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

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.”

Here are the headlines from the December 17, 2021 - 📢 Nic News Weekly:

• Holiday Break
• Registration Open for Library Legislative Day 2022
• CSLP Summer Symposium Recordings
• Exciting Updates from Beanstack
• One-on-One Job Search Assistance & Career Guidance from Job Center of Wisconsin
• Applications Now Being Accepted for NEA Big Read
• PLA 2022 Conference Updates
• Learning Gaps and Local Partnerships Webinar

Here are the headlines from the December 10, 2021 - 📢 Nic News Weekly:

• Unemployment Insurance 1099-G Desk Guide Updated
• Sadarri & Company Summer Learning Program 2022 FUN-tastic Voyage
• Grant Opportunities
  • Digital Preservation & Archive Funding & Training Opportunities
  • Center for South Asia Public Library Grant
• Continuing Education
  • Challenged Books at Your Library: Managing and Addressing Censorship Attempts
  • December Webinars Listing from NEWI

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 titles to register for webinars.

Managing stress & building resilience:

• How to Prioritize Your Wellness During the Hustle of the Holiday Season - Noon on Tuesday, Dec 7
• The Contentment Ethic - Noon on Tuesday, Dec 7
• The Myth of the Work/Life Balance for Small Library Directors - 2pm on Thursday, Dec 9
• Connecting the Whys: Cultivating a Healthy Workplace Culture - Noon on Tuesday, Dec 14
• Mental Health Practices for the Virtual World - Noon on Wednesday, Dec 15

Equity, diversity and inclusion:

• South Asia Book Award Celebration - 6:30pm on Wednesday, Dec 8
• The Latinx KidLit Book Festival - 8:45am on Thursday, Dec 9 & Friday, Dec 10
• Tackling Racism and Bias in the Library Catalog - 1pm on Thursday, Dec 16 [create a free ALA account to register]

A sample of webinars on other topics:

• Instagram Basics for Libraries - 1pm, Wednesday Dec 8
• Too Many Bags: How to Address Someone Bringing in Too Much Stuff - 1pm on Thursday, Dec 9
• Passive and Drop-In Programs? Love That Journey For Us! - 2pm on Thursday, Dec 9
• Preparing for a First Amendment Audit - 9am on Thursday, Dec 16
• Challenged Books at Your Library: Managing and Addressing Censorship Attempts - 10 am on Wednesday, Dec 15

Here are the headlines from the November 24, 2021 - 📢 Nic News Weekly:

• Thanksgiving Reflection
• NFLS Office Closed for Thanksgiving
• Beanstack Training and Winter Reading Reminders
• Instagram Basics for Libraries

Here are the headlines from the November 19, 2021 - 📢 Nic News Weekly:

• Employment Opportunities
  • Lena Public Library Searches for Library Director
  • Peshtigo Public Library Seeks Branch Librarian
• CCBC Services and Collections User Survey
• Grants & Scholarships
  • PLA 2022 Conference Scholarships
  • Nita M. Lowery 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) Gant Competition
• Girls Who Code Offers Free & Flexible Computer Science Opportunities
• Tips and Tricks from an Accidental Advocate

Here are the headlines from the November 12, 2021 - 📢 Nic News Weekly:

• New Digital Data Tool for Libraries: Benchmark
• BadgerLink Advisory Group: Call for Applicants
• Free Bookmarks & Posters from BadgerLink
• American Rescue Plan Humanities Grants for Libraries
• Submit a PLA Webinar Proposal
• Poster Contest for WI 5th Graders: Bring Our Missing Children Home

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.
​
Managing stress & building resilience; click title to register:

• A Mind-Body Prescription for Dealing with Burnout - Noon on Thursday, Nov 4
• Fostering & Sustaining a Healthy Culture with a Hybrid Workforce - 2pm on Wednesday, Nov 17
• Rekindling from Burnout: Lessons and Strategies for Public Library Workers - 2pm on Thursday, Nov 18
• Self-Care: Awareness, Acknowledgement, Action - 2pm on Thursday, Nov 18
• Creating a Healthy Culture with Conduct, Communication, and Conflict Resolution - 1pm on Tuesday, Nov 30

Equity, diversity, and inclusion; click title to register:

• “¡Vamos a leer!”: Collection Development for Spanish Language Children’s Materials - 10am on Thursday, Nov 4
• Building a More Diverse Holiday Collection - 1pm on Thursday, Nov 4
• Library Dementia Services - 1pm on Wednesday, Nov 10
• Supporting Formerly Incarcerated Individuals with a Fresh Start @ Your Library - 1pm on Thursday, Nov 18
• Developing Inclusive Library Services for Teens with Disabilities - 2pm on Thursday, Nov 18

A sample of webinars on other topics; click title to register:

• Beanstack Staff Essentials - 2pm on Tuesday, Nov 2
• Trends in Digital Privacy: Is There Even Such a Thing? - 1pm on Thursday, Nov 4
• Body Odor: How to Talk About Odor Without Awkwardness (Updated) - 1pm on Thursday, Nov 4
• Library Marketing Plan Workshop - 9:30am on Friday, Nov 12
• Library Design Institute - 10am on Tuesday, Nov 30

Here are the headlines from the November 5, 2021 - 📢 Nic News Weekly:

• ALA Seeks Applicants for National Policy Corps
• The Children's Book Award Committee Wants YOU!
• Apply for Transformation for Libraries: The Futures School
• NEA Big Read Grants: Apply by January 26
• Wisconsin Author Rochelle Melander Releases New Book
• CSLP Newsletter, Program Manual & Product Catalog

Here are the headlines from the October 15, 2021 - 📢 Nic News Weekly:

• TeachingBooks.net Acquired by OverDrive
• Virtual Library Marketing and Communications Conference: Nov 2-3
• BadgerLink Training Available On-Demand
• Dive Into Reading: The Magic of Isaiah's Summer Reading Show

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.

