The following information comes from the Milwaukee Public Library. Get the latest updates for this program at www.melindamyers.com/articles/create-your-own-outdoor-paradise.

Added April 24, 2025:
​We are excited to announce that "Create a Vertical Wall Planner," the activity for May from gardening expert Melinda Myers is ready!

This new activity includes a downloadable activity guide, and video. You can find it on the “Create Your Own Outdoor Paradise Library Program” web page. Just scroll down to the Gardening How-To Videos & Activities section to find the activity.

Direct links can be accessed here as well:

• Vertical Gardening activity video (YouTube)
• Activity Guide (PDF file)

​
Your library is welcome to use the webinars and activities found on the program webpage with your patrons. It’s completely free for all Wisconsin Public Libraries.  The June Gardening Activity will be added mid-May.
 
Also, you can use promotional materials on the Electronic Press Kit. April, May and June social media posts with photos for your library to use on its social media platforms can be found via the links below. Feel free to share these posts on your library's social media platforms and include the hashtag #OutdoorParadise.

• April:  Download April Social Media Post Copy & Images
• May:  Download May Social Media Post Copy & Images
• June:  Download June Social Media Post Copy & Images

Added March 24, 2025:
The April Gardening Activity (downloadable guide & video) from gardening expert Melinda Myers is ready. You can find it on https://www.melindamyers.com/articles/create-your-own-outdoor-paradise (below the 3 gardening webinars, in the Gardening How-To Videos & Activities section).

Your library is welcome to use any of the content (webinars and activities) found on that webpage with your patrons. It’s completely free for all Wisconsin public libraries.
 
The May and June activities will be added at least 2 weeks prior to the first of each month.
 
You can access resources for promoting the gardening webinars and activities via the Electronic Press Kit. 
Melinda just uploaded social media posts with photos to use on your library’s social media platforms during April.  Download the April social media post copy and images here.
 
If you have any questions, contact the program coordinator, Diana Paul at [email protected].

Experience the Magic! Magic Morgan & Liliana bring an unforgettable, family-friendly magic show to libraries across the country! Our interactive performances feature mesmerizing illusions, audience participation, and a touch of humor—designed to captivate audiences of all ages.

✨ Bonus: Learn ASL! ✨ During our show, we introduce American Sign Language (ASL) in a fun and engaging way. Audiences love learning signs as part of the performance—it’s interactive, enjoyable, and adds an educational twist to the magic!

What to Expect

• Setup & Performance: We arrive 45–60 minutes before showtime to set up. Each performance lasts about 40 minutes.
• Meet & Greet: After the show, patrons can meet us, ask questions, take photos, and even meet our friendly dove!
• Multiple Shows: Libraries booking multiple performances will have a 15–20 minute break between shows for audience transition and reset.

Booking & Logistics

• Audience Size: We can accommodate various audience sizes based on your space.
• Space Requirements: A performance area of at least 16 feet wide by 10 feet deep is ideal.
• Rebooking: Many libraries invite us back year after year, as we introduce new magic routines aligned with summer reading themes.
• Availability: We perform year-round, but summer fills up fast—book early!
• Discounts: Save by teaming up with another library or booking multiple shows in the same area.
• Interpreter Services: We provide a sign language interpreter for voice translation, with flexible funding options.

​Cost & Payment

• Pricing: Rates vary by location—contact us for details.
• Holding a Date: We can temporarily hold a date for 48 hours while you obtain approval.
• Deposit: No deposit is required except for out-of-state performances.

Book Magic Morgan & Liliana Today! Bring a magical and educational experience to your library! Contact us for availability, pricing, and booking details.

• Call: 262-347-3121
• Email: [email protected]
• Book Online: magicmorgan.com/bookme/view.php?id=2100

Looking forward to bringing magic and ASL fun to your library!
Magic Morgan & Liliana
Matthew Morgan 

Anthony Williams, five-time National Morel Picking Champion, is now booking his 90-minute educational morel picking seminar for spring 2025.

The seminars include the how, where, when, and why. Plus morel picking stories and folklore from his 70 years of picking.

Williams only does seminars in the spring: March, April, and May.

The seminars have been going over very well. Mostly libraries, you can read the directors' comments below. You’re more than welcome to reach out to any of the directors and get their assessments of the picking presentations. It’s for people who love the outdoors.

We are thrilled to announce a new partnership between ASLdeafined, a leading provider of online American Sign Language (ASL) learning resources, and libraries across the United States. This collaboration aims to increase access to authentic ASL instruction for everyone in your community.

