I appreciate having the opportunity to participate in this year’s Minnesota Library Association Conference in Rochester. The value of being immersed in conversation with other library professionals cannot be measured in dollars and the financial assistance provided by Prairielands Library Exchange has allowed me and countless others to be a part of this worthy event. Kicking off the two-day conference was Mychal Threets and his message of spreading library joy set the bar high with positivity and launched the conference in style.
I attended a variety of sessions including:
-Bringing Stories to Life: A Canva Tool for Library Professions
I garnered valuable suggestions and tips on how to broaden the scope of my use of the software. The focus on creating presentations and the use of artificial intelligence will be helpful to me.
Extrovert Like a Professional: A Practical Guide
This session left a lasting impression and I found myself using the listening and communication skills that the presenter shared with us. The biggest takeaway was how to be an active listener and use non-verbal communication. Though some of us may categorize ourselves as introverts, there are numerous ways that we can participate in effective communication.
Digitizing Minnesota’s Newspapers
We learned detailed information on how the Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub is working to digitize hundreds of historic and current publications. I was not aware of the availability of such a vast number of materials and in learning about the scope of the project I’ve gained new respect for the staff and team involved in the project.
Boost Attendance at Programs
This presentation, by the Albert Lea Public Library Director Annice Sevett, outlined the steps that the library took to increase public awareness of library programs. Sevett suggested cohesive branding, creating templates for publicity use, marketing planning, and coordinated publicity.
In addition to taking part in the programs and presentations, I was fortunate to have the chance to a guided tour of the historic Plummer Building library and was amazed by its beauty and majesty. I also met up with several of the state ACHF Coordinators and spending time with them was a valuable experience.
Thank you, Prairielands, for providing this valuable opportunity!