I attended the Koha-US annual conference in Providence, RI. The conference focused on practical applications and improvements that can be made in the Integrated Library System (ILS) which PCLS administers for the public libraries in our system. I was particularly interested in ways we can streamline our cataloging process, protect patron data, and improve the [...]
When originally signing up for the Romance Con event it was promised as a convention where romance readers could gather, have conversations about the genre, and get a chance to meet some of their favorite authors in the space. It was touted that there would be over 250 authors, both main stream and indie, that [...]
I got a chance to learn about the publishing industry and what goes into making a good and engaging romance book that appeals to readers and is easy for libraries highlight as a good potential read to their patrons. They had a really neat session on creating book displays for romance books that I plan [...]
I think the most useful thing that I took away from this conference is that collaboration is a great way to improve outcomes and what your organization (or library!) is capable of without increasing spending. One of the first sessions that I attended encouraged us to think of a problem that we were facing, write [...]
I feel so fortunate to have been able to attend this conference. It was in Cloquet, Minnesota, which was a beautiful setting. The conference was small, but very well organized with a great variety of sessions for all attendees. The keynote speaker was the ALA president-elect, and she gave one of the most inspiring talks [...]
This year, the Music Library Association gathered online to discuss all things music, music history, and of course, music libraries and librarianship. I learned a lot from this year’s conference, especially now looking at the Music Library Association through a public librarian’s lens rather than a music librarian’s. There were several presentations that stood out [...]
I had the opportunity to attend the "Community Co-Design: How to Collaborate with Your Community" training event put on by Library Journal. This was a 3-week course full of valuable and useful information. Some of the main points I took away include: Co-Design is a participatory process that works to find solutions with rather than [...]
I had the opportunity to attend the 8-week Library Management Training sponsored by Library Journal & School Library Journal. The training was very beneficial and covered many aspects of library management. The weekly sessions included: People Management - Becoming a Leader / Equity-Centered Leadership / Make the most of Meetings / Handle Burnout / Rethink [...]
This program was hosted by the MN Safety Council and focused on supporting co-workers through mental health emergencies as well as taking care of yourself. I think this was an excellent course and I strongly recommend it for others. It would be worth looking into making this type of training available to library workers throughout the region. Thanks!
Romance GenreCon was an excellent opportunity for me to dig deeper into the world of romance books and how to cultivate a good community around the genre for our patrons that are interested the genre. The different sessions that I attended gave me ideas on how to form things like a Romance Book Club, a [...]