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February 19, 2019                            Page 1 of 13                               C 12 - Library Info

                                                                       Library Board

        Meeting Date:        February 12, 2019
        Submitted by:        Liz Adema, Interim Director of Library Services
        SUBJECT:             ONTARIO LIBRARY SUPER CONFERENCE 2019 – STAFF
                             REPORTS

        BACKGROUND:
        The Ontario Library Association (OLA) is Canada’s largest library organization and
        OLA’s Super Conference is Canada’s largest professional development and continuing
        education event in librarianship. Super Conference features the country’s largest library
        tradeshow, bringing together over 200 firms to show off the latest technologies, trends,
        services and programs. The theme of Super Conference 2019 was Powered by the
        People, and the program consisted of hundreds of inspiring and informative sessions
        Library staff who attended have provided a brief description of their conference
        experiences. All staff would like to thank the Library Board for the opportunity to attend
        Super Conference 2019 and further their professional development.
        ANALYSIS:

        Liz Adema – Interim Director of Library Services
        I attended two days at the conference and the sessions I participated in had similar
        themes of Indigenous communities, mental health & resiliency, and customer service
        and experience. The session “Settler Colonization and Decolonization in Ontario Public
        Libraries” outlined the key recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Report
        for libraries to adopt. These include acknowledging land stewardship, decolonizing
        collections, spaces, and services, adopting inclusive and diverse programming, and
        celebrating First Nations Public Library Week and National Aboriginal Day in partnership
        with local Nations. Further action on these recommendations will be coming in the next
        few months.

        The session “Connecting to Indigenous Communities Through Film” demonstrated a
        partnership between the public library, museum, and Wyandot nation. Through the
        partnership a film of the history and exploration of a local archaeological site was
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        created. The partnership also resulted in the creation of a virtual reality tour of the
        museum’s collections and a tour of a sacred site. These virtual reality tours have
        allowed individuals across Canada and the United States the opportunity to engage with
        their history and sacred beliefs without the barriers to access of physical mobility and
        location. It was a fascinating glimpse into how libraries can use new technologies to
        engage a larger community.

        “Your Brand is More than a Logo: Modernizing Customer Experience” and “How Retail
        is the Library” focused on customer experience as the primary goal of library services.
        These should be centred on the how, where, and why of our customers’ wants and
        needs. The library needs to engage with customers on their terms both physically and
        digitally. Both sessions provided a wealth of ideas and practices to draw upon for our
        system and the Library Services Review.

        Ensuring that our patrons and staff are supported through mental health issues and
        access to resources is a growing concern in our library system. As we work on
        partnerships with social services and the Canadian Mental Health Association, the
        library needs to ensure equal and equitable access for all patrons as well as supporting
        and managing our staff needs and experiences. The sessions “How Libraries and
        Librarians Can Champion Mental Health”, “How to Implement a Workplace Mental
        Health Program in Your Library”, and “Dismantling the Resilience Narrative: Honest Talk
        about Burnout, Morale Issues, and Negative Workplace Culture in our Libraries”
        provided practical steps, guidelines, and benchmarks to ensure the wellbeing of our
        staff and patrons.

        Mallory Austin – Library Technologies Specialist
        The first session I attended at OLA this year was “Big Decisions with Big Data: Using
        Environics to Inform Library Marketing Strategy.” Environics is a subscription based
        data marketing service that allows institutions to see which populations they are serving
        well and which they need to target. Underserved populations are identified by
        comparing the index to a target number. Environics is an expensive product, but Bruce
        County Public Library was able to collaborate with the municipal planning department to
        gain access to an existing subscription.

        During “Settler Colonization and Decolonization in Ontario Public Libraries: A Road
        Forward”, I learned some important information about Truth and Reconciliation. As our
        ILS administrator, I want to understand and address some of the structural biases that
        create barriers to access for indigenous peoples in our community. For example, I was
        surprised to learn that in Dewey, First Nations’ creation stories are catalogued as
        “Literature – Myth.” The facilitators convincingly argued that these materials should go
        in the religious section.
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        In “Hacking Vendor Apps to Improve Usability”, I learned some custom JavaScript code
        that can be used to modify, hide and replace the content displayed on many vendor
        apps. I also learned some shortcuts to improve my coding workflow.

