Administration-related questions? Contact WRLS Director Kristen Anderson at Kristen@wrlsweb.org or call Kristen at 608-789-7119.
Budget
Find information about how public library funding works on a state, county, and federal level on the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) website here.
Find WRLS-specific budget items from 2019-present in SharePoint here.
2022 Budget Items Quick Reference
County Nonresident Reimbursement
Wisconsin counties are statutorily required to reimburse libraries in adjacent counties for each circulation by residents not residing in a municipality with a library. WRLS assists member libraries with data collection and requests for reimbursement.
Resources
- County Nonresident Reimbursement Overview
- Data spreadsheets
- 2023 reimbursement for 2021 circulation
- 2022 reimbursement for 2020 circulation
- 2021 reimbursement for 2019 circulation
- Request older data from Kristen
- Wisconsin State Statute 43.12: County payment for library services
- WRLS Wonders Podcast: County Nonresident Reimbursement at 100%
Annual Reports
Each WRLS member is required to submit an Annual Report to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), with a deadline usually around March 1. Directors will receive an email from DPI (or CountingOpinions) by mid to late January with a link to the report and relevant deadlines.
Director Certification
Public library directors in Wisconsin are required to be certified by the Department of Public Instruction. Requirements vary, based on the municipal population of the community, but all certification levels have educational prerequisites and on-going continuing education requirements. Contact Kristen with any questions or explore the following resources.
Visit our Professional Learning page for links to resources to meet certification requirements.
The Certification Manual for Wisconsin Public Library Directors contains information about applying for certification, types of certifications available, certification renewal, and statutory compliance.
PI-2450 Certification Application
PI-2453 Continuing Education Activity Report
Application Instructions and Certification Courses and Institution
Personnel
Job descriptions, hiring recommendations, interview questions, etc.
Planning & Evaluation Tools
Planning for the future of library services is vital for community responsive and sustained growth, as well as building fiscal support for current and future library programs and services. WRLS offers help with planning as outlined on the following documents.
Policies & Procedures
Sample Library Policies for the Small Public Library
Compiled by the Small Library Committee of the Wisconsin Association of Public Librarians, 2nd Edition, Revised by David L. Polodna, 1999. Converted to HTML by OWLS and posted with permission. Adapt the information to suit your needs.
Table of Contents
- Introductory Statements to the First Edition
- Introductory Statements to the Second Edition
- I. Mission and Goal Statements
- II. Who May Use the Library
- III. Patron Responsibilities and Conduct
- IV. Services of the Library
- V. Responsibilities and Authorities of the Library Board
- VI. Volunteers and Friends
- VII. Personnel Policy
- VIII. Materials Selection/Collection Development Policy
- IX. Circulation Policy
- X. Reference Service Policy
- XI. Programming Policy
- XII. Public Relations Policy
- XIII. Equipment Use Policy
- XIV. Internet Use Policy
- XV. Meeting Room Policy
- XVI. Displays and Exhibits Policy
- XVII. Public Notice Bulletin Board Policy
- XVIII. Disasters Policy
- XIX. Revision of Library Policies
- XX. Appendices
Salaries & Benefits
2023 Minimum Compensation Recommendations for WRLS Area Library Directors