Programs by Title

Attracting, Keeping, and Educating Good Board Members

Libraries, being various forms of government service are required to have a Board of Trustees. This board makes decisions about how public funds are spent, and how a library is run. But what makes a good trustee? How do you get people interested in either an appointed or elected position. Our directors will be sharing with attendees the things they think make a good board member, and what steps they take to ensure a board members success.

Michael
Toulon Public Library
Director

Larissa
Waren County Public Library
Director

Book Blast

RFS knows many of our libraries have tiny collection budgets. Many of us only get to purchase the NYT Best Sellers list. Some authors are a given: James Patterson, Nora Roberts, etc. But what about those sleeper hits? Titles like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, or the first Joe Nesbo book. They hit out of virtual nowhere. So, how do you decide what books may be the next big thing or the diamond in the rough? RFS is here to help. With input from the publishers themselves, we will look at what will probably be the biggest debuts, or little known author works to wow everyone in the late summer and early fall.

Betsy Mahoney
Six Mile Regional Library
Branch Manager

Census 2020: Make Sure Illinois Counts

The once-a-decade Constitutionally mandated population count determines the number of members each state has in the United States House of Representatives. Illinois is projected to lose one, and possibly two, congressional seats. A loss of population also directly impacts libraries with a reduction in federal funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services grants to states under the Library Services and Technology Act, as well as the state’s annual public library per capita and equalization grant program. This session on the 2020 Census will focus on the actions front-line librarians can take to ensure a complete and accurate count, and other library-related census activities, including a poster contest for students in grades 4-12.

Joe Natale
Illinois State Library
Executive Assistant to the Director

Drag Queen Story Hour: Bringing Radical Storytelling to Your Library

In this session Jonathan Hamlit, co-Founder of Drag Queen Story Hour shares the international non-profit's herstory and its mission of giving kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models to see people who defy rigid gender restrictions and imagine a world where people can present as they wish.

Joining Jonathan will be an Urbana Free Library representative, who has successfully hosted a drag queen story time four times. They will be speaking about the hurdles, challenges, and success of bringing this type of program to central and southern Illinois.

Jonathan Hamlit
Co-Founder Drag Queen Story Hour

Carol Inskeep
Urbana Free Library
Adult Services Librarian

Going Fine Free: Children’s Materials and Beyond

Dropping late fines has become a trend for public libraries across the nation. Erica Hanke-Young from the Six Mile Regional Library District and Bobbi Perryman from the Vespasian Warner Public Library District share their libraries’ experiences in going fine-free, and will answer questions from those considering eliminating fines.

Erica Hanke-Young
Six Mile Regional Library District
Youth Services Manager

Bobbi Perryman
Vespasian Warner Public Library District
Executive Director

The Ins and Outs of Service and Comfort Animals @ Your library

Service Animals and Comfort Animals are not the same thing. They are governed by different laws, rules, and regulations. Sit Service Dogs will be here to help library staff learn the difference between the two. They will talk about the laws that govern service animals vs the laws that cover comfort animals. They will also lend a helping hand with what to do when you have a patrons with problem animals.

L. Dietz
Sit Service Dogs
Program Administrator

Nosotros Somos La Biblioteca

The village of Fairmont City (71.4% Hispanic) had many challenges: high teen pregnancy rates, low high school graduation rates, limited job opportunities, and limited access to transportation among them. Lack of library access was the least of the community’s problems--or so it thought. This is the story of how the creation and development of a scrappy little library transformed a community and became the heart of it all. The Fairmont City Library Center is a member of the Mississippi Valley Library District, winner of the 2017 LibraryAware Community Award presented by Library Journal and LibraryAware.

Karina Almeida
Mississippi Valley Library District
Circulation Supervisor

Press "Start" - Video Games in the Library

Video games generate more revenue than any other major entertainment industry but many libraries are still figuring out how to integrate the medium. From curating collections across a variety of evolving platforms to nurturing programs that attract a young and diverse audience, the challenges can be daunting. This seminar discusses the positive impact of having video games in the library and empowers librarians to be confident and knowledgeable in this burgeoning landscape.

Terry Pierson
Mississippi Valley Library District
Marketing Coordinator

Programs, Pantries & Social Workers: Addressing the Challenges of Poverty and Homelessness

Libraries of all sizes are finding creative solutions to meet the information and service needs of patrons who face poverty and homelessness while maintaining a welcoming environment for all. Presenters will discuss community partnerships to identify and fill service gaps, resource brochures, emergency funds, community awareness, programs, item drives, policies, library cards for homeless individuals, area services, warming centers, and bringing social workers into the library—even on a limited budget.

Diana Brawley Sussman
Carbondale Public Library
Director

Leander Spearman
Belleville Public Library
Director

The Public Library Per Capita Grant and the Illinois Public Library Annual Report (IPLAR): Your Questions Answered!

This session will provide the latest information about completing the Public Library Per Capita grant application and the Illinois Public Library Annual Report (IPLAR). These components are critical for funding and telling the story about your library. Questions are welcome!

Pat Burg
Illinois State Library
State Data Coordinator and Delivery

Jeanne Urbanek
Illinois State Library
Public Library Per Capita/Equalization and Read for a Lifetime

The Real Cost of Minimum Wage

Fifteen dollars an hour is more than it first appears. For many this change looks like a doable increase over five years. Library directors already know that it is much more than that. This session will look at the hidden numbers such as insurance and taxes, and the real impact this new law will have on libraries. This session is geared to support staff so they can see the types of things their directors and boards have to look at, the decisions that have to be made, and the consequences that may arise, told from the viewpoint of directors who lived through the last minimum wage increase.

Michael Baumann
Toulon Public Library
Director

Ryan A. Franklin
Illinois State Library
Outreach Coordinator

Teens, Twitter, and the Battle for Better Books

There is power in social media. Twitter and Goodreads “trolls” have been able to make changes in the publishing industry. So far, in two years three books have been pulled from publication right before shelf date and over 15 other titles have been labeled “problematic” . Some go through sensitivity reading and try to make a comeback, others die a quite death, and a few pull through. This session will look at what has been happening, how it affects libraries, and how the practice is growing.

Ryan A. Franklin
Illinois State Library
Outreach Coordinator

Time for an Upgrade: Alternatives to Dewey

Does Dewey still work in modern libraries? At Vespasian Warner PLD, we don't think so. We watched our patrons (and occasionally staff) struggle to find the items they need. We heard from many patrons that "I just can't find anything" "Dewey means something to you, but doesn't mean anything to me" and "I'm just intimidated by the numbers." When we weren't able to find a more patron-friendly classification system, we created our own. Now, our patrons navigate our non-fiction stacks with confidence.

Bobbi Perryman
Vespasian Warner Public Library District
Executive Director

What's Trending in Digital Lending

In this session we will take a look at current and emerging issues surrounding e-content in libraries. Discussion will cover topics like publisher e-book embargoes, controlled digital lending, e-content circulation trends, and more. Learn tips for how to communicate the complicated world of e-book lending to patrons, as well as what’s being done to change the e-content lending landscape.

Anna Behm
Reaching Across Illinois Library System
E-Content Specialist

Reaching Forward South – 2019