Wisconsin Valley Library Service, Northern Waters Library Service, Southwest Wisconsin Library System and the IFLS Library System are excited to announce a Spring Webinar Series.
Each webinar will be worth 1 contact hour for public library certification, and they will be recorded for later viewing. Registration is now open for all three webinars.

Enhancing Your Workplace Culture
Tuesday, April 19; 12 pm
Presented by: Brenda Viola
Register

Work should be a place that is invigorating, not draining. Culture is the underlying foundation that creates an atmosphere where ideas, teamwork, and personal and professional growth can flourish – and you can be a key to effecting incremental change to “right the ship.”  A healthy culture makes for happier employees, and is reflected in the service extended to citizens. This webinar will cover assessing existing workplace culture, establishing goals for change, obtaining buy-in from co-workers, implementation strategies, and more. 


Where Does the Money Come From? Public Library Funding in Wisconsin

Thursday, April 28; 1 p.m.
Presented by: John Thompson
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IFLS Director John Thompson will talk us through how public libraries are funded in Wisconsin, making clear the muddy waters of Act 150, county reimbursement, municipal funding, and other sources. Participants will come away with a better understanding of how libraries are funded, as well as some ideas about how this knowledge can help inform advocacy for maintaining or improving budgets. This webinar is designed for library directors and staff, as well as library board members and Friends.


Public Libraries and Fake News: How to Educate and Inform in the Age of Disinformation
Presented by: Barbara Alvarez and Sam Molzahn
Thursday, May 5; 10 a.m.
Register

In this presentation, Sam Molzahn and Barbara Alvarez will share ideas about how public libraries can educate their communities about information literacy in a time where fake news seems to dominate. Sam and Barbara will discuss historical and contemporary concepts of disinformation, misinformation, and fake news, and provide ideas about how you can ensure access to credible resources and develop courses, resources, and partnerships to dismantle disinformation.

Contact Jamie at if you have questions.

Bios:
Brenda Viola is a communications consultant currently residing in Sarasota, Florida. A former news anchor and reporter, previous clients include the American Library Association (ALA), American Public Works Association (APWA), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), National Recreation and  Parks Association (NRPA), and International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC).  Her messages are powerful because they have been developed in the trenches, working side by side with dedicated librarians, clerks, public works, parks and recreation and other local government professionals. She is a member of the National Speakers Association  (NSA) and is involved with Rotary International and Toastmasters.

John Thompson has served as the IFLS System Director since January 2007. The IFLS Library System, headquartered in Eau Claire, has 53 member libraries in 10 counties. John regularly provides training and consulting for library boards and staff on library administration topics. His prior work experience includes serving as the Library Director in Prairie du Sac for 16 years.  John is the 2021 WLA/DEMCO Wisconsin Librarian of the Year.

Barbara Alvarez is an Information Specialist and Instructor of Information Science. She has an MLIS from the University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign. Barbara is the author of “Embedded Business Librarianship for the Public Librarian” with ALA Editions and has written articles about disinformation and fake news for Public Libraries Magazine. Stay in touch at www.barbaralvarez.com.

Sam Molzahn is the adult reference and technology librarian at the Franklin Public Library (WI) and earned his MLIS from UW-Milwaukee in 2017. He has taught classes on fake news and media literacy for five years and is passionate about creating informed citizens of all ages. Feel free to contact Sam at .