2013 – Breakout Session Descriptions

See more information about 2013 ARSL Conference, including Preconferences and Registration.

21^st Century iBrary
Matthew Cross
Ak-Chin Indian Community Library

For the past four years the Ak-Chin Indian Community Library has prided itself with using new innovative methods to teach digital media and 21st century skills. Our presentation is about telling our story and is meant to inspire others to think outside their box for programming at their libraries.

The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Librarian
Sarah R. Day
Dr. Grace O. Doane Alden Public Library

I describe our after school program (a 3 week rotation of games, crafts, and movies) and explain how anyone can implement a similar program at their library, no matter their size. In the second half of my program, I teach a simple craft.

Ask Them…The Right Way: Creating Community Surveys
Kim Kietzman
Altoona Public Library

Writing questions for community surveys that get responses and results is frequently something libraries pay someone else to do – at great expense. Get tips and tricks to create your own!

Build Library Awareness by Engaging Your Community
Jennifer Powell
OCLC

Jenny Powell, Field Manager for OCLC’s Geek the Library community awareness campaign, will use the experience of libraries participating in this free program as a platform for a broader discussion about the importance of library personnel getting out of the library and into the community to make connections, build relationships and educate the public about the library’s important local role. Jenny will inspire with examples of library leaders and staff who successfully engaged the local community.

Cataloger as SEP Expert
Melissa Powell
biblioease.com

The cataloging database is the foundation of the library’s web presence and as such drives traffic to the pertinent information in the PAC. How well are you ranking your resources for your users? Discussion of access points, notes, and subject headings. Essential for copy catalogers and frontline staff as well.

Community 3E: Innovative Programming/Community Involvement
Gail A. Sheldon
Oneonta Public Library

The presentation describes the initial conception, and continued organization and presentation of Oneonta Public Library’s two annual premier events – our Public Safety Fair: “Don’t be Lucky – Be Safe” and Haunted Library: “Terror in the Stacks”. These events are part of the Library’s Community 3E initiative (Education, Engagement, and Entertainment).

Community Connections
Becky Baker
Seward Memorial Library

A panel discussion on various ways to help the library connect with the community, especially the business community, in ways that don’t cost too much! Summer promotions and more will be included.

Dazzling Displays on a Dime
Leah Krotz
Belleville Public Library

Displays don’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. Learn to create captivating displays, using everyday objects and fun themes to bring your library to life. You’ll see tons of pictures to get your creative juices flowing, and go home with resources and practical tips for creating displays that dazzle!

Chocolate Orgy & More Fun, Free Community Involvement Programs
Steve Seale
Allen Public Library

Learn about piece-of-cake community involvement programs like a Pet Parade, Truck Rodeo or Friends membership building Chocolate Orgy. Each event involves partnering with local organizations and utilizing the talent of your staff and volunteers.

DigitalLearn.org
Jamie Hollier
Public Library Association

Information session about the Public Library Association’s DigitalLearn.org, an IMLS funded project launching in June 2013. Digitalearn.org is an online hub for digital literacy support and training, with a special focus on rural and small libraries. Included in DigitalLearn.org are self-directed trainings for end-users and a community of practice for digital literacy trainers.

Establish a Seed Saving Library
David Mixdorf
South Sioux City Public Library

Describes how to establish a seed saving library for minimal expense.

Excel at Rearranging Your Library
Chris Rippel
Central Kansas Library System

Eventually, librarians need or want to rearrange their libraries. Rearranging bits of paper is tricky. Chris Rippel demonstrates using Excel to easily create a variety of patron-friendly layouts. It’s free, quick to learn and use, and perfect for small libraries.

Family Read – Family-Centric Reading Program
Heidi Schutt
Muir Library

This summer, a few libraries in southern Minnesota are trying a new style of a summer reading program. We are compiling family-oriented resources to create a FamilyRead program that involves and encourages entire families to read together and talk about what they’re reading. We want to share our resources and results.

From Cozy to Exotic:  Not your typical library program
Carrie Falk
Shenandoah Public Library

Will share programs that work at our library and make suggestions for people, organizations and local businesses you can partner with to enhance programs and save costs. We’ve had everything from a car cruise to a gadget zoo to Saturday craft day projects. Will include many more examples and pictures.

Fundraising to Build and Sustain the Best Small Library in America
Amy McBride
Montrose Regional Library District

Learn how the Montrose Regional Library District raised $1 million to build a National Medal-winning library in Naturita, Colorado (population=546), and how it raises at least $30,000 annually to sustain it.

