Stealth Programming with Gerbils

Rice Lake Public Library had a try at “stealth” programming this fall.  Ashley, youth services manager, says that their library gerbil hosted a book club.  “Kids got a “Carmel’s Book Club Card” and for every 5 books they...

Video Contest

2013 is the first year Wisconsin will participate in the Collaborative Summer Library Program(CSLP) Teen Video Challenge.  There are cash prizes, both for the winning entry’s creator and the library they use!  Instead of simply putting up a flyer in...

IFLS Well-Represented in We-Lead!

Ashley BieberThe Wisconsin Library Association’s We-Lead Initiative chose their latest group of participants well.  We know this because half of the new protégés are librarians from IFLS libraries.  Not only are we home-region proud, we also know that...

Helping Ease College Application Anxiety

One of the sessions I attended at the WLA Conference this fall was all about resources available to help public libraries make the college application and financial aid maze easier for students.  While many of the resources are specifically designed to help...

Thinking About Children’s Spaces

 Early literacy panels in Rice LakeHow do you make your children’s room inviting to kids of all ages and their family members?   A few weeks back, I attended a webinar put together by DEMCO, presented by Kimberly Bolan Cullin Zoning In On...

Youth Services Idea Swap Coming Up

Youth Services Idea Swap:MONEY MONEY MONEYFriday, December 7, 8:30-10 amFall Creek Public LibraryFundraising, Grants, Making Money StretchIt’s going to take more than a jar of coins to do everything you want to in your library.  How do you raise funds?  How...

Ladysmith Storytime Success

Kris reports from Ladysmith that moving her storytime out of the small area they had available up in the children’s area into a roomy meeting room (along with her charming and magnetic personality, which she humbly didn’t mention) has resulted in storytime...

YA for Adults Book Group

In chatting with Monica at River Falls, I found out about their YA for Adult Book Group.  It sounded like such fun, I had to ask a few questions of Monica and Heather, two staffers who work with this book group.What made you decide to do a YA for Adult Book...