WYOMING LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONAnnouncementsDOWNLOAD THE WHOVA APP
Whova is the official app for the 2022 WLA conference. Use it to receive updates, check agendas, network with fellow conference attendees, learn about speakers, and more! Download it here for iPhone or Android! Use the same email address that you used for registration.
BUSINESS MEETING AGENDA & REPORTS PUBLISHEDThe agenda for the annual WLA business meeting, scheduled for September 29, is available. Reports and other documents are linked on the Executive Board's page.
WLA PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES PROPOSED BY-LAWS & DUES CHANGES
Wyoming Library Association President Conrrado Saldivar has announced that the WLA Executive Board has approved three proposals to be voted on by the membership at the September 29 business meeting during the annual conference. The proposals are available here as a PDF. For those unable to attend the conference (register here!), we will be providing a Zoom link to the business meeting at a later time. If your membership has lapsed, you can renew it by logging into your account on the website. Members are encouraged to read each of the proposals and direct questions to Conrrado. While there will be time for questions and discussion before each vote, the board would like to answer as many questions as possible prior to the meeting.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE RELEASED
The detailed conference schedule has been released as a printable PDF and it is also posted here. Online registration is open through Thursday, September 29. Pre-conferences will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 28 and the conference will be held on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 29-30.
The 2022 annual conference will be held in-person (with virtual aspects through the Whova app) at the Best Western Downtown Casper in Casper, Wyoming. Pre-conferences will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 28 and the conference will be held on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 29-30. Regular registration runs from Tuesday, August 16 to Thursday, September 29. (Those who register after September 15 will not have a pre-printed name tag.) Registration for pre-conferences is separate but accessible from the conference registration page. Previous Conferences2021 ▪ October 7-8 VIRTUAL 2020 ▪ October 8-9 2019 ▪ August 7-9 2018 ▪ August 9-11 2017 ▪ August 9-11 2016 ▪ September 21-23 VIRTUAL (previously scheduled at Jackson, Snow King Resort) 2015 ▪ September 23-25, Joint Conference with MPLA 2014 ▪ September 24-26 2013 ▪ October 2-5 Cheyenne, Little America Hotel & Resort Keynote Speaker: Lee Rainie Children's Authors: Rich Wallace & Sandra Neil Wallace | 2022 DAILY SCHEDULEPRE-CONFERENCE: Wednesday, September 28
CONFERENCE: Thursday, September 29 CONFERENCE: Friday, September 30 POST-CONFERENCE: Friday, September 30 2022 CONFERENCE SCHEDULESTRONGER TOGETHER
KEYNOTE SPEAKER Dr. Camila Alire
AUTHOR LUNCHEON SPEAKER Zak Pullen
1:00-5:00 pm 1:00-5:00 pm
CONFERENCE
Thursday, September 29 7:30 am 8:00 am 8:00–9:00 am 9:00 am-5:00 pm 9:30-10:20 am Session 1 Join the WYLDcat office staff as they introduce the new Aspen catalog. Session 2 All the kids in our communities deserve to feel safe and comfortable in library spaces and at library programs. This presentation is a culmination of Clara’s experiences and advice as a queer nonbinary teen librarian to create that feeling of safety. Session 3 Interested in expanding your marketing efforts at your library? This presentation will share tips and tricks for implementing some important marketing, branding, and communication tactics at scale, while also discussing the importance of being able to reach one’s community quickly and effectively in times of crisis or change. Session 4 Natrona County is piloting a telehealth service. Services should be rolling out in September 2022. By the conference, speakers will be able to address the importance of the service, how to implement it, and how it can improve physical and mental health in your community. Telehealth services are showing a positive impact on suicide prevention. These services are designed for anyone who needs them but are especially beneficial to underserved populations. 10:30–11:30 am 11:30 am–1:30 pm Dr. Camila Alire is Dean Emeritus of University Libraries for the University of New Mexico. Her experience includes various director and dean positions, as well as owner of a consulting practice. Her research focused on library services for Latinos and other minorities, library disaster recovery, and recruitment and retention of minorities in the profession. Join us as Dr. Alire reflects on these positions, as well as positions and awards from ALA, REFORMA, and the Colorado Library Association 1:30–2:50 pm Session 1 Come check out what collaboration can accomplish! Take time to come in and learn about the Wyoming Library to Business (WL2B) Network and how we are supporting our business communities across the state. Spend time learning about the program and its results, chat with partners including academic and public librarians, economic development agencies, and WL2B Network members. Stay if you need to get your questions answered. We want your library in the Network! Session 2 Let’s talk about those difficult and sometimes dangerous situations. Confrontational