And that's a wrap!

Finished wrapping up HealthCampNYC, a regional health unconference that took place in May. Check out the summary report.

MLA '10 Recap

Highlights of MLA '10 in Washington, DC

Daniel Pink Lecture
In an increasingly automated world where routine tasks can be and are outsourced, Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind, talked about six right-brained abilities that matter and that we can develop:

1. Design
   
2. Story
   
3. Symphony
   
4. Empathy
   
5. Play
   
6. Meaning

Lightning Poster Presentations
MLA decided to try something new this year: lightning poster presentations. Each presentation would be 5 minutes and there would be 20 minutes at the end where you can go and talk to the presenters. The idea is to introduce the project and then you can talk to the presenters if you want more information or have questions. Doris Withers, a professor at Medgar Evers College/CUNY and I did a lighting poster presentation "Brooklyn Public Library: A Collaborative Library Partnership for Promoting Genetic Literacy in the Community".

Leadership Principles
The Leadership and Management Section of MLA hosted a program about 25 unproven principles of leadership. Here are some of those principles:

• Processes aren't ends in themselves but tend to be viewed that way
• Folks won't "get it" at first
• Organize for flexibility
• Some order is necessary, too much is unproductive
• Measure only what's important
• Allow and force folks to "fail forward"
• Don't seek perfection
• Some problems are real, some are not
• All solutions are temporary

More conference recaps can be found on the MLA '10 Blog.

Register for HealthCampNYC

Registration is open for HealthCampNYC: Using Collective Knowledge to Improve Health Literacy and Community Health on Friday, May 14.

HealthCampNYC is a regional health unconference for librarians, literacy professionals, public health professionals, medical professionals, community-based organizations and people interested in sharing with and learning from each other.

Participants at HealthCampNYC will be expected to share their work, skills and knowledge as active participants. In the rich tradition of unconferences, attendees will determine and manage program topics and sessions. Sessions may include (but are not limited to): how-to workshops, debates, or problem-solving sessions. This collaborative environment presents unique opportunities for learning, sharing, and relationship-building.

HealthCampNYC is hosted by Brooklyn Public Library, with support from the Brooklyn Early Childhood Direction Center, The Health Education and Literacy for Parents (HELP) Project, Kingsborough Community College/CUNY's Launchpad to Careers in Public Health, New York Academy of Medicine Library and the Public Health Association of New York City (PHANYC). This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. NO1-LM-6-3501 with New York University.

Register at http://healthcampnyc.wetpaint.com or email us at healthcampnyc@gmail.com.

Sibling Workshop at Brooklyn Public Library

Following a very successful two-day Sibshop training workshop conducted by Don Meyer last Spring at the Brooklyn Heights Library, The Child's Place for Children with Special Needs at Brooklyn Public Library is hosting a panel presentation Meeting the Needs of Brothers & Sisters of People with Disabilities on Friday, April 23 at 10am-1pm at the Central Library. See the event flier (PDF) for more information.

HealthCampNYC - A Regional Health Unconference

HealthCampNYC: Using Collective Knowledge to Improve Health Literacy and Community Health

Friday, May 14
9am - 5pm
Brooklyn Public Library, Central Library

HealthCampNYC is a regional health unconference for librarians, literacy professionals, public health professionals, medical professionals, community-based organizations and people interested in sharing with and learning from each other.

Participants at HealthCampNYC will be expected to share their work, skills and knowledge as active participants. In the rich tradition of unconferences, attendees will determine and manage program topics and sessions. Sessions may include (but are not limited to): how-to workshops, debates, or problem-solving sessions. This collaborative environment presents unique opportunities for learning, sharing, and relationship-building.

For more information and to register: http://healthcampnyc.wetpaint.com/

HealthCampNYC is hosted by Brooklyn Public Library with support from The Health Education and Literacy for Parents (HELP) Project and New York Academy of Medicine Library. This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. NO1-LM-6-3501 with New York University.

PLA 2010 Recap

Highlights of PLA 2010 in Portland, OR

Experimenting with Unconferences
Mel Gooch, Gretchen Caserotti and I presented a program titled Revitalizing Communication and Professional Development Through Unconferences where we talked about BPL ThinkTank, a staff development unconference at Brooklyn Public Library and KidLib Camp, a children's librarianship unconference at Darien Public Library. Our presentation is up on Slideshare.

