NYLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Trade Show | Conference Program Descriptions

The 2021 NYLA VIRTUAL Conference will take place on Thursday, October 28, and Friday, October 29.  This two-day event will include live virtual programs, as well as a catalog of pre-recorded OnDemand content.

Those who register for the in-person conference will automatically be registered for full access to the preceding virtual conference.

Thursday, October 28th, 2021

Virtual Slot A: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Libraries + Journalism = Information Access Mutual Aid
Sponsors: IFRT 
Access to timely and reliable information through fair and accurate reporting is critical to a healthy society. But many factors can impede information access and prevent fair and accurate reporting, just like many factors can hem in and limit the services of a library. In this Q&A-style presentation, experienced journalist Madison Carter will join our moderator Stephanie Adams to discuss the challenges to creating timely, accurate and relevant reporting (challenges like ratings and budget concerns, intellectual property, fear of law suits, and resistance to freedom of information laws, to name a few).  We'll dive into a journalist's struggle to ensure that information is properly vetted and addressed with attention to ethics, and explore stories that show how promoting the truth can be a very difficult business. And finally, we'll explore what libraries and journalists can learn from each other's challenges, and how they can support each other, as they fight for information access in a changing world.
Track: IFRT
Speakers:
Madison Carter, Atticus - 11Alive 
Stephanie Adams, Law Office of Stephanie Adams, PLLC

How to Hire and Inspire (and Occasionally Fire) Library Employees, Legally!
Sponsors: LTAS, FLS, LAMS
In this session, we will discuss a variety of employment law topics and the laws that govern them. Topics will include hiring and firing of employees, paid leave laws and policies, employee misconduct, discrimination and harassment, interpersonal conflict and bullying, wage and hour concerns, performance issues, safety concerns, and more. Using real world scenarios that arise in libraries, we will identify legal issues and plan practical approaches to resolving personnel problems. We will examine how federal and state employment laws and library policy work together, with a special focus on the requirements imposed by new legislation and recent court decisions.
Track: LTAS
Speakers:
Ellen M. Bach, Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP 

Robert T. Schofield, Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP 

Transform Your Workday with Email Overhaul
Sponsors: PLS LAMS, NMN
Is the daily onslaught of listserv messages, patron inquiries, vendor contacts, app reminders, and staff requests stressing you out? Have you tried, and failed, to achieve “inbox zero”? Learn six practical strategies leveraging little known features of several popular productivity and email apps to transform your chaotic email inbox into a tidy productivity powerhouse you’ll actually want to log into every day. Attendees will walk out of the session with an email and task organization system any staff member at any library can put into place right away to improve their stress levels at work, accomplish more across multiple job functions, present a professional image to the community, and collaborate effectively with partners and colleagues.
Track: PLS
Speakers:
Nathaniel B. Heyer, William K Sanford Town Library 

Virtual Slot B: 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

How to Run an Effective Meeting
Sponsors: LAMS, FLS, LTA, NMN, ESLN
Attendees will learn how to construct an effective meeting by deciding what structure will meet the meeting's needs. We will discuss when and if, using Robert's Rules of Order is necessary, and give a quick introduction into best practices when using that structure. Key meeting management tips will be introduced, including how to empower all meeting attendees to participate; communicate effectively with a large group; value the attendees' time; stay on task; tactfully end off-topic discussions; and finish meetings in a timely matter.
Track: LAMS
Speakers:
Jen Park, Ramapo Catskills Library System 

Joanna Goldfarb, Ramapo Catskills Library System 

Carolyn Bennett Glauda, Southeastern NY Library Resources Council 

Supporting Local Businesses During/After Covid
Sponsors: NYBLC, FLS, LAMS, NMN
Learn how during the pandemic, the Miller Business Center worked with local business organizations to promote economic development in the community. Discover how to connect with local businesses to market your business and reference services. Explore innovative techniques in collaborating with local business organizations. Reveal the myriad of ways your library can highlight local businesses, assist them in a time of crisis, and provide them with the resources they need to meet the challenges ahead.
Track: NYBLC
Speakers:
Elizabeth Malafi, Middle Country Public Library 
Alex Blend, Middle Country Public Library 

Environmental Programming in the Virtual World
Sponsors: PLS, MSRT, SMART, START
The Queens Public Library’s Hunters Point Environmental Education Center (HPEEC), created in 2020 with a grant from the NY Department of Environmental Conservation, was initially envisioned as a hub for in-person environmental/sustainability programs, focused in particular on the Hunters Point area of Queens. COVID-19 forced the HPEEC to move all programming into a virtual landscape. That challenge became an opportunity. Using Youtube Live and other digital formats, staff created online programs for adults, teens and children, reaching audiences well beyond the local neighborhood. The reimagined HPEEC is an environmental education center based both in an urban public library and in the virtual world. Staff will share their experiences of successfully redesigning and converting their environmental programming to an online setting.
Track: PLS
Speakers:
Lynn Cole, Queens Public Library 

Euni (Eun Young) Chang, Queens Public Library 

Mary Callahan, Queens Public Library 

Jo-Ann Wong, Queens Public Library 

Ask Me About Mutual Aid!
Sponsors: SRRT, ULU
Neighbors organized mutual aid networks during the pandemic to support their communities in health and economic initiatives. Mutual aid networks do everything from community fridges to senior aid to taking over streets to create more public spaces in cities. Libraries are a natural match for these community-driven efforts and can offer resources and support in a variety of ways. It’s also a great way to tap into an established network of highly motivated and engaged community volunteers. Join North Brooklyn Mutual Aid’s Kevin LaCherra and Brooklyn Public Library’s Lauren Comito for a conversation about building partnerships between aid networks and local libraries.
Track: SRRT
Speakers:
Kevin LaCherra, North Brooklyn Mutual Aid 

Lauren Comito, Brooklyn Public Library 

Tuesday Chalmers, Free Library of Philadephia 
Flan Park, Free Library of Philadephia 
Kayla Hoskinson, Free Library of Philadephia

YSS Membership Meeting 4PM-5:30PM

YSS Membership Meeting featuring Nina Crews

Join us for a membership meeting followed by a presentation from author and illustrator Nina Crews.  Nina Crews’ career as an author and illustrator began in 1995 with the book One Hot Summer Day.  She creates energetic, affirming books for young children using photography and collage.  Her most recent book is A Girl Like Me, 2020, written by Corretta Scott King winner Angela Johnson.  This book celebrates the power of girls and encourages them to embrace their dreams and more!