WiLS 2019 Strategic Initiatives
Each year, WiLS staff and Board work together to identify a few key initiatives to benefit members and to advance our mission.
As a result, we have some exciting initiatives coming up for 2019: Read more
Posts from the ‘Services & Projects’ Category
Dec 17
Dec 17
WiLS Cooperative Purchasing Revamp Report and Information Sessions
We are very pleased to share our cooperative purchasing revamp report with you. This plan is the culmination of our 2018 strategic initiative to revisit our cooperative purchasing service to ensure that it is providing the most important and desirable services to its members.
Some of the key points of the plan are:
- The new vision of the cooperative purchasing service includes four primary service areas: awareness, expansion, negotiation, and day-to-day management.
- We will continue to narrow the “base” of day-to-day management in order to focus more energy on the other service areas.
- We will work to improve response time and other components of the day-to-day management in order to provide excellent service.
- Each of the service areas outlined above has a service development priority in the report with more details about our plans for the area.
While the plan isn’t a strong departure from our current service, we expect the changes will redirect our energy to provide members more of what they want and need from a cooperative purchasing service.
This isn’t a report that’s going to sit on a shelf. We’ve already begun to operationalize some of the activities laid out in the plan, and we expect these changes to improve and add value to the service we provide our members.
We’ve scheduled some cooperative purchasing member web meetings in January for mutual information sharing: we’ll provide some information about the report and we hope you’ll share your thoughts with us — not just about the report but our cooperative purchasing service and how we can do things better. The sessions are:
Academic library members
- January 14th, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/993035853
- January 22nd, 1:00 – 2:00 pm: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/578055909
Public library and system members
- January 22nd, 2:00 – 3:00 pm: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/817376237
K12 members
- January 25th, 2:00 – 3:00 pm: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/577311469
- January 28th, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/214583701
Please let us know any questions, concerns (or compliments!) at any time. We view this report as a starting point. We expect to make continuous improvements to the plan based on member feedback and experiences.
Thank you for taking the time to read this message, for being a member of the cooperative purchasing service, and for any information you share with us as we begin this new path of service for cooperative purchasing.
– The WiLS Cooperative Purchasing Team
Nov 13
GoodWiLS Ambassador to UMDCC: Jessica Behrman
Thank you for attending the December 2018 GoodWiLS Ambassador presentation on UMDCC by Jessica Behrman! If you missed it, or want to revisit the content, you can watch the recording or view the slides. For any questions, contact Emily Pfotenhauer at .
Nov 9
Curating Community Digital Collections (CCDC) Now Accepting Host Site Applications for Year 2
Curating Community Digital Collections (CCDC) is now accepting Host Site applications for Year 2! Read more
Jul 18
WiLS Ideas to Action Fund Recipients Announced
WiLS is happy to announce these recipients of 2018 Ideas To Action funds!
Jun 19
WiLS Vendor Partner Profile: Backstage Library Works
Since 2016, Backstage Library Works has been a proud WiLS vendor partner and we are happy to share a profile of Backstage’s products and services with our community!
Services Spotlight: Backstage Library Works
It’s all about access. Everything in your library aims to connect patrons to the materials and content they need. Backstage helps libraries like yours build and enhance pathways to patron access.
Our services are tailored to fit your goals across a range of disciplines:
- Digitization and image metadata, for everything from newspapers and manuscripts to photo negatives and 3D objects.
- Cataloging and shelf-ready processing for any format, in any language.
- Database cleanup, record enrichment, and authority control.
- Microfilm creation, duplication, and storage.
- On-site RFID tagging, for faster implementation.
- Inventory Plus, with options for cleaning, weeding, labeling, and more.
WiLS members qualify for a 5% discount on most Backstage services. Contact Jocelyn Dunlop () to get started.
If you’re attending ALA in New Orleans, come see us at booth 2558 to pick up your Backstage conference swag.
Apr 5
WiLS Ideas to Action Funds Available!
The deadline for submitting your proposals to WiLS Ideas to Action Fund has passed for 2018 but mark your calendars for April 2019 for another round of funding!
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WiLS wants to help bring your ideas to life!
Introducing the new WiLS Ideas to Action Fund! WiLS’ mission is to help our members turn ideas into action. The new WiLS Ideas to Action Fund seeks to do just that – provide support for innovative or collaborative projects in order to help our members reach their goals and have a positive impact on the Wisconsin library ecosystem.
What type of support, you ask? In this first year of the Ideas to Action Fund, WiLS will award a maximum of $25,000 (up to $5,000 per applicant) and a total of 25 hours of WiLS staff time. We recognize that sometimes the barrier to completing a project is not lack of funds, but the lack of time to plan or think about the process. Instead of or in addition to funding, organizations can apply for WiLS staff time to help organize the project or provide expertise in facilitation, survey administration, or other project activities.
We are now accepting proposals! Proposals for the 2018 Ideas to Action Fund can be submitted through May 14 using this application form.
Awards will be announced and funds will be distributed in June 2018.
For more information on the goals of the Fund and eligibility and requirements, visit our website at https://sprinkles.wils.org/ideas-to-action/.
Feb 14
WiLS 2017 Annual Report
We are happy to share our 2017 Annual Report! Read all about what we’ve been up to in the last year, a bit of a retrospective on how each of WiLS’ four core service areas has evolved since our 2013 reorganization, and what the next year holds for us. Read more
Feb 13
Thank You for Attending the WiLS 2018 Membership Meeting
Thanks to those who attended the WiLS 2018 Membership Meeting on Tuesday, February 13th and a heartfelt thank you to our inspiring and thought-provoking speakers:
- Jessica MacPhail, Director, Racine Public Library
- Lisa Viezbicke, Director, Beloit College Library
- Tasha Saecker, Assistant Director, Appleton Public Library
- Raina Bloom, Public Services Librarian, College Library, UW-Madison
For our members who missed the webinar today or would like to revisit the material, you can watch the recording or just view the slides. If you would like to see how people responded to our prompts about barriers and overcoming them, you can see those as well:
- Responses to “What barriers to your library have prevented users from accessing its resources and services?”
- Responses to “What do you think you could do or what have you done to remove barriers to your library resources and services?”
If you have any questions or feedback about the meeting, let us know at .
Jan 5
Tell us what you think about the WiLS Community Chronicle!
It’s been a year since we launched the WiLS Community Chronicle and we want it to be the best newsletter for our members it possibly can be. Read more
