Call for Proposals for ALA Annual in Chicago

 

Present a PLA Program at ALA 2026 Annual The Public Library Association (PLA) invites you to submit an education program proposal relevant to public libraries for the ALA 2026 Annual Conference, which takes place June 25–29 in Chicago.   The conference explores key challenges and opportunities facing libraries, with professional development rooted in timely research, innovation, and best practices. It will also celebrate the American Library Association's (ALA) 150th anniversary! Proposals from a broad variety of perspectives that celebrate, commemorate, or educate about the impact that ALA and our affiliate partners have made on the profession and on libraries nationally and internationally over the last 150 years are encouraged.   PLA program proposals are due by September 22.   Learn More & Start a Proposal

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Program Proposals Now Open: MLA|DLA 2026 Annual Conference

Proposals for 2026 MLA/DLA conference sessions can now be submitted.  If you are interested in participating in May's conference in Cambridge, you can submit a proposal for pre-conference sessions (Wednesday) or regular conference sessions (Thursday and Friday).  If you prefer to do a short presentation, you can submit a proposal for an Ignite session or a Poster session. 

Pratt always has a strong presence at the conference, and I look forward to seeing what our staff has to share with the MD library community.

Links for the online form and the proposal submission guide are below, or you can email Paula Mitchell for assistance.  Terrible puns for session titles are encouraged. 

Dear Maryland Library Community, 

We’re excited to announce the call for program proposals is now open for the 2026 MLA|DLA Annual Conference! Join us May 6-8, 2026, back at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay in Cambridge, Maryland, as we explore this year's theme: "Our Stories, Our Shelves."

We look forward to seeing the programs you'll propose for what promises to be an unforgettable conference celebrating the power of stories in our communities and the library collections that reflect those communities.

Submission Guidelines
All proposals must be submitted through our online form. Proposals should clearly demonstrate relevance to library professionals across all sectors. Review our program proposal submission guide for a preview and descriptions of the form's questions. 

Proposal Submission Period: August 25 - October 17, 2025
Notification of Acceptance: December 2025

Program Proposal Form »

Don't miss this opportunity to contribute to a conference that celebrates the diverse narratives within our library community. 

We're Seeking Proposals For: 

• Pre-Conference Sessions
• General Sessions 
• Ignite Sessions 
• Poster Sessions

Questions? 
Contact the Conference Director, Paula Mitchell, at md.la.conference@gmail.com or check out our proposal submission guide. 

Sincerely,
The MLA|DLA Conference Planning Committee

This email was sent on behalf of Maryland Library Association located at 1401 Hollins St., Baltimore, MD 21223.

Staff Training grant renewed for FY 2026

We are happy to share that the Maryland State Library Agency's federal award, through the Library Services and Technology Act, has been level-funded and certified by the Institute for Museum and Library Services for fiscal year 2026.

SD&T will receive the same funding as last year, which will help with program and conference registration for all staff.  As always, we'll use the funding for a variety of activities and events as outlined in the grant regulations.  

Thanks to MSLA and the IMLS for this assistance.  

Online learning from MLSA continues for another year!

Grant funding for the Maryland Statewide Webinars Project has been renewed with no interruption to service. Thanks to support from both the Maryland State Library Agency (MSLA) and Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds administered by IMLS, we will be continuing our partnerships and expanding our offerings.

• PCI Webinars will remain available to all library staff across the state.
• Dr. Steve Albrecht’s Safety Series from Library 2.0 will also continue uninterrupted. We’re excited to share that Dr. Albrecht plans to broaden his focus with additional sessions on organizational development and leadership in the coming months.
• We are adding statewide access to the Library 2.0 Wellness Series and the AI Series. These will be available both as live sessions and on-demand recordings.
• Once these new series are active and integrated into the Niche Academy archive, we will send out another update with registration and access details.

As always, we encourage you to take full advantage of these professional development opportunities—and to advocate for IMLS support. These resources are made possible through ongoing federal and state investment in library development and staff learning. Your voices matter in helping to preserve and grow this support.

Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 End User Survey

Using the link below, please complete the "Enoch Pratt – Workspace to Microsoft 365 End User Survey" no later than Friday, June 20th, 2025. The survey includes space for you to share your questions and concerns about this project so far. Your responses will help guide the training development.

Also, it is CRITICAL that anyone who is the owner of a Google Form to complete this survey, as this will verify who in our organization has forms that will need additional support to ensure their availability in Microsoft. Failure to do so will significantly delay the availability of your form after the migration.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=nLqEdZHdRUebfrTenaO-e3FXZvT_0ypAqXkxP8VOwtZURVo2M1FWVjFUVUczQlpaREhSWU01Vk5QUS4u

Mike Brown

Chief of Networks and Engineering | Information Systems

Reminder: EPFL Staff Forum for June 10

 All staff are invited to participate in the Staff Forum, scheduled for 6/9/25 at 9 a.m.  

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81974530529?pwd=8BVffMda0H3XOk9vXcVNJEgIQJeuiZ.1

Meeting ID: 819 7453 0529
Passcode: 495064

From the 2025 MLA/DLA Conference - Intentionality

Intentionality

 

/inˌten(t)SHəˈnalədē/

Noun

 

1. the fact or quality of being done on purpose or with intent:

The author’s choice here may not have been intentionally racially charged, but discrimination and prejudice are often not rooted in intentionality.

2. an attitude of purposefulness, with a commitment to deliberate action:

“Active hope” is a practice that does not require optimism; instead, it requires intentionality.

 

My strongest “take away”from the MLA/DLA 2025 Annual Conference was the importance of Intentionality, being mindful and intentional when completing library tasks and performing library duties. It can be difficult when things get hectic, but if you can slow down, take a breath, and think about what you are doing, then you can better incorporate best practices into your daily routine.

 

Maybe that means being aware that marginalized people feel the greatest loss of digital privacy and incorporating equity into privacy programming or anonymizing data when possible. Or it could mean something as simple as making ready-to-print resources available such as How Secure Is My Password? flyers.

 

With digital resources it may be as complex as revising metadata to ensure attribution and increase accessibility or as simple as spreading the word about databases that document lesser-known history such as Blacks of the Chesapeake. When working with displays and marketing, it means being intentional not just about diversity & ethnic representation, but also being intentional about diversity of format, diversity of lived experience, and diversity of tone.  Intentionality means focusing on materials that are positive in tone, books where members of the group accomplish something, not just materials relating what was done to them. (Though of course some of the latter are necessary for education purposes, they should always be balanced with some of the former.)

 

Intentionality means consciously incorporating balance, equity, diversity, and accessibility. Like any practice, it may be difficult at first, but as you practice and build the habit of intentionality, it will become an inherent feature of your librarianship.

 

Dorothy Reed

Adult Services