MLA 2024 Conference

Come hear from the Legislative Committee, Intellectual Freedom Committee, and State Library Services about what the "Access to Library Materials and Rights Protected" law is (and what it isn't!). We'll share model collection development and reconsideration policies and procedures, what to share with governing bodies and stakeholders, how to report challenges to State Library Services, and how MLA supports members facing challenges.

Even before Rochester Public Library opened its doors in 1995, the plans for the building were scaled back significantly. For years, library staff and board members have advocated for additional space, with multiple proposals brought forward to the Rochester City Council.
RPL Director, Karen Lemke, will share how the team is exploring community needs to build RPL’s first Facilities and Operations Master Plan to not only address decades of space challenges, but to also plan for future growth and change happening in Rochester.
The goal of this session is to share how RPL is using data and research to advocate for library needs. This session is intended for public library staff and boards.

Do you ever feel like I Love to Read Month is right around the corner and you have no idea how to celebrate it? At this session, the presenter will share some tried and true I Love to Read Month ideas as well as allow time for an idea exchange. Come with an idea and leave with a bunch to get your school community fired up about reading. It's never too early to plan for February!

Join members of the Reader’s Advisory Round Table as we do a deep dive into the popular fiction genre of romance, exploring the subgenres that make it up. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or a relative newcomer, our goal is to introduce you to titles, authors, and tropes you may not be familiar with. Booklists will be provided.

Skip the background check and metal detector and go behind the Sally Port to look at libraries in the State of Minnesota’s Correctional Facilities, where incarcerated people (IPs) are urgently in need of good information and desperate for the latest James Patterson novel. Meet a few intrepid librarians who are changing lives through aiding incarcerated individuals in constructive usage of time, bringing the joys of access, offering legal research materials, connecting with families, and so much more!

A panel of Minnesota Department of Corrections (MN DOC) librarians will present an overview of the MNDOC libraries and their general services, defying common stereotypes and clarifying what make makes these public libraries special. The panel will share what it means to “C.A.R.E.” within their particular library and how library services contribute to the MN DOC’s mission of “Transforming lives for a safer Minnesota.” The discussion will focus on past successes, future directions, best practices, and the unique challenges of providing professional, thoughtful library service in carceral spaces.

Did you know that Minnesota has a radical history of critiquing and improving our cataloging standards? Join our panel discussion to learn more about this history and how it influences the work of critical cataloging today. A trio of St. Kate's MLIS students—Amy Gabbert-Montag, Jaylene Telford, and Charlotte Kadifa—will offer insight into radical catalogers, Sandy Berman and others at Hennepin County Library, based on their ongoing project Voices of the Catalog: A Digital and Oral History of Hennepin County Catalogers. That work continues to inspire activism centered on making the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) more equitable and respectful. Hear from contemporary critical catalogers Violet Fox and Tina Gross about new developments in subject analysis, including collaborative projects to revise LCSH relating to Indigenous peoples, LGBTQ people, and disabled people, as well as the development of alternate vocabularies such as the Zine Subject Thesaurus. The panel discussion will inspire you to continue this important work and find ways to contribute to ongoing efforts to improve our catalogs. We welcome anyone curious about critical cataloging or radical Minnesota history!

Panelists: Violet Fox, Tina Gross, Amy Gabbert-Montag, Jaylene Telford, and Charlotte Kadifa

Moderator: Elissah Becknell

What do you do when your small town library doesn’t need more space but the decor and layout are stuck in the last century? What is the line between charming and outdated? When your city is so small that many functions are outsourced, how do you find funding and create an effective plan to remodel your space (all while still running your library)? And what happens when a global pandemic hits right when you are ready to kickoff the project? Join Jill Smith and Sara Wagner from Bayport Public Library and Ann Vonda and Jonathan Strand from BTR to hear about Bayport Public Library’s recent remodeling project. Learn lessons on building community support, finding expert advice, and achieving the goal of an updated flexible, modern library space.

Is your library looking to increase attendance at programs? Do community members mention that they didn’t know about a program you’ve been offering for years? In 2023, the Albert Lea Public Library made a concerted effort to increase awareness of library programs, resulting in a 30% increase in program attendance. In this session, attendees will learn what the Albert Lea Public Library did to increase awareness and attendance of programs, including many low or no cost options. At the end of the session, attendees will be able to identify strategies they can put into practice in their own libraries and communities to increase awareness of and attendance at library programs.

Library staff all have different work environments and dynamics. Since a library is the place where much of the day is spent, it is important for library workers to address their own well-being as a priority. Making well-being a foundational priority takes a commitment from each person. Everyone can Identify changes to make at the individual level to improve health and well-being in professional and personal lives.

Well-Being is the active state of pursuing our full human potential and thriving personally and professionally. It is a lifelong process that involves positive decision-making and finding balance between many priorities. Well-being is tied to awareness and to making choices that lead to being happier, healthier, and more fulfilled.

Well-being is more than just physical health. It also encompasses mental health, financial health, intellectual health, spiritual health, occupational health, social health, and environmental health. Focusing on the overall well-being for all library workers can enhance work-life integration and help to find meaning, fulfillment, and a sense of impact.

Prioritizing Well-Being in Libraries will provide an exploration of the elements of well-being, along with activities and resources to enhance work-life integration. All library staff should experience personal and professional fulfillment, and making well-being a foundational priority can lead to thriving and living your best library life.