Join us for WAPL 2026

 

 

Keynote Announcement!

 Kris Turner is the Associate Director of Public Services at the University of Wisconsin Law Library, where he oversees the reference and circulation departments, as well as the development of the Law Library’s website and digital repository. He also teaches Legal Technology and Artificial Intelligence in Law Practice and co-teaches Advanced Legal Research, which were selected as a Bloomberg Law finalist for Law School Innovation in 2024. Kris was also selected as a Library Journal Mover and Shaker in 2025.  

Kris has served as the Presidents of the Wisconsin Library Association, the Law Librarians Association of Wisconsin, and a number of committee and programming roles for the American Association of Law Libraries. He has written articles focused on GenAI, library outreach, the law of libraries, space and contracts law, and leadership transitions. Before joining UW Law, he worked at Madison Public Library and the Forest Products Laboratory Library. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bobbi L. Newman MLIS, MA, (she/her) is an author, speaker, consultant, and educator specializing in workplace well-being. She is an Associate Professor of Practice, where she teaches future librarians and leaders.  As a consultant she helps organizations create healthier, more equitable work environments. Bobbi is also the founder of ThriveLib, a virtual conference dedicated to advancing the well-being of library staff across the profession. 

As a certified Wellness Practitioner, Bobbi draws on nearly a decade of experience and evidence-based strategies. She is the author of Fostering Wellness in the Workplace and editor of Well-Being in the Library Workplace: A Handbook for Managers.  She writes about well-being in libraries at www.librarianbyday.net

 

 

 

 

 

Call For Proposals

Plans are underway for the 2026 WAPL Conference taking place April 27-29, at the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake, WI.  Hosted by the Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries (WAPL), a division of the Wisconsin Library Association, this annual event brings together members of the public library community to share big ideas and learn from each other through interactive breakout sessions and special events. 

Submit a Breakout Session Proposal

The application for submitting proposals for breakout sessions is now open, and your expertise is needed to make WAPL 2026 the best conference ever!

 Our conference theme is Library as Test Kitchen. 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.  

Submit your proposal below or by clicking HERE.

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 through midnight Friday, January 30, 2026.

 

Questions? Please contact the WLA Office at [email protected] or WAPL Conference Chair Roxanne Staveness at [email protected]

 

 

Registration

Coming soon!

 

 

Event Policies & Code of Conduct

Event Policies
Code of Conduct

 Program Schedule

 

Keynote Speakers

 

Conference App

Results at Hand Software LLCWe have chosen the Results @ Hand app for our conference technology needs. Registered attendees will be able to download the Results @ Hand app or access the app from their smartphone, tablet, or PC web browser.

The app will feature our entire conference agenda, speaker handouts, venue maps, community message boards, sponsor information, and tools to interact with other attendees.   Conference attendees will receive additional instructions about how to download the conference app via email a few weeks before the event.  

 

 

Hotel Information

 

Special Events

 

 

Thank you to our sponsors!


 

 

Sponsorship Opportunities

We anticipate two hundred attendees representing a mix of decision-makers including directors, assistant directors, librarians, and library staff working across a wide range of areas including programming, youth services, outreach, reference, and more. Your support for this conference at any level will receive the attention of library professionals and a direct link to those with purchasing power.

Don’t see the opportunity you’re looking for? Contact WLA Executive Director Kara Sullivan at [email protected] to discuss additional options.

 Spon
sor & Adv

Conference Committee

Roxanne Staveness - Conference Chair
Sara Klemann - Programming
Amy Waldman - Programming
Amy Mitchell - Publicity
Jenny Sessions - Technology
Elizabeth Timmins - Registration/On Site Needs
Nanette Bulebosh - Local Arrangements
Holly Selwitschka - Onsite Volunteer Coordinator