        In “Transforming Your Library into a STEAM Learning Hub Through Camps”, I learned
        about Markham Public Library ‘s paid day camp program that focuses on STEAM
        programming for kids. Through the program, the library generates some revenue and
        subsidizes technology program assets that they can use year-round. While this program
        is large-scale and staff intensive, it was cool to see the specific programs they are
        offering. I learned that Lego has new app for kids (WeDo 2.0) and about a popular new
        animation program for kids using StickBots. I hope to investigate both program ideas in
        2019.

        In “Data Skills for 21st Century Library Practice”, I gained an understanding of some of
        the challenges libraries face in getting the information we need out of proprietary
        databases. The session discussed information management techniques but ultimately
        focused on the importance of supporting open source data systems that allow for more
        complex custom queries.

        One of the most useful sessions I attended was called “Making a Better
        Computing/Printing/Wi-Fi Experience in Your Library”, facilitated by staff from Toronto
        Public Library. TPL embarked on a project in the past year to improve printing services
        across their 100+ branches. They implemented Wi-Fi printing (the software they chose
        was SAM by Comprise). They also reduced the number of printers system wide by
        encouraging staff to print from public printers and removing public barriers to them.

        TPL encourages libraries across Ontario to do Internet Speed tests in each branch and
        compare that with the services we are paying for. TPL also promoted a new toolkit to
        assess technology impact in Ontario Public Libraries. The BRIDGE Toolkit helps
        libraries capture and analyze performance/outcome data on the technology services we
        offer. This product is currently in beta status, but I have reached out to express an
        interest and will be monitoring it for future developments.

        During “Empowering Programming for Girls”, I learned about the importance of creating
        programming that welcomes girls and non-binary identified children. Several great ideas
        and best practices came up during this interactive session.

        “Reading beyond Dementia” provided an evidence-based approach for providing books
        and services for those living with dementia. They stated that dementia rates have gone
        up 30% in the past decade. We can take many steps to serve this important population
        and give them access to enjoyable books. We saw examples of dementia friendly
        books, which have been created based on eye movement studies, and are available for
        purchase.
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        Another great session was “A Hard Look in the Mirror- Reflecting on the Role of the
        Librarian”. Staff from Greater Victoria Public Library discussed an innovative staffing
        model they have adopted, wherein their librarians all have the title of “Public Services
        Librarian” and rotate through different job responsibilities every three years. This keeps
        the staff on their toes, and means that everyone documents their jobs extensively. The
        staff believe that this new model has led to better outcomes as fresh perspectives rotate
        into the various job responsibilities at GVPL.

        The keynote sessions this year were great. One thing I really appreciated this year was
        seeing a greater focus on Truth and Reconciliation for indigenous people - a Chief with
        some fantastic insights opened the Wednesday keynote on activism. The vendor floor
        this year was also great – I had an opportunity to discuss Sierra with some Innovative
        representatives and provide some feedback as a customer.

        Marilyn Bezzina – Parkhill Branch Assistant
        I attended 5 sessions on Wednesday, January 30.

        The first session presented the idea of library Maker Spaces evolving into Solution
        Spaces. Brian Pichman, (Director of Strategic Innovation, Evolve Project), discussed
        the UN’s 17 Sustainability Goals for our planet and how public libraries can become
        partners with communities and with businesses in finding innovative solutions to the
        problems we face. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-
        development-goals/
        My next session was presented by two school librarians, Jess Longthorne and Jacquie
        Raycraft, who shared their experience in taking students outside for Story Walks. The
        presenters described the many benefits for children being outdoors and their
        enthusiastic response to this novel way of reading a story.
        https://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/storywalk

        The third session was focused on Accessibility in Ontario Libraries, presented by
        Geordie Gibbon, from the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility. The key takeaway from
        this session, for me, was the idea that the definition of disability is changing to include
        mental health issues. Disabilities are not always visible or obvious!

