Small & Mighty Track
Thursday, January 27
This track is geared toward practices in small and rural libraries.
Thursday, January 27
This track is geared toward practices in small and rural libraries.
9 a.m. - Food in the Library: Reading & Feeding the Community
Many libraries used to have policies against having food in the library. Not at Julie's library. Join Julie Elmore, Director of the Oakland City - Columbia Township Public Library, as she shares how her library is using food in the library in new and unique ways. Drive through food pickups, growing a vertical garden, programming around food, and partnering with their local food bank for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program for seniors are just a few of the ways that this library is helping to combat food insecurity in their community. Julie will share tips about creating partnerships with community organizations and finding the grants to help make these food programs a success.
Participants Will:
- Learn how to use food in the library in new ways
- Master how to create partnerships with local food banks
- Discover grants on developing food programs
Julie Elmore, Director, Oakland City - Columbia Township Public Library
Many libraries used to have policies against having food in the library. Not at Julie's library. Join Julie Elmore, Director of the Oakland City - Columbia Township Public Library, as she shares how her library is using food in the library in new and unique ways. Drive through food pickups, growing a vertical garden, programming around food, and partnering with their local food bank for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program for seniors are just a few of the ways that this library is helping to combat food insecurity in their community. Julie will share tips about creating partnerships with community organizations and finding the grants to help make these food programs a success.
Participants Will:
- Learn how to use food in the library in new ways
- Master how to create partnerships with local food banks
- Discover grants on developing food programs
Julie Elmore, Director, Oakland City - Columbia Township Public Library
10:30 a.m. - Capturing Your Community
Every community is special and has an interesting history, fascinating people, and an ongoing story. Every small library has a unique opportunity, and perhaps the responsibility, to capture and preserve that community. Hear over fifty ways that this one library has taken local subjects to increase resources and create imaginative programming for patrons of all ages. Joan’s out-of-the-box thinking will take you beyond the gathering of oral histories into maps, mysteries, musicals, and more. This is the niche your library is equipped and destined to fill.
Participants Will:
- Create unique ideas to preserve the history in your community
- Learn out-of-the-box ways to engage your community
- Discover imaginative programming for patrons of all ages
Joan Weaver, Director, Kinsley Library
Every community is special and has an interesting history, fascinating people, and an ongoing story. Every small library has a unique opportunity, and perhaps the responsibility, to capture and preserve that community. Hear over fifty ways that this one library has taken local subjects to increase resources and create imaginative programming for patrons of all ages. Joan’s out-of-the-box thinking will take you beyond the gathering of oral histories into maps, mysteries, musicals, and more. This is the niche your library is equipped and destined to fill.
Participants Will:
- Create unique ideas to preserve the history in your community
- Learn out-of-the-box ways to engage your community
- Discover imaginative programming for patrons of all ages
Joan Weaver, Director, Kinsley Library
1 p.m. - Respectful Human Resources for Rural Librarians
Rural library directors and management face many of the same employer challenges as larger libraries – as well as a few unique ones. However, they also have the added challenges of fewer HR professionals and resources to help as well as living and doing their day-to-day business in the same community as the people and patrons they manage.
This session will address the basics that librarians need to know to keep themselves and their governing bodies out of legal hot water, best practices to manage a small part-time and volunteer staff for professional library services, and available resources to help you and your team thrive.
Participants Will:
- Develop best practices to manage a small part-time and volunteer staff
- Discover resources to help library teams thrive
- Learn day-to-day business practices
Lisa Shaw, Rural and Small Libraries/Workforce Development Specialist, Maine State Library
Rural library directors and management face many of the same employer challenges as larger libraries – as well as a few unique ones. However, they also have the added challenges of fewer HR professionals and resources to help as well as living and doing their day-to-day business in the same community as the people and patrons they manage.
This session will address the basics that librarians need to know to keep themselves and their governing bodies out of legal hot water, best practices to manage a small part-time and volunteer staff for professional library services, and available resources to help you and your team thrive.
Participants Will:
- Develop best practices to manage a small part-time and volunteer staff
- Discover resources to help library teams thrive
- Learn day-to-day business practices
Lisa Shaw, Rural and Small Libraries/Workforce Development Specialist, Maine State Library