Katelyn Is Out on Maternity Leave

As of Friday October 17 Katelyn is out on maternity leave! If you need any help with delivery, administration, strategic planning, adult services, etc., your best point of contact is going to be the IFLS HelpDesk.

Science Kits for Public Libraries Grant

• The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) – Region 4’s Science Kits for Public Libraries (SKPL) Grant program is offering up to $2,000 in funding to public libraries to establish a circulating science kits collection. Libraries must be located within Region 4 which includes all of Wisconsin, and several other states. 

• Grant application is now available on the SKPL website. Completed application is due Thursday, January 15. Those libraries which have previously applied for the grant but did not receive funding are invited to submit again. 

• Visit the SKPL website, https://r4.ieee.org/skpl/ for the application form, submission details, and a map of Region 4. 

Collaborative Summer Library Program Updates

CSLP Manual

The Collaborative Summer Library Program is a multi-state effort to make planning for summer easier for public libraries.  One of the products that the CSLP provides is a Manual that includes programming ideas for all ages (babies through adults), promotional resources and ideas, graphics, activity sheets, booklists, and other things that might be useful.  The theme for 2026 is Unearth a Story, and there is a lot of cool dinosaur/paleontology stuff in the manual.  You’ll need a code to access all these goodies, please reference an email sent last Thursday for the code, or submit a Help Desk ticket.

All Wisconsin public libraries have access to the online CSLP Manual thanks to funding from the Bureau of Libraries at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, with funding support from an LSTA grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.  Each library building will be able to access/download one manual, so please share with each other!

CSLP Store:  Possible Group Order

Shipping costs from the CSLP have always been high, and they have gone up again.  We are considering the cost-benefit of offering a group order of merchandise from the CSLP Shop, probably placing an order in mid-December if we do so.  If you were planning to make an order, or if you would like to but have decided the shipping price is too high, please fill in this short form by November 5 to help us determine if a group order makes sense in terms of savings vs. IFLS staff time.

PBS KIDS Library Cohort

This exciting virtual experience connects libraries across the state of Wisconsin, blending professional development, hands-on learning, collaboration, and program implementation into one dynamic series.  Many of your colleagues from around the IFLS area have appreciated this experience in previous years.

⭐ Libraries will receive a $350 stipend to support youth-focused program implementation.
📣 Apply by NOVEMBER 14, 2025. Spots are limited!

Learn more and apply: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cN1xQkwcCbTdKs2ioHdnI5sQ24WanJnqvTH7QdcyEOs/edit?tab=t.0

Surveys to Take

• Wisconsin Public Library and Public Library System staff are invited to complete a short survey about your library’s use and satisfaction with HeritageQuest. The HeritageQuest Survey closes Friday, November 7. 
• The Wisconsin Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Committee invites all Wisconsin library professionals to complete the Intellectual Freedom Survey by October 20.  linked below. Your responses will help lay the groundwork for creating a more holistic challenge-reporting system and will inform the Committee as they work to compile resources to support Wisconsin libraries.  Share the link with others in the Wisconsin library community!  If you encounter any technical difficulties when completing the survey, please reach out to Nick Censoprano at [email protected].

WLA Elections–Looking for Candidates

If you are a member of the Wisconsin Library Association, please consider nominating yourself to run for one of the open positions!  Being involved in the leadership of the association is an amazing way to make deeper connections with library colleagues from across the state. The deadline has been extended to October 27, so you still have more than a week to nominate yourself (or someone else).  Positions start in 2026.  If you have questions, please contact the Nominations Committee Chair, Rachel Arndt [email protected]

Coming Up on the Calendar: