We're excited to announce our second Library 2.020 mini-conference: "Small, Rural, and Independent Libraries," which will be held online (and for free) on Wednesday, June 17th, from 12:00 - 3:00 pm US-Pacific Daylight Time (click for your own time zone).
This mini-conference will focus on innovation and innovative thinking in rural, independent, tribal, and other small libraries--as well as the many unique challenges that they face. A diverse array of keynote panelists and curated presenters will cover topics that will likely include:
- Innovations to provide Internet access and training to rural patrons;
- New ways that small libraries can offer services that the big urban libraries offer;
- Taking community partnerships to the next level;
- How workers from small and rural libraries can easily connect with each other to get ideas and keep innovating;
- Novel ways to fund special programs;
- Unique "Internet of Things" offers that are tailored to specific communities;
- Safety, security, and ways to deal with emergencies when the sheriff's department is far away.
This event is being organized in partnership with Jim Lynch from TechSoup for Libraries, Kate Laughlin from the Association for Rural & Small Libraries, and The School of Information at San José State University.
This is a free event, being held live online and also recorded.
REGISTER HERE
to attend live and/or to receive the recording links afterward.
Please also join this Library 2.0 network to be kept updated on this and future events.
Everyone is invited to participate in our Library 2.0 conference events, which are designed to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among information professionals worldwide. Each three-hour event consists of a keynote panel, 10-15 crowd-sourced thirty-minute presentations, and a closing 30-minute keynote.
Participants are encouraged to use #library2020 and #smallruralindependent on their social media posts leading up to and during the event.
SCHEDULE:
An email with actual session links will be sent to all registered attendees the day before the conference.
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1:00 - 1:30 pm US-PDT (click for your own time zone)
1:30 - 2:00 pm US-PDT (click for your own time zone)
2:00 - 3:00 pm US-PDT (click for your own time zone)
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Senior Writer and Editor of TechSoup for Libraries.org
Opening Keynote (Moderator)
Jim Lynch is senior writer and editor of TechSoup for Libraries.org. TechSoup is a San Francisco headquartered high-tech nonprofit whose mission is to tech up charities and public libraries worldwide by providing software, hardware, and the knowledge to use them. TechSoup for Libraries is a free national library online information resource that covers library technology news, how-to content and information on TechSoup product donations and services for libraries. The free monthly TechSoup for Libraries newsletter has over 40,000 subscribers. Over his long career at TechSoup, Jim has created all of TechSoup’s environmental programs. He is one of TechSoup's primary presenters at conferences in the U.S. on nonprofit, foundation and library technology. He has been interviewed extensively over the years on nonprofit and library technology and green tech by the Wall St. Journal, National Public Radio, PC World Magazine, and many other news outlets.
Executive Director, Association for Rural & Small Libraries
Opening Keynote (Moderator)
Kate has worked in service and management for more than 30 years, including over 20 of those working in or with libraries on the front lines, in circulation and reference provision, branch management, staff training, strategic planning, and association management. Kate has a passion for service excellence and the furthering of libraries and their missions. Before "going rogue" in 2007, Kate was the Staff Training Coordinator for The Seattle Public Library. Since then she has trained in and consulted with dozens of small and rural libraries around the Western states and served as the Conference Coordinator and then Executive Director for the Washington Library Association. Kate has worked with the national Association for Rural & Small Libraries since early 2018 and became its first ever Executive Director at the beginning of this year.