        The next session was about the library and digital privacy. Not only do libraries have to
        protect the information our patrons share with us, but we need to be sure that our
        website is secure and that all of our third party partners, such as Hoopla, are also held
        to the same standards of privacy. The presenter, Adam Peltier from Windsor PL, holds
        workshops for library users to learn valuable information on protecting themselves from
        online data mining, surveillance, hacking, and the like. He shared a resource for us to
        get started on educating ourselves or https://libraryfreedomproject.org/resources/
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        My fifth and final session of my day at OLA Super Conference, was Transforming Your
        Library into a S.T.E.A.M. Learning Hub through Camps. S.T.E.A.M. stands for Science,
        Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. Three people from Markham Public Library
        (David Zambrano, Christopher Su and Kate Wetmore) shared their experience in
        running S.T.E.A.M. camps. This kind of hands-on learning supports both convergent
        and divergent thinking in kids, encourages ingenuity, and prepares them to think
        creatively and collaboratively.

        Chris Harrington – Reference Librarian

        I was very fortunate to be able to attend the full conference this year. I attended several
        excellent sessions. Below are a few of these highlights.

        On Wednesday, I sat in on the session “How Libraries and Librarians Can Champion
        Mental Health” that was presented by staff from Thunder Bay Public Library (TBPL) and
        London Public Library (LPL). TBPL advocated to question our old assumptions that
        public libraries are only for customers looking to read, learn, and use traditional library
        service. They had success with a community-led approach to library service and the
        need to allow library staff to get out of the library and meet with the community to ask
        them how best the library can serve the needs of the community. LPL spoke about the
        mental health and vulnerable populations that they serve in both their urban and
        community branches. LPL has adopted a “User First” philosophy which allows library
        staff to provide customer service to individuals based on the customer’s individual
        needs. User First can take the form of allowing library patrons that do not have proof of
        address to obtain a ‘connect card’ that allows them to use public Internet computers as
        well as to borrow up to 3 items. Library staff at LPL have the ability to waive fines if they
        feel that fines are an undue hardship for the patron. All good points to consider as more
        County library branches are observing homelessness in our Middlesex County
        communities.

        On Thursday, a memorable session was titled “Beyond Walls: Using Technology to
        Expand Horizons”. This session was put on by Milton Public Library (MPL). MPL spoke
        about two very creative library programs that were conducted using library outreach and
        technology. The first was a senior citizens program in which MPL staff took virtual
        reality (VR) viewers on Samsung Galaxy devices combined with the paid subscription to
        Rendever that allows for the VR experience and multiple viewing controlled by the
        library staff member to various seniors’ homes. This VR experience allows for brain
        activity in seniors, triggers recall, and due to the Rendever subscription, everyone is
        experiencing the same VR together so it is a shared experience that can be discussed
        as a group. The second outreach program that was mentioned was an outreach
        program at the Milton correctional facility prison in which inmates read and recorded
        themselves reading a storytime book that was recorded by library staff and later mailed
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        to the prisoner’s child. The session was a good reminder that public libraries can help
        break down many different walls when there is a commitment to going out into our
        communities with outreach.

        On Friday, an extraordinary session that I attended was titled “Not All Those Who
        Wander Are Lost”. This was presented by Heather Casson, a library technician
        working with Toronto Public Library. Heather shared her experiences of growing up in
        poverty and being a homeless teen and gave a very interesting first-hand glimpse of
        what living with precarious housing and poverty is like. Casson provided ten very
        practical ways that public libraries can provide service to patrons experiencing
        homelessness including acknowledging them and providing library space for targeted
        displays, programming, and readers advisory. Attendees left with a handout that
        included suggested books and a template for a handout directing library customers to
        call numbers in the stacks that would assist those experiencing homelessness.

        Vanessa Jenner – Interim Strathroy Branch Supervisor
        I attended three Friday sessions at OLA this year: Work Less Accomplish More, Why
        Are We All So Tired? and Student Mental Health. The session that impacted me the
        most was “Work Less, Accomplish More: Strategies for Maximizing your Productivity
        and Prioritizing Self-Care” presented by Jacqueline Kreller-Vanderkooy.

