Public Library

How Libraries Can Build Connections to Combat Loneliness

SHOFMANN — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 19:00:00 +0000

How Libraries Can Build Connections to Combat Loneliness SHOFMANN Wed, 02/05/2025 - 13:00

eLearning

Webinar

Feb 5, 2025 | 1 - 2pm

$47.40 for PLA personal members; $71.10 for 91��ý personal members; $79.00 for nonmembers

Libraries save lives. Loneliness and social isolation are so rampant in America that the Center for Disease Control calls loneliness an epidemic, exacerbated by COVID. Using programming, community resources, and collection development and display, libraries can address this significant mental (and physical) health condition. This webinar will guide you on how to develop these tools and create a culture of empathy and action by developing micro-communities to combat loneliness.

plawebinars@ala.org

91��ý Units

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Yes

Zoom

Online

Creating Engaging Library Spaces for All Ages

SHOFMANN — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 19:00:00 +0000

Creating Engaging Library Spaces for All Ages SHOFMANN Wed, 01/22/2025 - 13:00

eLearning

Webinar

Jan 22, 2025 | 1 - 2pm

$47.40 for PLA personal members; $71.10 for 91��ý personal members; $79.00 for nonmembers

Learn More and Register

Learn to create engaging spaces for library patrons of all ages! In this webinar, Heather Hall, deputy director at Cumberland County Public Library in North Carolina, will present real-life examples and outcomes to showcase how you can incorporate manipulatives, interactives, sensory elements, and engaging activities in library spaces with minimal staff moderation needed. Learn about creating a strategic plan for the vision of spaces, how to seek funding and include low-budget items, identify intended outcomes for spaces, and seek community feedback.

plawebinars@ala.org

91��ý Units

Administration & Leadership

Yes

Zoom

Online

Public Libraries Standing Up and Standing Together

SHOFMANN — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 20:00:00 +0000

Public Libraries Standing Up and Standing Together SHOFMANN Tue, 01/14/2025 - 14:00

eLearning

Webinar

Jan 14, 2025 | 2 - 3pm

Free

Following a polarized political season and threats to de-fund public agencies, the Public Library Association (PLA) has heard a range of concerns from our members and a desire for community and peer sharing. From increased book challenges to potential adverse legislation to supporting diverse staff and patrons, library workers are feeling isolated and overwhelmed by what lies ahead. But you are not alone! Standing up for libraries and library workers will demand persistence and strategic action from all of us. Join PLA for a virtual town hall to connect with colleagues and hear from PLA member-leaders on how they are staying focused but flexible during these times of transition.

Registration is free, but space is limited. Please note: This virtual town hall will not be recorded.

Panelists

Sonia Alcantara-Antoine, CEO of the Baltimore County (MD) Public Library and PLA Past-President
Mary Ellen Icaza, Director and CEO of the Stark County (OH) Public Library and PLA Director-at-Large
Nick Demske, Director of the Racine (WI) Public Library, and member of the PLA Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice
Adam Webb, Director of the Garland County (AR) Public Library and member of the PLA Advocacy and Strategic Partnership Committee
San Francisco City Librarian and PLA President Michael Lambert will serve as the moderator

Accommodations

This virtual town hall will be captioned in English (United States). Zoom desktop client or mobile app is required to access captions.

Attendees using screen readers are advised to turn off speech prior to joining the Zoom event because PLA webinars make extensive use of chat functionality. Attendees who find chat distracting may wish to disable it in the Zoom event, as PLA moderators will verbally highlight important topics raised in chat.

If you have a physical or communication need that may affect your participation in this webinar, please contact us at plawebinars@ala.org or 800-545-2433 ext. 5PLA (5752) at least two weeks prior to the webinar. Without prior notification of need, we may not be able to provide appropriate accommodations for the live event.

Tech Requirements

This webinar will be presented using the Zoom platform. Please review Zoom technical requirements and support information, and test your connection.

Once you've joined the webinar, there are two ways to connect your audio: via computer or via telephone. No microphone is required. PLA works with its webinar platform provider to assure the highest quality audio is being delivered to attendees. However, variables over which PLA has no control—such as the speed of your Internet connection or traffic on your local network—can affect the end quality of the webinar audio delivered by your computer. Each webinar’s audio is also available by telephone via a toll number, so we recommend you have access to a long-distance enabled phone as a backup in case you experience issues with webinar audio.