Library Director, Marshall County Memorial Library
Opening Keynote
Jennifer Pearson is the Director of the Marshall County Memorial Library System. Jennifer is passionate about community building and how the public library can be central to a thriving community. Jennifer’s background includes over 10 years working for OCLC where she honed her skills in library advocacy, marketing and public relations. While at OCLC Jennifer helped to develop and then manage the Geek the Library advocacy program. Jennifer also worked with public libraries to extend access to e-books via the Big Shift project, create vibrant outdoor spaces and events via the Redbox funded Outside the Box program and taught libraries how to use community based advocacy to extend their reach to their communities and stakeholders. Jennifer also worked with many library consortia to develop and implement OCLC products and services. Jennifer has also worked for Ingram Library Services as manager of their cataloging division, was a publicist at Rutledge Hill Press in Nashville and worked at the greatest independent bookstore in the entire world—Square Books in Oxford, MS. Jennifer currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Association for Rural and Small Libraries as the Vice President/President Elect of the Association. She is also active in her community as a member of the Lewisburg Rotary Club, the Lewisburg Community Development Board, the Marshall County Imagination Library Board, the Marshall County Health Council and the Lewisburg Downtown Alliance. Jennifer is married to Scott Pearson, the Associate Editor for the Marshall County Tribune, and together they have 3 children.
Library Manager, Ak-Chin Indian Community
Opening Keynote
Melanie Toledo has been the Library Manager of the Ak-Chin Indian Community Library since 2008. The Ak-Chin Library was a recipient of the 2013 Guardians of Culture and Lifeways: Library Institutional Excellence Award (from the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums). The Ak-Chin Indian Community is located 36 miles south of Phoenix in the northwestern corner of Pinal County within the Santa Cruz Valley of south-central Arizona. The Ak-Chin Indian Community consists of the Tohono O’odham people and the Gila River Pimas. There are currently 1,100 enrolled Ak-Chin members and the languages spoken in the community are English and Tohono O’odham. Melanie received her MA in Information Resources and Library Science from the University of Arizona (UA) and her BA in History and Minor in Ethnic Studies from Arizona State University. She was in the inaugural Knowledge River class at the School of Information Resources and Library Science. Knowledge River was a program initially started to recruit Hispanic and Native American librarians. Melanie is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation (Diné) from Low Mountain, Arizona; she is Táchii'níí clan, born of the Tánéészahníí clan. She is currently the co-chair of the Gathering of Arizona Tribal Libraries and the Arizona Library Association’s Native American Library Interest Group.
Director - Pottsboro Library
Opening Keynote + Concurrent Session
Dianne Connery is the director of the Pottsboro (Texas) Area Public Library. She was a corporate trainer and entrepreneur before moving to a rural community ten years ago. On the verge of closing its doors, Dianne led a group of dedicated volunteers who transformed it into the vibrant community institution it is today.
Director, Institute of Museum and Library Services
Closing Keynote: What Does Community Mean in the Age of the Coronavirus?
Crosby Kemper is the sixth director of Institute of Museum and Library Services. He was commissioned by the White House on January 24, 2020, following his confirmation by the United States Senate. IMLS, an independent government agency, is the primary source of federal support for the nation's museums and libraries. Kemper is a dedicated advocate for education and learning for people of all ages and backgrounds. He comes to IMLS from the Kansas City Public Library, where as director, he established the library as one of the city’s leading cultural destinations and a hub of community engagement. Under his direction, the library made special event programming a high-profile focus, with more than half a million people attending its evening programs or visiting exhibits in the art galleries. During his tenure, the Kansas City Public Library received multiple awards, including IMLS’s National Medal for Museum and Library Service in 2008. Kemper also recently served as chair of the board of directors of the Schools, Health, & Libraries Broadband Coalition, which supports open, affordable broadband connections for local community organizations. Kemper’s career began in banking; he most recently served as CEO of UMB Financial Corporation. Kemper has received the Difference Maker Award from the Urban League of Kansas City, the William F. Yates Medallion for Distinguished Service from William Jewell College, and the 2010 Harmony Humanitarian Hoffman Legacy Award. His board service has included the Kansas City Symphony, the Black Archives of Mid-America, Union Station Kansas City, the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, the Rabbit hOle—a center promoting children’s books—and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which operates Monticello. Kemper is the editor of and a contributor to Winston Churchill: Resolution, Defiance, Magnanimity, Good Will, published by the University of Missouri Press. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University.