Revitalizing Communication and Professional Development Through Unconferences: The Brooklyn Public Library and Darien Public Library Experiments

Fly-on-the-wall, Behavioral Archaeology, Five Whys and Character Profiles/Personas
Sandra Sajonas and I facilitated a talk table program titled DIY Usability: Is Your Library People Focused? where we talked about people-centered usability and the project that we did in library school which focused on the evaluation of a library's new service model that promotes library patron self-sufficiency through the use of technology. It was an amazing group that generated some great ideas using people-centered design methods. More info on our People-Centered Design Thinking site.


Marshmallows, Gum Drops and Twizzlers
I co-facilitated a talk table program where we discussed how libraries can work to promote genetic literacy in the community. Find out more about the Human Genome Project Community Conversations Initiative.


Board Games, Arts & Craft, Food and Drinks
I attended a very interesting panel program (organized by my colleague Sandra Sajonas) titled If You Didn't Work Here, Would You Come Here? showcasing some great examples of library outreach and programming for people in their 20s and 30s. Check out the write up of this program in Library Journal.

Are you going to PLA?

As I'm preparing for PLA, I realized that the conference is not a month away anymore, it's in a week. I'm looking forward to my first in-person PLA conference. I attended the virtual PLA conference two years ago. Are you going to PLA? If so, be sure to check out some of the programs mentioned in my last blog post about PLA?

Save the Date: HealthCampNYC

SAVE THE DATE

HealthCampNYC: Using Collective Knowledge to Improve Health Literacy and Community Health

Friday, May 14
Brooklyn Public Library, Central Library

HealthCampNYC is a regional health unconference for librarians, literacy professionals, public health professionals, medical professionals, community-based organizations and people interested in sharing with and learning from each other.

Participants at HealthCampNYC will be expected to share their work, skills and knowledge as active participants. In the rich tradition of unconferences, attendees will determine and manage program topics and sessions. Sessions may include (but are not limited to): how-to workshops, debates, or problem-solving sessions. This collaborative environment presents unique opportunities for learning, sharing, and relationship-building.

For more information: http://healthcampnyc.wetpaint.com/

HealthCampNYC is hosted by Brooklyn Public Library with support from The Health Education and Literacy for Parents (HELP) Project and New York Academy of Medicine Library. This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. NO1-LM-6-3501 with New York University.

Please feel free to share this info and the Save the Date flier with anyone who might be interested.

PLA 2010 in Portland, OR

Are you going to the PLA conference next month?

Check out these programs that my colleagues (including fellow graduated PULSE trainees) and/or I will be presenting at PLA -

Revitalizing Communication and Professional Development Through Unconferences: The Brooklyn Public Library and Darien Public Library Experiments
Thursday, March 25 at 2pm-3:15pm

DIY Usability Study: Is Your Library People Focused?
Friday, March 26 at 8:30am-9:45am

How Libraries Can Work to Promote Genetic Literacy in the Community: Brooklyn Public Library's Human Genome Project Community Conversations (HGPCC) Initiative
Friday, March 26 at 2pm-3:15pm

STEP UP! Timely Outcomes-Based Model for Helping Job Seekers
Friday, March 26 at 2pm-3:15pm

If You Didn't Work Here, Would You Come Here?
Saturday, March 27 at 8:30am-9:45am

Check out the PLA 2010 programming schedule for more info.

ALA '09 Recap

Highlights of ALA 2009 in Chicago


Unconference Program

• Combination of quick presentations and discussions
• Topics ranged from Web 3.0 to information literacy. See schedule for list of topics.
• Participated in a discussion about planning and facilitating unconferences. There's an increased interest in doing library unconferences. Look out for our program on BPL ThinkTank, an unconference staff development event that we did at Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) at the Public Libraries Association (PLA) conference in March 2010.

Emerging Leaders Poster Session

• Over 20 posters were presented by this year's emerging leaders based on their projects.
• Projects included working with the PLA conference planning subcommittee, attracting librarians in the millennial generation to participate in ALA, etc.

Visit to Chicago Public Library

• Visited the new YouMedia space, a space specifically designed for teens with the latest digital media technology

ALA 2009 Poster Session

• My colleague and I presented a poster session "Keeping People at the Center of the Public Library: Analysis of Disruptive Technology and Suggestions for Creating a People-Centered Environment". Check out our project wiki.

Congrats to Libraries and Autism: We're Connected for winning the 2009 Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies Award. Libraries and Autism is a collaborative project among two libraries in New Jersey that produced a customer service training video for library staff to help them better serve individuals with autism.

Should the Three NYC Library Systems Be Merged?

