Join IMLS Director Crosby Kemper; Cyndee Landrum, Deputy Director, Office of Library Services; Anthony Smith, Associate Deputy Director, Office of Library Services, Discretionary Programs; Teri DeVoe, Associate Deputy Director - State Programs, and other IMLS staff during the American Library Association (ALA) annual conference in Washington, DC June 23-28, 2022.

View the list of sessions pertaining to IMLS and IMLS-funded grants below, and visit booth # 3315 each day for additional information and giveaways. The conference and exhibits will be located in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center at 801 Mount Vernon Place NW, Washington, DC 20001. Registration details can be found on the 2022 ALA Annual Conference website.

Our Office of Library Services and Office of Research and Evaluation staff members will be available in booth #3315 to discuss IMLS grant programs, policy research, evaluations and surveys & data.

Saturday 6/25 4pm – 5pm The impact of IMLS Grantmaking on library services through the American Rescue Plan Act

Location: Washington Convention Center, 154A-B

In March 2021, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) received $200 million in continuing coronavirus pandemic response funding through the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). $178 million of these funds provided critical aid to State Library Administrative Agencies (SLAAs), located in every state and territory and with reach into local communities across the U.S. The remaining $22million was also offered through discretionary grants to museums, libraries, and Native American and Native Hawaiian communities, so that they may continue to respond to the COVID-19 health emergency.

Beyond the initial CARES Act response, the coronavirus has persisted and taken a harsh toll on communities. The need for access to information for health, job, educational, and unemployment resources continues across the country, especially in communities that were already vulnerable. These ARPA grant awards support the vital programs and services libraries provide, including those they were able to offer in new capacities throughout the past year.

This panel will consist of two State Librarians and two discretionary awardees who will share their projects and experiences with ARPA project funding and working to help their communities through the pandemic. It will be moderated by two IMLS staff from State Programs and Discretionary programs.  The audience will have the opportunity to interact with panelists and exchange information and resources on how best to support their communities as they respond to the COVID-19 health emergency.

IMLS Moderators/Speakers

Madison E. Bolls
Senior Program Officer
Institute of Museum and Library Services

Sarah W. Fuller
Senior Program Officer, Discretionary Programs
Institute of Museum and Library Services

Panel Speakers

Rebecca Hamilton, State Librarian/Assistant Secretary
State Library of Louisiana

Irene M. Padilla, State Librarian
Maryland State Library Agency

Anna M. Ward, Library Supervisor
Wake County Public Libraries

Anne Rasmussen, Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives and Public Services
Milwaukee Public Library

Sunday 6/26 1pm – 2pm IMLS Library Grants that Go the Distance: Projects that Span the LSTA-NLG Continuum

Location: Washington Convention Center, 150A

Are you looking for grant funding for a library project and don’t know where to start? Are there other libraries that could benefit from your program ideas? Many state libraries give IMLS grant funds for small library projects. Learn from session panelists who have used state library-funded projects as a proof of concept and then scaled them up to test with other libraries/library systems. This session will bring together past grantees that represent several “entry points” into project sustainability via IMLS funding opportunities. These panelists have used IMLS funds either to grow a project from its infancy, or used IMLS-funded models and/or toolkits to adapt the project locally. In this moderated discussion, grantees will share their experiences and provide suggestions for ways to get involved with IMLS projects from the local level to the national level. Come prepared with questions for grantees and program officers about ways to enter the funding continuum.

IMLS Moderators

Dennis P. Nangle
Senior Program Officer
Institute of Museum and Library Services

Jill Connors-Joyner
Senior Program Officer
Institute of Museum and Library Services

Speaker(s)

Katherine Trujillo, Deputy Director
Libraries Without Borders

Jodi Krahnke, Head of Youth Services
Ypsilanti District Library

Nicole Umayam, Digital Inclusion Library Consultant
Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records

Jennifer R. Nelson, State Librarian
New Jersey State Library

Sunday 6/26 4pm – 5pm What’s on the IMLS Strategic Horizon?

Location: 151B

Get a preview of coming attractions with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).  This federal grantmaking agency has made strategic updates to its Notices of Funding Opportunity that potential applicants won’t want to miss.  It is also launching its new strategic plan for 2022-2026, alongside five-year evaluation and plan submissions from State Library Administrative Agencies in 2022, which determine the direction of most IMLS funds across the U.S. With two years under the current director’s belt, the agency is also gearing up for more conversations with the field to shape the future of its policy and research agenda. 

