Conference Programs

This is a 90 minute session.

Have you ever wondered why City Departments have a hard time collaborating when all we are trying to do is serve the same population? Join us as we talk through some stereotypes about the “competition”, commiserate about the situations that we have dealt with, and then start our new adventures as Voltron and move forward to conquer the Galaxy! In this session, we hope to work with our participants through the process of dealing with past issues, and learning new methods and approaches for breaking through barriers and moving forward in an effort to work collaboratively with departments in our organizations.

This is a 90 minute session.

Learn about Show Low Public Library's Healthy Living Program that includes cooking demos! We will share how we conduct interactive cooking demonstrations on all things healthy using our mobile kitchen and induction cooktops. We will demonstrate a cooking demo with a yummy healthy recipe that all participants will get to sample. We will also give tips on how to obtain funding to support a healthy cooking program, lessons learned, and each participant will walk away with our customized healthy cooking cookbook. You won't want to miss this session! Here's to your health!

This is a 90 minute session.

It is estimated that family, friends, and neighbors care for 7 million children under the age of 5 in their homes, making it the most prevalent form of nonparental childcare. Supports for these caregivers are limited. Libraries are uniquely positioned to support these caregivers in the critical area of literacy. In this workshop we will share a program created by the Arizona State Library and presented by the Building the Next Generation of Readers Early Literacy team across the rural areas of Arizona. Learn how your library can support caregivers with an intentional, enhanced storytime, or an adult focused workshop.

This is a 90 minute session.

This session will reflect interactive and fun library activities that the author implemented at her high school during the 2021-2022 school year, after a year of virtual instruction due to the global pandemic. As the world started to function in a different rhythm because of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools had to start altering their plans to educate children in the virtual mode, something almost inexistent in many schools. The last school year marked the return to some kind of normalcy and in-person instruction. It was a challenge to keep students engaged and focused on the” back to new” old routines.

This session will reflect four activities designed to keep the author's school library experience alive to the students and teachers as they re-enter the physical school universe but at the same time follow some social and physical distancing rules. The projects presented on the session are Book Tasting, Lunch Time Games, Book March Madness, and Giveaway Book Club. The presentation will contain a definition of each program and will be illustrated with pictures to engage the audience visually.

This is a 45 minute session.

Program Description announced shortly.

This is a 45 minute session.

We all know a library card is the most valuable card in your wallet. But can you increase the value of a library card? And how do you communicate that value to the public? In September 2022, Mesa Public Library launched a business discount program for Library Card Sign-up Month. Learn how we harnessed the power of existing partnerships and developed new ones to encourage library card signup and promote local businesses. We’ll discuss the successes and pitfalls of the program, and how time spent building relationships paid off.

This is a 45 minute session.

Don't miss this opportunity to learn how the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) can ignite your passion and your career! AASL President Kathy Lester will help you navigate the multiple features and benefits of AASL membership while highlighting exciting and practical resources to help you in your career as a school library professional. Learn more about how your membership in AASL supports the profession and how you can get involved with the work of your national association. New and prospective AASL members are invited, and long-time AASL members are welcome to attend this great networking opportunity.

This is a 45 minute session.

We would like to present on & share the free resources of our National Library Network to Arizona libraries and offer additional services, including Citizen Science Trainings (virtual or live). Libraries across the country are becoming hubs for citizen science, where people can access books, field guides, computers, subject matter experts, and other citizen science resources. Network members receive special access to grant opportunities, resources, support, and connections to libraries across the country interested in becoming a community hub for citizen science, a global movement that enables people from all walks of life to participate in real scientific research. Some libraries house citizen science projects with specialized kits, featuring tools like telescopes and light sensors, that enable patrons to complete projects. View our Library Network information & resources:https://scistarter.org/library-network

This is a 45 minute session.

Once we reopened after the pandemic shutdown, we had numerous customers walking through our doors asking specifically for different community resources, their contact information, and their requirements to obtain assistance. Due to the number of requests, we thought it would be of great benefit to the community to bring these different partners to the library, rather than simply create handouts or direct individuals one-by-one. We created a monthly series called Thrive in Surprise, where we introduced community partners who were already prepared to assist with mental health, LGBTQ+, food insecurity, back-to-school, learning through play, addiction and more. We would like to share with other libraries throughout the state our process, success stories, and upcoming changes we plan to implement in future iterations. We will demonstrate how we engaged partners throughout the community, without cost, and how we reached specific groups of people and let them know what resources were available. This was a challenge after being shut down during the pandemic, being restricted by limited hours, and then adjusting as we reopened over time. However, the way we were able to successfully navigate these issues and bring this service to the community highlights how we were able to take advantage of this opportunity.

