For many public librarians, the profession becomes a part of their personal identity. This facilitated conversation explores how librarianship shapes how we see ourselves, relate to others, and find meaning and value in our work, while also considering how to build a healthy and sustainable relationship with the profession.
Annie is a public library leader and consultant specializing in organizational strategy, community engagement, and staff development. With 18+ years of experience, she most recently led Neighborhood Services at Denver Public Library, overseeing 26 branches and service design teams... Read More →
Cooking classes are a great way to address food insecurity while building life skills and community engagement, but they’re often financially inaccessible. This presentation will examine the program series Let’s Cook!, which provides free cooking classes to the community. Through programmer experience, program statistics, and post-program survey data, we will discuss planning, successes, lessons learned, and implementation strategies. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask the presenter questions and brainstorm how to apply this information to their own communities and will leave with knowledge and skills to replicate this program in their libraries.
Writing is an essential part of early literacy, yet it can be challenging to develop engaging programs that support it. In this interactive workshop, participants will engage with examples of pre-writing activities and stations. Participants will also be able to share how they have incorporated writing activities into their programs. Participants will also learn about a variety of activities that help children build foundational writing skills. Incorporating pre-writing into your libraries programs can create a set of well-rounded program offerings focused on early literacy.
In today's rapidly evolving world, libraries face unprecedented challenges that demand thoughtful planning. Yet even the most brilliant strategies falter without effective communication—the true heart and soul of the strategic planning process.
Join us to explore how intentional, ongoing communication transforms strategic planning from a static document into a living framework that energizes staff and community stakeholders alike. By establishing two-way communication channels, developing accessible materials, leveraging local media outlets and embracing transparency, you can enhance community connection and, ultimately, the impact of your library's strategic initiatives.
Attendees will leave with scalable examples using a variety of media, and practical tools for weaving communication throughout the strategic planning lifecycle. This session is for anyone looking for concrete methods for disseminating information about the great work your library is doing.
As a library strategist, Chelsea guides libraries through the strategic planning process while keeping communication front and center. She earned her B.A. in Communication from Seton Hall University (South Orange, N.J.) and Master's in Library and Information Science from Drexel University (Philadelphia)., Library Logic Consulting, LLC
Transform your leadership approach by discovering the powerful intersection of personal strengths, authentic purpose and confident presence. Through interactive exercises and reflective practices, you'll identify your unique strengths and learn practical strategies to leverage them in real-world management situations. You'll craft a personalized purpose statement that serves as your leadership compass, ensuring your actions align with your values. Whether you're stepping into your first management role or seeking to elevate your current effectiveness, this program equips you with the self-awareness and tools needed to lead with authenticity and conviction. Participants leave with actionable insights, a clear sense of direction, and renewed confidence to navigate the complexities of supervisory positions. Join us to unlock your leadership potential and create meaningful impact in your library.
As a library strategist, Chelsea guides libraries through the strategic planning process while keeping communication front and center. She earned her B.A. in Communication from Seton Hall University (South Orange, N.J.) and Master's in Library and Information Science from Drexel University (Philadelphia)., Library Logic Consulting, LLC
The Bemis Public Library has recently launched its circulating board game collection with massive success! Learn from the staff responsible for its inception about the process of pitching a new collection to internal stakeholders and coming up with best practices for containing and displaying games. We’ll touch on our experience seeking grants and creating relationships with local game stores and national publishers and offer a behind-the-scenes look at the technical side of building catalog resources and customizing MARC records. Samples of the games from the collection will be available to explore, and we’ll practice the art of offering good game suggestions.
The secondary school library is more than a resource hub—it’s a space where connections are made, ideas are shared, and students find a sense of belonging. This session highlights how “mini programs” and the blank spaces in our schedule can transform you and your library program into a dynamic asset to your school community. From quick activities to thematic events, mini programs engage middle and high school students, encouraging literacy, social interaction, and academic exploration. Learn how to create and implement small, inclusive initiatives that foster relationships, celebrate diversity, and build a vibrant school community—all while requiring minimal time and resources.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion efforts within US organizations have faced a tumultuous landscape over recent years to which libraries are not immune. Our library recognizes that EDI initiatives are not about politics but rather about people. By evolving and expanding our EDI efforts, we prioritized best practices which make our organization more innovative, more responsive to our community, and better at cultivating employee satisfaction.
In the past two years, our EDI team implemented several new initiatives across our organization, which resulted in a 29% increase in employee engagement scores. We redesigned our staff training program and broadened the focus of our teams’ efforts, centering our organization's core mission and values. We sought innovative approaches that invited inclusion from all staff, leading to 88% voluntary staff participation in our new entry level EDI training class.
Do you need concrete ideas for incorporating EDI values that will work in your library? At this session you will learn:
How our mid-sized organization shifted from an academic-heavy training program to a practical application program and how this can work for your library, too.
Strategies to create inclusive trainings that connect EDI concepts to your organization’s core values.
Practices and trainings that foster learning, joy, staff connection and community building.
Innovative ways to include all levels of your organization in EDI practices.
Unlock one of the library’s keys to success and innovation: collaboration. Programming partnerships create an impact on every level, and we’ll share the strategies for you to build fruitful, lasting connections. Drawing on a combined 10+ years of experience, we’ll explore collaboration types, ranging from small-scale programs to larger events, and the specific processes that made them successful. Attendees will leave with the confidence and guidance to strengthen community ties, involve new partners, and transform their programming process. We’ll use real-world examples from our library, including how we adapted and learned from setbacks, to demonstrate how successful our programming was with the collective community and library partnerships.
Over four years of experience collaborating, fostering new partnerships, and leading 60+ programs while working at BPLD. I have focused mostly in my department Youth Services in which I have created programming for families, children and teens., Boulder Public Library District
Sophia has over 6 years of experience fostering and maintaining community partnerships as the Volunteer Services Manager at BPLD, and before that at CU Boulder's Volunteer Resource Center. Her experience covers planning the JLF Colorado festival, cultivating partnerships within the Boulder community, and solidifying relationships with volunteers., Boulder Public Library District