        Six months ago I took on the responsibility of Interim Supervisor at the Strathroy Library
        while Jean Moir secondment a maternity leave at library office. I am getting a handle on
        all the duties and responsibilities of being a supervisor. However, the many
        interruptions during the day take a toll on my output. I really want to find ways to
        maximize my productivity. This session focused on exactly that.

        Jacqueline Kreller-Vanderkooy is a Learning and Curriculum Support Librarian at the
        University of Guelph. Jacqueline asked us to decide what are the most important jobs
        we had to do each day. For me it’s providing excellent customer service to our patrons,
        looking after my staff and keeping four weeks of the staff schedule posted. She
        suggested five ways for getting this done.

           1.   Track my time for one day, to see where my time goes.
           2.   Set up efficient systems for repeat tasks
           3.   Lower my standards
           4.   Do deep work when my energy is high and shallow work when my energy is low
           5.   Reinvest saved time wisely

        She also had great ideas for cultivating focus such as creating a routine that switches
        my mindset to focus on work. She suggests that every work day have a hard end time
        and that I need to be mindful of my downtime. It is my intention to implement many of
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        these ideas in my everyday work and life. Jacqueline also mentioned two books that
        have greatly impacted her life and work. Off the Clock: Feeling Less Busy While Getting
        More Done by Laura Vanderkam and Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a
        Distracted World by Cal Newport.

        Courtney Joris – Glencoe Branch Supervisor
        This year’s Superconference offered a wealth of program and partnership-related ideas
        to consider for the Glencoe Library. In particular, the sessions “Evolution of Your
        Makerspace,” “The Edible Library: Bringing Food, Information, and People Together,”
        and “Communal Memories: Curating Oral Stories and Building a Platform to Make Them
        Shine” all presented promising opportunities for us to expand the repertoire of uses for
        the technology we currently have, as well as create programs that meet the interests
        and needs that have already been expressed by the community. “Evolution of Your
        Makerspace” provided participants with a clear and easy-to-follow model of how to
        gather community input and turn a makerspace into a “solver-space” – a place where
        communities can come together to solve real-world, local problems through creation.

        “The Edible Library” presentation contained a variety of models for supporting food
        literacy, food sovereignty, and food security in one’s own community, by growing food
        and creating informative and fun library programming around food. This was especially
        relevant to us now, as we are in the midst of planning the Glencoe Library’s community
        garden.

        Finally, I attended “Communal Memories” which examined Vancouver Public Library’s
        Story City – a grant funded project that enabled the collection and curation of over 300
        oral history stories from individuals in neighbourhoods all over Vancouver. Although this
        project had a much larger scale and scope than I anticipated, the presenter offered
        some great instruction on how to develop a community oral history project with a
        smaller scale and budget as well. Pending community interest, I believe a project like
        this could be a fantastic approach to encouraging local content creation, a way to
        showcase our local history resources, and a chance to deepen partnerships with
        community groups, such as the very active Glencoe Historical Society.

        The panel presentations I attended— “Community Led Libraries: Where have we been
        and where are we headed?,” “Open for All: Service with Empathy and Safety,” and
        “Leadership Perspectives from Outside Libraries” – revealed an array of strategies for
        making library services more inclusive and increasing the social impact of our services,
        while also maintaining safety in our spaces. Some simple, key takeaways included:

           1.) Approach new partnership with the sole goal of building trust, nurturing
               relationships, and listening – do not start out thinking of your own project or
               program goals;
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           2.) Use an empathy-led approach - imagine marginalized people in the library space
               and consider what small actions you can do to make that space more welcoming
               to those people;
           3.) Take time to communicate and train staff especially in situations of culture shift.

        Finally, a session I found particularly inspiring was “Beyond the Walls: Using Tech to
        Expand Horizons,” which highlighted two outreach programs for two different kinds of
        confined populations: a virtual reality program for seniors in long-term care, and a story-
        by-mail program for prisoners in a correctional facility. Through partnerships, I believe
        both of these programs are replicable in our own system.

