Attend this webinar to learn a some highlights and trends from the data gathered in the 2018 Rhode Island Public Library Survey. How many people visited a public library? How many programs and how many attendees? Trends will be discussed with a look back at previous years’ data to see what usage is on the rise. Data will be presented in charts and infographics and attendees will be encouraged to discuss some of the possible reasons behind the numbers and what it could mean for future services and programs. Attendees will also learn where and how they can delve deeper into all the data collected in the annual survey.

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Limited space, staff, or budget? Experiencing low turnout for meticulously planned, heavily promoted teen programs? Passive, or self-directed, programming can be an opportunity to maximize your resources while still providing valuable learning and entertainment opportunities for teens. Join us for a discussion on the benefits and implementation of passive programming in your library. We'll share examples of passive programs and take a look at how passive programming brings together elements of connected learning.

Please bring an example of a passive program you have implemented, are planning, or have seen implemented elsewhere. Please include:

a program description a materials list and estimated cost set-up and space requirements a PR plan or PR materials how the program was or will be evaluated, and if there are any outcomes.

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Open Educational Resources (OER), which are free and openly-licensed learning materials, have the potential to increase access to learning by removing significant cost barriers. Following the announcement of Governor Gina Raimondo’s challenge in September 2016 to save Rhode Island students $5m over 5 years, the Rhode Island Open Textbook Initiative formed a steering committee, comprised of one librarian from each participating institution of higher education. Over the past two years and in conjunction with the Office of Innnovation, this group has rapidly expanded OER outreach and advocacy with faculty and administration, data collection, and self-education into the nuances of OER.

Panelists will share individual perspectives of how the initiative has worked from their unique vantage points (a public college, a private university, and the state government) and engage the audience in a discussion revolving around ways in which public libraries can get involved in supporting K-12 OER efforts, the level in which academic library resource sharing may be involved, and how librarians in general can be advocates of the open movement.

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Join fellow youth services librarians to share best practices for sensory storytimes and inclusive library programs and services. We will be discussing community connections, sensory activity ideas, and programs/services beyond storytime.

The Sensory Story Time Support Group is a grassroots community of practice developed and faciliated by Maria Cotto at the Pawtucket Public Library and Babs Wells at the Greenville Public Library. The Sensory Storytime Support Group seeks to empower youth services librarians to better serve children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families by expanding programming, outreach, partnerships, and resources that welcome all abilities. For more information about the Sensory Storytime Support Group please contact Maria Cotto at risensorystorytime@gmail.com.

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The Digital Innovation Roundtable will convene this full day mini-conference, bringing together community organizations with library staff serving all ages in any type of library for a full day exploration of all things Maker. You will engage in higher level discussions about how and why we should seek to build active makerspaces in our libraries while also having access to practical workshops on skills including creating 3D files and using a greenscreen. The full agenda will be posted about one month prior to the event, as early registration will drive the number and types of sessions offered! All are welcome, regardless of age served, library type and past participation in Digital Innovation Roundtable events.

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Mark your calendar for this one of a kind workshop exploring how implicit biases are a direct impact of the environment in which we shape our values. Youth services library staff are invited to examine their own implicit bias and its effect on services to youth through this hands-on workshop facilitated by Rhode Island teens trained by Diversity Talks.

About Diversity Talks:

Diversity Talks offers in-person professional development led by students in order to ultimately strengthen student-educator relationships. Diversity Talks fosters a healing space for students and educators to have culturally relevant and responsive conversations in the classroom with proven results in the following areas: building trust, fostering a space for difficult conversations, raising awareness of racial & cultural differences, improving morale, strengthening student-educator relationships, and increasing parent engagement.

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The goal of this full day professional development seminar is to provide library personnel with an understanding of how to create a strategic plan and the tools that can be applied to effectively carry out that process. For example, one focus of the session will be devoted to a SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats). Thorough examination of the external and internal organizational environment informs institutions of what is being done well, where resources and challenges exist, the areas in which programs might be adjusted and where new programs can be created. This content informs the strategic plan, clarifying goals and objectives. The most effective plans include ways to monitor progress and assess impact. The document then serves as a guide for upper management and staff to implement programs and manage the organization.

Upon completion of the seminar, participants will be able to:

• Define strategic planning and distinguish it from long range planning
• Describe the strategic planning process
• Illustrate the potential value of the process for the organization, in particular a shared vision, mission, with common goals and strategies
• Describe the tools of the strategic planning process
• Explore some of the library’s values, it’s vision and mission
• Experience using some of the strategic planning tools such as a SWOT analysis
• Examine strategies to guide the organization to reach the vision
• Work with creative techniques such as mind mapping
• Identify specific criteria that can be used for evaluating strategies such as appropriateness, feasibility, timing, etc.
• Experience writing at least one objective that is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound)
• Describe an action plan for strategy implementation

This program is developed specifically for the public library leadership with Barbara Grota, Director of the RWU Leadership Institute and James H. McCormack, Faculty Lecturer at Bentley University. Registration is limited to public library directors and/or managers, one per library. We encourage you to register as soon as possible as seating is limited. Contact Chaichin Chen for questions.

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Millennials have been accused of killing a lot of industries, from home ownership to breakfast cereal to napkins(?!) and yet a recent PEW research study has shown that Millennials were the most likely generation of adults to have used a library, visited a library website and even to have simply read a book in the past year. How can libraries expand on services and programs that bring in Millennials lest we go the way of the diamond industry and family restaurant chains like Applebees? Join fellow programming librarians as we dig in to the trending topic of "Emerging Adulthood" to discuss what being a Millennial even means and brainstorm programming ideas designed for this particular population.

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