Did you know Adobe Express is free for nonprofits and a reasonably priced design software for the rest of us? Now, do you know how to use it? This preconference session will focus on the basics of Adobe Express. Through hands-on work creating social posts, flyers and signage, and even crafting your own resuable branding and templates, you will come away with a new tool for your graphic design toolkit. Participants should bring a laptop if able to participate in the hands-on learning aspects of this program.
The natural hazards of the Atlantic coast arise from Earth processes that are ancient and well-hidden. Participants will explore real-time and historical information found in data sources, maps, and publications, behind such events as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, droughts, sea-level change, volcanoes, and wildfires, all freely available from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Prior to joining the Princeton University Library in 2018, Emily worked as a USGS Hydrologist and USGS Librarian (Physical Scientist). She will bring her experience of using these information sources during research consultations and library instruction sessions on plate tectonics, the water cycle, and the rock cycle.
In this interactive, participatory session, attendees will learn about Restorative Equity as well as staff empowerment, and its ability to improve climate, culture and joy.
This training will prepare public library staff to facilitate meaningful solar and space science programs for their customers that build curiosity, knowledge, and inspiration. Attendees will receive hands-on training on operating solar telescopes and other methods for direct and indirect solar viewing, best practices for developing and facilitating STEM programs, and how to engage with community partners and library-specific digital resource networks. The workshop will use SEAL circulation kit materials and highlight best practices in using these resources; however, the strategies, activities, and resources shared during the workshop will be useful to attendees, even without a SEAL kit.
In this interactive overview, you’ll learn communication tips for interacting with deaf patrons, information about American Sign Language and Deaf Culture, and even some basic ASL vocabulary to introduce yourself and help patrons navigate the library.
Often when an organization approaches starting a new DEI program, there are plenty of articles, webinars and presentations on how to get started and which program may suit your library. However, if the organization does not have a good grasp of the workplace culture or jumps before careful planning and uncomfortable conversations, what came from a good place could turn quickly to a disaster.
During this preconference workshop, participants will explore three real life case studies where positive DEI efforts went horribly and, in some cases, cost employees their jobs. The presenters will review some common DEI programs and initiatives and the participants will work in teams to brainstorm what went wrong and strategies to correct the program. After the case studies, participants will get a chance to talk through their current or future DEI programs and get timely advice and feedback.
Join us for a cultural and historical event - tour the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center to learn more and experience the world of Harriet Tubman, leader and liberator in the resistance movement known as the Underground Railway. A group will assemble in the hotel lobby and journey to the site for a ranger-led welcome and introduction to the Park. We will stay 1 hour for a self-guided tour. While we will not experience the fullness of the site (that takes hours), the introduction will be illuminating.
Register to be transported to the site via a free van (holds 25) or drive the short distance to the site.
Wednesday May 10, 2023 1:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Main Lobby
So far, the American Library Association has reported 681 challenges to more than 1,600 titles this year - mostly to books featuring LGBTQ+ and BIPOC characters. That puts 2022 on track to see the highest number of book challenges in decades. What are some best practices related to creating policy and customer service that library workers can deploy in this climate of unprecedented censorship to protect the principles of access? Join us for a conversation and training centered on advice and direction library workers can use to challenge attempts at censoring library materials and services and uphold the basic tenets of librarianship.
Ninety-eight percent of library funding relies on the political will of voters and politicians. If libraries want to increase or maintain library funding, they have to build political power and influence. There are a wide range of tactics that can be used to build and influence this power, but what are the underlying political advocacy theories that can be applied to all of the activities performed by a library? In this session we will explore many of the tools, tactics, and strategies used by some of the best community organizers, political action committees, and politicians and discuss applying them to librarianship.
Kill the Library is a hands on workshop where teams break into groups and role play as executives from various for-profit "competitors" of the library (Amazon, Google, Netflix, etc.). During this program, team members identify vulnerabilities within their organizations and opportunities for growth and innovation.
Babies can sign long before they can speak, and research shows that using American Sign Language with both hearing and deaf babies imparts language benefits that can last a lifetime. Learn the benefits of using signs with babies and toddlers, as well as ways to incorporate signs into your program and educate parents. Participants will leave with a basic vocabulary of signs to use right away.
This preconference will focus on all things video games; breaking down genres, popular series, engaging ways to use video games in library programming, and a hands on segment for people to try games and consoles.
Leaders are often described in terms that are more aligned with extroversion: outgoing, gregarious, forceful, charismatic. But often, some of the best leaders are introverts who possess a more introspective power. During this workshop, participants will learn how to find the power in your own unique strengths — how to use your reflective tendencies to your advantage, how to lead your team effectively by putting your above-average listening skills to work and how to reach new levels of success without pretending to be someone else.
