The SAILOR E-Resources Symposium is an annual all-virtual conference that brings together library staff from across the state to explore the latest trends and topics in electronic resources and digital librarianship. Our conference aims to promote the SAILOR statewide database project and provide a platform for sharing ideas, experiences, and best practices related to electronic resources and digital librarianship.

Please share this opportunity with your colleagues, review the event program, and register to attend.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact digi.staff@prattlibrary.org.

Legislative Day Briefing - February 9*

Before Library Legislative Day in Annapolis, join the Maryland Library Association (MLA) for a briefing on pending legislation, an overview of talking points, and a Q&A session. Register here: Library Legislative Day Briefing

*Zoom link will be sent prior to briefing.

Invitation to Participate in the Online RJ@PL Strategic Planning Workshop 6 (Topic: Racial Justice and GOVERNMENT, POLITICS, AND PUBLIC POLICY) - February 29*

Thursday, February 29; 3 - 4 p.m.

Dr. Bharat Mehra, EBSCO Endowed Chair in Social Justice and Professor in the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alabama and Dr. Kimberly Black, Associate Professor in the Department of Computing, Information and Mathematical Sciences and Technologies at Chicago State University invite you to participate in an online Strategic Planning Workshop (via zoom) on the topic of GOVERNMENT, POLITICS, AND PUBLIC POLICY scheduled on February 29, 2024 from 3 - 4 p.m. as part of a grant project, “Civic Engagement for Racial Justice in Public Libraries (RJ@PL)” funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

RJ@PL seeks to explore the role of public libraries in their support and promotion of racial justice and positive social change in communities. The purpose is to document the perspectives and experiences of public library staff about their information offerings, activities, and initiatives to address issues related to racism and racial justice in their communities. Data collected from this research will help develop contextually relevant strategic information tools (e.g., roadmap, strategic action plan) that public libraries can use to overcome problems related to racism in their communities.

The goal of each workshop is to revise and finalize the roadmap and strategic action plan for the attainment of racial justice in communities through public library civic engagement in a specific domain or sphere of community life. The domain for our sixth workshop is GOVERNMENT, POLITICS, AND PUBLIC POLICY.

If you are willing to participate in the RJ@PL Strategic Planning Workshop on GOVERNMENT, POLITICS, AND PUBLIC POLICY, please follow the steps listed below:

Step 1: Sign-up for participating in our RJ@PL Strategic Planning Workshop via Google Docs at URL (request for access required):

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ak9Gz_k1Xsk-TJOyTa_XG6Q0kNPSM_8Q6wnl4k7b1DA/edit

Step 2: Once you have signed-up, you will receive an email with a link to the draft document of our RJ@PL Roadmap and Strategic Action Plan (for GOVERNMENT, POLITICS, AND PUBLIC POLICY.) with instructions on how to leave feedback asynchronously. You will also receive the zoom link to attend the live event on February 29, 2024: (2.00-3.00pm CST).

Step 3: You will have time to review the rough draft of the RJ@PL Roadmap and Strategic Action Plan (for GOVERNMENT, POLITICS, AND PUBLIC POLICY.). Please provide your feedback on this rough draft by the end of the month. Further instructions are provided on the document draft.

Step 4: Please attend a one hour online workshop to discuss the RJ@PL Roadmap and Strategic Action Plan (for GOVERNMENT, POLITICS, AND PUBLIC POLICY.) which will be held on Thurs., February 29, 2024: 2.00-3.00pm CST.

If you are unable to attend the meeting (Step 4), you can still provide feedback on the RJ@PL Roadmap and Strategic Action Plan by the end of the month.

For more information about the RJ@PL project, please visit our website http://civicengagement4racialjustice.ua.edu/. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach Drs. Mehra and Black, at bmehra@ua.edu and kblack21@csu.edu!

Resources, Publications, and News

Nominations for Maryland's Great Reads at the National Book Festival Now Open!

Maryland Center for the Book, a program of Maryland Humanities, is seeking recommendations for "Great Reads" to represent our state at the 2024 National Book Festival!

