Apr 16
In 2019, WiLS funded Lodi Public Library’s amazing idea of partnering with the Lodi High School to teach podcasting to high school students. They did that AND they have produced a ton of great material to share with other WiLS members looking to get into the podcasting – and teaching podcasting – business! Read more
Mar 19
Paula Norman, Tomahawk School District
What in the world is eSports? To be honest I knew nothing about eSports until a year ago. Simply put, eSports is a form of sport competition using video games. eSports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams. In our case, we compete against teams in other school districts who have enrollment sizes similar to ours, much like “athletics.” There are Varsity and JV teams. And, just like “physical” sports, we have a roster, select captains, and keep stats for kills, assists, etc. In-season records determine which teams make it to State. Participants, based on their stats, can receive 1st Team All Conference, 2nd Team All Conference, and Honorable Mention status. eSports is the fastest growing “sport” and students can receive college scholarships for eSports just like “regular” athletes. Read more
Mar 16
Lynn Montague, Sun Prairie Public Library
The Sun Prairie Public Library, through WiLS Ideas to Action Funds, is providing an opportunity for the entire community to engage in Story Walks which promote literacy, community and family engagement, physical health, and mental well-being. Diverse picture books, book chapters, poetry, and short stories are deconstructed and laid out along an accessible path so participants can experience the story as they stroll along. The initial plan for Sun Prairie’s Story Walk was delayed and its installation was not completed until Fall 2020. Read more
Mar 15
With help from the WiLS Ideas to Action fund, the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation is digitizing its archives and making them accessible to the public through Recollection Wisconsin and participating in the Recollection Wisconsin Digital Readiness Community of Practice Launch Committee. As part of that work and to help others who are considering their own digitization projects, Jennifer Gurske of the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation prepared the case study below, detailing the project inspiration, some challenges and successes, and upcoming activities. Read more
Mar 15
On Monday, March 22nd, beginning at noon, MyWiLS will be down. When it is restored on Tuesday morning, you’ll find an improved and updated MyWiLS for all your subscription management needs! Read more
Mar 12
Marcia Siehr, Head of Outreach Services, Kenosha Public Library
Lisa Langsdorf, Youth Outreach Librarian, Kenosha Public Library
Kenosha Public Library’s original plan for our KPL Mind and Body project was to help keep patrons physically active and entertained while safely waiting outside the Bookmobile and Book Truck for their turn to board through dance, but the project has changed a bit since its inception. Due to the pandemic, the city parks were closed for most of the summer and fall, the pools did not open, the summer parks programs were canceled, and chess in the park was canceled. We requested permission to do some dance parties at our after-school stops but were denied by the district because they don’t want any gathering or lingering. Read more
Mar 11
by Pa Ja Yang, Appleton Public Library
In celebration of Hmong American Day on May 14th, the Appleton Public Library developed an initiative with WiLS Ideas to Action Funds, Community Chords: Engagement through Music & Art, that will bring everyone together through a shared love of music, art, culture, and literacy – all components that make Appleton a thriving community. As part of Community Chords, we are seeking donors to provide functional upright pianos and local artists to use the pianos as their canvas. The reinvented pianos will then be placed throughout the community to enjoy visually and play instrumentally throughout the month of May. After the pianos are placed, the public is encouraged to share their positive piano engagement experience on social media using #CommunityChordsAPL. Maintenance and cleaning of pianos will be done regularly, but piano players will be asked to sanitize them before and after every usage. Read more
Mar 4
In a year unlike any other, it has been our privilege to witness, support, and contribute to the innovative work our members have been doing to serve communities with diverse needs and perspectives. We’ve worked with members this year to find new ways to develop strategic plans, pivot to engage communities in virtual environments, align our business model to our values, invest in the library community with money and project support, deliver and analyze valuable data for better decision-making, and so much more. We invite you to view our 2020 Annual Report for more details about what we have been doing this last year and see what is on the horizon for next year. Read more
Feb 3
This event has already occurred! You are invited to watch the recording on our YouTube channel or send us any questions you have to .
Join us on Friday, February 26th from 10:00 to 11:30 am for our 2021 Annual Membership Meeting! This is an opportunity for us to look back at 2020 and take a moment to appreciate the ingenuity and fearlessness and tenacity of the Wisconsin library community in responding to the challenges of the year.
We are honored to be able to highlight a few instances, among many, of that work in our member community:
Additionally, at WiLS, we have been working hard to do the same for our staff and our members, to pivot and respond to changing needs and new challenges, to find new ways to collaborate, to look inward at our own practices and evaluate if they are the most humane and most equitable ways to do our work.
We want to share all of this with you! Please register to attend our free and virtual Annual Membership Meeting and let us know if you have any questions at all at .
Nov 17
This blog post is contributed by Maxwell Gray, a graduate student at the UW-Madison iSchool. Max is one of four practicum and independent study students WiLS is hosting (virtually) from the iSchool this fall. The students are working with Molli Pauliot and Dr. Stephen Kantrowitz of the Department of History at UW-Madison, using Mukurtu CMS to develop an online gateway to Ho-Chunk research materials. Mukurtu was developed by the Center for Digital Scholarship and Curation at Washington State University to empower Indigenous institutions to ethically manage, narrate, and share their digital cultural heritage. WiLS and the iSchool are partners in WSU’s IMLS-funded initiative to provide support and training to Mukurtu users in the Western Great Lakes.
Copyright © 2025 WiLS. All rights reserved.