For 15 years, ASLdeafined has been a trusted resource for individuals seeking to learn and improve their ASL skills. Our comprehensive online platform offers 300+ themed video lessons, an 18,000+ ASL video dictionary, and a free mobile app, all designed to provide an engaging and effective learning experience.

We believe that libraries play a vital role in promoting literacy and lifelong learning for all. By partnering with libraries, we can provide affordable and convenient access to our resources to a wider audience, including people who may not have access to traditional ASL classes,

This partnership will allow libraries to offer their patrons:

• Free access to ASLdeafined's online video lessons: Patrons will be able to explore basic to advanced ASL signs and grammar, learn essential vocabulary and practice their communication skills.
• Patrons will have the ability to access ASLdeafined through our mobile APP
• Educational events and workshops: ASLdeafined will be working with libraries to host workshops and events designed to introduce the community to ASL and its importance. 

We are excited to embark on this journey with libraries across the country and help break down barriers to ASL learning. By providing access to authentic ASL instruction, we can promote greater understanding and inclusivity for all members of the community.

To learn more about this partnership and how your library can participate, please get in touch with me, Meg Cowan at ASLdeafined.com or follow these listed links for more information:

• Subscription information
• Library Pricing

Thank you for reaching out to ASL Deafined. I am here to answer any specific questions you may have. I can also send a free trial username and passcode to use if requested.
​--
MEGAN COWAN
Library Sales - Program Manager
743.288.8896
[email protected]
www.asldeafined.com

­Hundreds of guides and memoirs have been published about hiking the Appalachian Trail since it was completed in 1937. Finally, we finally have a book that is different from all of them. A Talk in the Woods by Wisconsinite Cary Segall captures the stories and motivations of hikers through the eyes of an award-winning reporter and editor.

Cary was mesmerized by the ramblers, wanderers, and nomads who are part of the three million people who hike some segment of the trail each year. From 2014 to 2018, he traversed the 2200-mile trail and stopped hundreds of travelers along the way to capture their unvarnished stories.

The result is an examination of the allure of the trail and its challenges, from people who share their own varied motivations to take it on. Every hiker has a story, as does every trail angel and hostel owner. Segall brings them all together in a chronicle from one end of the trail to the other. And along the way, Cary includes wisdom about gear, food, weather, and terrain, giving the reader the inside scoop, the valuable planning and packing tips from those who have been there. The book is a must-read for those considering the trail as well as those who have done it and want to re-live the experience.

“What you have in your hands is a sterling representation of life on the Appalachian Trail... These stories of loners and lovers; givers and takers; winners and losers are captivating. They remind me of Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology. They are easy to read and shine with their authenticity.” Warren Doyle, founder of the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association and AT Hall of Fame inductee who has hiked the route 18 times. 

"Segall captures the culture and communication style of the trail, particularly as he chases down rumors of one intriguing hiker or another." Kirkus Reviews

Cary Segall worked on the sports desk of the Wisconsin State Journal and took his first backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail with the University of Wisconsin Hoofers Outing Club. He has a bachelor's degree in wildlife ecology and spent three years as a ranger-naturalist in the National Park Service. He returned to the UW for a law degree and became a public-interest environmental lawyer, and returned once more for a master's degree in journalism. He spent fourteen years as a reporter and seven years as a copy editor at the State Journal. He is based in Madison, Wisconsin.

Cary is available to visit libraries to talk about his book.

For more information, contact Kevin at [email protected].

The Edge Ltd., a Wisconsin-based production company, offering two of our Wisconsin documentaries for the public libraries throughout Wisconsin. The "Hogslayer: The Unapproachable Legend" and "Walter: The Missing Link" documentaries are Wisconsin originated and depict impactful Wisconsin stories that have been and continue to be appreciated worldwide. Both films are very educational in nature, offering exciting and heartwarming aspects from the true lives and times of fellow Wisconsinites achieving their goals and influencing others with their remarkable stories.

These documentaries are available in DVD, and Blu Ray, or can be streamed from www.edgeltdproducts.com. A synopsis of each film follows.

Posted December 20, 2023:

I am the former Executive Director of the American Neurological Association and the Organization for Human Brain Mapping). Here is the cover and a bit more information about my personal memoir that will SOON be available to readers (PDF file).

​I was a former library employee in my small rural NW Wisconsin Library and would sincerely appreciate it if you would share this email and both attachments with the libraries in your system. I self published the book and used Ingram and Amazon to make it easily available to both libraries and individual readers worldwide. It is my prayer that it helps many through the trials and tribulations that dominate today's headlines.

