Join us for WAPL 2025

"Forward"

Oshkosh Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Convention Center

April 30 - May 2, 2025

Now accepting breakout session proposals!

We are excited to be in the planning stages of our program offerings for the upcoming conference of the Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries (WAPL), a division of the Wisconsin Library Association.  This event will take place April 30 - May 2, 2025, at the Oshkosh Marriott Waterfront Hotel & Convention Center in Oshkosh, WI. 

Known for exceptional educational offerings at our conferences, we are delighted to offer you the chance to share and showcase your knowledge with our attendees during a breakout session.  

This year's conference theme is also our state motto: Forward!  This means:

• Positioning Wisconsin’s public libraries as leaders in the field by showcasing innovative services and programs that can be scaled to libraries of all sizes.
• Using creativity and persistence to fuel positive momentum for ourselves, our staff, our services, and our communities.
• Identifying ways to overcome the many different challenges faced by public libraries.

While this is a very broad theme, proposals are not required to fit within it. We encourage innovative proposals on a wide variety of topics, including, but not limited to:

• Adult programs and services
• Advocacy
• AI
• Board of Trustees relations
• Building projects and/or library spaces
• Children's programs and services
• Collections 
• Communications, marketing and/or graphic design for libraries
• Community partnerships
• Diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and/or justice
• Funding and/or fundraising
• Government relations
• Grants and/or grant writing 
• Intellectual freedom
• Leadership and/or management 
• Legal issues (e.g. copyright, challenges, HR policies)
• Outreach programs and services
• Policies and/or policy writing
• School - Public Library services and/or partnerships
• Staff development 
• Technical services
• Teen programs and services
• Volunteers

We welcome proposals from libraries of all sizes and from individuals who work in a variety of roles - from front line staff to technical services to programming and more!   We also welcome proposals from vendors, consultants, trustees, friends, and other library partners.  

We will accept session proposals from December 20, 2024, to January 24, 2025.

The conference will offer 6 concurrent breakout sessions in one-hour time slots (30 - 36 breakout sessions) on Thursday, May 1 and Friday, May 2. Breakout sessions on Thursday will begin after the opening keynote speaker (approximately 10:30 a.m.). The final breakout session on Friday will wrap up at noon.

Submit Your Session Proposal

Important Things to Know

All responses must be completed in full and received by January 31, 2025, to be considered. 

Due to security concerns, presenters are required to use their own laptops* for their presentations.  

Standard packages in each breakout room will include: 

• Podium and Microphone (Please note: To provide the best listening experience for our attendees, WLA requires presenters to use microphones in all breakout presentations)
• Screen
• Projector and cart/or table
• A limited number of panel sessions will be available. For panel presentations, one table with four chairs positioned next to the podium will be provided in addition to the standard package.

*Connections are USB enabled. If you are using an Apple computer, you are required to bring an adaptor that is USB compatible. Adaptors are unique to the generation of each Apple computer and WLA does not provide them.

Timeline for Review 

The programming committee will review all proposals.  WLA will notify you of your selection status by February 7, 2025.  Selected speakers will be sent a speaker agreement to complete and return to the WLA office via email by midnight on Friday, February 21, 2025. 

Questions? Please contact the WLA office at [email protected] or WAPL Conference Chair Heather Thompson, Kenosha Public Library, [email protected].

REGISTER