Thank you for attending WiLSWorld 2017! WiLSWorld 2018 will be held on July 24th and 25th in Madison, so save the date!

---

WiLSWorld is WiLS’ annual library technology and innovation conference, connecting you to people and ideas from the Wisconsin library community and beyond. This year’s event will be held on July 27th followed by hands-on workshops on the 28th, both at the Pyle Center in Madison.

WiLS is pleased to welcome WiLSWorld 2017’s keynote speaker, Dr. Safiya U. Noble.  Dr. Noble is an assistant professor in the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Southern California (USC). Her research on the design and use of applications on the Internet is at the intersection of race, gender, culture, and technology.

Her monograph, Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism explores racist and sexist algorithmic bias in search engines like Google (NYU Press, 2017). She serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Critical Library and Information Studies, and is the co-editor of two edited books: The Intersectional Internet: Race, Sex, Culture and Class Online with Brendesha Tynes, and Emotions, Technology & Design with Sharon Tettegah.

We also have a fantastic line-up of programs and workshops for you this year, tackling topics including diversity, user experience, collaboration, digital preservation, virtual reality, gathering and using data, marketing, fundraising, information literacy, privacy, and more! There will also be fun hallway stations so you can play with Demco products (Stick Together, Strawbees, and K’NEX) between sessions and a happy hour at the Vintage after Thursday’s conference!

Thank you to our planning team, who are helping to make this conference useful and engaging for our members and partners.

We would also like to thank UW-Madison SLIS Continuing Education Services and to South Central Library System for their partnership.

WiLS is also very grateful to our vendor partners who have already shown their support of the conference through sponsorships. Thank you so very much to the Association for Computing Machinery, American Chemical Society, EBSCO, Credo Reference, Wolters Kluwer, Adam Matthew Digital, Springer Nature, LexisNexis Academic, Oxford University Press, Recorded Books, American Psychological Association, Demco, and RefUSA.

If you have any questions about WiLSWorld 2017, let us know at information@wils.org.

---

Schedule and Programs

WiLSWorld 2017 – Thursday, July 27th

9:00-9:15 Welcome and Introductions

9:15-10:30 Room 325-326 Keynote Address: What We Can Learn from Digital Failures

Dr. Safiya Noble, Assistant Professor in the Annenberg School of Communication, University of Southern California (USC)

The idea that we will become free through technology is not new. However, we do not live in a world that is a blank slate. Hierarchies of power are reproduced and enacted through digital technologies. The ways in which our everyday lives are digitized into easily stored and repurposed bits of information actually heightens control and surveillance: as we are tracked and categorized, power-laden boundaries across race, gender, and class become digital enclosures.

Technology is never neutral and is laden with failures that have social consequences. In this talk, Dr. Safiya Umoja Noble from the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Southern California (USC) will discuss the importance of new models of intervention and resistance. By illuminating linkages to power struggles over values, particularly in the context of the digital, we can re-examine information contexts and realize we have great responsibility and the imperative to act.

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-11:30 Concurrent Sessions I

10:45-11:30 Room 325-326 The Equity and Diversity Committee (EDC) at UW-Madison Libraries: Lessons Learned in the First Year

Karla Strand, Gender and Women’s Studies Librarian. UW-Madison
Cat Phan, Digital and Media Archivist for the University Archives, UW-Madison
Jennifer Haukohl, Financial Specialist Senior, UW-Madison

In this session, presenters from the steering committee of UW-Madison General Library System’s Equity and Diversity Committee (EDC) will describe the committee’s formation, goals, and processes. Emphasis will be placed on lessons learned during EDC’s first year and practical advice for others looking to begin equity and diversity work within their libraries.

10:45-11:30 Room 335 Making Sense of Library UX

Angie Schoeneck, Growth Strategy Manager, Demco

In this session, we’ll clearly outline and define the basics of library user experience. You’ll see examples, and learn about tools and resources you can apply to assess your library’s current situation and make a game plan focused on adjustments that matter most to your users, and can be sustained by your library staff.

