sponsored by the Outreach and Special Services Division

Register at my OLC | Registration Deadline: 7/28/23

Registration Fees:  Member $65* | Non-member $130

*Individual members or staff of OLC institutional member libraries. 

Program Overview: Gather successful collaborative ideas from colleagues and share your library’s successful outreach initiatives with others. Come prepared to refresh, rejuvenate, and revitalize your library’s outreach programs and services!

Intended Audience:  All library staff members interested in outreach services.

Continuing Education Credits: For those working toward their Ohio Public Librarian or Ohio Public Library Staff re-certification, this conference will count as five (5) contact hours of credit.

What’s Included: Morning refreshments and lunch. All handouts, provided by presenters, will be available online through the OLC app. Print them prior to the retreat, view them from your personal device during the event or view/download them after the event. The handouts will be available online for 30 days following the program.

Ohio Public Library Core Competencies Addressed: Patron Awareness, Customer Service, Community Engagement

Hotel Accommodations: A room block has been reserved at the DoubleTree by Hilton (PH: 614-956-3400) for Thurs., Aug. 3. Reserve your room online to receive the special rate of $99/night (plus fees and taxes).  Reservation deadline date: Fri., July 14.

Agenda

9:30 a.m. | Registration, Refreshments and Networking

9:55 a.m. | Welcome and Introductions

10 a.m. | Inclusive Outreach and Programming

Presenter: Mary Slater, Teen Librarian and Maryanne Haller, Children’s Librarian, Cuyahoga County Public Library

Strengthen your service to the community through adaptive and inclusive programming and outreach. During this session, you will explore adaptive programming opportunities in your community, including schools (to present in the classroom or at the library) and community organizations. The Cuyahoga County Public Library offers programming to the public and also exclusive programming to partner organizations. Teen Librarian Mary Slater and Children’s Librarian Maryanne Haller will explain the programming they do in the library for groups (both integrated programming and specialized programming) and their partnerships with schools (from an inclusive preschool to high school special education classes). They will also explain how they partner with community organizations like the local recreation department and Out and About Ohio (a young adult organization) to create sensory-friendly programming for their groups.

11 a.m. | Break

11:15 a.m. | Partnering with Parks

Presenters: Shannon Keese, Youth Services, Fairfield County District Library; Marie Corbitt, Outreach Librarian, Westerville Public Library; and Amanda Rome, Children Services Outreach Librarian, Stow-Monroe Falls Public Library

Studies show that being out in nature provides many benefits, such as reducing anxiety and increasing critical thinking. This panel of library staff will discuss partnering with local park districts. They will talk about successful program ideas and best practices for building successful partnerships.

12:15 p.m. | Lunch

1 p.m. | Dementia-Friendly Library

Presenters: Bonnie Burman, President, Ohio Council for Cognitive Health

Learn how the Dementia Friends program being presented in libraries across the state is changing the way Ohioans think, act and talk about dementia. During this session, you will learn how to communicate and engage with library patrons who are living with memory changes. You will gain a better understanding of how dementia affects individuals, family members and you can help people living with the disease. You will also gain a better understanding of how to create dementia-friendly spaces in your library and how to take take your services on the road to senior care communities. You will come away from this session will ideas for hosting dementia education programs, support groups, Memory Cafes and more at your library.

2 p.m. | Break

2:15 p.m. | Rural Communities and the Amish

Presenter: Nicholas McFarren, Outreach Library Assistant, Orrville Public Library

There are a many unserved, but potential, library patrons living in rural areas of Ohio. This session will show you how to reach them. Alicia Evans, Outreach Manager with the Geauga County Library and Nicholas McFarren, Outreach Library Assistant with the Orrville Public Library will share the strategies they employed to reach people in rural areas, including Amish community members. This session will provide a number of outreach ideas, programs and tips that you can implement back at your library.

3 p.m. | Wrap-up and Adjourn