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News

Creating Safe Spaces

Date: Friday, February 24, 2023
Time: 10-11:00am
Location: Zoom

Has your library struggled to find a security strategy that balances compassion for unhoused populations with the need to create a safe space for all patrons and library staff? This panel discussion will feature staff from Chicagoland libraries sharing how their institution has addressed these issues.

Presenters:

  • Robert Simmons, Director of Social Services and Public Safety, Oak Park Public Library
  • Brent Lipinski, District Chief, Chicago Public Library

Recording

Resources

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News

Join us!

Update: We are no longer accepting applications for the Recharge Committee. Thank you to everyone who applied.

If you’re an information professional eager to get involved in the library world and create learning opportunities for other library professionals, consider joining the Recharge Committee! We’re looking for people who are creative, organized, and motivated to try new things.

Recharge is committed to providing free continuing education opportunities that address new and emerging technologies, transcend department silos, and respond to a variety of needs and interests. Check out our past programs for an idea of what types of events we’ve done.

The committee meets four times a year to brainstorm and plan programs, field trips, and other events we hope are beneficial to library folks. Committee membership is voluntary but includes certain expectations, like:

  • Attending all 4 in-person meetings per year, missing no more than 1 per year
  • Committing to at least 1 year of membership
  • Committing to co-planning and attending at least 1 program per year
  • Possibly using your own library as a hosted space for a program or meeting
  • Committing to active virtual communication

If you’re interested in joining Recharge, email your resume to rechargecommittee@gmail.com along with a brief message about why you want to join.

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Field Trips News Programs

Field Trip: Morton Arboretum

Date:  Friday, September 21

Time: 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Location: The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois 53, Lisle, IL 60532

Register Here

 

The Morton Arboretum was established in 1922 and envisioned to be a “great outdoor museum of trees.” Situated on over 1,700 acres on the banks of the DuPage River in Lisle, IL. The arboretum is home to 222,000 live plants and 4,300 taxa and houses a library, visitor’s center, children’s garden, maze, plant clinic, miles of trails, roads, and special exhibits.

Join us for a field trip to the arboretum which will include a tour of the Sterling Library, a Q&A session with staff and self-guided tour of the Children’s Garden and 30-minute narrated tram tour of the arboretum property. “The entire Arboretum has been certified as a Nature Explore Classroom, rich with opportunities for healthy learning. The unique areas of the Children’s Garden work as casual, outdoor classrooms that blend active learning and multi-sensory adventures.” The Q&A session will allow attendees to ask questions and gain insight of how to apply these concepts at their libraries. For more information on the Morton Arboretum, please click here.

This event is intended for library staff only.

Cost: FREE

Register Here

 

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News Programs

Civic Engagement at the Library: Programs for the Political Climate

Date: Wednesday, May 23rd

Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Location: Arlington Heights Memorial Library, 500 N. Dunton Ave. Arlington Heights, IL 60004

Libraries are increasingly asked to lead their communities in addressing political and other hot button topics. However, staff may feel at a loss for how to approach these less traditional programming topics.

At this panel, presenters will discuss the various initiatives they’ve led at their libraries ranging from programing on talking to kids about race, to how to engage elected officials, to holding a kindness rally. Participants will leave with strategies to successfully launch civic and political programming at their libraries.

Presenters:

Jose Cruz, Middle School Services Librarian, Oak Park Public Library

Skye Lavin, Adult Services Manager, Forest Park Public Library

Mike Monahan, Specialty Info Services Supervisor, Arlington Heights Public Library

Susan Wolf, Reference Manager, Northbrook Public Library

Cost: FREE

REGISTER HERE

 

Resources:

Small Town Connections – Civic Engagement at FPPL – Skye Lavin

Politics, Civics, and Public Libraries – Mike Monahan

Openness, Inclusivity, and Civic Engagement –  Susan Wolf

 

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News Programs

Equity in Making: A Framework for Embodied Learning and Educational Justice

Date: Thursday, March 15th

Time: 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Location: Skokie Public Library, 5215 Oakton Street, Skokie, IL 60077

The maker movement has transformed learning in libraries, introducing maker education opportunities for underserved youth populations. But what are the best practices in facilitating making with youth and young adults?