Thank you in advance for your willingness to spread my story. I can be reached at [email protected] or on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

I sincerely appreciate any help you can offer to share this book with as many people as possible. I'd cherish your honest book review as well as I consider library directors to be the most expert in the field of information sharing and service to the public.

With warm regards,

Lori J. Peterson"

Calling all Wisconsin readers! The Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) and the Wisconsin Water Library at UW-Madison are pleased to announce plans for Great Lakes, Great Read, a basin-wide community read program scheduled to launch in 2024. Great Lakes, Great Read is designed to inspire passion and connection to the Great Lakes Watershed through reading. The Wisconsin program will serve as a pilot with the goal of being a catalyst for the development of similar programs in other states and provinces in the Upper Midwest and Canada.

There is a need for greater education about the Great Lakes as an important natural resource. While approximately 34 million people in the US and Canada live in the Great Lakes Watershed, recent surveys, such as the 2021 International Joint Commission Great Lakes Regional Poll, show a lack of understanding of the threats facing the greatest freshwater resource in the world. Greater education – greater environmental literacy - is critical to cultivating stewardship of the Great Lakes and of water resources more broadly.

Enter Great Lakes, Great Read. The program’s “one book, one community” model, already adopted by many libraries, is a natural fit for a basin-wide project, and Wisconsin is the perfect state to pilot the project. Wisconsinites have a deep connection to water through culture, economy, tourism and way of life. Wisconsinites also have access to a well-connected network of academic, public and special libraries that serve as the center of our communities.

Funded by a grant from WiLS, the Great Lakes, Great Read program will officially kick off on February 1, 2024. The selected titles will be announced on Earth Day (April 22) 2024. Two books, one for adults and one for children, with themes related to the Great Lakes watershed will be announced. All Wisconsinites will be encouraged to read these titles, and libraries around the state will be encouraged to engage their residents through book discussions and related activities. While program designs are still being finalized, the plan is to host public presentations by the selected authors and a website that includes book discussion questions and other ideas for engagement.  

Watch the WLA website and join the Great Lakes, Great Read 2024 email list for program updates: Great Lakes, Great Read email list.

Brian also published a book of plant disease-themed limericks (with additional prose descriptions of the featured diseases, photos, and original artwork). Learn about Limerickettsia: A Plant Pathologist's Book of Verse at https://pddc.wisc.edu/limerickettsia-book/.  

If you have questions, please contact Brian at:

Brian Hudelson
Plant Disease Diagnostics Clinic
University of Wisconsin-Madison
1630 Linden Drive
Madison, WI  53706-1598
Phone: (608) 262-2863
FAX: (608) 263-2626
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: https://pddc.wisc.edu
Follow on Facebook and Twitter @UWPDDC

Consider booking Barnaby Jones for a speaker showcase at your library!
 
Barnaby is a cryptozoologist, paranormal researcher, author, narrator, speaker, podcast host for "Monsters on the Edge" and "Whispers from the Dark," and founder/lead investigator of Wisconsin CAPS (Cryptids, Anomalies, and the Paranormal Society).
 
Barnaby, in collaboration with Barb and Craig Sulk, will be releasing the book Bigfoot is Hyden: The Incredible True Story of Strange Activities in Michigan's Upper Peninsula on January 1, 2024. This book will be available for purchase at the speaker showcase.

You can find more information about Barnaby and CAPS at www.wisconsincaps.com.​

We are pleased to share below some FREE webinars and gardening activities for 2024 from nationally known and Wisconsin-based gardening expert and author Melinda Myers for all public libraries in Wisconsin. Melinda hopes you can incorporate any or all of the following into your 2024 Library programming calendars. If you have any questions, please contact Diana Paul at [email protected]. Look for more information in the New Year coming via WisPubLib!

Your Library can host a watch party on the dates below or schedule it after the live webinar date and play the recording. If you host a live watch party on the dates below, your patrons will be able to submit questions live and get them answered by Melinda at the end of each webinar. You can also let your patrons know they can individually register for the webinars if they’d prefer to watch them at home. Registration links are below: 

•  April 10, 2024, 6:30 p.m. CT – WEBINAR: Container Gardening Throughout the Year with gardening expert Melinda Myers
  Use container gardens to boost the color and seasonal interest in any size landscape, garden, balcony, or deck.  With your budget in mind, we will explore attractive combinations of trees, shrubs, flowers, edible plants, and those that attract pollinators. Plus, you’ll learn strategies for extending your enjoyment year-round by transforming all or a portion of the container planting with the changing seasons. Register for this free webinar at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SwTJwDSaQgWnm7YU-iY0mg. 