Justina Ireland is the New York Times bestselling author of the YA novels Dread Nation and its sequel Deathless Divide, as well as Vengeance Bound and Promise of Shadows. She is also a member of the team spearheading the Star Wars book project entitled the High Republic, and the author of the middle grade Star Wars adventures Lando's Luck, Spark the Resistance, A Test of Courage, and Out of the Shadows. She enjoys dark chocolate and dark humor and is not too proud to admit that she’s still afraid of the dark. Justina lives with her family in Maryland, and you can visit her online at www.justinaireland.com.
Four mini presentations on making collections more accessible, connecting with customers, looking at African American librarianship through the lens of the MLA archives, and creating connections with storytime families through humor.
1) Merchandising with a Twist - Kris Buker and Katie Brown 2) How to Talk to Strangers - Traci Eaton 3) What the MLA Archives Reveal About MLA and African American Librarianship, Libraries, and Library Services - Sharon Morris, Cecelia Thomas, Martha Ruff 4) Guaranteed Ways to Make Caregivers Laugh in Storytime - Erin Gambrill
Bring your mat with you and join us to kick off your morning with an hour of yoga on Manor Lawn (the green space directly outside of Michener’s). Warm up both your body and mind before plunging into your conference sessions. The class is designed to be suitable for all body types and skill levels and should leave you relaxed and refreshed. Note: In the case of inclement weather the class will be held indoors.
Find something you just can't go home without at the Silent Auction! Bidding ends at 10:45am Friday sharp; shortly after that, plan to pay for your items near the registration desk and then pick up your items. There will also be a Buy it Now feature throughout the conference.
Are you feeling lucky? Purchase a 50/50 raffle ticket! Half of the raffle proceeds will go to the Maryland Library Association and the other half will go to you... Well if you’re the winner, that is! The more tickets you purchase, the larger the pot and your chances to win! Tickets are $1 each, 6 for $5, or 15 for $10, cash only!
Thursday May 11, 2023 8:00am - Friday May 12, 2023 10:45am EDT
Conference Corridor
Dependable information is vital in these stormy times. Program attendees will voyage with the Bureau's cargo of products including classroom activities, job seeker resources, and data on employment, wages, and prices. Jelena Goldstein and Nicholas Schaffer, economists with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, will showcase popular programs and resources, and more importantly, will share best practices for tackling economic databases. BLS data is available to the public free of charge and serves as a great resource for researchers, planners, business owners, and educators.
Learn practical tips for hosting a small author event, or even a larger book festival from the organizers of two of Maryland’s annual children’s book festivals: The Talbot County Free Library Chesapeake Children’s Book Festival and the Cecil County Public Library Children’s Book Festival. The presentation will conclude with a Q&A with the event organizers and a children’s book author involved in the creation of the Talbot County Free Library Festival.
A patron walks up to the information desk and says, “I need a form…” Confused about what to tell the patron and what information to give them? While some legal actions in Maryland have official forms, many do not. When patrons ask for legal forms, figuring out what to give them can be a challenge. This session will provide an overview of what might be considered a form, where to find forms, and where to find guidance for people trying to fill out or construct a form.
This panel discussion between a new youth services library staff member and a longtime youth services librarian-turned director will fill in some of the gaps of what they don't teach in library school. Come learn what they wish they'd known when they started and the most valuable lessons they've learned since.
Open Educational Resources (OER) are primarily discussed amongst academic librarians, yet the adaptability, depth of resources, and accessibility of OERs make them incredible tools for all types of libraries and learners. OERs are an important asset in dismantling barriers to information and promoting equity and diversity in all forms of education. This guided discussion invites people new to OER and those more experienced to come together to share ideas and resources around the possibilities of using open practices and serving our various communities.
This workshop introduces participants to the research established by Dr. Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, who coined the term, "Emerging Adult" in 1995 and explores this very unique stage of human development and how libraries can begin to create supportive bridges for Emerging Adults through EMERGE programming.
Veterans, service members, and families (SMVF) live in all counties of Maryland. Many are library customers, but there are many who are not. How do we meet them, introduce library resources and programs that support them, and promote services we provide? This session will cover strategies to help libraries learn more about and build a relationship with their SMVF populations. Programs and in-person and digital resources will be shared that help meet the needs of the SMVF community. Best practices, examples of successful SMVF programs, and suggested key community partners will be offered to support SMVF services.
In 2022, Calvert Library dove into it's equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism work with a comprehensive and systemwide anti-racism audit performed by Widerstand Consulting on developing, implementing, and eventually, completing, long-term anti-racism plans. This program will tell our journey, about the audit process and what work we have done to actualize the content of the audit and beyond.