Gaming and Game Programming in the Library
Josh Barnes
Portneuf District Library

Got game? Come and explore the many types of games, consoles, and programs available to make your library the hottest place on the block. We’ll also discuss ways to get started: everything from the equipment you’ll need to getting your library’s management on board.

Genealogy Basics for the Non-Genealogist Librarian
Sarah Uthoff
Kirkwood Community College Library

Librarians have to take on many unexpected roles. One of these is the preserver of local history and sidekick in people’s quest to find their family tree. This session will give you the background knowledge to help you help your patrons find the right track.

Hitting It Out of the Park:  Leadership and Advocacy
Valerie Haverhals
Hawarden Public Librrary

The presentation combines library leadership and advocacy to ensure that your library is newsworthy, active, and partnering with groups in the community.

I Didn’t Know Directors Had To Do THAT!
Maryann Mori
Iowa Library Services

Would-be directors often have misconceptions about the role of director, and many newly-appointed directors are surprised to learn exactly what their job description means when they start the job. Understand the joys and challenges of becoming a director, and gain practical tips for finding help when help is needed.

Innovation on a Shoestring
Christa Burns, Nebraska Library Commission

Louise Alcorn, West Des Moines Public Library

Libraries everywhere are dealing with tight budgets and shrinking staff. Small and medium libraries are particularly hard hit by these issues. How are these libraries maintaining a respectable level of technology and library service innovation with little or no money and staff? They are starting new programs, bringing in new resources, and developing new partnerships. This session will highlight some very creative responses from small and rural libraries in middle America.

Into the Wild Blue:  Initiating an Educational Rocketry Program in Your Library
Steven Arthur
Ellis Public Library

Six year successful and growing program of rocketry. taught to kids in the community, other locations in the county as well as to other communities in Western Kansas. It is presented at 4H Space Tech Days, have offered this program to boy scouts and girl scouts and have been approached to offer it in surrounding schools. Program is a collaborative effort between the library and county extension, provides passive remedial instruction in sciences, and has grown exponentially. Annual launch is attended by the community and is a fixed feature in local fair. Kids develop a sense of pride when launching a rocket they built. City made proclamation to declare Ellis ʺRocket Townʺ each year at annual launch. Also supported by local businesses.

Laughter for the Health of It:  Using therapeutic laughter in library programming
Wendy Street
Pella Public Library

I am a Certified Laughter Leader and do library outreach programs that incorporate information about the health aspects of laughter as well as laughter exercises. My presentation will include how to do a Laughter Club, how to incorporate laughter exercises in library programming, and participation in an actual laughter session.

Makers and Mentors and More
Timothy G. Owens
Institute of Museum and Library Services

Looking for new ways to reach teens without breaking the bank? Get ideas to adopt and adapt from the maker movement, learning labs, and more, by exploring projects supported with federal LSTA funding. Leave with tips and tools for engaging teens on a shoestring budget.

Mind Mapping Your Library, Mind Mapping Your Life
Denise Anton Wright
South Central Library System

Mind Mapping is an incredibly powerful visual tool that was first popularized by Tony Buzan in the 1960s. Since that time Mind Mapping has been successfully used as a planning model in a variety of library settings. Participants will have the opportunity to experiment with Mind Mapping to achieve both professional and personal goals.

No Cost Staff Recognition
Sheila Urwiler
Starke County Public Library System

Our staff are our best resource for marketing, advocating and providing outstanding service; with limited budgets and time, we don’t always appreciate them as much as we should. This presentation will discuss low- and no-cost ideas for implementing a staff recognition program, and empowering staff to appreciate each other.

Pew Panel
Lee Rainie

This panel discussion will offer follow-up information regarding data presented in Lee Rainie’s opening keynote presentation.  Those interested in learning more about applying the data to their own situations and libraries won’t want to miss it.

Physical Change by Mental Change
Lola DeWall
Pocahontas Public Library

Marketing your library to appear fresh and new on a budget. How many times have you said, ʺI can’t do anything to change the appearance of my library. This is the only way it works.ʺ Ideas presented to physically market your library to the community. (Design on a Nickel)

The Power of One
Judy Calhoun
Southeast Arkansas Regional Library

Running a one-person library can be a daunting task. In the Power of One, we will show how you can transform from mild mannered librarian to Super Librarian! Discover your superpowers to unleash skills that will help to make your life easier and more efficient.
Topics that will be included are: Time Management, working well with others: board members, volunteers, Friends, etc., financial Matters, technology Issues and more!

Pushing the Limits
Al Bennett

Pushing the Limits is entering the fourth and final year for funding by the National Science Foundation. Twenty rural libraries offered four programs each in 2013 for their communities featuring reading, viewing project-developed videos and discussions involving local scientists. Leaders from participating libraries will describe their activities. The additional rural library grantees will be in introduced. The future of the program after 2014 will be discussed.