This is a 45 minute session.

Strengthening awareness, resilience, and communication is vital for building proactive libraries in times of change. Utilizing the ‘leading from the middle’ leadership model, library directors, managers, and supervisors can empower library support staff - especially those working at the front lines - to affect, embrace, and enact changes. Leading from the middle helps create a check-and-balance system, contributes to sound decision-making processes, and inspires future leaders. It is a pathway to unity and innovation, preparing public libraries for ongoing and new challenges to come.

This is a 45 minute session.

Come hear from the AzLA Horner Fellowship committee about exciting opportunities including what the Horner Fellowship is and how to apply, and hear from other members about their experience in Japan.

This is a 45 minute session.

It is estimated that family, friends, and neighbors care for 7 million children under the age of 5 in their homes, making it the most prevalent form of nonparental childcare. Supports for these caregivers are limited. Libraries are uniquely positioned to support these caregivers in the critical area of literacy. In this workshop we will share a program created by the Arizona State Library and presented by the Building the Next Generation of Readers Early Literacy team across the rural areas of Arizona. Learn how your library can support caregivers with an intentional, enhanced storytime, or an adult focused workshop.

This is a 45 minute session.

This session will reflect interactive and fun library activities that the author implemented at her high school during the 2021-2022 school year, after a year of virtual instruction due to the global pandemic. As the world started to function in a different rhythm because of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools had to start altering their plans to educate children in the virtual mode, something almost inexistent in many schools. The last school year marked the return to some kind of normalcy and in-person instruction. It was a challenge to keep students engaged and focused on the” back to new” old routines.

This session will reflect four activities designed to keep the author's school library experience alive to the students and teachers as they re-enter the physical school universe but at the same time follow some social and physical distancing rules. The projects presented on the session are Book Tasting, Lunch Time Games, Book March Madness, and Giveaway Book Club. The presentation will contain a definition of each program and will be illustrated with pictures to engage the audience visually.

This is a 45 minute session.

It’s a new day for the Arizona Memory Project (AMP). After 16 years on the same platform, AMP staff will detail how we migrated 665,000 legacy items from one digital asset management system (DAMS) to a new one. This entailed migrating 385 collections, contributed by 100 institutions, totaling 3TB of data. This program has two parts. Part 1: Pre-migration preparations. Topics include documenting justifications for migrating, evaluating new DAMS, securing resources (e.g. staff, IT support, and funding), and facilitating data extraction from the legacy DAMS. Part 2: Migration workflows. Topics include file preparations, metadata remediation, data ingest into the new DAMS, quality checks, implementing new features, and vendor support. We are excited to showcase the new Arizona Memory Project. We hope attendees will learn from our experience and leave the session with a better understanding of how to evaluate and implement the resources needed to complete a DAMS migration.

This is a 45 minute session.

One-shot instruction sessions can be challenging to create engagement while integrating different learning styles. Over the past year, the librarians at the Hazy Library and Learning Center have experimented with different instructional tools: PollEverywhere, Mentimeter, Nearpod, Padlet, and more. Learn how these tools and others can increase engagement in person, online, and in hybrid instruction. These tools give students a choice in how to participate. They provide opportunities for discussion that even the quiet students will use, allow us to share work anonymously for feedback, and make learning fun.

This is a 45 minute session.

During the height of the pandemic, many libraries began providing virtual programming to meet their patrons’ needs. While libraries will continue to offer in-person programming for their local communities, library staff have also learned that virtual programming can expand their reach. Going forward, many patrons may continue to access libraries virtually, so it is critical to offer innovative, online programs.

This proposal highlights how staff from two agencies, the State of Arizona Research Library and the Arizona State Data Center, collaborated to develop a new webinar about the U.S. Census for library professionals. While other webinars are available about the history of the U.S. Census, this webinar was innovative because it focused specifically on providing U.S. Census training and resources for library professionals. We want to share our lessons learned throughout the collaborative planning process, including how we developed the program structure and content, the tools we used to record the webinar, and how the program could be adapted for other library audiences.

This is a 45 minute session.