In this two-hour presentation, Marketing staff from the Enoch Pratt Free Library will show attendees how telling customer stories can be an effective force for creating a strong social media presence. With a built-in training on photography and videography, this presentation will feature information on best practices for the most commonly used social media platforms and explain how to create meaningful social media posts for your library.
This year, the Future of Libraries Interest Group is sponsoring a Future Room. A future room is an immersive experience that invites library staff to imagine the role of libraries in different future realities.
The room will present two alternate futures – one on Thursday, one on Friday. Please visit each day! You can share your ideas about:
The role of the library in this future
Possible job titles in this library
The Services we would provide
The Collections we would offer
Technology that would be needed to support customers and the library.
The ideas that people share will also be included in an article in an upcoming issue of the Crab.
Participants will have the opportunity to enter to win a prize package!
Be sure to stop by within the exhibit space to see a brand new experience for all attendees. Get hands on with some of the latest and greatest gadgets - from AI, to robotics, to programming, to AR/VR and more. See new technology that just hit the US Market such as Tonies Boxes and Luka or explore with Oculus, 3D Pens, and cute little robots. Whatever your adventure may be, the Playground is the place you can come visit between all your sessions.
MLA's 100th anniversary presents a remarkable opportunity to highlight the achievements and contributions of Black librarians within and beyond Maryland. Join leaders from the Black Caucus of the Maryland Library Association (BCMLA) and the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) for a lively discussion on Black/African American librarian contributions and experiences. From James Partridge to Dr. Carla Hayden and countless others, the Mid-Atlantic region represents the richness of Black library leadership.
How do we create greater equity to library services in diverse, hard to reach communities, breach the gulf of access created by the digital divide and address cultural differences that can act as barriers to connecting underserved communities to the legacy of the public library? Answer: Bring the library to them. This case study illustrates how to drive a wedge into library voids through community partnerships, data-driven demographic evaluation, targeted marketing and innovative approaches. Takeaways will include identifying potential pop-up candidates in your own neighborhood and first steps, and seamlessly integrating EDIA best practices into your own vision.
Learn how to improve the library's accessibility to customers with physical and mental disabilities. Discuss potential barriers to access—including using the library’s resources, navigating the library’s physical and digital spaces, and communicating with staff—and review best practices for providing high quality customer service to all. Discover resources that will help staff expand their knowledge and promote accessibility in library spaces.
An open discussion session in which attendees can share what’s happening in their libraries related to any area - circulation, technology, programming, new services, post COVID changes, supervising, etc. Attendees may submit any questions they have ahead of time so that they may be thrown out to the group at the time of the discussion.
Participants will learn the benefits of providing services to the LGBTQ+ community as well as learn to create five Pride themed crafts for adults and teens which an be used for programs or take & makes. The presenter will include resources for purchasing the craft supplies.
This presentation will explore ways to design lesson plans using video game models. Many successful video games incorporate components of learning – frequent low-stakes assessment, the ability to repeat tasks, a growth mindset, etc. In this session participants will be introduced to ways to identify these elements in video games and apply them to lesson planning for more enjoyable and accessible instruction. This session is appropriate for library workers with instruction responsibilities, from academic instruction to internal trainings.
How do you make the library the best it can be for everyone in your community? One important way we have found is to be sure you are including enjoyment for everyone. Increasing access to quality fun programming builds bridges with our whole community and breaks down the barriers to all the library has to offer. Join us as we discuss how Walkersville Library prioritized, planned, and implemented exciting library programming for this special population. Easy to implement, ready to use plans and utilizing a cross-section of all staff are the keys to success in making this special programming happen.
Gamification refers to the application of gaming elements to non-gaming activities such as classes, workshops, and marketing. This session provides an overview of how gamification increases participant engagement and motivates participants to achieve goals. It is also incredibly versatile, allowing creators of gamified experiences to incorporate the gaming elements, technology, and formats that interest them. Dr. Kilmer will share examples of a variety of gamification techniques and discuss her experience with implementing gamification in her undergraduate courses. Questions and discussion are encouraged!
Find out about legislation and funding—both what happened during the state legislative session and what is going on at the federal level. Become familiar with current advocacy efforts for libraries and how you can use ALA’s new advocacy tool OneClick Politics to advocate on behalf of Maryland libraries of all types. Whether a beginner or experienced, you will leave this session as an informed advocate, ready to take action! This program is worth one contact hour of continuing education.
