Tag Archives: ARSL

Fern V. Heim Trustee Scholarship: Applications Open!

Posted on June 26, 2024 by Holli Duggan

Apply for an individual $500 scholarship to attend either the NLA 2024 Conference in Kearney on October 9th-11th or to the ARSL 2024 Conference in Springfield, MA on September 11th-14th!

The Fern V. Heim Scholarship for Trustees was established by her friend, Mary Louise Dutcher, to honor Fern’s dedication to small public libraries and their trustees. Although Fern’s library career began in special libraries (Head of the UNL Chemistry Department Library, Serials and Circulation Departments of UNL Love Library, and then Director of the Research Library at Goodrich Tire and Rubber in Akron, Ohio), her work at the Nebraska Library Commission was devoted to public libraries. Recognizing that few small library budgets could provide support for librarians, let alone their volunteer trustees, to attend professional meetings, she encouraged them to go whenever possible (at their own expense) if only for a portion of the meeting. As her legacy, it is fitting to assist those trustees through this scholarship program.

The Fern V. Heim Scholarship Award was established to provide assistance to current public library trustees with preference to members of the Nebraska Library Association Public Library and Trustee Section (PLTS) for attendance at the Nebraska Library Association Conference or the Association for Rural and Small Libraries Conference.

Applications due by August 16, 2024!

For more details and application:

Please submit all grant application forms and questions to:
Holli Duggan

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Only One Week Until Big Talk From Small Libraries 2024!

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Christa Porter

Small libraries! Awesome ideas! FREE Online Conference!

There’s only one week until Big Talk From Small Libraries 2024!

Check out the full schedule and register to join us next Friday, February 23.

Sponsored by the Nebraska Library Commission and the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL), this free one-day online conference is tailored for staff from small libraries – the smaller the better! Each of our speakers is from a small library serving fewer than 10,000 people. This event is a great opportunity to learn about the innovative things your colleagues are doing in their small libraries.

Everyone is welcome to register and attend, regardless of how big or small your library. But, if your library serves a few hundred to a few thousand people, this is the day for you!

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ARSL 2023 needs YOU: Conference Session Proposal Submissions NOW OPEN!

Posted on March 31, 2023 by Christa Porter

From ARSL:

Request for Proposals: 2023 ARSL Conference Sessions

ARSL Conference | September 20-23, 2023 | Wichita, KS

This year’s conference theme is “Unite & Ignite”! Our conference provides an opportunity to unite as a professional community and foster a sense of togetherness across a nation of small but mighty libraries. When we come together to share and learn we’ll light fires of innovation and change that can burn bright all year long.

The Request for Proposals (RFP) for 2023 ARSL Conference Sessions is now open!

Are you a community engagement superstar? Have a storytime formula that can’t be beat? Do your reader’s advisory recommendations always hit the mark? We need YOU to present at ARSL 2023! The program presenters are the heart of the conference, bringing valuable skills and experience to share with fellow attendees.

Submission Deadline: April 25, 2023, 5:00 pm CT  Submit a Conference Session Proposal  

Ready to get started? Download the sample RFP form to preview the questions. Check out our Tips for a Great Program Proposal to help polish your submission!

New this year: Pop-Up Program Demos If the thought of lecturing at the front of the room turns your legs to jelly our pop-up program demos might be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for! These 20-minute sessions will give presenters the opportunity to demo a craft or other library program piece for small groups of attendees. These practical, actionable demo sessions will let programming pros share their ideas in a less intimidating, more familiar environment. Special consideration will be given to pop-up demos that incorporate intentional accessibility for patrons of different ages and ability levels.

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Only One Week Until Big Talk From Small Libraries 2023!

Posted on February 18, 2023 by Christa Porter

Small libraries! Awesome ideas! FREE Online Conference!

There’s only one week until Big Talk From Small Libraries 2023!

Check out the full schedule and register to join us next Friday, February 24.

