In This Issue
President's Corner ~ Reflections on Conference ~ RILA Award Winners ~ Intellectual Freedom Podcast ~ Join the RILBA Committee ~ RI Challenge Reporting Form ~ Upcoming Events ~ RI Library News
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Another successful conference is in the books! Congratulations to this year’s award winners; thank you for your contributions to the profession and your communities. Welcome to new Board members; I am looking forward to working with you.
Endless thank-yous go to our fantastic Conference Committee who did the incredibly hard work of planning every detail of this year’s conference, from handling logistics (parking, parking!) to reviewing the incredible session proposals submitted from the library community in Rhode Island and beyond. So much great work and creativity is happening around the state. I would also be remiss if I didn’t thank Providence Public Library (my employer) for its welcoming hospitality and beautifully open spaces!
Thank you also to our fabulous keynote speakers, Emily Drabinski, incoming ALA President, and Deborah Caldwell-Stone, Director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom and the Executive Director of the Freedom to Read Foundation. Both are doing the work, Emily advocating on behalf of library workers’ rights, and Deborah as an avenger for intellectual freedom issues and challenges playing out across the country as well as right here in our own library communities in Rhode Island. Even if you have never thought of yourself as an advocate or spokesperson, please know that you do have a voice and we all have a role to play in working to ensure that access to information and materials remains unfettered. Consider joining a RILA committee -- or better -- attend your local school committee or town council meetings when there are issues impacting libraries and schools. Be present, get involved, and let us know how we can support you.
Have a wonderful summer!
Beatrice Pulliam
RILA President
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Reflections on the 2023 RILA Conference
Robin Nyzio, Branch Librarian at William Hall Library shared her reflections on this year's RILA Conference. "It was great fun to be inside the Providence Public Library for the conference this year. With the parking lot only a few feet from the front door and all the beautiful inside spaces, I really enjoyed the whole experience -- especially all the tasty food."
Click below to read her take-aways from the sessions she attended:
- Rearranging Religion to Decolonize Dewey
- You Don’t Need to Be a Cybersecurity Expert to Be Cybersecure
- Rack of Eye: Managing Implicit Bias in Collections at Steamship Historical Society
- First Amendment 101: Common Exceptions to Free Speech Protection
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What were your take-aways from the 2023 RILA Conference?
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Congratulations to This Year's RILA Award Winners
The Rhode Island Library Association (RILA) presented its yearly awards at its Annual Conference, which was held May 24 and 25 at the Providence Public Library. The theme for the conference was “Keep Calm and Read On.”
"This year’s award recipients are truly deserving of this honor,” said RILA President Beatrice Pulliam. “We were so fortunate to have each of our honorees present at our awards reception and be able to celebrate their achievements in front of their friends and family."
The 2023 RILA Award winners are:
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Library Champion Award: Senator Hanna Gallo, District 27, Cranston and West Warwick
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Outstanding Librarian Award: Chaichin Chen, Resource Sharing Coordinator, Office of Library and Information Services
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Outstanding Library Paraprofessional Award: Maria Melvin, Human Resources Coordinator, Community Libraries of Providence
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Meritorious Friend of the Library Award: Josephine Sassi, Friends of the West Warwick Public Library
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Trustee of the Year Award: Ken Findlay, Board of Trustees, Exeter Public Library
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The State of Intellectual Freedom in US Libraries
Did you miss the live podcast recording at RILA Annual? Click below to check out the latest episode of Down Time with Cranston Public Library!
Host Tayla Cardillo chats with Emily Drabinski, incoming president of the American Library Association, and Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom. They get into the controversy of book challenges and censorship, which poses a threat to free expression and vital library services all over the United States. They also discuss cozy mysteries, trash TV, and balancing reading for work and for pleasure. Down Time with Cranston Public Library is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and anywhere else you get your podcasts.
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RILBA Committee Seeking New Members
The Rhode Island Latino Books Award (RILBA) Committee is seeking new members to serve a 2-year term beginning September 2023. Each year, the RILBA committee selects the nominees for grades kindergarten through 12th for the award. Rhode Island students are encouraged to read from the booklist and vote for their favorite book. For more information, please visit: http://www.rilatinoarts.org/LatinoBooksAward.html
New members should:
- Be a Public Youth Services Librarian in Rhode Island, School Librarian, or Educator
- Commit to reading 5 to 10 books each month, including chapter books, picture books, graphic novels, etc.
- Have experience working with school-aged children or teens
- Have an interest in children's or teen literature or both
- Attend virtual meetings on the first Monday of every month, starting September 2023, 5:00 to 7:00pm, September to May
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Rhode Island Challenge Reporting Form
Are you experiencing a materials challenge or other attempt at censorship at your library, school, or other institution in Rhode Island?
Submit a report to the RILA Intellectual Freedom Committee by clicking the button below, and let us know how we can support you.
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News from the Rhode Island Library Community |
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Smithfield Libraries Are Connected
The public and school librarians of Smithfield collaborated during school vacation week in order to bring children, tweens, and teens into the public libraries.
Raffle boxes with entry slips were made available in the Greenville Public Library and the East Smithfield Public Library. The students who visited the public libraries from Pleasant View Elementary, Old County Road School, and Gallagher Middle School completed a raffle ticket indicating what they had done over the spring break.
The school librarians gathered the raffle entries when the school was back in session and those students who participated were given a prize for completing the raffle while visiting the public library over the school vacation.
The school librarians are Melissa Clapprood from Pleasant View Elementary School and Lisa Girard from Gallagher Middle School. The public librarians are Babs Wells, Patricia DeFrancesco and Patricia McIvor from Greenville Public Library. East Smithfield public librarians are Carol Derosier and Madeleine Frost.
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Tiverton Public Library Hosts Earth Day Garden Expo
On Saturday, April 22nd, the Tiverton Public Library held its first Earth Day Garden Expo. This free community event featured free seeds, soil testing, and advice from URI Master Gardeners; a Friends of Tiverton Libraries raffle and used gardening book sale to benefit outdoor library programming; a story walk, Citizen Science kit demos, and craft activities for all ages; and representatives from 26 local and regional organizations, including the Audubon Society of RI, RI Beekeepers Association, Eastern Conservation District, Eco Rhode Island, RI Tree Council, RI Wild Plant Society, Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, Tiverton Farmers Market, and the Tiverton Land Trust.
Over 300 people attended the event over the 3 hours and expressed enthusiasm for making this an annual event. The exhibitors were also gratified by the turn-out, many of them saying that their organizations received much more exposure and made more community contacts as a result of the event.
[Photo credit Meredith Brower.]
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The Rhode Island Library Association
is a professional organization that serves its members through career development, education, advocacy, networking partnerships, and legislative action.
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The RILA Bulletin is produced by the RILA Communications Committee. The RILA Communications Committee is responsible for publicizing and supporting Rhode Island Library Association activities using a variety of communication tools. Responsibilities include publishing the RILA Bulletin, managing social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, and exploring other media as needed.
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