Resources:
- 9 Books that Center Deaf and Hard of Hearing Characters: Language, how it fails and unites us, and loneliness, the ways in which we find community and connection, and silence, which manifests
in many forms; from a graphic memoir to these nine show just how varied the Deaf experience can be.
- Toolkit to Defend K-12 Educators and Librarians Against False Accusations of Antisemitism: Although it is aimed at K-12 professionals, it could be useful for public librarians, academic librarians
— anybody who opposes censorship and promotes antiracist practices. The toolkit contains practical advice to help librarians and teachers protect themselves before attacks occur and defend themselves if they are falsely attacked.
- Great Lakes, Great Read Shared Reading Initiative Announces Book Selections: The Wisconsin Water Library (WWL) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Wisconsin Library Association
(WLA) are pleased to announce the books selected for the Great Lakes, Great Read program. “The Water Walker” by Joanne Robertson is the children’s selection and the adult selection is “The Best Part of Us” by Sally Cole-Misch. “The Water Walker” is the story of a determined Ojibwe grandmother, a nokomis, named Josephine Mandamin who walks to raise awareness of the need to protect nibi (water). Robertson wrote and illustrated the book, which was published in 2017. Sally Cole-Misch published the novel “The Best Part of Us” in 2021 and it explores a family’s ties to an inland lake in northern Ontario, just north of Lake Huron —and how those ties are tested both through natural processes and family dynamics. Attendees at the WLA Conference in Green Bay, November 5 – 8, 2024, will have the opportunity to interact with the authors, each of whom will be speaking at the conference. In addition, both selected authors will be featured in a free webinar series happening on Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 and 9. All events will start at 6 p.m., CT, and will be open to the public. The Great Lakes, Great Read website, https://www.
greatlakesgreatread.org, offers further details on the authors, their books, book discussion questions, and other resources. - New Project Outcome Accessibility Resource: Ensuring accessibility in library assessment is crucial to promoting inclusivity, allowing individuals with diverse abilities to fully engage with and benefit
from library services and programs. Prioritizing accessibility enables libraries to gather more accurate and representative data, which facilitates informed decision making to better serve the entire community. Check out the new Accessibility and Project Outcome resource to learn more about accessible evaluation practices (login required – sign up for free). Project Outcome is a free toolkit designed to help libraries understand and share the impact of essential library services and programs by providing simple surveys and an easy-to-use process for measuring and analyzing outcomes. Learn more at projectoutcome.org.
- Mental Health Resources for Rural Residents: Rural Minds and the National Grange have launched their new Rural Mental Health Resilience Program. Recognizing the self-reliance and do-it-yourself mindset that are common among many people living in rural America, this program provides an easy-to-access online toolkit with mental health information and resources to help rural residents improve mental health in their communities. We encourage you to visit the program’s webpage and access program materials that are free to download and print.
Continuing Education:
- American Sign Language May 6, 11 am: WiLS will be hosting a demonstration webinar all about ASL Inside, the innovative online language-learning program that teaches real-world conversational
skills in American Sign Language.
- Toward One Wisconsin 2024: A Conference on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion May 7-8, Eau Claire, WI. Conference Theme: Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers. Whether you’re just starting and
overwhelmed, or you’re a leading advocate in your community, this conference will provide best practices, insights and implementation tools to help you take the next steps. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about and discuss the work of diversity, equity and inclusion, and how to move from talk to action.
- Wisconsin Libraries Talk About Race: Navigating the Terrain of Change with Dr. Alonzo Kelly
Thursday, May 9: 9:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m., Wintergreen Conference Center (Wisconsin Dells) Discover ways to create inter-culturally inclusive work and learning environments for all! Increase yourknowledge and ability to problem solve, communicate confidently, and foster more collaborative work environments rooted in authentic relationships with dynamic executive coach, professor, and 3x best-selling author Alonzo Kelly. Dr. Kelly is recognized as one the nation’s leading experts on leadership development, strategic thinking, and planning. Travel assistance is available. More details and registration information can be found on the website. - Addressing Body Shape and Size Stigma in Libraries May 15, 2 pm: As library workers, we recognize the significance of creating environments that embrace diversity and prioritize the well-being
of all patrons and staff. In this webinar we will be starting the conversation around how body shape and size stigma affect our society. We will be focusing on libraries, and how we can create services, spaces, and workplaces that better support people of diverse body shapes and sizes. We will describe the significance of weight stigma, its historical context, and its intersection with other identities, offering insights into the barriers it creates. Together we will discuss individual and organizational strategies to combat body shape and size stigma and support all library users and workers.
- Library Advocacy and Storymaking: The Hero’s Journey from Community to Page, UW iSchool, August 5 – September 1, 2024 (4 weeks). This course explores the impact of advocacy stories in a
shifting library landscape and how to implement library advocacy through strategies that both uncover and inspire community heroes. Participants will workshop their own short library advocacy story using a storytelling model in which the library user is the central figure in the tale of how they use their library to access what they need to create the community they want.
