SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS | SIGs

PURPOSE

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) provide a vehicle for WLA members to share ideas, plans, news and opinions related to a particular area of interest without the formal expectations and structure of a traditional association unit.

Through participation in SIGs, members are able to:

Collect and disseminate information
Discuss and debate professional experiences and issues
Facilitate space for specific programs or events
Share their voice on matters pertaining to special interests that are not currently represented within existing units
Develop and implement strategies for change at the local and national levels

Members should consider participating in at least one group. Involvement in two groups is the recommended limit in order to gain the most from your experience. The SIGs provide an important basis for ongoing discussions throughout the year. The WLA conferences and live events also provide an opportunity for SIGs to meet on a personal basis. Members of each SIG can contribute to organizing conference related activities such as workshops, presentations, demonstrations and field trips.

SIG NAME	DESCRIPTION	CONTACT
Alumni	Providing connections between and among retirees with a focus on fellowship, service to WLA and “keeping up” with the world of libraries.	Contact [email protected]
Government Information	This special interest group will serve members with an interest in collecting, preserving, cataloging, or providing reference for government information. We will suggest and sponsor programs for annual conferences, and will plan and coordinate our own one-day annual conference, Government Information Day.	Contact [email protected]
Intellectual Freedom	This special interest group will provide an opportunity for members to be involved with intellectual freedom principles and issues through programming and networking and to communicate and coordinate activities with the Intellectual Freedom Committe	Kristina Gomez Steven Rice
Inclusive Services	The purpose of the Inclusive Services Special Interest Group (SIG) is to promote inclusion by helping library staff, friends, and trustees recognize and implement inclusive practices. The SIG will accomplish this through organizing and/or sponsoring continuing education opportunities and reflecting and discussing inclusive services within libraries and the profession.	Shauna Koszegi Jamie Mercer
Students	The purpose of the WLA Student SIG is two-fold: 1) to increase communication, collaboration, and exchange between LIS students at each school, and 2) to establish a visible and sustainable presence for students in the Wisconsin Library Association.	Contact [email protected]
Urban	The purpose of the Urban Libraries SIG is to enhance services in libraries in urban areas and identify the unique challenges they encounter. The Urban Libraries SIG strives to identify and devise creative new solutions, provide programs to enlighten the community, support and motivate urban library staff, and build community partnerships, and advocate for support in legislation, grants, and collaboration opportunities.	Tammy Mays Kirsten Thompson
WI Genealogy & Local History	The Wisconsin Genealogy & Local History (WIGLHR, pronounced "Wiggler") is a unit within the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA). WIGLHR was formed to provide networking and educational opportunities for librarians, library staff and archivists in Wisconsin who work with genealogy and local history collections.	Contact [email protected]

How to Indicate Interest in a SIG

Your WLA membership profile shows the SIGs for which you have indicated interest. If you want to remove or add a SIG, or if you are a new WLA member, please contact the WLA office or send an email to [email protected] and indicate which SIG(s) you want to add or remove.

How to Start a New SIG

To start a new SIG is easy. The process requires 20 active, interested WLA members and the completion of an application. We recommend that you begin by organizing at least two separate meeting with your group to discuss a. the focus of the SIG, b. frequency of meetings and c. leadership. We also suggest that you check carefully to ensure that you are not replicating an existing SIG. For more information: