The Difference is You - 2022 Staff Development Event

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A training event for support staff and paraprofessionals.
Created by the Indiana State Library’s
Professional Development Committee

Difference is You Award Nominees

Difference is You Conference Schedule

9:00 – 9:30 a.m. – Registration in the Great Hall of the Indiana State Library

9:30 – 10:30 a.m. – Keynote Address presented by David Seckman, Director, Jeffersonville Public Library

About David:

David is the director of the Jeffersonville Twp. Public Library. He has been researching and studying the effects of Kindness and Gratitude on well-being and relationships for 15 years, and speaking on these topics for the last 12 years. He is especially interested in how kindness and gratitude can transform the culture of an organization to bring a sense of fun and joy to the workplace. With over 10 years of experience as a Library administrator and manager he puts these concepts into practice on a daily basis.

Keynote Address – Three Wishes for You

David has three simple but important wishes for you based on his years of study in positive and organizational psychology and his experience leading libraries. Have you ever wondered why some teams are highly productive, creative, and innovative while other teams with similar levels of talent and experience seem to be stuck in neutral?

Learn how practicing “kind communication” can help determine the success of your interactions with co-workers and customers alike. Discover the most important ingredient to improving team dynamics, according to a large research project sponsored by Google. Gain an understanding about the three types of collaborative styles at work and which one is the most beneficial to organizational and personal success.

10:30 – 10:45 a.m. – The Difference is You award winner announced by Jacob Speer, State Librarian

11:00 – 12:00 – Session 1

And the winner is….Featuring Award-Winning Titles with Book Connections

Presented by: TeachingBooks.net Staff – Susannah Gilbert and Kym Davick

Description: Keep up with the latest award-winning titles receiving both state and national honors. Leave this session with strategies for finding notable titles and curated lists and for sharing them with your patrons. Easily create ready-to-use materials that connect patrons to the amazing authors who write these exceptional books. TeachingBooks and Book Connections are provided to all Indiana schools, public libraries, universities and residents through INSPIRE, a service of the Indiana State Library.

EBSCO Online Library Overview – School Resources

Presented by: Lisa Jones, EBSCO Trainer

Description: Join us for a tour of your online library provided by INSPIRE. These resources are designed for school research with rich, reliable content and easy-to-use functionality and cover virtually every topic area – science, history, biographies, current events, literature and more. We’ll also review and search relevant eBook collections that hold almost 30,000 eBooks. You are encouraged to bring reference topics and questions!

All Free for the Finding: Digging Up Family History for Free on the Internet

Presented by: Angela Porter, Genealogy Division Librarian, Indiana State Library

Angi earned her Bachelors from Ball State University; with an emphasis in Elementary Education. She completed her Masters of Library Science degree at Kent State University. Since 1997, Angi has worked in public libraries and museums; a few places she has worked include the Genealogy and Local History Department of the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library and the Monroe County (Indiana) History Center. She has been interested in genealogy for over 20 years. When not working on her personal genealogy, she enjoys reading non-fiction and traveling.

Description: This presentation is a sampling of the best, free websites for genealogy. Attendees will become versed in research tips, general genealogy websites, Indiana genealogy websites, immigrant genealogy websites, British genealogy websites, and newspaper websites.

12:15 – 1:15 – Lunch

1:30 – 2:30 – Session 2

Mindfulness for Library Staff

Presented by: Heather Barron, MLS, Yoga Teacher, Science of Mindful Awareness Meditation Teacher

Guide staff through sessions of breathwork and sensory experiences to connect with both the body and the mind.

Mindfulness benefits include:

Increase Emotional Awareness & Ability to Regulate Emotions (Stress Management)
Improve Concentration, Focus, Mood, Quality of Sleep, General Feeling of Wellbeing
Reduce Blood Pressure, Cortisol Levels, Anxiety, and Depression

EBSCO Online Library Overview – Adult Resources

Presented by: Lisa Jones, EBSCO Trainer

Description: Join us for a tour of your online library provided by INSPIRE. These resources are designed for adult research with rich, reliable content and easy-to-use functionality and cover virtually every subject area — health, business, legal, popular culture, science and more. We’ll also review and search your eBook collections that hold over 70,000 eBooks. You are encouraged to bring reference topics and questions!

Fun Free Government Resources for Kids and Families

Presented by: Suzanne Walker, Indiana Young Readers Center Librarian, Indiana State Library

Everyone is always looking for educational content that is fun and free. Guess what? The US Government provides lots of great resources perfect for kids and families. From code-breaking games to interactive maps, this session will introduce you to a plethora of web-based resources great for teachers, kids, homeschoolers, and families.

Session 3

2:45 – 4:15 – (Please note that this presentation is 90 minutes long.)

In Our Own Voice

Presented by: Monica Deck and Ray Lay, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Indiana

In Our Own Voice (IOOV) is a unique public education program developed by NAMI, in which two trained consumer speakers share compelling personal stories about living with mental illness and achieving recovery. The goals of IOOV are: to meet the need for consumer-run initiatives, to set a standard for quality education about mental illness from those who have been there, to offer genuine work opportunities, to encourage self-confidence and self-esteem in presenters, and to focus on recovery and the message of hope.

This presentation provides:

An opportunity to hear open and honest perspectives on a highly misunderstood topic
A chance to ask leaders questions, allowing for a deeper understanding of mental health conditions and dispelling of stereotypes and misconceptions
The understanding that people with mental health conditions have lives enriched by hopes, dreams, and goals
Information on how to learn more about mental health and get involved with the mental health community

2:45 – 3:45 (Because these last 2 sessions are 60 minutes and the session above is 90 minutes, there will be time for a tour of the State Library for those interested after this session is over.)

Yoga in Libraries

Presented by: Heather Barron, MLS, Yoga Teacher, Science of Mindful Awareness Meditation Teacher

Lead staff through sessions geared toward chair, kids, teen, and/or adult (all include mindfulness as part of the practice).

Or provide staff with short sample daily practices they can use to reduce stress (at their desk, in the morning, after work, etc.)

Yoga benefits include…

Increase Range of Motion, Balance, Strength, Flexibility
Improve Concentration, Focus, Mood, Quality of Sleep, General Feeling of Wellbeing
Reduce Physical and Mental Tension, Blood Pressure, Cortisol Levels

Big Impact, Small Changes: Analyzing Featured Titles with Book Connections