Reading empowers young people to find themselves and to create success for themselves. How do we build readers for life? We'll explore the dynamics that make a book work for the reader. It's the magic formula of looking at the reader and looking at the book - what do they have in common? Where is the intersection between how the book processes the world and how the reader processes the world? Author Jason Reynolds says he can tell in two paragraphs if a book has the right “beat” for him. How can we find that magical connection for each reader?
Learn the history of the LGBTQ+ community with emphasis on highlighting the experiences and contributions of Black people. Program will conclude with tips on how to handle book challenges, be an effective ally, and best serve teen LGBTQ+ customers.
The Prince George's County Memorial Library System's Social Justice Camp teaches teens how to engage their advocacy, make connections in their community, and develop their passions into a product to ignite change. Teens heard from experts in human rights, technology, and other fields throughout this week-long camp while working alongside other budding advocates to create a pitch for a project to help their community. We will walk through the process of creating a similar camp tailored to your community and talk about the importance of providing a platform for your teens’ passions.
Level up your storytime with puppets and social-emotional learning. This panel and hands-on workshop will provide library staff with strategies to integrate social foundation skills and trauma-informed interventions into their storytimes using puppets.
The Readers’ Advisory Interest Group, in collaboration with the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled, will: (1) illustrate the importance of audiobooks in libraries; (2) demonstrate how libraries may become more aware of the services provided by the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled; and (3) distinguish between various appeal factors in audiobooks for better readers’ advisory interactions and conversations with patrons.
Janeites are everywhere and with more adaptations and spin offs, the 250th Anniversary of Austen’s birth and the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) Annual Meeting coming to Baltimore in 2025, now is the time to design a Jane Austen program for your library. Jennifer and Stephanee, Janeites, librarians, and Regional Coordinators for JASNA will discuss ways to create engaging library programming and partner with organizations like JASNA. From book discussions to elaborate conference-style events, Austen programs can draw in dedicated fans, foster a love of literature and lifelong learning, and provide opportunities to discuss difficult topics like race, class and human nature.
Any library can support small business owners and entrepreneurs. Library workers are uniquely positioned to advance equity and challenge the status quo as they integrate into the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Over the past two years, a cohort of 13 public libraries was proactive in developing equitable, inclusive small business initiatives and responsive to small business needs and opportunities. Learn about the impacts and lessons learned from ALA's Libraries Build Business initiative and Baltimore County Public Library's Entrepreneur Academy in this engaging session. Panelists will share strategies for developing, implementing, and sustaining impactful programs. Project resources are available to any library worker.
How do you serve teens who cannot get to your branch otherwise? The Library at Lunch Service provides teens the opportunity to check out materials and have positive interactions with staff from their local branches. Come learn how you can have a huge impact on teens in your service area that can scale to your system or your branch by using a combination of some strong Teen Readers' Advisory skills and excited staff members.
she/her/hersJessica Woods is a librarian at the Catonsville Branch of Baltimore County Public Library, but is hanging out at Woodlawn until construction is finished on the branch. Prior to jumping into the public library world, she taught High School English in Anne Arundel County... Read More →
Thursday May 11, 2023 1:30pm - 2:30pm EDT
Chesapeake G
The Maryland State Library Agency and The Delaware Division of Libraries will share updates about state programming and initiatives. Come hear what has been happening in Delaware and Maryland regarding STEM and Tech education programming, early childhood literacy and learning, staff development opportunities, capital projects, accessibility services, and much more.
Rural library access is challenging, especially for childcare providers with lots of littles to wrangle into coats and car seats. Since most family childcare providers cannot drive their children to the library for Storytime classes, we bring Storytime right to their doorstep! Calvert Library’s Portable Storytime Program is a monthly delivery service that empowers providers to lead library-style Storytime when and how it works best for their curriculum. We provide the training, themed library books, songs, and extension activities, they provide the pizazz. Join us as we unpack our Portable Storytime Program, and be inspired to start your own.
Despite their apparent differences, partnerships between academic and public libraries can be beneficial to everyone involved. Public libraries are always seeking ways to engage new patrons. College students are often unaware of the services and resources available to them or assume that, as temporary residents of a community, their local public library is closed to them. A public librarian from Baltimore County Public Library and an academic librarian from Stevenson University will share their experience collaborating on outreach events, promoting resources and services, and mutually supporting each other’s patrons. Attendees will leave with several ideas for forging their own “town and gown” relationships.
Do you have fun while thinking about life? Does your library offer programs – for any age – on bringing our best thinking to the table? Come join a team of professionals from the library and education arenas as they demonstrate how libraries can design public programs on thinking as a skill – using creative thinking expert Edward de Bono’s methods. Delight in learning about fresh, creative, and enjoyable tools that promote originality, flexibility, and fluency of thinking. No matter a library’s size, staffing, or budget, you can offer a fun and engaging activity on helping everyone to learn to think!
