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Topics Covered

PROGRAMS AND EVENTS:

Safeguarding Intellectual Freedom: How to Counter Censorship and the Criminalization of Librarianship in America - August 29*

Maryland Library Association (MLA) Public Services Division (PSD) - Emerging Adults Unconference - September 14*

Upcoming WebJunction Webinars - September 14, September 26, October 3*

Duckpin Bowling MLA Centennial Fundraiser - September 23*

MD Tech Connect Extended - October 30, November 17*

RESOURCES, PUBLICATIONS AND NEWS:

The 2024 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Call for Education Program Proposals - Due September 18*

WebJunction Resources

Maryland Libraries in the News

Reminder of Topics in the Previous Digest

Programs & Events

Safeguarding Intellectual Freedom: How to Counter Censorship and the Criminalization of Librarianship in America - August 29*

American librarians are increasingly becoming the latest targets in the political and cultural wars spreading across the country, part of a growing movement to ban books, censor ideas, and restrict educators’ ability to discuss race, gender, identity, and LGBTQ+ issues in the classroom. Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid's Tale, Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Juno Dawson’s This Book is Gay, and Ta-Nehisi Coates' Between the World and Me, have all landed on recent censorship lists in 2022 alone, which the American Library Association (ALA) reports was a year that saw the “highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling data about censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago.”

How can freedom-to-read advocates and community members respond to counter these divisive strategies and rhetoric which portray libraries as spaces of indoctrination and librarians as villains peddling harmful literature?

Inspired by recent scholarship, such as The Urge to Censor: Raw Power, Social Control, and the Criminalization of Librarianship (Paul T. Jaeger et al), and motivated by the turmoil facing ALA, with censorship proponents calling for conservative states to end their memberships in ALA and some ALA members calling for a bifurcation of the organization into  “liberal” and “conservative” ideologies, the University of Maryland Libraries presents a virtual dialog among experts and scholars in the field, on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, from 3:00-4:30 pm ET, to examine the challenges facing academic and public libraries and explore the actions that can be taken to ensure libraries remain bastions of intellectual freedom for all.

This webinar is offered as part of the UMD Libraries’ Living Democracy Initiative. 

Register via Zoom

Maryland Library Association (MLA) Public Services Division (PSD) - Emerging Adults Unconference - September 14*

Do you serve customers that are between 18 and 30? Do you have great ideas for engaging them or do you want to brainstorm with others? Then come to PSD's Emerging Adults Unconference. We will discuss ways to provide services and programs for this age group.

Emerging adults are coming to, or are already at, a library near you. These are the patrons that are typically between the ages of 18-30. Do you have ideas for services or programs that would fit their needs? Come discuss programming and services for emerging adults in a flexible, conversational format with staff from around the state.

Learn more and register here.

Upcoming WebJunction Webinars - September 14, September 26, October 3*

Bridgebuilding: Fostering Community Engagement and Dialogue

Thursday, September 14, 2023 ◆ 2 - 3 p.m.

Registration

Bridgebuilding is an approach for promoting engagement and dialog between groups of people with different perspectives and experiences. Recognizing libraries as trusted community spaces, IREX, in collaboration with Shamichael Hallman and with support from More Perfect, created the Bridgebuilding Resource Hub to support and enhance the bridgebuilding capabilities of public libraries, to help combat rising levels of distrust and division in our communities. Join this webinar to learn about the free tools in the Bridgebuilding Resource Hub, including methods for both conducting bridging activities and programs, and for measuring their effectiveness. Public library staff who have offered programs will share their experiences, the partners that they worked with, and what they learned. 

Climate Action Planning (Part 2): Disaster Preparedness and Community Resilience

Tuesday, September 26, 2023 ◆ 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. 

Registration

This panel discussion will feature practitioners with deep experience in preparing both their libraries, and their communities, for the impacts of climate change. Our panel will speak to traditional disaster preparedness, business continuity planning, community resilience work, and preparing communities for severe weather events and the increased likelihood of food supply interruptions. While libraries are not first responders, they should be connected with the emergency management community and be positioned as part of both the short-term and long-term “first restorer” network as disruptions amplified by climate change happen with more frequency.