Contact

Questions about this webinar? Please contact us at plawebinars@ala.org or 800-545-2433 ext. 5PLA (5752).

plawebinars@ala.org

91��ý Units

Administration & Leadership

Intellectual Freedom & Copyright

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Yes

Zoom

Online, Free

One Library's Mission to Provide Its Senior Community with Social Engagement and Emotional Connectedness

SHOFMANN — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 19:00:00 +0000

One Library's Mission to Provide Its Senior Community with Social Engagement and Emotional Connectedness SHOFMANN Wed, 01/08/2025 - 13:00

eLearning

Webinar

Jan 8, 2025 | 1 - 2pm

$47.40 for PLA personal members; $71.10 for 91��ý personal members; $79.00 for nonmembers

Learn More and Register

Public libraries are all about creating an uplifting environment of connection and support. When COVID struck in 2020, and our traditional ways of engaging with patrons became unsafe, it was nearly impossible for the North Canton (Ohio) Public Library (NCPL) to maintain those important relationships with older adults in our community. The city of North Canton did not have a dedicated senior center, and other senior programming opportunities had been cut due to the pandemic. As a result, senior residents were feeling isolated. In this webinar, you’ll learn how NCPL partnered with the city to reduce social isolation and increase connectedness for this vulnerable population. Almost three years later, the library’s senior programs continue to thrive and make a real impact, with attendees noting that the programs “make them look forward to each day now.” Join us to learn how strategic partnerships can help your outreach initiatives make an impact too!

plawebinars@ala.org

91��ý Units

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Yes

Zoom

Online

Disability and (in)Accessibility in the Library Workplace

MBLIXTSHEHAN — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 19:43:22 +0000

Disability and (in)Accessibility in the Library Workplace MBLIXTSHEHAN Fri, 12/20/2024 - 13:43

eLearning

Forum

Jan 14, 2025 | 9am - 5pm

Jan 15, 2025 | 9am - 5pm

Free!

Send Participation Request

Description: Workplace accessibility theoretically allows library workers with disabilities to do their best work and retain their jobs. How accessible is the library workplace? How do we develop empathy and create policies, spaces, and accommodation plans in concert with disabled individuals that are unique and flexible to the individual's needs without placing unintentional barriers and burdens on them? How can we ensure that we are creating a sustainably supportive and accessible workplace? Join us for a conversation addressing these questions and more.

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will:

Develop a better understanding of how diverse and unique accommodation plans are based on the individual in question.
Discuss policies and space designs that they have seen increase, or create barriers to, accessibility within the Library workplace.
Share resources (groups, news, government websites) to help individuals looking to develop empathy and identify potential action items for change in their own workplace.

Who Should Attend: Anyone who is interested in fostering inclusive and supportive workplaces for individuals with visible and invisible disabilities.

Moderators:

Kiyomi Deards is a Professor and part of the Collection Strategies and Open Scholarship Department at the University Libraries, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She identifies as disabled and has previously served as the Chair of the Libraries Faculty, and as Visiting Program Officer for Diversity and Leadership for the Association of Research Libraries (ARL).

Margaret Dawson has spent 23 years working in academic and joint-use libraries. From 2014 to 2021, she worked at Texas A&M University-Central Texas in Killeen, Texas as an Outreach and Instruction Librarian, and has developed programs for university students, their children, and the general public. She is currently the Co-Head of Public Services and Outreach. She has presented and published on the topics of instruction and outreach.

Mary Schiavone (she/her) is a Student Success and Engagement Librarian and Federal Depository Coordinator at Beloit College. Her current work centers around increasing approachability and accessibility in academic libraries.

How to Participate:

e-Forums are two-day, moderated, electronic discussion forums that provide an opportunity for librarians and library professionals to discuss matters of interest on an email discussion list. These discussions are free and available to anyone who wishes to subscribe to the email list.

To participate, subscribe to the list by sending an email to core-eforum+subscribe@groups.io. Your message can be empty. Your request will be approved within 1-2 business days. You will receive a welcome email from groups.io with instructions on how to create a user account to manage your notification settings.

If you have question, need assistance, or would like to propose an e-Forum topic, please write to core-eforum+help@groups.io.

Mia Blixt-Shehan

mblixtshehan@ala.org

91��ý Units

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Administration & Leadership

Yes

Free

Grow your Project Management Skills

MBLIXTSHEHAN — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 21:19:45 +0000

Grow your Project Management Skills MBLIXTSHEHAN Thu, 12/19/2024 - 15:19

eLearning

Forum

Feb 18, 2025 | 9am - 5pm

Feb 19, 2025 | 9am - 5pm

Free!