Sometimes you have to have difficult conversations with customers when they are making you uncomfortable, pushing your boundaries, or breaking library rules. Learn about identifying problematic behaviors from customers and how to use assertive communication to stop unwanted behaviors and get customers to follow the code of conduct. We'll discuss when to grab a manager and how to follow up in accurate reporting. Learning exercises during the session will help you develop techniques and phrases that will work for you.
As library administrators, you have the power to set an example for your staff and community by implementing policies that support your LGBTQ+ employees. Join Cassie Miller, DEI Officer at BCPL; Nick Brown, Acting Co-Chief Executive Officer and COO for Communication Outreach at PGCMLS; and Kris Buker, Library Specialist at FCPL, to learn about state and federal guidelines for employers, model policies to address LGBTQ+ workers' needs, and navigating community impact.
Even hardcore learners need a break! Take a moment to hit "PAWS" and refresh with friendly service animals from Pets On Wheels of Delmarva before you dive back into the conference experience.
This program will enlighten participants on the role of African Americans and their impact on all aspects of the Chesapeake. Designated as a “Local Legacies Project” by the LOC, Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation (BOCF), founded by Vincent Leggett, documents, brings to light, and preserves the significant contributions of African Americans in the maritime and seafood-related industries. The foundation maintains a collection of records, artifacts, genealogies, books, and more than 40,000 photographs representing 200 years of African American life and work along the Chesapeake. BOCF is collaborating with the Maryland State Archives, Johns Hopkins University, the Enoch Pratt Free Library, and Digital Maryland to inventory, catalog, and digitize the entirety of the collection, thus making it accessible to all.
HEY READERS! Our annual Book Buzz continues by popular demand. Get inside news on intriguing books coming from Penguin Random House and Rosarium Publishing. Identify upcoming titles that will please your library users. Learn how to promote your collection by watching these professionals in action. Our presenters are Bill Campbell, Publisher, Rosarium Publishing; and Brian Nielsen, Manager, Penguin Random House.
From teaching children about climate change to showing them how to fight prejudice and hate, children’s books are the most important building block to a child’s education and their future. Sponsor: MLA Author Award Committee
Libraries may not be fighting the army of the undead, but somedays it does feel like there are dragons out there. Whether you feel like "royalty, a knight, or a squire", join us to explore leadership lessons inspired by George R.R. Martin's amazing fantasy series, Game of Thrones.
Prince George’s County Memorial Library System’s (MD) Book Crawl was a series of pop-up, outreach programs created to engage the millennial population, local businesses, and community partners in Prince George’s County. This brought drag bingo to breweries, crafting to coffee shops, and name that tune to bars with the hopes of creating new library users and advocates. Join us to learn about our triumphs, setbacks, and how to start a similar program at your library.
Getting boys and men to read is frequently a challenge for both parents and librarians, but it doesn’t have to be. The statement “Men don’t read” can – and should – be disproven, which is why Andy Wolverton wrote the book Men Don’t Read: The Unlikely Story of the Guys Book Club. This presentation will focus on strategies to help not only guys, but everyone to develop into lifelong readers. The Guys Book Club at the Severna Park Library serves as a unique model that can be adapted for all types of readers at every age level.
Join us for an information session about Prime Time Family Reading, a Library of Congress award-winning program offered in partnership with libraries nationwide. A representative from PRIME TIME will provide an overview of the program and share how to bring it to your local library. Representatives from Delaware libraries will also describe their experiences with PRIME TIME and how they went about bringing PRIME TIME to Delaware. There will be time allotted for Q&A.
From servant leadership to critical pedagogy, library workers can struggle to navigate leadership, authority, and power while still staying true to our inclusive principles. In this session, presenters will discuss the parallels between the way libraries serve their community and the way (good) leaders serve the staff with whom they work. Good leadership comes from within and can only be cultivated through intentional reflective practices and the willingness to have hard conversations. Participants will be encouraged to wrestle with how they experience (and wield) authority in their libraries and communities.
Four Mini Presentations on leadership, diversity and inclusion, and coding. 1. Leadershift : 3 Essential Changes for Future Growth presented by Dominique Brightmon 2. Catalog of U.S Government Publications Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Subject-Based Resources presented by Kathryn Bayer 3. Splats: A Whole New Way to Code presented by Karen Earp and Dani Craige 4. Word Of The Month: How to Start Branch EDI Conversations presented by Frances Payne
What is the library's role in Kindergarten Readiness and what can we do to align with the county administration, schools and community partners to help children and families prepare for entry into formal education?