Dr. Shirin Vossoughi is an assistant professor of Learning Sciences at Northwestern University where she researches making and tinkering in afterschool settings. Join her and her colleague Dr. Natalie Davis to learn how to approach making with youth audiences using a framework that is rooted in valuing joint activity and engaging children and youth as agentive thinkers.

This presentation will look at how formal and informal educators facilitate making, what is considered making across many cultures, and how facilitation practices effect learner interactions. Participants will leave with best practices for improving their maker experiences at their libraries.

Presenters:

Dr. Shirin Vossoughi, Associate Professor of Learning Sciences, Northwestern University

Dr. Natalie R. Davis, Post Doctoral Fellow in Learning Sciences within the School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University

Partnership: This program is in partnership with Tinker.

Cost: FREE – Sponsored by Today’s Business Solutions and H.W. Wilson.

REGISTER HERE

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News

Join Us! (Updated)

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We are no longer accepting applications for the Recharge Committee. Thank you to everyone who applied. -Recharge Committee 7/7/17

If you’re an information professional eager to get involved in the library world and create learning opportunities for other library professionals, consider joining the Recharge Committee! We’re looking for people who are creative, organized, and motivated to try new things.

Recharge is committed to providing free continuing education opportunities that address new and emerging technologies, transcend department silos, and respond to a variety of needs and interests. Check out our past programs for an idea of what types of events we’ve done.

The committee meets four times a year to brainstorm and plan programs, field trips, and other events we hope are beneficial to library folks. Committee membership is voluntary but includes certain expectations, like:

  • Attending all 4 in-person meetings per year, missing no more than 1 per year
  • Committing to at least 1 year of membership
  • Committing to co-planning and attending at least 1 program per year
  • Possibly using your own library as a hosted space for a program or meeting
  • Committing to active virtual communication

We are no longer accepting applications for the Recharge Committee. Thank you to everyone who applied. -Recharge Committee 7/7/17

Categories
News

Are You Ready to Recharge?

The RLACE committee, which has offered free continuing education opportunities for more than 25 years, is officially rebranding to Recharge: Continuing Education for Library Leaders. While our name is changing, our mission remains the same: to provide engaging, inspiring, and meaningful continuing education programs featuring area librarians and library staff who share their unique expertise and encourage us all.

We all know that working in a public library can be draining, which is why consistent recharging is necessary. There is nothing like coming together with other library peers to learn, share, and connect.  Whether it’s a field trip, a panel discussion, or an unconference, we want to create experiences that leave you feeling engaged and excited about the possibilities of your job, community, and library.

If this sounds good, make sure you are signed up for our e-newsletter. We have some exciting events coming up in 2015 including our first Recharge Unconference in October.

Categories
News Programs

Be An Online Detective!

magnifierIf someone’s not a famous person or relentless self-promoter, what can other people uncover about that person on the Internet for free?

Steven Jablonski of the Skokie Public Library will explore the world of online public records and show how you can use this information to locate people and find out more about them. We will look both at official government agencies and at commercial sites that recycle and disseminate public information in creative ways. Finally, we will consider how people can obtain public records that aren’t freely available online.

After the program there will be a tour of Skokie Public Library’s newly remodeled second floor Computer Commons, Business Center, and study rooms.

When: Wednesday, March 13, 9:30 am – 12 pm

WhereSkokie Public Library Mary Radmacher Room

Cost: FREE Sponsored by H.W. Wilson

Questions? Contact us.

REGISTER NOW

Categories
CE Around the State News Programs

CE Around the State – May 2012

Can you believe April’s halfway gone already?  And that means it’s almost May?  Which means then there’ll only be one month until summer reading kicks off?!? And THAT means, of course, that the year is almost half-way over (hope you’re doing better on those NY resolutions than I did).  All of which leads to, of course, early Christmas adds.  I say the over/under for the first ‘Get a Jump on Your Holiday Shopping’ sale is July 28.

Whew.

OK, on to May’s CE events.

First, be sure to register for RLA-CE’s May program – Be a Librarian Problem Solver on Tuesday, May 22nd from 9:30-noon.  Helping our patrons avoid and resolve conflicts with companies is one of our most important tasks as librarians. Jon Yates, author of the new book What’s Your Problem?: Cut Through Red Tape, Challenge the System, and Get Your Money Back, will share his experiences as the Problem Solver for the Chicago Tribune. Steven Jablonski from the Skokie Public Library will then follow up with a presentation on essential consumer resources every librarian should know about. When it comes to solving problems, knowledge is power. Come to this program and increase yours! FREE!

