Registration: FREE* for OLC members only.
*Individual members, trustees or administrators of OLC Institutional member libraries.

Register Now!

NOTE: After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to join the webinar.

Presenters: 

• Mike Duffey, Senior Vice Chancellor, Ohio Department of Higher Education
• Jana Fornario, FAFSA Project Manager, Ohio Department of Higher Education
• Carlos Bing, State Director, GEAR UP
• Faren Morris, Program Manager, Ohio Department of Higher Education
• Beth Yoke, Chief Strategy Officer, Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library

Webinar Overview: OLC is partnering with the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) for a free webinar to discuss and explore opportunities on how libraries can help with Ohio’s efforts to increase completion rates of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

FAFSA allows students to qualify for federal Pell grants, state grants, and most scholarships. According to ODHE, completion of the FAFSA is one of the best predictors of enrollment in colleges, universities, and training centers. High school seniors who complete the FAFSA are 84% more likely to enroll in post-secondary education.

More information on Ohio’s FAFSA initiative can be found at https://www.itsforyou.org/.

If you are unable to participate in the live presentation, the webinar will be recorded and posted on the OLC website.

Sponsored by: OLC’s Marketing and Public Relations Division

Register at my OLC | Deadline to register: 3/1/22

Registration Fees:
Member: $35* | Non-member: $70

*OLC Individual members or staff of OLC Institutional Member Libraries

Overview: One way of reaching people, especially if they’re not able to come to the library in person, is social media. Using popular platforms can provide effective and creative ways to promote your library. This webinar is designed to help attendees match their library’s goals with the available audience on several social media platforms.

During this webinar, you will learn how to:

• determine which kind of content works best for different social platforms.
• find the latest information on best practices for ever-changing social media algorithms.
• handle negative comments while strengthening the connection between your library and the community.
• build the skills and confidence you need to use social media as an effective communication tool.

Angela Hursh

Presenter: Angela Hursh helps libraries create effective and engaging ways to market their collection, both at her job with NoveList and as author of the blog SuperLibraryMarketing.com and host of the YouTube series The Library Marketing Show. Her background includes more than six years in marketing for the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library and more than 20 years as an Emmy-award winning broadcast TV journalist.

Intended Audience: Library staff who are responsible for social media accounts.

What’s Included: Participation in the live webinar and/or access to the archived version at a later date, resources (if applicable) provided by the presenter.

NOTE: Webinar invitations and access information will be sent via e-mail. Please check that your correct e-mail address is listed in your my OLC profile page.

Continuing Education Credits: For those working toward their Ohio Public Librarian or Ohio Public Library Staff re-certification, this webinar counts as (1) continuing education contact hour of credit.

Primary Ohio Public Library Core Competencies Addressed: Marketing

Moving Forward: Rebuild. Renew. Reshape Adult Library Services

Sponsored by: Ohio Library Council

Register at my OLC | Registration Deadline: 3/3/22

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

*In order to qualify for the member rate, the registrant must be an Individual member of the Ohio Library Council.

NOTE: When registering, you will be asked to choose one breakout session per time period.

Conference Overview:
Often during the course of the workday, adult services and reference staff must wear many hats: librarians, tech support, social workers, genealogists, local historians, book-sellers, and friends to our patrons. This event is designed to enhance the skills of library staff members who primarily work with adults. The conference will explore changing community expectations and patron behavior as well as opportunities to reshape programming and renew staff support.

Continuing Education Credits: For those working toward their Ohio Public Librarian or Ohio Public Library Staff re-certification, this conference will count as six (6) contact hours of credit.

Online Conference Instructions: The Ohio Library Council will present this conference via Zoom. The link will be emailed to all registrants prior to the conference.

What’s Included: All conference handouts as provided by the presenters.

Conference Agenda:

8:45 a.m. | Join the Zoom Classroom. We will test audio and video connections to ensure all attendees can see and hear the presenters.

Conference Keynote: Bobbi Newman, Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist at the Network of the National Library of Medicine

9 a.m. | General Session  — Wellness In The Library Workplace 

As library workers, we love our jobs — but working in a library can also be stressful. Library staff spend much of their day taking care of patron’s physical and mental health needs by providing access to reliable health information, health-related programs, and outreach focused on improving the health of the community. But what are you doing to manage your own well-being? How can we ensure that libraries are an area of wellness for their employees? During this session, you’ll discover ways to improve your own personal well-being and create a healthy workplace at your library.

