Advocacy updates
State: Library Legislative Day 2026 (from WLA)
Mark your calendars now for Library Legislative Day 2026 on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. The Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) is organizing to thank Governor Tony Evers for his support of Wisconsin libraries as he retires from public service at the end of 2026.
Do you have a message or photos to share? Submit them to the WLA with tthis form by December 31st, A selection of photos and messages will be compiled into a book that will be presented to the Governor at 2026 Library Legislative Day.
Federal: push for funding for FY26 (from ALA)
Congress is back in session, and now we’re looking forward to next year. What does this mean for libraries?
- Funding for libraries, including programs administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), will restart in the coming days as employees return to work.
- IMLS will resume administering state library grants that support interlibrary lending, shared digital resources, and other vital services through state library agencies.
Let’s be clear that Congress did not agree on a new budget for FY 2026: they agreed to continue temporarily funding some programs at last year’s funding levels.
- Upside: Libraries aren’t losing IMLS funds. When the government reopens, IMLS funding will continue at Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 levels.
- Downside: The “fix” is temporary. The CR funds only three of 12 appropriations bills for FY 2026, which means Congress will need to pass nine spending bills or face yet another shutdown on February 1, 2026, for most government programs, including library programs.
Keep up the pressure to fund libraries. Here’s a form on the ALA website. You can also call, email, or write your elected officials.
End-of-year
Tech purchase deadline is looming
End of year technology purchasing deadline is less than 2 weeks away from IFLS’s preferred cutoff day of December 1st. Brad says this may be a little flexible as we are not currently experiencing any shortages/delayed shipping times. Contact Brad with a HelpDesk ticket or email if you have any questions or concerns.
2026 WISCAT update
The 2026 WISCAT license fee will again be waived (no fee for next year!). The 2026 WISCAT user agreement form will be ready by December 9. Please look for messaging from Cecelia around that time.
How is this survey and 5 pounds of M&Ms related?
The MORE Consortium is embarking on an exciting ILS (Integrated Library System) evaluation. That means we’re taking a close look at our current system, Sierra—its strengths, its quirks, and all those “why is it doing that?” moments—to decide whether we should request more information about other potential ILS options.
To make smart decisions, we need your insight! We’re asking all library staff (or at least one brave soul from each department) to complete a short survey about:
📘 How satisfied you are with Sierra’s functions
📗 How important those functions are to your work
📙 What you absolutely cannot live without in a future ILS
Your input helps ensure that whatever system we use next (even if it’s Sierra!) actually meets our real-world needs.
🕒 Survey deadline: December 12 (Survey link here: https://forms.gle/R6hqAeTEoJTUFp2N9)
💻 Best on desktop or laptop
⏱️ Takes 5–20 minutes depending on how many sections you complete
And because we believe in the power of positive reinforcement (and chocolate), one lucky participant will win 4 pounds of M&Ms. Yes. Four. Pounds. Imagine the possibilities.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and help shape our future ILS!
Do you want a PLA-Conference bus? Fill out this form.
If there’s enough interest IFLS will be paying for a coach bus trip to the Public Library Association Conference on Thursday, April 2 at no cost to participants.
If you think you MIGHT be interested, please respond to this interest survey by December 5! That will help me determine whether or not we have sufficient interest to move forward on hiring the bus.
All the details are in an email from Leah sent on November 19.
Training opportunities
- BadgerLink’s Training page is refreshed and ready for the new year.
- You can view the recorded webinar How to Handle Difficult Conversations Like a Champion with Jesseca Erb from REALiving until Tuesday, November 25. Register with your library email address and you’ll be taken directly to the 45 minute recording.
- Have you taken a look at Wisconsin’s Digital Library Insight Dashboard lately? The dashboard gives a snapshot of current checkouts and holds for the current day, month, and year! It’s no longer on the WDL site. Look for it here: https://insights.overdrive.com/dashboards/46b70dbf1a174512b8d6852d192e4bea, or you can find it under the For Libraries Menu or on the WPLC Project page.
Internship program
2026 AHEC Community Health Internship Program (CHIP)—running June 1–July 24, 2026! Wisconsin AHEC’s Community Health Internship Program (CHIP) enables college students who have an interest in community health, public health, and population health to work with local health departments, tribal health centers, community health centers, and community service organizations throughout Wisconsin for an eight-week summer internship. Host site guidelines are available on the website.
Congratulations!
Two mentor pairs have completed their year-long program. Congratulations to Valerie Spooner (Rusk County Community Library in Ladysmith) and Linda Johnson (Phillips Public Library), as well as Maria Potvin (Frederic Public Library) and Sam Linder (Balsam Lake Public Library). More details in the IFLS newsletter.
On the IFLS calendar