- The Supportive Library: Helping Patrons Experiencing Homelessness, June 20th, 2:00 – 5:00 pm. Mini Conference: From a librarian’s perspective, when we think of patrons experiencing homelessness, we automatically know and understand that they are an especially vulnerable population. We also know that to work in libraries is to be on the forefront of homelessness. However, while we are working directly with vulnerable patrons, many of us may not know how to help someone who is unhoused or who is experiencing food or other insecurities. We may not understand why they don’t trust us, or why they are striking out angrily toward us. We may not know the mental challenges or trauma they are experiencing or the loneliness and isolation they are feeling. In turn, this can expose our own vulnerabilities. Our special conference chair is Kimberli Buckley, M.A, MLIS, Senior Community Library Manager at Contra Costa County Library, and a lecturer at San Jose State University’s School of Information.
Consumables:
- What Neurodivergent Patrons Want from Small and Rural Libraries
- New, limited-edition, multi-hued, mini Madison Terrace chair will support Multicultural Student Center food insecurity initiatives
- Wisconsin will now require Asian American history to be taught in schools
- Brown County Library partners up to help job seekers with JobPod
- Beyond ADA Compliance: Expanding the library’s service to patrons with disabilities
Diverse Holidays in May:
Mental Health Awareness Month: recognizes the impact of mental illness on families and communities, and raises awareness for those living with mental and behavioral issues.
Older Americans Month: celebrates the contributions of older Americans in the country.
Jewish American Heritage Month: honors the history of American Jews and their accomplishments.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: pays tribute to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and their contributions to society.
May 1 – Beltane, (Pagan) festival held on the first day of May in Ireland and Scotland, celebrating the beginning of summer and open pasturing.
May 1 – International Workers Day, On 21 April 1856, Australian stonemasons in Victoria undertook a mass stoppage as part of the eight-hour workday movement. It became a yearly commemoration, inspiring American workers to have their first stoppage. May 1st was chosen to be International Workers’ Day to commemorate the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago.
May 1-3 – The Festival of Ridvan, a holiday celebrated by those of the Bahá’í faith, commemorating the 12 days when Bahá’u’lláh, the prophet-founder, resided in a garden called Ridvan (paradise) and publicly proclaimed his mission as God’s messenger for this age.
May 5 – Cinco de Mayo, commemorates Mexico’s defeat of the French army.
May 6 – Yom HaShoah, Israel’s day of remembrance for the approximately 6 million Jews who perished in the Holocaust.
May 9 – Ascension Day, Celebrates the departure of Christ from Earth into the presence of God.
May 13 – Yom HaZikaron is Israel’s official remembrance day, enacted into law in 1963. While Yom HaZikaron has been traditionally dedicated to fallen soldiers, commemoration has also been extended to civilian victims of terrorism.
May 15 – Birthday of the Buddha (Buddhist), celebrates the spiritual leader who launched one of the world’s most popular religions. In most Japanese temples, Buddha’s birth is now celebrated on the Gregorian and Buddhist calendar on the date of April 8.
May 15 – The International Day of Families, This day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase the knowledge of the social, economic, and demographic processes affecting families.
May 17 – International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, this date honors the decision to remove homosexuality from the International Classifications of Diseases of the WHO in 1990. On this day, 132 countries coordinate international events that raise awareness of LGBT rights.
May 19 – Pentecost, It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and other disciples following the Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ.
May 21 – World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, The day provides us with an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the values of cultural diversity and to advance the four goals of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions adopted on 20 October 2005: Support sustainable systems of governance for culture, Achieve a balanced flow of cultural goods and services and increase the mobility of artists and cultural professionals, Integrate culture in sustainable development frameworks, Promote human rights and fundamental freedoms.
May 22 – Harvey Milk Day, Harvey Milk Day celebrates the life and political accomplishments of Harvey Milk, the first openly-gay elected official in the United States.
May 23 – Declaration of the Báb, This date marks the anniversary of the Báb’s announcement of his mission in 1844. The Báb is a prophet and is considered one of the founders of the Baha’i faith.
May 23 – Buddha Day (Vesak or Visakha Puja), a Buddhist festival that marks Gautama Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death. It falls on the day of the full moon in May and it is a gazetted holiday in India.
May 24 – Pansexual Visibility Day, Pan visibility day is an opportunity to raise awareness and improve inclusivity for pansexual people. The word pansexuality originally comes from Greek; pan meaning ‘all’. Pansexual people are attracted to people of all genders.
May 26 – Lag BaOmer, The holiday celebrates a break in a plague that is said to have occurred during the days of Rabbi Akiva. The Talmud states that the great teacher of Jewish mysticism Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai died on Lag B’Omer, and in modern times the holiday has come to symbolize the resilience of the Jewish spirit.
May 27 – Memorial Day, Memorial Day is meant to honor all of the people who have died while serving in all of the U.S. military branches.