and/or embarrassing conversations are much easier to handle when prepared. Tips and tricks from our library and a chance for you to share your tips along with an opportunity to brainstorm solutions for current or future encounters. Session 3 Explore the ways staff participation in the L.E.A.D. Mentorship Program can benefit your organization through staff development and leadership training. Experience as either a mentor or mentee benefits the organization by providing individualized guidance and growth. The relationship improves professional knowledge, skills, and confidence. Mentors supplement the supervisors’ efforts and provide protégés with a personal relationship that allows for acculturating, encouraging new talent, sharing expertise and connections, and promoting professional growth. The Mentorship Program provides a low-cost option to develop and retain staff in this challenging staffing environment. Experienced library directors Lisa Scroggins and Katrina Brown will guide a discussion on the benefits to organizations, managers, and directors of staff participation. Session 4 3:00–3:45 pm 4:00–4:50 pm Session 1 Library events can be a “wild rumpus” and full of chaotic fun, but for those with sensory sensitivities it can turn into a disaster. More and more libraries are learning that to include this population of our communities, we need to adapt our current events to create a more inviting and welcoming place for those with sensitivities. Learn how Laramie County Library is adapting current events and creating all-new events to bring inclusion. Session 2 This program is a demonstration regarding how to use U.S. Census data, ESRI Tapestry, and Wyoming School data, among other resources, to gather information about community needs. The information is applicable to the development of library programs, collection development and maintenance, and advocacy (EDI) work, in addition to its primary function as a community needs assessment for outreach purposes. Session 3 An organization is only as strong as its members. Join us as we network and learn from one another through structured individual and group discussions. This fun networking program encourages participants to meet, grow, and build relationships with one another. It provides a way to meet colleagues from around the state, discuss challenges, build a support network, and exchange information and ideas. We all have expertise to share, so attend and enjoy learning from and teaching one another. Session 4 Are you trying to reach families in these over-scheduled, screen-obsessed times? Have you had to reevaluate everything you do for young children since the pandemic? Are you stuck in a rut with your story times? At Natrona County Library, we have 5 different types of in-house story time programs, in addition to many outreach story times. We will share how we plan and execute Tiny Tots, Reads and Rhymes, Story Time Dance Party, Saturday Stories and Craft, and Paws to Read. We will discuss ways we have had to change these programs pre- and post-pandemic and open the discussion to others to share what is currently working for their libraries. 5:30 pm
CONFERENCE 8:00 am–12:30 pm 8:00–9:00 am 8:00–9:00 am 9:00–9:50 am Session 1 Library partnerships within a community are essential and necessary. It’s not always easy to find a give and take balance that benefits both parties, but when you do it is magical. This presentation and round table discussion will help to better understand how to find and retain meaningful partnerships that can last for years. Session 2 Natrona County Library will be launching a StoryWalk® in partnership with the Platte River Trails. A StoryWalk® provides opportunities for children and families to enjoy reading and outdoor spaces at the same time and is comprised of stands distanced about 20 feet apart. The Natrona County Library will be responsible for selecting, laminating, and changing the story 3-4 times a year, which is essentially like taking our children's story times on the road and reaching our patrons in a new and exciting place. Along with the interest in youth literacy, the hope is that the StoryWalk® will also drive traffic back to the Library and create ongoing interest. Session 3 Have you added non-traditional items to your circulating collection? If not, would you like to? With the rise of makerspaces, laptop lending, and mobile hotspot checkouts, more libraries are branching out beyond the "traditional." Learn how you can use only the things your library already owns to create your own "Library of Things." Presentation will include important things to consider when launching one of these "catch all" collections. It's a great way to introduce your patrons to new tech, tools, or experiences in the comfort of their homes. Session 4 In this session, Chris will talk about why we have what we have in GoWYLD.net and how to access it all. She will also "show and tell" the variety of resources for all ages, whether it is patrons looking for information or exploring lifelong learning, or students doing research. 