SESSION PRESENTERS:
Washington State Library/Office of Secretary of State
SESSION: Libraries and ebooks; challenges and opportunities
What is the ebook landscape for libraries? Is there an opportunity to make it more favorable to libraries—and to authors? Why did a major publisher embargo its books? For the answer to this and other questions, please join me for an overview of the issues.
Cindy Aden has been the Washington State Librarian since 2016. Before that she worked in business development for OCLC, making connections between Silicon Valley companies and libraries. She was Amazon's first librarian, but she started her career at Library of Congress and University of Washington.
Library Media Technician Sr., Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
SESSION: Building Stronger Relationships with Tribal Libraries
Janessa Esquivel (they/them) is a sənpʕʷilx uł nspilm uł snʕáyckstx citizen of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Since 2017, Janessa has served their tribes as Library Media Technician Senior operating three libraries. Janessa is committed to promoting libraries as free spaces for the public, decolonization and reIndigenization of community structures, and the responsible transmission of ancestral knowledge and technologies.
Library Director, North Liberty Library
SESSION: Nitty Gritty Policy Makeover
We'll look at policy vs. procedures and learn simple strategies to overhaul policies to give staff decision-making power translating to better service. Discussion will include working with staff and your library board member to rewrite and condense policies and make them proactive and positive rather than reactive and punitive.
Jennie Garner has held a variety of roles at North Liberty Library (IA) for 25 years. In her role as library director the past six years, Jennie has worked to cultivate a positive workplace which she firmly believes creates a stronger organization and better serves the community. She is passionate about leadership and dedicated to empowering staff to deliver excellent customer service supported by good policies and procedures. Jennie has been active in the Association for Small and Rural Libraries for eight years. She is a staunch advocate for small and rural libraries and the impact libraries have on their communities. When she’s not working in the library or volunteering in the community, Jennie enjoys time with family and friends, camping, bicycling, and, of course, reading.
Library Consultant and Owner, 4Libraries
SESSION: Winning Grants for Small & Rural Libraries
Learn practical tips for grant work! You will learn the basic process of grant work, how to quickly locate grant opportunities through free resources, find out what funders are looking for in a successful grant proposal, and discover easy grants for beginners (some only a few pages long). A valuable resource list will be shared. You’ll be excited, motivated, and ready to start winning grants for your library! Stephanie Gerding’s grant webinars are known for being easy to understand, motivating, and full of valuable tips and resources.
Stephanie Gerding, MLIS, (http://stephaniegerding.com), has over 20 years of professional library experience and loves working with small and rural libraries. Stephanie is the author of four books including the ALA Editions best seller, Winning Grants, Second Edition: A How-To-Do-It Manual For Librarians. She has in-depth knowledge and practical experience with grants, having worked on all sides of the grant process as a grant writer, reviewer, funder, and project coordinator. She’s been a lead grant reviewer of LSTA and state grants at two state libraries, and reviewed grants for nonprofits, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She’s the Executive Director of Act of Giving, a small nonprofit giving circle. Stephanie finds grant work exciting and challenging and loves helping others learn to enjoy it as well. She lives in beautiful Seattle, WA with her husband and their spunky twelve-year-old daughter.
Library Director, Penn Yan Public Library
SESSION: Park It Right Here: Creating Welcoming Grounds at Rural Public Libraries
Learn about how and why a rural library came to have a horse run-in shed and an electric vehicle charging station placed in its parking lot. Hear about community collaborations that made it possible and other amenities situated on the library grounds.
Currently Director of Penn Yan Public Library (PYPL) located in the New York State Finger Lakes region, Angela has been serving patrons in upstate rural libraries for over 20 years. She believes libraries are a real benefit to those trying to improve their daily lives either by accessing information or recreational services. She and staff continually work with community members to assess and improve PYPL programming. Angela was the first chair of the New York State Library Association Rural Libraries Roundtable and is active in regional organizations.
