Tips and Info from DPI's June 12, 2025 Youth Services Newsletter

Jeni Schomber's DPI Youth Services Weekly Reminders and Resources is an email newsletter chockfull of great resources we've come to rely on. If you are a WI youth library staffer and you don't receive this weekly missive in your email inbox, please contact Jeni (jennifer.schomber@dpi.wi.gov) to be placed on the list! 

Here is the June 12, 2025 edition  

Hello All, Check out these valuable youth services resources and reminders! STARnet Webinar Series: Book Drop in Your Library Join STAR Net and Twin Cities PBS for Book Drop, an exciting new children’s series that blends storytelling, animation, and real-world STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) to engage curious minds ages 4–8. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the series is designed to ignite a passion for problem-solving and scientific thinking through the power of books and imagination.  This online workshop will be offered three different times over the summer (you only need to register for one). Participants will learn best practices on engaging youth in STEM through watching media and doing hands-on activities in their library programs. Learn more and register ALSC and YALSA to Become One ALA Division Two youth-related divisions of the American Library Association, which originated as one association in 1941 but have been separate entities since 1957, have announced plans to reunify. The Young Adult Library Services Association, dedicated to serving teens, will be dissolved and its membership activities merged with the Association of Library Service to Children. By the Numbers: Summer Reading Check out this interesting article from American Libraries journal on how libraries keep the page turning during the summer months. Our Wisconsin libraries do all of this and more! I will be out of the office the week of June 16th,  Jeni Schomber Public Library Consultant The DPI does not sponsor or endorse external resources or events. They are provided for your consideration only.

Power-Up a Conference Proposal

This national conference, sponsored by the UW-Madison iSchool,  conference has had some powerful presentations by Wisconsin youth librarians in the past. Here's an opportunity to offer your take on leadership and management at ANY level - including as a line staffer.

Power Up: A Leadership Conference For Youth Services Managers & Staff 2026 Conference

March 26-27, 2026 | Hybrid Conference  (online and IRL)

Call for Proposal Now Open! 

Submit your idea today: go.wisc.edu/u5448i 

The Power Up planning committee wants your session proposals for Power Up 2026 to be held March 26-27, 2026, in Madison, WI. Share your strategies for project management, mentorship, program evaluation, staff morale & retention, advocacy, change management, culturally relevant programming, and more! 

Conference sessions can take one of several formats, and you are welcome to submit multiple proposals. 

• Lecture presentation: 45-minute presentation + 15 min Q&A
• Panel Discussion: 2-4 presenters focused on one big topic and sharing their experience
• Workshop presentation: One-hour hands-on learning experience
• Programming lightning talk: 5-8 minute mini presentation on or about a successful program
• Roundtable discussion: Lead an in-depth full-group discussion on a topic of your choice. No need to prepare a presentation—just shepherd good conversation!

Selected presentation, workshop, and panel sessions will receive one complimentary conference registration. Selected lightning talk and roundtable presenters will receive a discounted conference rate. 

Submit your proposal by August 10, 2025 for full consideration. 

Questions? Email ce-info@ischool.wisc.edu 

Summer is coming! 

Photo by Drew Perales on Unsplash

Summer is coming, or for some it has already arrived. All the planning, all the prep, all the school visits have lead us to this moment...Summer Reading/Library Program! A coworker and I stopped at the Waunakee Public Library - shout out to Youth Services Manager Brittany who talked to us all about their summer program when we dropped in unexpectedly, and it got me curious about what libraries do for their summer program. I've seen all kinds of reading programs for in my time in libraries and I love that every time I talk to someone new I can learn something and a new idea is sparked.  

Middleton Public Library has a one size fits all summer reading program where all ages do the same program. Each person chooses their own goal (number of books or number of hours read) and gets to pick from a selection of books and sponsor coupons when they meet their goal. They are also entered into the grand prize drawings. There are separate drawings based on age group and the grand prizes are different, but other than that, it's the same for everyone. 

My favorite thing about Waunakee's program (which was broken down by Teen and Preteen, and children) was that their goals were based on days read. What a genius idea! It seems like they've found a great way to get kids to read throughout the summer, not just rush through to get a prize. They also have a separate program for adults for the summer, so everyone can participate. 

What does your library do? How does your summer program run? Have you found a great way to keep kids reading?

