Do you know about the tools developed to support small businesses in RI? Join OLIS on Wednesday, January 29 from 1:30 to 3:00 PM at the South Providence Library to view a demonstration of the resources available in the RI Business Portal, including an exploration of the RI Business Data Hub. Kristen Cordeiro and Jessica Cigna from the Secretary of State's office will teach you what you need to know to support small business owners at your library. Please share with your colleagues in reference!

The next meeting of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion book club will be on February 12, 2020 from 1:30 - 3:00 PM at the West Warwick Public Library. Our next selection will be So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo. Join the group for a discussion about the book and how its themes relate to the library profession.

OLIS will hold two Census Solutions Workshops in January:

• Census Solutions Workshop I - January 15, 9:30 AM - noon, Jamestown Philomenian Library
• Census Solutions Workshop II - January 22, 9:30 AM - noon, East Providence Public Library

At these workshops, library staff will have the chance to develop ideas for Census 2020 outreach and learn more about Census outreach materials that will be available for free across RI. Libraries may use these workshops to develop proposals for the RI 2020 Census Outreach grants, a statewide, collaborative funding opportunity providing $1,000 - $25,000 grants through the RI Foundation to support outreach and educational events for the 2020 Census. The grant application deadline is January 31, 2020.

Whether you intend to apply for funding or not, the Census Solutions Workshops will help you develop actionable plans to provide Census 2020 Outreach. Visit the OLIS 2020 Census to learn more about why and how libraries should support the Census.

OCLC, PLA and IMLS have teamed up on the Public Libraries Respond to the Opioid Crisis project to explore and highlight the various ways in which public libraries around the country are choosing to respond to this national public health emergency. Resources include a summary report, 8 case studies (including the Barrington Public Library), and webinars.

To get involved locally, your library can request a free supply of Narcan nasal spray from Emergent Biosolutions Narcan Community Education, Awareness, and Education Resources. Free drug overdose training for library staff or the general public is available at NOPE-RI. Visit Prevent Overdose RI to learn more about RI's response to the opioid crisis.

The Libraries and Veterans National Forum is a two-day symposium to discuss strategies for supporting library patrons and library workers who are veteran or military-affiliated. Fifty library workers from a variety of library types and from around the country will be selected to attend the symposium, with travel and accommodations covered courtesy of a grant from the Insitute of Museum and Library Services. The Forum is scheduled for June 8-9, 2020 in College Station, Texas.

The Call for Interest in Attending will close on December 15, 2019, and selected participants will be notified in January 2020. Learn more and file your interest in attending at the Libraries and Veterans National Forum LibGuide.

The American Library Association (ALA) will provide $2,000 to school, public, academic, tribal or special libraries to expand community engagement efforts through the Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grants. Applications will be accepted between Dec. 2, 2019, and Feb. 3, 2020. Learn more about what activities are considered community engagement, and apply online at www.ala.org/LTCEG.

More from ALA's Libraries Transform Communities! Up to 25 travel stipends are available for small and rural library staff to attend in-person facilitation training at the ALA 2020 Conference in Chicago, along with additional online training and coaching specifically designed to meet the needs of small and rural libraries.

Applications are now being accepted and are due Monday, January 20, 2020. Learn more at the Libraries Transform Communities Facilitation Skills for Small and Rural Libraries.

To support healthy aging, the Tufts Health Plan Foundation provides grants to support inclusive communities to support older community members. Collaborative work in areas like social and civic participation and inclusion, and communication and information provide great opportunities for libraries to partner with local age-friendly organizations, senior centers, health providers or other community organizations serving the aging community. The application process begins in January; learn more at Tufts Health Plan Foundation Collaboration and Community Engagement. In the meantime, check out these other resources for helping your community's aging population:

• Age-Friendly RI
• RI Office of Healthy Aging
• RI Parent Information Network (RIPIN)
  

• ALA Midwinter / Symposium for the Future of Libraries (Philadelphia, PA, January 24 - 28)
  
• PLA 2020 Conference (Nashville, TN, February 25 - 29)
• Save the Date: RILA 2020 Conference (Bryant University, May 28 - 29)
  

• Doing the Work Externally and Internally: Race, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (WebJunction, December 5, 3 - 4 PM)

• Fostering Creative Community Connections (PLA, December 5, 2 - 3 PM)
  

• Outside the Box Programs (PLA December 12, 2 - 3 PM, fee required)
• #eBooksforAll Campaign Update (PLA, December 17, 2 - 3 PM)
  
• Community Health Challenges: Training, Language and Programming for Libraries (WebJunction, December 17, 3 - 4 PM)

• Applying Trauma-Informed Concepts to Reduce Harm: A PLA Social Worker Task Force Webinar (PLA, December 18, 2 - 3 PM, fee required)
  

NEA Big Read (January 29, 2020)

Rhode Island Census 2020 Outreach Grants (January 31, 2020)

Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grants (February 3, 2020)

Rhode Island Foundation (Varies)

January

National Mentoring Month

February

African American History Month

American Heart Month

March

National Deaf History Month

National Women's History Month

Pi Day (March 14)

Please contact me to share questions, comments or ideas for next month's newsletter!

Email: nicolette.baffoni@olis.ri.gov
Website: www.olis.ri.gov
Location: One Capitol Hill Providence RI
Phone: 401-574-9316
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/olisri/
Twitter: @olisri