Libraries Learn

Outreach Series: Session Seven - Collecting Data in Outreach and Community Assessment
2021-10-19 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Denver)
Session Archive
Session Slides (PPT)
This is the seventh in a series of eight sessions all dedicated to Outreach Librarianship.
Learn about the different types of library data collection and use. Learn how to integrate data reports to make understanding and viewing data easy. Learn about how we use data sources to perform community assessments.
While this session can stand on its own, if you are new to Outreach, please consider viewing all eight sessions.

Foundations of Outreach
Mobile Services
Outreach Services
Virtual Services
Event Services, Community Conversations, and Feedback Loop
Community Partnerships
Collecting Data in Outreach and Community Assessment
Outreach Advocacy

About the presenters:
Brittany Raines is the MOVE Manager at High Plains Library District. She started as a Page in 2013 and then held multiple positions in the Outreach Department. In 2020, she became the Outreach Manager, and, in the summer of 2020, the Events and Experience team was added to the department and the department officially became MOVE (Mobile, Outreach, Virtual and Events/Experiences). Brittany has a B.A. in Sociology and an MLS from Emporia State. She enjoys building data systems to assist in the evaluation of MOVE’s library services. Brittany loves to garden in her free time.
Rick Medrano is the Patron Services Supervisor for the Erie Community Library Branch of the High Plains Library District. Rick started in libraries in 2010 at the Salida Regional Library before moving to Greeley. At HPLD, he has served in a variety of positions including paging, working in the Virtual Library and Mobile Services department, and as an Outreach Librarian. As an Outreach Librarian, Rick focused on connecting transitional and reentry populations with library services and in formalizing data collection and analysis processes with the MOVE Department. He has passion for serving underrepresented populations, library advocacy, and service evaluation. Rick holds BAs in Sociology and History from the University of Northern Colorado, an MA in Sociology (Applied Emphasis) from the University of Northern Colorado, and an MLS from Emporia State University.
Megan Lowery is the Mobile Services Supervisor in the MOVE department of HPLD. Megan started her library career as a Library Associate substitute in 2015 at the Lincoln Park branch. She quickly worked her way through various positions, including Library Associate at the Riverside Branch and Outreach Librarian. Megan has a B.S. in Rangeland Ecology with a concentration in Restoration Ecology, a M.S. in Rangeland Ecosystem Science, and an MLIS from Texas Women’s University. Libraryland is a second career for Megan, and she has truly found her calling! In her rare spare moment, you will find Megan with a book in her hands or even listening to an audiobook while doing other chores.

Outreach Series: Session Eight - Outreach Advocacy
2021-10-26 12:00 - 13:00
Session Archive
Session Slides (PPT)
Introducing MOVE Video
This is the last in a series of eight sessions all dedicated to Outreach Librarianship.
Learn about advocacy in Outreach Librarianship, its importance, different types of advocacy, and some easy ways to do it.
While this session can stand on its own, if you are new to Outreach, please consider viewing all eight sessions.

Foundations of Outreach
Mobile Services
Outreach Services
Virtual Services
Event Services, Community Conversations, and Feedback Loop
Community Partnerships
Collecting Data in Outreach and Community Assessment
Outreach Advocacy

