Getting ready for the PLA Conference

Public Library Association Bus Trip

There are just 12 spaces left for the IFLS-sponsored bus trip to the Public Library Association Conferencein Minneapolis on Thursday, April 2.  The bus is free, sponsored by IFLS, and will leave Eau Claire bright and early in the morning and make stops in Menomonie, Baldwin, and Hudson before dropping folks off at the Minneapolis Convention Center in time for Exhibits to open.

Reserve your spot now.  Questions?  Reach out to Leah at [email protected]

Exhibit Hall pass

A pass to the Exhibit Hall costs $55.  It includes: access to a vast array of vendor displays (and attendant give-aways); a How-To Stage with a day full of 20-minute practical presentations, and a Book Buzz stage with information about what is coming in 2026 in the publishing industry.  It is easy to spend a day in the exhibit hall and not run out of things to do!  To help you plan your time and get the most out of it, we are working on a tip sheet.  At least 3 libraries are sending all interested staff for a day at the Exhibit Hall!

PLA conference newsletter

This huge newsletter has a ton of information. Read it as the Conference Newsletter PDF, or Conference Newsletter online. (These links copied from ALA.)

Delivery update

Yep, there’s a shortage of bins, and things have been slow, due to staff illness at Purple Mountain. Thanks for your patience! Katelyn will be purchasing more bins this week. In the meantime:

• If you have extra bins (unlikely, yet possible) please share your spares to be redistributed!

• If you’re low on bins:

  • Still let Katelyn know (or send in a HelpDesk ticket) if you need more.

  • Prioritize sending out holds before returns.

  • You can use boxes but only in dry weather.

Add your favorite performers

The Youth Services Section of the Wisconsin Library Association is getting ready to host a Performer Showcase to give participants a taste of performers from around the state (and beyond).  To that end, they are collecting information about performers you’d recommend to invite to this showcase.  If you have one to recommend, you can fill out this Google Form.  And while you are at it, remember to fill out the IFLS Performer/Presenter Feedback Form to contribute to our crowd-sourced list of presenters and performers for all ages!

2026 Play Make Learn conference: July 9-10, 2026, in Madison

The Play Make Learn Conference is a place for collaboration and discovery in the design, research, and practice of playful learning, games for learning and positive social impact, making and makerspaces, STEAM education, and arts in education. PML creates an inspirational space for preK-12 educators, designers, developers, innovators, librarians, museum professionals, makers, and researchers to tinker together, share knowledge, and celebrate one another’s work. Call for Proposals and Registration are both open, with more information, on their website.

Coming up at IFLS: new and highlights

• IFLS Library System, Northern Waters Library Services, and Wisconsin Valley Library Service invite you to Great New Books for Children and Teens, presented by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC). Thursday, April 9 from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at the Gilman, WI Celebration Hall, 235 E Main S.  Register by Sunday, March 29
• LX Starter Office Hours is a virtual zoom session dedicated to launching your library’s new email notices. Has setting up your new email notices been lingering on your to-do list? You’re not alone—and IFLS Library System staff are here to help! Register for one of two sessions on March 12: 10:30 to 11:30 or 2:00 to 3:00.

On the IFLS Calendar

Executive Committee Meeting Fri Mar 6th 10:00am – 1:00pm

End Notes: kudos and a marketing tip from Reb

1. You all are doing a bang up job of communicating your Annual Report statistics! Two I’ve seen: Milltown and Balsam Lake.

2. Best practice for posting event or other information on Facebook is to include important information in the text block, not the image. Two reasons:

• The Facebook algorithms show those posts less, so you’re actually reaching fewer people.
• Most people look at Facebook on their phones, and the image text will be so tiny it’s useless for conveying information.

Here’s a good example.