Climate Justice

Tuesday, October 3, 2023 ◆ 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. 

Registration

Climate justice recognizes the disproportional impacts of climate change on the people and places least responsible for the problem: systematically oppressed communities and communities of color. Libraries that approach climate action through the lens of climate justice can accelerate necessary work in communities to ensure all are heard in disaster preparedness and emergency management work. Learn how to think like a 21st century economist and how libraries can help lead the way to a just transition of our communities to strengthen community resilience and livability not just in the aftermath of climate change-driven disasters, but well before they ever happen.

Duckpin Bowling MLA Centennial Fundraiser - September 23*

Help MLA celebrate our Centennial in true Maryland style with Duckpin Bowling! Each ticket includes two hours of bowling, shoe rental, 2 slices of pizza (substitutes available), unlimited sodas, and lots of FRIENDLY competition! Money raised from this event will help support professional development opportunities and grants for Maryland library workers. This flier can be used to promote this fundraising event.  Register here, using either Member or Public registration.

MD Tech Connect Extended - October 30, November 17*

A special webinar series will be offered free in addition to MD Tech Connect 2023.  It is for anyone who is interested, even if you don't make it to the conference this year.  This will be a fun and easy (and free) way to keep up with emerging technologies.  These are the first two topics.  More will be coming your way in 2024.  A registration announcement will be sent later in September.

Resources, Publications, and News

The 2024 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Call for Education Program Proposals - Due September 18*

Explore critical issues, best practices, and innovations with library professionals from around the world at the ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, June 27-July 2, 2024, in San Diego, California. You can contribute to this diverse programming by submitting an education program proposal highlighting your creative, strategic work. The submission site is open now through September 18. Learn more here.

WebJunction Resources

Transforming Lives with Adult Literacy Programs: This article is part of a series created in collaboration with the Tocker Foundation, a family foundation uniquely focused on supporting rural, public libraries all across Texas. The series, Rural Libraries at the Heart of Thriving Communities, will take an in-depth look at rural libraries doing notable work in education, arts and technology, economic development, community wellness, and human services

Explore the Digital Stewardship Lifecycle: WebJunction created the Digital Collections Stewardship course series to help staff at smaller public and tribal libraries, archives and museums understand and navigate the work of creating, sharing and preserving digital collections of unique images, artifacts, documents, and recordings that highlight the history and culture of their communities. To illustrate the overall range of the work involved in the five stages, we created a simple Digital Stewardship Lifecycle interactive graphic, to provide a snapshot of what is involved in taking on this work.

Advancing IDEAs: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, 22 August 2023: This is the latest Hanging Together blog post, part of a regular series on issues of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility, compiled by a team of OCLC contributors.

Libraries in the News

More notes from MACo: Politicians who write, a weed by any other name, AI ay yi yi, MoCo term limits, and a new OC attraction (Worcester Mobile Library at MACO) Maryland Matters, August 19

#MACoCon Goes Beyond Books to Talk Libraries and All They Offer Conduit Street, August 23

In Case You Missed It (Chief Officers of State Library Agencies)

Last Week's Topics

PROGRAMS AND EVENTS:

• The Marvelous Middle: Finding ways to Grow and Thrive in Middle Management - August 30*
• Climate Action Planning (Part 2): Disaster Preparedness and Community Resilience - September 26*
• Law on the Frontlines: Legal Reference for Public Libraries – Fall 2023 
• Library Administrators EDI Summit - SAVE THE DATE - November 8*

RESOURCES, PUBLICATIONS AND NEWS:

• Rural Library Network E-Summit Accepting Proposals - Applications Due September 7*
• Maryland New Start Grant Program - Workforce Development & Adult Learning - Deadline Extended - September 15*
• Pathways to Success: Professional Development for Skilled New Americans library cohort - Application Due September 22*
• OCLC/WebJunction Resources