Access Weekly | News for OLC Members | |
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OLC Board Welcomes New Leadership for 2025
The OLC Board of Directors held its first meeting of the new year on January 17 and elected new leadership for 2025. Mary Ellen Icaza, CEO and executive director of Stark County District Library, was elected Chair. Stacey Russell, executive director of the Muskingum County Library System, was selected as Chair-Elect and Travis Bautz, director of the MidPointe Library System, was elected Secretary-Treasurer. All officers will serve one-year terms.
The board also welcomed newly elected members:
- Monica Baughman, Director of Support Services, Worthington Libraries
- Kim DeNero-Ackroyd, Deputy Director, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library
- Elizabeth Muether, Director/Fiscal Officer, Mercer County District Library
- Bernie Rochford, Trustee, Akron-Summit County Public Library
- William Rutger, Director, Avon Lake Public Library
Returning board members for 2025 include:
- Sarah Clevidence, Director, Findlay-Hancock County Public Library (Past Chair)
- Kathy Bach, Public Services Director, Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library
- Julianne Bedel, Executive Director, Medina County District Library
- Robert Jenkins, Trustee, Bossard Memorial Library of Gallia County
- Sandra Hedlund Tunnell, Trustee, Ashland Public Library
The OLC would like to thank outgoing board members Laura Lee Wilson, Director of the Huron County Community Library; Richard Rubin, Trustee, Cuyahoga Falls Public Library; Jennifer Slone, Access Director, Chillicothe & Ross County Public Library; Aimee Fifarek, Director, Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County; and Cheryl Kuonen, Director, Mentor Public Library for their dedicated service and vast contributions during their time on the OLC Board.
During the meeting, the Board also approved the financial report for month-end Nov. 2024, OLC board committee and liaison assignments, and OLC's operating budget for 2025. The next board meeting will be March 14.
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OLC Hosts Library of Things Webinar on February 18
Does your library circulate non-traditional items? Or are you interested in starting a new collection and branching out into the library of “Things?” Join OLC’s Special Collections, Customer Service & Support Staff, and Digital & Media Services Divisions next month to discuss best practices, challenges and successes when circulating non-traditional items. The OLC's Library of Things Webinar will be held on February 18 from 2-3 p.m. The program is an opportunity for you to network with your colleagues and find out what works at libraries similar to your own. This webinar is free for OLC members, but you must register to attend. The deadline to register is February 14.
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Call for 2025 Conference Planning Committee Members
The OLC is currently seeking Planning Committee members for two new professional development conferences this year. If you ever thought about getting more involved with OLC, this is a great way to start.
The Unconventional to Conventional Conference will be held this summer on June 12 in Columbus. The conference will focus on best practices for providing innovative materials, programs and services and how to get all staff engaged with something they've never done.
The New to Libraries Conference will be held September 12 in Dayton. The conference will focus on developing new library staff and helping them gain a better understanding of the library's mission, their role within it, and intricacies of library operations.
If you have an interest in these areas and would like to serve on one of the planning committees, please complete the Volunteer Form by February 5.
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Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grants Available
In 2024, the OLC wrote a letter of support for an Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW) grant proposal. We are pleased to report that ODEW was awarded the grant and is now accepting applications for the $60 million Comprehensive Literacy State Development grant from the U.S. Department of Education. This funding will support teaching and learning opportunities to help more Ohio students advance their literacy skills, with a focus on those who have been traditionally underserved. School districts are able to subgrant and partner with public libraries. We are encouraging our members to reach out to their local school districts and work together on applying for these grants. This federal funding is a tremendous opportunity to improve the literacy skills of Ohio’s children and public libraries can play an important role. Grants applications for K-12 are due by March 26. ODEW will release the application process for birth–kindergarten separately later in 2025.
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Newspaper Photo Archive Webinar: Registration Closes Friday
The OLC will host a Newspaper Photo Archive Webinar next Tues., Jan. 28, from 10-11:30 a.m. Sponsored by the Special Collections Division, this webinar will cover digitization, preservation and access for historical newspaper and photo archives. The registration fee is $60 for members (Non-member fee: $120). Registration closes on Fri., Jan. 24. Login to the Member Info Hub to get registered.
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Join the Teen Services Talk on January 29
The Teen Services Division will host an online discussion forum next Wed., January 29, from 2-3 p.m. This is an opportunity for you to ask questions, exchange ideas and share best practices for handling programs and services for the teenagers in your community. The event is free for OLC members, but you must register to attend.