Library staffers work diligently to bring representation to the collection but it can be difficult to know which books are worth the time and money. This program is packed full of graphic novels that are written by and about immigrants and refugees. We’ll discuss great graphic novels that have been published recently as well as any that may be published in the near future. Presented as a series of fast-paced book talks, attendees will quickly get up to speed on the current state of graphic novels, trade paperbacks, and manga. So whatever you do, don’t be late, you won’t want to miss a minute of this fun and informative session. Not only will you walk away with a better understanding of what’s available in graphic novels that focus on immigration and refugee issues, but you’ll also get an annotated bibliography to make your collection development decisions easier than ever.

This is a 45 minute session.

StoryWalks are a great way to expand your library's reach by combining reading, exercise, and nature while collaborating with parks, schools, and other community partners. In this interactive presentation we will walk through multiple ways to create a StoryWalk project in your community. StoryWalks can be permanent, semi-permanent, or temporary. Or all three simultaneously. We will explore what we have accomplished as well as the problems, obstacles, and pitfalls we have navigated while evaluating books, creating templates, working with printers, installing and maintaining stories, and working within a budget. You will walk away with the information and tools you need to begin your own StoryWalk plan.

This is a 45 minute session.

We will discuss how expanding equipment lending services in both the variety and number of items available positioned our library to adapt to the new hybrid instructional modality that started with the pandemic. As this program has grown, our campus recognized our library as the central place for student technology lending, which resulted in new partnerships with other technology and student centers. We'll describe the types of partnerships that can better position libraries to reach students in most need, including centralization of key campus services. We will also provide an overview of how we addressed an ongoing issue of program visibility and awareness through creation of eye-catching technology displays. Last, we will share our efforts to implement a student-requested equipment booking system to make limited technology available at the time of need.

This is a 45 minute session.

Has your library considered the local LGBT+ population? Do you know what resources exist for your LGBT+ community? Where do you even begin? It is a new day! This presentation is designed to help library staff expand their reach and reach out to those community members that could use a helping hand. I explain how I overcame existing communication barriers within my community and created regular LGBT+ programming.

This is a 45 minute session.

The Arizona Talking Book Library is a free braille and talking book library service for people with low vision, blindness, or a physical, perceptual, or reading disability that prevents them from using regular print materials. Starting in 2021, the library expanded its services to those with reading disabilities, and the types of professionals who can now certify these patrons has been expanded beyond medical professionals to include librarians, social workers, teachers, certified reading specialists, school psychologists, educators, and superintendents. Please come to hear more about how we are reaching out so that all may read in Arizona!

This is a 45 minute session.

Public libraries can have a tremendous impact on the communities that they serve; however, it has traditionally been difficult to quantify, analyze, and visualize their impact. With the right data, geographic information systems (GIS) and geospatial analysis can provide opportunities to visualize public library success stories. In this session, Brooks Mitchell (Education Associate with the STAR Library Network in Boulder, CO) will be presenting his Master of Geographic Information Systems capstone research project which seeks to better understand how public library programming impacts student success rates in select communities in the Mountain West geographic region. This session will showcase the results of his research analysis and provide library leaders with actionable evidence to help shape the future of their library services.

This is a 45 minute session.

Including American Sign Language (ASL) in storytime programs encourages active participation of children of all ages AND adults. Plus, early exposure to sign language helps babies and toddlers develop their language, reasoning, and motor skills. In this "hands-on" workshop, you will learn best practices for incorporating ASL into storytimes & early childhood programming- which includes how many signs to use during a program, how to incorporate ASL into songs and rhymes, where to find authentic signs, and how to keep the integrity of ASL, even if you are only dabbling in the language one word at a time.

This is a 45 minute session.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, communities in many pockets of the world adopted community champion approaches to support community engagement, tapping into existing social networks, to support the uptake of services including vaccination.

The AZ Public Health Champions Training Program is a community model in which the pilot program will focus on addressing the identified training needs of librarians serving rural communities to support their efforts at building resilience in their communities so that they are better positioned to address future public health challenges beyond the pandemic.

As a complement to the development and delivery of training modules, a mini-grant process will also be implemented in which participants will have the opportunity to submit a funding proposal to support innovative programming to benefit their patrons and community. This presentation will describe identified training needs and outline the mini-grant process.

This is a 45 minute session.

Re-opening after Covid-19 closures has many libraries transitioning back to in-person programming, but there is still value in keeping the take-home model. Leveraging patron convenience is the key to the Crafts-to-Go for Adults program at Prescott Public Library, which provides kits filled with the materials patrons need to create a stylish craft project at home. Emphasis on patron experience is what has allowed the program to grow from a way to stay engaged with the community during curbside service, to a popular grant-funded program that brings new library users in every month. This presentation will describe how the project has grown from its concept stage to an in-demand program model that reflects emerging trends in libraries.