        Jean Moir – Interim Child & Youth Librarian

        “A Guide to Self-Care in the Workplace” This session was presented by Cole Fawcett
        the Community Resource Worker at Hamilton Public Library who has a background in
        social services previously working in shelters, addiction centres, and housing services.
        For the past four years he has brought his skills to Hamilton Public Library in the
        Community Resource position established in partnership with Wesley. This program
        sparked my interest because I wanted to hear about what components are important to
        consider when creating a self-care plan. Cole began the session by drawing our
        attention to the mental health continuum model that explains a healthy, reacting, injured,
        and ill mental state. From this his presentation focused on three areas: self-awareness,
        empathy and boundaries. Cole explained how we can manage self-care in the
        workplace through these three areas. For self-awareness it’s important to be in tune to
        what may be behind the thoughts and emotions we’re experiencing. Another component
        of this is reflecting on the value of our work including beliefs, morals, and experiences.
        Cole explained the differences between offering empathy vs sympathy when working
        with patrons. He taught us that by taking an empathetic approach to customer service
        through focusing on understanding the individual—their choices and why they make
        them and their freedom to do so we focus on connecting the patron to the necessary
        resources and how the library can assist them. When we take a sympathetic approach
        to customer service we’re feeling for the patron and therefore can be drawn into another
        person’s potential trauma, and increase our own risk. Sometimes sympathy can prevent
        us from engaging in the situation because we get to a point of being caught in the
        emotions such as feeling “It was so sad. I didn’t know what to do” and are unable to
        focus on moving the patron forward by connecting them to library resources and
        services. Cole also touched on the importance of professional boundaries when
        interacting with patrons since often when a staff member provides an unreasonable
        expectation to a patron it eventually becomes unsustainable within the organization.
        Cole explained that library staff can help to prevent burnout through self-awareness,
        empathy, and boundaries. His presentation concluded with an example of how to
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        create a self-care plan. He stressed that self-care isn’t something you just do once a
        week or once a day but that each day there needs to be daily activities within your
        routine that help keep you centred all day long and that self-care needs to be a daily
        habit to be most effective. This session has encouraged me to reflect on my own daily
        self-care habits and recognize the need to extend my self-care habits throughout the
        day and not to just focus on them at the beginning of the day.

        Other sessions that I attended include:

           •   Careers Spotlight: Melissa Nightingale
           •   Transformative Leadership: Manifesting More in the Workplace
           •   Extended Access Service Model: Leveraging Technology, in Rural Libraries
           •   How to Implement a Workplace Mental Health System in Your Library
           •   Overdose Prevention and Response and Libraries: A Panel Discussion
           •   Keeping Your Customers Safe: A Public Library Security Table
           •   Social Workers in the Public Libraries: Better Serving the Needs of Vulnerable
               Populations
           •   Community Led, Library Service: Where Have We Been and Where Are We
               Headed?
           •   From Partnerships to Coalitions: How Communities Can Tackle Low School
               Readiness

        Leigh Robinson – Lucan Branch Supervisor
        I attended the full conference this year. During this time, I participated in 11 sessions,
        attended 3 keynote speaker presentations, and sought out the latest in trends and
        technology by attending the Expo. The focus for my choice of sessions were leadership
        skills and support for upcoming programs for branch or system as a whole. Although I
        was able to find great value in all sessions, I found several of them to be particularly
        relevant or helpful within my position as the Supervisor of a Comprehensive Branch.

        “Transformative Leadership: Manifesting More in the Workplace” led by Kisha Allen of
        Beyond Motivation LLC led a fascinating presentation regarding the changing face of
        the work force from Baby Boomers to Gen X. As a Human Resources specialist, her
        interest is in ensuring happy, productive workplaces. She explained that multiple
        generations have varying ideals, and that with the retirement of the Baby Boomer
        generation comes a loss of wisdom, knowledge, and expertise. As a result, leaders
        need to build up leaders now, and that good leaders create valuable and positive
        change in their teammates with an end goal of developing teammates into the next
        generation of leaders. She went on to explain that good leaders cause change in
        individuals and social systems by using every mechanism available. She suggests that
        leaders begin with their convictions, be patient, actually listen to their teammates, and
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        engage in true conversations with teammates. True leaders teach, encourage, and
        build confidence every day. True leaders also embrace change with grace and
        patience. They are not afraid of the discomfort which can sometimes occur with
        change, but are selfless in their championship of change. Ms. Allen’s presentation was
        an inspirational, extremely beneficial lesson on leading and creating new leaders.

