NC LIVE is excited to offer our Community Empowerment Series this fall! Join us for three insightful webinars designed to help you better serve your patrons.
Experts from member libraries across the state will share strategies for integrating social workers into libraries, supporting aging patrons, and using culturally responsive award-winning books to diversify your collections and programming. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your library’s services and make a lasting impact in your community.
Registration is required for all sessions. If you have questions about the series, please reach out to help [at] nclive.org (help[at]nclive[dot]org).
Advancing Joy In Your Collection & Programming Using Coretta Scott King Book Awards Round Table (CSKBART) Winners & Honors
Thursday, November 14th at 2 p.m. | Register Here >>
What do your patrons and students see and read on a continual basis? Are their identities and experiences reflected in the books within your library?
In this session, discover how you can audit your library, and develop an inclusive collection that will include Coretta Scott King Book Awards winners and honor titles. Ensure all your patrons can see multiple possibilities for themselves and others through the inclusion of culturally responsive books in your library!
Learning Outcomes
- Attendees will have immediate, applicable skills to organize and develop their collections to lead and affect change in their communities/libraries through introducing and honoring a variety of voices and experiences.
- Attendees will have actionable ideas, suggestions and book lists of award winners/honors to create engaging programming and collections.
This webinar will also include three breakout room discussions from 3-3:30pm
Breakout Room 1: Analytics for Collection and Community Engagement
In this breakout room discussion, participants will explore how to leverage data and community analytics to inform their library collections and programming. Attendees will learn how to use tools like Social Explorer to generate demographic snapshots and assess community needs. Public librarians will focus on using data like school performance indicators (e.g., NC School Report Cards) to identify gaps, especially in underrepresented populations. Participants should come prepared with knowledge of their own community demographics or have access to local data sources. This session will emphasize actionable strategies to bridge the gap between library collections and the needs of the community.
Breakout Room 2: Strategic Programming for Inclusive Engagement
This breakout room discussion will guide participants through the steps of creating and sustaining culturally inclusive programming that integrates Coretta Scott King Book Awards winners and honors and other literary awards. From collaborating with community partners and PTAs to seeking funding sources and creating a calendar of events, attendees will leave with the tools to develop a culture of inclusivity within their libraries. Strategies will focus on starting small, with a few events, and gradually building engagement. Delandrus will also provide practical event planning resources, including timelines, budgets, and documentation, ensuring that participants have a clear understanding of how to organize successful, impactful events.
Breakout Room 3: Building a Core Collection
This breakout room discussion focuses on developing an inclusive core collection that reflects a variety of voices, including Coretta Scott King Book Award titles and other literary award winners. Public librarians will explore the challenges of collection development amid North Carolina's population growth, including using collection development tools and navigating NC Cardinal. Academic librarians will explore how to integrate leisure reading collections and support pre-service teachers in lab schools and early colleges. Participants will analyze their existing collections, considering factors like the age of the collection, budget constraints, and reading levels. Attendees will leave with practical advice on building a core collection that represents their patrons.
Presenter
Delandrus Seales is the Teaching & Learning Librarian on the Academic, Research, & Engagement Team with Randall Library at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW). Prior to joining the faculty at UNCW, Delandrus served as a school librarian with New Hanover County Schools, an Onslow County Public Library Branch Manager, and an Exceptional Children’s teacher (school and district levels) with Onslow County Schools and Department of Defense Schools at Camp Lejeune. She has 14 years in education at elementary and high school levels. Delandrus currently serves on the Executive Board for the American Library Association’s Coretta Scott King Book Awards Round Table. She enjoys exploring emerging trends in technology and inspiring all to make their mark in the world as connected digital learners.
Innovative Approaches to Supporting Underserved Populations: Insights from NC Libraries
Monday, November 18th at 2 p.m. | Register Here >>
As libraries continue to evolve to meet the needs of their communities, some have taken innovative steps to support underserved populations by adding social workers to their staff. In this panel discussion, representatives from four different libraries will share their experiences and insights on how they’ve integrated social work into their services. One library will also highlight the development of a literacy program aimed at supporting adult basic education needs. This discussion offers a unique opportunity to learn how libraries are getting creative in addressing the varied needs of their communities, from providing social services to fostering literacy.
Learning Outcomes
- Explore the Integration of Social Work in Libraries: Participants will gain insights into how different libraries have successfully added social workers to their staff and the impact this has had on their communities.
- Learn About Literacy Programs for Adult Education: Attendees will hear about the development and implementation of a literacy program designed to support adult basic education at Neuse Regional Library, including challenges faced and successes achieved.
- Discover Creative Solutions for Supporting Underserved Populations: The session will provide participants with practical ideas and strategies that libraries can adopt to better serve the unique needs of underserved populations in their own communities.
Panelists
- LaCretia Keith is the Social Worker and Program Manager for New Hanover County Public Library. LaCretia is the first social worker in a library setting in this area and has been asked for assistance from other counties with developing their program, writing out the job description, and sitting in on job interviews. She has over 20 years of experience as a social worker from starting in community based services to school based settings and DSS.
- Angi Polito is the Community Navigator Lead with the Randolph County Public Libraries. Angi has over 25 years of experience as a social worker. She developed and implemented the Community Navigator program, which assists residents of Randolph County through all seven of their libraries to connect with needed resources in their home community.
- Justin Stout is the Head of Information Services at Neuse Regional Libraries, which serves Lenoir, Jones, and Greene Counties in Eastern North Carolina. He is a graduate of Duke University and North Carolina Central University and his professional interests include emerging technologies, digital equity, and digital literacy.
- Jenny Gerami-Markham is the Assistant Director at Catawba County Public Libraries and has a strong belief in the important work of libraries. Her career in libraries began as a school library media coordinator, and after 13 years in the school system, she transitioned to public libraries. She is continually inspired by the creativity, empathy, and generosity of library staff, social workers, interns, and volunteers. Her goal is to support and empower them in making the library a welcoming space where everyone has the opportunity to connect, explore, and grow.
Empowering Libraries To Connect With Aging Patrons
Wednesday, November 20th at 2 p.m. | Register Here >>
Join us for an insightful webinar led by Joseph Winberry, professor at UNC Chapel Hill’s School of Library & Information Science and recent IMLS grant awardee, as he shares his latest research on how aging patrons interact with libraries. As the population of older adults continues to grow, libraries are uniquely positioned to provide vital resources and services to meet their needs. This session will explore resources and practical strategies for fostering an environment that supports aging patrons. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how libraries can evolve to serve this important demographic.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the key findings from recent research on aging patrons' library use.
- Identify resources available at the statewide and local level that are tailored to older adults.
- Discuss methods for creating inclusive programming that engages aging patrons.
Explore ways to make library spaces more welcoming and supportive for this growing population.
Presenter
Joseph Winberry is an Assistant Professor at UNC Chapel Hill's School of Library & Information Science. He completed his doctoral studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His research seeks to identify, understand, and combat informational and technological inequities to support the self-empowerment of marginalized populations and help advance community-centered solutions to public problems. Winberry’s research has been published in The International Journal of Information, Diversity, and Inclusion, The Journal of Documentation, and The Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, among other venues. He has received funding and recognition from the American Library Association, the Association for Information Science and Technology, and the Association for Library and Information Science Education. He teaches courses and conducts research in critical librarianship with an emphasis on underserved populations in rural communities.
You can see all upcoming NC LIVE events on our training calendar. If you have questions, please reach out to our Help Desk at help [at] nclive.org (help[at]nclive[dot]org).