The WiLS Ideas to Action Fund provides grants of up to $5,000 so member organizations can bring their project ideas to life. The Fund encourages partnerships and collaborations among WiLS members and with community partners, supports innovative and exploratory new work within the Wisconsin library community, and seeds the development of processes, methods, or resources that can be used by other WiLS members.
Proposals for the 2022 Ideas to Action Fund can be submitted through June 6, 2022. Awards will be announced in September 2022 and funds will be distributed soon after.
We are conducting an annual survey in support of our strategic planning process. As part of this process, we want to hear from YOU! We are looking for feedback and insights from you about WiLS, our services, and what we should do in the future to best meet your needs. You do not need to be a WiLS member or have worked with us to complete this survey.
The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. At the end of the survey, you will be given the opportunity to enter your contact information for the chance to win free donuts and coffee for your office!
This webinar occurred on April 8th, 2022. Watch the recording here!
WiLS 2022 Ideas to Action Fund application period is open from April 11th through June 6th and we want to help you write the most compelling and fundable proposal possible! The Fund offers grants of up to $5000 for collaborative and innovative projects that move services forward in libraries and cultural organizations of all types and that can be shared and adapted to benefit others in the field as well.
Join Emily Pfotenhauer and Kim Kiesewetter on Friday, April 8th for tips and strategies for developing a competitive proposal.
We are proud to serve our 654 member libraries and cultural organizations. It’s been our privilege this year to work in partnership with our member community to learn new things, teach one another, and get things done together we couldn’t have done alone.
People working in groups, sharing ideas and asking questions, do great things.
Our 2021 Annual Report features some of that work from each of our service teams: Cooperative Purchasing, Consulting, Collaboration Support, and Digital Projects. We welcomed new organizations under the WiLS umbrella, we continued to make improvements to the member experience, we connected members to one another and to expertise when they needed it, we provided research and data, we moved groups toward common goals, and we continued to do it all in line with our organizational values. We invested in our member community through WiLSWorld Shorts, the Ideas to Action Fund, and our own pro bono work. We also continued to expand our service outside the state of Wisconsin, growing into mentorship roles to support IMLS and ALA.
We also look ahead to the coming year, our own strategic planning process, and our upcoming 50th birthday!
We invite you to read more about our work from the last year and the year ahead in our 2021 Annual Report.
by Sarah Lundquist, Curating Indigenous Digital Collections Fellow
My position as Curating Indigenous Digital Collections (CIDC) Fellow with WiLS began in May 2021. Now approaching the New Year, the fellowship has just recently passed the halfway mark! This is a perfect opportunity to reflect and share on the progress of my work in this role so far. Read more
This quarter, WiLS spotlights the important collective work of Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development, based in Madison, Wisconsin. In particular, we spotlight the Black History for a New Day course that is both a learning opportunity and an active community within Nehemiah’s Justified Anger initiative. For several years, Justified Anger, in collaboration with the History department at UW-Madison, has facilitated a course on U.S. History through an African-American lens:
“Our purpose is to understand how the African-American experience has shaped the world we all live in, and how allies can find roles supporting racial justice today. We will lead this process without the use of guilt, finger-pointing, or propaganda, and lead from a place of compassion, community, and understanding. Rooting ourselves in our history, and understanding how we got here, will help us move forward together to make a better world and a stronger local community.” (From the Black History for a New Day course webpage)
The pandemic meant that the course needed to shift to a virtual setting, opening up the opportunity to learn with and work toward effective allyship in community with people around Wisconsin and around the country. The spring session for Black History for a New Day, open to individuals and groups, runs February – April 2022 and is now open for registration.
How can you get involved?
If you are interested in learning more about US History through an African-American lens, and in developing and growing as an ally, consider participating in the course as an individual.
If you are interested in coordinating a group learning opportunity through your library or another entity or organization, consider the group registration option and reach out to Justified Anger directly with any questions.
Thanks to Nehemiah staff Dr. Karen Reece and Eli Steenlage for their help in producing this spotlight.
WiLS Social Justice Spotlight is one way that we live our organizational values and support our 2021 Strategic Initiatives by “identifying or creating tangible opportunities to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion.” The Social Justice Spotlight series seeks to use our platform to amplify community-based organizations, initiatives, and projects in and around Wisconsin that do bold, on-the-ground work in racial equity and social justice. Some spotlighted initiatives are nominated by WiLS members while others may be designated by the WiLS team.
To suggest a community-based organization, initiative, or project for the Social Justice Spotlight series, please fill out this short form.
WiLS and Infobase are now offering an affordable, highly discounted streaming video solution for public libraries through Access Video On Demand.
Access Video On Demand provides instant access to world-class documentaries, award-winning educational films, and helpful instructional videos covering a wide range of subjects, such as business, career planning, health, history, travel, and more. Access Video videos can be viewed on PCs, Macs, iPads, and other internet-enabled mobile devices through the AVOD App.
Instead of an unpredictable pay-as-you-go model, Access Video is available to library systems or to single libraries as an annual subscription – for up to 70% off list prices!
It’s budget-friendly. Libraries pay a single price for the entire year for 50,000+ videos from top producers (HBO, The Ken Burns Collection, A&E, Rick Steve’s, Biography Channel, The History Channel, Modern Marvels, Nat Geo, Nova, PBS, Globe Trekker, TED Talks and many more).
There are no patron limits. Access is UNLIMITED, so there are no restrictions, no limits to how much patrons can watch. It’s an unlimited video world – why can’t libraries share in that too?
It’s programming-friendly. Public Performance Rights for all video in the collection are built directly into your contract.
It’s a great way to bring streaming videos to patrons. Since it’s unlimited, libraries can aggressively market this service with no potential for negatively impacting their budgets.
It’s affordable. Pricing is based on total annual circulations. This service is extremely affordable for libraries of all sizes.
For pricing, please fill out this brief price quote request form or contact us at with any questions.
Contact Mark Haley at Infobase to set up a short web demo at or 303-478-4105 or schedule a meeting time with Mark at https://calendly.com/mhaley-5/30min,
In September 2020, the WiLS Board was thrilled to provide planning and financial support to seven WiLS members throughout the state to pursue innovative and collaborative projects. A key component of WiLS’ Ideas to Action fund is that recipients share their experiences and outcomes with our community in order to inspire ideas, improve services, and generally help move the field forward. Read more
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