10:00–10:30 amCoffee and Treats with Vendors 10:30–11:20 am Session 1 Join Campbell County Public Library Director Terri Lesley and Youth Services Librarian Darcy Acord to discuss the challenges to intellectual freedom that began in Campbell County in the summer of 2021. Terri and Darcy will present information about ways library systems can be prepared for challenges, methods for helping staff cope, and events that surprised them in their community's dispute. A Q&A session will wrap up the presentation. (2-hour session) Session 2 Every day, hundreds of people across Wyoming find themselves in circumstances where, often for the first time, they need resources that can’t be easily found on the internet or in any phone book. They may be looking for legitimate help overcoming temporary financial difficulties, a community health clinic, food, shelter, addiction prevention programs, affordable housing options, employment resources, support groups and many more such scenarios. 2-1-1 has the answers. As a statewide provider of information and referral for health and human services, Wyoming 2-1-1 understands that finding help with resources can often be confusing and intimidating. 2-1-1 gathers information on resources from across Wyoming so we can help remove that barrier by being a one-stop source of information. Session 3 Breakout EDU is a puzzle-solving platform that can be used online or in person. Come learn about developing classes or programming around this interactive educational game. Session 4 We’re surrounded by health information from the evening news, the social media channels we engage with, and the websites we visit. Regrettably, the COVID-19 pandemic has been described as a “perfect storm” for misinformation to take hold. This presentation will discuss the current understanding of misinformation and disinformation. It will provide attendees with the opportunity to understand and identify mis/dis information and provide techniques to combat such information. Special attention will be placed on social media posts and other forms of unverified/misleading information. Online resources will be demonstrated to help library staff address issues of health mis/dis information and ensure patrons are referred to high quality health information. Some specific resources that will be demonstrated include MedlinePlus, Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), and clinicaltrials.gov. Participants will also have opportunities to share their experiences with health dis/mis information. Network of the National Library of Medicine Region 4 staff members will be able to further guide specific questions and issues that have arisen during the pandemic. Session 5 Don't let distance or age keep you from learning and teaching new creative skills. Learn how the Lincoln County Library System adapted the Lifetime Arts Creative Aging program to have professional artists teach pottery, oil painting, and cell phone photography to six libraries in a hybrid environment. 11:30–12:20 pmBreakout Sessions Session 1 Session 2 Basic book repair for public and school libraries. Repair pages, secure bindings, tip in pages, fix corners, tricks for lining up text blocks and more. A demonstration of tools that can be fabricated inexpensively that makes book repair easier. Discussion on triage and restoration methods and a question-and-answer period. Tool kits will be available if you would like to bring a book that needs help. Session 3 Society sometimes views the incarcerated population as a monolith. Incarcerated library patrons all have one thing in common: they are all inmates. Aside from this, though, they are a multifaceted, diverse population. They follow different religions, embody a variety of gender identities and sexualities, ascribe to numerous political beliefs, live life with different disabilities, and, naturally, read library materials from across a multitude of topics and genres. Like all library professionals, prison librarians are tasked with responding to the diversity in our library communities in a healthy and productive manner. This program will encapsulate the lessons learned about embracing diversity within prison walls and make them applicable to whatever library environment you may find yourself in. Session 4 Get ideas for fun cybersecurity nights with games, locally made videos, and more. CyberWyoming Alliance will demonstrate some fun games to incorporate, review the Cyber in a Box Library program and show some School Video Challenge videos that local students created. During the 2021-2022 School Year, students formed teams throughout Wyoming to create entertaining cyber safety videos through the Cyber-in-a-Box School Video Challenge. Session 5 Finding varied cultural experiences in a frontier Wyoming community can be almost impossible. Tackle this lack of experiences in your community with a hybrid cultural teaching program for all ages. This program features highlights of varied global communities to that include geography, history, language, religion, food, art, music, pop culture, a day in the life, animals, and readers advisory. The program also offers correlating STEAM activities without culturally appropriating or stigmatizing individuals. With a little research and a little know-how with Google Apps, you can fill this vital need, without the costs of expensive speakers. 12:30 pmAuthor Luncheon with Zak Pullen Pullen's picture-book illustrations have won awards and garnered starred reviews. He has been honored several times with acceptance into the prestigious Society of Illustrators juried shows and the Communication Arts: Illustration Annual, best in current illustration. He will reflect in his process, his favorite works, and upcoming projects. POST-CONFERENCE 1:30-4:30 pm |