About the presenters
Rick Medrano is the Patron Services Supervisor for the Erie Community Library Branch of the High Plains Library District. Rick started in libraries in 2010 at the Salida Regional Library before moving to Greeley. At HPLD, he has served in a variety of positions including paging, working in the Virtual Library and Mobile Services department, and as an Outreach Librarian. As an Outreach Librarian, Rick focused on connecting transitional and reentry populations with library services and in formalizing data collection and analysis processes with the MOVE Department. He has passion for serving underrepresented populations, library advocacy, and service evaluation. Rick holds BAs in Sociology and History from the University of Northern Colorado, an MA in Sociology (Applied Emphasis) from the University of Northern Colorado, and an MLS from Emporia State University.
Rosa M. Granado is an Associate Director of MOVE for the High Plains Library District (HPLD) located in northeastern Colorado. She believes that although Outreach is one of the most misunderstood facets of public library services, it is also one of the most rewarding and impactful ways we can serve the community. Rosa started in public libraries as a Page, working her way up to an Outreach Librarian. She served as the HPLD Outreach Manager for three years before moving into her new position. Rosa holds a Bachelor of Science in English from the University of Northern Colorado, a Master of Arts in School Library Instructional Leadership from the University of Colorado, Denver, and a Master of Management and Library Information Sciences from the University of Southern California.
Dr. Matthew Hortt is currently Executive Director of the High Plains Library District and has been the City Librarian for the City of Santa Clarita Public Libraries and the Director of the Simi Valley Public Library. He has nearly twenty years of progressive experience in public libraries working at all levels in Colorado, Nevada, California. He holds a Master’s Degree in Library Science from the University of North Texas and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Public Affairs from The University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Hortt has experience in library safety/security, policy writing, strategic planning and construction project management. He has a passion for library advocacy and focuses on fundraising, working closely with Library Friends and Foundation groups to diversify fundraising activities.

Creating Online Escape Games with Google Forms
2021-11-09 12:00 - 13:00
Session archive
Session Slides (PDF)
Demo Escape Room
Demo Back End
Escape games are an awesome way to interact with patrons, whether libraries use them for programs or for orienting users to the library. In this session, participants will learn how to map out an escape game and how to implement it online using Google Forms and Zoom. Participants will receive resources for both creating a game and converting a face to face escape game to an online format.
About the Presenter:

Courtney Drysdale joined the Regis University library faculty in 2016 as a Research and Instruction Librarian. A former high school math teacher and elementary school teacher librarian, she enjoys teaching information literacy classes and working with students and faculty on research individually. She is the liaison to Education, Math, and Chemistry and coordinates the library’s virtual reference service.

Quick Bites: Reflective Practice for Early Literacy Staff
2021-11-30 12:00 - 12:20
Session archive
With full calendars and very full plates, sometimes it can be challenging to find time to set goals, evaluate progress, reflect on our own learning, and refine our vision. But integrating time for reflective practice into your work has many potential benefits for you, your staff, and the community you serve. Join Kate for a quick look at some simple strategies for leveraging reflective practice as early literacy library staff.

Why Teams Fail (and How to Foster Success)
2021-12-16 12:00 - 13:00
Session archive
Session Slides (PPT)
Resources (DOC)
Playbook
Collaboration and teamwork are inherent to most work environments. Libraries are no exception. What has been your experience working with or leading teams? Did that team operate in harmony and crank out results? Maybe you’ve had the opposite experience or a mixed bag. In this interactive session, we will explore drivers of team success and failure and how to put that knowledge to use. We will cover:

Common causes of team dysfunction
Strategies to address counterproductive behavior
Establishing boundaries and setting goals

Learners will walk away with knowledge that can be applied immediately and resources to digest at their own pace.

Tiffanie (she/her) has worked in Colorado libraries for 15 years. She is the Associate Director of Library Services and the Electronic Resources & Serials Librarian for Western Colorado University. Tiffanie enjoys the variety and challenge of her profession and finds working with post-secondary students to be some of the most rewarding moments of her day. An avid tabletop gamer, Tiffanie is the advisor to the student gaming club and hosts a weekly board game night in the library.

Katie Crawford has been the Head of Access Services at the Leslie J Savage Library for the last two years. When she is not nerding out about all things library, you can find her trying to professionally develop her student team

Grow Your Own Library Staff: Creating Professional Development Paths for Non-Degreed Librarians
2022-01-25 12:00 - 13:00
Session Archive
Session Slides (PPT)
Session Handouts

Environmental Scan Worksheet (Word)
Outline for Modules (PDF)
Example: History and Foundations (PDF)
Example: Reader’s and Reference Advisory (PDF)
Example: Collections (PDF)
Training topics brainstormed during the session (PDF)

What is your professional development plan?
Does your organization have one?
Is it ad hoc, whatever is available and needed for the day?

