In This Issue

President's Corner ~ The First Amendment and Libraries: A Primer for Library Workers ~ GAIL 2025 Call for Proposals ~ SLRI Community Event ~ NELLS 2025: Tier 2 Mid-Career Librarians ~ LibLearnX 2025 Impressions ~ 2025 Joint ACRL-NEC - NELIG Annual Conference ~ Best Books of 2024: Survey Results ~ RI Library News ~ 2025 RILA Conference Save the Date

Dear Members,

I hope you have been managing as best as you can, staying as informed and connected as possible. Don’t skip the important step of taking care of yourselves and your teams. Rest is a must and our work is ongoing. Libraries, librarians and library staff are resilient, and we will make it through this together. 

Speaking of staying informed, there will be many opportunities to do that in the coming weeks. On Sunday, February 23, 1pm-3pm, our friends at Rhode Island Authors Against Book Bans are offering a Freedom to Read Writing Workshop: Writing OpEds and Letters to the Editor that Change Minds and Influence People. This free workshop is hosted by Rhode Island Authors Against Book Bans and Lit Arts RI at Lit Arts RI in Providence. Advance registration is required. On March 20, 4pm-5pm, our own IFC Committee is hosting a virtual workshop: The First Amendment and Library Workers: A Primer for Library Workers. RSVP to join us for a refresher on First Amendment basics and how they apply to libraries. 

RILA committees are also working hard on legislative action, nominations for open board seats, our annual conference, and connecting library colleagues to mentors. The updated Freedom to Read legislation is moving quickly towards re-introduction and there will be opportunities to get engaged around this in March. The School Librarians of Rhode Island are also planning a community event at Flatbread Pizza in Providence on Tuesday, March 4, 5pm-9pm. Come hang with your school library colleagues and enjoy delicious pizza while supporting the upcoming School Library legislation.

On a lighter note, it is almost time to nominate your favorite colleague(s) for recognition at the RILA conference. More information about our annual award nominations and how to self-nominate for one of the open seats on the RILA Board will be shared in the next two weeks. Finally, we have some fun things planned for the annual conference and hope to see you at URI in May. Conference registration will open in early April.

Warmly,

Beatrice Pulliam, RILA President

president@rilibraries.org

The First Amendment and Libraries: A Primer for Library Workers

Join the RILA Intellectual Committee for this virtual presentation covering First Amendment basics and how they apply to libraries. This presentation will give legal definitions to terms related to the First Amendment, discuss First Amendment issues particular to libraries, and address how you can apply what you've learned to your work in libraries. This program will be presented by Rhode Island Library Associate's Intellectual Freedom Committee Chair and Law for Librarians trainer, Tayla Cardillo.

Date: Thursday, March 20th, 2025 at 4pm via Zoom

GAIL 2025 Call for Proposals

You are invited to submit a proposal for the 2nd annual Generative AI in Libraries (GAIL) virtual conference aimed specifically at librarians. This conference seeks to explore the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in libraries. It is also an opportunity for librarians to share their experiences with generative AI technologies and their applications in the library setting.

Dates: June 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th, 2025, from 1-4 pm EDT each day

Deadline to Submit: February 22, 2025

SLRI Flatbread Pizza

Community Bake Event

Tuesday, March 4, 5-9 pm*

Join us! This fundraiser will help defray costs to garner support for the School Libraries Act.

A full-time certified librarian in every school = student success!

Hope to see you there!

Location: Flatbread Pizza, 161 Cushing St., Providence



*A portion of in-person and online orders will benefit SLRI

NELLS 2025: Tier 2

Mid-Career Librarians

NELLS is now accepting applications for our 2025 Tier 2: Mid-Career Librarianship program. This program is designed for mid-career library professionals (3-15 years experience in or with libraries). The program focuses on the application of leadership theory to real-world library issues. A Master’s degree in Library Science is not required in order to participate.

