Library Leadership Podcast

The Library Leadership Podcast features real library leaders discussing the most important issues in libraries today. They hope it becomes a resource for everyone navigating the fast-paced world of information service provision. https://libraryleadershippodcast.com/ Recent posts include trauma-informed service, low morale in libraries, fighting for library funding, and library ethics.

Return to Work Safety Videos and Quiz

In preparation for returning to the library we are asking all staff to view a series of videos that will help keep you and everyone else safe while at work.  

View the videos below, and then complete the quiz and send it to your supervisor to show that you completed this requirement.  If you have any questions, please speak with your manager or supervisor.

Wearing a cloth mask properly  (1 min 42 sec)  

Hand washing ( 1 min 26 sec) 

Glove removal (1 min 12 sec)

Preventing Coronavirus at work  (2 min 28 sec) 

Clean your workspace (1 min 16 sec)

Quiz:  to access the quiz, click on the link below.  Once you are in Google Drive, Select File, then Download, and Microsoft Word. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uyOv9tEKyil5Hcd6GcoI2yfyKz87D6WBZ6mubJiapXI/edit?usp=sharing

NicheAcademy webinars

Looking for ways to develop your skills while working from home?  There are a lot of interesting recorded webinars on NicheAcademy that can be accessed from their website without having to create an account.  

These range from Diversity/Inclusive topics like "Cultivating Strong Girls" and "Serving Individuals with Autism,"  to general library topics like "Practicing Intellectual Freedom," and even some topics for managers like "Best Practices for Developing Employees' Soft Skills."

Not everything is CEU worthy, so be sure you are selecting topics that are appropriate to your work at the library, and that you are accessing webinars and not just informative articles.  Remember, the webinar has to be at least 60 minutes long to count for credit.

These are recorded webinars, so you'll need to include a review/discussion of the program with your CEU form when you submit it.  I'll attach the information about recorded webinars, which can also be found on the blog.

https://www.nicheacademy.com/blog  

Library 2.0 Mini-conference March 26, 2020

It's easy and free to join Library 2.0 but plan ahead because it can take a day or two for membership approval.

