Is it just my imagination, or do the weeks go faster as the days get longer? Summer solstice is in just over a month. Zoom!
Calling ALL Wisconsin Public Library Staff & Trustees!
(ed: I got this from multiple sources this week, so please consider it important!) The Wisconsin Library Buildings & Spaces project is entering its second year. They want to hear more about what interests YOU so this statewide resource more closely matches our library community’s needs and desires. Your answers will help project leaders to refresh and expand the web page content and it’ll impact the next steps for the Wisconsin Facilities Assessment! The deadline to complete this survey is June 7, 2024.
Click here to take the survey.
This week’s Tip Jar
Open Meetings Law Part I: When is a gathering of board members considered a board meeting?
When these two requirements are satisfied, (1) there is a purpose to engage in library business and (2) the number of members present is sufficient to determine the governmental body’s course of action (you have a quorum) then the gathering would be considered a meeting.
Tune in next week for an example and check out this compliance guide for more information.
ICYMI: Flexible Facilities Application Training
Leah put info about the Flexible Facilities Application training on the webinar/workshop quicklinks page:
- Flexible Facilities Application Training Agenda
- Flexible Facilities Application Training Presentation Slides
- Flexible Facilities Application Training Webinar Recording
It’s Powwow season
Powwow Season has begun and to help get everyone ready, the Wisconsin Historical Society is hosting a free Powwow Prep webinar. This series is free and open to the public, but registration is required. It will be held on Wednesday, May 22nd from 6:00-7:30 (CST). They are looking for help getting the word out to the public, so please share on your social media sites and newsletters. The registration page has more information!
Attendees will learn include powwow etiquette, how powwows are organized and some fun things to do while attending, plus some dancing, drumming, and singing demonstrations. Presenters are Becky Taylor and Thomas Cain, both Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe tribal members who have decades of experience dancing, singing, judging, and organizing powwows.
Polar VR Fellowship: apply now
Apply now to be a part of the 2024-2025 PolarVR Fellowship to help develop Virtual Reality-based (VR) Library Experiences in hopes of engaging rural and Latine communities in Polar Science.
School and public librarians in rural communities throughout Wisconsin are encouraged to apply to help envision and implement a series of new VR experiences. These experiences will focus on cutting edge research currently being done by scientists in the Arctic and Antarctic polar regions.
Jeanette Rydberg at the Thomas St. Angelo Public Library in Cumberland has been participating in this project for a few years and gives enthusiastic reports about how great it is! For additional details, please visit the Polar VR 2024 Fellowship Opportunity. The deadline to apply is May 29, 2024.
If you have any questions, contact the DPI’s Library Services Team Public Library Consultant Chris Baker at chris.baker@dpi.wi.gov.
Info Literacy Incubator
Prepare to be inspired! Co-Designing for Trust is pleased to invite you to the Info Literacy Incubator, an online workshop where you’ll learn about available resources to help your community find trustworthy information. With support from like-minded individuals, you’ll brainstorm how to apply the materials to your own role and community. And there’s even an opportunity to join our Summer Remix Program and get paid to further develop materials!
The resources you’ll hear about were created by caring professionals and volunteers just like you – librarians, community leaders, high school educators, and community college faculty who worked with the Co-Designing for Trust project to address the pressing information literacy needs in their communities. The resources include such innovative approaches as an interactive game, library programming, an information literacy toolkit, and an inter-generational Media Mentorship event.
Following the workshop, attendees can apply to participate in the Summer Remix Program. This will provide stipends to continue this innovative resource development over several weeks. Each remix participant will partner with a co-designer/mentor chosen to help them meet their goals. Remix participants will then have a chance to share what they’ve created at the end of the summer.
To register, visit: www.eventbrite.com/e/…
Questions? Email Co-Designing for Trust at codesigningfortrust@gmail.com.
Learn more about Co-Designing for Trust: Co-Designing for Trust (C4T) is a community-led collaboration between researchers, librarians, educators, and community organizations who support their communities to find trustworthy information. You can learn more about us on our website.
New MORE posters
In honor of all our new MORE members, we’ve updated our public-facing posters. Please tell me how many you’d like by using this short survey before May 22. Thank you to the 32 libraries who have responded. It’s not mandatory to have a poster, but supplies will be limited.
Coming soon: a poster with the state system map included that most libraries put in their circulation work area; updated brochures.