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Eau Claire librarians present DPI-required district library plan; board will consider approval Nov. 18
Summary
District library staff presented a DPI-required library plan describing mission, funding sources (Common School Fund), plans to expand digital-citizenship and AI instruction, and proposed high‑school library remodels funded by leftover referendum money; the board will vote on the plan at its Nov. 18 meeting.
James Martin, who helps lead the district’s Data, Technology and Media Services, told the Eau Claire Area School Board that the district’s library plan aligns with the district’s equity statement and the Future Ready Librarian framework and that state Department of Public Instruction rules now require a formal board presentation and submission to the WISELearn portal.
Caroline Akarovic, the district’s library media coordinator, outlined the plan’s mission to promote reading, support students’ sense of belonging, teach information-technology and digital-citizenship skills, and prepare learners for “lifelong learning and informed decision making.” She said common-school-fund distributions, managed by the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, supply much of the libraries’ collections and digital resources.
Several librarians described how library programs support instruction across grade levels. Mary McLeod said early-learning students at Prairie Ridge visit weekly and that the district partners with the public library when school schedules limit visits. Lauren Sigowetz noted elementary events such as the Give a Kid a Book assembly and partnerships with the Friends of the L. E. Phillips Memorial Library. Becky Wojciech said high‑school libraries are expanding research supports and will be remodeled next summer using leftover referendum funds to add maker spaces, collaboration areas and better IT access.
Board members used the presentation to ask how the district handles recent book‑challenge pressure and how it will incorporate artificial‑intelligence instruction. Akarovic said the district has “taken great pride” in supporting intellectual freedom and that librarians try to avoid “soft censorship” when selecting materials. On AI, the presenters said a policy was adopted last summer and that the district is developing a scope and sequence to expand consistent AI instruction for students and staff through grade 12.
The board did not vote on the plan at the meeting; Superintendent Johnson said the library plan and supporting documents will appear on the Nov. 18 agenda for approval and that the plan will be posted to the WISELearn portal.