Reader’s Advisory on the Run
Carolyn Petersen
Washington State Library

This presentation is aimed at the librarian who is too busy to read everything he/she would like to, but still wants to keep abreast of adult reading trends so they can recommend materials for their patrons. Topic covered: book awards, best seller lists, internet sites to follow, How to judge a book by its cover.

Refurbishing Reference
Terry Elsey
Laurens County Public Library

• Survey holdings in reference
• Decide reference depth and breadth with typical update periods
• Include decisions on print vs eresources such as ebooks and databases
• Make reference policy
• Significantly weed print collection, possibly move to circulation, local history collection, discard or update
• New signage, print placement
• Arrangement of databases on website

Small Libraries Can Make Big Impact
Joan K. Weaver
Kinsley Public Library

The small, rural library can stay relevant by being instrumental in preserving their community’s heritage through oral histories. Presentation will show how small libraries can follow the example of the Kinsley Library (recognized throughout Kansas and as a two-time 2012 ALA award winner) in gathering, preserving and making accessible the lives of 66 citizens. See ʺPatchwork of Dependencyʺ, ʺPatterns of Changeʺ, and ʺ1979 Tractorcade to D.C.ʺ at www.kinsleylibrary.info

So my Library uses social media, do I really need a policy?
Denise A. Wetzel
Alabama Public Library Service

As libraries continue to explore different social media tools, a good social media policy becomes essential. This program will explore necessary policy aspects and provide examples for libraries to take information from in order to craft their own social media policy.

Start a 1,000 Books B4K Program at Your Library
Karen Drevo
Norfolk Public Library

Learn how to launch a ʺ1,000 Books Before Kindergartenʺ stealth program at your library to ensure kids enter kindergarten ready to read, reinforce parents’ role as their child’s first teacher, instill the lifelong love of reading in young children, encourage frequent visits to the library, and boost your circulation–all on a shoestring budget.

Super Hero Leadership
Lisa Lewis
Huachuca City Public Library

ʺEMPOWERʺ your library by developing ʺSUPERHEROʺ leadership skills. Channel your inner superhero and lead your library through difficult challenges such as budget, innovative programs, community outreach, staffing difficulties and much more. You will leave this presentation armed with all the tools necessary to conquer the world!!! (maybe a slight exaggeration).

Tapping Into Transnational Communities
John Thill
Napa County Library

This program examines the way in which transnational communities, those based on extended families and hometowns within a country of origin, can be used to create specifically tailored library services that reflect the true demographics of a library’s Spanish speaking community. The presentation will include tips on identifying transnational communities within a service area by using internet resources and on-the-ground cues and how to utilize this information in collections and programming.

Tech Tools Get-er Done for Free
Kieran Hixon
Colorado State Library

Join Kieran as he unpacks his toolbox full of 25+ free tech tools that you will be able to use at your library with a flick of a mouse.

Teen Programs That Pack a Punch
Hope Decker
Cohocton Public Library

Every library can provide teen programs that teens will love; “If you build it they will come”. Three simple programs will be presented (Extreme Cupcake Decorating, Ultimate PB&J Challenge and Duct Tape Crafts). At the end participants can share their own teen programs, pit falls of teen programming and brain storm solutions.

Think Outside the Barn @ your library
Rachel Miller
Forsyth Public Library
Louise Greene
Richland Community College

Advocate for small and rural libraries in the festive atmosphere of a fair, farm show, or community event. Bring “Think Outside the Barn@Your Library” to your area and connect with patrons on their turf. These venues are perfect to remind people with rural roots what libraries do for them.
What will participants learn from this program?
1. What resources are needed to be a presence at a fair, farm show, or community event.
2. How to operate a booth including staffing, decor, and visitor interactions.
3. How to uncover local opportunities to promote your library

Working Together: The Library Director’s Relationship with Library Trustees & City Government
Susan Mannix
LeClaire Community Library

Maintaining effective & productive relationships with the Library Board of Trustees, City Government & City Administration can be among the Public Library Director’s most important and challenging roles. Join in a discussion on how a Director can confidently and successfully manage these pivotal professional relationships.

Weeding: The Good, The Bad, and the Mustie
Jeremy Bolom
Lincoln Parish Library, Ruston, LA

Weeding is not a dirty word! Change your attitude about weeding and take charge of your collection. Learn the essential steps to make your collection more useful, comfortable, and attractive for your users.

See more information about 2013 ARSL Conference including Registration.

Apr 25, 2013 | Categories: Conference Programs & Handouts, News | 2 Comments »