2019 MLA Annual Conference has ended

Create Your Own Event

2019 MLA Annual Conference

8:10am CDT

Nutrition Labels for News: a journalistic approach to news literacy

Join NewsGuard for a discussion on the role of libraries in an age of misinformation, and an interactive presentation on its journalistic approach to helping people navigate the online media landscape. Participants will learn about how libraries across the U.S. use NewsGuard's free tool to counter misinformation and spread news literacy.

Speakers

Sarah Brandt

VP of News Literacy, NewsGuard

Sarah Brandt is Vice President of News Literacy Outreach for NewsGuard, where she coordinates NewsGuard's partnerships with librarians, educators, and media literacy groups. Originally from St. Louis Park, Minnesota, she currently lives in Chicago. Sarah graduated from Yale Unive... Read More →

Jackie Roehl

Teacher, Edina High School

Jackie Roehl has been teaching at Edina High School since 1998. She was named the 2012 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, recognized for her work with Culturally Responsive Teaching. Having earned undergraduate and Master's Degrees from the University of St. Thomas, Jackie is currently... Read More →

Thursday September 19, 2019 8:10am - 9:00am CDT
Anoka 1

8:10am CDT

The Library as a Nonpartisan Community Hub for Voter Outreach and Education

In 2018 Minnesota had- once again- the highest voter turnout in the country, including the highest youth turnout. That said, more than a third of eligible Minnesotans and over half of eligible young people here did not vote. Studies and anecdotal evidence have both shown that registration and voting increases as voters are educated in the processes and exposed to the voting experience, making them comfortable and familiar. Is the library the place to go to get registered, educated, and informed about candidates and issues? Should it be? This session will explore what libraries are doing around voter outreach, registration, and education (and how these tactics have been working) and what more they might do with resources and support from community and governmental partnerships. In addition to a brief presentation on the Minitex/OSS partnership, our discussion will be used to plan additional resources and to develop and facilitate community partnerships for interested libraries.

Speakers

Zachariah Miller

Zach is the Head of Communications at Minitex. Before coming to the University of Minnesota, he worked in the Office of Legislative and Public Affairs at the U.S. National Science Foundation. Zach holds a BA in Philosophy with minors in Physics and Asian Studies from Saint Olaf College... Read More →

Michael Wall

Voter Outreach Specialist, MN Secretary of State

Working in Voter Outreach means I want to help you register voters, educate them on the process, candidates, and issues, and get them out to vote (either to the polls or- as more and more are doing- voting at home by absentee ballot. We have ideas, resources, and training, and we... Read More →

3Reg when Homeless pdf

4College for Library BE 1 pdf

2Libraries Reg Sign 2018 pdf

1Sample Letter pdf

Thursday September 19, 2019 8:10am - 9:00am CDT
Waconia 6

8:10am CDT

Understanding Book Clubs: New Research Offers Surprising Insights!

BookBrowse will present findings from its 2019 “Inner Lives of Book Clubs” report (based on 5000 respondents), offering actionable insights relevant to librarians who advise patrons in book clubs, run groups, or are responsible for collection development. Attendees will receive a free PDF of the full report--more at bookbrowse.com/innerlives.

Speakers

Davina Morgan-Witts

Publisher, BookBrowse

Davina Morgan-Witts is the publisher of BookBrowse.com, one of the internet's leading resources for inquiring readers. BookBrowse's subscription product for libraries offers a curated readers' advisory service, recommending books that entertain, engage and inform with a focus on book... Read More →

Inner Lives of Book Clubs BookBrowse Slides for MLA pdf

Thursday September 19, 2019 8:10am - 9:00am CDT
Winona 1

9:10am CDT

Giving an Old Book New Life: Creating a Searchable Name Database from the Book of Concord

This session will discuss a digital humanities project to create a searchable database of the Lutheran subscribers to the 1580 Book of Concord. What began as a faculty member's interest in discovering the provenance and printing history behind the institution's 16th century Book of Concord, soon became a cross-departmental project working with students, faculty, and staff to transcribe 8600+ subscriber names and turn them into a searchable database. This session will discuss the project's inception, importance to the institution and Lutheran scholarship generally, the process, and project's future goals. Presenters will discuss the use of Google Apps for project management and database creation. The session will also focus on how collaboration among various departments on campus increased the visibility of the project and paved the way for additional opportunities.

