Demographics are shifting creating an increased need for services for older adults. To serve the interests of our aging population, Beaverton City Library and Forest Grove City Library partnered with Washington County Disability, Aging and Veteran Services to provide unique community-building programs using a World Café model. One example is Death Café, which is a…Read more Death, Aging, and Talking About the Taboo
Do your library policies sound like something from a Kafka novel? Or maybe they’re a laundry list of all the crazy things patrons have done in your library? These are resources a few of us in Oregon and Washington have used to write policies that are easily understood, flexible, and patron-friendly while still giving us the…Read more Get your policy wonk on, Writing patron-friendly policies
The Oregon Virtual Reference Summit is Oregon’s annual conference dedicated to reference, service, and technology. In 2015 it was an OLA preconference. Speakers included Dr. Marie Radford of Rutgers University and Cathy Camper, author of the graphic novel Lowriders in Space. https://vimeo.com/album/3365463/video/130567442
Conference/Workshop Materials can be found under Conference Material link on this page Northwest Central is the continuing education network for library staff in Oregon and beyond. About Us Northwest Central Round Table of the Oregon Library Association provides a means for sharing continuing education events and resources for library staff throughout Oregon via the Northwest Central…Read more Welcome
Description Language matters, words matter, phrases and terms all matter! We are here to discuss changes you can make within your bibliographic data to add more inclusive language for the communities your library serves. We believe that respectful language choices in access points is one way to work towards anti-oppressive librarianship. Sponsored by OLA TSRT…Read more What’s in a name? Quite a bit! Vocabularies matter!
Description How do Intellectual Freedom and Inclusion contradict each other? How does the library uphold its role as a third space? Recently in library world hate groups or exclusionary events have been taking up space in the library and have brought many conflicting conversations to the forefront of our jobs. Discussion about the gray area…Read more Hate Groups in the Library: Maintaining a Safe Space While Being Inclusive
Language matters, words matter, phrases and terms all matter! I am here to discuss changes you can make within your bibliographic data to add more inclusive language for your customers. This session will go through the process for choosing new terms, as well as the partnership with Backstage Library Works to enact the change. This…Read more Words Matter – Rethinking LCSH
Many libraries are developing tiered reference and instruction models that include one‐on‐one consultations for users with in‐depth research needs. These consultations are often strongly rooted in the subject expertise and personal communication style of the librarian. But we also have research that illustrates specific factors that significantly impact the quality of the reference interaction. As consultations become increasingly…Read more Research Therapist: Providing Effective Student Consultations
Speakers: Kate Jacobson Dutro, Reynolds School District; Jennifer McKenzie, Siuslaw School District; Ayn Reyes Frazee, Portland Public Schools Description: Libraries are for everyone, especially school libraries! Part 1 of this three-part pre-conference will begin with an actionable plan to train staff about conducting a diversity audit of your collection. Part 2 will have us “walk…Read more Building Diverse & Engaging School Libraries
Description Like death and taxes, it is certain that if your library maintains holdings in OCLC WorldCat, they will eventually get out-of-sync. Cataloging librarian Mariko Kershaw will describe how she and her colleague at Washington County Cooperative Library Services embarked on the journey of do-it-yourself (DIY) OCLC reclamation. Not only the first reclamation for their…Read more Do-It-Yourself OCLC Reclamation: a low-cost, time-saving approach to keeping your library’s WorldCat holdings synchronized
Description Giving and receiving feedback in the workplace can be hard to do; interacting with a colleague, supervisor, or employee, can quickly and inadvertently result in negative feelings or behaviors if feedback is provided without appropriate context or relevant examples. However, feedback can be empowering and supportive when done constructively and thoughtfully. In this session,…Read more Critical Art of Feedback
Explore international opportunities for librarians as a way to share your knowledge and expertise while learning about library practices in another culture. The International Relations Round Table will present a panel discussion of current and future international exchange possibilities. Attendees will hear about the Horner Library Staff Exchange Program with Fujian Province, China; Libros for…Read more Rekindling International Opportunities During Challenging Times
Teens with a heart for service can be a tremendous asset to your library. Whether you call it a Teen Advisory Board or Teen Action Group or by another name, allowing teens to have a voice, develop their skills, and actively support your library is valuable to you and to them. Come gather ideas for…Read more Great Teen Advisory Groups: See How They Run
Have you realized that no matter how many vacations you take, you cannot bring back the enthusiasm you used to feel for your job? Instead of burnout, is it possible that you have put ambition over wellbeing? Or do you feel pressure to advance when you love what you are doing now? Join a recovering…Read more Career Advancement by Staying Put
There’s a reason podcasts have become so popular. They’re accessible, entertaining, educational, and a surprising way to build communities of people over long distances. Should your library have its own podcast? Join the hosts of Toledo Public Library’s The Free Bin and Coos Bay Public Library’s Swords and Starships as they tell the origin stories…Read more Attack of the Pod People: A Crash Course in Podcasting
These are some of the resources made available by the presenters at the session on online identity management at the 2014 OLA Conference. The presenters were Eric Anctil, professor of education at the University of Portland; Laurie Bridges, instruction and emerging technologies librarian at the Valley Library at Oregon State University; and Robin Ashford, reference…Read more Educating Library Users in Online Identity Management
User experience (UX) design is all about understanding user behavior and using that understanding to guide the way we design our systems, interfaces, services, and spaces. UX Boot Camp provides a practical introduction to user experience design work, where you can learn about the principles of UX design and the fundamentals of how to study…Read more UX Bootcamp and Librarians as Designers
Darci Hanning, from the Oregon State Library, will present an overview to the Edge Initiative. This initiative was developed by a national coalition of leading library and local government organizations, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and is led by the Urban Libraries Council. It was created with the vision that all people…Read more The Edge Initiative: Get an Edge on Your Technology Services
Speakers: Ericka Brunson-Rochette, OLA President; Sonja Sommerville, Salem Public Library; Jonathan Hill, author Description Join us for a delicious buffet breakfast and bring the fun and learning of the conference together with Portland-based cartoonist, illustrator, and educator Jonathan Hill. Jonathan has been working in and teaching about comics and illustration for many years. His most…Read more Wrap Up Breakfast & Keynote “The Power of Encouragement” with Jonathan Hill
Each day, librarians and front-line library staff find themselves in the position of serving as de facto social workers, referring library patrons to needed services, helping them navigate forms on the computer, and sometimes just listening. In response to user needs, some libraries in California and Arizona have embedded social workers in their libraries. If…Read more A Social Worker in the Library?