  

• May 1, 2024, 6:30 p.m. CT – WEBINAR: Ornamental Fruits and Vegetables with gardening expert Melinda Myers
  Increase the nutritional value and beauty of your landscape by incorporating attractive fruits and vegetables into your landscape, garden beds, and containers.  Growing varieties that are both ornamental and productive increases the opportunities for creating a beautiful space right outside your door. We will look at new and proven fruit and vegetable varieties suited to both gardens and containers. Register for this free webinar at: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SFUNmF3LSUmpTXGpRMVbiA.

 

• June 5, 2024, 6:30 p.m. CT – WEBINAR: Under-Appreciated Pollinators with gardening expert Melinda Myers
  The plight of honeybees and monarchs fill the news but many more pollinators are often overlooked yet critical to the production of food, fiber and other raw materials we depend upon. Native bees, moths, bats, beetles, flies, and birds are also important. We will look at a variety of pollinators, their role in the environment, and their impact on people. Plus, we will discuss ways to co-exist with these often overlooked and sometimes feared or dreaded animals.Register for this free webinar at:  https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__q1UbmcTTMyyumfGd-o6AA. 

  ​

Solar science resources are available from the Wisconsin Department for Public Instruction for local libraries looking to host activities coinciding with the upcoming solar eclipses. Public libraries can serve as centers for eclipse education and viewing for their communities during the annular solar eclipse in October 2023 and the total solar eclipse in April 2024, while state agencies, like the DPI, will be the backbone for supporting their libraries by circulating the solar science programming kits.

The solar science kits are a “program in a box,” featuring books Moonbear’s Shadow by Frank Asch and When the Sun Goes Dark by Andrew Fraknoi and Dennis Schatz, interactive activities, and solar viewing instruments including a solar telescope, a SunSpotter, and Sunoculars. They also include printed materials aimed at helping public library staff feel more comfortable when talking about these exciting celestial events. There are two kits geared for a multigenerational audience, and two kits for a younger audience.

ARTS for ALL Wisconsin is thrilled to announce the 2024 ARTS for ALL Wisconsin CREATIVE POWER Calls for Visual Art and Poetry! These unique opportunities for children and adults with disabilities to showcase their skill and talent will open for submissions on October 31 and close on February 14, 2024.

ARTS for ALL Wisconsin celebrates the diverse perspectives of our community every year with its Call for Art and Call for Poetry.

Submissions are juried by arts professionals, who will select CREATIVE POWER Award-winning submissions. Winning visual art submissions become part of the CREATIVE POWER Collection and tour the state for three years. Recent showings of the Collection have been La Crosse, Kenosha, Racine, Madison, and Milwaukee. Award-winning poetry will be featured in Arts for ALL Wisconsin's first edition of CREATIVE POWER Poetry to be published in 2024.

The calls are free to enter, and open to any current Wisconsin resident over the age of 5 that identifies as having a disability. Both calls can be entered simultaneously.

Submission Details:

• Opening Date: October 31, 2023
• Closing Date: February 14, 2024
• Award Celebration: May 4, 2024 at Madison Youth Arts Center (MYArts)
• Who Can Submit: Individuals ages five and up who identify as having a disability.
• Visual Art Submission Guidelines: Submit images of up to two works of art using the online entry form found at www.artsforallwi.org/programs/call-for-art
• Poetry Submission Guidelines: Submit up to two poems using the online entry form found at www.artsforallwi.org/programs/call-for-poetry
• Complete Guidelines and instructions can be found at the links above
• Winning Entries Announced: April 10, 2024

ARTS for ALL Wisconsin is a statewide nonprofit organization founded in 1985 and formerly known as VSA Wisconsin. Its mission is to expand the capabilities, confidence, and quality of life for children and adults with disabilities by providing programs in the arts.

There are flyers for both the Call for Art and Call for Poetry available on their website and linked here too – please feel free to share them electronically or by printing and sharing hard copies.

For inquiries or assistance, please contact Mike Lawler at [email protected] or 608-241-2131. Let's celebrate the power of art and poetry within our diverse community!

Since its release, I’ve spoken about Tailspin at more than sixty events including forty libraries.

'Gene Moran’s story is, to put it mildly, amazing and John Armbruster’s presentation drew a crowd that was standing room only, which is rare in our tiny town! The presentation includes photos not included in the book, and Mr. Armbruster relates his experience recording Gene’s story so well. I would whole-heartedly recommend you include John Armbruster in your programming lineup.' - Amanda Hegge, Director, Whitehall Public Library

My presentations are an hour long and include video, audio, slides, readings and a display of banners and artifacts. I will also sell and sign books for as long as needed after the presentation.