Managing stress & building resilience:

• Overcome Toxic Stress by Hacking Your Nervous System - 7pm on Thursday, Oct 7
• Mental Health: What If We Talked About It? - 1pm on Tuesday, Oct 19
• How to Make Your Inner Critic Your Friend - Noon on Wednesday, Oct 20
• Realistic Resilience: Well-Being During Challenging Times - 7pm on Tuesday, Oct 26
• The Next Decade of Well-Being - 5:45pm on Thursday, Oct 28

Equity, diversity and inclusion:

• Making Accessible Videos - Noon on Wednesday, Oct 6
• Celebration of Children's and YA Latin American and Latinx Literature - 5pm on Monday, Oct 11
• Inclusive Recruiting: Creating Belonging - Noon on Tuesday, Oct 19
• Workers with Long COVID-19 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) - 1pm on Tuesday, Oct 19
• Libraries for All: Accessible Library Services for Children with Disabilities and their Families - 2pm on Tuesday, Oct 19
• The Read Woke Movement: What You Can Do Now in Your Library - 4pm on Wednesday, Oct 27
• The Psychological Underpinnings of Making Inclusion a Habit - Noon on Thursday, Oct 28

A sample of webinars on other topics:

• Virtual Programming During COVID: What We Wish We had Known in Advance & What We Learned During the Process - 1pm on Wednesday, Oct 6
• Set Up & Deliver 1000 Books Before Kindergarten in Beanstack - Noon on Friday, Oct 8
• Creating a Healthy Culture with Conduct, Communication, and Conflict Resolution - 1pm on Wednesday, Oct 13
• Beanstack Library Administrator Essentials: Admin Tools Tour - 1pm on Wednesday, Oct 13
• Going Virtual: Programs and Insights from a Time of Crisis - 11am on Wednesday, Oct 20
• Libraries as Community Anchors - 2pm on Thursday, Oct 21

Here are the headlines from the September 24, 2021 - 📢 Nic News Weekly:

• Welcome, Karin!
• Ayad Akhtar’s Homeland Elegies Receives the WLA’s Literary Prize for 2021
• Beanstack Announces Winter Read 2022
• Building Projects 101

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.

Managing stress & building resilience; click title to register:

• Put Yourself on Top of Your To-Do List: Lessons in Self-Care - Noon on Wednesday, Sep 15
• Embracing Discomfort - 3pm on Thursday, Sep 16
• Compassion Resilience and Anxiety Management During Tough Times - 1 pm on Wednesday, Sep 22

Equity, diversity and inclusion; click title to register:

• Anti-Racist Education: Building Your Inclusive Collection & Curriculum - 1pm on Wednesday, Sep 8
• Autism in Libraries - 1pm on Wednesday, Sep 15
• Developing Welcoming Spaces for Members of the LGBTQ+ Community - 8am on Friday, Sep 17
• New Service Models for Patrons with Intellectual Disability - 1pm on Wednesday, Sep 22
• Voices Matter: The Power of Diversity in Picture Books - 1pm on Wednesday, Sep 22
• Actively Anti-Racist Library Service to Leisure Readers: A Discussion - 1pm on Thursday, Sep 30

Tech Days Webinar Series; click title to register:

• Digital First: All Library Planning Starts with Digital - 10am on Wednesday, Sep 15
• Canva Demo and Q&A - Noon on Wednesday, Sep 15
• Free Online Tools to Increase Your Workflow & Productivity - 1pm on Wednesday, Sep 15
• Video Production: Tools, Tips and Tricks - 10am on Thursday, Sep 16
• Canva Demo and Q&A - Noon on Thursday, Sep 16
• Emerging Tech Trends for 2021 and Beyond - 1pm on Thursday, Sep 16

A sample of webinars on other topics; click title to register:

• Kicked Out!: How to Safely ask Someone to Leave (Without Calling the Police) - 1pm on Thursday, Sep 9
• Beanstack Library Administrator Essentials: Admin Tools Tour - 1pm on Tuesday, Sep 14
• Less Ostrich, More Owl: 5 Steps to Quickly Improve Your Library's Ability to Respond to a Sudden Disaster - Noon on Wednesday, Sep 22
• How to: TikTok - 1pm on Wednesday, Sep 22
• Hiring in 2021 and Beyond - 1pm on Wednesday, Sep 29
• How to Write More Effective Email and Web Content – 2pm on Thursday, Sep 30