Around the state –

The second and third parts of Book Reviewing with Janice Del Negro will be held on Sunday, May 6th and May 20th from 10am – 1pm.   Learn to review children’s and young adult books from a master! Janice M. Del Negro has been reviewing books for youth for professional library journals for almost thirty years. She is offering a three-session course designed to give participants insight into the career-expanding skill of book reviewing. Topics covered in these sessions include an introduction to the major professional review journals, criteria for evaluation of fiction and non-fiction, the elements of a cogent review, and feedback on your own reviews. Acquire or improve reviewing skills and have an impact on the professional world of books for youth. Del Negro, formerly editor of the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, has also reviewed for Kirkus and Booklist, and is currently reviewing for School Library Journal.

Becky Spratford will be talking about Thrills and Chills @ Your Library: How to Help Your Scariest Patrons at the Fremont Public Library on Tuesday, May 8 from 1-4pm. Becky is a great speaker and an expert on all things featuring nocturnal bumps or the like.  FREE!

This article typically sticks to events north of I-80, but I want to make an exception with When Water Emergencies Strike Your Collections: Response Training and Workshop on Thursday, May 10th from 9am-3pm. It’s at the Western Illinois Museum in Macomb, so it’s a ways away but it could well be worth the trip.  Anyone involved in disaster planning for collections or interested in disaster response training would benefit from attending this workshop. This workshop is sponsored by the Illinois Collections Preservation Network. Seating is limited so if you wish to attend, you must send an e-mail to beves@museum.state.il.us to reserve your spot. FREE!

May 10th is a busy day. The AVID-Audio/Visual Information & Discussion Group Spring meeting at the Cook Memorial Aspen Drive Library from 9:30-noon.  They will have a panel of representatives from up and coming vendors that provide digital popular materials (E-books, audiobooks, movies and music). The panel will include 3M Cloud Library (e-books), Baker & Taylor Axis 360 (e-books), Library Ideas Freading/Freegal (e-books and music), Midwest Hoopla (audiobooks, movies and music), Recorded Books OneClick Digital (audiobooks). FREE!

ATLAS is hosting a Diversity Training workshop at the Glenwood-Lynwood Public Library from 9:30-noon.  Vandella Brown, Diversity Program Manager at Illinois State Library will be on hand to lead a discussion on how to appropriately interact with people from all backgrounds.

The Business Librarians Interest Group (BIG) is hosting it’s next meeting at the Park Ridge Public Library from 9:30-noon.  Librarians working with the business community meet to network together, sharing resources, programming ideas and other related topics of interest to the group. FREE!

The next YLA Programmer’s meeting is Friday, May 11th from 9:00-noon at the Des Plaines Public Library.  They’ll discuss special needs programs; blending new programs into existing programs, rainbow time, Pokemon programs, and any new performers new to the area. FREE!

WebJunction is hosting a webinar on Wednesday, May 16th from 1:00-2:00pm called Libraries and the Era of the Learner: A Vision for the Future.  It’ll be a discussion exploring lifelong learning as an economic driver in the 21st century and the expanding role of libraries in this “era of the learner.” Building on discussions about 21st century skills and workforce development, we’ll hear from futurist Garry Golden on the changing workforce and the role that public libraries can play. We’re excited to take a glimpse into the future and to hear how libraries can identify changes, explore implications and pave the way for learners in the 21st century. This session will build on discussions from a face-to-face convening to be held in April, but will benefit and be of interest to all working in libraries. FREE!

Every three years, the Outreach/Promotion/Programming Section of LACONI presents an all-day Best of the Best showcase which feature samples of live performers by library presenters. It’s coming up on is Friday, May 18th!  at the Morton Grove Public Library. FREE!

The Western Suburbs RA SIG is having their final chat on Fantasy titles and authors on Tuesday, May 22nd from 9:30-noon at the RAILS Geneva DuPage River building.  If you’re attending, please read 2 books from any of the following three areas: Must Know Series by Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, George R.R. Martin, J. K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien; Up-and-coming fantasy authors: Joe Abercrombie, Gail Carriger, K. J. Parker, Patrick Rothfuss, David Anthony Durham); Fantasy Trend authors (Urban Fantasy, Para! normal Fantasy and Genre Mashups). FREE!

