WRLS Events & Continuing Education Calendar
March 2024
CCBC Event- Great New Books for Children and Teens with Intellectual Freedom discussion
Thursday, March 14- 9:30am-3pm
Gays Mills Public Library, Gays Mills, Wisconsin
This will be a Great New Books for Children and Teens Collaborative Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) event with Winding Rivers Library System, Southwest Library System, and South Central Library System. CCBC librarians will highlight some of the books in CCBC Choices 2024, the most recent edition of the library’s best-of-the-year list and the workshop will include a facilitated intellectual freedom discussion with the CCBC.
There is also the opportunity for member library staff in our system to attend the same event in Eau Claire in May.
CCBC Event- Great New Books for Children and Teens
Wednesday, May 15- 4-7pm and Thursday, May 16- 9am-3pm
OverDrive Support Workshop
Thursday, March 21- 9am-3:30pm
Winding Rivers Library System Headquarters (West Salem)
Are you curious about new features available on Libby? Want to feel confident in answering patron questions about Overdrive? Need more tools in your toolkit at the desk? Join Kayla Mathson from Independence Public Library for this information filled workshop. This will be a full day workshop at WRLS, and participants will get a special prize for attending!
April 2024
Intellectual Freedom Book Discussion
Thursday, April 11- 12pm-1:30pm- New Lisbon Public Library
Thursday, April 18- 12pm-1:30pm- Arcadia Public Library
Thursday, April 25 (morning)- 10am-11:30am- McIntosh Memorial Library (Viroqua)
Thursday, April 25 (afternoon)- 2pm-3:30pm- Winding Rivers Library System Headquarters (West Salem)
WRLS will provide several opportunities for member librarians to discuss a book about censorship and intellectual freedom and participate in a roundtable discussion about intellectual freedom in the library and communities we service. We will read and discuss Amy Sarig King’s middle grade novel, Attack of the Black Rectangles. Each registrant will receive a new copy of the book prior to the book discussion, which they can keep or donate to their own library collection. There will also be the opportunity for a facilitated discussion after the book discussion to talk about librarians’ experiences with this topic.
Register here.
May 2024
Stress Management/Mindfulness Workshop
Thursday, May 16- 9am-3pm
Winding Rivers Library System Headquarters (West Salem)
With the ILS migration coming up in the Fall, take some time to decompress and relax at this stress management and mindfulness workshop! There will be a presenter from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and a chance to sign up for a drop-in session for a chair massage from local practitioner in the afternoon. Participants will be able to register to win a door prize full of mindfulness goodies and each participant will get something special!
There will be no continuing education offered from WRLS during the ILS migration trainings and implementation in August and September.
October 2024
WRLS Bus Tour
Thursday, October 10- 9am-5pm
Meet at Winding Rivers Library System headquarters (West Salem)
Check out the beautiful fall colors and explore new libraries on the WRLS bus tour! Stay tuned for more information about stops on the tour for this year!
November 2024
What Color is Your World?- CSLP Workshop
Thursday, November 7- 9am-3pm NEW DATE! Thursday, November 21- 9am-3pm
Winding Rivers Library System headquarters (West Salem)
Ready to plan some programs for your upcoming Summer Library Program? Join us for a full day workshop to discuss planning, programming, and promoting the Collaborative Summer Library Program.
December 2024
Holiday Workshop
Thursday, December 5- 9am-12pm
Winding Rivers Library System headquarters (West Salem)
Enjoy some much-needed frivolity with other WRLS member librarians during the most wonderful time of the year! Stay tuned for more information about this event later in the year.
February 2025
Why is the Librarian Paid Less Than Anyone Else?
Thursday, February 20- 9am-12pm
Winding Rivers Library System headquarters (West Salem)
Asking for a raise is not easy. Listen to the harrowing journey of a plucky, small-town Library Director who asked, was approved, was denied, was devastated, and then was determined to prove her worth so that she would not get denied again. Hopefully, you will get inspired to stand up for more than just your patrons, and begin to stand up for yourself.
Digital Resources Refresher
Thursday, February 20- 1pm-3pm
Winding Rivers Library System headquarters (West Salem)
Need a refresher on what Badgerlink has to offer? We will walk through the different digital resources WRLS has to offer.
March 2025
Giving Great Service
Thursday, March 20- 9am-12pm
Winding Rivers Library System headquarters (West Salem)
Providing great customer service in any business is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s a MUST have. Given that libraries put their customers first, they have an incredible opportunity to shine when it comes to giving the best service possible at every interaction. In this workshop, attendees will learn:
Tips on assessing and improving your library’s commitment to great service
How to deliver and measure great service
The role of work culture and providing customer service
What to do when service fails
Attendees will be asked to share examples of how they currently provide great service, as well as develop an action plan at the end of the workshop.
CCBC Event- Great New Books for Children and Teens
Thursday, March 27- 9am-3pm
Brewster Public Library, Richland Center
This will be a Great New Books for Children and Teens Collaborative Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) event with Winding Rivers Library System and Southwest Library System. CCBC librarians will highlight some of the books in CCBC Choices 2024, the most recent edition of the library’s best-of-the-year list and the workshop will include a facilitated intellectual freedom discussion with the CCBC.
April 2025
Spring Sustainability Bus Tour
Thursday, April 17- 730am-530pm
Leaving from Winding Rivers Library System headquarters (West Salem)
The Spring 2025 Sustainability Bus Tour will be a great opportunity to see and learn about how your library can transition to clean energy; truly embracing the recently added core value of sustainability to our library profession. On the bus we will enjoy a relaxed conversation with an expert in the field of solar from Ethos Green Power Coop who will be a great resource, guide, and question-answerer! We will then arrive in Deerfield, WI to tour solar canopies from the Couillard Solar Foundation and to learn more about ways we can make our libraries disaster resilient hubs from Jackie Harrison-Jewell. Before lunch, we will be visiting the 2018 Library of the Year, the Milton Public Library and see their expansive Story Garden. After lunch, we will be visiting the Oregon Public Library and see the ways they have incorporated sustainable practices into their building and beyond. You will come away with resources and inspiration. Feel free to invite those of your teams (such as board members, village staff, etc.) who might benefit from hearing this information and getting an understanding about how the process works. Come and learn with us! Contact Jessica@wrlsweb.org 608-709-0588 with any questions!
May 2025
Promoting AI Literacy in the Library
Thursday, May 15- 9am-12pm
Winding Rivers Library System headquarters (West Salem)
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) programs like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot are reshaping our information landscape. Librarians should help their communities understand how these technologies work and how to use them responsibily. This workshop will an introduction to GAI tools, highlighting their practical uses and limitations, as well as the ethical questions they raise. It will also explore ways to foster AI literacy in your library, including classes and programs. Lastly, attendees will get to try some AI tools on their own. Led by Jodi Pierre, Research and Instruction Librarian, UW-Green Bay.
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