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Believe it or not, Mike Schneider's Pint Size Polkas 2025 summer schedule is already starting to fill up! At this point, he has just three open weeks remaining, including the week of June 30, when he’ll be making his way north back home from shows in New Mexico. Would you be interested in booking the Pint Size Polkas family program the week of June 30, 2025? Mike I will also likely have some additional availability in August.
Including expenses, Mike aims to keep his fee in the $350 to $425 range per program. The more libraries he's able to book along a contiguous route, the lower the price he's able to offer. Please feel free to pass the good word along to your fellow librarians! For descriptions of the programs he's offering for the CSLP and iREAD themes next summer, please visit PintSizePolkas.com/hire. Here's how you can contact Mike/Pint Size Polkas Mike Schneider (414) 431-4683 P.O. Box 126 Clinton, WI 53525 www.pintsizepolkas.com Six-Time Polka Hall of Fame Inductee  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:
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: 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 "Tis' the Season! For NEXT SUMMER! Yes, Dinosaur Dimensions is already getting approached for library planning and booking for next summer - and as we all know, prime dates go VERY fast as summers always book up with this crowd drawing show! We are opening the doors for booking next summer's family/kid's reading programs officially this week. Dinosaur Dimensions is the high energy show that featured four realistic looking dinosaur animatronic puppets! Kids get involved with the show as they help grow shrunken specimens delivered from the past - and they get to meet these dinosaurs first hand right at the library!
Shows are very well attended, and run 40-45 minutes in length. For an added bonus, a dinosaur is voted upon by the audience and kids will get a chance to meet the dino face-to face for one-on-one interactions and photos! We have the ability to host up to three shows a day during prime summer months, and try to keep pricing as affordable as possible by crafting tours that cover area libraries nearby that will keep everyone's cost down. We also like to include all travel fees in our price (which is under $500 per library, by the way). We would love to get you some further information so you can see just how easy and affordable this interactive dinosaur presentation is! Drop me an email and I can get back to you with further information. I would love to be at your library this next summer!" Thanks, Curt Strutz STRUTZ ENTERTAINMENT Dinosaur Dimensions www.dinosaurdimensions.com based in Fond du Lac, WI Di-November is quickly becoming a HUGE hit with library programming, and our herd of realistic looking dinosaurs is ready for your library! Dinosaur Dimensions is a nationally touring animatronic puppet experience featuring REALISTIC looking dinosaur puppetry and a complete storyline to compliment these beasts. We are WISCONSIN based, so we can set up amazing opportunities for your library without drastic mileage charges or travel bills.
You may have heard about our show from other area libraries - we have found that our Dinosaur Dimensions show has been one of the more popular programs used for summer reading programs. Our experience is more than just a 40-45 minute show... we offer dinosaur meet & greet opportunities immediately after the program ends! This added benefit is a huge bonus for families, schools groups, and community youth as every group will get an individual experience with a dinosaur for photos, videos, etc. Our November is FILLING UP FAST! We have large tours set in both Missouri and Texas in Nov with the dinosaurs, and with Thanksgiving in there - dates are flying away faster than a pterodactyl! Good dates still remain for those libraries in the home state of WI. I would love to see what opportunities we potentially could have to get the dinosaurs to your library. I can assure you a high energy and fast paced show that is full of Jurassic excitement! Can I check some dates and pricing for your library? Thanks, Curt Strutz STRUTZ ENTERTAINMENT Dinosaur Dimensions www.dinosaurdimensions.com
 girlswhocode.com Are you looking for free STEM programming for your students in your community? Sign up here to start a free Girls Who Code Club and use Girls Who Code's free 3rd-12th grade coding curriculum.  It’s free to get started and you don’t need to have any coding experience to start a Girls Who Code Club. When you sign up you get access to:
Sign up today to access the curriculum and start Club meetings anytime this year at your library! Interested in starting multiple clubs? Check out this free Community Partnership opportunity that comes with support from a dedicated staff member and other benefits! Click here to book a meeting with me to learn more! Dinosaur Dimensions is a summer program like no other - over 75 libraries utilized this program in summer, 2023, and in many cases they had record setting audiences (not just for the summer but for the history of the library). How would your library’s summer library reading program be with realistic animatronic dinosaurs? Just imagine the look on the children’s faces when roaring, blinking, and moving dinosaurs are brought out of “containment units” and presented to them in a fun, educational, and extremely fun show! Kids get involved in multiple ways during the show - from pounding their laps to generate "energy" to power the machine that produces the dinosaurs, to helping feed a dinosaur, to even getting to name each creature. They LOVE it! Here is a video clip from the Dinosaur Dimensions’ show. Please take a look and see just how much excitement it brings to the kids’ eyes! In addition to the 40-45 minute show, there's a post-show meet & greet session where kids/families can meet one of the dinosaurs in a one-on-one environment to get to pet it, take photos, etc. This is just as exciting for the kiddos - if not the highlight of the entire day!
