Tag Archives: Outreach

How to Build a Library in a Community Center One Bite at a Time – 1 LEU

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rushville public library logo owlJoin director Nicki Kirchoff on a recorded tour of her new library, inside the Love Community Center of Rushville, Indiana. This event will be hosted by Meg Pool from the Indiana State Library, and the tour will showcase the new Rushville Public Library, the Love Community Center’s other services inside the building, and the Love Community Center’s background.  As we navigate the future, Nicki will share why this special opportunity to be part of Rushville’s community center was the best decision for them, and how it has impacted the community they serve.  Come join us, and bring your questions!

Nicki Kirchoff has served twenty years as a public school librarian, serving grades k-12 (15 of those years in the middle school)! Nicki currently serves as director of the Rushville Public Library, with her first day on May 28, 2020.  I’m incredibly lucky to do a job and have a life that 13-year old me would think is so cool. “Libraries? Books? And play outside whenever I’m not with libraries and books? How awesome is that?!” Ever since Nicki became director at Rushville Public Library, she had goals to be county wide. Nicki started talking and meeting about the Community Center, July 1, 2020. What was a long and tedious endeavor, paid off and has become a community hub county wide for Rush County.

Date Recorded: 3/11/2026

Format: Archived YouTube Video

Presenter: Nicki Kirchoff, Director / Rushville Public Library

 

The Teen Engagement Blueprint: Outreach that Works – 1 LEU

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This webinar will introduce practical, beginner-friendly steps for building effective teen outreach. Learn how to connect with schools, youth organizations, and community partners to promote library services and create meaningful programs for teens. We’ll cover how to initiate partnerships, identify community needs, and design outreach that meets teens where they are. Attendees will leave with simple strategies and ready-to-use ideas to jump-start or strengthen their teen outreach efforts.  1 hr / 1 LEU

Date Recorded: 4/8/2026

Format: Archived YouTube Video

Presenters:  Ryan Calhoun, Bremen Public Library

Resources:

 

Story and Strategy a Library Con – 1 LEU

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Want to bring Library Con to your library? Learn how our library held a full day, system-wide library con across three locations. We’ll share our strategy for working with community partners to offer LARP demonstrations, Dungeons & Dragons and other TTRPGs, cosplay demos and miniature painting, a costume contest, and an outdoor movie night. All of this and more to engage new library patrons while highlighting services, programs and collections.

Date Recorded: 2/11/2026

Format: Archived YouTube Video

Presenters: Caele Pemberton, Head of Marketing and Community Engagement and Ben Rutz, Digital Media Coordinator / Kokomo-Howard County Public Library

 

Working with Community Partners to Bring Adventure to the Library – 1 LEU

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board game pieces wizard, archer and ogreLearn how our library works closely with community partners to bring fun adventures to our patrons. By working closely with our local game shop, toy store, comic book store, volunteer GMs, a local brewery (the list could go on and on), we’re able to provide an array of fun events related to gaming, filmmaking and more. These events bring new users to the library who sometimes have never set foot inside before. Find out how we make it work and strategies we suggest to work with partners in your community.

Date Recorded: 1/14/2026

Format: Archived YouTube Video

Presenters: Caele Pemberton, Head of Marketing and Community Engagement and Ben Rutz, Digital Media Coordinator / Kokomo-Howard County Public Library

 

Small Adjustments for Big Change – 1 LEU

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image of drawn public library buildingHear about the programs that have influenced one library’s community, including diversifying collections, creating spaces for different age groups, implementing food security programs, getting outside of library walls, implementing 24-hour book pickup, and offering take-home crafts, all on a small budget in a small building. You’ll look at how some of the programs were planned and work together as a team to share successful programs and identify other ways to make big changes with small adjustments.

Date Recorded: 5/14/2025

Format: Archived YouTube Video

Presenter: Brenda Hornsby Heindl / Director/Librarian, Liberty Public Library (Liberty, North Carolina)

 

Successful Community Partnerships through Intentional Outreach – 1 LEU

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We’re compelled, as librarians, to try and answer to all of our communities’ needs. But with growing demands and tightening budgets, it becomes increasingly challenging to stretch our capacities. Sometimes all we have to be is the connectors! Community Outreach Manager Katie Reineke will discuss ways the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library Outreach Department has leveraged successful community partnerships by connecting subject experts to their residents. She will also share clever tools EVPL Outreach has applied to continuously expand its reach with the same staff and budget for 3 years. 1 hr / 1 LEU