Every year, the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress creates "Great Reads, Great Places," a list of adult books and a list of children’s books representing the literary heritage of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and Northern Marianas. All of these books are presented by the affiliates at the National Book Festival and sold in the festival store. You can see complete lists of previous years' books here. And, when schedules work out, we also try to bring to author to the festival to sign books and meet readers!

We're curious what Maryland books you love that you think would make great choices! A very loose criteria:

The book must have a Maryland connection, either by author/illustrator or content.
Book can be of any genre.
Books may be published from any year, however it must be currently in print.
The author/illustrator can be living or dead, present or past Maryland resident.
Books that showcase underrepresented narratives, experiences, histories, or communities are highly encouraged.

Ready? Fill out this form:

https://mdhumanities.wufoo.com/forms/suggest-a-title-for-great-reads-great-places/

Our 2023 Picks were Kings of B'more by R. Eric Thomas (Adult) and We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom (Children's). You can see both of them read from their work in this video, and see Eric in the attached photo!

Please feel free to email any questions to adesai@mdhumanities.org.

ARSL Award Nominations - Closes February 6*

The ARSL Awards for Libraries and Library Workers nominations are now open! The nomination window is from January 2, 2024 - February 6, 2024.

Awards will be based on nominees' accomplishments during the preceding year (January-December 2023), with the exception of the Distinguished Service Award that can take into account nominees' career-long community engagement. Nominators will be asked to describe their nominees' commitment to ARSL's Organizational Values, as well as the strength of their professional practice in the focus area of the award for which they are being nominated.

Individuals or organizations can be nominated for multiple awards, but will only be able to win one award per year. Self-nominations and nominations of eligible libraries/library workers by non-library individuals or organizations are acceptable.

All recipients will be recognized during the Awards Ceremony at the 2024 ARSL Conference. In addition to receiving their award, all recipients will receive one (1) complimentary conference registration ($300 value) each so they may be honored in person and celebrated by their ARSL community.

Learn more here.

Library Worker Survey - Closes March 8*

Michelle Reed, a Research Manager at Library Futures, a project of the Engelberg Center on Innovation Law & Policy at NYU Law is working on a research project investigating awareness, use, and perspectives of open educational resources in public libraries in the United States. All public librarians who are 18 years of age or older and employed in the United States are invited to participate in a brief survey to help them better understand this topic. Research participants who meet the eligibility criteria will be entered into an optional drawing for four $50 Amazon gift cards; there is an approximately 1 in 100 (1%) chance of winning the raffle. It is estimated to take 10 minutes to complete the survey. The informed consent document is attached for your convenience.

To participate, complete the survey by March 8, 2024. Please also consider sharing this invitation with other public librarians in your communities who may be interested in participating. Thank you for your time and consideration.

COVID-19 American History Project

The Library of Congress’s American Folklife Center and StoryCorps are asking people from all walks of life to share their experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the COVID-19 American History Project. Please encourage your patrons and staff to participate—either by telling their own stories or interviewing others! Find out more at https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2023/12/american-folklife-center-launches-covid-19-archive-activation-page-with-storycorps.

Maryland Library Association's (MLA) February Issue of The Happenings is Now Available

Follow this link to learn about the latest news and offerings from MLA.

Last Week's Topics

PROGRAMS AND EVENTS:

Free Virtual Screening; The Right to Read - February 1*
Reclaiming Black History - February 8*
ARSL Leadership Institute Applications Open Until February 21*
Switching it Up! Creating a Video Game Collection for Your Library - February 22*
Co-Creating Library Services for Transformative Impact - February 22*
Spring, 2024 State Library Resource Center (SLRC) Webinar Schedule

RESOURCES, PUBLICATIONS AND NEWS:

Shirley Mason, Baltimore County Public Library (BCPL), wins ALA Award.
Centering Community VOICE
Advancing IDEAs: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Blog Post: 23 January 2023
In Case You Missed It: Library News from Around the Nation

Follow us on Social Media:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | LBPD Facebook | LBPD Twitter

This service is provided to you at no charge by Maryland State Library Agency.

You may have received this message as part of a listserv. Listserv subscription settings and options are controlled by the listserv owner and are not affiliated with the Maryland State Library Agency.

Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com.