To learn more about Middleton or Waunakee's summer programs, visit their websites:

Middleton https://www.midlibrary.org/srp

Waunakee https://www.waunakeepubliclibrary.org/summer-reading-program

Tips and Info from DPI's June 5, 2025 Youth Services Newsletter

 Jeni Schomber's DPI Youth Services Weekly Reminders and Resources is an email newsletter chockfull of great resources we've come to rely on. If you are a WI youth library staffer and you don't receive this weekly missive in your email inbox, please contact Jeni (jennifer.schomber@dpi.wi.gov) to be placed on the list! 

Here is the June 5, 2025 edition  

Hello All,

Check out these valuable youth services resources and reminders!

BadgerLink Bulletin: New NoveList and NoveList K-8 Experience Coming June 16  

• The new NoveList Experience will go live on June 16, 2025. There's nothing you need to do to migrate from the old to the new. Read on to learn about the new features and functionality. 

Wisconsin Math Council Summer Math Adventure

• Announcing the release of Version 3, featuring all new activities for children in Pre-K, Kindergarten-Grade 2, Grades 3-5, and Grades 6-8. 
• Please complete the Summer 2025 Confirmation Form to confirm that your library will be participating in our program this summer. 
• Families can access the program digitally at bit.ly/WMCSummer. 
• This link (WMC Summer Math Adventure Resources for Libraries) will take you to a shared Google folder with all of the printable resources you might need. 

WebJunction Back to Basics: Sharpening Foundational Skills with LiFT

• This new program, LiFT (Library Foundational Training), is a refreshed series of online courses designed to empower library staff with the essential skills they need to succeed. We’re working in partnership with the Idaho Commission for Libraries and are guided by feedback from project advisors and survey data. Learn more about this initiative and the focus areas of this new training.
• WebJunction courses are FREE and you will need to create an account to access the learning. 

Have a great weekend,

Jeni Schomber
Public Library Consultant

The DPI does not sponsor or endorse external resources or events. They are provided for your consideration only.

Contact: jeni.schomber@dpi.wi.gov

Join the YSS Midday Mingle

Calling all Youth Services folk!  Join us Monday,  August 25 from 1:00 - 2:00 PM for our first Youth Services Section Midday Mingle!

We're talking about one of our favorite topics—storytime! We'll be chatting about our top 3, from a variety of categories (see below), as we share, laugh, and commiserate about a staple of youth services work. 

Here are the categories we'll be discussing (no pressure to have 3 items for all of the categories—come with whatever you've got!):

• Storytime books
• Songs
• Rhymes
• Storytime outfits
• Books you'd never read again
• Surprising things that happened
• Non-traditional storytime props
• Tips for folks doing their first storytime

Zoom Link

Got suggestions/requests for our next Midday Mingle topic? Let us know in the comments or email kalford@menomonee-falls.org.

Pride Displays in Libraries

Photo by elyssa renae on Unsplash

Pride Displays in Libraries 

Happy June, everyone! When I was scrolling through the internet looking for something to share for this morning's post, I came across this article from 2022 titled What To Do When You See Pride Displays in Libraries This Month. Before I even clicked on it, or looked at the source, I was ready to be angry. Then I read it. 

Author Danika Ellis praises librarians throughout the article saying, "There will be teachers and librarians and teacher-librarians who put up Pride displays, even amidst all the vitriol spewed at them, and I can't adequately express my gratitude for them." She goes on to discuss the importance of Pride displays for LGBTQ+ youth, reminding us that, "Those displays will make queer people, and especially queer kids, feel less alone. They will feel more like they belong and that there's someone in their community you understands and accepts them."

Three years later, it hasn't gotten any easier for librarians, but we continue to show up for our communities. Libraries are for everyone, and Pride displays are just another way we show that in our work. 

You can read Ellis's full article here. [What to do when you see Pride Displays in Libraries this Month. Ellis, Danika. June 2, 2022. bookriot.com

Tips and Info from DPI's May 292 , 2025 Youth Services Newsletter

 Jeni Schomber's DPI Youth Services Weekly Reminders and Resources is an email newsletter chockfull of great resources we've come to rely on. If you are a WI youth library staffer and you don't receive this weekly missive in your email inbox, please contact Jeni (jennifer.schomber@dpi.wi.gov) to be placed on the list! 

