Reminder that the Summer Delivery Study begins on Monday, August 11!
The study instructions, worksheet, and an example of a completed worksheet can be found on the Delivery Page of the IFLS website (https://iflsweb.org/for-librarians/delivery). If you have any questions or something is unclear, please reach out to Katelyn!
A handful of marketing things
Passport program: what’s happening now?
- We’re winding down with the last few weeks of the program. Sometimes there’s a flurry of activity at the end of the month. If you’re running low on supplies, order now by submitting a HelpDesk ticket.
- Entry forms can be returned to the IFLS Office via courier. You can hang onto them all and send them in on Sept 1, or you can send them as you get them–whatever works best for your library.
- The staff passport program continues until September 15.
Registration for the 2025 Library Marketing and Communications Conference is now open
The Library Marketing and Communications Conference (LMCC), the only event of its type for this library specialty, is designed for library employees of any level who are involved in marketing, communications, public relations, social media, and outreach in academic, public, and special libraries.
Are you thinking about Library Card Sign Up Month?
Here’s an idea. The Barrie Public Library in Ontario conducted a successful membership campaign in 2023 that promoted the library’s offerings and included a referral contest. Will you be doing anything at your library? Maybe there’s a way we can all promote that together. Send Reb an email at kilde@ifls.lib.wi.us if that sounds interesting.
August is a good time to promote Transparent Language
They’ve got fresh ideas and resources to keep your library engaged!
- Introducing our newest language addition – English for Gujarati speakers
- Upcoming fall training webinars
- New additions to the Marketing Kit, including eady-to-share social media posts for August
Coming Up
Calendar highlight: Trustee Training Week
Trustee Training Week starts two weeks from today! Please encourage library board members to participate. You can encourage them to participate on their own, provide a meeting space and lunch for trustees to attend live together at the library, share recording links after the fact, or even show recordings ahead of board meetings (snacks encouraged) over the course of a few months. If you plan a viewing party, it would be fun to know about it!
- August 18, noon – 1 pm: Wisconsin Library Law with Kris Turner
- August 19, noon – 1 pm: Trustee 101: An Introduction to Being a Wisconsin Public Library Trustee with Bradley Shipps and Tracy Vreeke
- August 20, noon – 1 pm: Basics of an Efficient, Effective Board Meeting with Laura Meade
- August 21, noon – 1 pm: Library Advocacy and Storymaking: the Hero’s Journey from Community to Page (and Beyond) with Dawn Tevis
Each of these sessions will also provide 1 contact hour for public library director certification, and will be recorded, professionally captioned, and available on the Recordings & Resources page.
This webinar series is sponsored by all the public library systems in Wisconsin.
Calendar highlight: Plain Connection: Outreach to Amish and Mennonite Communities, August 26, 1-2 pm
How do we bring resources and services to people in our community who may never step foot through our doors? Learn how you can reach the Plain communities in your area through the first-hand experience of a small, rural, public library in Wisconsin. In this session, D.R. Moon Memorial Library Director Elizabeth Miniatt and Wisconsin Area Health Education Center Program Manager Caitlyn Mowatt will share how they developed a collaborative outreach program—starting with relationship-building, securing grant funding, and partnering with other organizations. Practical and broadly applicable, this session will give you the tools you need, regardless of size or budget, to build relationships, find partners, and launch effective outreach to people in your own communities. Register here