Sponsored by the Nebraska Library Commission and the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL), this free one-day online conference is tailored for staff from small libraries – the smaller the better! Each of our speakers is from a small library serving fewer than 10,000 people, and they are from both academic and public libraries. This event is a great opportunity to learn about the innovative things your colleagues are doing in their small libraries.

Everyone is welcome to register and attend, regardless of how big or small your library. But, if your library serves a few hundred to a few thousand people, this is the day for you!

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ARSL Conference Early Bird Registration

Posted on August 6, 2021 by Christa Porter

Get Ready for The Biggest Little Library Conference!

Early Bird Registration for the 2021 Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) Conference is open! The conference will be held at the Nugget Resort in Reno/Sparks, Nevada, from October 20-23. From now through August 24 August 17 conference attendees can register at reduced Early Bird rates.

Early Bird Registration Rates:

  • ARSL Members: $275
  • Nonmembers: $350
  • Advocates*: $225

After August 24 August 17 attendees can register at the regular registration rates.

Regular Registration Rates:

  • ARSL Members: $350
  • Nonmembers: $425
  • Advocates*: $275

*Advocates include library Trustees, Board Members, Friends, and Volunteers.

Preconference workshops are back for in-person attendees this year! These workshops are priced separately from general conference attendance and will take place on Wednesday, October 20. Check out the Program Descriptions page for full workshop details!

4-Hour Workshops (8:30 AM – 12:30 PM) | ARSL Members: $65 | Nonmembers: $85

  • Tools For The Good Life
  • Backyard Explorers: Citizen Scientists in Training at the Library
  • Library Space: A Planning Resource for Librarians

3-Hour Workshops (2:00 PM – 5:00 PM) | ARSL Members: $50 | Nonmembers: $70

  • The Post-Pandemic Library: What Will Be Different?
  • Measuring the Digital Divide
  • Effective Staff Development on Any Budget: Learn Something New Every Day
  • Misinformation Escape Room

There will also be a limited selection of virtual offerings for those who can’t make the trip this time.

Virtual Attendance Rates:

  • ARSL Members: $50
  • Nonmembers: $75
  • Advocates: $25

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Apply for a Continuing Education Grant!

Posted on August 11, 2020 by Holli Duggan

There’s still plenty of time to apply for a Continuing Education (CE) grant to attend the ARSL 2020 virtual conference!

ARSL logo: airplane in front of SOAR with libraries, Sharing Our Amazing Resources

You can now see the detailed program schedule, as well as the session descriptions on the conference website. Keynote speakers include William Ottens, Cassandra Campbell, and Nancy Pearl. Sessions will also be recorded and available to registrants after the conference, so you won’t have to worry about missing anything!

Nebraska public librarians, library board members, and library students have a terrific opportunity with this virtual professional conference. Each grant recipient will be reimbursed for the costs of attendance, including conference registration and mileage (if traveling to a host library). Librarians, board members, and students may apply for an individual grant. Since ARSL is offering a group registration rate, library directors may apply for a group grant.

More details and the application forms are all available now on the Continuing Education and Training Grants 2020 page.

If you have any questions at all, please contact Holli Duggan, CE Coordinator.

Important Dates:

  • Aug. 31: CE Grant Application Due Date
  • Sept. 4: Recipients Announced
  • Sept. 28 – Oct. 2: ARSL Conference
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ARSL Conference Scholarships Now Available from the Nebraska Library Commission

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Laura Johnson

Nebraska public librarians have a terrific opportunity to attend a national professional conference this fall–right in their own backyard!  Because we think this is such a great opportunity, the Nebraska Library Commission is offering grants to Nebraska public library staffers to attend the Association for Rural and Small Libraries Conference, September 25-28 in Omaha.  The grants will cover virtually all the expenses of attending the conference—registration, mileage, lodging, and meals.

Grant applications are due by July 3 changed to July 12, and we’ll let you know by July 19 if you’ve received a grant, so you’ll have plenty of time to plan.  Apply as soon as you can at:  http://nlc.nebraska.gov/grants/ce/.

If you have any questions, please contact  Laura Johnson 800-307-2665, 402-471-2694.

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