Tuesday, August 1, 2023
- 10:30 am Eastern - Zoom Room Opens
- 11:00 am Eastern - Libraries as Transformational Spaces: Creating Comprehensive Services for Underserved Populations in Today’s Political Climate
- 12:15 pm Eastern - Your Password Has Expired: Financial Best Practices for Library Friends
- 2:00 pm Eastern - Stand Up For Standout Friends: A Case Study In Replicable, Scalable Volunteer Recognition Programs
- 3:00 pm Eastern - KEYNOTE: The Making of a Library Champion
Wednesday, August 2, 2023
- 10:30 am Eastern - Zoom Room Opens
- 11:00 am Eastern - Joint Impact: Building Collaboration Capacity
- 12:15 pm Eastern - Unite Against Book Bans: Mobilize Your Community to Protect Intellectual Freedom
- 1:30 pm Eastern - Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Doing: Navigating Organizational Change
- 3:00 pm Eastern - Big "A" Library Advocacy
Thursday, August 3, 2023
- 10:30 am Eastern - Zoom Room Opens
- 11:00 am Eastern - KEYNOTE: Fundraising and Philanthropy: Creating a Culture of Giving
- 12:15 pm Eastern - Game On: Unlocking Membership Potential
- 1:30 pm Eastern - Trans Identities: Myths & Misinformation
- 2:30 pm Eastern - Advocacy Workshop: Learning about and Communicating with Elected Officials
- 4:00 pm Eastern - 2023 Virtual Gala Author Tea - will also be live streamed on Facebook!
The 2023 Virtual Gala Author Tea live stream is free and open to all. Make it an event at your library:
- Promote the Facebook event on your library's social media accounts.
- Promote the Facebook event on your library's website and your events calendar.
- Consider hosting an in-person viewing party at your library. Serve tea and snacks while attendees watch the live stream.
NOTE: The two (2) keynotes and ten (10) education sessions are not open to the public and cannot be shared in a group setting.
Dates, times, titles, and descriptions subject to change.
Updated 6/10/23
Program Descriptions
Libraries as Transformational Spaces: Creating Comprehensive Services for Underserved Populations in Today’s Political Climate
Transform your library into a hub that serves the needs of your community, no matter what its political climate.
As libraries and the services they offer are increasingly scrutinized by politicians and members of the public, how can libraries continue to gain broad community support and serve underserved patrons? This panel will explore how Wicomico Public Libraries, a public library system located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, has been working to transform the library into a hub that serves the needs of a diverse community.
Joint Impact: Building Collaboration Capacity
Build collaboration capacity with your Trustees, Friends, and Foundations by engaging in a strategic planning process.
Have you ever stopped to think about what it means to truly collaborate? For libraries, Friends groups, and Foundations, collaboration is essential! However, when there’s not agreement about what constitutes collaboration, tensions can rise. This session will explore how libraries, Friends groups, and Foundations can build collaboration capacity by engaging in a strategic planning process to bring clarity to the roles and responsibilities of each entity and strategic alignment to joint efforts. The result: A shared vision and strong team dynamics!
Stand Up for Standout Friends: A Case Study in Replicable, Scalable Volunteer Recognition Programs
Implement a meaningful recognition program for your library's Friends and volunteers.
Minnesota Association of Library Friends (MALF) implemented a volunteer recognition program, "Stand Up for Standout Friends," in 2016. Learn how to create your own successful volunteer recognition program, no matter what your library's size, by creating recognition strategies and recipient “perks."
Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Doing: Navigating Organizational Change
Create a culture of connectedness in your groups using methods developed to expand and preserve indigenous communities.
Navigating change, from how and when to begin shifting to communicating programmatic changes can be accomplished through centuries-old methods developed both to expand and preserve indigenous communities. From leadership shifts to disseminating information both inside and out of your organization, viewing challenges through the lens of tribal governance and sovereignty and creating a culture of connectedness brings time-tested solutions to modern organizations.
Unite Against Book Bans: Mobilize Your Community to Protect Intellectual Freedom
Use Unite Against Book Bans resources to empower your Trustees, Friends, and Foundations.
Learn about ALA's Unite Against Book Bans initiative, the state of book and other challenges nationally, what library Trustees/boards need to know, and how Friends and Foundations can help and support in the fight for intellectual freedom.
Your Password Has Expired: Financial Best Practices for Library Friends
Ensure your Friends of the Library group's financial procedures are following best practices.
Library Friends groups may vary in size and scope but all should have one thing in common: strong financial controls. This program will review best practices for a nonprofit to follow for internal controls, financial responsibility, and long-term succession planning for the organization.
Big "A" Library Advocacy
Kick off library advocacy in your community and mobilize your supporters.
Hear from support group experts about the success and challenges in big A policy advocacy for libraries. Advocacy requires mobilizing your community and is never guaranteed. We will discuss a variety of experiences and answer questions for those organizations preparing to begin Advocacy work in their communities. Where do you start? How do you prepare your board? What comes next?
KEYNOTE: Fundraising and Philanthropy: Creating a Culture of Giving
How do you create a culture of giving in your library community? Hear from a panel of fundraising professionals from libraries of all sizes on how to encourage philanthropy in your library board and beyond. Learn how to plan around annual events to increase your fundraising capacity, and how to get Boards/Trustees, Friends groups, and Foundations to help and work together for results.
Game On: Unlocking Membership Potential
Use simple gaming techniques for your Friends of the Library group to engage the community.
Join this session to learn how you can use simple gaming techniques as outreach tools to engage those in your community by raising awareness of how Friends groups support the library to increase membership. These gaming techniques can also be used in a variety of ways among Friends Boards, library staff, and for Membership Drives.
Trans Identities: Myths & Misinformation
Provide support for librarians and library staff working to create gender-inclusive spaces and programs.
Information about trans identities has exploded into the mainstream media over the past few years, and as a result, transgender people have become the subject of an intense national debate. As information has proliferated, however, so too has misinformation. Learn more about the common myths and misinformation around trans identities, people, and experiences, as well as how to better judge what out there is fact, what's fiction, and what's merely opinion--and why it should matter to libraries.
Advocacy Workshop: Learning about and Communicating with Elected Officials
Craft effective advocacy messaging and create meaningful connections with your elected officials.
Communication with elected officials should be pointed and meaningful when advocating in any regard. This session will focus on research best practices, crafting appropriate messaging using these best practices, and producing the final messaging content whether it be on social media, email, or in-person. This session will empower attendees to be proactive in their advocacy support and provide step-by-step instructions when communicating with elected officials.
Dates, times, titles, and descriptions subject to change. Updated 6/10/23