Here is the May 29 2025 edition  

Hello All, Check out these valuable youth services resources and reminders! Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) Newsletter Check out the latest CSLP Newsletter, full of lots of great information including a Partnership Spotlight, Author Talks, Mural Toolkit, and more. Wisconsin Science Festival Science in a Bag Now in its 5th year, the Science in a Bag program partners with libraries all  throughout Wisconsin to distribute free, hands-on STEAM kits to families. To learn more about Science in a Bag and fill out the application form to receive bags at your library location, please visit our Science in a Bag web page. Contact Jerrod (jbuckner@morgridge.org). WiLS Ideas to Action Fund Through this fund, WiLS provides grants of up to $5,000 so WiLS members can bring their innovative and collaborative project ideas to life. The proposal form and reporting are simple and lightweight, so applicants can focus on the success of the work and the benefits to the community. Read more about the Ideas to Action Fund on the WiLS website and submit your proposal by June 2nd. Play Make Learn Annual Conference August 21st and 22nd at Memorial Union in Madison, WI.  Registration is now open for the PML Conference! Register by May 31st for the Early Bird Rate. The Play Make Learn (PML) Annual Conference is a place for collaboration and discovery in the design, research and practice of playful learning, games for learning and positive social impact, making and makerspaces, STEAM education, research/practitioner partnerships, and arts in education (formal and informal spaces). PML creates an inspirational space for preK-12 educators, designers, developers, innovators, librarians, museum professionals, makers, and researchers to tinker together, share knowledge, and celebrate one another’s work. Have a great weekend

Reflective Assessment in Our Service

Dr. J. Elizabeth Mills, writing on behalf of the ALSC Research committee, has written a clear and well researched call to youth staff to consider ways we can assess our services. This short but meaty post in the ALSC blog gives practical tips on how reflection in our service assessment can build on our learning both during programs and after.

Dr. Miller writes: “Assessment refers to gathering information about  something you are doing to determine progress and effect meaningful growth (Campana, Mills, & Ghoting, 2016). Assessment data can give you the basis for an advocacy story to share the ways in which you are having an impact through your work. This can, in turn, inform your own professional development. Another way to think about assessment is that it’s about understanding what has taken place so that you can continue to strengthen what you do and how you do it.”

To read this powerful post, please stop here.  [The Ripples We Make: Reflective Assessment in Children’s and Youth Services. Miller, Dr. J Elizabeth. ALSC blog. May 29, 2025.]

May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor with Hunger Games Programming

With the release of the newest Hunger Games book, Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, the dystopian series is back in the spotlight (thought it never really left it) and it's a great time to host a Hunger Games program for teens! 

Cindy Shutts has you covered in her recent post on the Teen Librarian Toolbox. Compiling programs and activities across a couple libraries, she writes, "This series of programs was a success and I hope we can do more programming like this in the future. Teens seemed to be excited about the programs and overall was very well received! It made it easier to advertise and get kids excited to come."

The post details crafts like a mockingjay paint along and Hunger Games pendants as well as other activities like trivia and survival knot tying.

Stop here to read the whole post.  [Cindy Crushes Programming: Hunger Games Week, a celebration of the Dystopian series still thrilling teen readers. Cindy Shutts. Teen Librarian blog. May 21, 2025.]

And if you are still looking for Hunger Games ideas check out Karen Jensen's suggestions from 2011 here. [Feed Their Hunger for the Hunger Games. Karen Jensen. Teen Librarian Toolbox blog. July 19, 2011.]

Get 'Out of this World' with a planetarium visit!

Photo from Middleton Public Library

Get 'Out of this World' with a planetarium visit! 

Think planetariums are just for school gyms? Think again! Last month, the Middleton Public Library hosted Mobile Ed Production's Big Sky Planetarium! Over 400 people of all ages attended 5 programs held throughout the afternoon and evening, learning all about our solar system! Each program lasted about 45 minutes and was full of information, jokes, and so much fun! Aside from moving furniture to fit this massive planetarium in our space, staff time was minimal for this event. 

Some of the feedback we received:

"Amazing! My daughter kept whispering, 'this is the coolest!'"

"It was a great activity for adults and kids alike."

"Loved it! Especially watching the littles learn and observe."

See more photos on Middleton Public Library's Facebook Page.