This is a 45 minute session.

Technology is changing so fast, and the technology tools we use in our profession are no exception. Learn about some software tools like pivot tables (making statistics fun again) and password managers (save the time of the user, especially ourselves), and hardware, like what cables plugged into your computer can kill you (and which one's can't). Bring your questions! We'll focus on using these tools for ourselves, not on programming.

This is a 45 minute session.

For as long as anyone can remember, school library orientation has meant two things: rules and catalog tutorials. Even before the pandemic, this model began to lose efficacy. Then came school shutdowns and remote learning. With no physical library, what does orientation look like? Based on the needs of my students, I have reworked the traditional orientation to emphasize how students intuitively use the library in order to give them the skills they need to be successful and independent. There is now a greater push for efficient browsing and being a reflective reader than on using the catalog. I’ll share how I start my year and build library visits over the course of the semester to foster independant library users. All of my materials will be shared with attendees electronically.

This is a 45 minute session.

You’ve heard of storytimes, but have you heard of cognitive storytimes? Join Jeffrey Stoffer as he changes gears on the way you think of storytime programming. Learn how to demystify words, create a hands-on family environment, use both plugged and unplugged activities, and dance to an awesome algorithm of the week. You won’t just learn about how to run a cognitive storytime, you’ll also go home with a 15 week curriculum of Jeffrey’s K-Code program. This is a hands-on interactive program where the rules are meant to be broken and family fun is unavoidable.

This is a 45 minute session.

The Center for Rural Health, University of Arizona, recognizes the prominent role many libraries play in communities across the state, particularly as it relates to improving the health and well-being of their members.

This hands-on, interactive session will explore opportunities for the Center to partner with libraries to bring its resources to bear to further bolster community well-being. Potential resources offered could include trainings designed for staff and community members delivered by health content experts on topics such as youth mental health, healthy aging, substance use disorder, preventive care, how to find reliable health information, health insurance navigation, LGBTQ health awareness, vaccines and disease risk mitigation, and emergency preparedness.

The goal of this session is to generate ideas for partnership, validate them, and brainstorm implementation strategies through robust interaction between the presenter and audience members.

This is a 45 minute session.

Reliable broadband internet and technology became increasingly essential educational resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is particularly true of students who work in remote regions where access is limited or multigenerational households where the environment is not conducive to learning. Inequities in accessing these resources were exacerbated by the pandemic and stay at home orders, especially for marginalized communities which have been technologically disadvantaged. Similar to national surveys, a Fall 2020 UA survey indicated that one in three students faced limited internet access and two in ten reported that a lack of access to technology or software reduced their ability to perform well in classes delivered online. In order to address these needs, libraries can embrace new roles collaborating in new partnerships and creating spaces to reduce students’ barriers and increase academic success.

This is a 45 minute session.

Learn five important steps to a successful teen internship program. Discover the hidden benefits for the library in providing meaningful volunteer and internship opportunities. Explore the secret skills and talents that the teens can develop through a connected learning volunteer or internship opportunity.

Participants will walk away with a strategy and framework to develop your own teen internship/volunteer program, discover the constructive role that Connected Learning can play in creating a positive experience for both the library and teen, and hear practical examples and experiences from library volunteer coordinators.

This is a 90 minute session.

Learn more about the Consortium of Partners Procuring Electronic Resources (COPPER) which is the first multi-type library consortium to serve libraries across Arizona. Currently, COPPER serves 29 libraries of all types and is actively recruiting for additional members. This session will focus on the benefits of COPPER membership, discuss the future of COPPER, and will allow time for questions to be asked regarding this exciting initiative. COPPER is currently focusing on purchasing electronic resources and establishing a statewide ILL system which will also be discussed. Learn more about COPPER by going to http://www.azcopper.org Members of the COPPER Board of Directors will also be present to answer any questions and share their thoughts on how COPPER can benefit the libraries of Arizona.

This is a 90 minute session.

Join us for a fast-paced look at successful programs funded in part by Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds. Project managers from libraries across Arizona as well as Arizona State Library staff will make brief presentations about projects ranging from digitation and STEM to early learning and health literacy, and more!

This is a 90 minute session.

