September Library Card Sign-up Month Visits

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Library Services Team wants to thank libraries across the state for encouraging community members to register for their library card.

To help celebrate National Library Card Sign-up Month, Assistant State Superintendent for the Division for Libraries and Technology, Dr. Darrell Williams, visited more than a dozen public libraries during September.

Traveling more than 2500 miles across the state, Dr. Williams witnessed countless ways libraries are demonstrating how a library card unlocks a whole world of possibilities beyond books.

A library card can help you check-out nature backpacks at Tomahawk Public Library, paintings to hang at your home at Wauwatosa Public Library, STEM kits at Somerset Public Library, and book discussion kits at Manitowoc Public Library.

Stepping inside Jefferson Public Library, Dr. Williams met the furry friends who stopped by the Memory Café for the Delight of Dogs program giving those with early memory loss and their care partners a chance to socialize and learn about dog adoption and therapy certification.

After cutting the ribbon, a bright new, inviting building welcomed Brown County Public Library East Branch patrons of all ages with its relaxing adult section in the front including a fireplace to read near, and the mushroom capped seating in the back for children to read their books, play with puzzles, and try out new toys to develop fine motor skills.

Waukesha Public Library held a cooking demonstration by Dahlia's Bistro where attendees learned how to make chicken and beef empanadas in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. 

Dr. Williams hopes these visits highlighted how libraries are inclusive of everyone in a community, and like Sturm Memorial and Tomah Public Libraries, meet their communities' needs with special story times to help with early literacy, book clubs, tablets, hot spots, and programs that bring communities together like the upcoming Manhattan Short Film Festival.

And a special thank you to the libraries providing meeting spaces, whether it be Bayfield Carnegie Public Library that hosted the bimonthly Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND) meeting, or the L.E. Phillips Memorial and Fond du Lac Public Libraries who graciously opened their doors for the Solar Eclipse Activities for Librarians (SEAL) training sessions for librarians to learn about ways to engage the public for the upcoming solar eclipses.

Wisconsin library staff members are making a difference. Thank you for showing that a lifetime of learning is available to all Wisconsinites. All you need is a library card.