The New Mexico Library Association is pleased to announce a free, online mini conference April 11, 2025, 9AM-3.45PM Mountain Time. Join us for an engaging conference focused on the power of collaboration in libraries. Explore strategies for partnering with community organizations and professional associations, as well as working with vendors. Through these sessions participants will gain practical insights to strengthen cooperation and improve library experiences for all. Whether you're a librarian, administrator, or advocate, this event will inspire new ways to work together for greater impact.
The conference features four unique programs beginning at 9 AM Mountain time.
Unite Against Book Bans Mission: "Unite Against Book Bans strives to stop the removal of reading materials from America’s libraries and schools, which has soared to record highs in recent years. Unite is working to defeat the vocal minority that seeks to impose their views on others by restricting the First Amendment right to read freely."
Unite Against Book Bans Beliefs:
"Would you like to provide immigration services at your library, but continually run up against barriers? Staffing limitations, insufficient funding, legal concerns, and in some cases anti-immigrant sentiment, can make immigration services in the library seem daunting. By leveraging community partnerships, you may be able to meet the needs of immigrant populations while simultaneously advocating for your library.
The Fox River Valley Public Library District serves 70,000 residents in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. The largest town in the library’s service area has a history of antagonism toward immigrant populations and successfully passed an “English-only” resolution in 2007, intended to shame and intimidate Spanish-speaking populations. In response, the library partnered with local organizations to initiate ongoing immigration help drop-in programs, monthly citizenship and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewal workshops, and other naturalization services. In this on-demand webinar, librarian Jason Katsion will share tools and tips for assessing the needs of your community and forging community partnerships to meet those needs."
At the conclusion of this on-demand webinar, participants will be able to:
This on-demand webinar is intended for all public library staff, including those with no previous knowledge of the topic.
Panelist: Jason Katsion is public services manager for the Fox River Valley Public Library District in Illinois. He has over twenty years of library experience, having worked in circulation, IT, and reference services. Current focus areas include: auditing library collections for equity, diversity, and inclusion; hosting community-led discussions of social justice issues; and providing relevant and reliable health information to the public. - ALA eLearning
"Newspapers are frequently used primary sources for historical research. However, there are many features of historical newspapers that reflect the society of the past, and the economics of newspaper publishing, which may not be apparent to a 21st century reader.
Newspapers had their own purposes and audiences, and researchers should know these facts when looking into them. This webinar will discuss why historical newspapers presented information in the way they did, publishing practices that readers should be aware of, and preservation practices that affect which newspapers we have access to now (and how you might find some newspapers beyond the usual places). We will discuss more about a given newspaper, "reading" a newspaper by examining its layout, and why reading a newspaper in microfilm is a different experience than using a database.
By the end of this webinar, the participant will be able to:
This webinar is for any librarian serving patrons who do historical research will be well-served by learning more about newspapers as evidence.
The presenter, Steven A. Knowlton, is a Librarian for History and African American Studies at Princeton University. He has published a number of award-number articles using newspapers as primary sources, and currently serves as Chair of the RUSA History Section-Best Historical Materials Committee.
This webinar will be offered using Zoom. Speakers or a headset for listening to the presentation are required. Closed captioning is available in the Zoom platform. You may interact with the presenter and ask questions through text-based chat. The webinar will be recorded and the link to the recording shared with registrants shortly after the live event. " - ALA eLearning
Where can I find child support guidelines? What are the laws in Nevada on gun ownership? Can you help me apply for a business license? How do I copyright my name? Legal questions are not unique to law librarians. In an era of rising self-representation and shrinking courthouse staff, all librarians are apt to receive legal questions. Yet few MLS programs offer more than a single course on law librarianship. Some offer none at all. This course steps into that breach. It will cover the basics of legal publishing, how to understand and respond to legal questions, and which information sources are the go-to sources for any type of legal question. More broadly, the course will delve into the overwhelming need for free public law libraries.
By the end of this course, the participant will be able to:
This four-week course is asynchronous with weekly live sessions on Wednesday from 12pm-1pm Central. The live sessions will be recorded and attendance is not required.
The instructor, Anthony Aycock, Legislative Librarians with the North Carolina General Assembly has 20+ years experience in public, private, and academic law libraries. Since 2017, he has been the library director for the North Carolina General Assembly i.e. the legislative of the Tar Heel State. He also worked for the North Carolina Justice Academy and for Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, North Carolina's largest law firm. His education includes a B.A. in English from Mars Hill College, an MLIS from the University of South Carolina, an M.F.A. from Queens University of Charlotte, and a master's in criminal justice from Methodist University. Anthony is also a freelance writer, publishing in libraries and other topics.
This subject guide was originally based on resources the presenter and program participants shared at the 2017 New Mexico Library Association Mini-conference program Transforming Ourselves through Professional Development.
Pages of this guide are predominantly organized based on the following areas.