"Supporting Our Libraries and Our Communities" May 29 - La Crosse Public Library.  The Support Staff and Circulation Services Section Board is pleased to invite you to the 2013 one-day conference! A variety of sessions will give Support and Circulation staff members ideas and encouragement for fostering and supporting a stronger relationship with the community, as well as practical methods to improve upon our own services.  To register, visit: http://wla.wisconsinlibraries.org/sscs/conference-archives/sscs-one-day-conference-2013...

Access the grant application at http://bit.ly/xA4Am4. Online applications must be submitted by May 15, 2013. Grant Awards will be announced June 21, 2013. The CALIFA Library Group is opening a national search for 75 rural libraries to join a grant project funded by the National Science Foundation. The goal is to strengthen adult science programming and resources in small and rural public libraries and to enhance public interest and involvement in STEM topics -- science, technology, engineering, and math. The “Pushing the Limits” public programs will explore these ideas through a discussion led by a STEM professional (science, technology, engineering, and math) and the local librarian, using a blended science café and book club model that integrates feature film quality videos and a recommended (popular) book reading. The overarching theme is one of real people, real stories, and real science. The program launched with 20 pilot sites (phase 1) and is now...

The WLA Foundation Silent Auction returns for the 2013 WLA Conference in Green Bay. Proceeds benefit the Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries. To make the auction a success, we need your help! Do you find yourself creating handcrafted items that you don’t have room for at home? Cook or bake? Why not donate these items to the WLAF auction – we’d love to put your items out for bids! Take a look at our contributors’ guidelines, and then complete the form below. Whether you bring your items with you to the conference (preferred method) or send them to the WLA office (if you won’t be attending the Conference this year) please let us know in advance what you will be contributing by completing and sending us a copy of this form. A digital photo of your auction item(s) would be a real bonus! Suggested Handmade Items, including but not limited to Handcrafted...

What better way to spend the beginning of May in the lovely city of Lake Geneva? The 2013 WAPL Conference, “50 Shades of Libraries,” will be held May 1-3 at the beautiful Grand Geneva Resort and Spa. We’re going to explore how libraries have changed in different ways and shades. Advance registration can be done online or through the form by April 15th! Wednesday, May 1 begins with the WAPL Conference Chair’s Reception: Apps ‘n’ Apps at 7 pm. This will informally showcase some of the amazing apps available for mobile devices. We’ll have apps to eat and apps to tap. Be ready to share your favorite app and you will be rewarded! Start your Thursday, May 2nd, off right with Mindfulness: A Guided Meditation Experience either at 7 am or 7:45 am. This 30-minute session led by a Buddhist nun, Bhikkhuni Vimala, will teach you meditation techniques to be more...

The 2013 Edible Book Festival takes place 4:00-6:00 pm on Tuesday, April 16 and promises to combine literary and culinary talents in the Madison community. A Hunger Games pie? Fifty Shades of Gravy? Vegetarian depictions of The Jungle? These could possibly be just a few of the entries at the annual University of Wisconsin-Madison Memorial Library event. An edible book is an entry made of edible materials, with the subject pertaining to books in shape or content. In the past, participating food artists, families, and groups have worked with cake, goldfish crackers, alphabet soup noodles, Jell-O, licorice, and even Peeps! The event is free and open to the public in the Memorial Library Commons (728 State Street, Room 460). Members of the community are encouraged to attend, ogle the edible art, and vote for their favorite entries. A “real” cake will be served so that attendees aren’t tempted to taste the...