Presented by Jennifer Bernetzke, Schreiner Memorial Library; Kristen Leffelman, Wisconsin Historical Society; Kristen Maples, UW-Madison iSchool; Tessa Michaelson Schmidt, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction; Jane Roisum, Fox Valley Technical College; Tasha Saecker, Appleton Public Library; Kristen Whitson, UW-Madison iSchool for WiLSWorld 2019 on July 23rd in Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin libraries are “turning outward” in all kinds of creative ways to cultivate positive change in their communities. Hear about a wide range of community engagement projects, including successes, challenges, and lessons learned.

1. Lightning Talks
Community Engagement Showcase

2. • Jennifer Bernetzke, Schreiner Memorial Library
• Kristen Leffelman, Wisconsin Historical Society
• Kristen Maples and Kristen Whitson, UW-Madison iSchool
• Jane Roisum, Fox Valley Technical College and Tasha Saecker, Appleton
Public Library
• Tessa Michaelson Schmidt, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Presenters

3. Jennifer Bernetzke
Director, Schreiner Memorial Library
Lancaster Small Business Center

5. Lancaster Population: 3,736
Annual Circulation: 84,000
Annual visitors (Lancaster
location only): 70,500
Lancaster serves as the
county seat, but we lack a
nearby major City or
metropolitan area.
Platteville is the largest City
in the region.
Schreiner Memorial Library

7. Expectations vs. Reality
● Vision and Goal Setting
● Resource Gathering
● Inclusion of invested entities
● Implementation
● Marketing and Promotion
● Working with the School
● Analysis and Ongoing Plans

8. City of
Lancaster
New Partnerships, Better Results

10. Kristen Leffelman
Milwaukee Outreach Coordinator
Wisconsin Historical Society
“By the People, For the People”:
Outreach for a New
Wisconsin History Museum

11. Outreach for a New
Wisconsin History Museum
“By the People, For the People”
Kristen Leffelman, Wisconsin Historical Society

12. Background
The Wisconsin Historical Society:
• One of the largest, most active,
most diversified state historical
societies in the nation
• State agency
• Planning new state history
museum for 2024

13. Goals & Challenges
Goals:
• A museum “by the people, for
the people”
• Building excitement for and
investment in museum project
Challenges:
• Weak brand awareness outside
Dane County
• Finding new audiences

14. The “Share Your Voice” Series
Engagement series:
• October 2018—July 2019
• Partnering with local
organizations
• Seeking feedback
• Participatory events
Results:
• 55 events statewide
• 6,000 Wisconsinites attended
• Lots of feedback!

15. Lessons Learned (or Reaffirmed)
• Outreach is an ongoing,
relationship-building process
• Use multiple touchpoints to
keep up involvement
• Defer to local experts
• Be open to iteration

16. Looking Ahead

18. Kristen Maples
Kristen Whitson
UW-Madison iSchool
Community Engagement
with the Ho-Chunk Nation

19. Community Engagement with
the Ho-Chunk Nation
Kristen Maples & Kristen Whitson

20. Who are we? How did we get here?
● Kristen Maples: Technical services librarian track
● Kristen Whitson: Archives track
● Tribal libraries, archives and museums (TLAM class) at the UW Madison Information School
● The class focuses on indigenous LIS concepts, with a required service-learning component. We
both performed our service learning at the Ho-Chunk Language Division (Hoocąk Waaziija Haci)
office in Mauston, WI

21. The project
● The Ho-Chunk Nation, on whose ancestral land we are currently, is undergoing a language
revitalization project
● Language revitalization in many First Nations communities has a natural tie to libraries and
archives, as cultural heritage and preservation institutions
● This project has two phases:
○ Archive all language preservation materials
○ Make appropriate materials available online via Mukurtu

22. Our supervisors
Omar Poler: TLAM instructor, enrolled
member of the Mole Lake Sokaogon
Chippewa Community
George Greendeer: Language Division
Project Specialist, enrolled member of the
Ho-Chunk Nation

23. Elder Interviews
● A significant portion of the language collection is comprised of recordings in the Ho-Chunk language
● One task in the project was to sit down with Ho-Chunk elders, eminent speakers, to transcribe their
translation of the recordings
● Elders also gave context to the material in the recordings
● The original recording, plus the transcribed translation and accompanying context are then
cataloged and preserved in the archive

24. Archiving
● Archiving materials involves:
○ Cataloging and preserving the paper materials
○ Digitizing (scanning) the paper materials at preservation levels
○ Digitizing (migrating) A/V content at preservation levels
○ Making all digital/digitized materials available online via Mukurtu

25. What to take away from this
● Relationship building is the most important aspect of collaboration with indigenous communities
● There is a strong need for indigenous LIS knowledge
○ LCSH don’t accurately describe indigenous content
○ Archives and museums often possess, and inaccurately describe, indigenous
material
○ LIS professionals should commit to researching and understanding the
indigenous people in their communities in order to best serve and welcome
them

26. What to take away from this
● Humility, sincerity, and commitment go a long way
○ Show up when you say you will and keep showing up
○ Be willing to listen and adapt
○ Make an effort to learn about the indigenous community before and while
working with them
○ Bring your skills and training to the table, and let the community you’re serving
decide how those skills can be best used for them

27. Thank you!
Kristen Maples: kmaples@wisc.edu
Kristen Whitson: whitson2@wisc.edu
TLAM Student Organization: www.tlamproject.org

28. Jane Roisum
Library Manager
Fox Valley Technical College
Tasha Saecker
Assistant Director
Appleton Public Library
Good MoUs Make Good Neighbors

29. Tessa Michaelson Schmidt
Public Library Consultant
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Turning Outward, Looking Inward:
The Inclusive Services
Assessment and Guide

30. Turning Outward,
Looking Inward
The Inclusive Services Assessment and Guide

32. DPI’s Equity Mission
• Everyone has access
• Right resources at
the right moment
• Across dimensions
of identity

33. Wisconsin Library Law
DPI’s Inclusive Services Statement,
an interpretation of Wis. Stat. sec.
43.24(2)(k) “Promotion and
facilitation of library service to
users with special needs”

34. The Inclusive Services Statement
• Safe, welcome, and respected
• Holistic, all-encompassing
• Continuous reflective effort
• Every point of access and
interaction

35. The 2018 Inclusive Services Institute
• 16 public library and
system staff
• 2 in-person sessions
• 4 content-area teams
• Co-producers of the
guide

36. The Inclusive Services Assessment and Guide
For Wisconsin Public Libraries
● Ongoing reflection tool
● Evaluate current services
● Plan for the future
● Supports the 2018 Wisconsin
Public Library Standards

37. How to Use the Assessment
Yes, No, In Progress,
or Not Applicable
scorable responses

39. DPI Inclusive Services Webpage
https://dpi.wi.gov/pld/inclusive-services