Branch Manager of Altus Public Library
SESSION: Virtual Storytime
Working in small and rural libraries may mean that you are balancing how to provide children's programming on top of the six other hats you wear at work. Doing virtual storytime doesn't have to be daunting! A little goes a long way. If all you have are some good books and a willing spirit, you have the makings for a great program. In this session, attendees will hear about some of the creative ways libraries are embellishing virtual story times with green screens, puppets, musical instruments and other props. But they will also hear about how to just be you, connecting with the kids and reading a great story!
Bailee Hutchinson is a Branch Manager at the Altus Public Library who listens closely to the community, takes a fearless approach to community engagement, and creates lifelong learners. Before starting a career in librarianship, Bailee worked as a mental health case manager at a homeless shelter. Bailee serves on the Association for Rural and Small Libraries Board and is active in Oklahoma Library Association. Bailee is currently completing her MLIS online through the University of Oklahoma. Bailee enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and of course reading.
Assistant Director, Califa Group
SESSION: Library learning in the time of COVID: resources and tips for library people
Veronda is the Assistant Director of the Califa Group, nonprofit library membership consortium representing 230 libraries in California committed to unleashing the impact of libraries. She is an active ALA member and has participated on many ALA Advisory Committees and Boards including United for Libraries and the Center for the Future of Libraries. She was named awarded the 2018 American Library Association Cathleen Bourdon Service Award and in 2005 she was named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker with no recognition of her moves on the dance floor. She has a master’s degree in library and information science from North Carolina Central University, a historically black college in Durham, North Carolina. Veronda is a die-hard library chick.
State Librarian, North Dakota State Library
SESSION: Library Reopening Plans
Mary Soucie has been a librarian for 26 years and has been the North Dakota State Librarian for six of those years. Her main job is to advocate for libraries with local, state and national governments, but she also serves as director of the state library, which has a large circulating collection including best sellers, the largest large print collection in the state and a large talking book collection. Her library passions include mentoring colleagues at all levels and from all types of libraries and connecting people. She has done a number of trainings in active shooter drills and also managing disruptive patrons and safety policies and procedures. She's also co-chair of the ARSL Governance Committee where she is collecting shared phased reopening plans from different libraries across the country.
Political Director, Everylibrary.org
SESSION: Understanding Political Power and Influence
In this session, we'll explore the underlying theory and strategy to rebuild political power and influence that allows us to secure the funding small and rural libraries need to serve our communities. Over 98% of library funding is political in nature. 90% comes from the will of local voters and politicians, 3-5% comes from the State legislators and 3-5% comes from the Federal legislators. In the last 10 years, we've lost almost 20% of voter support for libraries putting our funding at risk therefore risking our ability to continue to serve our communities. In order to ensure that we have continued funding, we need to understand political power and influence.
Patrick Sweeney is a tireless and innovative advocate for libraries. A 2007 graduate of the San Jose School of Library and Information Sciences, Mr. Sweeney is the former Administrative Librarian of the Sunnyvale (CA) Public Library and was Executive Director of EveryLibrary California, a statewide initiative to support library Propositions. He was awarded Library Journal’s “Movers and Shakers” award in 2015 for his library advocacy work. He is co-author of “Winning Elections and Influencing Politicians for Library Funding” as well as “Before the Ballot; Building Support for Library Funding.” He was recently recognized with a “40 Under 40” award by the American Association of Political Consultants for his work fighting for libraries at EveryLibrary. He is a lecturer at the San Jose Information School where he teaches courses on politics and libraries. He is active across social media as PC Sweeney.
MORE INFORMATION:
The School of Information at San José State University is the founding conference sponsor. Please register as a member of the Library 2.0 network to be kept informed of future events. Recordings from previous years are available under the Archives tab at Library 2.0 and at the Library 2.0 YouTube channel.
