The Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries (WAPL) Annual Conference Programming Committee seeks program proposals for the next in-person public library conference to be held May 11-13, 2022 at The Ingleside Hotel in Pewaukee, WI.

Have you ever told yourself, “That just isn’t possible?” With a theme of INFINITE POSSIBILITIES, the goal of this year’s WAPL conference is that attendees will leave empowered to explore possibilities beyond their library and community.

We hope to offer a broad range of content from all areas of the public library world, so we welcome all library and library system staff, as well as students, trustees, and those involved in friends and foundation groups to submit proposals.

Feedback suggests attendees are looking for programs on management, leadership, patron confidentiality, "boomer" awareness, patron apathy, technology, data-driven decision making, brand management and marketing, small library, genre and reader's advisory, and sessions for trustees and support staff. Other suggested topics include change management, grant writing, handling large donations, inclusivity, and dreaming big. 

Special Interest Groups are encouraged to submit proposals and meeting/social requests.

Proposals for presentations, panels, workshops, demonstrations, participatory sessions, business meetings, and unit social events are welcome. Sessions will run 60 minutes in length with a maximum of four presenters - 45 minutes for the presentation and 15 minutes of Q&A.

The deadline for submission is February 25, 2022. All submitters will be notified of their acceptance status by March 11, 2022.

Please use this Program Proposal Form to submit your proposals.

In 2021, Wisconsin’s Digital Library, a collaboration of all 16 of the state’s public library systems, broke records by lending over 7.2 million digital books and audiobooks. Since its inception in 2016, Wisconsin’s Digital Library has seen steady and occasionally explosive usage growth, demonstrating the ongoing value of public libraries lending ebooks and digital audiobooks. Even as physical library buildings reopened and collections were once again accessible, usage of the library continued to climb.

To meet last year’s growing demand from patrons, Wisconsin’s Digital Library added more copies of popular titles and collections of always-available ebooks and digital magazines for readers who want to avoid the line and start reading right away.

Of the more than 115,000 titles in the collection, the following were the most popular in 2021.

Here are the headlines from the January 21, 2022 - 📢 Nic News Weekly:

• Employment Opportunities:
  • Now hiring: Head of Circulation - Door County Library
• Grants & Scholarships:
  • Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grants
  • Memory Lab Network final call for applicants
  • Juvenile Justice Positive Youth Development: Mentoring Programs
• Continuing Education:
  • NEXT WEEK: Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference
  • Transitioning to Libby: Tips for winding down the OverDrive app and welcoming more readers to Libby
  • Summer Library Program Learning & Fun: Catch the Wave

Here are the headlines from the January 14, 2022 - 📢 Nic News Weekly:

• WLA Intellectual Freedom Special Interest Group Meet-up: January 24
• "Blowing in the Wind" Concert by David HB Drake
• REMINDER: Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference is Jan. 26-27
• Wisconsin Libraries Talk About Race

The Nicolet Federated Library System (NFLS) is excited to announce that it has been granted two American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grants.

• Library Space and Safety Improvement Grant: $200,000
  This grant was a collaboration between NFLS, the Outagamie Waupaca Library System, the Manitowoc-Calumet Library System, and the Winnefox Library System. Each member library has been awarded $3,000 to purchase items such as modular shelving and furniture that will provide library spaces more flexibility for social distancing and programming during the continuing pandemic. The libraries can also purchase meeting room enhancements for virtual and hybrid meetings, video equipment for virtual programming, and technology-enhanced workstations for patrons.
• Tribal Library Outreach Program for Community Partnerships: $190,569
  This grant, shared between the four tribal public libraries within NFLS and Northern Waters Library Service, will attempt to reduce barriers for tribal members needing assistance in the areas of workforce development, education, healthcare, and social services. The grant will provide the participating tribal libraries with a master class in community partnerships and with individualized support to assess community needs and develop community relationships. The goals include: defining the library community and assessing community strengths, opportunities, and aspirations; growing new and existing relationships to address community needs; and leveraging local knowledge and partnerships to support and market the community-focused library programs funded by the grant.

​Learn about the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for Wisconsin Libraries here.

Algoma Public Library was recently announced as a winner of the “East Asia in Wisconsin Library Program” grant competition by the Center for East Asian Studies at UW-Madison. "Grants were awarded to public libraries throughout Wisconsin, enriching their collections with new titles that will enable patrons to deepen their understanding of East Asia (which includes China, Japan, and Korea)."

The library purchased books, DVDs, and programming materials that will enable people to deepen their understanding of East Asia. They were able to purchase over 30 new titles that include materials for all ages. These materials include DVDs, children's fiction books, children's picture books, children's nonfiction, young adult graphic novels, and adult fiction and nonfiction titles. 

With this grant, the library will also be able to host three programs.