Dominican University and the Gail Borden Public Library are partnering to host Building a Productive Team on Thursday, May 31st from 9:30am-4:30pm.  The ability to work as a team is vital for the health of any organization. In this workshop, participants will learn how to conduct more productive meetings, ways to help team members fulfill their team roles and responsibilities, and approaches for handing team conflict.

If you’re looking for something that is not your typical library conference or workshop, the Chicagoland Library Unconference is just for you!  The Unconference will be held on Thursday, May 31st from 9:30am-4:30pm and the RAILS Wheeling Auditorium.  It’s your chance to determine the issues facing libraries and to work together to come up with creative solutions. CLUncon is a testing ground for moving beyond our walls and connecting with our communities. Attendees will brainstorm big ideas and hear from interesting speakers. Join us and share what’s important to you and your community. This is our unconference. Let’s do this together.

Finally, WebJunction is hosting a webinar on the 31st from 1:00-2:30 entitled Understanding Compassion Fatigue in Your Library.  You love your job. You love your library. You love helping your patrons and giving them the extra attention that lets them know you care. But there are days when you’ve given just about all you have to give. At the end of the day you feel drained, or irritated, or both! You may have achieved “compassion fatigue.” The term, which is used frequently in medical settings, describes a caregiver’s reaction to chronic stress that results in feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, self-doubt, lack of focus and fatigue. This webinar will help you recognize the symptoms and the situations that may trigger compassion fatigue and understand how it affects you and your working environment. Explore ways to take care of yourself so you can continue to show compassion and give your patrons the care they need. FREE!

Categories
CE Around the State News Programs

CE Around the State – October 2011

Welcome to a new monthly feature from RLA-CE.  These posts are designed to gather upcoming continuing education opportunities in one place for you to review.  We’ll be checking out the calendars for established groups such as LACONI and ARRT as well as the L2 calendar.  The featured programs will be 3-6 weeks out so you have time to register and get permission from your institution.

We’re also always on the lookout for great CE, so if you know of a group or source that offers workshops, classes, webinars, or other training, please let us know!

Since this is RLA-CE’s website, hopefully you won’t begrudge us promoting our program first.  We’re hosting Mobile Solutions for Libraries on Thursday, November 10th from 9:30-noon at the Northbrook Public Library.  Toby Greenwalt will give us a better understanding of the various tools our patrons can use to meet their library needs. FREE 😀

LACONI’s fall program is Top Tech Trends: Planning for the Road Ahead.  Jason Griffey, Associate Professor and Head of Library Information Technology at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga is the featured speaker.  Thursday, October 6th from 9:30-3:00 at the Skokie Public Library.  Not free 😦

ARRT has two programs in October.  Crossover Connection: Linking Your Adult and Teen Collections will be held on Tuesday, October 11th from 1:30-3:30 at the Schaumburg Public Library.  Not free 😦  Their fall book discussion of The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet will take place on Wednesday, October 26th from 1:30-3:30 at the Niles Public LIbrary.  This is FREE 😀 but you have to get your copy of the book on your own.

Dominican is sponsoring a three part workshop on storytelling on October 9, November 6 and December 4.  Yes, those are all Sundays.  Not free 😦

Dominican is sponsoring a workshop on Problem Solving on Thursday, October 13th.  Diane Decker is the facilitator and if you’ve never been to one of her programs, you’re missing out.  Not free 😦

Don’t forget the best bang for your CE buck – the ILA Annual Conference!  This is one of the best events in the state.  Plus, this is the first year it will be held in Rosemont.  Not free 😦 but sooo worth it.

There’s an interesting WebJunction course on using skill-based volunteers in Public Libraries on Wednesday, October 19th from 1:00-2:00.  Webjunction is a great resource for continuing education.  They cover a wide range of library-related topics and best of all, most are FREE 😀

WebJunction is hosting another webinar on Tuesday, October 25th (1:00-2:00) entitled Teaming Up With Teens@ Your Library.  And yes, I had to double check to make sure it wasn’t ‘Teeming.’  FREE 😀