Speaker(s): Facilitator: Rhode Island Computer Museum

This workshop is for librarians who want to learn about the Raspberry Pi for possible new programming opportunities and makerspace activities for patrons. The Raspberry Pi® is a single-board computer developed in the UK by the Raspberry Pi Foundation with the intention of stimulating the teaching of basic computer science in schools. We will put together basic components; learn about input and output, basic python programming concepts and practices.

Come learn and play with our Raspberry Pi’s and help educate a new generation of programmers and electronics engineers! No experience necessary.

This workshop is being offered through a collaboration of Media Smart Libraries and the Digital Literacy Makerspace Working Group at Ocean State Libraries and is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Grant # LG-07-14-0045-14.

Registration required.

Intended Audience: Children and Teen Librarians, School Librarians

Speaker(s): Joe Ceterski, EBSCO Representataive

Are you using Explora? Want to learn more about EBSCO's latest go-to resource for student and patron research?

Joe Ceterski, our EBSCO training rep, will lead this session and show us how Explora supports both student research and classroom instruction with rich, reliable content and easy-to-use functionality. And if you are a library media specialist or work with students at the library after school, Explora is already integrated with Google Classroom! Explora is designed to meet the many unique needs of users!

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own devices. Some laptops will be available.

AskRI is Rhode Island’s Online Reference Center.

Registration required. Limited to 20 participants.

Intended Audience: LORI Library Staff

Speaker(s): Group Discussion

You have toddler dance parties and pre-k storytimes. And maybe you have a tween afterschool group and a teen library lock-in. But what about the kids who have aged out of storytime but are a few years away from middle school? We’ll discuss fresh ideas for serving kids ages 6-10 and will share our favorite programs for this age group.

Please come prepared to share at least one idea and bring along any flyers or PR materials that helped make your program a success.

Feel free to bring your lunch to enjoy during our discussion!

Registration required.

Intended Audience: Children's Librarians

Speaker(s): Group Discussion

“We have Google, why do we need librarians?” We have all faced this question. At a time when our President has proposed eliminating funding, school districts are cutting school library media positions, and academic libraries are having difficulty keeping fully staffed libraries, how do we answer this question? During small group discussions, we will gather the information and research we each use into a collective that we will share whole group at the end of the evening. After the conclusion of the program, a slideshow/pamphlet will be emailed to all participants that can be used for advocacy.

Please come prepared with research, flyers, or other materials that you rely on when answering the question of why we need librarians in today’s world.

This workshop is part of the Media Smart Libraries program which was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services Grant # LG-07-14-0045-14 and awarded to the URI Graduate School of Library and Information Studies. Attendance at this workshop could be applied to the Access & Use, Analyze & Evaluate, Create & Collaborate, Reflect, or Take Action digital.

Registration required.

Intended Audience:

Speaker(s): Group Discussion

We'll be discussing the newest in YA fiction. By May 11th, please submit titles you'd like to discuss to Brandi Fong (use subject line New Fiction) so they can be included on the reading list, which will be posted on the YART Reading and Resource page. Read as many of the books as you like and come prepared to share your own personal critique.

Registration required.

Intended Audience: Youth Service Librarians

Speaker(s): Christopher LaRoux, Director of Warwick Public Library will discuss the grant he received from the RI Foundation for a homebound program to mail library books and other media at no cost to patrons of the Warwick Public Library through the US Postal Service. Karen McGrath, Auburn Branch Librarian, Cranston will share information about the successful homebound program she's developed over several years through the Cranston library system. Andrew Egan, Regional Librarian, OLIS Talking Books Program, will talk about the new BARD, Braille and Audio Reading Download database, and other digital resources available through TBP. Maria Cotto, Children's Librarian, Pawtucket Public Library will share her expertise in planning, preparing and promoting sensory story times and other similar programs for children with special needs.

Reach out to those in your community who may have physical challenges, low vision, blindness or other challenges.

Bring your questions and share your ideas from programs you have provided at your libraries to meet the needs of the underserved in your community.

Registration required.

Intended Audience: Library staff