IMLS Speakers

Teri DeVoe
Associate Deputy Director - State Programs
Institute of Museum and Library Services

Cynthia Landrum
Deputy Director for Library Services
Institute of Museum and Library Services

Anthony D. Smith
Associate Deputy Director
Institute of Museum and Library Services

9am – 3pm IMLS Community Memory Cohort

Location: Washington Convention Center, 160
This session is for the IMLS Community Memory cohort members, facilitated by WiLS (Wisconsin Library Services) staff. The IMLS Community Memory cohort will meet to share project information, resources, and best practices in this day-long meeting. The meeting is closed to outside participation.

1pm – 2pm IMLS "Path to Leadership" Reunion Event

Location: Washington Convention Center, 144B-C

This social event is for participants of the Path to Leadership Forum, funded by the IMLS, and co-sponsored by the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) and the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association. If you were a forum participant, please stop by to network with us!

1pm – 2pm ARL: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Institute Development Update

Location: Washington Convention Center, 140A

Abstract/Program Book Description: The ARL DEI Institute Task Force, which is a partnership with the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) and the Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services (ODLOS) of the American Library Association (ALA), is supported by an Institute of Museum and Library Services FY 2020 Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program award (RE-246354-OLS-20).

2:30pm – 3:30pm Trauma in the Library

Location: Washington Convention Center, 146B

Trauma-informed care for library patrons is a growing movement, however, what about workplace trauma experienced by library staff? Our session uses the Fishbowl technique to share survey+interview insights and gather diverse further evidence for our IMLS-funded study “Trauma in the Library: Symptoms of PTSD Among Staff and Methods for Ensuring Trauma-Informed Care.”

4pm – 5pm Marketing your small library: a little investment can go a long way

Location: Washington Convention Center, 146B

Many small and rural libraries need more patrons, and many of their community members would greatly benefit from their services. But since these libraries rarely have a communications professional on staff, nor a marketing budget, they aren't reaching potential new patrons. To build local marketing capacity and expertise, Georgia Public Library Service began to offer marketing mini grants to Georgia public libraries in 2018.

Moderators

Deborah Hakes, Director of Communications and Marketing
Georgia Public Library Service

Speakers

Chelsea J. Kovalevskiy, Assistant Director
Cherokee Regional Library

Deborah Hakes, Director of Communications and Marketing
Georgia Public Library Service

9am – 10am Transformation for Libraries: The Futures School

Location: Washington Convention Center, 140A

The CT State Library Division of Library Development's (DLD) has identified Strategic Foresight as a critical discipline for librarians now. The COVID19 pandemic is a real-time threat, forcing adaptive change in the way libraries serve their communities; Strategic Foresight training can provide librarians with the skills to plan for future shifts. This program will detail the DLD’s journey working with Kedge: The Futures School to train 450 librarians and library staff in the discipline of Strategic Foresight to build resilience, adaptability and opportunity in our profession and field of influence. The Futures School sessions as part of CSL's IMLS Laura Bush grant #RE-250063-OLS-21.

Moderators

Dawn la Valle, Director, Division of Library Development
CT State Library

Speakers

Nicole Baker-Rosa, Head of Human Design and Development
Kedge Futures School

9am – 10am Library Outreach Programming for Expectant Parents and Parents of Newborns

Location: Washington Convention Center, 140B

"Mother Goose on the Loose: Hatchlings", is a research-based collaborative project of the Maryland State Department of Education, Maryland State Library, Mother Goose on the Loose, local librarians, and community partners. Hatchlings: Ready to Hatch is a one session program for pregnant adults. Hatchlings: In the Nest consists of four weekly sessions geared for parents with newborns from birth to four months. Both versions of Hatchlings have already been successfully piloted virtually with English and Spanish speakers in Maryland.

Speakers

Dorothy Stoltz, Consultant
Waldo Publishers LLC

Carrie Sanders, Youth Services Coordinator
Maryland State Library

Elaine Czarnecki, Literacy Consultant / Owner
Resources in Reading

Kirsten Grünberg, Librarian III
Prince George's County Memorial Library System

Pamela Hamlin, Family Literacy Specialist
Prince George's County Memorial Library System

Denise Laird, Library Associate, Outreach Services
Carroll County Public Library

9am – 10am Capturing Outcomes of Youth Computational Thinking Programs in Public Libraries: A Repository of Assessment Tools and Case Studies of Impact

Location: Washington Convention Center, 145A

Based on a three-year IMLS-funded project conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland, we will present the learning outcomes that can be achieved through CT programs for youth ages 11-18 offered through public libraries. We will also share a suite of assessment tools designed for public library staff to document and measure CT literacy development in youth as a result of participating in CT programs through their libraries. The learning outcomes were identified through nationwide interviews and focus groups with 59 library staff.

