Sessions will be held from 8:45am ’till 5:00pm CST on Thursday, February 28, 2013.
8:45-9:00am
Welcome to the Conference & Introductions
NLC & ARSL Staff
9:00-9:50am
I’m Gonna Make You Famous: Raising Awareness and Building Community on a Three-Inch Screen
Bob Barringer, The Schultz-Holmes Memorial Library (MI)
The Schultz-Holmes Memorial Library in Blissfield, Michigan produces the Blissfield Reads series of videos for its Facebook page. The first video, Blissfield Reads “The Raven,” doubled the number of people who liked the library’s Facebook page in 48 hours, doubling the number of people who get library updates from Facebook. The videos have become a local topic of conversation, which makes the library a topic of conversation. The program will focus on a step-by-step demonstration of the planning, recording, editing and marketing process for these videos which can cost little or nothing but time to produce.
10:00-10:50am
A Community Working Together
Natalie Bazan, Director, Hopkins District Library (MI)
The Hopkins District Library in the past year has gone from a fading building with old books and shushing librarians to a place full of life through working with our community, technology, media and a little bit of creativity. Any size library can do it! We will talk about pairing with schools, clubs, organizations, businesses, and how to secure funding to make this work.
11:00-11:50am
Making the Most of Facebook and Blogging: How to Use Social Media Effectively in a Small Library
Pam Wilson, Librarian, Dorothee Pike Memorial Library (SD)
Miranda Brumbaugh, Librarian, Platte Public Library (SD)
Social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and blogging, connects communities with up-to-the-minute happenings at libraries. It also provides users with an avenue for communicating with librarians and other patrons. Seventy-nine percent of the US population regularly access the Internet, and there are more than 1 billion Facebook users and 31 million bloggers nationwide. Discover how your small library can benefit from the two most popular forms of social media–Facebook and blogging.
12:00-12:50pm
Lightning Round Presentations. 10 minutes each in the following order:
Reaching New Readers Through Writing
Amy K. Marshall, Director, Craig Public Library (AK)
Small library, short-staffed, bummer of a budget. How to reach out to new potential patrons? Let the community know your library is a cradle of creativity! All it takes is a table or two, several plug-ins for their laptops, and a welcoming atmosphere. Start a writers’ group! Not sure how to get one off the ground? There are resources—FREE resources—and people willing and able to lend you their assistance. Check out this Lightning Talk on how to start one for kids, for teens, and for adults. It’s all within your budget, because it’s FREE.
Manor Ink: Library-based, Youth-led News
Peggy Johansen, Director, Livingston Manor Free Library (NY)
Manor Ink is a library-based, youth-led newspaper, in print and online at manorink.com. It was founded in the Livingston Manor Free Library (serving an upstate New York district of 3,483) in February of 2012. Manor Ink was born to provide teens with employment skills while giving the community a local news source. A core group of 15 young people ages 9 to 19 meet weekly in the library with dedicated adult mentors. In an era when local newspapers and small libraries are struggling, Manor Ink has brought vitality to both and an expression of hope to a careworn community.
Yoga @ The Library
Rossella Tesch, Director, Chadron Public Library (NE)
Yoga at the library started when several patrons discovered that I practice yoga. They asked the then library director if I could teach it and we inserted yoga in the summer adult reading program of that year. Later, the same group asked that we continued to do so. I have taught over 480 classes at the library so far and got over 2,500 patrons visits attending classes. Many of those that have attended classes have later on volunteer to help the library in other forms. Classes are totally free of charges and we provide bricks, mats and other equipment for patrons.
Kitchen Creations at the Library
Lee Schauer, Director, Rock Springs Public Library (WI)
Interested in a Maker Space at your library? Why not center it around food? After all, everyone eats, right? We are lucky to be attached to a Community Center kitchen, but that’s not really necessary to run food based programs. From homemade pasta to fermented fruit (read WINE), we’re exploring it all and patrons are creating awesome goodness right here at the library. Find out how we started and where it has led us over the last year and a half.
A Destination Library on a Dime
Wendy Brunnemann, Director, & Libbi Sykora, Assistant Librarian, Wall Public Library (SD)
Wall Community Library is housed in a small, historic building. Prior to our arrival in 2011 the goal seemed to be to put as many books as possible into this small space. The back door had been covered over in order to add more bookshelves, leaving a single door for egress. There was no place for hanging out; the space was cramped, unfriendly, and cave-like. This story tells how, in the time of reduced spending, we were able to make some small, inexpensive changes that packed a big punch and made our library an open, welcoming community destination!
1:00-1:50pm
Oldies Night @ the Library
Bob Jones, Milton-Freewater Public Library (OR)
Oldies Night @ the Library is different from most programs libraries do. It’s easy, it’s inexpensive, and it’s fun. It’ll attract people who don’t otherwise visit your library. It’s popular music of the not-so-distant past, which stirs up nostalgia and memories of high school years by taking you back to the days of Top 40 radio. You’ll need an oldies music junkie, some oldies recordings, a bit of stereo equipment, and a room. I’ll show you how we’ve combined those to create 3 hours of cheap, trashy rock ‘n’ roll once a month. You can, too!
2:00-2:50pm
Circulating Electronics: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly
Karen Lemke & Elizabeth von Tauffkirchen, Pine River Library (CO)
Since 2008, the Pine River Library has offered a variety of electronics to their patrons. Circulating laptops, eReaders, mp3 players, and more can be good, bad, and even downright ugly. But offering patrons the chance to learn about emerging technologies is priceless. From setting up a new program at your library, to augmenting an existing program, Karen and Elizabeth will share their best-practice tips for circulating electronics.
3:00-3:50pm
Programming on a Shoestring Budget
David Mixdorf, Director & Odessa Meyer, Children’s Librarian, South Sioux City Public Library (NE)
The South Sioux City Public Library provides around 1,500 programs a year with a programming budget of $3,000.00. How are we able to do it? We rely on donations, volunteers, and we have a staff that is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of our patrons. In the past three years program participation has increased from 2000 participants to 9000 participants. We will discuss the types of programs offered, recruiting volunteers, and how to receive donations or grants.
4:00-4:50pm
Small Information Campaign Gets Big Numbers at the Polls
Melissa Gardner & Katrina Arnold, Director & Trustee, Broadview Public Library District (IL)
In November of 2012 the Broadview Public Library District had a bond measure on the Ballot for $4.1 million to renovate and expand their current library. Despite having a community which was hit hard with the economic downturn the Library measure passed with an overwhelming 81% support. Both the Library Director Melissa Gardner and Library Trustee Katrina Arnold will speak giving two different perspectives on the various components of our informational campaign that lead us to this success. We did it with a few dedicated people and feel that others can do it too. Among other things we will share: Panning and the role it played, what publicity was put out, our door-to-door campaign, success and thanking the public, and next steps in the process and where we are now.