Speakers

Megan Johnson-Saylor

Digital Scholarship Librarian & University Archivist, Concordia University, Saint Paul

Megan Johnson-Saylor is Digital Scholarship Librarian and University Archivist at Concordia University, Saint Paul. Since completing her Masters in Library and Information Science in 2012, she has had the pleasure of digging around in the archives of CSP and excavating treasures as... Read More →

Dr. Suzanne Hequet

Dr. Suzanne Hequet currently serves the students of Concordia University St. Paul, where she focuses on Reformation Studies and church history in the Department of Theology and Ministry. Her publications include The 1541 Colloquy at Regensburg: In Pursuit of Church Unity (2009) and... Read More →

Thursday September 19, 2019 9:10am - 10:00am CDT
Owatonna 2

9:10am CDT

Is it Just Bean Counting? What Faculty Think About Research Metrics and How Libraries Can Support Them

What do faculty, instructors, and researchers think about research impact metrics? We conducted a survey to find out when and how researchers use metrics, their concerns, and their support needs. Attendees will learn about respondents, preferred tools and resources, their perceptions, and the types of support librarians could provide.

Speakers

Allison Langham-Putrow

Scholarly Communications and Engineering Liaison Librarian, University of Minnesota Libraries

I'm the scholarly communications librarian at University of Minnesota (and liaison to three engineering departments). I've been with the Libraries for six years and my research has focused on open access, specifically publisher models, the open access citation advantage and issues... Read More →

Caitlin Bakker

Caitlin Bakker is the Research Services Librarian and Medical School Liaison at the University of Minnesota Health Sciences Libraries. She supports researchers in a range of impact assessment activities, including the use of metrics and altmetrics.

Jenny McBurney

Government Publications Librarian, University of Minnesota Libraries

Kristen Cooper

Plant Sciences Librarian, University of MN Libraries

Kristen Cooper is the Plant Sciences Librarian at the University of Minnesota. She supports the research of faculty and staff in her departments which includes research metrics and scholarly impact.

Thursday September 19, 2019 9:10am - 10:00am CDT
Chaska 1

10:30am CDT

Digital Humanities for the Masses

You may have heard the buzz about Digital Humanities--but--what is it? What counts as 'digital humanities'? How do you approach digital projects while not overextending resources? Who can do 'digital humanities' work? How do you get started? This session will broadly define digital humanities and scholarship and how the methods can be applied in a variety of communities. Highlighting how to get started working on basic DH projects using free or low-cost tools and technologies,this session will offer project ideas that can be applied across different types of libraries and/or museums. Come learn how you can capture stories, map experiences or explore local histories in your community. Digital humanities projects have the potential to forge new partnerships, broaden the definition of scholarship to be inclusive of average citizens, and to improve overall digital literacy.

Speakers

Hannah King

Hannah King is the Curator/Researcher at the Stevens County Historical Society & Museum in Morris, MN. She studied history, anthropology, and folklore at UW-Madison and completed the museum studies program at UW-Milwaukee. She has been working to diversify the museum's collection... Read More →

Naomi Skulan

Metadata and Technical Services Coordinator, Rodney A. Briggs Library, U of M Morris

Naomi Skulan is the Metadata & Technical Services Coordinator at the University of Minnesota Morris Rodney A. Briggs Library. She holds an M.L.I.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin Madison and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Ripon College. She has worked at Briggs... Read More →

Angie Vetsch

Co-chair, Instruction Round Table (UMN Morris)

Angela is a librarian at the Rodney A. Briggs Library. She is interested in all types of technology and frequently helps troubleshoot technology challenges with all types of users. As Digital Services Coordinator, she is responsible for a variety of library servers and systems. She... Read More →

Digital Humanities for the masses pdf

Thursday September 19, 2019 10:30am - 11:20am CDT
Anoka 3

10:30am CDT

Racial Equity in Programming and Collection Management : Libraries Are for Everyone

How can libraries better serve their communities in relation to people of color or indigenous backgrounds? Our urban library system will present some strategies and tips about increasing representation and equity in collections and programming, highlighting areas where we have been the most successful and made real changes for the better.

Speakers

Jennifer Dietrich

Interim Branch Manager, Ramsey County Libraries

Jennifer is a full time library manager and nature lover, always looking at the flora and fauna around her. With twenty one years in public libraries as a children's librarian, and seven years as a media specialist, she loves bringing books, nature and children together. Both inside... Read More →

Anna Haase Krueger

Anna Haase Krueger is a children's librarian, picture book reviewer for School Library Journal, and an active participant in ALSC. Anna was active in the library blogging community for many years, but lately she has been too distracted by the small new human living in her home. Anna... Read More →

Ann Wahlstrom

Ann Wahlstrom has been a children's librarian with Ramsey County Libraries for over 13 years and the RCL Children's Facilitator/Branch Manager for less than 1. In past lives, she has worked as a substitute teacher, a church secretary, a camp counselor, several times as an office manager... Read More →

racial equity MLA presentation handout docx

Thursday September 19, 2019 10:30am - 11:20am CDT
Waconia 6

1:00pm CDT

Intellectual Freedom Committee Roundtable Meeting

Join the Intellectual Freedom Committee today! Come discuss ideas related to intellectual freedom, materials challenges, public spaces, and more. See what's currently happening in Minnesota and around the country and discuss your own work and efforts in the field of intellectual freedom.

