The Wittenberg-Birnamwood School Board signed off Nov. 18 on a new five-year plan for its school libraries that includes plans for a 1-1 technology plan for students.
“We have to, every five years, update our library plan,” said Superintendent Garrett Rogowski, noting that Birnamwood Elementary-Middle School Principal Chris Kulas also serves as the district’s library director. “We’ve all been working collaboratively on the plan and revised it for the next five years to receive Common School funds.”
More and more schools are switching to utilizing technology in all aspects of learning, and the Wittenberg-Birnamwood School District is the latest to hop aboard. According to the library plan, the district will move to having instruction across all grade levels through the use of Chromebooks and iPads. Regular evaluation of lessons incorporating technology resources and support for classroom teachers is part of the plan. The 1-1 plan will be put into place in the 2025-26 school year.
“Most of our curriculum is in a digital format now,” Rogowski said. “That has become an integral part of our process every year, getting that ready for our students.”
The district has a technology committee that will meet once a trimester to determine needs, resources and funding, in accordance with the plan.
The plan will also encourage the district to utilize technology when coming up with new after-school and summer programs for its students. Among some of the suggestions were coding, digital photos and editing, web tools, news programming and videography, plus language learning.
“This helps students to navigate the library,” Rogowski said. “Most of us had the Dewey Decimal (System), and we went through that process. That’s not how it is anymore."
The library plan includes more than just technology, though.
At Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School, the plan includes creating a library space geared toward independent learning and study, as well as setting up assigned work spaces for students utilizing online curriculum. There will also be more learning center spaces to support Rural Virtual Academy courses.
Birnamwood Elementary-Middle School has been reorganized under the plan to provide spaces for school library needs and community library needs.
At all three schools, there will be collaborative spaces for student learning that addresses STEAM programs, technology use, and library digital and print accessibility.
“On a daily, even an hourly, basis, here we’ve managed to utilize this space,” Rogowski said during the meeting, which was held in Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School’s library.
Another growth goal is to increase access to audiobooks, Spanish language materials, culturally responsive print materials and digital resources.
“Robust infrastructure, I just think we’re in a really good place with respect to that districtwide,” Rogowski said. “That’s in large part attributed to our tech team, which has put us in that space.”
The plan also addresses updating the libraries’ collections on a regular basis. Rogowski said the district deals with various subjects and genres on a rotating basis each year.
“Nonfiction was updated recently,” Rogowski said. “We’re updating our U.S. history and our junior fiction, as well. In 2025, we’re specifically updating our animal and sports sections. In 2026, our biographies. Overall, we feel this is reflective of our goals for our libraries.”
The plan still has to be approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, according to Rogowski.
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
1-1 tech initiative part of WBSD library plan