Join us for this session to identify or evaluate what your organization can realistically provide for staff learning opportunities.
For small or rural communities with limited budgets, positions may not draw someone with an MLS, MIS, or MLIS, but that doesn’t mean your community isn’t expecting that knowledge. The program is divided into four sections:

Identifying priorities
Environmental scan
Developing an online knowledge base
Implementation and review

For each section, attendees will lay the groundwork for their own organizations and then see a case study of how the Grand County Library District did the same.

Anna Szczepanski, MLIS, is CLiC’s Western Regional Consultant. She has over 20 years of experience working in public and school libraries in Colorado and Guatemala. She loves seeing what is over the next hill, be it a mountain vista or an innovative library trend.

Polly Gallagher, executive director of Grand County Library District, joined the library world in 2018. Committed to education and community, the library provided a balance as she stepped out of a career in public education and human resources.

Quick Bites: Executive Function: Learning How to Learn
2022-04-12 12:00 - 12:20
Session Archive
Helping caregivers understand why executive function is important in early childhood and how they can support executive function skill development for the children in their care is a powerful service library staff can provide their communities through their collections, spaces, and programs for young children. Join Kate for a brief introduction to executive function skill-building in the library, a few simple ideas to help you expand or get started on including these skills in your work right away and select resources for learning more about the impact of executive function on lifelong learning.

Learn how a Continuity of Operations Plan Creates a Roadmap to Meet Community Needs No Matter What
2022-04-14 12:00 - 13:00
Session Archive
Session Slides (PPT)
Session Handouts (PDF’s)
Hazards

Hazards Example
Hazards Worksheet

Essential Functions

Essential Functions Example
Essential Functions Worksheet

Identify Roles

Identify Roles Example
Identify Roles Worksheet

Did you wish you could have had a roadmap for your library? A Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) plan can be that for you. While generally used for natural disasters they can also be implemented for anything that disrupts library.
In this session you will learn how a COOP can help not only with fires, pandemics, or cyber-attacks, but also in planning to provide uninterrupted services at any time. This will be an interactive session; participants will leave with a framework for providing services.
Julianne Rist is a library leader with a broad range of experience, passion and commitment to transforming communities, and a vision to keep libraries relevant in the 21st century. As Director of Public Services for Jefferson County she has piloted new services and redesigned four library buildings. She served as the pandemic chief for the library’s Covid19 pandemic response and was in charge of the gradual return for in person services.

Padma Polepeddi as the Assistant Director of Library Experience at Jefferson County Public Library, oversees offsite services such as the bookmobile and library locations. She is also responsible for strategies for services geared towards diversity and inclusion, serving children, families, teens, adults, seniors, and underserved populations. Padma has a doctorate degree from Emporia State University and her dissertation is on library hesitancy and information seeking behavior of English speaking immigrants using public libraries.

Lizzie Gall is an Assistant Director of Library Experience at Jefferson County Public Library where she oversees physical and digital customer touch points, materials handling, and daily operations for JCPL’s 10 locations. Prior to this role she led Youth Services at Grand Rapids Public Library in Michigan and worked in Collection Development and Adult and Reference Services. When she’s not at the library, Lizzie enjoys skiing, backpacking, and other outdoor adventures.

Quick Bites: Serving Spanish Speaking Caregivers
2022-04-19 12:00 - 12:20
Session archive
Join Claudeth Castellanos from the Loveland Public Library and explore best practices for supporting Spanish speaking parents and Family, Friend, and Neighbor caregivers. All children can develop early language and literacy skills in a culturally responsive library environment focused on caregiver support.
We will showcase successful approaches to bilingual storytime, books, and outreach, as well as the new Play, Learn, and Grow video, now available in Spanish.

Leading with Emotional Intelligence: Become an Emotion Scientist
2022-08-03 12:00 - 13:00
Session Archive
Session Slides (PPT)
Playbook and Resources (Word)
Did you know that emotions drive nearly every aspect of our work and personal lives From decision making, to performance, to our relationships with others, our emotions can have a profound impact. Join us as we discuss the science behind our emotions, the importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace, and how we can all learn to harness the power of our emotions as leadership tools.