Speakers

Ria Newhouse

Ria Newhouse is a Head Librarian in Pioneerland Library System, managing five public libraries in the communities of Spicer, New London, Lake Lillian, Raymond, and Atwater. She also serves as the Chair of the Intellectual Freedom Committee for MLA.

Thursday September 19, 2019 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Owatonna 2

1:00pm CDT

Reader's Advisory Round Table (RART) Subunit Meeting

Join the Reader's Advisory Round Table (RART) for our annual subunit meeting! We will present our 2019 accomplishments, our goals and plans for 2020 and beyond, and discuss what the group would like RART to tackle next. There will also be time to share and recommend books with the group.

Speakers

Katie Polley

Katie Polley is the teen librarian at the West St Paul library. She enjoys reading books, petting her dogs, and wearing fancy shoes.

Carol Jackson

Carol Jackson is the manager of the Shoreview library. She enjoys reading books, attending all the theatre shows, and the macabre.

Thursday September 19, 2019 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Chaska 1

2:15pm CDT

All Roads Lead to Access: A Minitex Cataloging & Metadata Update

The cataloging world continues to be in flux. As the standards, best practices, and implementation tools change, we can only do our best to keep up. We must also try to address the ways our legacy data impacts our communities. Join Minitex staff for an update on current developments and trends in the cataloging & metadata world, including technical advancements, social justice initiatives, and some inspiring collaborations.

Speakers

Lizzy Baus

Cataloging & Metadata Education Librarian, Minitex

Lizzy Baus is the Cataloging & Metadata Education Librarian for Minitex. She provides training for library staff on cataloging and other related topics, including RDA, BIBFRAME, and Linked Data.

Sara Ring

Continuing Education Librarian, Minitex

Sara Ring is Continuing Education Librarian at Minitex where she develops and presents training for libraries and other cultural heritage organizations on standards for building digital collections and preserving them. In 2022 she helped launch 23 Linked Data Things, a self-paced... Read More →

Thursday September 19, 2019 2:15pm - 3:05pm CDT
Owatonna 2

2:15pm CDT

From Good to Amazing? Evaluating and Improving Library Programs

You know what goes into creating great programs, but how are you intentional about improving them to ensure they're of the highest quality? In this interactive session, participants will learn about the continuous improvement cycle (plan, do, check, adjust) and how they can apply it to their programs and projects.

Speakers

Leah Larson

Leah administers the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grants and oversees statewide library projects benefiting youth, with a particular focus on grades 4-12. She especially supports the work of school media specialists, as she spent many years working as both a teacher... Read More →

Eric Billiet

Eric is the expanded learning specialist at the Minnesota Department of Education and provides technical assistance/professional development for the 21st Century Community Learning Center grant recipients. In addition, Eric is the department's liaison the Minnesota Youth Council and... Read More →

Thursday September 19, 2019 2:15pm - 3:05pm CDT
Chaska 2

3:35pm CDT

Effective Summer Library Programs for Youth: Best Practices and Sure-Fire Ideas

Summer library programs for youth are both exhilarating and exhausting for staff who coordinate them. Keeping the program fresh to entice young participants is both an ongoing challenge and opportunity for creativity. In this session, the audience will share ideas and resources â€“ or simply glean information from others â€“ in small group discussions on reading logs/activity sheets, low-cost school-aged programs, and summer library program evaluation. Participants may move among the groups, as desired. Through peer-to-peer sharing, participants will gain ideas for revitalizing summer reading and learning in their libraries. Facilitators will compile ideas, reporting to the full group and the end of the session and posting the information on the conference website.

