Conference Breakout Sessions
ARSL 2008 Annual Conference
September 19 - 21, 2008
Wanted: Effective Public Library Trustees.
Jim Connor.
Step-by-step process to identify,recruit and develop effective trustees for your library. Take home an action plan that will provide your library with a strong board/director team for many years. Find the best of the best and get them working for your library.
Teens are a Treasure at Your Library.
Michele Wyss.
TEENS?? Don't they just cause trouble? I will show you what a treasure it is to have teens as an integral part of your library. Topics will include: Staffing issues, teen friendly areas, technology, difficult teens, community outreach, and developing a teen advisory group. It is possible, even on a limited budget!
Creating Positively Passionate Customers and Advocates.
Mark Livingston.
In order to increase relevancy and compete for additional funding, small and rural libraries will need to think and act from a "customer experience point of view." This presentation focuses on a strategy mapping process that puts "positively passionate customers and advocates" at the heart of library strategy, operations, and organization.
The Buddy System: Small Library Collaboration.
Sarah Willeford, Pat Means, and Tena Hanson.
Speakers will demonstrate how rural and small libraries can use technology to collaborate minimizing problems of travel and short staffing. Topics include: How to use Web 2.0 tools to collaborate, effective strategies for collaboration, and examples of successful collaboration projects by rural and small libraries in Iowa.
Libraries and Museums: A Good Combination or A Big Headache?
Ailesia Franklin.
Topics include preserving a small town's heritage through a museum, museum software for organizing the collection, benefits for a rural library with a museum, how to manage two jobs with one director and a very small paid staff, donations and discretions, when, what and where to promote both entities.
Top 10 Things You Can Do Now to Improve Your Collection.
Wayne Disher.
Presented for those with little formal training working in small, rural libraries the workshop will explore 10 logical, yet often overlooked, collection management tricks that will improve how your community perceives your library collection. From collection promotion to insuring customer success in using your materials, attendees will take home practical ideas that are sure to stimulate thought and action.
How "Sex" in the Library Changed my Career.
Lisë Chlebanowski.
Chlebanowski will provide a first-hand look at censorship through the eyes of a library user who became a library clerk who became a library activist who became a librarian who became a city librarian . . . all because of "Sex" in the library! From selection policies to reconsideration forms to handling the would-be censor, she'll cover it all with examples and resources--including the infamous book, "Sex" by Madonna!
TheirSpace: Using Technology to Reach Kids and Teens Where They Already Are.
Shelly Drumm.
Teens are crazy about social networking tools like MySpace and Facebook, and that can be a huge benefit to small libraries without a lot of tech resources or tech expertise. We'll explore how you can leverage the power of these networks to reach out to your youth populations!
Video Games in the Library.
Karen Hixon and Judy Van Acker.
If you think video games are just for geeks and twelve year olds, think again. In this session you will learn how to hold a gaming tourament, set up equipment and invigorate the youth at your library with little funding. Learn to select games for circulation and for tournament play.
Mining For Gold: Maximizing Community Resources for Exciting Events.
Jenine Durland.
Description of Presentation: Looking for renewed energy and ideas for dynamic, and inexpensive programming? Using examples from Wilkinson Public Library, such as poetry slams, murder mysteries, fly fishing workshops, book clubs, etc, this session will include: identifying community interests and targeting your audience, approaching potential sponsors and selling your library, and cost-effective advertising.
Cows, Fish and the Blues: How Three Small, Rural Libraries Strengthen their Communities.
Linda Heuertz.
A presentation on how the community-building work of three dynamic libraries in New Mexico, Oregon, and Mississippi contributes to the economic and social vitality of their communities, and a look at the challenges and benefits of this work and the qualities that influence its success.
Self Service on a Budget.
Kathleen Smith and Kelley Worman.
Do you think your library is too small for self service and it is too expensive? Think again. Opportunities abound for helping users serve themselves—even on a shoestring budget. Come learn simple, inexpensive techniques for creating a user-empowered library. Plus learn the benefits and challenges for staff.
How to have an ELF in your Library.
Margaret Miles, Heather Tovey, Carey Gross, Judy Klikun.
Discover easy, creative and inexpensive ways to attract and serve families with infants and toddlers. ELF (Early Learning with Families) Library and Literacy staff will share their experiences in partnering to design and deliver innovative programs that engage our very youngest and foster early learning. Join the discussion about services, challenges and benefits of ELF.
The Library's Place During a Community Disaster.
Helen Rigdon.
June 2007 - Coffeyville, KS (pop. 11,000) was hit with a horrendous flood and massive oil-spill that destroyed one-quarter of the town. Over 400 homes were destroyed as well as over 70 businesses. This presentation will show what role a public library can play during a disaster.
Online Marketing for Small Libraries.
Sarah Houghton-Jan.
Learn ways for all libraries to find potential users online. Tips like community websites, local blog and forum monitoring, search engine placement, live assistance options, and more will all be discussed. Attendees will go away with a lengthy checklist of ideas to successfully create an ongoing online marketing plan.
Successful Library Fundraising in a Rural Community.
Terry Sterling and Linda Calandra.
Do you need to discover gold for your new library, but don’t know where to start? Come learn about fundraising options including federal grants and loans, getting help from non-profit organizations and conducting a successful local fundraising campaign. Handouts will include fundraising brochures, record keeping and donor recognition forms.
I Wanna Be 2.0 Too!: Web Services for Smaller or Underfunded Libraries.
Sarah Houghton-Jan.
This session is for libraries struggling to provide innovative web services with few resources. There are dozens of quick and free services that any library can add to its website. This session will cover twenty easy steps that libraries can take to improve their websites with ease.
No Cookie Cutter Used Here.
Susan Hanks, Victor Zazueta, and Kristin Freeman.
The Kim Yerton Memorial Library was recognized by IMLS as one of the top five libraries in the United States in 2007. This recognition comes from the unique cooperative, collaborative, mutually beneficial Memorandum of Understanding between the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors and the Hoopa Valley Tribal Council. Located on the Hoopa Indian Reservation this library serves both native and nonnative people with children, adult and community centered programming. We will look at how the process of the MOA was established with consideration of tribal laws and county laws. This history and current relationship will be shown in a Powerpoint presentation with photos and examples of the negotiating process used to reach consensus. There will also be a comparison of this library with the other nine county rural branch libraries and the bookmobile by the County Librarian and the branch supervisor.
Networking & Collaboration in a Virtual Environment
Sonja Plummer-Morgan
Second Life provides excellent opportunities for global contacts with librarians, in a variety of settings, who often face similar challenges. This program demonstrates the uses for Second Life including professional development, networking, collaboration, a creative outlet, and a means for reaching a larger patron base
