Happy National Library Week!
New and Highlighted at IFLS
A new storytime kit
(from Leah) Need some storytime inspiration? Looking for a time-saver? Check out the newly freshened-up Bears Storytime Kit, featuring several new books, a new felt story, new rhymes and activities, a cast of a black bear-cub pawprint, and an information card with photos of scat (what’s more interesting or funny than poop?). Use your Lend Items account to borrow Programming Kits from IFLS, NWLS, and WVLS. Need help getting started? Contact Leah or submit a Help Desk ticket.
New posts on the Learning Loop blog
(from Leah) Want to find out what others took home from the Public Library Association Conference? Check out what some of our scholarship winners shared in the Learning Loop:
- AI Uncertainty, Libraries without Borders, and Community Partnerships by Amanda Unger, Hudson
- Exhibit Inspirations and Counteracting Isolation by Lisa Bragg Hurlburt, Colfax
- NewsBank, AI, and More AI by Tanya Misselt, River Falls
Watch for more articles next week!
Group Supplies Order Updates
(submitted by Sarah Szymanski)
Delivery updates:
- Receipt Paper cases have been delivered. I started sending those out to libraries Tuesday afternoon and will continue a little at a time as our courier can manage the load.
- Zebra Printer Ribbons have been delivered. I’ll send those out to you this week. Reminder: the size of the ribbon is determined by the width of the cardboard spindle, not the width of the ribbon itself. The ribbons from Zebra are narrower than some of the ribbons you’ve received in the past from a different vendor. Don’t panic if it looks different; it should still fit in your printer. The 4” ribbons will fit in the newer GT and GZ printers. The 2” ribbons will fit in the older TL printers.
- Spine labels are scheduled to ship to us in about 4 weeks.
- Barcodes will likely arrive in about 3 weeks.
Invoicing – You will be invoiced for all supplies at one time – likely in June. We wait for all products to be delivered and vendors to invoice us before Adam prepares invoices for the libraries. The last of the products and some Demco backorders won’t arrive for another month or so.
As always, if you have any questions about the orders, please contact Sarah [email protected].
Web accessibility deadline extended
(from Erica) On Monday, 04/20/2026, the Department of Justice announced an extension to the deadline for compliance with the rule on accessibility of web information and services for state and local government entities.
The compliance date for State and local government entities with a total population of 50,000 or more is extended from April 24, 2026, to April 26, 2027. The compliance date for public entities with a total population of less than 50,000, or any special district government, is extended from April 26, 2027, to April 26, 2028.
But that doesn’t mean we can slow down. LEANWI Web Services will continue to work with libraries on remediating existing websites, building new websites, and training library website managers on maintaining accessible website content to meet these compliance requirements as soon as feasible ahead of the new deadlines.
This extension will give us more time to create a realistic project roll-out plan that allows libraries to acclimate and hopefully find these new tasks just a matter of course by 2028!
Grant for education/outreach: deadline June 30
In recognition of National Library Week, Rob-See-Co, an independent seed company located in Elkhorn, Nebraska, is continuing its Rural Library Grant program. Please reach out to Rob-See-Co to see if you are eligible. Applications are due by June 30. Grant recipients will be announced on Oct. 1.
Originally launched in 2023 to honor Agnes, great-grandmother of CEO Jim Robinson, a passionate advocate for rural libraries.
In 2026, Rob-See-Co will award ten $500 grants for a total of $5,000 to selected rural libraries across Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin. Funds may be used for core educational, preservation, and interpretive purposes, including collection development, facility improvements, traveling exhibits, guest speakers, staff training, programming, and publications.
Ask WiLS Anything! Ideas to Action Fund Q&A
(from WiLS) The WiLS Ideas to Action Fund helps turn bold ideas into real impact, offering grants of up to $5,000 for projects that support innovation, collaboration, and shared learning across member organizations. The application period is open through June 5th.
As you work on your proposals, we want to make sure we answer any questions you may have. We invite you to attend a live Q&A session about the WiLS Ideas to Action Fund on Thursday, April 23rd, at 1:00 pm CT. Hosted by WiLS staffers Kim Kiesewetter and Sara Gold, you will learn more about the qualities of a strong proposal and have the opportunity to ask general and specific questions about the application process. Register to attend
This virtual Q&A session will be recorded and emailed to registrants and shared on the WiLS YouTube channel following the event. If you have any questions, let us know at [email protected].
