Dear Brad,

In case you missed it, NEFLIN did something new this year - we published a journal! And by "we," we mean that NEFLIN members are responsible for editing, designing, reviewing, and writing all of the content for Library Insights: a NEFLIN Publication.

We are excited about the future of Library Insights, and we'd love for YOU to be a part of it. It's not too late to submit an article for Issue Two, but the June 1st deadline is approaching fast!

You'll find the full Call for Articles in this newsletter and at https://www.neflin.org/library-insights/.

Jenny Eason

jenny@neflin.org

Member Services Coordinator

NEFLIN members enjoy catching up at the

2025 Technology Conference

We rely on your input for future workshop, webinar, and conference planning. Please take a moment to complete this brief survey about which offerings NEFLIN should include in our next fiscal year.

You'll have the option to enter our raffle for one of four $25 Amazon gift cards upon completion of the survey.

Don't miss out!

This survey closes on Friday, June 13th.

*See Issue One of Library Insights at https://neflin.org/library-insights/

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

We invite you to contribute to Issue Two 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: June 1, 2025 at 5:00 PM ET
• Notification of Acceptance: July 1, 2025
• Anticipated Publication Date: August 2025

Questions? Email LibraryInsights@neflin.org.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for NEFLIN's 2025 Technology Conference!

To those who presented breakout sessions, we appreciate all you did to make this day enlightening and innovative. And to everyone who attended, we hope you took home lots of new ideas and useful information!

You can see slides and handouts from the breakout sessions at https://neflin.org/2025-technology-conference/ and photos from the day at https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCe7bt.

This year's Jim Morris Scholarship Fund raffle raised $1,180!

That's the largest amount we've ever raised by a raffle, and we thank everyone who purchased tickets. These funds will provide NEFLIN members financial support to attend conferences and other professional development opportunities.

Congratulations to our raffle winners! Diane Hartnett of St. Johns County Public Library is the proud new owner of an HP Sprocket Instant Smartphone Photo Printer, and Lynn Jacobson of Jacksonville Public Library went home with a set of two Ember Temperature Control Smart Mugs.

Some of NEFLIN's most popular webinars are led by Novare Library Services. But did you know you can access more of Novare's trainings through NEFLIN's

On-Demand Training collection?

Learn to optimize online images, host engaging virtual gaming programs, master professional email communication, and introduce cutting-edge tech to older adults. Each tutorial offers expert tips, creative strategies, and real-world applications to help your library shine.

Start learning today! 

https://my.nicheacademy.com/neflin-staff?category=33239

Need to set up your Niche Academy account to access NEFLIN's On-Demand Training and Archived Webinars?

Go to https://my.nicheacademy.com/neflin-staff and use your library email address to create your free account.

Denise Shereff is a Professor of Instruction in the School of Information at the University of South Florida and the MLIS Program Director. Her research focuses on online interprofessional communities of practice using scenario-based games for Responsive Librarianship. Her teaching has focused on consumer health information, health information literacy, and health communication. She earned her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Instructional Technology from the USF College of Education and her Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of South Carolina. 

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.

Flagler County Public Library: Musical Garden

"Currently, the Flagler County Public Library does not have an outdoor space for patrons to spend time. One area we determined could use improvement was our former gazebo space that is now just a cement foundation outside the Youth Services Department. Many children and families come to the library for several hours a day and request activities to fill their time. Families that come to the library often leave to go to the park. Since we do not have a suitable outdoor space to offer, our patrons are leaving our location in search of additional activities. Currently we have a walkway behind our building with a butterfly garden, but there are no other outdoor options to offer."

"A musical installation at the Flagler County Public Library will give patrons a reason to stay longer at the library and use our services. The Musical Garden could bring other groups and new patrons to the library that might not have come otherwise. It will also provide a safe space and outdoor fun for family, at a location they already visit. This new outdoor space will also allow the library to host musical educational programs. Additionally, it will also encourage outdoor exploration and individual musical exploration while offering patrons of all ages a new place to relax and read."

Florida State College at Jacksonville: Making our Libraries Accommodating for Students with Children

"With 7 distinct locations, Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) provides a Library and Learning Commons for each facility. Currently serving over 37,000 students (almost 14,000 FTE), most of the students we serve are also parents who not only juggle college courses and a job, but also children. To enable every student to have the same opportunity to study, research, or speak with a tutor, we want to provide resources for their children. Having age-appropriate items available at each library location will allow our student-parents to feel welcome and have better success with their studies."

"Providing family-friendly kits in FSCJ Libraries will give students additional support they might not receive elsewhere. Finding childcare can be extremely difficult for student-parents depending on a variety of factors, such as accessibility, affordability, and quality. Some daycare centers may not offer late pick up. Others may be too expensive, and the cost-effective daycares may not provide the best services for a growing child. This is when bringing their child to campus must be an option for student-parents."

Kits will include items such as child-friendly tablets, toys, books, and coloring materials.

Following one of this Spring's Strategic Planning Focus Groups, Jenny had the opportunity to visit Volusia County's John H. Dickerson Heritage Library, which recently reopened after Hurricane Ian forced a two-year closure. During this period, library services were operated out of a portable.

John H. Dickerson Heritage Library opened in 1978, and touches throughout the library highlight its generational influence, including historic photos and the "CommunitTree," which incorporates the thumbprints of local children.

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These projects are funded under the provisions of the State of Florida Library Cooperative Grant program and by NEFLIN. Florida’s Library Cooperative Grant Program is administered by the Department of State’s Division of Library and Information Services. For FY2024-25, 91% of the total costs for NEFLIN's Library Cooperative Grant program ($400,000) is supported by State of Florida money.  The total budget of the project is $440,000.