In This Issue

President's Corner ~ Spring Membership Drive Winners ~ 2024 Conference Recap ~ 2024 RILA Award Winners ~ Introducing Overdueing It ~ News from RI Libraries

Thank you for joining us for another great conference in the capital city! Congratulations to this year’s award winners. I am always blown away by the heartfelt nominations and stories of library staff doing great work around the state. Welcome to the Board Ben Hanley and Lynda LaCava, and on behalf of the entire Board, we look forward to working with the both of you.  

Huge thank-yous go to our fantastic Conference Committee and volunteers for their stellar work this year. We hope you had a chance to relax, network, or “shop” for books in the RILA Lounge this year. The Conference Committee outdid themselves by procuring so many ARCs and curating a great line-up of sessions. Hopefully, you learned something new and picked up some new ideas to try at your library. Thank you also to our wonderful keynote speakers, author and illustrator Raúl The Third and AASL President Courtney Pentland, as well as our exhibitors and sponsors. If you have not had a chance to share your feedback about your experience at this year’s conference, there is still time to complete the survey.  

Before we switch into summer mode (the RILA Board and Committees take a short break in June and July), I will share another legislative update. At the time I am writing this President’s Corner, both the Library Protections and Freedom to Read bills have made it out of their respective committees and are still moving through the process, the bill to modernize the state library passed the full Senate and has been referred to the House for consideration, and full funding for public libraries now seems likely. It has been a whirlwind of a legislative session! My final thank you goes to RILA’s determined and hard-working Legislative Action Committee and every library supporter who submitted verbal or written testimony, contacted a legislator in their ward, sent an email, or showed up at the state house to support others during a hearing. We see you and appreciate your efforts!  

Have a restful summer!

Beatrice Pulliam, RILA President

president@rilibraries.org

2024 Spring Membership Drive Raffle Winners

The names have been drawn! Congratulations to our 2024 Spring Membership Drive raffle winners:

Cassidy Santos - new RILA member

Amy Golaski - new RILA member

Dhana Whiteing - referring RILA member

Mary Moen - referring RILA member

Each winner will receive a $25 gift card to Books on the Square in Providence. Thank you to all who participated. We love having new members, so don't forget to encourage your colleagues to join RILA today.

2024 RILA Conference Recap

Robin Nyzio, Adult Services Librarian at Cranston Public Library, sent in a description of the sessions that she attended on Wednesday, May 22nd. You can read her recap by clicking the button below.

Rosemary Driscoll, Library Media Specialist at East Providence High School, sent us a summary of her experience on Thursday, May 23rd. You can read her recap by clicking the button below.

Congratulations to This Year's RILA Award Winners

The Rhode Island Library Association presented its yearly awards at its Annual Conference, which was held May 22 and 23 at the Providence Public Library. The theme for the conference was “Connecting Communities.”

“We received many outstanding nominations this year and all of us are lucky to work with such incredible colleagues,” said RILA President Beatrice Pulliam.

This year's winners are:

• Library Champion Award: Marianne Mirando, Westerly High School Librarian
• Outstanding Librarian Award: Julie Holden, Assistant Director, Cranston Public Library
• Outstanding Library Paraprofessional Award: Kelly McKenna, Circulation Staff, Newport Public Library
• Trustee of the Year Award: Eugene Mihaly, Chair, Board of Trustees, Jamestown Philomenian Library
• Outstanding Contributions to Library Profession Award: Dr. Valerie Karno, Director, Graduate School of Library & Information Science, University of Rhode Island

Introducing Overdueing It: The *NEW* Rhode Island Library Podcast

After four years of successful podcasting, Dave Bartos, Tayla Cardillo, Emily Goodman, and Lauren Walker, the creative minds behind Down Time at Cranston Public Library and Rhody Radio, have joined forces to launch a new statewide library podcast project. Keep your ears open for Overdueing it: The Rhode Island Library Podcast.

Overdueing It combines the episodic structure of Down Time with the state-wide curated approach of Rhody Radio. We’re always looking for new stories to explore around the Ocean State.

Have an exciting new project going on at your library? Want to introduce us to your neighborhood superstars? Email the team at overdueingitpod@gmail.com to find out how to get involved!

East Providence Public Library Advances Its Social Work Program with LORI Grant Funds

The Social Work program at the East Providence Public Library is housed within the Adult Language Learning department and aims to provide comprehensive social work services to library patrons by enhancing access to support and resources within the community. Grant funds enabled the Library to continue to fund an independently licensed social worker (10 hours/week) and hire a new community support specialist (20 hours/week), who work collaboratively to address the diverse needs of patrons.

The Library serves as a vital site for the social work program by offering a welcoming and inclusive environment. By integrating social work services within the library setting, the program reduces barriers to access and destigmatize help-seeking behaviors. The Library program’s emphasis on confidentiality and trust-building fosters a safe space where patrons feel empowered to seek support without fear of judgment or discrimination.

Employment/vocational support, housing/homeless services, and assistance with healthcare/insurance coordination emerged as primary concerns. Patrons can also be referred to other resources within the library, such as digital literacy instruction.

Grant funding has also been utilized for a dedicated community cabinet to immediately assist patrons with basic needs, such as hygiene supplies and portable food items. This has been well-received by the patrons who use it as well as other community members. We have received donations from several agencies and made connections with others. Another city site is considering starting their own.

Send Us Your Library News

The RILA Bulletin is YOUR chance to share your library's news with the whole RI library community! 

What new services and programs are you excited about? What programs and initiatives are you proud of? What have you learned at a recent conference or training? Who's new to your team? 

Use our media submission form to send us your story. Articles and news items can be submitted for distribution through our media outlets any time, but those submitted by August, October, December, February, April, or June 1st will be placed in that month's issue of the Bulletin. 

Need help writing something up? Email communications@rilibraries.org and a member of the Committee will contact you.