Moderators

Mega Subramaniam, Professor & Associate Dean for Faculty
College of Information Studies, University of Maryland

Speakers

David Weintrop, Assistant Professor
College of Education & College of Information Studies, University of Maryland

Nitzan Koren, Doctoral student
College of Information Studies, University of Maryland

10:30am – 11:30am Privacy Field Guides: Take Action on Privacy in Your Library

Location: Washington Convention Center, 150B

Privacy is a core value of librarianship, yet it often feels like an overwhelming and onerous undertaking. With a deluge of information telling library workers why privacy is important and what the issues are, there has until now been a lack of practical how-to guides for making concrete privacy changes in the library. The Institute of Museum and Library Services, in partnership with the American Library Association, has sponsored the creation of Privacy Field Guides.

Moderators

Erin Berman, Division Leader
Alameda County Library

Speakers

Bonnie Tijerina, Affiliate Researcher
Data & Society

Erin Berman, Division Leader
Alameda County Library

10:30am – 11:30am Strategies for Scaling Science Programming through Libraries to Engage Early to Life-Long Learners

Location: Washington Convention Center, 150A

Join the National Girls Collaborative and SciStarter to learn about two nationally recognized science programs, Leap into Science (leap.fi.edu) and Libraries as Community Hubs for Citizen Science (scistarter.org/library-network), and the strategies that have enabled these programs to successfully scale to hundreds of libraries across 25 states.

In this session, you’ll hear about lessons learned from these models and gain access to turn-key training materials, programming resources, and a network of librarians dedicated to broadening participating in science from early learners to older adults.

Speakers

Emily Early, Senior Network Manager
National Girls Collaborative

Darlene Cavalier, Founder
SciStarter

Karen Peterson, CEO
National Girls Collaborative

Robin J. Salthouse, Library Specialist
SciStarter

1pm – 2pm Diversifying Your Library Services Through Sensory Spaces

Location: Washington Convention Center, 144B-C

The goal of a sensory space is to provide an environment where children and adults with autism spectrum disorders, developmental disabilities, post-traumatic stress disorder, cerebral palsy, memory loss, dementia and sensory processing disorders can feel safe and welcome. In this session, Assistant Director Deborah Long and staff from the Louisville Public Library share the story of how an IMLS grant led to the very first complete Sensory Space in a public library in the United States. Learn how they made it happen; what has worked, what has not, and what they are planning for the future.

Moderators

Deborah Blackwell, Training Coordinator
Ocean County Library

Speakers

Sara Siegler, Assistant Library Director
Ocean County Library

Deborah A. Long, Assistant Library Director
Louisville Public Library

Tracey Phillips, Activities and Events Manager
Louisville Public Library

Shawn Arbogast, Technology Manager
Louisville Public Library

Givane Hayes, Branch Services Supervisor
Ocean County Library

Meredith Silvestri, Sensory Space Coordinator
Ocean County Library

Wendi Smolowitz, Librarian, Autism Resources Fair Co-Chair
Ocean County Library

1pm – 2pm Accelerating Promising Practices: Innovative Ways to Meet Community Needs

Location: Washington Convention Center, 149A-B

Learn about new community engagement frameworks for libraries and how you can use these frameworks in your work. This session will examine case studies from the Accelerating Promising Practices program funded by IMLS. In this program, more than 40 small and rural libraries across the country implemented innovative projects to engage with and serve their communities. These libraries worked in cohorts according to their project’s overarching theme (digital inclusion, community memory, and school library transformation). Each cohort worked with a mentor organization, a larger institution with broad access to resources to help make all projects successful. The libraries and mentor organizations collaborated to share resources, contacts, and strategies to meet community needs and to ensure project success. In this session, mentors and cohort participants will showcase the methods used to collaborate with other libraries and serve their communities, and describe how such methods can be replicated for success elsewhere.

Speakers

Alex Nelson, National Digital Inclusion Project Coordinator
Kansas City Public Library

Ellen Brooks, Community Memory and Digital Archives Consultant
WiLS (Wisconsin Library Services)

Betha Gutsche, WebJunctions Program Manager
OCLC