New Year, New Boardroom Webinars

Policy Watch Part 2 

The Boardroom Series begins a new year of webinars in February with a continued discussion of some policy topics not commonly addressed. We started this topic last November in discussing the library board’s role in disaster planning.

Our 2023 series begins on February 28 (6:00-7:30PM) with Policy Watch Part 2. State Library consultants Bonnie McKewon and Samantha Bouwers continue the conversation by pointing to policy issues surrounding library programming, social media, and more. We’ll also cover tips to clarify roles among the library support team (The Board, Director, Staff, and City) and assist with writing by highlighting an approach to policy development known as “The 4 Parts of a Policy.”  You do not need to have attended the November session to attend this one.

About the Boardroom Series

 In these sessions, we aim to inform and encourage Iowa library trustees. We present best practices and current trends in library board service. Participation in these webinars helps satisfy Standard #8: “All members of the library board of trustees participate in a variety of board development training each year”

Register in IALearns

STEM Fairs and Summer Reading Summits

Coming In March

Join your colleagues and State Library staff for what promises to be fun in-person workshops in March.  Happening in each of the six Districts, STEM Fairs and Summer Reading Summits will offer plenty of ideas on how to incorporate STEM concepts at your library, as well inspiration for your library's summer reading program.  All this with the added advantage of gathering in person with neighboring librarians.

Each District is hosting a location for the STEM Fair and Summer Reading Summit with local arrangements thanks to staff at the local venues. The first day in the combo is the STEM Fair which runs a full day.  The second day is a ½ day Summer Reading Summit, offering an opportunity for in-person brainstorming and sharing plans for this summer’s programming. Come for one day or both days; earn up to 8 CE credits for attending both events, plus the chance to win an exciting giveaway!

Dates & Locations

Note that registration for the STEM Fairs is limited and at this writing, some locations have hit capacity, noted below.  There is no limit for the Summer Reading Summits.

• March 2 & 3: Central District @ Ames Public Library— WAIT LIST STATUS
• March 6 & 7: North Central District @ Algona Public Library
• March 9 & 10: Northwest District @ the Cherokee Yacht Club
• March 20 & 21: Northeast District @ Central Rivers AEA in Cedar Falls— WAIT LIST STATUS
• March 23 & 24: Southwest District @ the Anita Community Center
• March 27 & 28: Southeast District @ Coralville Public Library— WAIT LIST STATUS

Giveaway Prize

Attendees at the STEM Fairs are eligible to win one set of five Playaway STEAM Academy Launchpads by completing a post evaluation.  Attendees at the Summer Reading Summits are eligible to win one set of five Playaway Reading Academy Launchpads by completing a post evaluation. 

Each drawing will be selected from among all attendees statewide: one drawing from all of the STEM Fair attendee evaluations and one drawing from all of the Summer Reading Summit attendee evaluations. The winning libraries will be awarded the Launchpad set, which can be available for in-library use only can be checked out to patrons. A library may only win one set. 

The Playaway Launchpad Set Giveaway is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the State Library of Iowa.

More Information and Registration

Registration is handled in IA Learns; if you are planning on attending both days, you must  register for each event separately.  Refer to the webpage linked below for more on the event schedule throughout March--important because this page is being updated as the STEM Fairs fill up.  Again, there is no registration limit for the Summer Reading Summits.  

STEM Fairs and Summer Reading Summits Info

Next Big Ideas Book Discussion

Scheduled for February 17th, the first title in 2023’s Big Ideas Book Discussion series is Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual by Luvvie Jones (c2021)  Best-selling author and national speaker, Luvvie Jones has also written I’m Judging You and a companion book to Professional Troublemaker titled Rising Troublemaker: A Fear-Fighter Manual For Teens.  Given this summer’s reading theme—Find Your Voice—and whether applying the author’s ideas to kids or adults, this book is a timely lead-off for our 2023 discussion season.

From Amazon: “With humor and honesty, and guided by the influence of her professional troublemaking Nigerian grandmother, the author walks us through what we must get right within ourselves before we can do the things that scare us.  How to use our voice for a greater good, how to put movement to the voice we've been silencing--because truth-telling is a muscle. The point is not to be fearless, but to know we are afraid and charge forward regardless.  It is to recognize that the things we must do are more significant than our fears…”

Some State Library staff heard Luvvie Jones’ keynote presentation at the Public Library Association virtual conference last spring.  She’s a nationally known speaker, with a TEDTalk speech to her credit.  She is a best-selling author, blogger, and host of a podcast also titled Profesional Troublemaker.  The TEDTalk website describes Luvvie Jones as “a sought-after speaker who thrives at the intersection of humor, media, and justice.”

In Big Ideas Book Discussions, State Library staff and partners facilitate discussions using books outside of library management, but with plenty of application to library management. Choosing books on leadership, customer service, presentation skills, etc. we connect those ideas with public library service.

Participants are encouraged to purchase books used throughout the Big Ideas series for local collections. Join us for the next good read: Professional Troublemaker

Register in IALearns

This Week ...

This Thursday January 26 boasts the 16^th annual ILOC Conference. Sponsored by the State Library, our theme this year is “Productive Partnerships."  ILOC is a day-long event with something for everyone, including an evening program for trustees.  

Here are two great ways to take in ILOC.  First, make this full day of learning a staff development day so all staff can participate; have a staff meeting in the days following to compare notes on what everyone watched and learned.  In addition, you can arrange an ILOC "watch party" for that evening, encouraging your board members to gather at the library to watch the evening webinar as a group.  Because learning is more fun and effective whenever we can do it together   

On the Schedule

• Library as Movement with R. David Lankes—morning keynote at 9:00AM
• Partnering With Your Community One Interaction at a Time—morning breakout
• County Connections—morning breakout
• The Outreach Project: A Library-Social Work Project—afternoon breakout
• Memory Circle: Partnering with the Alzheimer’s Association—afternoon breakout
• Not From Around Here: Partnerships With and For New People in Your Community with David J. Peters—evening keynote at 6:00PM

Find the full schedule with all session descriptions, speakers, and times throughout the day at the button below.  And if you have registered yet, do that soon in IALearns!

ILOC 2023 Schedule Page