Adult Services News

The 2024 iREAD Summer Reading theme is: Read, Renew, Repeat.

Missed the webinar? View the recording to learn more about the theme and artwork. You'll also get a sneak peak of the 2025 theme and art! You can also vote for the 2026 iRead Theme tagline, and apply to participate in developing the manual for next year.

Access codes for the 2024 iREAD Manual have been sent out to each library's Summer Reading Contact (typically the Head of Youth Services or Children's Librarian). Each library may only use the code one time to gain access to the downloadable files. Once downloaded, the files can be stored and shared amongst the entire staff on a USB or in a Shared Documents network/repository. Please contact your library's contact for access to the files. If you are unsure who the contact in your library is, reach out to OLIS and we can let you know who it was sent to.

Wednesday, December 6, 5:30pm - 7:30pm

CCRI - Liston Campus Atrium, Providence

Cornucopia of Rhode Island welcomes you to attend the first annual CORI Mixer! They will be hosting special guest speaker Representative David Morales who will be discussing intellectual freedom and EDI in librarianship. Please join us for an evening with friends and colleagues.

MLIS students, non-professional library staff, and non-CORI members are encouraged to attend.

Tuesday, November 21, 2:00pm

Virtual

Join fellow Adult Services library workers for a discussion on Artificial Intelligence and our Libraries with a presentation from New Hampshire's Technology Librarian, Bobbi Lee Slossar.

Bobbi Lee Slossar is the Technology Librarian at the NH State Library with a great deal of experience with aspects of Artificial Intelligence. Ahead of the meeting, she has requested that you try your hand at various AI tools like ChatGPT, DALL-E, Midjourney, Otter.AI [otter.ai], etc. Having some experience with the tools will help the session feel less like “magic” and allow for an exchange of ideas and tips. Register

Want to host a meeting at your library? Sign up!

Wednesday, December 6, 2:00pm

Virtual

For long time partners or new NNN, this session is an opportunity to be (re)introduced to the FREE resources from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the FREE resources and services from the Network of the National Library of Medicine Region 7 (NNLM R7). These resources include health information databases like MedlinePlus and PubMed, and services including training, funding and more. Hear about new initiatives from R7 and potential opportunities to work together to support the communities you serve. Register

This one-hour webinar will introduce learners to library marketing terminology and concepts. Mark Aaron Polger will introduce beginners to the library marketing "umbrella" and explain the differences between the terms outreach, marketing, promotions, communications, publicity, and public relations (PR).

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From zero waste events to upcycling to refreshments, how we choose to carry out our work in libraries says a lot about our values. We can’t just pay lip service to sustainability—we need to practice what we’re talking about! This webinar will be an inspiring discussion with a panel of practitioners who have found ways to design, implement, and evaluate library programs using frameworks that better represent their library’s values, such as the triple bottom line definition of sustainability and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

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Libraries are catalysts and conveners for climate action in our communities. This webinar will feature practitioners who are having a collective impact through collaborations with others in the community, to address the pressing challenges related to climate change. Join these practitioners to hear practical ideas for how to ensure that good intentions have a positive impact on our communities.

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A round of LORI Project Grants from OLIS will be announced soon! Have an idea of a project for your library or community but need some funds to get it off the ground? Consider applying for a grant from OLIS! There will be two grant pools; mini grants totaling between $2,500 and $7,500 and large grants totaling $10,000 and $27,500.

All certified Library of Rhode Island (LORI) members are eligible to apply. Projects must align with at least one of the OLIS goals: Access, Learning, Engagement.

An announcement will be made on olis.ri.gov when applications open. Check back soon for more details.

Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities will offer more than $7 million in grants to small and rural libraries to increase the accessibility of facilities, services, and programs to better serve people with disabilities.

To be eligible, a library must have a legal area population of 25,000 or less and be located at least five miles from an urbanized area, in keeping with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) definitions of small and rural libraries.

Participating libraries will first conduct community input-gathering sessions to assure that their work aligns with local needs. Libraries will be required to identify the primary audience they are hoping to reach (e.g., homebound seniors, children with autism, Deaf community members) and facilitate a community conversation with the impacted populations in order to guide the improvement of the library’s services. Grantees would then use the funds to create services or improve their facilities based on the needs identified by their audience. Applications due Dec 11.