Town Hall-Style Meetings on
Digital Services
This information was shared with the State Library earlier this month and should be of interest to Iowa’s library community. The Iowa Department of Management—via the Office of the Chief Information Officer--is holding over 50 town hall-style meetings this spring to solicit feedback from Iowans concerning digital services and broadband Internet. Many of these town hall meetings are being held in public libraries. Each session starts at 6:00PM and is slated to last 90 minutes.
State Librarian Michael Scott is a member of a committee working on the state’s Digital Equity Plan. Michael and others on the State Library staff are planning to attend some of these meetings. Certainly, library directors, staff, and trustees are welcome to attend to learn more about this effort and to offer opinion in these focus group sessions.
From the project press release: “We want to hear from Iowans of all walks of life on how they use the Internet and digital services in general. If you ever felt like the digital world is passing you by, for whatever reason, this is your chance to speak up and help Iowa identify ways to help you and your community. Attendees will hear a short presentation on digital services, followed by a discussion with the audience on the barriers and potential solutions for full participation in the digital aspects of society.”
Again, there are over 50 of these town hall meetings across the state, only three have already taken place. The rest continue throughout March, April, and May. Consider attending one at a town near you—find all dates and locations at the button below. Direct any questions to Gloria Van Rees @ 515-782-3661 ( gloria.vanrees@iowa.gov )
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From San Jose State University:
Mini-Conference on April 4th
The next mini-conference from San Jose State University is coming up on April 4 (2:00-5:00PM central time) Always good information—and always free—their April education event is titled “Mental Health and Wellness: Library Workers Thriving in Uncertain Times.”
The conference format for the afternoon begins with a keynote panel, followed by 10-15 crowd-sourced thirty-minute presentations, and finishing with a closing keynote. From the event website: “Libraries have the power to help transform lives, both for staff and patrons, through efforts that promote mental health and wellness. In this Library 2.023 mini-conference, we will focus specifically on helping library workers thrive in these current uncertain and complex times. We will also explore the opportunity to reimagine our futures, to renew and adapt our institutions, and to craft new stories about who we are and what we value.”
Conference sessions will focus on programs and and initiatives supporting staff, teams, leadership, and organizational health and wellness. Topics are expected to include staff burnout, trauma support, the best in work-life balance, and achieving civility in polarized environments. Registration is required to be able to access the recording after-the-fact. So check your calendar and make room to attend 😊
A longtime staple in our Continuing Education calendar, Director Roundtables are coming back in May. Roundtables are another way we can go deeper into the annual CE theme. In a guided discussion format, library directors have a chance to connect with peers and learn from each other in applying and adapting ideas—this year, it’s partnership ideas.
This spring, Director Roundtables will follow our overall education theme in 2023: “Productive Partnerships.” With last year’s theme (“Make Room for Yes”) as a jumping off point, we’ll spend time this year discussing the benefits of finding partners in a common cause. And we’ll discuss how productive partnerships can advance mutual missions for community betterment. Among likely partners to consider:
- Teachers and school librarians
- Businesses and community groups
- Friends Groups
- Other city departments
- Other libraries
Come ready to share success stories about the productive partnerships your library enjoys. With that as the main focus, there will also be time for open-ended conversation on other topics that attendees would like to discuss.
Thanks to Emily Bainter, a webpage displays all of the Director Roundtables happening across the state in May. This helpful at-a-glance page shows all the dates and locations so you can match them against your calendar and choose the one that’s most convenient. Obviously ample opportunties, so make plans to join your colleagues and State Library Staff at Director Roundtables in the merry month of May 😊
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STEM Fairs and Summer Reading Summits Continue
This Week @ Cedar Falls on March 20-21 Then @ Anita on March 23-24
These programs are happening in each District throughout the month of March. The STEM fairs had limited enrollment and have filled up everywhere.
However, the Summer Reading Summits do not have similar registration limits, so you can still register for those. Here’s more information on specific locations
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