Quick Bites: Growing Readers with a Growth Mindset
2022-08-23 12:00 - 12:20
Session archive
When we have a growth mindset, we believe that intelligence and skill is tied to hard work rather than talent. Our mindset has lifelong impacts on how we learn and face challenges, from the challenge of learning to read to adapting to a changing work environment. The way adults talk to children about ability and failure influences their mindset, and even as adults our mindset can shift and change. This session will review growth mindset research and introduce strategies to grow a growth mindset.

Quick Bites: Books for Beginning and Struggling Readers
2022-08-30 12:00 - 12:20
Session archive
References (Word)
Bookmark (Intended for download)
Books for Beginning Independent Reading
Parent Resources

Special guest Laura Lay
With the start of a new school year and new learning, students in the early stages of reading are working hard to apply what they’ve learned. We will talk about the reading stages that children progress through, reading vs. guessing habits, the joy of successful reading, and books to support different reading stages and different skills. Join special guest Laura Lay, Senior Literacy Consultant for the Preschool through 3rd Grade Office of the Colorado Department of Education as we explore strategies to support beginning readers at the library.

Media Mentorship in the Age of COVID: How libraries can help families navigate the challenging world of screen time.
2022-09-15 12:00 - 13:00
Session Archive
Session slides (PPT)
Resources
For years, librarians have been assisting families in making reading choices. How can we transfer those advisory skills to digital media – and feel confident in doing so? With screens now an ubiquitous part of our lives, librarians can and should help patrons navigate the digital and online space.
Learn the current research around screen time and young children, and how librarians can advocate for thoughtful use of media while respecting the challenges our families are facing. We will also talk about early learning media evaluation tools, review sites, and the new ALSC Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media Award.
You are a Reader’s Advisor, and you CAN be a Media Mentor too!
About the presenter
Mary Kuehner is the Early Literacy Outreach Librarian at Arapahoe Library District where she facilitates the Stories and More program. She has over 23 years’ experience working with young children and their caregivers and is a founding member of Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy.

Customer service: From transactions to transformations
2022-10-06 12:00 - 13:00
Session archive
Session Slides (PPT)
Transform Playbook (DOC)
Libraries and library staff have had to continuously adapt over the last two plus years while continuing to provide the services their customers needed. In this session, we will discuss all of the different ways we interact with our patrons, learn about a transformation model and how it applies to customer service, and brainstorm what we intentionally want to carry forward.

Planting Seeds for Success-FULL Focus Groups
2022-11-09 12:00 - 13:00
Session Archive
Session Slides (PDF)
Resources (PDF)
There are countless reasons why you might want to hear from your library’s community members but organizing a time for people to share their thoughts in a safe, structured environment can feel challenging. In many cases, conducting a focus group may be a great place to start. The goal of this webinar is to make designing and facilitating focus groups feel more accessible by discussing the following:

What focus groups are and how they can help your library engage community members
Tools and tips for designing focus groups and gathering participants
Skills for conducting inclusive, trauma-informed focus groups

We are looking forward to leading an engaging discussion on focus groups, by sharing what we have learned and listening to the audience’s experience and perspectives.
No registration is required for this webinar. We will be using Adobe Connect, and you can access the webinar on November 9 at noon MT via the URL listed below.

About the Presenter:
Sara Wicen is the Research Assistant for the Library Research Service of the Colorado State Library. She collaborates on a variety of research projects for CSL and Colorado libraries and writes informative blog posts on all aspects of evaluation. She loves to spend her free time outdoors running, biking, snowboarding or reading.

Quick Bites: Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) and Colorado’s Early Childhood Mental Health Support Line
2022-12-06 12:00 - 12:30
Session Archive
Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) is a service focused on increasing the capacity of caregivers and programs to effectively support young children’s social emotional and mental health needs and strengths.
Join Victoria Mendoza, MS, LPCC and Natalie Holifield, LCSW to learn more about Colorado’s no-cost, Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) services. Additionally, Victoria and Natalie will share information about Colorado’s Early Childhood Mental Health Support Line. Join us to learn more about how libraries can leverage ECMHC to support children, families, and communities.