This program will be facilitated by Jami Yazdani, MLIS, of Yazdani Consulting and Facilitation. Jami has more than fifteen years of experience in libraries in progressively responsible positions, including more than twelve years in leadership roles. She has delivered training to a wide range of professionals, from bankers to dermatologists to librarians.

Participants in this cohort are encouraged to reflect, consider best practices, plan for practical applications to their own environment, and connect with their peers. Topical sessions would blend training, active discussion, and participant reflection and sharing. Activity sessions will focus on individual and small-group brainstorming, discussion, and sharing.

The cohort will meet in person from May 12th-15th at Von Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT. The cost of this program is $875, which includes access to speakers, course materials, supplemental readings, food, parking, and lodging. Payment will be due by May 5.

The application deadline for NELLS 2025 is Friday, February 28th.

Qualifications

• Must be a NELA member.
• Must be living or working in New England, or seeking employment in a New England library.
• Must agree to abide by the NELA Code of Conduct

LibLearnX 2025 Impressions

One of my favorite parts of attending ALA’s LibLearnX 2025 in Phoenix, AZ last month was attending the “I Love My Librarian” Award Ceremony where 10 librarians from around the country were introduced and gave an acceptance speech. I was happy to see that I had met one of the honorees at a previous ALA Conference who, despite working in Hawaii, has ties to Rhode Island! (Jessica Gleason visited me at the Pawtucket Library when she was in the state visiting her in-laws after we met at that event!)

~ Robin Nyzio, Cranston Public Library, Adult Services Librarian

2025 Joint ACRL-NEC - NELIG Annual Conference

The annual conference will take place on Thursday, June 12, 2025 (Online) and Friday, June 13, 2025 (College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA). This year's conference theme is: Unknown(s): Making Our Own Luck.

We want to acknowledge that the past few years have often left us navigating uncharted waters. While the unknowns can sometimes feel overwhelming, they also present us with opportunities to think differently, adapt, and create something new. We invite you to submit session proposals that reflect the resilience, creativity, and forward-thinking that have allowed libraries to thrive even in the face of uncertainty. We hope to highlight all aspects of library work, such as archives, preservation & conservation, collection development, instruction, technical services, engagement, facilities, assessment, communications, and administration. For more information, visit our website.

Proposal deadline: Monday, March 3, 2025 at 11:59pm EST



Questions? Email the 2025 ACRL-NEC/NELIG Conference Planning Committee at annualconference@acrlnec.org.

Best Books of 2024: Survey Results

Thank you to everyone who shared your favorite books of 2024 with us! We hope that your 2025 reading is off to a great start and that the year is filled with wonderful books.

These are some of the titles that the community loved the most:

• The Steerswomen by Rosemary Kirstein
• Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree
• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
• Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett
• Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller
• Provenance by Ann Leckie
• The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
• The Wedding People by Alison Espach
• Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
• James by Percival Everett
• Through the Night Like a Snake by Sarah Coolidge (Editor)

'That Librarian': Amanda Jones

Five libraries of the East Bay have come together to bring Amanda Jones, author of 'That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America,' to join us for a moderated discussion and Q&A session on Thursday, March 6th, at 6:30 pm.

Amanda will be joining us via Zoom, but you will have the option to watch from home via Zoom or join us at any of the five libraries to watch the livestream in person and engage in a discussion afterwards with your community members. Registration for this program will open on Thursday, February 6th.

This program is a collaboration among Rogers Free Library (Bristol), Bristol BookFest, George Hail Library (Warren), Barrington Public Library, Tiverton Public Library, and Brownell Library (Little Compton).

Greenville Public Library Appoints New Library Director

The Greenville Public Library Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Library Director, Corrie Alves. Alves brings 23 years of library experience to her new position in Greenville. Most recently she served as the Technology Coordinator for the Cranston Public Library. Alves received her Masters of Library and Information Services from the University of Rhode Island. A life-long Rhode Islander, she moved to Greenville four years ago with her family. Alves will begin her work at the Greenville Public Library in March.