Learn about TALK: Text and Learn for Kindergarten, a text messaging program based on Every Child Ready to Read that empowers parents and caregivers to prepare their little ones for school success by sending easy, fun activity suggestions they can do at home.
In partnership with the Indiana State Library and Midwest Collaborative for Library Services, with funding from an IMLS National Leadership grant, TALK is now available in Indiana. Originally developed and tested by libraries in Washtenaw County, Michigan with IMLS/LSTA funds distributed through the Library of Michigan, TALK is currently being used by many public libraries in Michigan to reach parents they might not see at library storytimes. Learn details about the service, the toolkits, and how you can use text messaging to help improve school readiness in your community.
Date Recorded: 11/2/22
Format: Archived YouTube Video
Presenters: Jodi Krahnke, Head of Youth Services and Angie Martin-Schwarze, TALK Program Assistant / Ypsilanti District Library (Michigan)
Resources:
- Learn more about the TALK program
- Direct link for libraries to sign up for TALK or to ask questions
- Email to directly ask questions
- Slides
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the employment of social workers will grow 12% from 2020 to 2030 to meet an increase in demand. Further, with the growth of telehealth and telemedicine visits continuing beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals are finding more ways to reach their healthcare providers. However, in rural areas, finding local providers and reliable Internet access can create a barrier to access. As public libraries have long been viewed as the central hub for information, gatherings, and broadband service, their pivot to serve as a place for patrons to meet virtually with social workers comes at an opportune time. This presentation will show how three public libraries developed a pilot program – titled “Because You Matter” – with the Indiana University School of Social Work to coordinate weekly telehealth visits with social work students and library patrons. They’ll share successes, failures, and what they learned to improve the program in the future. 
Join me for this discussion about the seven reference centers within INSPIRE (Biography, History, Legal, Literary, Points of View, Science, and Small Business).
Children’s literature is full of philosophical questions and ideas, reflecting an awareness of children’s propensities to think about life’s big questions. This webinar will explore ways to inspire exploration with children about their big questions through children’s books. We will examine several examples of philosophically-suggestive works, and will engage as a group in a philosophical inquiry based on a picture book. You will come away with ideas and resources for involving children in philosophical questioning and discovery through literature.
Kim Hagerty, Director of Digitization and Micrographics Services at the Indiana Archives and Records Administration will go over best practices for preserving library board minutes. She will also cover what needs to be sent to IARA – board minutes or board packet? Board minutes and supporting documents if available. The best way to send it – digitize or original copies? Digital copies of the original files is best. Kim will explain further how libraries can do this in-house. What is the timeframe? This is dependent on amount of files. One reel of microfilm holds approximately 2,500 files. This could be over ten years’ worth of meeting minutes. And she will also cover best practices – start with current and work backwards? Either way is fine, if the oldest minutes are in brittle condition, the IARA would recommend starting with them for preservation purposes.
Moving into a new leadership role can be overwhelming and intimidating. This presentation will go over some dos and don’ts to help new leaders feel more confident and become more effective in their current and future roles. Participants will learn some common mistakes new leaders make (and how to avoid them), how to conquer feelings of doubt or imposter syndrome, and practical leadership techniques. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of creating a support network, investing in personal and professional development, and recognizing the value, knowledge, and skillset new leaders bring to their organizations.
An overview of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and the Temporary Waiver and how you might be able to have your student debt gone sooner rather than later. This webinar will include information about both of these programs, the current landscape of student loans, and a variety of resources.
In this webinar, Katie Lehman of the Muncie Public Library’s Ready Readers program will explore a variety of methods used by the program to engage children in reading in creative and fun ways. Participants will learn different ways that these approaches can be incorporated into their own library’s programming.
The Reimagining School Readiness Toolkit is a suite of research-backed resources created for library staff to help families prepare children ages 0 to 8 for success in school and in life. Through an interactive presentation with hands-on activities, this training will introduce library staff to the research, practical implications, and resources offered in the toolkit, which is available in its entirety for free online. Participants will understand key findings from current cognitive and developmental psychology research, reflect on the implications of those findings for their daily work, and gain practical ready-to-implement ideas for activities, as well as resources for staff training and for parents/caregivers. You will benefit from this workshop if you work with children ages 0 to 8 and their families and would like to learn more about how to offer research-backed programming in your library!
Is retirement in your near future? Or is it years away? Either way, it’s time to think about what steps to take to prepare yourself and your library for this transition. This will be a panel discussion with directors who have retired, soon to retire or are planning to retire (sometime). If you would like to submit a question with the panel, please fill out this survey.