Date Recorded: 9/4/2025

Format: Archived YouTube Video

Presenter:  Katie Reineke, Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library

Resources:

  • This Google Folder contains the following documents:
    • Outreach Partner Form template
    • Outreach Form Questions document
    • EVPL Outreach Events Calendar spreadsheet with column headings
    • Community Touchpoint Map instructions
    • Touchpoint Companion spreadsheet with column headings
  • Learn more about Book and Cook program

Start Your Community’s Journey to Information Literacy – 1 LEU

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In 2024 the Institute of Museum and Library Services launched a new website to resources to teach about the different types of literacy there are including information literacy, digital literacy, financial literacy, health literacy, and science literacy.  The website includes programming resources to help develop skills in using and understanding information in a quickly changing world. In addition, the website includes training resources specifically for professionals, funding opportunities to promote information literacy, ready-made lesson plans, evaluation tools and more.  Please join us for a look at what can be accomplished using the materials available on the website.

Date recorded: April 30, 2025

Format: Archived YouTube Video

Presenter: Kara Cleveland, Professional Development Office Supervisor, Indiana State Library

Empowering Libraries to Support Caregivers Essential Resources and Strategies – 1 LEU

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Caregivers often face overwhelming physical, emotional, and mental challenges while balancing caregiving with their own well-being. In this session, librarians will learn how to support caregivers by connecting them with trusted health resources from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other key organizations. Participants will explore effective strategies for making libraries welcoming, resource-rich spaces for caregivers and gain practical tools to help prevent caregiver burnout within the community. Join us to strengthen your library’s role as a supportive hub for caregivers, fostering resilience and connection.

Date Recorded: 01/08/2025

Format: Archived YouTube Video

Presenter: Bobbi L. Newman, MLIS, MA, Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist, Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) Region 6, Wellness Ambassador, Senior Librarian, The University of Iowa Libraries

Detecting Fraud Against Older Adults: Building Awareness and Resources for Library Staff – 1 LEU

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Financial fraud and exploitation results in the loss of billions of dollars every year.  These crimes often go unreported because victims are scared, embarrassed, or don’t know who to call. The U.S. Department of Justice National Elder Fraud Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, provides services to adults aged 60 and older who experience financial fraud and exploitation to help them report the crime and access appropriate resources.  In addition to the financial impact of these crimes, the emotional toll older adult victims of fraud suffer can be devastating.  Professionals that interact frequently with older adults can play a critical role in identifying potential frauds and scams and utilize the opportunity to raise awareness of and share resources that may be available to assist victims of financial fraud, such as the NEFH.  This presentation will cover some common scams, warning signs to look for, available resources, and steps to take should one suspect a fraud or scam is taking place.

Date: 07/31/2024

Format: Archived YouTube Video

Presenter: Helen Supanich, Department of Justice’s National Elder Fraud Hotline

Ms. Supanich has ten years’ experience providing services to older adults. She is currently a Case Management Shift Supervisor for the Department of Justice’s National Elder Fraud Hotline. Previously, Ms. Supanich worked as an Advocate for the VOCA-funded Holistic Elder Abuse Response Team (“HEART”) at the non-profit WISE & Healthy Aging, where she partnered with Adult Protective Services and Long Beach Police Department; she provided case management and advocacy services to older/dependent adult abuse survivors. Prior to this, Ms. Supanich was an Ombudsman with the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program in Los Angeles County (Region II), where she investigated abuse, neglect, and other issues at long-term care facilities in her assigned region and served as an advocate for residents at these facilities.

 

The Citizen’s Handbook: Empowering Voters, Defending Democracy – 1 LEU

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The League of Women Voters of Indiana will introduce you to The Citizens’ Handbook and discuss ways you can provide this important resource to others, demonstrating its pragmatic use for addressing issues that impact citizens in your community.

Indiana ranked 50th in voter turnout for the 2022 General Election according to the 2023 Indiana Civic Health Index; this is an abysmal statistic and one we must all work to rectify. Indiana Libraries, as the information centers in our communities, can help to educate everyday citizens using this new resource. The Citizen’s Handbook commissioned by the League of Women Voters of Indiana and written by Dr. Darren Wheeler and Stacy Wheeler of Ball State University, is a factual, easy-to-read, short primer on our systems of governance. A QR code in the Handbook and links to resources make this easily accessible for all.

Date reorded: 7/25/24

Format:  Archived YouTube Webinar

Presenters: Barbara Tully, Cindy Lorentson Cook, Linda Hanson and Kate Munson, League of Women Voters of Indiana