Plenty To Do Behind The Scenes
Because of the Coronavirus crisis, hundreds of Iowa libraries have closed to the public, although staff are still working behind the scenes. One of many helpful threads on LibraryTalk in recent days has centered on various tasks that library staff are doing during “in-person patron downtime.”
Combining your ideas and a few of our own, here’s a look at just some of the many things that library staff can be working on:
- Look ahead to your next accreditation cycle—is it February 2021? If so, then this is an ideal time to review your strategic plan and start working on a revision sooner rather than later. District consultants can help.
- Look ahead to your next re-certification cycle—is it December 2020? If so, then this is an ideal time to set up “webinar watch parties” with all staff who need to accumulate renewal credits before the end of the year
- Weed the collection and take inventory
- Complete the Edge Assessment and corresponding Edge Action Plan
- Update your library’s website, taking time to add authoritative links to important Coronavirus information for your community. Refer to last week’s MMEO for vetted resources
- Be active with your library social media, remembering to promote your library’s online resources—especially important now!
- Review job descriptions and job evaluation forms; update as needed
- Research grant sources; begin by browsing your Foundation Directory Online
- Read the next Big Ideas Book Discussion title==Upstream by Dan Heath (online discussion scheduled for May 29)
- Catch up reading professional journals, available through your library’s GALE subscription
- Research and share on your website great resources available for kids and families to do while school closings continue
- Tackle that stack of to-be-mended books
- Develop an effective way to maintain monthly statistics if you’ve previously struggled with gathering them for the annual survey (due in October)
- Clean and clean some more: file cabinets, closets, storage areas
Continue to share those “finally, we have time for
these things” projects on LibraryTalk
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State Library Services Continue
In light of COVID19, State Library staff—alongside other state employees—are grounded from traveling. Those travel restrictions prevent our staff from visiting local libraries on-site. In some cases, previously scheduled appointments are being rescheduled for summer. In many cases, what would have been in-person meetings are being flipped online.
Consulting Staff
District and Des Moines consultants are all here and happy to take questions or just talk about concerns. For a look at our own behind-the-scenes: revisions are now underway for a new edition of the Iowa Library Trustees Handbook. Our work continues in building out the new Education Endorsement Program, as well as prepping for more immediate roundtables and webinars. One notable example is the Kids First Conference now moving entirely online—April 6-7—read more about that below.
And in a very new development, this week we'll begin a series of online meetings “Crisis Response Conversations.” Join State Library staff and Iowa library practitioners as we talk about best practices during social isolation. The first half of each session will be a discussion about a topic especially poignant during the COVID19 crisis. The second half hour will open up for questions among attendees and State Library staff. Topics planned:
- March 25: Electronic Meetings
- April 1: Q&A with Mandy Easter, Law Library Consultant
- April 8: Online Programming
- April 15: Bridges & Other E-Resources
Remember Director Roundtables are scheduled for May. We certainly prefer to hold all Roundtables in person at the various locations confirmed across the state. But given the uncertainty of the timeframe, we may flip them to virtual Roundtables instead—that’s the beauty of ZOOM. We’ll make that decision by mid-April, stay tuned...
LRT Staff
The State Library’s LRT staff (Library Resource Technicians) are also standing by to help with tech issues, E-Rate filing, BRIDGES questions, and website assistance. Also please note: the LRT staff are compiling a master list of libraries that have closed or are closing due to COVID19. Last week, we asked Iowa librarians to report on their building and staffing status: whether the building is open or closed, whether staff remains working, whether staff will continue with SILO-ILL and accepting IAShares deliveries, etc. If you haven’t yet reported, please contact:
Amanda Grom == libraries in NW and SW Districts
Dori Buls == libraries in Central and SE Districts
Trisha Hicks == libraries in NC and NE Districts
Changes to Kids First Conference 2020
As you may have heard, State Library administration made the decision to transition the Kids First Conference April 6-7 to an online-only event—same dates. This is being done to lessen the chance of contributing to the spread of COVID19 Coronavirus.
Kids First 2020—Moving Online and Now Free
The same keynote speakers are expected to headline; Youth Services Consultant Angie Manfredi will be working with the other session presenters to move their presentations to an online format. The Kids First Virtual Conference will be offered through Zoom, the same platform used for all State Library online continuing education. Plans are to record concurrent sessions and make them available for later viewing. We are pleased we can still offer this conference, just in a virtual environment, and we're confident that attendees will still receive inspiring and educational content. Also know that plans are already underway to schedule an in-person event for Iowa youth librarians in Spring 2021.
Registrations & Payments
Librarians who have registered and already submitted payment will be issued refunds; please be patient as we figure out the refund process with State accounting staff. Librarians whose registrations were pending approval will be automatically approved and payment should not be sent. Registered attendees may receive an automated email generated by the CE Catalog once the payment requirement is removed. You do not have to re-register for the virtual conference. However, do remember to cancel your hotel reservations--do so by calling the Gateway Hotel at 515-292-8600.
Questions or Concerns?
Thank you for your understanding and patience as we work on this transition. The health and safety of you and your communities is most important and know that we are following the guidelines of state public health and government officials in making this decision.
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