Preconferences

Straight out of Music City libraries, stakeholders from the nationally recognized Limitless Libraries program will facilitate an interactive all-day pre-conference on building school-public library relationships that support students and staff. The Nashville team will work with participants to identify the bridges and barriers between where the relationship is and where it could be. Participants will leave the session with working documents, action items, and contacts to brand and expand their school-public library partnership.

Each full-day preconference requires a separate registration.
PLA/TLA Personal Members: $285 no lunch
ALA Personal Members: $340 no lunch
Nonmembers: $405 no lunch

Traditional strategic planning is increasingly less effective in a rapidly changing, increasingly complex world. A new approach is needed -- one that is adaptable, staff-driven, and above all, human-centered. In this fun, practical, and highly interactive workshop, participants will learn how to use service design and take an experiential approach that builds staff capacity to adapt and learn, and invites all staff, and patrons, to participate in the co-creation of a truly meaningful strategic roadmap.

This preconference requires a separate registration but is SOLD OUT.

This library social worker panel will provide an overview of a trauma informed, person-centered, holistic approach to library services. Topics covered will include: applying social work research-based practices to library work; recognizing and addressing the impact of trauma on public service, understanding the person-centered concept; understanding the strengths-based approach; using people-first language; and stress management.

Each full-day preconference requires a separate registration.
PLA/TLA Personal Members: $285 no lunch
ALA Personal Members: $340 no lunch
Nonmembers: $405 no lunch

Advocacy is a necessary part of a librarian's everyday job, yet the thought of it can be overwhelming and scary. In this interactive presentation, we will start by categorizing the spectrum of advocacy and connect it back to specific examples of persuasive communication, then dive into skill-building breakouts for attendees. The preconference will culminate in the importance of statistics and storytelling opportunities that empower librarians to advocate for not only our institutions but also our colleagues and diverse communities we serve.

Each half-day preconference requires a separate registration.
PLA/TLA Personal Members: $195
ALA Personal Members: $250
Nonmembers: $305

Over the last five years, The Seattle Public Library has strived to integrate equity into every level of programmatic and operational planning. The approach, grounded in community listening, has transformed how the library develops, implements, and evaluates programs and operations. This session discusses the foundational elements of embedding equity into organizational culture and library services, starting with staff training and community listening programs that build equity into organizational priorities and strategies. Several examples of putting these values into action will be reviewed. In addition, the session shares how equity values can be folded into fundraising and donor development.

Each half-day preconference requires a separate registration.
PLA/TLA Personal Members: $195
ALA Personal Members: $250
Nonmembers: $305

In this entertaining and interactive preconference, a panel of digital literacy experts will demonstrate the importance of digital literacy as well as best practices for helping patrons with technology. They’ll also show you how to use free tools to create, teach, and evaluate tech classes; provide learning resources for patrons; and implement tech competencies with your staff to ensure they have the skills to meet customer needs and to build an economically successful community.

Each half-day preconference requires a separate registration.
PLA/TLA Personal Members: $195
ALA Personal Members: $250
Nonmembers: $305

Join experts from the PLA Task Force on Family Engagement to learn about PLA’s framework and how you, as a library leader, can create a vision and strategy for your library. Whether you’re a library director, assistant/deputy director, or lead the library’s child or youth services programming, this session will provide you with the tools to articulate your library’s role in family engagement, engage your staff in professional development to improve services to families, identify community partners and funders for your family engagement work, and more.

Each half-day preconference requires a separate registration.
PLA/TLA Personal Members: $195
ALA Personal Members: $250
Nonmembers: $305

You’ve heard of IQ and EQ, but what about CQ? Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is the ability to effectively cross cultural boundaries. CQ building is a life-long journey, and all can improve their CQ over time through four interdependent skills: knowledge, motivation, interpretation, and behavior. Those same skills grow organizational CQ, fostering community trust. Through this highly interactive workshop, build CQ and learn exercises you can use immediately as you shape your library’s future.

Each half-day preconference requires a separate registration.
PLA/TLA Personal Members: $195
ALA Personal Members: $250
Nonmembers: $305

The only certainty in life is change. In 2013, BiblioTech launched as the first all-digital public library in the United States with the mission of engaging challenged communities. In 2018, Rutherford County (Tennessee) opened the doors of the Technology Engagement Center (TEC) in Murfreesboro, placing its unique stamp on digital libraries. Since opening, both libraries have capitalized on the flexible nature of digital to fluidly morph and adapt to meet the changing needs of their patrons.

Each half-day preconference requires a separate registration.
PLA/TLA Personal Members: $195
ALA Personal Members: $250
Nonmembers: $305