Speakers

Jenna Kahly

Program Coordinator, Lake Agassiz Regional Library

Youth Services, Legacy Programming, Marketing

Gail Nordstrom

Gail Nordstrom is the Public Library Consultant for Viking Library System. Previously, she coordinated Summer Library Programs for 19 years as a youth services librarian at Stillwater Public Library. From 2011-2014, she traveled to regional public library systems around the state... Read More →

Mollie Stanford

Regional Librarian, Arrowhead Library System

mnlibs.org

Thursday September 19, 2019 3:35pm - 4:25pm CDT
Waconia 5

8:00am CDT

Demystifying Business Information

There are many reasons that students from all majors, and patrons from all backgrounds, seek out business information. Yet, for many people, business information seems like a specialized genre thatâ€™s confusing or even intimidating. Librarians, too, might doubt their ability to successfully help patrons find and use business information. Our panel will share lessons learned about the unique opportunities and challenges involved in bringing business information to new audiences beyond the business school. The business liaisons at the University of Minnesota will discuss their experiences supporting entrepreneurship research and classes, and how they learned ways to translate business information to users who are rooted outside the business school. Our third panelist has experience in both business and traditional liberal arts settings, and will speak to her experiences introducing liberal arts students to business information.

Speakers

Danya Leebaw

Director, Social Sciences Department, University of Minnesota Libraries

Danya Leebaw is the Social Sciences Director at the University of Minnesota Libraries. She spent ten years as a social sciences librarian at Carleton College, and prior to that was a business librarian at Emory University. Danya earned her MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh. Prior... Read More →

Caroline Lilyard

Caroline Lilyard is librarian for the Carlson School of Management and the Institute for Global Studies at the University of Minnesota. Caroline holds an MLIS from UW-Milwaukee, and a MPA from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota. Research interests include... Read More →

Mary Schoenborn

Mary Schoenborn is the subject liaison librarian to the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. She has more than 30 years experience providing business research support and consultation services to the University of Minnesota... Read More →

Friday September 20, 2019 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Anoka 2

8:00am CDT

Interstate Collaboration: How Learning About Our Neighbors Can Help Us Do Better

Full Session Description: McBride, Trojanowski, and Poplawska have a diverse background in librarianship and have all, within the past few years, come to Minnesota from another state. McBride started her career in Minnesota, left for Wisconsin for 5 years and is back. Trojanowski spent nearly 3 years in Iowa and Nebraska libraries before moving to Wisconsin, where he served as both a public library and a public library system director. Poplawska started her public library career in southwest Kansas, continued as a branch manager at a library district in central Michigan for 4 years, and is new to the world of public libraries in Minnesota. Each Librarian feels these experiences have strengthened their understanding of public librarianship- from legislation and funding to staffing, statewide collaboration, and general philosophical views. Additionally, they feel working with libraries and colleagues outside our immediate network creates opportunities for learning and sharing that lead to creative new experiences and services for our communities.

Speakers

Kelly McBride

MLIS, St Catherine University, St. Paul, MN 2013-2019: Director, Osceola Public Library, Osceola, WI 2019: Director, Blue Earth County Library System, Mankato, MN

Paulina Poplawska

2007: MLIS, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 2007-2014, Assistant Library Director, Liberal Memorial Library, Liberal, KS 2014-2018, Head Librarian of the Holt-Delhi Branch of the Capital Area District Libraries, Holt, MI 2018- : Library Director, New Ulm Public Library, New Ulm... Read More →

Jim Trojanowski

Jim Trojanowski began as Director of Northwest Regional Library in June after spending the previous 4 years as Director of Plum Creek Library System. Before coming to Minnesota, Jim worked in libraries in Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Iowa. He holds an MA in Library Science from the University... Read More →

Friday September 20, 2019 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Winona 1

9:15am CDT

Here to Help: The Trauma Sensitive Library at SPPL

As librarians, we encounter major societal issues in our buildings on a daily basis. They are issues that go beyond the traditional scope of library work to include poverty, homelessness, unattended youth, mental health conditions, and more. As people who want to help, bearing witness to these problems weighs heavily. In 2018 SPPL was awarded an LSTA grant that enabled us to hire a full time social worker through the Wilder Foundation. The Library Social Worker rotates though 4 libraries with a high need of such services in their communities and a high need for staff member support. Staff members also engaged in an intensive training component around trauma. As the project has grown and evolved, so have we as individuals and as an organization. Join us as we share whatâ€™s worked, what hasnâ€™t worked, and where the project is going in the future.

Speakers

Katrina Hartz Taylor

Public Service Manager, Saint Paul Public Library

Katrina Hartz Taylor, Public Services Manager for the Saint Paul Public Library, has worked in public libraries for over 16 years. Over the past 10 years, sheâ€™s managed library branches and partnered with a variety of organizations to connect library users with needed services... Read More →

Ruby Rivera

Ruby Rivera is the Library Social Worker for the Saint Paul Public Libraries. She is contracted through the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation in St. Paul. She has worked with diverse populations in multiple settings, including substance abuse, education, and the social service field. She... Read More →

Friday September 20, 2019 9:15am - 10:05am CDT
Waconia 5

9:15am CDT

Make your program dreams come true with LSTA

If you have an idea for your library but lack the funds to bring it to life, this session is for you! Come and learn about projects that have received funding and how you can apply to have your own project funded for the 2020 grant round.