Virtual Fall Youth Services Workshops
2023-01-10 13:00 - 15:00, 2023-01-17 13:00 - 15:00
Session Archives

Day 1
Day 2

Resources

Dementia 101 for Public Library Staff
2023-01-19 12:00 - 13:00
Session archive
Session slides (PPT)
More than 6 million people in the United States have dementia. Once you add in 15 million friends, family members, and caregivers, the numbers represent a significant segment of the population served by public libraries. This means that the dementia community is already in your library.
The question is not will you serve this community, but will you serve it well? Your staff encounters people with dementia daily.

Do they understand the behaviors they encounter?
Are they welcoming to this vulnerable group?
Do they feel empowered to provide services and programs that improve quality of life?

This interactive session will help public library staff understand dementia and develop effective communication strategies. It will also provide ideas about programs and services for this growing population of patrons.
About the Presenter
Amy is the Manager of Older Adult Services at the Denver Public Library, where she oversees all aspects of library service for people age 50+ across the library’s 28 branches. This includes programming, events, community partnerships, staff training, social inclusion, and outreach. Amy has pioneered a positive aging approach at the library, supporting older adults in lifelong learning, creative endeavors, and community connections. At the same time, she leads the library in addressing the real challenges people face as they age, including social isolation, homelessness, financial insecurity, dementia, and declining health. Amy has been nationally recognized for her leadership in this area of librarianship, being named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker in 2021. She has also spoken at numerous national conferences on the topic. Amy has been a librarian for 13 years and has worked in law libraries, neighborhood branches, and technology centers. Librarianship is her fourth career — after stints as a journalist, a lawyer, and a writer — and this is by far her favorite.

Shine-a-Light: Perspectives of a New Teacher Librarian
2023-01-19 16:00 - 17:00
Webinar Recording Request link
Join your Colorado K-12 library and teaching community for the next Shine-a-Light on Innovative Practices webinar Thursday, January 19, 2023 at 4:00 pm!
This month’s session “Perspectives of a New Teacher Librarian” features Telluride teacher librarian Dori Crowe as she shares lessons learned across her career as a classroom teacher in Chicago, then a preschool teacher, library paraprofessional, and now teacher librarian in Telluride, Colorado. In this interactive session, we will discuss the journey of what it’s like to be a new teacher librarian, the similarities and differences between urban and rural teaching, how to build community partnerships, and more
A reminder for K-12 teachers that you can earn a continuing education hour of credit by sharing a post-session reflection post with Suzi Tonini, Colorado State Library’s School Library Consultant, at tonini_s@cde.state.co.us.

How to Really Reach the Latino Community
2023-01-26 11:00 - 12:00
Session archive (brief Spanish introduction with the content in English)
In this presentation, we will explore how to build strong relationships with the Latino community before thinking about programing. Examples of specific needs that have been ignored in our community will be discussed, as well as how to create solid relationships with the community, and examples of programs that were developed based on the feedback provided by the Latino community.
About the presenter:
José Luis Bilingual Business Sustainability Coordinator for the city of Longmont who joined government after running his own business for over 10 years, where he experienced the different needs of small businesses and the challenges of being an entrepreneur in the United States. He is an engineer and has a BS in Computer Science from California Polytechnic State University.
José Luis offers a wide range of experiences and knowledge in business, processes with government agencies, and strategies to make small entrepreneurs more productive and successful in their businesses. His specialties include restaurants, construction, IT systems, and he is fully bilingual in both English and Spanish.

Just Don't Do It: Finally a session on how to say no at work!
2023-02-08 12:00 - 13:00
Session Archive
Session Slides – (PPT)
Just Don’t Do it Field Guide (Word)
Just Don’t Do It Flow Chart (Word)

Are you a people pleaser?
Do you feel guilty for not always going the extra mile?
Do you find yourself saying yes, only to regret it later?
Are you teetering on the edge of burnout, and things seem harder than they should because you have too much on your plate?

There is no badge of honor for always saying yes to more work. By learning to say no, you will learn how to say yes to your values, goals, and important relationships.
After attending this session participants will:

Understand why it is hard to say no.
Recognize that boundary setting is crucial for maintaining productive relationships.
Practice strategies and scripts for saying no respectfully.