The public library is all about service to our communities, but what if we could also help our communities harness their interest in serving their peers? Since the pandemic, Discoveries: the Library at the Mall has become a conduit for customers to support their communities. Learn about the wildly successful Discoveries Community Pantry, our Teen Second Saturday Service Projects, our system partnership with the community service arm of our local school system and more. Apply the lessons we've learned to your own community and help your customers approach service with a smile!
Children increasingly experience the world through digital technologies, raising questions about their privacy. Librarians are well positioned to help children understand and grapple with these privacy issues. This session will involve a series of small group exercises designed to help librarians identify ways to integrate privacy-related information into what they are already doing with children, providing ample opportunity for peer-to-peer learning. Participants will leave this session with a fresh perspective on what privacy means for children and concrete ideas about how they can equip children to navigate the digital world.
GSA clubs represent a vital lifeline to school communities for LGBTQ+ students, their allies, and their families to celebrate their gender identities and sexuality, and engage in activism and anti-bias work. This presentation unpacks one public library’s targeted efforts to help foster these spaces in the school environment and provide support to students and educators during and after the pandemic. Data on student impact, strategies, and resources will be shared.
The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) was established in 1989 by attorney Bryan Stevenson in Montgomery, AL to provide legal representation to people who have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced or abused in state jails and prisons. EJI also collaborates with communities ,in its Community Remembrance Project, to memorialize documented victims of racial violence and foster meaningful dialogue about race and justice. EJI's Lynching in America Report documents more than 4,400 racial terror lynchings of African American from the Civil War to World War II. These lynchings were a widely supported campaign to enforce racial subordination and segregation. Taking this national equity issue to the local level, hear a panel discussion of how Anne Arundel County honored the five lynching victims with a marker at one library and memorialized the life of King Johnson who was lynched in 1911, just one mile from another branch of the library system.
After Thursday conference sessions, join PSD members in the lounge as we discuss sessions attended and how our sponsored programs went. A great opportunity to network and unwind from the day.
Travis McElroy is a podcaster, actor and a four-time New York Times bestselling author known for The Adventure Zone and My Brother, My Brother and Me.
Travis was born in West Virginia, and attended the University of Oklahoma as a National Merit Scholar. He graduated from OU with a BFA in Acting, and then proceeded to have no idea what he was going to do with his life. At the age of 25, he began his podcast, My Brother, My Brother and Me (MBMBaM) with his real-life brothers, Justin and Griffin; began working as an actor/technical director at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company; and met his wife. Altogether, a pretty good year. He worked at Cincy Shakes with notable roles like Laertes, Juliet’s Nurse, and Lucius Andronicus, and won an award for set design. Then Travis became a full-time podcaster with shows including Trends Like These, Shmanners, and, most notably, The Adventure Zone. He also is Executive Producer for the new Chasing Immortality podcast.
MBMBaM was later adapted into a live-action television show through NBCUniversal’s comedy streaming channel, Seeso. MBMBaM premiered as the #1 television show for sale on iTunes. And in January 2020, it was announced that The Adventure Zone will be coming to NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service as an animated series.
The Adventure Zone, in cooperation with Twogether Studios, was adapted into a cooperative storytelling card game called The Adventure Zone: Bureau of Balance released late 2020. Learn more at theadventurezonegame.com
In 2018, the McElroys’ graphic novel adaptation of The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins became the first graphic novel to reach #1 on the New York Times Paperback Trade Fiction Best Sellers list. Book 2 in the series, The Adventure Zone: Murder on the Rockport Limited! followed suit in 2019. Book 3, The Adventure Zone: Petals to the Metal released July 2020 and Book 4, The Adventure Zone: The Crystal Kingdom, released in July 2021. All from First Second Books and, you guessed it, all were New York Times bestsellers. Book 5 is due to be released in February 2023. More at theadventurezonecomic.com
His podcasting book, Everybody Has a Podcast (Except You), co-authored with Justin and Griffin McElroy, released January 2021 from Harper Collins.
Travis’s pop culture notoriety earned him a role in Trolls World Tour movie alongside Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, and Jamie Dornan. He continues to record podcasts, sell out venues when touring live productions across the US & UK, and appear at pop culture conventions and philanthropic events when his schedule allows.
Travis can be found online at travismcelroy.com; @travismcelroy on both Twitter and Instagram and streaming on Twitch as TheTravisMcElroy.
Come one, come all to the Annual Pub Quiz! Make a team with your friends, or join a team and make new friends. Answer questions about Maryland and Delaware... but mostly about random nonsense. If you know a lot of stuff, here's your chance to prove it and take home the prestigious Pub Quiz trophy from quizmaster Michael Gannon.
