LTC project for more information.

The recorded webinar from Tuesday, 12/17/19, with introductory information on the Wisconsin Libraries Transforming Communities (WLTC) community engagement training, is now available on the DPI website at https://dpi.wi.gov/pld/wisconsin-libraries-transforming-communities. You can watch the webinar below:​

Click below to download the Winter 2019 edition of WLA News:

Courses and webinars are always free through WebJunction's Course Catalog, providing learning at your fingertips when you need it. Sign-up for a free account to get started and then you'll have access to over 320 self-paced learning opportunities.
​
WebJunction is turning an eye towards health communities and the value that libraries can bring to related needs and initiatives. As part of the California State Library Mental Health Initiative, Infopeople, the education and training branch of Califa, hosted a webinar series, Where Compassion Meets Action. These informative webinars are now available in the WebJunction Course Catalog - check out three highlights below and learn about all the new additions.

Date Posted: December 2, 2019
Deadline for Submission: February 3, 2020 by 11:59 pm (CST)
Award Notification Date: April 15, 2020
Apply online via Google Forms
Questions? Please read the grant description and carefully review the requirements in each category before applying.
Contact the American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office staff at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5045, or publicprograms@ala.org.

Please read the following request from the Wisconsin Library Association:

We want you!

Share your expertise, network with colleagues and enhance your CV by volunteering with WLA! Volunteers can play a very important role by serving on a committee or task force; providing thoughtful input on deliberations; and focusing on the best interests of WLA’s membership while working toward accomplishing our goals. WLA could not be successful without our passionate and dedicated volunteers!

The following positions are now open:

• WLA Foundation Vice President / President Elect
• WLA Foundation Scholarship Committee Member
• Wisconsin Heritage Center Steering Committee Chair
• WAAL Secretary

For more information on these and other volunteer opportunities, please contact the WLA Membership Coordinator, Hannah Bunting, at bunting@wisconsinlibraries.org.

Keynote Speaker: Kristin Pekoll
Assistant Director, ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom
​
Censorship Beyond Books
Just as books can be censored, displays, programs and databases come under fire. Libraries provide resources and services that are essential to ensure equitable access to information for all, including underserved populations. But while libraries are often well-versed in protecting the right to read, many lack policies and experience in addressing censorship and complaints of resources and services on the front line. This presentation will highlight specific case studies and offer practical guidance on safeguarding intellectual freedom beyond book challenges.

Below are the headlines from the latest 📣 Nic News Weekly newsletter.

• 2019 Library Improvement & Innovation Grant Purchase
• NFLS Regional Training: January 16th in Sturgeon Bay
• Recollection Wisconsin Steering Committee Nominations Open
• Part Time Circulation Assistant @ Door County Library
• WI Libraries Transforming Communities: Applications Go Live TODAY

Below are the headlines from the latest 📣 Nic News Weekly newsletter.

• 2019 Library Improvement & Innovation Grant Purchase
• ALA Announces Free Facilitation Skills Training for Small & Rural Library Workers: Applications Due January 20, 2020
• Registration Open for Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference
• Important Update on the CSLP 2020 Artwork and Products
• Marinette County Libraries’ New Website
• PLA Awards & Grants Applications - DUE TODAY

If you're looking for useful 2020 Census resources, check out the 2020 Census page at WVLS! The page has resources, social media shares, and a timeline.

WVLS will keep adding to it as more becomes available at https://wvls.org/2020-census.

WHERE: Stephenson Public Library - Marinette
WHEN: Thursday, December 5th, 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM (Doors open 9AM)

Topics will include the following:

• Compassionate Accountability: Dealing with Problem Behaviors in the Library
• Lunch and Learn: Breaking Down §43.30 Before the Police are Breaking Down Your Library Door!
  ​(RSVP is requested so we can get an accurate lunch count.)
• Purple Angel Program: Elderly and Dementia, Alzheimer's, Memory Care
• After 1:30, Marinette County Library staff will receive a walk-through of their new website and receive training on maintaining its pages in Weebly. Other libraries are welcome to attend/observe should they choose.

See detailed agenda below:

​Go to the NEWI list of free webinars to find continuing education opportunities in which you can participate without leaving your library; most sessions are 60 minutes long, and are provided – at no charge to you – by associations, agencies, companies, and library systems.
 
Here’s a sample of webinars offered this month:

• Say Yes to Census 2020 – learn how your library can help your community be counted; this census has the potential  to create changes to political representation and Federal funding; (December 3)
• Getting Ready for an Audit: Everything You Need to Know (December 3)
• Summer Library Program and Early Literacy (December 5)
• PR + Media Relations 101 (December 10)
• Celebrate Computer Science Education Week with CodeSciGirls (December 11)
• eBooksForAll Campaign Update on Macmillan Publishers’ embargo on new eBook titles for public libraries (December 17)
• Recruiting and Retaining Younger Generations as Trustees and Friends: Advocates of All Ages (December 18)
• Summer Reading Program 2020: Imagine Your Story (December 31)

Missed a webinar? It might have been archived, so check NEWI’s list of webinar recordings you can watch for free, anytime.
 
NEWI is a continuing education (CE) partnership of library systems located in North Eastern Wisconsin.  The NEWI website aims to be a central source of CE info for staff working at libraries in four library systems: Manitowoc‐Calumet Library System (MCLS), Nicolet Federated Library System (NFLS), Outagamie Waupaca Library System (OWLS), and Winnefox Library System (WLS).

Check out these free learning opportunities from PLA:

​Free national webinars in December

• December 16: “Library Programs and Partnerships in the 2020 Census”
• PLA and OCLC are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday, Dec. 17, around public libraries response to the opioid crisis. This webinar will highlight approaches, resources, and programs that can help reduce stigma and fear surrounding the opioid crisis, and promote healthier communities. Learn more and register.
• Want to learn more about the Macmillan saga related to ebook access at public libraries? PLA will host an #eBooksForAll Campaign Update webinar on Tuesday, Dec. 17, to outline planned next steps with Congress and data-gathering to build the library case, and specific actions public libraries can take to advance these efforts.* The webinar is free, but registration is required and space is limited. Learn more and register.

New course on health insurance enrollment added to DigitalLearn website
In early November, in coordination with Affordable Care Act (ACA) Open Enrollment for 2020, PLA released a new online tutorial to help consumers sign up for health insurance. The course, Using Healthcare.gov to Enroll in Health Insurance, covers the basics of securing coverage through Healthcare.gov, the health insurance exchange website operated by the U.S. federal government. This 18-minute online tutorial explores the processes of determining eligibility, preparing to enroll, creating an account, and finding local help to successfully enroll in an ACA health insurance plan. The course can be accessed via DigitalLearn.org, PLA's free online digital literacy training curriculum designed to help people increase their digital skills. Read the full announcement.

 
Watch recording of family engagement program
PLA recently collaborated with the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) to present the session “How Programs Can Recruit & Engage Culturally Diverse Families” at NCFL's Annual Conference in Louisville. During the session, education and library experts who work to engage diverse community groups spoke about how those programs can inform the work of public libraries. Presenters included Allison Barney, youth services manager at Denver (Colo.) Public Library; Amber Creger, Youth Department director at Schaumburg Township (Ill.) District Library; Zeljana Javorek, ESL program manager at Catholic Charities of Louisville (Ky.); Sophie Maier, immigrant services librarian at Louisville (Ky.) Free Public Library; Homa Naficy, executive director of The American Place at Hartford (Conn.) Public Library; and PLA Deputy Director Scott Allen. Click here to access a recording of the session or here to view the presentation slides.