About the presenters
As the Rural & Small Library Consultant for the Colorado State Library, Kieran is passionate about rural libraries. He has served as President of the Association for Rural and Small Libraries. He is known for his humor and high energy.

Currently working as the Professional Development Coordinator for the Colorado State Library, Christine Kreger is passionate about providing the tools, training, and support library staff at all levels need to provide amazing services to their communities.

Shine-a-Light Webinar: Be Prepared! How to Respond to Book Challenges
2023-02-16 16:00 - 17:00
Webinar Recording Request link
Book Challenges can be scary, overwhelming and personal. Join us with session facilitators Suzi Tonini (Colorado State Library at CDE) and Tiah Frankish (Adams 12 Library Services Coordinator), who will walk you through how to leverage your materials selection policy, procedures, and reconsideration process to reduce the fear of a book challenge. Practice with your colleagues across the state to respond to book complaints with confidence.

How We Got Hammered at the Library
2023-03-07 11:00 - 12:00
Session archive
Session slides (PPT)
In Fall of 2021 Lake County Public Library received a $25,000 grant from Colorado Housing and Finance Authority to start a tool library. The grant application was completed in partnership with Lake County Build a Generation.
In this session, we will discuss tool selection, tool purchasing, marketing, and the all-important policies and procedures. Additionally, as a Marmot library, we will discuss cataloging, the Booking Module in Sierra and how it functions in Pika.
This grant was a particularly good fit for our library because there are many older homes in our community in need of repair. In Leadville, 61 percent of housing units were built before 1940, and only 13 percent of homes have been built since 1980. Further, the median income is significantly lower than the state average. Therefore, this collection of tools is intended to bridge the need for those who cannot afford traditional repair options.
About the presenters
Brena Smith has been the director of Lake County Public Library since January 2018. My background is in academic libraries, but my heart has settled quite nicely into working in a public library. Being in a small community has allowed me to position the library to be a community partner that collaborates on fun and interesting projects!

Jeff Owsley is the Community Relationship Manager for CHFA (Colorado Housing and Finance Authority) in South Central Colorado assisting 9 counties with affordable housing and economic development. Prior to working with CHFA, Jeff was Director of the Small Business Development Center for the San Luis Valley and has other business and nonprofit management experience in Colorado Springs, Dallas, Austria and Albania, before returning to his six generation ancestral home of Alamosa in the San Luis Valley.

Kristi Galarza is a community organizer for affordable housing at Lake County Build a Generation. She facilitates multiple groups of community members to make the policy changes that support building more housing.

Learning to Read at School, Loving to Read at the Library
2023-04-05 13:00 - 14:00
Session archive
Session Slides (PPT)
Learning to read is one of the most important skills a person needs to be successful in school, work and life. Public Librarians and teachers have complimentary roles in the reading lives of kids. Teachers focus on teaching kids how to read, and I like to think that librarians focus on encouraging kids to LOVE reading and books. In this webinar, we will go over what science tells us about how kids learn to read, how public libraries can and do support this learning, and discuss ways to increase knowledge and collaboration between schools and libraries.
About the Presenter
Jess Hesselberg has worked as a Teacher Librarian, a public children’s librarian and as a library leader for over a decade. Her favorite storytime books are generally about underwear or similarly silly themes. She spends as much time as possible exploring the outdoors with her two kids and husband.

Homelessness 101 for Libraries
2023-04-06 11:00 - 12:00
Session archive
In this presentation, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless will provide a practical understanding of the state of homelessness on a national and local level, causes and consequences, and innovative solutions, including those provided by the Coalition. The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is a 38-year-old organization that advocates for and provides a continuum of housing and a variety of services to improve the health, well-being and stability of those it serves.
About the Presenter
Alexis Whitham(she/her) serves as the Director of Communications for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (CCH). She has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 15 years in Chicago, the Bay Area, and Denver. Prior to joining the CCH team, Alexis served as the Director of Communications and Grants for the Latino Community Foundation of Colorado and the Director of Distribution and Educational Programming for Frameline, a San Francisco arts non-profit. Her work in the sector has consistently centered those marginalized in policies, funding, and media—including people of color, transgender individuals, people experiencing homelessness, youth, and elders. Alexis graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Creative Writing and serves on the Board of Think360 Arts for Learning. She lives in the Whittier neighborhood of Denver with her fiancée and perfect cats.