Send Participation Request

Description: Interested in leading more effective meetings? Wish you could develop better communication in your department projects? Tired of having your project expand beyond its original purpose? Looking for a tool to help manage your projects? All these things and more are part of learning to manage your individual and collaborative projects to increase efficiency and transparency. Join this e-forum to discuss your successes, your not-so-successful endeavors, and to learn how to incorporate project management solutions to best fit your needs through all the stages of a project. Both those new to project management and seasoned PMs are invited to the conversation.

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this e-Forum, attendees will be able to:

Apply project management techniques to day-to-day work;
Identify and communicate with stakeholders to effectively share project updates;
Discover helpful tools to manage projects; and
Connect with others in the library community interested in project management.

Who Should Attend: Anyone who is interested in this topic can benefit from this session and is welcome to participate.

Moderators:

Nicole Lewis is the Metadata Standards Librarian at the Brigham Young University Library. She is responsible for providing leadership and guidance on the development, analysis, and application of metadata schemes, and manages database and metadata cleanup projects. Prior to BYU, Nicole worked at the University of Utah and Backstage Library Works. She has an MLIS from the University of Alabama and a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

Timothy Provenzano is the Digital Initiatives Librarian at Arizona State University Libraries, and the co-chair of the Core Project Management Interest Group. He has worked at ASU since 2018, and has worked as a Project Manager in several roles within higher education, including administering a First in the World Grant from the US Department of Education. He has a BA in Philosophy from Arizona State University, an MA from the University of Arizona, and an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. His research interests include the organization of digital collections in repositories and linked data in archives.

Kelly Sattler is the Project Manager for the Libraries Strategic Projects, Michigan State University, and currently the co-chair of the Core Project Management Interest Group. Kelly has worked at Michigan State for 18 years. The first 15 as Head of the Web Services Unit managing the Libraries’ website. Prior to working at MSU, Kelly worked for Exelon in their IT department. She has a BS in Computer Engineering from Milwaukee School of Engineering and an MLIS from UIUC. She’s volunteered in many roles within Core and LITA over the past 18 years. She’s also a member of the 91��ý Biblioquilters. Like many librarians, she loves cats and drinking tea.

How to Participate:

If you have question, need assistance, or would like to propose an e-Forum topic, please write to core-eforum+help@groups.io.

Mia Blixt-Shehan

mblixtshehan@ala.org

91��ý Units

Administration & Leadership

Yes

Free

How the Work of Fred Rogers Supports the Evolution of Public Libraries

SHOFMANN — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 19:00:00 +0000

How the Work of Fred Rogers Supports the Evolution of Public Libraries SHOFMANN Wed, 12/18/2024 - 13:00

On-Demand

Webinar

Dec 18, 2024 | 1 - 2pm

$47.40 for PLA personal members; $71.10 for 91��ý personal members; $79.00 for nonmembers

Learn More and Register

Public libraries uphold a civic responsibility to provide communities a space to connect, learn, and grow collectively. Their identity reflects a global landscape of diverse viewpoints and history. Similarly, Fred Rogers worked tirelessly to create a welcoming neighborhood for all. In this on-demand webinar, attendees learn how Rogers’ philosophy aligns with the mission of public libraries and the three philosophical keys identified in a recent study; how to implement the Neighborhood of Make-Believe as an asset model approach when evaluating library services; and how to apply Rogers’ philosophy to support the wellbeing of library staff.

plawebinars@ala.org

91��ý Units

Administration & Leadership

Yes

91��ý eLearning

Online

Libraries Supporting Students with Dyslexia

SPOLEN — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 19:37:54 +0000

Libraries Supporting Students with Dyslexia SPOLEN Wed, 12/11/2024 - 13:37

eLearning

Mar 4, 2025 | 1 - 2:30pm

$39.50 ALSC Member | $71.10 91��ý Member | $79 Non-91��ý Member

We all know the importance of libraries and the benefits children receive from having access to high quality reading material and information. But what about the students for whom books and other forms of written language is a struggle? The library is even more beneficial for them!

Learning Objectives:

Understand the impact of dyslexia on children's academic, social, and emotional well-being.
Strategize improvements to library space, collection, or programming to fully support students with language-based learning differences.
Identify opportunities to advocate for and support the learning of children with dyslexia and their caregivers.

