LibLearnX will offer innovative and participatory education programs to help you learn, network, and find solutions. Attendees can expect a combination of different formats geared toward higher-level education conversation, hands-on interaction, and trend-scanning information.
LibLearnX is designed to be an active learning experience. With a variety of “session types” in assorted “topics” that support a range of instructional methods, you’ll explore experiential learning — “learning by doing.” From hands-on workshops to “bite-sized” informal offerings, you can create a schedule to match your learning style and objectives. The presentation of the annual Book & Media Awards, the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction, I Love My Librarian Award, and the Youth Media Awards will also take place during LibLearnX.
The very first LibLearnX will take place virtually from January 21 - 24, 2022. Register now!
What to check out at LibLearnX
While there are many sessions to choose from during the LibLearnX weekend, here is a list of sessions that might be of particular interest to you as a programming librarian.
Learning Lab: Ensuring Equity When Program Planning
Library programs are offered according to the naturally considered needs of the community and library members. To ensure your library programs are being offered equitably, revision is crucial: continuously reflect on costs, the types of programs, and the audiences. Relying on the same programs to meet each branch's unique needs is no longer enough! Start making data-driven programming decisions!
Learning Lab: Nature-Based Public Library Programming to Build Community
We will build a new framework to bring the mental and physical health benefits of nature-based programming to underserved urban areas to achieve goals including community-building and support, equity, environmental justice, and innovation through new app development. We will help to build community, working through traditional barriers to nature faced by marginalized communities and individuals, including safety, education, accessibility, and transportation.
We will learn how to bring programs such as stargazing, nature walks, outdoor exercise programs, community gardening and cooking classes, kayaking, birdwatching, foraging, and utilizing field guides to libraries which have been underserved in these areas.
Learning Lab: Mind the Gap: Looking for New Opportunities in Library Programming
Have you or your library been strategizing for new ways to deliver program content but have been coming up short? Are you always trying new ideas that keep falling flat? How does your organization decide which modality to use for which instructional or programming content? This session will help attendees identify the gaps in their library’s content catalog through careful planning, defining success for your library, and analyzing both your library’s needs and your patron's wants.
Learning Lab: Generating and Organizing Virtual Patron Engagement (and Doing It for Free!)
Have you created online content and virtual programming only to have it be used once and then disappear into the interwebs? Now that you’ve read that question, do you WANT to make that content? Are you looking to build an engaging and interactive webspace, but lack the technical skills and/or funds? Do you want permanent content storage that you can easily update yourself? No problem! Join staff from the Free Library of Philadelphia to learn how you can build a professional-looking site using freeware and a general knowledge of popular office software.
Ideas Xchange: Supporting Indie Authors
Indie authors have made up a majority of published authors for over a decade. Their unique narratives and ideas can push the boundaries of what's possible in literature and provide genuine accounts of local community life not possible in mainstream books. Led by Asst. Manager Tejas Desai, also a prolific and acclaimed indie novelist, Cambria Heights Library in New York City has become a pioneer in collection development, programming, and providing resources for independent authors. Joined by Manager Kacper Jarecki, he will lead an interactive discussion about how libraries can continue and expand its support for independent authors.
Ideas Xchange: Foundation & Formation: Literacy Outreach to Black Boys & Young Black Men
Seeking to eradicate the deficit narrative of the ‘Preschool to prison pipeline,’ this learning and idea exchange will share research, practice, programming, and leadership perspectives of facilitating single-gendered literacy models for Black boys and young Black men for libraries. This session will identify the gaps in services, policies, and leadership within the library profession to encourage asset-based approaches to operationalize outreach from storytime to teen programs, creating nurturing literacy spaces for young Black males. Insight about the Black male identity, the ‘library as place,’ leadership development, and culturally responsive programming is included and a timely, necessary discussion for libraries.
Learning Lab: Bringing the Census to the Community
The United States Census Bureau has a wealth of information about communities. As information professionals, we need to both refresh our skills in understanding the data the Census Bureau publishes and bring that expertise to community members that need it. This basic learning lab will help you prepare outreach or programming for your library community using data from the Census Bureau.
Learning Lab: New Challenges – and Solutions! – for Technology Skilling and Workforce Programming
Technology skilling and workforce programs need new strategies! How can libraries upskill older adults who are technology-resistant or unprepared for digital transformation? How can libraries engage Black and Latinx populations who suffered from longstanding inequities and are overrepresented among those with limited digital skills? How do we move beyond computer basics to give these learners the skills they need for tomorrow’s workforce? What are new strategies for teaching technology skills virtually, when you can’t be hands-on? In this highly interactive session, experts will share data on these challenges and lead short working sessions to solve these problems and share solutions.
Ideas Xchange: Designing Innovative Library Learning Experiences
In this session, you will learn how using visual planning tools can help to design an innovative library learning experience, but it will also create buy-in from key stakeholders within your library system. We will explore several visual tools for visioning, planning, designing, and launching successful learning projects faster and with greater quality. When you leave this session, you'll have the tools you need to save time, increase quality, and decrease stress when creating new and effective library learning experiences.
Learning Lab: Rags to Riches: Recycling Books for Fun, Fashion, and… Furniture?
A Crafty Bibliophile shows new and creative ways to turn old, worthless, decommissioned books into works of art, fashion accessories and furniture for fundraising and programming. Impress your supporters, decision-makers, and customers, and look cool and green at the same time!
ShopTalk: Comics Programming for Adults: Engaging Communities in Reading, Creating, and Storytelling
Comics have a long, complex history of use, neglect, disdain, and adoration in libraries, and this history remains at play today. While many libraries have fully embraced comics collections, particularly for children and teens, there is more to be done to fully embrace the medium. In particular, while adult comics collections are growing, programming and engagement with them remain a challenge. In this shoptalk, participants will get a rapid introduction to the world of adult nonfiction comics and come away with the tools to kickstart adult comics programming in their library.