We are expanding our planned Library 2.0 special broadcast webinar for librarians to a special mini-conference, being held in conjunction with PCI Webinars and Andrew Sanderbeck. Please note the new expanded times. DATE & TIMES: Thursday, March 26th, 2020 | 1:00 - 6:30 pm US-Eastern Time (4 one-hour sessions with 1/2-hour breaks) COST: Free REGISTRATION: To register for the mini-conference, please join Library 2.0. Those who are already members of Library 2.0 do not need to do anything. ATTENDING: The schedule with the live session links will be sent to all members of Library 2.0. PLATFORM: The mini-conference platform is Zoom. To make sure your computer or mobile is configured for Zoom, please visit zoom.us/test. SESSIONS: 1. SELF-CARE DURING A CRISIS: BREATHE, THINK, AND GROW 1:00 PM US-Eastern Daylight Time Click here to see in your own time zone As libraries deal with the global crisis of 2020, staff have many difficult choices to handle every day. From deciding whether to stay open to managing the constant flow of information, the work can be all-consuming. In this webinar, we will talk about how to take time out of your day to focus on yourself and to nourish your own growth. Participants will: Learn methods and exercises for staying in the moment and remaining mindful while dealing with stress and uncertainty Spend time discussing their challenges and how they are working to handle them, while planning mindfully for the future Focus on healthy self-care activities Cari Dubiel Adult Learning and Information Services Manager at Twinsburg Public Library Cari is the Adult Learning and Information Services Manager at Twinsburg Public Library. She is also a writer, teacher, and podcaster. She is a former Library Liaison to Sisters in Crime, an organization of 3600 crime writers and readers nationwide. 2. WHY AND HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR ONLINE SERVICES DURING THE QUARANTINE 2:30 PM US-Eastern Daylight Time Click here to see in your own time zone We are certainly "living in interesting times" ... and working in them too. Even if your building is closed, your library is still offering services—but are you telling people that? While it's tempting to look at these pandemic-related closures as much-needed downtime, librarians don't have that luxury. People still need you. In fact, people who haven't used libraries in years need your boredom-breaking services and your long-trusted guidance, too. So it's vital to keep marketing your libraries now, for three reasons: 1) telling people what's available online and how to get it; 2) being the trusted source of info that people expect; and 3) proving your value to retain funding after the crisis. In this webinar, specially created to help your library be as useful as possible during the current Coronavirus pandemic, library marketing maven Kathy Dempsey will share her best advice on these topics: Working at home (Dempsey has worked at home for 10 years) Turning today's chaos into a Crisis Communications Plan in the near future Exactly what services and products to promote (some might surprise you) How to get the word out, beyond your own social media followers How to approach messaging in trying times Why today's promotion will help secure next year's library funding Why to scratch out mini marketing plans to make your work effective Resources for self-care and for social sharing In a time where everyone is inundated with information, the world still needs their librarians and librarians. The "new normal" will likely have super-tight budgets, so proving how essential you are during this crisis may well determine whether your organization survives the virus. Kathy Dempsey Libraries Are Essential Kathy Dempsey wrote the popular how-to tome The Accidental Library Marketer and founded her own marketing consultancy, Libraries Are Essential. Her work is dedicated to helping librarians and information professionals promote their value and expertise in order to gain respect and funding. Kathy has been the Editor of Marketing Library Services newsletter for 25 years, and was formerly Editor-in-Chief of Computers in Librariesmagazine. She also blogs at The 'M' Word. She's a member of the New Jersey Library Association, and Founder of the Library Marketing and Communications Conference, which she chaired in 2015, 2016, and 2017. This writer, editor, and marketing maven has been giving presentations across the U.S. and Canada for 20+ years, always sprinkling them with humor to make marketing concepts more interesting and accessible. She continues to fight the stereotypes that librarians are boring and that "marketing" is a dirty word. 3. SERVING PATRONS IN A CRISIS 4:00 PM US-Eastern Daylight Time Click here to see in your own time zone Helping people make decisions based on facts and evidence is what libraries of all types do everyday. With libraries closing to the public and reducing services because of COVID-19, how can we continue to provide the facts in this fast-paced changing environment? And how can libraries provide the services that their communities will need to remain vital to the health and welfare of their communities? This interactive and informative webinar will help attendees find the latest resources and information available to help them serve their patrons and communities, as well as looking into how libraries are responding to community needs of today and will focus on the work ahead as we shape the future of library services after the pandemic passes. Andrew Sanderbeck PCI Webinars Andrew has been developing and conducting training programs for libraries and library organizations for more than fifteen years. He has presented Web-based, On-line, and Face-to-Face sessions on Management and Leadership, Customer Service and Communication Skills in the U.S. and numerous countries around the world. He is a board member of the Haywood County Public Library and a monthly donor to EveryLibrary, advocating for libraries everywhere that support is needed. Kathy Zappitello Executive Director of the Conneaut Public Library in Conneaut, Ohio Kathy has worked for fifteen years in Ohio libraries and is currently the Executive Director of the Conneaut Public Library in Conneaut, Ohio. Kathy serves on the National Board of Directors for the Association for Rural and Small Libraries and is co-chair of the Partnership committee. Locally, she produces educational content for one of Ohio's cable access channels that provides programming to households in Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. 4. PREPARING YOUR DIGITAL BRANCH FOR INCREASED USE 5:30 PM US-Eastern Daylight Time Click here to see in your own time zone As libraries engage in social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are placing new emphasis on our online services. Is your organization ready? In this interactive and Informative program, we will discuss how to prepare your digital branch for an influx of users, and examine best practices for virtual reference and digital collections as you work to meet your community's needs. Nick Tanzi Assistant Director of the South Huntington Public Library Nick Tanzi has been incorporating emerging technologies into the library as a children’s librarian, the founding member of a digital services department, and most recently, as the Assistant Director of the South Huntington Public Library. During this time, he has spoken in the U.S. and abroad on topics ranging from social media marketing to 3D printing. He is the author of Making the Most of Digital Collections through Training and Outreach (2016), and Best Technologies for Public Libraries (2020). He writes “The Wired Library” column for Public Libraries Magazine. Tanzi was named a 2017 Dewey Fellow by the New York Library Association, and currently serves as President of its Making and STEAM Round Table.

