Dear Brad,

You know what they say: "Change is the only constant in life." (For you librarians out there, that was Heraclitus.)

Although he was only with us for six months, many of you got the chance to meet Greg Peele, NEFLIN's new Continuing Education Coordinator. Greg wasted no time in hitting the road to visit libraries and find out how he could best meet your training needs.

Even though he was loving his time at NEFLIN, Greg couldn't pass up a new opportunity to travel throughout several states serving libraries in another capacity: as a regional sales representative for Brodart! His last day at NEFLIN was June 27th.

We will miss him, and we wish him the very best in his new endeavor. Be on the lookout for Greg in the Exhibit Hall at your next library conference!

Jenny Eason

jenny@neflin.org

Member Services Coordinator

The 2025 NEFLIN Annual Meeting will take place on Friday, September 19th, from 9:00 am – 3:30 pm, at UNF’s Adam W. Herbert University Center.  

The day’s agenda will include:

• Keynote Presentation from Steve Hughes
• Annual Reports from the NEFLIN Staff
• Presentation of the 2025 NEFLIN Awards
• Announcement of NEFLIN’s upcoming projects
• Innovation Project reports from NEFLIN member libraries
• Silent Auction benefiting the Jim Morris Scholarship Fund
• and more content for library staff throughout the day!

Cost to attend:  $45.00 (includes a catered lunch)

First-Time Attendees: Register by August 1st to receive your NEFLIN shoes!

Please note: If this will be your first time attending an in-person Annual Meeting, you are eligible to receive a pair of NEFLIN shoes! However, you must register by Friday, August 1st, to get your shoes. If you register after this date, even if it is your first in-person meeting, you will not be eligible to receive shoes. These shoes are special-ordered just for you and cannot be exchanged for another size. Converse typically run about half a size large and have a long, narrow fit. If you're unsure of your size, we recommend trying on a pair in-store.

Registration for all attendees will close on Friday, September 5th, unless the event reaches capacity before that date.

We are currently accepting proposals for breakout session presentations at the 2025 NEFLIN Annual Meeting.

We are looking for a broad range of sessions that highlight programs, services, and resources that would be of interest to other NEFLIN members. 

We are considering proposals for traditional Breakout Sessions (30 minutes) and Lightning Round sessions (5 minutes). 

The deadline for submitting this proposal is 5:00 pm on Friday, August 1st.

If your proposal is chosen, you will be notified by Friday, August 8th. We will send acceptance and regret notifications via email.

Contact office@neflin.org with questions.

We invite you or your library to donate a basket to be auctioned off at this year's Annual Meeting.

All proceeds benefit the Jim Morris Continuing Education Fund, which provides scholarships for NEFLIN members to attend conferences and other professional development opportunities.

To Contribute a Basket:

1. Choose a theme and begin to assemble your basket.
2. SUBMIT the Online Form by Friday, September 5th.
3. Bring your completed basket to the NEFLIN Annual Meeting on September 19th.

To Make a Donation:

Don't have time to donate a basket and would like to make a tax-deductible donation? Click here.

Please note:

Issue Two of Library Insights is currently in the editing phase and is expected to be published in August 2025.

This Call for Articles is for Issue Three, which we expect to publish in December 2025.

Are you passionate about sharing your knowledge and insights with the library community?

We invite you to contribute to Issue Three of the NEFLIN Publication Library Insights, a platform for library professionals from all types of libraries to share their scholarly and practitioner-based work.

Articles may be submitted here: Library Insights: Call for Articles

Important Dates:

• Submission Deadline: September 30, 2025 at 5:00 PM ET
• Notification of Acceptance: October 31, 2025
• Anticipated Publication Date: December 2025

Questions? Email LibraryInsights@neflin.org.

Congratulations to all of our 2025 Jim Morris Continuing Education Fund scholarship recipients!

These five NEFLIN members are using their JMCEF awards to participate in a wide variety of professional development opportunities.

Now is the time to begin planning for 2026!

The JMCEF awards up to $250 for in-state travel and up to $500 for out-of-state travel. All scholarship funds are provided through donations and fundraisers. We will begin accepting applications in September for events happening next year.

Maria Atilano

University of North Florida

ACRL 2025 Conference

Rebecca Harrington

University of North Florida

2025 NASIG Annual Conference (Virtual)

April Helena

University of Florida

American Institute for Conservation (AIC) Annual Meeting (Virtual)

Sarah Bennett

Stetson University

Georgia Archives Institute

Suzanne Odom

Florida Institute of Technology

ALA 2025 Annual Conference & Exhibition (Philadelphia)

We've had lots of recent additions to the Lending Library!

See the complete list of print books at http://neflin.org/lendinglibrary/ and request a title by emailing training@neflin.org.

To access the eLending Library, go to our Overdrive page. Request an account by emailing training@neflin.org.

AI for Enhancing Library Services: a Guide

(Print)

Building a StoryBrand 2.0: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen

(eBook)

Canva for Dummies (eBook)

Canva: Professional Tips and Tricks When You Design with Canva (Print)

Creating a Staff-Led Strategic Plan: A Practical Guide for Libraries

(Available in print or eBook format)

Foundations of Intellectual Freedom (eBook)

Streaming Video Collection Development and Management

(Available in print or eBook format)

Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds (eBook)

Andrew Sanderbeck is a respected expert presenter and consultant for libraries and library organizations on critical people skills including managing others, communication more effectively and improving customer service and the customer experience. He has worked with public and academic libraries for more than 20 years.

For the next few months, we'll be highlighting the ten NEFLIN member libraries who are recipients of a 2025 Innovation Project Award. These libraries submitted their innovative ideas to the NEFLIN Board, who then awarded up to $7,500 for each winning idea. All of the libraries are now at work putting their projects into action, and at the NEFLIN Annual Meeting on September 19th, they will share their progress and results. The project descriptions below were submitted as part of each member's Innovation Project application.

Palatka Jr./Sr. High School (Putnam County School District):

The Voyage Vault

"In a world of fleeting social media posts, the Voyage Vault offers students a chance to slow down, reflect, and capture something meaningful from the past and for the future.

The Voyage Vault is not just a time capsule; it’s a living history project, a chance for students to tell their stories in ways that go beyond traditional text. It combines the power of digital media with the timeless appeal of storytelling, creating a unique resource for future students and a rich record of our district’s shared history.

Through engaging students in writing, research, and multimedia documentation, this project honors the past while equipping students with valuable skills in storytelling, digital literacy, and historical preservation. By actively involving students in the process, we are transforming our media centers into spaces of exploration and expression, where history and innovation converge."

St. Johns County Public Library:

Go With the Flow

"The cost of menstrual supplies can be a barrier for many, with period poverty potentially disrupting school attendance or forcing difficult choices between menstrual products and other essential needs. By providing free products in library restrooms, we are offering patrons a valuable, no-cost resource when they need it most.

The Go with the Flow project will place period lockers in all women’s restrooms, stocked with a variety of menstrual products to meet patrons' diverse needs. By providing these supplies directly in the restrooms, the initiative helps avoid the discomfort of requesting them at the service desk. This program aims to combat period poverty across St. Johns County and is expected to be well-received and used. Additionally, by offering print resources for checkout, the library is providing valuable educational materials to the community at no cost."

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These projects were funded either under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act from the Institute of Museum and Library Services or the Library Cooperative Grant program. Florida’s LSTA and LCG programs are administered by the Department of State’s Division of Library and Information Services.

For FY2024-25, the total state and federal budgets for NEFLIN's programs are $703,693. 43% of the total costs ($303,693) are supported by federal funds, and 57% of this program ($400,000) is supported by state funds.