In This Issue
Executive Notes ~ RILA Statement on Censorship ~ RILA Conference ~ Spotlight on NELA ~ Round Table and Committee Members Needed ~ PLA Recap ~ Ask, Listen, Empower Book Group ~ New Media Literacy Book ~ News from RI Libraries
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Greetings all, happy Spring, and welcome to the April Bulletin.
These past months, the RI library community has been working to defend the freedom to read.
The Legislative Action Committee is monitoring a number of bills circulating in the legislature that pertains to libraries. Keep an eye on our Advocacy Page to stay informed about upcoming legislation. A big thanks to all those who helped to testify against bill H7539, including Beatrice Pulliam, Vice President, and Joan Mouradjian, Chair of our School Librarians of Rhode Island section.
Along with that, Megan Hamlin-Black, Member-at-Large, coordinated a successful Library Advocacy Day at the RI State House where, along with other library community members, we connected with RI legislators. Representative David Morales invited Cheryl Space and Ed Garcia to stand in the House Gallery and be acknowledged during the House session. See the documents here and here.
Our upcoming annual conference, Restore Reconnect Reflect, will include speakers Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada, ALA President Elect, and author Jarrett Krosoczka. Come and enjoy the networking opportunities and interaction at Bryant University. The conference will be held in person May 25-26, 2022 at Bryant University in Smithfield, RI. Click here to see the event details and to register!
RILA members, we are asking you to vote to accept the bylaw changes. These bylaws have not been updated for some time and after review, the board voted to add some changes to the spring ballot. We do this periodically to ensure that RILA is observing sound governance practices and to provide the RILA Board guidance in meeting its responsibilities.
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Rachael Juskuv, RILA President
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Registration Is Open for the 2022 RILA Annual Conference
The RILA Conference will be in-person for the first time since 2019 on May 25th–26th at Bryant University in Smithfield, and we cannot wait to see you all there!
Registration is open NOW through May 13th for one- or two-day registration with discounted registration for RILA members.
The Conference Committee is thrilled to welcome ALA President-Elect Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada, as our President’s Speaker on Wednesday, May 25th, and New York Times Bestselling author/illustrator Jarrett Krosoczka as our keynote on Thursday, May 26th.
Both days will also be packed with exciting sessions from your RI library peers, exhibitor booths, networking opportunities, and plenty of chances to restore, reconnect, and reflect.
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RILA Statement on the Censorship of Information and Diversity Education
In accordance with the American Library Association (ALA) statement issued on August 18, 2021, the Rhode Island Library Association is committed to upholding our core values, which include equitable access to knowledge, social justice, and intellectual freedom. As members of a profession committed to free and equitable access to information and the pursuit of truth, we stand firm in opposing any effort to suppress knowledge, to label “controversial” views, or dictate what is orthodox in history, politics, or belief. As such, RILA strongly opposes House Bill 7539, introduced by Representative Patricia Morgan of Coventry, Warwick, and West Warwick. This legislation, as proposed, pretends to protect civil rights in education, but in reality seeks to erase history, ignore science, and silence Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color, as well as the LGBT community.
Click the button below to read the full statement.
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April 2022 Spotlight on the New England Library Association
Welcome to the RILA Bulletin Spotlight Series, where we feature the important work of a different RILA or RI library section, committee, roundtable, initiative, or organization in each issue.
For this issue, we asked Kelly Parlin to tell us about her role as RILA Representative to NELA. Kelly is a Teen Librarian at Rochambeau Library in Providence, Rhode Island.
What is the mission or purpose of NELA?
The mission of the New England Library Association is to provide educational and leadership opportunities for library staff in support of improved library services for the people of New England. To that end, the association (1) engages regionally in important discussions in the library profession, (2) encourages the exchange of ideas through a variety of formal and informal events and (3) collaborates regionally and nationally with allied organizations. NELA is a chapter of the American Library Association.
When was NELA formed?
