Did you "Connect. Engage. Transform." this past year? If so, consider presenting at the 2014 WLA Conference, which will take place November 4-7 at the Kalahari Resort & Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells. We already have a fabulous line-up of keynote speakers and exciting special events scheduled for your enjoyment, but now we need your expertise. Help us provide exceptional engaging and transforming experiences by offering your talents and know-how as a presenter for a conference session. Consider sessions related to the conference theme, as well as some popular track topics such as: Engaging people  Leadership/professional development  Technology & digital services  Advocacy & promotion  Collaborations & innovations  Library issues & challenges  Building collections Don't let those ideas limit you! Feel free to suggest any program you'd like to present on. We're looking for an interesting array of programs that represent the variety of library audiences represented by WLA. Please complete the...

Megan Schliesman, a long-time librarian at the Cooperative Children’s Books Center (CCBC) of the School of Education at UW-Madison and manager of itsintellectual freedom services for the past eleven years, is the winner of the 2014 Intellectual Freedom Award. The award is given jointly by the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) and the Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association (WEMTA). Besides managing the CCBC Intellectual Freedom Information Services,Schliesman also manages its online forum, “What IF . . . Questions and Answers onIntellectual Freedom.” She currently serves on the American Library Association/Association for Library Service to Children Board, and is a past member ofthe ALA/ALSC Intellectual Freedom Committee. She is past chair of the Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association’s Intellectual Freedom Special Interest Group, and a past member of the Wisconsin Library Association Intellectual Freedom Roundtable board.The authors of the nomination letter recommending Schliesman note, “Megan exemplifies the spirit of intellectual freedom through her unflagging support for those defending against censorship and...

Library Legislative Day draws record attendance, many new faces  The Wisconsin Library Association partnered with the Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association to host Library Legislative Day on Tuesday, February 11, at the Best Western Inn on the Park in Madison.  The registered attendance of 166 was an all-time high, including citizen and professional representation from all types of libraries and 45 individuals who participated in the event for the first time.   A lively and informative morning program prepared library advocates for a memorable and productive day of meetings with legislators and legislative staff members.  All 132 legislators were either favored with an in-person visit on February 11 or contacted by colleagues and constituents within their districts.  An address by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers kicked off the day’s activities.  Superintendent Evers highlighted the recent announcement of a library fiber upgrade. Funding for the fiber project comes from the...

...

2013 Wisconsin Library Association Literary Awards Committee Librarians Honor Eliot Treichel for Close is Fine: Stories The Wisconsin Library Association has chosen Close is Fine: Stories by Eliot Treichel, who grew up in the Fox River Valley and now lives in Eugene, OR, as the winner of the 2013 Wisconsin Library Association Literary Award, given for the highest literary achievement by a Wisconsin author for a book published in 2012. Close is Fine is a collection of stories set in small-town Wisconsin. If you’ve spent time in rural Wisconsin (or rural anywhere in the US) then you’ve met the people he writes about. The writing is honest and pulls no punches and Treichel’s ability to put you into the lives of his characters is powerful. “At times tragic and others morbidly funny, Close is Fine is a revelation on every page,” said Jane Jorgenson, Chair of the Literary Awards Committee. “He captures...