Finding your way in a new job can be difficult, especially when you’re confronted with brand-new requirements to move up in rank. In this interactive panel discussion, librarians and archivists from Northern Arizona University’s Cline Library share their woes and wins advocating for early career professional support. Staff members from disparate departments banded together to collectively figure out how best to approach an overwhelming promotion process. Under the banner of the newly formalized Committee for New Academic Professionals (CNAPS), the presenters overcame these challenges by inspiring each other to lead change from the bottom up and create a path for mentoring and advocacy for current and future library workers. Throughout the session, attendees will devise an action plan to find “their people” in order to overcome obstacles in their institutions. Participants will leave the session ready to be changemakers empowered to lead, regardless of their role or rank.

This is a 45 minute session.

We all know a library card is the most valuable card in your wallet. But can you increase the value of a library card? And how do you communicate that value to the public? In September 2022, Mesa Public Library launched a business discount program for Library Card Sign-up Month. Learn how we harnessed the power of existing partnerships and developed new ones to encourage library card signup and promote local businesses. We’ll discuss the successes and pitfalls of the program, and how time spent building relationships paid off.

This is a 45 minute session.

You know about Little Free Libraries but do you know about Little Free STEM Libraries?? This session will share information and resources on how to bring more awareness about STEM to your community by sharing materials and make and take STEM kits through Little Free Libraries. This is a great outreach program geared for all age groups.

This is a 45 minute session.

Strengthening awareness, resilience, and communication is vital for building proactive libraries in times of change. Utilizing the ‘leading from the middle’ leadership model, library directors, managers, and supervisors can empower library support staff - especially those working at the front lines - to affect, embrace, and enact changes. Leading from the middle helps create a check-and-balance system, contributes to sound decision-making processes, and inspires future leaders. It is a pathway to unity and innovation, preparing public libraries for ongoing and new challenges to come.

This is a 45 minute session.

Program Description announced shortly.

This is a 45 minute session.

Library staffers work diligently to bring representation to the collection but it can be difficult to know which books are worth the time and money. This program is packed full of graphic novels that are written by and about immigrants and refugees. We’ll discuss great graphic novels that have been published recently as well as any that may be published in the near future. Presented as a series of fast-paced book talks, attendees will quickly get up to speed on the current state of graphic novels, trade paperbacks, and manga. So whatever you do, don’t be late, you won’t want to miss a minute of this fun and informative session. Not only will you walk away with a better understanding of what’s available in graphic novels that focus on immigration and refugee issues, but you’ll also get an annotated bibliography to make your collection development decisions easier than ever.

This is a 45 minute session.

Technology is changing so fast, and the technology tools we use in our profession are no exception. Learn about some software tools like pivot tables (making statistics fun again) and password managers (save the time of the user, especially ourselves), and hardware, like what cables plugged into your computer can kill you (and which one's can't). Bring your questions! We'll focus on using these tools for ourselves, not on programming.

This is a 45 minute session.

Four Arizona public libraries and the Arizona State Library partnered to provide virtual reality career exploration programs for teens. Find out what we learned about teen engagement with VR, logistics for deploying the headsets, and successful models for programming -- even during a pandemic.

This is a 45 minute session.

Has your library considered the local LGBT+ population? Do you know what resources exist for your LGBT+ community? Where do you even begin? It is a new day! This presentation is designed to help library staff expand their reach and reach out to those community members that could use a helping hand. I explain how I overcame existing communication barriers within my community and created regular LGBT+ programming.

This is a 45 minute session.

Once we reopened after the pandemic shutdown, we had numerous customers walking through our doors asking specifically for different community resources, their contact information, and their requirements to obtain assistance. Due to the number of requests, we thought it would be of great benefit to the community to bring these different partners to the library, rather than simply create handouts or direct individuals one-by-one. We created a monthly series called Thrive in Surprise, where we introduced community partners who were already prepared to assist with mental health, LGBTQ+, food insecurity, back-to-school, learning through play, addiction and more. We would like to share with other libraries throughout the state our process, success stories, and upcoming changes we plan to implement in future iterations. We will demonstrate how we engaged partners throughout the community, without cost, and how we reached specific groups of people and let them know what resources were available. This was a challenge after being shut down during the pandemic, being restricted by limited hours, and then adjusting as we reopened over time. However, the way we were able to successfully navigate these issues and bring this service to the community highlights how we were able to take advantage of this opportunity.

This is a 45 minute session.

The Teen Artist Showcase is a program that offers teens a consistent place to display their art at the Prescott Valley Public Library. The program has grown to include the popular Jr. Artist Showcase which provides a space for our very young artists to display their art. This presentation will be an overview of the Teen Artist Showcase as an adaptable, accessible, and sustainable public art program that can be created in any library space. The presenter will aim to inspire librarians and library workers to create public space for artists of all ages in their community.