Officially chartered in 1963, the New England Library Association is a regional organization whose membership represents a wide range of library-related interests. Its objectives are to initiate, plan, and support regional activities; to encourage the exchange of ideas; and to cooperate with regional and national agencies having related interests.
What made you personally interested in being involved with this program?
Having attended the NELA-sponsored New England Library Leadership Symposium (NELLS) in 2019, I knew I wanted to further my leadership skills by getting more involved in the big picture of libraries. I was excited to participate in the behind-the-scenes efforts of RILA and NELA, as well as network with library professionals across the region. I also looked forward to visiting other libraries across New England; although, sadly the pandemic prevented me from enjoying this aspect of the position. Hopefully the next representative will get to travel to beautiful libraries throughout New England!
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Information Literacy Action Round Table Looking for New Members
RILA has some open opportunities for people who are interested in leading, building, and networking in the RI library community around information literacy.
The Information Literacy Action Round Table (ILART) is looking for new members as well as leaders. The role of this round table is to:
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Manage the digital resources on the ILART webpages
- Create at least one programming event per year that builds information literacy resources for librarians
- Build the ILART community in all libraries (public, academic, school, health, and special) with networking events
- Attend RILA board meetings (bi-monthly)
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Social Media Volunteer Needed
The RILA Communications Committee is looking for a member to assist in posting to and monitoring RILA’s Facebook platforms.
Specifically, we are looking for a volunteer who can:
- Post/share posts to the RILA Facebook page at least twice weekly (time commitment: est. 15-30 min/wk)
- Monitor this platform a few times per week (est. 45-60 min/wk)
If you’ve been looking for a way to get more involved with RILA, this is a great opportunity to start small and have a big impact!
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Rhode Islanders Travel to Portland, OR for 2022 PLA Conference
It has been over 2 years since there was an in-person national library conference, and this year’s Public Library Association (PLA) conference drew a semi-large crowd of library workers from across the country. Although Portland, Oregon is pretty much one of the farthest conference spots away from Rhode Island, many library staff from the Ocean State were able to make the trip.
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Ask, Listen, Empower Virtual Book Club
Library workers across the country applied, and 100 were selected, to participate in a series of three virtual book club sessions. Each session focused on a different chapter from the book and offered a live conversation with the chapter's author(s) and smaller breakout discussions.
Several librarians from Rhode Island participated in the monthly book discussion. Click the button below for a summary of the sessions by three of those participants: Lori DeCesare of Jesse M. Smith Memorial Library, Deb Estrella of Tiverton Public Library, and Insley Julier of Rogers Free Library.
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New Media Literacy Book Coming Soon
URI Professor and Collection Management Officer Joanna Burkhardt's new book, Media Smart: Lessons, Tips and Strategies for Librarians, Classroom Instructors and Other Information Professionals (Facet Books), has gone to press and should be available April 1st.
The book includes history, an extensive look at media manipulation and how it appears on our social media feeds, and numerous exercises that can be included in classroom settings and/or on the spot. The hope is that this book will provide ideas and solutions for all who struggle to recognize and counter media manipulation.
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News from the Rhode Island Library Community |
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Barrington Public Library Hosts Thursday Night Poetry Series
In celebration of National Poetry Month, Barrington Public Library has been hosting a special Thursday Night Poetry Series featuring voices in poetry from across Rhode Island.
Each night spotlights a different Rhode Island poet and gives the audience an opportunity to be immersed in their poetry. Each reading is followed by a Q&A session with the poet, so audience members can ask questions about their process, poetry, and inspirations. Featured poets include Michael Obel-Omia, David Dragone, and Tina Cane.
The final reading will be held on April 28th.
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Providence Community Library and West Warwick Public Library Host Middle Eastern & North African Voices Virtual Writing Program
Providence Community Library has partnered with the West Warwick Public Library to offer a grant-funded intensive virtual writing program that culminates in a published anthology of Middle Eastern and North African voices.