The fee for my presentation is $400. I’ve already spoken at the following places in your Nicolet system area:

• Brown County Fair
• Lion's Mouth Bookstore (Aug. 5)

For more information on Tailspin, please read the (attached) sell sheet.
​

The Libraries Build Business Communications Toolkit offers advice and materials for library workers to promote their small business support services, engage with policymakers and government officials, and form and strengthen ties with local businesses and existing entrepreneur support structures.

The toolkit was created by the American Library Association’s Public Policy & Advocacy office (PPA), in partnership with Audrey Barbakoff from Co/lab Capacity, to help library workers communicate the value of and grow their small business services.

"The Library Services Team at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) announced on April 18, 2023, a contract with the reading engagement platform Beanstack through April 2025. The agreement with Zoobean, Inc. provides new and continued access to Beanstack for all interested Wisconsin public libraries and public school libraries.

This program is being offered through the DPI with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant. Over the next two years, the DPI will continue welcoming feedback from the field to ensure the product is meeting Wisconsin libraries’ needs."

Learn more at https://dpi.wi.gov/wilibrariesforeveryone/beanstack-access-renewed-through-april-2025.

​Following are updates on the “Grow Budget-Wise, Beautiful Gardens Anywhere” Program from garden expert Melinda Myers for Wisconsin Public Libraries to use from April – September.

​Here is the news release with details about the program for your review. All the program content is free of charge thanks to underwriting sponsor We Energies.
​

1. ​In the "Grow Budget-Wise, Beautiful Gardens Anywhere” program content for libraries, you’ll find information on the 3 Garden Webinars, 3 Videos, and Activities/DIY Projects (activities will be uploaded throughout the season; the April activity is available now). Consider hosting webinar watch parties at your library and/or events to do the DIY projects and activities. And feel free to use the content in any other creative way you come up with.
2. Promotional Materials are available for patron promotion in the Electronic Press Kit. This press kit provides social media posts/photos, webinar graphics, website banners for your library website to link to the program web page, a poster for your displays or bulletin boards, a QR code linking to the program web page, a news release template, and more.

You can help this program to be a success! Please promote it in your community and to your patrons. Here are some ideas:

• Add a banner or graphic to your website with a link to the program web page.
• Tailor and share the news release (click to download template) with your local media.
• Promote the programming via your social media channels (see social media post copy and images in the electronic press kit – access through link above in #2).
• Create displays in your library with gardening books, a poster with a QR code that links to the program website.

• Promote the events in your flyers, programs, and other marketing materials.

• Encourage registrations for the webinars by sharing these Facebook events on your library’s Facebook page (simply click on the links below to share them on your library’s Facebook page):
  • April 18, 2023, 6:30 p.m. CT - Growing a Bountiful Harvest – Facebook event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/3382483008631715
  • ​May 3, 2023, 6:30 p.m. CT - Gardening in a Changing Climate - Facebook event link:  https://www.facebook.com/events/887499652506142
  • Sept. 13, 2023, 6:30 p.m. CT - Fall is for Planning and Planting an Energy-Saving Landscape - Facebook event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1276832873248072

If you have any questions, please email Diana Paul. ​

Per a follow-up communication from Tovah Anderson on January 3, 2023:

"It was brought to my attention that Wisconsin requires seed (re)labelers to be licensed and that seed libraries may fall under this requirement. I spoke with Greg Helmbrecht at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection. Greg responded: 'Several years ago, we evaluated the need to license “seed libraries” and decided it wasn’t something we needed to do as long as commerce wasn’t affected. This was an exemption to licensing but the idea was that there wasn’t “bulk” seed involved.
 
Jung is a licensed and reputable seed labeler and one that would be directly affected by your “give away”. I think that if they are aware of your plans and don’t have a problem with it, you shouldn’t need a license. Full disclosure with Jung is advised and they could probably do your labeling for you.'
 
Upon his suggestion, I reached out to Jung Seed to see if this project was okay. I shared with him how Prairie Lakes Library System was planning to run this project in our area. Brian Isaacs at Jung Seed responded: 'It was a pleasure speaking with you this morning.  When you are wanting to do this again, just let me know ahead of time and we can package them up for you and even add library information to the package.  For this round, Jung Seed does not have any issues with the way it was handled.'

It sounds like we have the go-ahead with the understanding that seed libraries are not meant to take business away from the seed sellers and that the planning committee will approach this project differently next year.

Each library is free to order their seeds from any seller they like. There is no formal “oversight" of this project so you can run your program as you like."

(Note: Tovah is interested in how many libraries think they will participate. As a courtesy, please email her at [email protected] to let her know.)