WWWW, summer planning, how to Libby, Love Stories, opportunities and resources, calendar
IFLS Staff
January 14, 2026
Weekly Digest

More reasons to check out the Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference next week

  • It’s been a favorite resource for 15 years.
  • Something for everyone—directors, front-line staff, programmers, and… See all 14 sessions.
  • Use what you’ve learned all year. (Sessions are recorded.)
  • Still free.

Summer Planning Resources

Getting started with Libby

WPLC OverDrive Account mangers will be hosting a getting started with Libby training session for libraries on January 20th at 10:00 am CST. Registration is required.
This session will demonstrate:
  • How to browse and borrow ebooks and audiobooks.
  • Tips for customizing the experience.
  • Answers to frequently asked questions from end users.
  • Where to find Libby marketing and help resources.

Library Love Story needs your help!

Stories are coming in slowly this year. Please

  1. Make sure your link is updated on last year’s blog or post: Library Love Story form
  2. invite people in your community to share their stories with state representatives and senators with this easy form.

There’s also a toolkit.

2026 Teen Internship Opportunity

The Department of Public Instruction’s Bureau of Libraries will be offering selected libraries the opportunity to hire a paid summer intern for the summer of 2026.  Interns will design and lead a community-focused Connected Learning Project that highlights their skills and interests.  Library mentors will engage with and support teens while also opening career pathways into the field of librarianship.

This is a competitive process, and applications will open soon. To prepare, consider registering to attend the 2026 Teen Internship Program webinar, 10-11 am, January 30.

Two libraries in our system have hosted interns in the past, the L.E. Phillips Memorial Library in Eau Claire and the Prescott Public Library so we know it happens for people we know and like!

2026 American Heart Association Grant – Meeting People Where They Are

This opportunity supports rural organizations in developing sustainable processes to address health barriers and community disparities.
The American Heart Association is offering up to $10k in grants—generally *in the range of $500-$1000—to help build capacity for sustainable opportunities to address health concerns.
Complete AHA Grant application by February 7th, 2024.

WAPL call for proposals

Plans are underway for the 2026 WAPL Conference taking place April 27-29, at the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake, WI.  

Hosted by the Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries (WAPL), a division of the Wisconsin Library Association, this annual event brings together members of the public library community to share big ideas and learn from each other through interactive breakout sessions and special events.

The application for submitting proposals for breakout sessions is now open, and your expertise is needed to make WAPL 2026 the best conference ever!

The conference theme is Library as Test Kitchen. This means:

  • Positioning Wisconsin’s public libraries as leaders in the field by showcasing innovative services and programs that can be scaled to libraries of all sizes.
  • Using creativity and persistence to fuel positive momentum for ourselves, our staff, our services, and our communities.
  • Identifying ways to overcome the many different challenges faced by public libraries.

While this is a very broad theme, proposals are not required to fit within it.  Innovative proposals on a wide variety of topics are encouraged!

Proposals accepted until  midnight Friday, January 30, 2026. Submit your proposal below or by clicking HERE

ARSL Awards open

The ARSL Awards open this Thursday: help us celebrate the rural and small library champions making a lasting impact in their communities.

FREE 2026 programs & activities from gardening expert & author Melinda Myers

If you have any questions, please contact Diana Paul at  [email protected] .Details went out in an email. Here’s a link to the full pdf.

Latest in the Resource Portal

Coming Up on the IFLS Calendar

Click for details or go to the IFLS Calendar

Snow and Ice Removal from the Great Blizzard of 1888. 
Snow tunnel and victorian dresses Huge pile of snow and men with suits and shovels

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