2021

In 2021, WiLS awarded dollars and staff support to ten projects. Proposals were accepted in May and June 2021 and the awardees were announced in September 2021.

• Bekkum Memorial Library, Westby – Applebee Trail Story Walk, a partnership with Westby Elementary School
• Chilton Public Library – Technology Learning Lab
• D. R. Moon Memorial Library, Stanley – outreach services to home schools and rural Amish/Old Order Mennonite schools: Update Report (March 2022)
• La Crosse Public Library – Threads of Tradition: Connecting Hmong Generations Through the Textile Arts
• Lakeland Union High School, Minocqua – STEAM Field Day
• Oconomowoc Public Library – piloting lockers for curbside/after-hours pickup
• Patterson Memorial Library, Wild Rose – The Memory Spot, a lab for personal digital archiving
• Racine Public Library – Multisensory Healing Room: Update Report (March 2022)
• River Valley High School, Spring Green – Windows and Mirrors, a partnership with American Players Theatre
• Wild Plum Memory Project, a collaboration of public libraries in Waukesha and Washington counties – Hybrid Outreach to Memory Cafe Attendees

2020

In 2020, WiLS awarded $30,200 and staff support to seven projects. Proposals were accepted in April and May 2020 and the awardees were announced in September 2020.

Appleton Public Library – The Piano Project: Community Engagement through Music and Art
Appleton Public Library is partnering with local artists and community members to install interactive displays throughout the city that use music to engage the public in a community read while also raising awareness of the Hmong American experience through stories such as “The Latehomecomer” by Kao Kalia Yang.
Proposal (May 2020), Update Report (March 2021)

Dane County Library Service – Ripple Project: Equity Teams
Dane County Library Service is supporting the sustainable development of four regional equity teams throughout Dane County libraries.

Kenosha Public Library – Mind and Body Challenge
Kenosha Public Library is helping keep patrons physically active and entertained while waiting outside the Bookmobile and Book Truck for their turn to board.
Update Report (March 2021)

Madison Trust for Historic Preservation – Madison Trust Archive Digitization Project
The Madison Trust for Historic Preservation is digitizing their archives and making them accessible to the public through Recollection Wisconsin.
Update Report (March 2021)

School District of Belleville – Documenting a Historic Time: COVID19 and Opening a New Library….and Beyond!
The School District of Belleville is providing opportunities for school and village community members to record experiences from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as record segments or interviews to air as podcasts as Belleville opens a new public library in March of 2021.

Sun Prairie Public Library – Story Walks
Sun Prairie Public Library is providing an opportunity for the entire community to engage in literary walks that promote literacy, community and family engagement, physical health, and mental wellbeing.
Update Report (March 2021)

Tomahawk School District – Making Connections One Game at a Time
The Tomahawk School District is connecting community, schools, teachers, and students in a virtual gaming world, collaborating with Northcentral Technical College to establish a high school eSports team.
Proposal (May 2020), Update Report (March 2021)

2019

In 2019, WiLS awarded a maximum of $30,000 and supporting staff time according to the needs of the particular project. Proposals for the 2019 Ideas to Action fund were submitted through June 14, 2019 and the winners were announced in August 2019. 

Beloit Public Library – Memory Care Kits
Provide a collection of materials designed to trigger memories and encourage interaction, oriented for caregivers to use with family members/patients dealing with dementia or memory loss.
Update Report (March 2020), Final Report (September 2020)

Cardinal Stritch University Library – Back to High School: A college and high school collaboration for teaching information literacy
Collaboration of college and high school faculty and librarians to develop information literacy curriculum for high school students.
Update Report (March 2020)

Door County Library – Door County Speaks: A Library Oral History Initiative
Provide kits of essential oral history equipment and supplementary materials to the satellite branches of the Door County Library as well as the Door County Archives, for use by both patrons and library staff.
Update Report (March 2020), Final Report (September 2020)

Fox Valley Technical College Library – General Studies OER Un-Textbook Create Fest
A one-day event to bring Wisconsin technical colleges together to create a general studies OER un-textbook — this could include video, learning objects, PowerPoints, articles, chapters, student renewable homework, quizzes, and many other sources.
Update Report (March 2020), Final Report (September 2020)

Lodi Woman’s Club Public Library – Intro to Podcast Production
Working with groups of teens to teach them about podcast production, helping them create their own original podcasts.
Update Report (March 2020), Final Report (September 2020), Shared Resources (April 2021)

Mill Pond Public Library – Savvy Senior Space
Turn the library reading room into a space where older adults can meet, see presentations, and have fun.
Update Report (March 2020), Final Report (September 2020)

Sauk Prairie High School Library – Making Global Connections with VR and AR at Sauk Prairie High School
Students attending this rural Wisconsin high school will participate in and design immersive experiences using Virtual and Augmented Reality equipment through the classroom and Library.
Update Report (March 2020)

2018

In 2018, WiLS awarded a maximum of $25,000 (up to $5,000 per applicant) and a total of 25 hours of WiLS staff time. Proposals for the 2018 Ideas to Action Fund were submitted through May 14, 2018 and the winners were announced in July 2018.

Chippewa Valley Technical College, Eau Claire – Affordable Resources Movement
This project will research the interest, needs, and feasibility of providing centralized support for open educational resources (OER) to Wisconsin libraries.
Final Report (August 2019)

Karl Junginger Memorial Library, Waterloo – Hispanic Community Outreach
The Karl Junginger Memorial Library will seek intentional interaction through educational, language and cultural exchanges that will encourage Hispanic members of the community to more fully use the library and feel safe and truly part of the larger Waterloo community.
Final Report (August 2019), Hispanic Community Outreach bilingual flyer (September 2019)

McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids – Community STEAM Kits
The library will develop Science / Technology / Engineering / Arts / Music kits to be made available for use by community non-profits.
Proposal (May 2018), Final Report (August 2019), STEAM Learning Kit Brochure (September 2019)

Menasha Joint School District – Elementary Digital Citizenship
This project will create an online curriculum to deliver Digital Citizenship lessons to 2nd – 5th graders.
Final Report (August 2019), Standards-Aligned Lessons and Other Resources

Schreiner Memorial Library, Lancaster – Lancaster Business Center
This project will establish a business incubator inside the Schreiner Memorial Library so that students and citizens of Lancaster have a space in which they can get startup business support and resources.
Final Report (August 2019), WI Libraries for Everyone Article (July 2019)

UW-Eau Claire McIntyre Library – Games in Libraries Conference
The library will host a one-day conference on games (board, card, video, etc.) in libraries in which people can learn and share about their use in libraries of all types.
Final Report (August 2019)