Library Associate Graduation Fall 2024

On November 6, 2024, five of our Library Associates completed their final session of the Library Associate Training Institute.  The graduation ceremony was held at the Miller Branch of Howard County Public Library, and the graduates presented their capstone projects and received their certificates.  

Morgan Miller (MD State Librarian), Donovan Bunting, Vivian Fisher, Paul Chasen,

Zshekinah Collier, Anjanette Wiggins, Kate Kilner-Pontone, Ray Byers, Matt Akras, Eben Dennis

The program also included remarks by Maryland State Librarian Morgan Miller, MLA president Teonja Jung, and a keynote from Dr. Mark Winston, CEO of the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System.

In addition to our staff, there were graduates from Baltimore County, Charles County, Frederick County, PGCMLS, Washington County, Western MD Regional, and a suprising number of graduates from the Howard County system.  

Tours of the Miller branch were available and a hearty lunch was provided.  

Top Five Qualities of a Successful Goals and Intentions Statement

Your Goals and Intentions Statement doesn't have to be long, but it does need to have all of the necessary information.  Here are the top five aspects of a well-written Goals and Intentions Statement:

1. The statement briefly describes the event, its intended audience, and its purpose (2-3 sentences maximum)
2. The requesting staff member clearly demonstrates their interest in the event/program and why they wish to attend.
3. A clear connection is made between the purpose of the training/conference and the position of the staff member.
4. The statement includes information about what the staff member hopes to learn at the program.
5. The staff member explains what she/he/they want to do with the information learned at the event once they return to the library.

Here's what it might look like all together:

I would like to attend the MLA/DLA Joint Library Conference in Cambridge, MD from May 1-3, 2019  The MLA conference brings together library staff from across Maryland to discuss relevant topics and issues. 

There are many programs offered at this year’s conference that would benefit the library, the HR department, and the SD&T office.  On Wednesday morning, there is a pre-conference on making sense of library management.  This program will be very helpful when we start to plan the new EPFL leadership program.   

On Thursday, there are programs supporting inclusion at the library, as well as creating engaging multimedia and updates on statewide MLA programs.  There is also a program discussing methods for teaching adults, which might offer new information that would support our program offerings.  

On Friday, there is a program about teaching online, which is something I’d like to start doing in the future to expand SD&T programming, as well as a program on getting staff to advocate for their library.

The sessions offered at the MLA conference this year will support and contribute to the programs offered by SD&T in the upcoming year.  I will also be sharing the leadership program information with other HR staff at an upcoming meeting, and updating them on various state-wide issues we've been discussing this year.

LATI fall participants graduate

On 4/17/19, five EPFL library associates completed their required Library Associate Training Institute program.  The graduation program was held at the Miller Branch of the Howard County Library System.  

Pictured are (left to right) Emilie Pichot, Suzanne Phillips, Stephanie Mavor, Ariel Greenaway, and Cicely Roberts.

  

PLA 2018: Simply-e App Project

At PLA, I attended a workshop devoted to the Simply-e APP which is being developed by NYPLA and ALA librarians. This was the best presentation of this project I have seen yet. The presenters explained the project’s goals: 1) to simplify the user experience 2) to allow users to access data from different providers on one app, and 3) to help libraries gain more leverage when negotiating with vendors of the popular electronic formats. 

Several MD counties are piloting this app this year. The workshop recommended that interested librarians download the app to learn how it works. They also asked us to encourage co-workers to explore the app as well.

https://www.nypl.org/blog/2016/07/21/introducing-simplye

Sarah Kuperman

Collection Management Department