10 a.m. | Break

10:15 a.m. | Breakout Sessions (Choose one when registering)

11:15 a.m. | Break

11:30 a.m. | Breakout Sessions (Choose one when registering)

12:30 p.m. | Lunch and Networking

1:15 p.m. | Breakout Sessions (Choose one when registering)

2:15 p.m. | Closing Remarks

2:30 p.m. | Adjourn

Session Descriptions
This virtual conference allows you to select breakout sessions that meet your needs and interests. When registering, you will be asked to choose one breakout session per time period.

Angela Young, Chair

Conference Planning Committee:

Angela Young, Chair
Portage County District Library

Jessica Divis
Geauga County Public Library

Elizabeth Gibbons-Camp
Chillicothe & Ross County Public Library

Suzanne Helms
Muskingum County Library System

Christina Labib
Akron-Summit County Public Library

Ada Myers
Guernsey County District Public Library

Sarah Osinsky
Geauga County Public Library

Amber Salmon
Akron-Summit County Public Library

Elizabeth Sucharzewski
Cuyahoga Falls Library

PDC Liaison:
Shelly Guerrero
Toledo Lucas County Public Library

Sponsored by the Ohio Library Council

Register at my OLC | Deadline to register: 3/23/22

Registration: FREE* for OLC Members Only.
*Individual members, trustees or staff of OLC Institutional member libraries.

When registering, click “Finalize This Transaction” instead of “Pay Now” as there is no cost to participate.

Webinar Overview: Intellectual Freedom is at the core of everything we do — not only as libraries, but as human beings. What exactly is Intellectual Freedom? Rick Rubin and Jen Farrell will discuss Intellectual Freedom from both a librarian perspective and from the idea that society is the healthiest when ideas flow freely between individuals. Join us for a look at what defines Intellectual Freedom and how we can encourage balance and take down barriers in our libraries.

Presenters: Jen Farrell, Branch Manager, Huron County Community Library and Chair of the OLC Intellectual Freedom Committee; Dr. Richard Rubin, Trustee, Cuyahoga Falls Public Library and Member of the OLC Board of Directors

What’s Included: Participation in the live webinar and/or access to the archived version at a later date, resources provided by the presenters.

NOTE: Webinar access information will be sent via e-mail. Please check that your correct e-mail address is listed in your my OLC profile page.

Continuing Education Credits: For those working toward their Ohio Public Librarian or Ohio Public Library Staff re-certification, this webinar counts as (1) continuing education contact hour of credit.

Ohio Public Library Core Competencies Addressed: Intellectual Freedom

More about the presenters:

Jen Farrell is a librarian and Branch Manager of the Willard location of the Huron County Community Library. She is the 2022 Chair of the OLC Intellectual Freedom Committee and serves on the Ohio Digital Library Advisory Board and the Program Committee for the 2022 OLC Convention and Expo. In their free time, Jen enjoys training their dog and reading.

Dr. Richard Rubin has had the pleasure of working in the Ohio library community for more than 40 years.  He started as a reference librarian at the main library of the Akron-Summit County Public Library. After several years he became an administrator, serving as the library’s Director of Personnel. After work at Akron, and some additional schooling, he went into university teaching, becoming a faculty member and eventually Director of the School of Library and Information Science at Kent State University where he worked for more than 25 years.  Dr. Rubin has been active in the ALA and OLC and offered programs at the regional, state, and national level in the areas of human resources management and the ethics and values of our field.  He has authored numerous books and articles in these areas as well. He is purportedly retired although he continues to do some writing and serves on his local public library’s Board of Trustees and on the Board of the Ohio Library Council.

This webinar will be recorded and posted on the OLC website. 

Music Play to Promote School Readiness, Literacy, Math Development and Inclusion

sponsored by the Children’s Services Division

Register at my OLC | Registration Cutoff: 4/19/22

Registration Fees:
Member: $35* | Non-member: $70

*OLC Individual members or staff of OLC Institutional Member Libraries

Jim Gill

Webinar Overview: In this energizing webinar, author, musician, and child development specialist Jim Gill will share examples of his work – both books and songs – that promote school readiness, literacy development and early math development. Gill will discuss how his unique creations in music play inspire young children not only to move, but to regulate their movements … not only to sing, but to make connections between the words they sing and the printed word and the world of numbers.

