MLA 2024 Conference

Meet up with library managers and other middle managers for an open discussion about the joys and perils of our jobs, idea sharing, and the opportunity to connect with folks doing similar work. This session is inspired by the successful 2023 session Directors' Roundtable.

Library patrons come in all shapes and sizes – that’s just a fact. It’s also a well-documented fact that people in fat bodies experience increased social stigma, body shaming, and spatial discrimination within built environments. And yet, conversations about IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility) rarely include body size. When you design your services and spaces, are you considering whether they are accessible, comfortable, and welcoming for all sizes of patrons and staff?

This presentation will provide attendees with an introduction to the concept of anti-fat bias, how it fits into IDEA frameworks, and how it can manifest and be addressed in a library context. We will also discuss the complicated issue of how we talk about body size, and the historical and political contexts of the “F” word. This session will be valuable to library staff of all types who are invested in creating inclusive and accessible spaces for patrons and staff. Attendees will leave with learning resources and tools to reflect on their own internal biases and advocate for fat bodies in the library.

This presentation will highlight what standards and benchmarks in the 2021 Minnesota K-12 Social Studies standards contain research-related skills as well as examining the K-12 sequence of the skills and topics from a library media specialist perspective.

Library media specialists across the state support and collaborate with classroom teachers on student research in schools and it is important that they know and understand the academic standards that classroom teachers use as a basis for their instruction. Librarians can use the information from this presentation to suggest collaborations with social studies teachers as well as to consider how their collection can support students and teachers.

The Minnesota legislative season moves quickly, and it can be hard to know when opportunities to speak up will arise before they’re right in front of you. Attending Library Legislative Day sounds good in theory, but what do you do when you get to (or before going to) the capitol? Legislators are people too, contacting them isn’t as hard as it seems. Learn how to prepare to raise your voice on behalf of libraries so you’re ready with anecdotes and data that can make an impact on legislative decisions. Topics to be covered will include Library Legislative Day, testifying at committee hearings, contacting legislators, local advocacy, and more!