Shine-a-Light: Autism is Welcome Here: Increase Access and Inclusion For Neurodivergent Youth
2023-04-20 16:00 - 17:00
Webinar Recording Request link
Transform your school and public library to support and engage autistic youth! Learn about the unique needs of autistic individuals and listen to feedback gathered from the autism community about their library experiences. Translate this information and input into concrete strategies to create an autism-friendly library climate, develop a collection with authentic and affirming representation of autism, and design programming to engage neurodivergent children and teens.
About the presenter
Suzi Tonini is the School Library Leadership Consultant for the Colorado State Library. Suzi holds a M.Ed. in Education from George Mason University and a M.A. in Information Learning Technologies and Teacher Librarian endorsement from the University of Colorado Denver. Suzi has more than twenty years of experience as an educator and seven years of experience as a librarian for Denver Public Schools and the state of Colorado.

Let’s Talk about Parental Leave
2023-04-27 12:00 - 13:00
Session archive
Session slides (PPT)
Research Survey Questions (PDF)
Selected quotes from the research (PDF)
Paid parental leave is still not available to the vast majority of people in the United States, including many librarians. In the spring of 2022, the presenter conducted a research study surveying academic librarian mothers about the availability of formal and informal policies related to parental leave.
Mothers were asked to indicate which policies were available to them, barriers to using these policies, and other insight into their parental leave experiences. Whether or not participants have experienced parental leave themselves, the findings may be helpful to all libraries and institutions that wish to support their employees through parental leave with supportive policies and practices.
During this interactive session, we will review the results of the 2022 survey, share attendee experiences and questions about parental leave, and brainstorm both formal and informal ways we all can advocate for and support working parents.
About the presenter

In addition to being a mom, Courtney Drysdale is a Research and Instruction Librarian and Associate Professor for Regis University. A former high school math teacher and elementary school teacher librarian, she enjoys teaching information literacy classes and working with students and faculty on research individually. She is the liaison to Education, Math, and Chemistry. Courtney was the Conference Chair for the Colorado Association of Libraries Conference (CALCON) in 2019 and has served on the conference planning committee since 2017. Her research interests include first year students and library instruction, creating welcoming library environments, and virtual reference.

Role of Rural Libraries in Promoting Digital Health Literacy
2023-05-17 11:00 - 12:00
Session archive
People in rural areas face many health challenges and are often long distances from quality healthcare. Learn how a rural library partnered with healthcare providers to launch a telehealth program, utilize a Community Health Worker, lead disaster response efforts, and provide digital health literacy training.
About the presenter
Dianne Connery, Director of Pottsboro Library, has been committed to rural public libraries since 2010. She earned a Master of Library Science from Texas Woman’s University and a Master of Gerontology from the University of North Texas. Ms. Connery is actively invested in eﬀorts to improve digital inclusion in rural communities. She is passionate about inspiring others and advocating for the work of rural libraries, with an emphasis on community resilience. The Pottsboro Library was named one of the “Top Three Best Small Libraries in America” in 2017. Ms. Connery was honored as an Innovator in Library Journal’s “Movers & Shakers class of 2021”. She was selected as the 2022 Texas Small Community Librarian of the Year.

Disability 101 for Libraries (Disability Law Colorado)
2023-05-25 11:00 - 12:00
Session archive
This presentation will include a brief overview of Disability Law Colorado’s work, an overview of the ADA and how that applies to public entities including libraries, and a summary of disability rights issues library patrons may face in other aspects of their lives. There will be time for questions and discussion.
About the presenter
Kelly McCullough has been practicing law since 2010 when she graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a law degree and her Master’s in Social Work. She spent 10 years as an attorney with the Colorado Public Defender’s Office. Prior to law school, Kelly worked as a mental health social worker in Ohio. She joined Disability Law Colorado in 2020 as the Access Team Leader and became the Director of Legal Services in October 2022.