Gill will explain how a play-based program provides an inclusive environment for children with special needs and reaches children of all ability levels. You will learn how to connect the activities in the webinar to the five practices of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Every Child Ready to Read program. Plus, you will leave this webinar inspired to share a new repertoire of songs and playful literacy activities with the children in your community.

Presenter: Jim Gill is a nationally acclaimed author and musician. Over the years, his recordings and books have received five separate ALA awards. Most importantly, however, Jim is a child development specialist. He speaks to early childhood educators, child care providers, and children’s librarians at conferences and training events throughout the country about the value of play and the many connections between music play, school readiness, literacy development and math development. He also illustrates how play-based programming provides opportunities for inclusion of children with special needs.

Intended Audience: All library staff who work with children.

What’s Included: Participation in the live webinar and/or access to the archived version at a later date, resources (if applicable) provided by the presenter.

NOTE: Webinar invitations and access information will be sent via e-mail. Please check that your correct e-mail address is listed in you my OLC profile page.

Continuing Education Credits: For those working toward their Ohio Public Librarian or Ohio Public Library Staff re-certification, this webinar counts as (1.0) continuing education contact hour of credit.

Primary Ohio Public Library Core Competencies Addressed: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Sponsored by the Information Technology Division

Register at my OLC | Deadline to register: 4/28/22

Registration Fees:

Member: $45* | Non-member: $90

*OLC Individual members or staff of OLC Institutional Member Libraries

Webinar Overview: Cybersecurity is a growing issue and ransomware attacks are on the rise — unfortunately public libraries are not exempt from the threat. This is an important issue that has already impacted different sizes and types of library systems here in Ohio. It doesn’t matter if you are small, large, rural or urban — your library needs to be prepared. Join OLC for an educational program on how to better prepare your library and upskill your staff through Ohio’s TechCred program.

In October 2021, the Toledo Lucas County Public Library (TLCPL) experienced a cyber security attack. Prior to this incident, the library maintained robust safeguards against threats, but still a threat actor was able to infiltrate their systems, forcing a systemwide shutdown of the entire technology infrastructure. During this presentation, TLCPL Executive Director Jason Kucsma and TLCPL Director of Operations Mike Graybeal will share their experiences and lessons learned to hopefully help your library better protect itself from a similar situation.

In addition, learn about Ohio’s TechCred program and Individual Microcredential Assistance Program (IMAP) from the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation. These programs help employees learn new skills and help employers (including public libraries) build a stronger workforce with the skills needed for today’s technology.

Presenters:

• Eric Leach, Project Management Director, Ohio Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation
• Jason Kucsma, Executive Director, Toledo Lucas County Public Library
• Mike Graybeal, Director of Operations, Toledo Lucas County Public Library
• David Kruse, Director, Business Development, Tetra Defense
• Kyle Warriner, Enterprise Account Executive, Arctic Wolf
• Jon Halar, Senior Sales Engineer, Arctic Wolf

Who Should Attend: Directors, Trustees, Library IT staff and any other library personnel.

What’s Included: Participation in the live webinar and/or access to the archived version for 30 days following the event and resources provided by the presenters.

NOTE: Webinar access information will be sent via e-mail on Friday, April 29. Please check that your correct e-mail address is listed in your my OLC profile page.

Continuing Education Credits: For those working toward their Ohio Public Librarian or Ohio Public Library Staff re-certification, this webinar counts as (2) continuing education contact hours of credit.

Ohio Public Library Core Competencies Addressed: Information Technology, Safety & Security, Management & Administration

FREE* for OLC members only.
*Individual members or staff of OLC Institutional member libraries

Register Now!

This year, the COSI Learning Lunchboxes will have a Dinosaur theme.

NOTE: After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to join the webinar.

The OLC is once again joining forces with the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) as part of the Ohio Distance Learning Initiative to help make science, technology, engineering, arts, and math learning opportunities more accessible to children in your library service area that would benefit the most.

This program will provide up to 100 FREE learning kits, called Learning Lunchboxes, to each of Ohio’s 251 public library systems (COSI is doubling the distribution for 2022). This year, the Learning Lunchboxes will offer dinosaur-themed kits with five days’ worth of learning content. The boxes promote integrated learning and each box activity is aligned with Ohio learning standards.

The OLC is hosting a free webinar with COSI on Mon., May 16 at 2 p.m. to explain the Learning Lunchbox program and how your library can participate.

If you cannot attend the live presentation, the webinar will be recorded and posted on the OLC website.