        As a way to further support the Healthy Kids Community Challenge initiative, I also
        attended “The Edible Library” hosted by Susan Thompson and Patrick Cychner from
        Burlington Public Library. Both facilitators were Programmers in their home system.
        Mr. Cychner comes from a tech background, and Ms. Thompson’s background is
        biology. Together with a community partner, they created an aquaponic system within
        their library space. Their system is a hydroponic system used to grow a variety of edible
        greens, with the addition of fish (Tilapia), creating a symbiotic relationship between the
        two. This program is beneficial on several levels. The symbiosis between the fish and
        plant material teaches their patrons about the cycle of increased bacteria levels from the
        fish increasing the nitrogen levels required by the plant material. The plant material
        then utilize and clean the nitrogen levels from the water. Tilapia are used, rather than
        other species of fish, because they are a hardier variety and can be harvested as
        another food source. The fish are kept in the library until they are approximately 3-5
        inches long, then they are shared with a local high school’s culinary course to be “grown
        out” into a food size. A variety of greens are also grown, such as mint, sorrel, and kale.
        Plants are harvested every other week, then bagged and set out to be shared with
        patrons. This project also addresses the issues of food literacy, food security, and food
        sovereignty within the Burlington community. Food literacy assists patrons with
        understanding the impact of food choices on their health, environment, and economy.
        Food security is described as having access to the food the community needs, when
        they need it, and in proper amounts. Certain populations within the community are
        disproportionately represented as food insecure, and this program hopes to address
        those issues. Food sovereignty is described as allowing the community to take
        responsibility for their own food to be grown and consumed, to grow food for year-round
        access, and allows for a democratic food system. Other benefits of this program
        include environmental literacy (understanding the aquaponic environment, and
        assessing plant and fish health), physical literacy (physical aspects of maintaining the
        gardens), informational literacy (researching plants, fish, food, etc), and traditional
        literacy (basic math, logical thinking, planning, and reasoning skills). This presentation
        was a fascinating look at a forward thinking program which could be recreated on a
        smaller scale within the MCL system.

        Additional sessions attended were; “Libraries: Not About Books Anymore. Are We
        Serious?”, “Extended Access Service Model: Leveraging Technology in Rural Libraries”,
        “It’s Always Been Done That Way: Re-Thinking Library Leadership in Small Libraries”,
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        “Transforming Your Library into a STEAM Learning Hub Through Camps”, “Surfin’
        Seniors: The PSPL Little Program That Could!”, “ Developing Library Leaders”, “Social
        Workers in the Public Libraries: Better Serving the Needs of Vulnerable Populations”,
        “Speed Dating with the Dewey Divas and Dudes Book Clubs”, and “Community Led
        Library Service: Where Have We Been and Where Are We Headed”. I also attended
        keynote speakers Micah White, Robyn Doolittle, and “The Debaters Live!”. The OLA
        Super Conference is an amazing, inspiring event, and I would like to thank Middlesex
        County Library and the Library Board for making this wonderful opportunity available to
        me.

        Kathryn Suffoletta – Dorchester Branch Supervisor
        Thoughts on sessions I attended:

        “Keynote” Robin Doolittle, Journalist, topic: 20 month investigation called Unfounded.
        The speaker explained through facts, figures, clips of interviews and anecdotal reports,
        how her awarding winning series in the Globe and Mail prompted a national overhaul of
        sexual assault policy and practices. A very timely topic presented by an engaging
        speaker.

        “Surfin’ Seniors” by Parry Sound Public Library. Surfin’ Seniors is an award winning
        program of computer classes for Seniors in the community. In addition to the topics
        presented by the Library Staff, they partnered with the OPP for an Internet Safety class,
        Royal Bank for online banking and a local computer shop for a class on social media.
        The presentation was thorough, and of interest since my Staff and I are often asked if
        we offer computer classes. I think that it would fill a need in the Dorchester community.