• Two of these programs will be kits available for patrons to pick up and do at home.
  • One will be a Chinese New Year Good Fortune Kit for children and will include one lantern craft, a Chinese New Year Activity Book with Stickers, and a 12 Days of Lunar New Year book.
  • The other kit will be a DIY Silk Scarf kit for adults.
• The library will also be playing Bingo in the library to bring in the Chinese Year and will have Chinese New Year prizes for their winners.

Here are the headlines from the January 7, 2022 - 📢 Nic News Weekly:

• Volunteer for the WAPL Annual Conference
• Register for Library Legislative Day by January 14
• 2021 Public Library Staff and Diversity Survey Due Jan. 14
• Programming Resources:
  • CSLP Newsletter: December 2021
  • Free Comic Day Library Program Enrollment
  • National Library Week 2022: Connect with Your Library
• Employment Opportunity: Director, Door County Library
• Grant Opportunities
  • Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant
  • Creative Communities Project Grants
  • Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant Program Competition
• Training Videos Demonstrate Inclusivity

Please check the NEWI list of free webinars to find online continuing education opportunities you may attend from where you are. Most sessions are 60 minutes long, and are provided – at no charge to you – by associations, agencies, companies, and library systems. There’s a lot to choose from, so here’s a sample of topics that may be of interest to you. Please click title(s) to register.

Managing stress & building resilience

• Trauma-Informed Librarianship: Building Communities of Care - 1pm on Thursday, Jan 13
• Gratitude Practice for Well-Being - 9am on Friday, Jan 14
• Why Psychological Safety Matters More Now Than Ever - 10:30am on Wednesday, Jan 26
• Coping with Compassion Fatigue - 1pm on Wednesday, Jan 26
• Honoring Resilience - 2:30pm on Wednesday, Jan 26

Equity, diversity, and inclusion

• Reaching Black Audiences in a Digital World - Noon on Wednesday, Jan 12
• 3 Ways to Optimize Your Recruiting Efforts for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) - 1pm on Wednesday, Jan 19
• Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Understanding and Responding to the Communication, Behavioral and Social Characteristics - 11am on Thursday, Jan 20
• Promote Community Engagement and Challenge Prejudice with a Human Library - 2pm on Thursday, Jan 20
• Let the Children March in Library Programs - 4pm on Monday, Jan 24

A sample of webinars on other topics

• Recruiting New Board Members - 1pm on Thursday, Jan 13
• Learning Gaps and Local Partnerships - 10am on Wednesday, Jan 19
• Library Violence Prevention and De-escalation - 1pm on Wednesday, Jan 19
• Respectful Human Resources for Rural Librarians - 1pm on Thursday, Jan 27
• Compassionate Leadership: How to Do Hard Things in a Human Way - 11am on Monday, Jan 31

Special events this month:

• Iowa Libraries Online Conference - Thursday, Jan 20 (create a free IA Learns account to register)
• Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference - Wednesday, Jan 26 and Thursday, Jan 27

When the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) was looking for sponsors for its annual conference, Nicolet Federated Library System (NFLS) jumped at the chance to sponsor keynote speaker Nigel Poor.
 
Nigel is a woman of many talents: visual artist, author, professor, and podcast co-host. In her keynote address at the WLA Annual Conference, Nigel spoke about podcasting as a form of storytelling, the creation and evolution of her podcast, Ear Hustle, and connecting with underserved communities.

NFLS Trustee Kathy Pletcher said “I especially liked her "key components" of storytelling and how she used Ear Hustle stories to illustrate the components.”

"In her powerful keynote, Nigel Poor shared poignant anecdotes about her work with prisoners and the importance of storytelling," recalled Laura Sauser, WLA Executive Director.

Ear Hustle was the first podcast created and produced in a prison. It features first-hand stories from those incarcerated about the daily realities of life inside California’s San Quentin State Prison. In 2020, Ear Hustle was named a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in audio reporting for bringing audiences “a consistently surprising and beautifully crafted series on life behind bars.”

Signed copies of Nigel’s books, The San Quentin Project (June 2021) and This Is Ear Hustle: Unflinching Stories of Everyday Prison Life (October 2021), were available after her keynote and sold out quickly.

The Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) announces new board members and officers for 2022. These leaders represent a variety of roles and types of libraries from across the state:

• Nyama Reed, Director of the Whitefish Bay Public Library, will serve as Board President.
• Kristopher Turner, Associate Director, UW-Madison Law Library, will serve as President-Elect.
• Rachel Arndt, Library and Special Collections Consultant, Rachel Arndt Consulting, LLC, will serve as Treasurer.
• Maureen Olle-LaJoie, Director, Chalmer Davee Library, UW-River Falls, will serve as WLA Board Liaison representing the Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians (WAAL) division.
• Carrie Doyle, Academic Librarian; Head of Acquisitions & Serials, UW-Madison Law Library will serve as WLA Board Liaison representing the Association of Wisconsin Special Librarians (AWSL)

“I am thrilled to welcome such talented individuals into these leadership roles!” said WLA Executive Director Laura Sauser. “Their unique backgrounds and diverse experience will help elevate our already strong board of directors and our organization overall.”