Find something you just can't go home without at the Silent Auction! Bidding ends at 10:45am Friday sharp; shortly after that, plan to pay for your items near the registration desk and then pick up your items. There will also be a Buy it Now feature throughout the conference.
This year, the Future of Libraries Interest Group is sponsoring a Future Room. A future room is an immersive experience that invites library staff to imagine the role of libraries in different future realities.
The room will present two alternate futures – one on Thursday, one on Friday. Please visit each day! You can share your ideas about:
The role of the library in this future
Possible job titles in this library
The Services we would provide
The Collections we would offer
Technology that would be needed to support customers and the library.
The ideas that people share will also be included in an article in an upcoming issue of the Crab.
Participants will have the opportunity to enter to win a prize package!
Kendrick will review her ongoing work on morale in library workplaces – including behaviors, systems, and frameworks that influence organizational culture – and facilitate an opportunity for attendees to reflect on their experiences and consider pathways that interrupt standardized causes of and responses to low-morale experiences. Attendees will be offered an opportunity to engage in pre-keynote reflective activities that will further inform this interactive keynote.
Please check out the attached Presentation Preparation Kit. It includes a lot of good resources and opportunities for reflection. There is also a pre-presentation survey on Page 3. That survey will be active until May 8th, so don’t delay!
Being organized can help you improve your time management and mental health. Join the discussion on ways to use Bullet Journals and other analog tools (mostly) to manage your information, your day, and your life. Thomas, Andrea, and Tif will lead this unconference discussion and idea sharing on personal best practices. Come encourage one another as we journey along the path to being organized, or just listen to get ideas and inspiration.
Workplace safety is more than just physically ensuring the well-being of your staff. A psychologically safe leader looks to “prevent psychological harm, promote psychological health of workers, and address problems related to psychological health and safety.” Bringing this process to Maryland Libraries is not an easy one. Still, by defining a psychologically safe leader and how to build this competency, we can build healthier workplaces and better promote mental health within our library community.
This talk will go through the process of creating a space for library users aged 8 though 12, starting with conception all the way through completion. Create an engaging, active area for your middle grade patrons regardless of budget or available space. Perhaps for your library this looks like a dedicated room filled with activities—or maybe it looks like a modular programming area. Learn to tailor your plan to your library and your community’s needs in this presentation and discussion on creating tween spaces. And don’t call them tweens!
Marie Condenzio (she/they) is a librarian and teen engagement coordinator for the Towson Branch of Baltimore County Public Library, as well as a member of the system’s Accessibility Services Project team. Marie launched BCPL’s first Middle Grade Space in the summer of 2022, and... Read More →
Learn how Maryland's public libraries collaborated to develop an educational resource to engage the general public with local Native and Indigenous heritage and culture. Curated by Dr. Elizabeth Rule (Chickasaw Nation) of American University, "Guide to Indigenous Maryland" is an educational mobile app and website that invites the general public to discover and honor the presence of Native and Indigenous heritage in contemporary life. The project exemplifies how creativity, technology, and cross-disciplinary partnerships advance the visibility and recognition of Native and Indigenous communities at the local level. Developed with support from IMLS LSTA funds administered by Maryland State Library Agency.
Learn about the process of establishing and maintaining a seed library in collaboration with community partners, and get strategies for maintaining inventory, momentum, and interest across all seasons.
Explore Montgomery County Public Libraries’ journey of going green with their Summer Reading Challenge! MCPL has eliminated traditional incentives by teaming up with local non-profits in order to help the local community. Instead of earning small prizes, readers work towards communal goals to make tangible, positive impacts in their community. They also learn about the animals, people, and environments they are helping, while earning eco-friendly e-badges and free books. Families embraced the new model, introduced in 2022, resulting in record participation. Find out how you, too, can implement this innovative design, and be inspired to re-imagine your library’s summer program.
Learn about Enoch Pratt Free Library's Peer Navigator program, n which Peer Recovery Specialists serve as role models and provide a safe, non-judgmental space and provide resources to patrons entering the library around mental health, substance use disorders, food insecurities, and overall health and wellness.
The phrases "hidden disability" and "invisible disability" are loose terms used to capture an entire spectrum of physical, emotional, mental and neurological disabilities that are not immediately apparent. With more than 40 million disabled Americans categorizing their disabilities as invisible, or 96% of the disabled community, chances are high that you work with someone who is invisibly disabled. Using a mixture of research and lived experiences, join us as we explore common hidden disabilities, discuss why simply offering accommodations is not enough, and share how universal design principles can ease many hidden disabilities.
