This means spring is coming, right?
Announcing FREE Gardening Webinars and Activities from nationally known and Wisconsin-based gardening expert and author Melinda Myers for all Wisconsin Public Libraries to use in 2025. Melinda hopes you can incorporate any or all of the following programs into your 2025 Library programming calendars. If you have any questions, please contact Diana Paul at diana@melindamyers.com. Look for more information soon coming via WisPubLib!
Three Gardening Webinars with gardening expert & author Melinda Myers
Your Library can host a watch party on the dates below or schedule it after the live webinar date and play the recording. If you host a live watch party on the dates below, your patrons will be able to submit questions live and get them answered by Melinda at the end of each webinar. You can also let your patrons know they can individually register for the webinars if they’d prefer to watch them at home.
- April 2, 2025, 6:30 p.m. CT – Webinar: Container Gardens for Sun and Shade Register for this free Container Garden webinar * download the Container Garden poster
- May 7, 2025, 6:30 p.m. CT – Webinar: Vertical Gardening Register for this free Vertical Gardening webinar • download the Vertical Gardeningposter
- June 4, 2025, 6:30 p.m. CT – Webinar: Attracting Hummingbirds Register for this free Hummingbird webinar • download the Hummingbird poster
Three Gardening Projects with gardening expert & author Melinda Myers
Melinda Myers will provide a video and activity guide for each activity to our libraries that want to incorporate them into their 2025 programming. Consider hosting groups at your library to do these activities together. Your library can also use these activities for your summer reading programs (ie: activity guides can go in summer reading take-and-make kits, etc.) or your library can link to these activities where patrons can download the activity guides to do at home. A web page (created by Melinda Myers) will house the videos and activity guides which can be downloaded and printed or shared digitally.
- April Activity: From Seed to Your Container or Garden
Starting plants from seeds indoors allows you to jump-start the season, save money, and grow varieties unavailable from the garden center. - May Activity: Create a Vertical Garden from Repurposed Items
Planters mounted to walls, fences, or other vertical structures add color and growing space where needed. Create your own from old pallets, used pots, discarded blue jeans, and more. - June Activity: Inviting Nature’s Insect Managers into the Garden
Hummingbirds not only help pollinate our plants, but like most birds, supplement their plant-based diet with insects. Keep them and beneficial insects safe by working with nature to manage insects in the garden.A special thanks to We Energies for sponsoring this program to make it possible.
Keep up the great work getting Love Stories!
We’re at almost 200. If you have paper testimonials that you’d like me to enter, scan and send or send them through courier now, or any time before February 5.
I exported the responses so far to a Microsoft Excel doc for those of you that don’t use Google. I’ll do that again next week.
Text notifications changing on Tuesday
Library text messages will come from this number: 844-218-6064. Consider communicating this change with your patrons. Lori sent some promotional material in TWAM. You can also get it in the latest Marketing Monthly. Speaking of Marketing Monthly…
Marketing Monthly: annual report communication tools
You can look at that online.
Step onto the national advocacy stage
The American Library Association (ALA) launched a campaign to guide advocates in moving from awareness to action: Show Up for Our Libraries. Their first goal is getting U.S. Congressmembers to go on record with their support for libraries in their states and districts. Constituents and voters will ask them – and keep them accountable. Join ALA president Cindy Hohl in taking the first action to show up #ForOurLibraries
She also encourages you to view the most recent member-exclusive webinar to learn more about the campaign and specific issues that ALA is monitoring. To stay informed and stay engaged, sign up for updates from ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office by visiting ala.org/takeaction.
Coming up
Did you miss the Wild Wisconsin Winter Webinar? Recordings will be posted on their website as soon as they’re available.