Did your library host a Summer Reading Program for adults in your community? We'd love to hear about it! Please consider filling out our short survey to understand the supports from OLIS that you engaged with, and what would be useful to you in the future.

Don't forget to share your statistics with your Director or summer reading contact (usually your Children's or Youth Services Librarian) for the Summer Reading section on the Annual Public Library Survey!

Does talking about policies sound less exciting than watching paint dry? Would you rather organize your junk drawer than review your collection development practices? If so, it's time to reframe how you think about these important tools as embodiments of our professional principles.

RILA's Intellectual Freedom Committee will host a two-part workshop with Martin Garnar this Fall:

• Part One: Wednesday, September 21st, at 4:00pm on Zoom
• Part Two: Wednesday, October 12th, at 4:00pm at Cranston Public Library

In the first session, we will share our experiences with current concerns about library resources and services and learn about best practices for library policies that support us in promoting intellectual freedom and social justice.

Register for Part 1

The New England Library Association will host its annual conference in person in Manchester, NH on October 23 - 25 with the theme: Back Together Again. Early bird registration pricing available now through September 9.

To encourage attendance, NELA offers 6 scholarships (one per state) to help librarians and library staff cover the cost of registration and the banquet (travel expenses are not supported). Applicants are required to be a NELA member (discounted with your RILA membership!), and preference will be given to first time attendees. All interested parties are encouraged to apply. Application deadline has been extended through September 9.

From Niche Academy: The core of library service is human interaction - whether between staff or with the public. Having a better understanding of what influences our behavior, and the behavior of others helps build empathy and improve our interactions. This basic understanding is the foundation of a trauma-informed approach to customer service. Learn more.

From Webjunction: Community-led planning is a strategy that invites community participation in service design and implementation by sharing power. Whether you’re creating a system-wide strategic plan, a single program, or anything in between, using community-led planning techniques can set you up for outstanding success. Discover the results of new research into how libraries can become more equitably community led. Then learn how to apply these concepts to create highly relevant, inclusive services for—and, more importantly, with—your community. Learn more.

From WebJunction: Learn how to apply reference skills to support community members through this civil legal turmoil and guide them toward positive outcomes. A legal aid attorney and a law librarian will share insights based on their personal disaster experiences to introduce library staff to civil legal issues that may arise during a variety of natural disasters. Learn more.

From Niche Academy: Join Nicole Cooke as she addresses the need for library professionals to engage in critical, or radical, self-reflection. In order to serve students and community members in a radical way, particularly during difficult times, we must first be in tune with ourselves and our own capacities for empathy, hospitality, love, honesty, candor, and imagination. Learn more.

In 2018, the Urban Library Council launched the Strengthening Libraries as Entrepreneurial Hubs initiative with the support of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. This initiative sought to understand the role public libraries play in nurturing and promoting entrepreneurship in their communities. Following a national scan, this work was deepened around a peer-learning cohort that piloted, pivoted, evaluated and scaled their local service models for entrepreneurs.

Over the last three years, the 12 library cohort informed a Leadership Brief, an interactive toolkit, the Business Value Calculator, a research study, and developed ecosystem maps. Learn more.

September 17 ~ "Explore the world through art and music!"

Hosted by the RI Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission, this unique festival bridges Rhode Islanders’ cultures and expressions of creative talent. Rhode Island heritage groups will present cultural exhibits, visual art, and craft demonstrations from all over the world. There will be food trucks offering an array of traditional foods and drinks. The children’s area will have free face painting, arts, and crafts.

The day begins with a parade of international flags from over 30 countries. Throughout the day dancers and musicians from various heritages will perform. This year’s festival will also include a multicultural fashion show featuring traditional and ceremonial clothing.

Libraries have been sent a flyer for the event through the delivery. Visit the event page to learn more information about this free event.

September 24 - 30

Climate Preparedness Week, is a week of learning, service, and actions to better prepare our communities for extreme weather events and the effects of climate change hosted by Communtities Responding to Extreme Weather (CREW). With a diverse variety of community-oriented groups coming together to host events and raise awareness of extreme weather threats, CREW provides resources and a space to think about how climate change impacts everyone, and how it disadvantages some communities more than others.

Programs include:

• RISING SEA LEVELS: PREPARING FOR BOSTON'S FUTURE
  
• SUSTAINABLE LIVING LIBRARY PROGRAMS
  
• INTERSECTIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS: HOW MASSACHUSETTS CAN STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA
  

Learn more, register for events, and sign up to be a partner at climatecrew.org/climate_prep_week_2022

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

Want support in your work? Schedule a meeting with me to talk through any ideas, projects, or challenges with your Adult Services work.

Email: emily.goodman@olis.ri.gov
Website: www.olis.ri.gov
Location: One Capitol Hill Providence RI
Phone: 401-574-9314
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/olisri/
Twitter: @olisri