We're currently recruiting any Middle Eastern or North African writers aged 16 and up who are based in the United States and are interested in a free opportunity to learn from industry professionals and be paid for the publication of their work, so please send them our way!
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Providence Public Library's 2022 Exhibition & Program Series Kicks Off in April
Providence Public Library is pleased to announce its 2022 Exhibition & Program Series is back in person and kicked off on April 1. Program and events will run through June 30. This year's program series is entitled "Identities" and our spring exhibition is entitled "Tomboy."
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Tiverton Public Library Forms Purr-fect Partnership with Local Cat Cafe
When Bajah’s Cat Cafe opened in Tiverton last year, the staff at Tiverton Public Library racked their brains about how they could justify a group visit to the new business…staff meeting at the cat cafe, anyone? Luckily, the cafe’s owner, Amanda Souza-Viera, contacted the library about hosting a book group at the cafe.
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Middle School Libraries Meet Virtually to Tour a 'Mindfulness Room'
On Tuesday, March 22, 2022, seven middle school librarians met virtually to discuss middle school library topics and see the new social emotional room at Burrillville Middle School. In attendance for the meeting were Stephanie Mills, Melanie Roy, Christina Ash, Jen Simoneau, Diane Lebrun, Lisa Girard and Jill Fernandes.
The social emotional room, funded through an OLIS ARPA grant, is a repurposed conference room with windows, located off the main library. It was established for the purpose of calming down students who are agitated, anxious, upset, or simply need to take quiet space somewhere.
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Spring Colors Bloom in Providence as Community Libraries Announce New Name, Rebrand
During National Library Week (April 3 -9), Providence residents got a bright and colorful surprise when they visited their neighborhood libraries of Fox Point, Knight Memorial, Mount Pleasant, Olneyville, Rochambeau, Smith Hill, South Providence, Wanskuck and Washington Park. The community library system has a fresh, branded look, an updated logo and a new name: Community Libraries of Providence (CLPVD).
The new name reasserts what Rhode Island’s largest library system has always done since the first day it opened its doors in 2009 – it puts community first. The rebrand process will be completed by July 1, in time for CLPVD’s 13th birthday celebrations.
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EDI Training at East Providence Public Library
In March, Youth in Action RI led an equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) workshop for East Providence Public Library staff and trustees. The goal of this interactive “Identity Room” workshop was to explore, connect, and analyze issues related to the intersectionality of identity and social location.
The YIA team used a gallery of labels and images (photographs, cartoons, billboard signs, etc.) to examine people’s overlapping identities and the complexities of disadvantages and prejudices they may face. Participants were encouraged to view and interact with the labels and images and then explore together how our own experiences impact our individual perspectives of society.
This workshop was well-received by staff and trustees, and it sparked many conversations during the workshop and in the days that followed. Further encouraged by this workshop, EPPL is currently in the process of forming an EDI committee to examine the ways that the library includes and (unintentionally) excludes community members, and to develop strategies to enhance EPPL’s ability to meet the needs of its diverse community.
The Identity Room workshop was paid for, in part, by a Project READY grant obtained through the RI Office of Library and Information Services. Project READY: Reimagining Equity & Access for Diverse Youth is a free, online professional development curriculum for school and public youth services librarians, and library administrators, who want to learn more about race and racism, racial equity, and culturally sustaining pedagogy. The main focus of the Project READY curriculum is on improving relationships with, services to, and resources for youth of color and Native youth.
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West Warwick Public Library Named a Finalist for the National Medal for Museum and Library Service
For the second year in a row, the Institute of Museum and Library Services has named West Warwick Public Library as a finalist for their National Medal for Museum and Library Service.
The National Medal is the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries that demonstrate excellence in service to their communities. Since 1996, the award has honored 176 institutions that demonstrated extraordinary and innovative approaches to public service.
West Warwick is the only institution in the state to be a finalist and they are the first in Rhode Island to have been a finalist more than once in the history of the award.
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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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