It’s time to make your dreams a reality with the WiLS Ideas to Action Fund!
Read to Feed
(from Leah and Reb) Heifer International works in communities all over the world to provide resources to strengthen families and communities, including animals to raise and also support, education, assistance with selling goods and obtaining loans, and support for passing on knowledge and gifts.
Their Read-to-Feed program allows children, teens, and adults to log reading time to unlock corporate donations to Heifer International. Libraries can participate in this program by promoting it to families in their communities and tying it into the programs and reading promotions they already have. Heifer International supplies participating libraries with resources like buttons, pencils, information, and more. Rebecca talked with a representative at the PLA Conference earlier this month and came home all jazzed up! Let us know if you decide to participate.
WLA on the Road (it’s free!)
(from Nick, Elmwood Library director) Wisconsin Library Association is running a series of “WLA on the Road” events each year that DO NOT require WLA membership or a drive down to Madison to participate. I’m on the Small Libraries Group at WLA (codenamed WISL), and we had been advocating for this since I started, so it’s nice to see the new WLA director Kara Sullivan adopt this approach to serve librarians around the state.
The next event is at Eagle River on Tuesday, May 18 10:00-2:00. It will be hosted by one of our WISL board members Sara Klemann, and I’d like to recommend everyone take a look to see if they’re interested. Benefits:
- Free!
- Food!
- Choose-your-own-adventure workshop discussions!
- Networking!
- OPTIONAL: Ukulele 101 class at 2:00, Ukeleles provided!
They are asking for registration to figure out how much food to get; you will need to register an email address with WLA. If you hit a paywall please let Nick know and he’ll get into it. ([email protected])
(Yes, this is the second time for this in Weekly Digest, because it looks like a great opportunity, plus lunch AND ukeleles.)
Opportunities outside of IFLS
- 2026 Lieutenant Governor’s Small Business Academy, May 5-7 online and in-person on May 8 at locations across Wisconsin. This is a great free resource to share with your local business community, and there is a session May 6 focused on Library Resources for Startups! Visit the Small Business Academy webpage for details, registration, and a list of statewide in‑person events. Sample promotional posts are also available if your library would like to help spread the word. (from Kristina Gómez (she/her) Milwaukee Public Library, [email protected] )
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WISELearn Engagement Survey WISELearn Resources Library is a statutorily required repository of high-quality, standards-aligned educational resources and professional learning materials that represent the diversity of our global community. DPI wants to strengthen WISELearn and its resources to transform learning through innovative technology. Please help by completing a 3-5 minute survey about WISELearn, All results will be reported in the aggregate, ensuring anonymity. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to consultant Karen Dashn ( [email protected].) (from DPI)
Just added to the IFLS calendar
Artificial Intelligence in Collection Development: An IFLS Perspective
Wed May 13th 2:30pm – 3:30pm go to the AI in Collection Developement calendar event
With the increase in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to create content, AI-generated and AI-assisted materials are making their way into library collections, both intentionally and unintentionally. To better understand and address this rapidly changing issue, library staff can take important steps now to prepare and stay informed. Join Cecelia Cole, IFLS Resource Sharing and Collection Consultant, as we walk through IFLS recommendations for AI materials including definitions, identification, policies, and procedures. We’ll also introduce our new staff resource page on AI in Collection Development.
IFLS & WVLS Adult Services Meet-up
Wed May 20th 1:30pm – 2:30pm go to the Meet-up calendar event
Join us for a conversation about off-site adult services and outreach. This will be a chance to share what kinds of programs you are offering beyond your library walls, whether they are active or passive, and how those efforts are working in your community. We’ll also talk about partnerships that help support off-site programming, recurring outreach opportunities, and whether your offsite work changes with the seasons.
Bring your ideas, examples, and questions. Whether you have an established outreach program or are just getting started, this is a welcoming space to learn from one another, swap ideas, and gather inspiration for future adult services work.
Coming up soon