        “How Retail is the Library?” by Mark Asberg, Calgary Public Library. This session was
        packed full of information on how libraries can emulate the best retail practices to build
        relationships, create amazing moments and provide remarkable experiences for library
        users. Judging from my copious notes, there was lots that I found noteworthy in his
        presentation.

        “Going, Almost Gone, Gone: Tips on Managing Your Late Career Employees and
        Helping them to Manage Retirement” by Bill Winegard & Dan Carnegie, MROO. On a
        personal level, I identified with the subject matter of this session. It was informative and
        thought provoking.

        “Serving LGBTQ+ Youth in Your Community: Steps to Getting Started” by Lisa Portelli,
        Milton PL & Manda Kiley, Positive Space Network. This session was very well
        presented and very relevant. The steps that libraries can take to support LGBTQ+ youth
        involve staff training, developing Rainbow Collections, making community connections
        and creating positive spaces where all youth feel welcome and accepted.
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        “Music of Your Life” by Arnprior Public Library. This program was inspired by a
        documentary entitled Alive Inside. Seniors in a local nursing home were provided their
        own playlist based on their music preference. The details of the program were
        presented and the way in which the program spread to other groups in the community.
        It is now also offered on a limited basis to all library patrons, which got me thinking that
        maybe it could become part of our portable tech collection.

        Doug Warnock – Parkhill Branch Supervisor
        “How Libraries and Librarians can Champion Mental Health: Public Services, Collection
        Initiatives and Working with Individuals in Distress”. The first session I attended looked
        at providing a needs-based approach to library service. The goal was to move from an
        exclusionary model to a model of inclusion. In order to do this the presenters outlined
        the need for policy and procedures that foster this model and remove barriers to access.
        Libraries aligning with community social services to provide a well-rounded experience
        for patrons who have new and diverse reasons for accessing service was a common
        theme throughout the conference.
        One of the important take-aways from this session was providing staff training in de-
        escalating situations. Learning the signs of an interaction about to escalate, and being
        equipped with the tools to help avoid situations getting to this point, was stressed as a
        new competency staff need to be equipped with in a changing library environment.

        90 second exercise- The presenters had us complete an exercise which illustrated how
        being silent for 90 seconds allowed the other person to work through whatever they
        were dealing with. In pairs we completed the exercise and it was plain to see that talking
        for 90 seconds, uninterrupted, actually felt strange and the person speaking ran out of
        things to say. This was a great take-away tool to add to the toolbox for de-escalating
        situations.

        “A Guide to Self-Care in the Workplace”. I enjoyed this session because it
        complimented the previous session I mentioned. It is important to develop the tools to
        navigate more complex interactions with patrons, but we must also empower our staff
        and ourselves to practice good self-care. The presenter outlined a model to strengthen
        our understanding of empathy, and to recognize the difference between it and
        sympathy. Our frontline staff often struggle with creating boundaries between
        themselves and patrons’, many of who they are regularly interacting with. The presenter
        described the difficulties that can arise when clear boundaries are not set between the
        personal and professional. The session concluded with an overview of a template he
        has developed to help instruct staff. I found this tool useful to visualize the daily plan the
        presenter was alluding to, and I plan to complete my own self-care outline.

        “Developing Library Leaders”. The third session I will highlight interested me because
        of a very specific piece of knowledge I was able to gain. The discussion in this session
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        centred on a training platform put in place for the librarians in the system. The training
        sought to improve staff competencies in key tasks including: report writing, facilitating
        panels, adaptive learning, and program evaluation. The work was done in groups that
        partnered staff from various stages in their career to complete learning objectives as a
        team. The discussion of this was very interesting, however, I had a chance to speak
        with the presenters following this session and they connected me to the resources they
        used to work through the facilitator training. This was a timely discussion for me to be a
        part of, because it will aid me in an upcoming partnership with the Rainbow Optimist
        providing an LGBTQ+ discussion panel which I will be the facilitator for.
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