While every week seems to bring some new development, since 2013 and especially since 2018, maintaining library ebook and digital audiobooks sustainably has become a challenge. The session will provide an update on licensing terms, possible changes in related federal and state laws, Controlled Digital Lending and the ongoing legal challenges to it, and Maryland and ALA's ebook campaigns. Participants will also have a hands-on activity in which they are given a budget and a list of titles with licenses to face the challenge of getting the highest "bang for the book."
I am project manager for the ReadersFirst Working Group and SimplyE implementation in Maryland. Talk with me about anything related to digital content, especially e-books. In the DPLAFest Roundtable, we are going to discuss the results of the International E-Lending Study, challenges... Read More →
We are working with public and academic libraries to support access using a mobile device, of all the libraries ebook, and audiobook content. The platform is open source, the program is run out of Lyrasis in collaboration with DPLA. Our aim is to maximize access to students/patrons... Read More →
Join Becker Morgan on a field trip to the Queen Anne's County Public Library Kent Island Branch, where we will highlight the capital improvement process from the feasibility study through construction. Identifying key metrics and considerations when planning for the future of your library. In addition to the design process, we will discuss design principles and important recent trends in the library space. These items include specialty programming areas, increased flexibility, daylighting, security, staff efficiencies, and public vs private spaces within a library. The bus will begin loading by 10:45 and depart at 11, and will return to the Cambridge Hyatt by 3 pm. Lunch provided. Please note that in order to attend this program, you will need to visit Becker Morgan in the vendor hall to officially reserve your spot. Space is limited and it will be first come, first served.
Computational thinking (CT) programs are offered in public libraries and have the potential to make CT literacy accessible to all youth. For the past four years, University of Maryland’s IMPACT Libraries team worked with library staff nationwide to design and pilot assessment tools to measure the impact of CT programs on youth. In this presentation, we will unveil the final set of the CT assessment tools. We will demonstrate how to use these assessment tools to measure CT outcomes, analyze the data collected, and communicate the impact of CT programs. We will also share best practices on using these tools.
For the last three years, Richard Sigwald and Elizabeth Bateman, Legislative Librarians for the Maryland Department of Legislative Services, have collected obituaries of former state legislators to create a valuable resource for current and future historians. Once they started working, they realized the scope of their project was much more than just newspaper clippings. They found a need to update a resource that the library has relied on for 30 years. Along the way, they uncovered generations of families that represented their communities in the legislature and gained fascinating insights into the political history of Maryland.
Five mini presentation on outreach in W. Baltimore, grief in middle grade fiction, gamification and classic literature, lending Chromebooks, and improving LibGuides.
1) Book it Forward: Library Outreach to West Baltimore - Jessie Bauer 2) The Grief Grand Gesture in Middle Grade Novels - Leslie Ann Hynes 3) Gamifying the Classics - Thomas Vose 4) Online 2 Go Chromebooks - Moneik Frazier 5) Expand Your Pedagogical Reach with Research Process LibGuides - Erin Durham Wright
Reference and Instruction Librarian, University of Maryland Baltimore County
she/her/hers Erin Durham Wright works as Reference and Instruction Librarian at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She graduated in 2018 with an MA in History and MLS from the University of College Park. Her research interests include critical pedagogy, academic library... Read More →
HCLS renovated and re-opened the Elkridge Branch and DIY Education Center in March 2018 and began lending tools, baking pans, and numerous recreational products. Instructor & Research Specialist Eric Laun will discuss the goals of the DIY center, the hands-on, participatory classes offered at the DIY Center where you can learn through doing, and shares information on the kinds of tools available to borrow as well as the different resources you can find there.
During this presentation, members of the WCFL team will discuss the "why" behind remote library lockers, the workflow that has worked (and what hasn't!), patron reception and future plans for service.
Put your mind to work for you, reducing stress and worry by using self-hypnosis. In this workshop, licensed Hypnotherapist and Baltimore County Public Library’s Media Creation Services Manager, Carl Birkmeyer, will discuss how hypnosis works and the rules of the mind. He will then hypnotize the audience for stress relief and give hypnotic techniques that will help reduce stress and worry in your everyday life.
I am a certified consulting hypnotist and active member of the National Guild of Hypnotists and the American Hypnosis Association,and have received advanced training from the Mottin & Johnson Institute of Hypnosis. I use modern and effective hypnosis techniques in order to help you achieve your goals and live your best life. I've been providing hypnosis services in South Central Pennsylvania and Northern Baltimore... Read More →
The KonMari method is more than a framework for organizing your home. You can also spark joy at work. Based on the principles found in 'Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life' by Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein, learn how tidying your physical (and digital) space at work can refocus your energy and improve the way you work.
