The Division for Libraries and Technology* manages both state and federally funded grants to eligible entities in Wisconsin. The Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) is the federal grant program for libraries in Wisconsin and is administered at the federal level by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The current LSTA Five-Year Plan for Wisconsin helps to guide projects funded under the LSTA grant program. The Wisconsin Adult Literacy Project is a state-funded grant to support community-based literacy agencies.
The Division for Libraries and Technology* administers state aid to public library systems. State aid is used to provide library programming and resources and supports collaboration for public libraries.
*Under the 2025 reorganization of the Department of Public Instruction, the Bureau of Libraries, formerly the Library Services Team, is placed within the Division of School and Library Operations. During the transition, the working title 'Division of School and Library Operations' will be used interchangeably with the 'Division for Libraries and Technology' found in Wisconsin State Statutes.
Project Highlights
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Public Library System Merger Guide (June 2024): This guide provides practical advice and guidance for Wisconsin library systems considering a merger. It may also be useful to systems considering the consolidation of other services, such as library automation systems. The tool was developed by Wisconsin Library Service (WiLS) based on experience gained during the 2021-2023 merger process of the Arrowhead Library System (ALS) and the Lakeshores Library System (LLS) to form the Prairie Lakes Library System. The content in this bullet is archived content and is kept only for reference, research, or recordkeeping.
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Wisconsin Public Library Staff Compensation Summary Report (August 2023): The purpose of the report is to provide staff salaries and position classification information to help library boards determine appropriate compensation to attract and retain the best possible employees for the positions.
Prior to using the report, library directors are encouraged to review the toolkit to effectively utilize the data presented in the report. The toolkit includes a guide on using the information within the summary report, an Executive Summary, a Library Survey Report Summary Video and the full report. The content in this bullet is archived content and is kept only for reference, research, or recordkeeping.
Past Projects
- Statewide Data Landscape Study Report (March 2023): Data toolkit for libraries and library systems resulting from a LSTA funded study performed by a Southwest Wisconsin Library System (SWLS) and WiLS (Wisconsin Library Services) partnership. The toolkit includes the Final Report, Report Presentation Video, Report Presentation Slides, and Report Discussion Questions. The content in this bullet is archived content and is kept only for reference, research, or recordkeeping.
- Wisconsin Adult Literacy Project (September 2022): Blog post sharing the award of the Wisconsin Adult Literacy Project grant to Wisconsin Literacy, Inc. The grant will help develop and enhance Wisconsin's adult, family, and workplace literacy system through direct services to literacy agencies.
- When Closed Doors Aren't Closed: Pandemic OverDrive Digital Collection Research Project Final Report (January 2021): Assessment of the impact of COVID-19 library closures on usage of Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC) Wisconsin's Digital Library and Wisconsin Schools Digital Library Consortium (WSDLC) digital collections on OverDrive, a digital reading platform used by over 50,000 libraries and schools around the world. This project was made possible through a partnership between DPI, WiLS, WPLC and WSDLC. The final report was prepared by WiLS. The content in this bullet is archived content and is kept only for reference, research, or recordkeeping.