MLA 2018 - ALA Advocacy Bootcamp

I attended ALA Advocacy Bootcamp training at the MLA/DLA Joint Conference. In it, we learned the power of storytelling. There is no more effective tool in communicating the value of libraries to members of your community or to those of the political class. 

Remember – the library story is not about the books, or the computers, or the programs. Who cares? It’s about the hero journey. What keeps you in the seat at the movie theater, not counting the exorbitant ticket cost?  The answer: wanting to know what happens next. To who? The hero, that’s who. For our purposes, our hero is the library user. 

Here’s the story structure. Use it.

1)      Give me a real person.

Ex: Caiden was 3 years old.

2)      Give me the problem

Ex: He stuttered. 

3)      Give me a library intervention.

Ex: The library offered a “Read to Dogs” program.

4)      Give me a happy ending (no Greek tragedies here, people).

Ex: Caiden doesn’t stutter anymore.

5)      Give me one fact.

Ex: Hundreds of libraries offer this program.

6)      Give me a phrase that pays.

Libraries transform lives.

Other phrases-that-pay are Libraries transform communities, Librarians are passionate advocates for lifelong learning, and Libraries are a smart investment.

If you had your choice, people who actually use the library are the best advocates. Look to your Friends group or regulars who love your library and have a story to tell. The process: “Find the advocate. Give them the speech. Let them practice it with you. Book it five times in your community.”

 If you have to tell the story yourself, you now have the structure. Go tell some stories.

Morgan Stanton
Edmondson Avenue Branch

PLA 2018: Spark Talks II

The PLA 2018 Conference in Philadelphia was my first time attending this event. An interesting session I attended on Friday, March 23 was Spark Talks II. This session had a unique format: there were six presenters, and each was given five minutes to present a topic. The goal of the session is to spark ideas to pursue later. The topics included later literacy for teens, using MakerSpaces with the homeless, reliable sources of medical information, recognizing people with non-binary gender status, the strength of teen services staff, and quick and easy database training for library staff. My favorite of these topics was later literacy. The speaker argued that while there is an overwhelming focus on early literacy, there is very little attention paid to later literacy for teens. She used the example of author Jason Reynolds, who has stated that he had not read a book in its entirety until the age of seventeen. She offered five elements to later literacy (to match the five elements of early literacy) that teens should focus on: reading, writing, remixing (i.e. blackout poetry, fan fiction, etc.), hanging out, and creating. This was an insightful talk, and I hope this talk gets expanded into a full workshop at a future conference. 

Another Spark Talk that captured my interest discussed how to serve homeless patrons using the library's MakerSpace. This is not a connection one might usually consider when serving the homeless, but the presenter argued that learning the skills offered by a MakerSpace can help patrons gain some measure of independence, and access to community resources they may not encounter otherwise. She used the example a female patron, who had been living in her vehicle, to demonstrate her point. The patron used the MakerSpace to learn how to make small, decorative accessories, and after having her work noticed, was able to start a small business selling her goods. The money she earned allowed her to get an apartment, and a measure of financial stability. Her story reveals the vital link between developing practical skills and gaining ground toward employment and independence for people experiencing homelessness. 

Spark Talks was definitely one of the most interesting experiences I had at the PLA 2018 Conference, and hopefully, it is an event that will be adopted at other conferences in the future.

Anjanette Wiggins
Forest Park Branch

Five Laws of Library Science

Siyali Ramamrita Ranganathan was a mathematician and librarian from India.  In 1931 he proposed the following:

1. Books are for use.
2. Every reader their book.
3. Every book its reader.
4. Save the time of the reader.
5. The library is a growing organism

Not being a librarian, I was unfamiliar with these.  If you are too, check out this article  on Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_laws_of_library_science

Also, there is this infographic from USC:  https://librarysciencedegree.usc.edu/resources/infographics/dr-s-r-ranganathans-five-laws-of-library-science/

Better yet, read the original:  https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.$b99721;view=1up;seq=11

Library locations

The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.

Albert Einstein