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20 Titles Selected for 2025 Choose to Read Ohio Booklist
The 2025 Choose to Read Ohio (CTRO) program cycle officially kicks off this month with the release of readers’ toolkits for the 2025 CTRO booklist. The 2025 booklist features 20 notable titles by Ohio authors and illustrators and encompasses fiction and nonfiction. Ohio librarians, teachers, and other book experts help to select the CTRO booklists. They consider quality and reader appeal, but also how well each book lends itself to group discussion, caregiver/child conversations, library programs, and classroom activities.
To support and encourage book discussion groups, library programs, and other activities to bring readers together around books, the CTRO Advisory Council creates a readers’ toolkit for each CTRO book. CTRO toolkits feature author biographies, discussion questions, activities, and resources to engage curiosity and explore themes in depth. Toolkits for all 155 books selected to CTRO since its inception in 2009 are available for free download on the CTRO website.
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Hall of Fame Librarian Award: Nominations Due April 3
The OLC is proud to honor distinguished librarians who have dedicated their careers to advancing the library profession and making a significant impact on their communities. The Hall of Fame Librarian Award is our way of recognizing those exceptional individuals whose leadership, commitment, and contributions have set the standard for excellence in Ohio and beyond.
This prestigious award celebrates librarians who have shown exemplary career achievements. Recipients are those who have not only excelled in their professional roles, but have also demonstrated sustained leadership, active participation in library organizations, and a deep commitment to serving the community.
Your nominations help us recognize and celebrate those who have dedicated their careers to enhancing the library profession. By acknowledging their achievements, we not only honor their hard work, but also inspire future generations of librarians to strive for excellence.
Let’s come together to celebrate the exceptional talent within our library community. Submit your nominations today for the Hall of Fame Librarian Award and help us shine a spotlight on the true champions of our profession.
More information is available at olc.org/awards-and-honors. If you have questions about the Hall of Fame Librarian Award, please email committee member Amy Abernathy at aabernathy@midpointelibrary.org.
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Guiding Ohio Online Tech Trainer: Applications Due March 23
Ohio's public libraries are a trusted resource and remain in a unique position to help people get up-to-speed and more comfortable with today's technology. Guiding Ohio Online is a great opportunity for public libraries serving rural populations to provide more technology programming, outreach, and services with federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds.
The grant allows public libraries in rural Ohio to hire a dedicated technology trainer. The technology trainer is hired as an independent contractor in a full- or part-time capacity, depending on the needs of the library. Trainers can assist with computer instruction, technology-focused community outreach, one-on-one instruction, and other technology related duties.
LSTA funding covers 75% of the project costs; the remaining 25% must come from a local cash match. This cash match typically comes from the library, but may come in whole or in part from a partner organization. Please be aware that the cash match cannot come from another federal funding source.
The State Library of Ohio will be hosting a virtual Open Office Hour for Guiding Ohio Online on Tues., Feb. 25 from 1-2 p.m. to answer questions about the program and the application process.
Trainers will serve in selected libraries during the program year, July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026. Application questions and Proposed Budget forms can be found on the State Library of Ohio website and are due by March 23.
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Applications Now Open for Expanded Game On! Grants
The American Library Association’s (ALA) Games and Gaming Round Table is accepting applications for the “Game On!” grant, which provides $2,000 to help a library develop gaming programs or collections for their communities. The grant has doubled in size since 2024 thanks to a $1,000 donation match from Cards Against Humanity, whose support will continue through 2029. The application deadline is March 10, and the winner or winners will be announced at ALA’s 2025 Annual Conference this June in Philadelphia.
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In Memoriam
We are saddened to share the news that Florence Meyer passed away on January 14. She was a librarian for the Napoleon Public Library for more than 40 years. Her obituary is available online.
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Freda Roesser, a member of the board of trustees for the St. Paris Public Library, received a 30-year award for her dedication and service to the library.
The new Martin Luther King Jr. Branch of the Cleveland Public Library opens on January 25. The two-story branch has 207 apartments upstairs, in a first-of-its-kind partnership between the library system and a private developer.
Bucyrus Public Library received a grant from the John Q. Shunk Association to purchase 20 wheeled and adjustable chairs to improve the library’s Makerspace for its LEVEL UP program.
Please email Angie Jacobsen, OLC's Director of Communications, with your library news items.
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