10:45-11:30 Room 313 Libraries and K-12 Schools: Partnering for Library Access

Steve Heser, Library Systems Administrator, Milwaukee County Federated Library System
Steve Ohs, Administrator, Lakeshores Library System

Public libraries have partnered with K-12 schools for decades, but these relationships have recently gained momentum through the IMLS Library Challenge and other programs. Join us to see how libraries are breaking down the mental and technological barriers with initiatives to allow greater access to library resources and get kids into the library.

11:45-12:45 Lunch (included)

1:00-2:15 Room 325-326 Afternoon Plenary: Something Wicked Awesome This Way Comes

Joe Kirgues, Co-Founder and Managing Director, gener8tor Madison and Milwaukee
Carrie Kruse, Director of College Library, User Experience, and Library Spaces, UW-Madison
Tasha Saecker, Assistant Director, Appleton Public Library

Join this discussion of cutting-edge ideas and technologies that have the potential to change the service expectations of our communities. How do we respond? How do we learn? How do we lead? Librarians and technologists alike will share what they see as potentially disruptive in the current landscape and the implications and opportunities for our libraries.

2:15-2:30 Break

2:30-3:30 Concurrent Sessions II

2:30-3:30 Room 313 Setting a Course for Success: Getting Started with Digital Preservation in Your Library

Anita Doering, Senior Archivist and Archives Manager, La Crosse Public Library
Stacey Erdman, Digital Archivist, Beloit College

Are you feeling slightly adrift where it comes to how to best manage your born digital collections? Come and learn the ropes of digital preservation! Stacey Erdman (Beloit College) will provide an introduction to the basics, and provide some helpful tips and tricks gleaned from working on the Digital POWRR Project. Anita Doering will share the La Crosse Public Library-Archives’ experiences of wading into the waters of digital preservation and how they circumvented around unexpected sandbars. While the ocean of possibilities are endless, let LPLA throw you a life preserver of some things to consider when starting to navigate the troubled waters.

2:30-3:30 Room 335 Virtual Reality in the Library

Brian Kopetsky, Assistant Director, McMillan Memorial Library
Jane Roisum, Library Manager, Fox Valley Technical College
Josh Janikowski, Mobile Application Developer, Wisc-Online

How are libraries making use of new and affordable virtual reality technologies? Learn how McMillan Memorial Library has added VR video production capabilities to its Digital Media Studio, and how Fox Valley Technical College uses Oculus Rift as an interactive teaching tool.

2:30-3:30 Room 325-326 Uses and Strategies of Data for Libraries

Anne Hamland, Communications Coordinator, Wisconsin Valley Library Service
Steve Meyer, Data Strategist, UW-Madison
Doug Way, Associate University Librarian for Collections and Research Services, UW-Madison

In this presentation, Steve and Doug will discuss how UW-Madison Libraries has used visualizations to easily tell the story of collections usage to library and campus audiences and how UW is developing tools to assist librarians with collection management decisions. Steve and Doug will trace our process beginning with the assumptions library staff and campus stakeholders make about the use of collections through the formulation of concrete questions, identifying and mapping data points for answering those questions and the subsequent exploration of data sets.

Anne will teach attendees how to gather appropriate data to craft infographics for advocacy, fundraising, and public awareness. Anne will walk through gathering data from public library annual reports or library generated reports, pairing data with images and icons, and creating infographics in basic programs available to all libraries and skill levels.

Infographic vs. Data Visualization

3:30-3:45 Break

3:45-4:30 Concurrent Sessions III

3:45-4:30 Room 313 Promoting Your Library: A Case Study

Terri Fleming, Community Information Coordinator, Fond du Lac Public Library

Following the arc of a typical library program, from idea to completion, the presenter will walk through the practical steps any library staffer can take to maximize their programming profile and reach. It all starts with adopting a new perspective: taking off the librarian-tinted glasses. The presenter will discuss language, presentation, the importance of consistency and the benefits of listening to the media and the public.

