WLA 2025 Conference Scholarship by Wisconsin Small Libraries Section

Applications for the Wisconsin Small Libraries (WISL) Continuing Education scholarship for the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) Annual Conference is open August 1!

WISL will be awarding two $250 scholarships to WLA members to go towards conference registration and activities. Criteria to Apply:

• Any staff member employed by a library with a service population of under 6,000 people OR with fewer than 4 FTE

• Be willing to share the knowledge you gain at the conference with others

• Be a WLA member and join the WISL section (can join WISL at conference!)

• Attend the full WLA 2025 conference

Applications are due on September 5; winners will be notified by September 15. Additional information is on the WLA website.

Feel free to reach out to the WISL Scholarship Committee with any questions: Katelyn Dubiel – dubiel@ifls.lib.wi.us or Nick Andrews – director@elmwoodlibrary.org

Two weeks of delivery tasks

Aug 4-8: Wash your bins!

This really helps keep our WALTCO bins nice and in turn keeps out library materials clean! Here’s how:

• Empty out and clean all delivery bins in your library’s possession.
  • If you have the capability to wash and rinse them out, that would be stupendous.
  • If not, please use a cleaning solution to clean the inside and outside of the bin.
• When you’re done cleaning your bins, please add your library’s letter code and the year to the inside cover of the bin. 

Delivery Study: August 11-15

We will be doing a summer delivery study this year. This is a one-time effort by library systems and the WPLC Delivery Cohort to collect Summer delivery volume counts to compare with Spring and Fall data  within and between systems. Thank you for helping IFLS collect and report this data back to the WPLC group!

Please share this information with all relevant staff. The study instructions, worksheet, and an example of a completed worksheet can be found on the Delivery Page of the IFLS website (https://iflsweb.org/for-librarians/delivery). If you have any questions or something is unclear, please contact Katelyn or submit a HelpDesk ticket.

Instructions for the Worksheet

1. Write your library’s name at the top
2. Count all the bins in your library (full and empty) on the morning of August 11 and write that number down at the top
3. Record the time your driver arrives
4. Record the number of gray bins sent and received per day of delivery
5. Record the number of other items sent and received per day of delivey
6. Tally and total the number of mistakes (missorts and mislabeled items)
7. On the back of the worksheet, share any additional mistakes (e.g. Anytown PL got a bin for Everytown PL), compliments or comments.
8. Then, scan and email the completed worksheet to Katelyn. 

IRS recommends creating an account PIN

Maybe your community would be interested in this information, shared from our regional IRS office.

• Add an extra layer of protection by signing up for an Identity Protection PIN. It’s a 6-digit number that prevents someone else from filing a tax return using your Social Security number. Check out this tax tip to learn more: https://ow.ly/AG2W50WoC0M

Out and About

Small Spaces

After attending the Small Spaces, Big Opportunity–Reorganizing to Increase Circulation in-person workshop with David Vinjamuri on July 1, Deer Park library staff went home and did this:

Barb Krueger, library directors, says, “Regular library users and visitors comment positively on the changes. We’ve heard that they are checking out books that were on display.” The small “Save Me” display features books that either have never been checked out or low circulation but staff think are worth keeping in the collection. They’ll be adding more shelves to that unit.

Thanks to Barb for sharing the pictures and comments!!

Senator Rob Stafsholt at Ellsworth

A little proactive hustle by library staff encouraged state Senator Stafsholt to visit the public library while he was in Ellsworth. He met with library and system staff and community members.

Passport update

We’re in the last month! Are you getting some entry forms? You can send them all back at the end of the program, or send them when you get them – whichever works best for your library.

Submit a HelpDesk ticket for more passports or stickers.

Events coming up

Chippewa Valley Book Festival Announces 2025 Lineup: October 21-25

The Chippewa Valley Book Festival is back for its 26th year, and features an exciting and diverse group of authors, covering a wide array of genres and themes. Events will take place in downtown Eau Claire at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library with a meal event hosted at The Good Wives restaurant. Most events offer hybrid attendance options (in person and virtual), and all events are free and open to the public, excluding the meal event. Registration opens in early September. Click here for festival details.

Save the dates!

• Building Powerful Support Networks for Libraries, Part 2 Thu Oct 16th 1:00pm – 2:30pm

• Library Staff Palooza/Retreat–Camp Wapogasset, Amery Wed Oct 22nd 9:30am – 3:30pm

• Library Staff Palooza/Retreat–Beaver Creek Reserve, Fall Creek Thu Oct 23rd 9:30am – 3:30pm

On the IFLS Calendar