Speakers

Jennifer Nelson

Jennifer R. Nelson has more than 30 years of experience in libraries, working in a number of different capacities at the Minneapolis Public and Hennepin County libraries. She takes an innovative approach to helping libraries serve their communities that resonates with changing environments... Read More →

Friday September 20, 2019 9:15am - 10:05am CDT
Anoka 3

9:15am CDT

Preserving the now: is our library history headed towards a digital graveyard?

Minnesota libraries have a rich history of the development of new programs and services. Pre-Internet, library staff published information about new endeavors in print journals and newsletters, which later become a part of our collections. Increasingly, today's communications about programs and services are only publicized via email, online newsletters, or on our websites with no guarantee that the information will be preserved for future researchers. Join us (MLA and Minitex staff) for a discussion of how we can begin the work to save the history of our libraries. What tools, resources, and training can we develop collaboratively that will allow us to archive our born-digital documents, statistics, and announcements? Members of the MLA digital preservation task force will also share the results of their work.

Speakers

Carol Nelson

Resource Sharing Manager, Minitex

Carol Nelson has been working in Minitex Resource Sharing for over 30 years. Her current responsibilities include managing the University of Minnesotaâ€™s ILL Lending division (Documents to U), electronic delivery, and the Resource Sharing website.

Sara Ring

Continuing Education Librarian, Minitex

Sara Ring is Continuing Education Librarian at Minitex where she develops and presents training for libraries and other cultural heritage organizations on standards for building digital collections and preserving them. In 2022 she helped launch 23 Linked Data Things, a self-paced... Read More →

PreservingTheNow MLA2019 pptx

Friday September 20, 2019 9:15am - 10:05am CDT
Owatonna 3

10:30am CDT

Level Up Your Youth Services With YALSA's Transforming Teen Services Project

Have you heard about Connected Learning or Computational Thinking and don't know where or how to start? Come learn about how the national YALSA Transforming Teen Services program is addressing that -- what the program is, how it can help you serve your teen population, and how you can get involved!

Speakers

Leah Larson

Leah administers the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grants and oversees statewide library projects benefiting youth, with a particular focus on grades 4-12. She especially supports the work of school media specialists, as she spent many years working as both a teacher... Read More →

Friday September 20, 2019 10:30am - 11:20am CDT
Anoka 1

2:00pm CDT

Extending Knowledge: Digging Deeper Into Google Extensions

Google Extensions, for use with Chromebooks and the Chrome browser, are part of a rising trend. Schools and libraries are turning more toward Google for Education and Chromebooks as tech tools. Extensions are not particularly well-known and their numbers are constantly growing. This presentation will help attendees understand what an extension is and where to begin. Additionally, the presentation will demonstrate many different extensions and discuss how they can be used and which might benefit various users the most. While not required, attendees are welcome to bring their own device to follow along.

Speakers

Olivia Moris

Olivia is a librarian with a love for teaching information literacy. She works with Metronet as the Program Manager for the Metronet Information Literacy Initiative. She has worked in public and academic libraries before finding her groove as a librarian who helps other librarian... Read More →

Friday September 20, 2019 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT
Owatonna 1

2:00pm CDT

From App Smarts to Smart Apps: Navigating the World of Learning Apps

Projections show there will be more than 5 million apps available by 2020. With a commitment to bridging the digital divide, how can librarians navigate this overwhelming world of digital content to provide relevant and appropriate educational apps for their patrons? Join us for a special presentation by Playaway Products to learn what resources and tools exist to review children's apps, as well as guidelines for selecting high quality apps, including an App Evaluation Rubric. Get recommendations for the best children's educational app developers and see how your library can help close the app gap in underserved communities, even in areas with low Internet connectivity.

Speakers

Cassy Baskin

Content Curation Strategist, Playaway

Cassy Baskin is Playaway's Content Curation Strategist. For the last 3 years, Cassy has overseen all content for Launchpad with a focus on acquiring and curating the best apps, activities, and videos to enhance development and education. Cassy is the app guru at Playaway.

Julie Dorn

Materials Selection Manager, Dakota County Library

Julie Dorn is the Selection Manager at Dakota County Library in Minnesota. She is responsible for selecting all youth materials and popular media for a nine-branch system. She also assists with inventories, evaluates data to right-size the collection and encourages a system-wide view... Read More →

app eval rubric handout pdf

MLA Smart Apps Presentation FINAL (003) pptx

Friday September 20, 2019 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT
Chaska 2