Last week the Mayor and City Council reached an agreement to restore library funding so that NYC libraries can continue to provide 6-day library service. In the midst of the budget crisis and petition signing, WNYC did a piece titled "One Library System Instead of Three: A Radical Cost-Cutting Solution?". I've heard the merger idea suggested before. What do you think? Should the three NYC library systems be merged?

Keep Your Library Open

"If education and information are going to provide the means as America digs itself out the great big hole we are in, the public library is handing out the shovels. Cut or kill the libraries and you yank away a shovel" (Libraries Are America's Lifelines. Leave Them Alone).

New York City libraries are facing a 22% budget cut (Library Journal). This would mean:

• Over 900 library employees would be laid off
• Many neighborhood libraries would be closed on the weekends
• Less programs such as storytime, computer workshops, workshops on resume, interviewing, and job searching, book discussions, health workshops, etc.
  
• Less books, DVDs, CDs, magazines, e-books, audiobooks, databases, etc.
  

What you can do:

• Write to your City Council Member.
• Find out more ways to take action to save NYC libraries.

BPL Sibshop Workshops

Over 60 people attended last week's Sibshop workshop series, hosted by Brooklyn Public Library, The Child's Place for Children with Special Needs. This was the first time the training has been offered in a library and one of the very few times it was offered without charge. Sibshops are workshops for children and teens who have a sibling or siblings with special needs. The two-day workshop series was conducted by Don Meyer, Director of the Sibling Support Project. Find out more about Sibshops.

Save NYC Public Libraries

All three library systems - Brooklyn Public Library, New York Public Library, and Queens Library are facing budget cuts in the coming fiscal year, which starts in July. Please take a moment and sign the petition to save NYC public libraries.

Workshops on Sibling Issues & Sibshop Model This Friday & Saturday

What: Workshops on Sibling Issues and Sibshop Model Training
When: Friday, May 8 and Saturday,May 9
Where: Brooklyn Public Library (Brooklyn, New York)
Who: Siblings, parents, families, service providers, and anyone interested in sibling issues

Workshop Details:

Friday, May 8 from 9am-4pm

• Brothers & Sisters of People with Special Needs: Unusual Concerns, Unusual Opportunities
• A Panel of Brothers & Sisters
• Sibshops: Getting Started
  

Saturday, May 9 from 9am-3pm

• Demonstration Sibshop
  

* No need to register at this point, just show up. More information

Sibshop Training and Sibling Workshop at Brooklyn Public Library

What: Sibshop Training and Sibling Workshop
Who: Siblings, parents, families, service providers, and anyone interested in learning more about sibshops and sibling issues.
When: Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9
Where: Brooklyn Public Library

Sibshops are workshops designed to celebrate the contributions made by brothers and sisters, as well as acknowledge the challenges of the sibling role. Don Meyer will discuss the good and not so good parts of being a sibling of a person who has special needs, while offering suggestions to parents and providers. There will be group discussions to share experiences and hear what
others have to say about growing up as a sibling of a person with special needs. The Saturday workshop is geared for 8 to 13 year olds and their families.

This is no charge to attend this workshop. For more information and to register - http://tinyurl.com/sibworkshop.

Sibshop Workshop Series on May 8 and 9

Brothers & Sisters of People with Special Needs: Too Important to Ignore! A Workshop Series: Friday, May 8 & Saturday, May 9, 2009.

The workshop series include:

• Brothers & Sisters of People with Special Needs: Unusual Concerns, Unusual Opportunities
• A Panel of Brothers & Sisters
• Sibshops: Getting Started
• Demonstration Sibshop

This is a good opportunity for parents and families to learn about sibling issues and for service providers and those interested to learn more about sibshops and get training.

Please register by Friday, April 24th. For more information and to register.

This program is sponsored by the Brooklyn Public Library and the Children's Services Committee of the Brooklyn Developmental Disabilities Council. Additional support provided by the Brooklyn Early Childhood Direction Center, YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities and New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council.

Libraries for the Future (LFF) Closes

Libraries for the Future (LFF), a national non-profit organization that supports innovation and investment in America's libraries, has closed due to budget issues. LFF developed and supported many great programs, including the Human Genome Project Community Conversations, a project that aims to promote genetics literacy in communities by using public libraries as a resource for information and venue for workshops, lectures, and discussions. I am actively involved with this project at Brooklyn Public Library (BPL). This project will continue since there are still some funds, but it's sad to see that a national non-profit organization of 17 years is now closed.