The price for the show runs $450, and the fee includes ALL aspects of travel (motels, mileage and meals). It is a flat fee that gets paid, and it can be paid in full the day of the event (no deposit needed). Curt Strutz is based in Fond du Lac County, so any locations in WI that are outside of his general area might require a few other libraries in the area to complete a small mini tour to help offset the travel aspects. If this sounds like something of interest, please let Curt know so he can try and get you on the ticket for next year! Also, be sure to ask about their other two shows in the Strutz Family line-up. The Wacky World of Wesley Waffles and Dragon Training Academy are also two great shows that could be added to your summer lineup, as well, both performed by Curt's two adult sons! Please let Curt know if you think dinosaurs might be a fit for your next summer program, and get ready for an adventure like no other! Contact: Curt Strutz Strutz Entertainment Dinosaur Dimensions 262-271-7327 [email protected]  As part of today’s Earth Day commemorations, the Wisconsin Water Library at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Wisconsin Library Association announced the books selected for a basin-wide shared-reading experience, Great Lakes, Great Read. The Water Walker by Joanne Robertson is the children’s selection and the adult selection is The Best Part of Us by Sally Cole-Misch.
The Great Lakes, Great Read website, https://www.greatlakesgreatread.org, offers further details on the authors, their books, book discussion questions, an email list signup option and other resources.
Please follow Great Lakes, Great Read on Facebook to get the latest updates, https://www.facebook.com/greatlakesgreatread/. This initiative is made possible by an Ideas to Action grant from WiLS. Wisconsin Sea Grant and the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute support the Wisconsin Water Library.  www.girlswhocode.com The following is from Rachel Pierce, Regional Outreach Coordinator for Girls Who Code: "On behalf of the international nonprofit Girls Who Code, I’m thrilled to let you know that our free and virtual Summer Programs are now accepting applications! I would love to work with you to encourage eligible students from Nicolet Federated Library System to apply. Girls Who Code’s Free Virtual Summer Programs Overview
Please share this Summer Programs Flyer with 9-12th graders along with the blurb below:
If you have any questions or need any other resources to encourage students to apply, please contact:
Rachel Pierce Regional Outreach Coordinator [email protected] Pronouns: She/Her girlswhocode.com  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.  WoodsyDude.com The information below comes from Joshua Stuck, Outdoor Skills Instructor (Crivitz, WI) Dear Librarians- Would you like a summer program that matches perfectly with this year's theme “Adventure Begins at the Library!?” Hi! My name is Joshua Stuck. I am a local Outdoor Skills Instructor (from Crivitz, WI) who has been teaching outdoor skills to kids for over 20 years. Would you be interested in a summer library youth program that gets kids excited about some of the most popular outdoor themed books like Call of the Wild, Sign of the Beaver, and Hatchet? Introducing… “Woodsy Dude’s Embrace the Outdoors Youth Programs” with Woodsy Dude! I've designed three separate library programs for three different age groups where I teach between 20-25 youth some of the outdoor skills featured in the world's best outdoor themed books. They'll learn how to make a Survival Shelter like in Hatchet, how to set a survival trap like Matt from Sign of the Beaver, how to tie Buck's # 1 Call of the Wild Rescue Knot, and so much more. They even get items during the course to start building their own outdoor survival kit.
 The USDA Forest Service, in collaboration with the Georgia Public Library Service, is excited to announce the Smokey Bear Reading Challenge in celebration of Smokey Bear's 80th Birthday in 2024!
They are collaborating with public library systems across the country for this year-long challenge. This challenge is meant to complement CSLP's "Adventure Begins at Your Library," and is designed to be a fun and easy way to engage children in reading about wildfire prevention, forests, and natural resource careers, while exploring their local environment. Public libraries are invited to run the challenge for those 4 to 10 years of age, from January 1st to November 28th, 2024. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is registered as the participating state library, which means Wisconsin public libraries do not need to register individually to participate in the challenge. Each public library will receive the following incentives that will be sent out through the statewide delivery system sometime in January: one roll of 500 Smokey stickers, 50 Smokey cards, and one Smokey Stamp. The Smokey Bear Reading Challenge Toolkit is available now – download posters, bookmarks, and more!  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:
 Fairy tale adventures, space exploration scavenger hunts, science experiments, and roller coaster design challenges... all through Minecraft!  Fairy Tale Fun TD3 Innovative Gaming is a student-led startup that delivers engaging and educational programs through Minecraft and other video games.
Their goal is to leverage the digital environments of children's favorite games as a platform to nurture academic and social skills. Their content spans a diverse array of topics and activities, including STEM, history, personal finance, fairy tales, and outer space, providing a safe, interactive, and fun learning environment. A full list of available activities is available at www.td3innovativegaming.com/libraries. Despite their young age, their organization has partnered with hundreds of libraries nationwide. See where they have held their programs before. If you are interested in learning more, please call Jack Viscuso at 631-944-0986 or email [email protected]. Visit www.td3innovativegaming.com or view this informational document for more information.   Looking for an enchanting, inspiring, and library-focused program to engage and delight your patrons? Scott Obermann has just the show for you: "Great Scott and the Magical Archeology Adventure!"
