Camp Read A Lot is a fun experience. The book discussions are the best parts. We don't all see the same things in the book. We look at it to see if it is the right age level. Sometimes you miss things and someone will say did you see that. Some books are very colorful [...]
I was so happy to have the opportunity to attend Camp Read in person this year. The space in Marshall was very comfortable and met our needs quite nicely. The keynote speaker, Dr. Harris, started the event with enthusiasm and encouragement, challenging us to consider our biases and judgements. She shared one of her middle [...]
part 1: Elisabeth Marrocolla She spoke a lot about how to communicate effectively and how communication and boundaries work together. She focused on how being clear is kind and how we need to remember that being assertive in a clear way is true kindness and to focus on being clear instead of being "nice". This [...]
Webinar: Customer Service Training for Frontline Staff. This webinar was very informative in offering several ways to offer good, positive customer service to patrons that leaves them feeling valued and understood. One word that most or all of the speakers used was empathy. Having empathy for patrons, whether it’s frustration, sadness, excitement, and even gratitude [...]
Minnesota Library Association Conference 2024 As a first-time attendee at the Minnesota Library Association Conference in Rochester, MN, I can confidently say it was a truly enriching experience. The variety of sessions offered was impressive, covering a wide range of topics that kept me engaged and inspired. I had the pleasure of attending several sessions, [...]
I chose to focus on technical services and creating more inclusionary terminology in the library. One session that I found particularly informational was on fatphobia and being more inclusive with the catalog language. What a great session! I hope to bring that focus back to our catalog and the way that we support our patrons [...]
Absolutely loved the opening Keynote, Mychal Threets. He was fun to listen to and made me think about how I can start training students to work in the Media Center. Fun fact we ended up walking with him to the conference from the hotel, what a nice person! I want to find out more about [...]
I am so appreciative of receiving this grant to attend the MLA Convention/Conference. Some of the highlights I can share is that I was very pleased with all of the sessions I attended - I learned many new things to share with staff regarding storytimes, games, Canva for designs unique to our library, and connected [...]
The Mental Health First Aid training course through the MN Safety Council focused on best practices to provide support to coworkers struggling with mental health concerns. It included guidance on identifying concerns, directing people to support resources, and what to do in a crisis situation. It also included information about self care for those providing [...]
I attended the MLA Conference in Rochester, MN on Oct. 24, 2024. I had the opportunity to drive to the conference with the other media specialist in our district which enabled us a significant amount of time to collaborate with each other before, during and after the conference. The keynote speaker, Mychael Treets, was an [...]