June Inclusive Services Update

June is Immigrant Heritage Month so here are a few opportunities and resources as part of a project to improve outreach to immigrant communities:

2024 DEI Consultant Funding Opportunity: Wisconsin Libraries Talk About Race and the IDEA Team encourage libraries to apply for a unique funding opportunity that will support bringing a specialized DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) Consultant to help your team accomplish its desired goals. Apply for funding, up to $1,000, to support DEI consulting for your library. Applications will be accepted quarterly; June 1-30, September 1-30, Dec 1-31, and March 1-31, 2025 Contact Emily Whitmore at ewhitmore@springgreenlibrary.org and Tracy Herold at  for questions. More information and an application can be found on the IDEA Team website.

Public Libraries Feature Article Contest Winners: Public Libraries magazine has announced the winners of the 2024 Feature Article Contest and is thrilled to award $500 to contributors of the following articles: “Making Your Library a Gender-Inclusive Space” (July/August 2023 issue) and “Read Whatever You Want-Brooklyn Public Library’s Books Unbanned” (March/April 2023 issue). These articles, chosen for their excellence in content and contribution, are selected by members of the Public Libraries Advisory Committee and exemplify the dedication and innovation within the public library community.

Brooklyn Public Library – Library Card Access Study Podcast Aired on April 23 In this episode, PLA talks with Amy Mikel, director of customer experience at the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL). Amy shares the catalyst for the BPL’s Cardholder Signup Practices study—the Books Unbanned initiative—and how it spurred BPL’s curiosity to examine library access. She also shares the study’s objectives and key findings, shedding light on the challenges of ensuring equitable access, particularly for marginalized communities. In addition, Amy discusses actionable recommendations for libraries based on the research, offering valuable insights for enhancing inclusivity and accessibility in library systems nationwide.

Resources Shared from Webinar (Google Doc) – Indigenous Education Webinar: Developing and Establishing Indigenous Pedagogy Collections for the Library and Classroom This has a ton of great informational resources for you and your collections!

Great Juneteenth Resources: Here’s a quick resource guide from DPI to get to know the holiday, to deepen your knowledge, and to honor the history of Juneteenth.

Libby for Every Reader E-Learning Module: Libby for Every Reader covers the many ways that Libby supports readers and users with a range of accessibility needs. Topics covered in the module include:

Screen reader support

Libby accessibility settings

Multilingual interface

Dark mode

Adjustable playback speed in audiobooks

Supporting domestic and sexual violence survivors at your library, Thursday, June 6, 2 pm Libraries are in a unique position to offer resources and referrals to those experiencing domestic and sexual violence and stalking. In this webinar, learn how to identify the signs of domestic/sexual violence and stalking, what/when/how to say something to a survivor, and how to provide resources to someone who does not disclose abuse.

Cultural Considerations When Working with Native Nations: Friday, June 7th 1:00 pm Join presenters from WiLS for a discussion of cultural considerations to be aware of as a non-Native person working with Native Nations communities. The discussion will center around building respectful and ethical relationships with a spirit of reciprocity. The presenters will share their own non-Native experiences working within Native Nations community spaces as well as guidance on working with historical materials from Indigenous communities.

Navigating the Terrain of Change,  Monday June 10, 2:00-3:30 pm Missed the spring workshops?  Here’s an abbreviated, virtual chance to get some of the same excellent content from Dr. Alonzo Kelly! If you attend live, you can also register for one of two follow-up sessions on June 11.

Locks at the Library: Increasing Community Access to Safe Storage, June 11th, Noon This webinar will describe the partnership between Anne Arundel County Public Library and the Anne Arundel Department of Health with shared aim of preventing gun violence and explain the process and resources for establishing a gun lock distribution program.

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.

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.