Wisconsin Library Association

Don't forget! The next meeting of the WLA Intellectual Freedom Special Interest Group (SIG) will be at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, June 12. All WLA members are welcome to attend.

Beth Nawalinski, executive director of United for Libraries, will join us to share an overview of her organization. United for Libraries is the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations, a division of the American Library Association (ALA) with approximately 5,000 members. Beth will talk about how the organization works to support advocacy and intellectual freedom at the national and local level. She’ll share information on United’s freely available intellectual freedom resources and additional resources for members.

We’ll also provide an update on recent judicial rulings affecting intellectual freedom across the country and an overview of current IF-related legislation (good and bad) at the federal and state level. Bring your intellectual freedom questions, stories, and ideas to share.

Join the WLA IF SIG meeting on June 12

Topic: Intellectual Freedom SIG
Time: Jun 12, 2026 01:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88475743731?pwd=juwVXBIbue8hCHWKtxd9acCKbYsbaf.1

Meeting ID: 884 7574 3731
Passcode: 199844

Questions?
Contact your 2026 IF SIG co-chairs, Sara Gold and Teresa Schmidt

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.

Congratulations to the 2025–2026 Leadership Development Institute (LDI) class on completing an incredible year of learning, growth, and connection!

Last week, LDI participants, presenters, Planning Committee members, and WLA Board members gathered at the Portage County Library to celebrate the graduates and recognize their commitment to developing their leadership skills in service to Wisconsin libraries and communities.

Throughout the year, these emerging leaders explored topics ranging from communication and collaboration to advocacy and decision-making, building relationships and gaining tools they can bring back to their libraries and organizations.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this year's program a success, including our instructors, mentors, supervisors, and the Portage County Library for hosting our graduation celebration.

Please join us in congratulating the newest LDI graduates! We can't wait to see the impact you'll continue to make across Wisconsin's library community.

For details or to submit a nomination, please visit:
https://www.wisconsinlibraries.org/awards-honors

Introducing Jenny McBurney as the WAAL Keynote Speaker

Jenny will present the following topic during her keynote address:
Resisting Censorship through Public Engagement: How Librarians are Meeting the Moment

From missing websites to manipulated datasets, the current presidential administration is damaging our democracy by censoring government information and dismantling our research and knowledge-sharing infrastructure. This government censorship is an assault on librarians' core professional ethos: preserving information and ensuring that it is accessible to everyone. In response, librarians around the country have stepped up. In this talk I’ll share how one project, Save Our Signs, has inspired thousands of volunteers around the country to contribute to a crowdsourced photo archive of National Park Service educational signs, and along the way, become my personal beacon of hope. Save Our Signs models how librarians can draw on our interdisciplinary research expertise and professional values in order to both engage the general public and advocate for our collective right to access research and information. Through collaboration with our communities, we can preserve our shared knowledge, document censorship, and inspire activism and change.

REGISTER NOW for the 2026 WAAL Conference at Raynor Library at Marquette University in Milwaukee on August 3-4, 2026!
https://wla.memberclicks.net/2026-academic-library-conference

To learn more please visit: https://www.wisconsinlibraries.org/awards-honors

Join us for the 2026 WAAL Conference at Raynor Library at Marquette University in Milwaukee on August 3-4, 2026!

Conference features include:
- Tolkien Manuscript Viewing (limit of 25)
- Raynor Library Tour
- Opening Reception
- Keynote address by Jenny McBurney from University of Minnesota
- Breakout sessions, lightning talks, workshops and poster presentations

Conference Registration Pricing:
WLA Member Registration - $135
Non Member Registration - $185
Student - $100

For more information and to register please visit: https://www.wisconsinlibraries.org/2026-academic-library-conference

Registration closes on July 1, 2026. Space is limited to 105 registrants.

Last Friday, members of the WLA Library Development & Legislation (LD&L) Committee hit the road to Rhinelander for an in-person meeting and some well-deserved celebration.

After a productive morning of discussion and planning, the group celebrated longtime library advocate and friend Kris Adams Wendt's birthday with lunch, cake, and plenty of laughter.

Thank you to everyone who made the trip north. Opportunities to connect face-to-face remind us that some of the best work happens around the table—whether it's a committee meeting or sharing birthday cake with colleagues and friends.

The WLA office will be closed Monday, May 25th for Memorial Day.