Annual Conference is in three short weeks. Of course, we're excited to hear from Roberta Kaplan, Gloria Steinem, Sarah Vowell, Nick Offerman and a long list of other greats. We'll also be checking out a slew of fascinating programming-related sessions. Check out our picks below. Have other suggestions? Share them in the comments.
Friday, June 26
8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Learn about resources available from ALA and StoryCorps to jumpstart your own StoryCorps-style oral history project in your library. StoryCorps will lead this hands-on workshop, offering practical tips for recruiting participants, bringing out the best stories from patrons, and ensuring that your oral history and storytelling programs are a success.
8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Explore the North Beach, Golden Gate Valley, Ortega, Potrero and Bayview branches of SFPL. Tours will begin at the Moscone Convention Center.
Saturday, June 27
Four sessions beginning at 8:30 a.m. (Attend one or multiple sessions.)
All communities have challenges. Librarians are uniquely positioned to help conquer them — given the right tools. Through four hands-on sessions, Harwood Institute coaches will show you how to leverage your trusted position in the community you serve to engage people on issues that matter to them. Each stand-alone session focuses on a single tool; taken together, they become a powerful framework for engaging community and leading change.
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Learn about Next Chapter Book Club (NCBC), a successful book club model for engaging people with developmental disabilities in weekly, socially supported reading activity. NCBC has been implemented by 16 public libraries across the country and in Canada and was recently featured on ProgrammingLibrarian.org. Can’t make the session? Read more about the Next Chapter Book Club or register for a free webinar with presenter Linda Holtslander.
1 – 2:30 p.m.
Take your community partnerships to a new level: tap into regional STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) expertise through free resources and opportunities from the STAR Library Education Network (STAR_Net).
3 – 4 p.m.
Counting program attendance will never tell the holistic story of whether a program was a success or failure. Panelists will discuss different methods for measuring a program’s impact. Hear strategies from an academic library that ensures programs and exhibits support and add to the curriculum. Also learn about two public libraries and a school library system that use data to drive programming decisions.
4:30 -5:30 p.m.
The Programming Librarian Interest Group (PLIG) is a Member Initiative Group of the American Library Association. The group's mission is to bring together all types of librarians interested in public programming for their patrons. In this meeting, participants will review the new ProgrammingLibrarian.org website and also discuss logistical ways to “organize for success,” from creating workflows to tracking programs. Newcomers are welcome.
Multiple sessions
We asked for your feedback, and we got it! ALA is influential and great for networking -- but we can also be too complex, sometimes bureaucratic, and we send a lot of email. Well, we heard you loud and clear, and we are working on it. Help us stay on track. Through a series of “kitchen table conversations” at the 2015 Annual Conference, attendees will gather to dig deeper into the ALA member experience. Topics may include joining and renewing, reducing email “chatter,” and making sure you get the information that matters most to you. You do the talking; we’ll be there to listen, learn, and then act. Please participate in the conversation and help us shape a new ALA together.
Sunday, June 28
8:30 – 10 a.m.
NEH's Latino Americans project was developed to support the public’s exploration of the history and experiences of Latinos and how they’ve shaped the U.S. over the last 500 years. Project scholars and staff will speak about the humanities themes within WETA’s LATINO AMERICANS documentary series, including the diversity of immigrant experiences and the creation of Latino identities. We will also discuss the project’s use of documentary film to spark dialogue about the past, present, and future of Latino communities. In so doing, we will highlight the project’s national scope and significance.
8:30 – 10 a.m.
Interested in community engagement? Share ideas with like-minded library professionals at this meeting of the Libraries Foster Community Engagement Member Interest Group. Newcomers welcome.
9:15 – 10 a.m.
Fixit Clinic (www.fixitclinic.org) is a hands-on activity in disassembly, troubleshooting, and, (hopefully,) repair of broken household items. It's a natural fit for libraries, and we've held numerous successful events in libraries around the U.S.. The session will cover scheduling the event, recruiting volunteer “FixIt coaches,” event promotion and more.
10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
In Session 2, the Latino Americans project’s national outreach advisor, an oral history scholar, and a veteran programming librarian will offer guidance on forging local partnerships, conducting grassroots outreach, reaching diverse audiences with bilingual programming, and developing oral and local history programs in support of the project’s goals.
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Libraries are hubs for civic engagement. Learn about activities of ALA’s Center for Civic Life at this meeting of the center’s advisory committee.
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
In this session, researchers and library and information professionals will present research projects that have fostered organizational change and innovative practices in their institutions. Among the research projects presented will be the National Impact of Library Public Programs Assessment (NILPPA) led by ALA's Public Programs Office.
Monday, June 29
8 – 8:45 a.m.
Join the Palos Verdes Library District for a lively and interactive presentation on taking programs out into the community. We will explain what we’ve done at PVLD then lead a discussion exploring your ideas. If you don’t walk out of this session with at least one service to provide outside your library walls, a way to get started on an existing idea, or suggestions on how to get others on board, we’ll eat our Prezi.
2:45 – 3:30 p.m.
This won't be your average panel discussion. Yes, you will get the nuts & bolts of an innovative library program that draws lines of patrons 300 deep, but you will also see a true story performed live and get first hand accounts from program participants. Come find out about the Mill Valley Public Library’s Naked Truth, a library program that allows participants to become creators, not just consumers, of great stories (live and digital). Read more about Naked Truth in this Q&A with Mill Valley Public Library.
Multiple sessions
We asked for your feedback, and we got it! ALA is influential and great for networking -- but we can also be too complex, sometimes bureaucratic, and we send a lot of email. Well, we heard you loud and clear, and we are working on it. Help us stay on track. Through a series of “kitchen table conversations” at the 2015 Annual Conference, attendees will gather to dig deeper into the ALA member experience. Topics may include joining and renewing, reducing email “chatter,” and making sure you get the information that matters most to you. You do the talking; we’ll be there to listen, learn, and then act. Please participate in the conversation and help us shape a new ALA together.