ILOC Conference 2018

No time like the present to register for the ILOC Conference coming up on January 18th.  ILOC stands for Innovative Libraries Online Conference.  This year’s theme is “Advocacy in Action,” with speakers sharing their innovative approaches to advocacy in Iowa libraries and nationwide. 

The conference begins with a morning keynote speaker, followed by consecutive sessions, and finishing with an evening program especially for trustees.  It runs all day, it’s entirely online using ZOOM web conferencing, and it’s entirely free!  

John Chrastka is the morning keynote speaker; he is the founder and executive director of EveryLibrary.Org, the first Super PAC for libraries. Since 2012, EveryLibrary has provided pro-bono support to 73 communities by helping win ballot measures and tax referendum, all told helping win over $255 million in stable tax funding for libraries. His morning keynote is titled "From Stories to Action: How to Talk About Your Budget in a Way That Activates Support and Secures Funding."

Lance Werner is the evening keynote speaker; he is the director of the award winning Kent District Library (KDL) the second largest and busiest library in Michigan. His presentation for trustees is titled "The Value of Personal Relationships in Advocacy," looking at how relationships with elected officials can pay huge dividends in advocacy efforts.

Presentations throughout the day will showcase ways in which Iowa librarians have put advocacy into action in their communities. Forging relationships with local schools, advocating for county funding through collaboration and shared projects, and garnering support for building projects are some examples of advocacy outcomes.  Register for the ILOC Conference in the C.E. Catalog; there are total of 7 credits available if attending for the entire day!

C.E. Catalog

Find Your Why

Mark your calendars for February 9th and join us for the next Big Ideas Book Discussion: Find Your Why: A Practical Guide to Finding Purpose For You and Your Team by Simon Sinek (c2017) This title follows Sinek’s earlier work Start With Why, which was a “Big Ideas” discussion in 2014.  

From GoodReads "…This easy-to-follow guide starts with the search for your personal why, and then expands to helping your colleagues find your organization's why. Whether you're entry level or a CEO, whether your team is run by the founder or a recent hire, these simple steps will lead you on a path to a more fulfilling life and long-term success for you and your colleagues…”

In Big Ideas Book Discussions, State Library staff and guest stars facilitate discussions using books outside of library management, but with plenty of application to library management. Choosing books on leadership, civic engagement, customer service, presentation skills, etc., we’ll connect those ideas with public library service.

We encourage participants to purchase books used throughout the Big Ideas series for your own collections. In addition to a great assortment of non-fiction titles, there are other spin-off benefits of Big Ideas:  

• titles help with collection development for participating libraries
• titles are good choices for local book discussion groups
• this program serves as another model for how to facilitate local book discussions

C.E. Catalog