Tailored exclusively for library settings, this performance is designed to kindle a love for reading while delivering a delightful and unforgettable experience. Program Highlights:
Their goal is to make reading fun, exciting, and a part of your library's everyday adventure. "Great Scott and the Magical Archeology Adventure" is the perfect show to inspire children to explore your library's treasures. If you're interested in adding this enchanting and library-centric program to your calendar or if you'd like more details, call Scott at 262-364-6524 or email [email protected]. Work with Scott to create a magical and inspiring experience that will make your library a place where young readers embark on captivating journeys through the world of books. More information is available at www.wisconsinmagician.com. Would you be interested in booking my Pint Size Polkas show next year? I have details posted now at www.pintsizepolkas.com/library for the theme-fitting programs I’m offering in 2024. I’d love the chance to bring to your patrons a one-of-a-kind experience that librarians across the country have praised for its quality, uniqueness, and memorability!
This past summer, I was able to keep pricing in the $350 to $400 range per program, including expenses. The more libraries I’m able to book on a given trip, the lower my price, so please spread the good word to your colleagues! If you are interested in booking, please let me know so I can make some additional contacts, as well. I have already received interest for programs in Park Falls, Altoona, Marathon, and Spencer on Monday, July 8 and Tuesday, July 9. Would you be interested in booking the week of July 8? I have a few openings remaining on July 8 and 9 as well as the rest of the week. I have additional availability the week of May 27; July 5-6; plus numerous openings in August and throughout the rest of the year. Looking forward to spreading the joy of polka music and family-friendly entertainment throughout Wisconsin again during my 2024 summer reading adventures! Thank you for your consideration, and I hope to hear back from you soon! Mike Schneider (414) 431-4683 P.O. Box 126 Clinton, WI 53525 www.pintsizepolkas.com Six-Time Polka Hall of Fame Inductee  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.  SEAL workshop attendees testing binoculars in Eau Claire The solar kits, along with two in-person training workshops held in September 2023 for library staff throughout Wisconsin, were made possible by funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and a supplement to the NASA@My Library project,the Space Science Institute, through its Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries (SEAL).
To reserve a kit for a program at your library, please submit a SEAL KIT Reservation request. The kits are available statewide starting the week of October 20th, 2023. A description of the contents of each kit is also available. For programming ideas and other resources, visit Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries (SEAL). Please email Jeni Schomber, Public Library Consultant, if you have any questions.
The presentation is for adults, often for Friends of the Library groups, who are generally made up of passionate advocates for libraries and books, as Lutie was.
If you are interested in a performance of any kind, please let Stuart know. His website is StuartStotts.com and he's happy to provide references. If you are interested in a summer reading event, Stuart often finds it’s a lot more affordable if libraries work together to combine bookings. "Thanks for your work. It’s not an easy time for many librarians, but I, and many others, believe you play an essential role in our society." - Stuart Stotts Stuart Stotts [email protected] 608-513-0724 www.StuartStotts.com  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:
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! Tribal Nations Maps introduces the most comprehensive maps of pre-contact and at-contact Native North America to date. These maps use Tribal Nation’s original indigenous names for themselves, and show where Tribes were just before contact with outsiders, as well as the last homelands they defended. The intent of these maps is to instill pride in Native peoples and to be used as teaching tools from a Native perspective. These maps are part of Aaron Carapella's Tribal Nations Map series-which covers the Nations indigenous to the “United States,” “Canada,” "Mexico," "Central America," "South America" and “Alaska." Your purchase supports multiple upcoming maps. Aaron credits the many hundreds of Cultural directors, elders, educators and linguists that have helped him centralize these names onto one visual display. If you are planning an event where you would like your guests to go home with an experience of wonder struck awe, reach out to Nickey Fynn and make it happen! Nickey Fynn is a family entertainer specializing in live comedy magic shows for performances at libraries throughout Wisconsin.
Nickey's rate is $300 for a 45 minute show plus travel ($0.50 per mile to and from Stoughton, WI, if more than 30 miles). The program is for ages 6 and up and has lots of audience participation mixed with sleight of hand comedy magic, storytelling, music and balloons.
Visit nickeyfynn.com for more information or email [email protected] The biggest educational program to swim through the midwest.
 Updated July 28, 2023:Gardening expert Melinda Myers has shared her August gardening activities to her website for you to use with your library patrons. Click the following link, and scroll all the way down to the August video and activity. It can all be accessed at https://www.melindamyers.com/articles/grow-budget-wise-beautiful-gardens-anywhere-2023-library-garden-program. August 2023 - Video & DIY Project: Worm Composting – Convert kitchen scraps into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. Posted June 1, 2023:Gardening expert Melinda Myers has uploaded her June and July gardening activities below to her webpage for you to use with your library patrons:
Here are just a few ways to use the content from Melinda:
Also, your library can access all promotional materials, signage, press release templates, social media posts and images for this content at https://www.melindamyers.com/articles/electronic-press-kit. If you have any questions, email Diana Paul at [email protected].  "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.  If your library is participating in the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP), you'll want to review its latest newsletter. Headlines include:
Content and Promotional Materials now Available! 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.
You can help this program to be a success! Please promote it in your community and to your patrons. Here are some ideas:
If you have any questions, please email Diana Paul. |
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