Anonymous feedback from the 2024 ALSC National Institute session of this presentation:

"Simple, clear, concrete shifts in practice public library professionals can go home and implement right now no matter their size or budget. Incredibly well done and much needed!”

Sarah C Polen

spolen@ala.org

91��ý Units

Public Library

School Library

Programs & Services

Yes

Online

Celebrating Autistic Joy in Your Library

SPOLEN — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 17:21:38 +0000

Celebrating Autistic Joy in Your Library SPOLEN Mon, 12/09/2024 - 11:21

eLearning

Feb 26, 2025 | 1 - 2:30pm

$39.50 ALSC Member | $71.10 91��ý Member | $79 Non-91��ý Member

Move beyond “autism acceptance” and let your library become a place of autistic joy. We’ll learn how to evaluate books with autistic representation to decide if they add diverse, loving representation to your collection. We’ll expand our programming options beyond sensory storytime and learn how to connect with autistic families. And we’ll discuss real, complex situations affecting autistic families in the library and brainstorm ways we can offer our support and radical acceptance.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will have a greater knowledge of the needs and desires of the autistic families they serve.
Participants will learn 7 key criteria to evaluate literature with autistic representation to determine whether the title supports autistic readers in their community.
Participants will learn 8 strategies for adapting library programs to better support the autistic community and have opportunity to practice strategies for problem-solving complex support issues.

Anonymous feedback from the 2024 ALSC National Institute session of this presentation:

“If there was a higher rating than 'excellent' for the presenter, they would deserve it. The material was useful and well-organized, the presentation excellently paced, and I was inspired to make a list of changes we could immediately implement in our library to improve service for our autistic youth.”
“So much useful information! Best program that I attended.”

Sarah C Polen

spolen@ala.org

91��ý Units

Yes

Online

Accessibility and Public Libraries Under Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act: What Trustees Need to Know

BNAWALINSKI — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 19:07:57 +0000

Accessibility and Public Libraries Under Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act: What Trustees Need to Know BNAWALINSKI Sun, 12/01/2024 - 13:07

eLearning

Jan 11, 2025 | 10 - 11:30am

Purchase Registration

Statewide Partner Registration

Accessibility and Public Libraries Under Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act: What Trustees Need to Know

Description

Accessibility of public services and facilities for people with disabilities is one of the significant emerging issues for public libraries. In addition to being required by Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the need for accessibility is quickly becoming a simple operational necessity:

Approximately 17.7% of the U.S. population is over 65. Census.gov
1 in 4 adults in the U.S. have a disability. CDC.gov
10-20% of the global population are neurodiverse. Deloitte
1 in 5 Adults in the U.S. are estimated to have a diagnosed mental illness. NIH

Current laws and societal shifts have increased visibility and knowledge about disabilities, and as communities evolve and populations shift, public libraries will have to adapt their services and facilities in order to continue to provide quality service to their communities - and comply with state and federal laws.

This webinar will provide an introduction to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and a general overview of the legal expectations for public libraries to provide access and services to people with a wide range of disabilities, as well as information on other emerging accessibility trends such as language accessibility and religious accommodation.

The presentation is focused on the responsibilities of Trustees in ensuring that their libraries are truly welcoming to all of their communities - now and into the future.

Presenter

Clare Membiela is the Library Law Consultant for the Library of Michigan. She helps public libraries understand and manage legal issues that impact library services. Before joining the Library of Michigan in 2016, she was the associate director for library and instructional support for the Western Michigan University Cooley Law School Libraries. Before moving to Michigan, she worked at the University of Miami Law Library as the head of reference services. Prior to her academic library work, she worked for two major law firms as a librarian in their Miami offices. She has an MLS. from Southern Connecticut State University, a JD from the University of Miami, and 30 years of law library experience. She is excited about helping public libraries by connecting them to the legal information they need.

How to Register

United for Libraries Statewide Partners

United for Libraries statewide partners in MA, MD, MI, MN, ND, NE, OR, SC, and VA receive free registration.

Statewide Partner Registration

General Registration

The cost for this course is $79. 91��ý members receive a 10% discount; United for Libraries members receive a 35% discount. Additional discounts apply for the purchase of three or more seats.

Purchase Registration

Staff Contact

Please contact United for Libraries staff by email at united@ala.org.

United for Libraries

united@ala.org

Public Library

Intellectual Freedom & Copyright

Trustees, Friends & Foundations

Yes

Online, Featured Event