3:45-4:30 Room 325-326 If They Only Knew: How Librarians Collaborate to Support Literacy Across School, Public, and Academic Libraries

Teri Holford, Academic Engagement & Curriculum Collection Librarian, UW-La Crosse
Liz Humrickhouse, Assistant Professor and Academic Librarian, UW-La Crosse

Teri and Liz co-founded a college-readiness bridge program called Gaining Ground: Building On College Level Information Literacy Skills. They were inspired to found C.A.L.L. with a public librarian and a school librarian, after attending and presenting on Gaining Ground at the LILi conference in Los Angeles, CA , and listening to librarians in a variety of specializations discuss their successful collaborations with one another. They believe that building partnerships across libraries is the solution to helping patrons become information literate for the rest of their lives.

3:45-4:30 Room 335 The Privacy Paradox: What it Means for Your Library, Your Patrons, and You

Ben Miller, Assistant Director, DPI Resources for Libraries and Lifelong Learning

Librarians are well aware of the importance of privacy. But our actions online and in our libraries don’t always reflect it. We often need to balance the desire for privacy with a need for convenience and efficiency. Where do we draw the line? What tools do we have to help us make better choices? You’ll learn more about the ways data you and your patrons generate online are used and get tips and best practices to balance privacy and convenience both for you personally and for the libraries and communities you serve.

5:00 Happy Hour(s)!

Join your colleagues for a friendly drink and conversation at the Vintage.

---

WiLSWorld Workshops – Friday, July 28th

8:30-9:00 Registration and Coffee

9:00-12:00 Morning Workshops

9:00-12:00 Room 226 Making the Most of Demographic Data for Libraries

Malia Jones, Assistant Scientist (Health Geography-GIS), UW-Madison Applied Population Lab
Caitlin McKown, Web Developer, UW-Madison Applied Population Lab

The use of current and reliable demographic data can help library administrators understand the unique and changing needs of their users and to develop effective programming and evaluation. This session will focus on “nuts and bolts” of using demographic information for libraries. We will discuss key sources for data, topics, and variables available from the census and the American Community Survey, and practical approaches to using demographic data. There will be opportunities for hands-on guided interaction and practice with finding, downloading, and using the American FactFinder and other census data sources. All participants should bring a laptop that can connect to the internet and download and open Excel spreadsheets. Also, if you also are signing up for the Tableau workshop to learn how to use that tool to create visualizations of your data, you will be able to use the the data you download from this workshop in the Tableau workshop.

9:00-12:00 Room 225 Project Management Techniques for Non-Project Managers

Dan Kramarz, Project Manager, State of Wisconsin

Throughout the year we are given unique projects that enhance our locations and drive us to go beyond our day to day activities. However, many of these projects are an additional workload and may fall outside of our comfort zone. To assist you in tackling these projects, this workshop will focus on proven principles of project management to help you organize and execute your efforts. Dan Kramarz is a project manager with the State of Wisconsin where he focuses on program development, evaluation, and process improvement initiatives. He has trained and coached hundreds of working professionals in government agencies, university settings, and the private sector on project management, communication skills and decision making.

12:00-1:00 Lunch (on your own)

1:00-4:00 Afternoon Workshops

1:00-4:00 Room 226 Getting Started with Tableau

Kate Clark, Administrative & Operations Coordinator, WiLS
Melody Clark, Community Liaison / Service Specialist, WiLS
Stef Morrill, Director, WiLS

This workshop will provide a hands-on introduction to Tableau, the industry leader in data visualization. By the end of this session, you’ll not only understand what Tableau can do, you’ll have done some of it yourself! You’ll connect data to Tableau, create basic visualizations, develop dashboards, and more. Participants will ideally bring their own laptop, with Tableau installed (we’ll share more details when you register!), but will not need to supply their own data. We’ll be working with demographic data and other sample data sets.

---

WiLSWorld 2017 Planning Team

 

WiLSWorld 2017 Sponsors

---

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations must be made at least two business days prior to the event in order to receive a refund. If a registrant cancels less than two working days prior to the date of the event, the registrant remains responsible for payment; no fees will be refunded.

A substitute may take the place of the original registrant, but either the registrant or their institution is responsible for coordinating and communicating changes to WiLS. Cancellations and/or substitutions may be reported to Coop Info.

If an event is canceled by WiLS, due to low registration or inclement weather, registrants will be notified and fees will be refunded.