RPLS Seminar 2007: Creating a Yes Culture @ Your Library

	ROLLING PRAIRIE LIBRARY SYSTEM	Seventh Annual Seminar
		Friday, April 20, 2007

	RPLS Seminar 2007 Creating a Yes Culture @ Your Library
Inside: Registration 8:30am @DPL Session 1 Lunch Session 2 Session 3 Session 4 Registration Form	Keynote: "Just Say Yes!". - Topper Steinman (9:00 - 9:45 @ DPL Elizabeth Madden Auditorium) Topper has presented numerous workshops and seminars throughout the country with educator, parent, youth, business and community groups. His topics cover a wide variety of interest areas with efforts aimed at bridging the adult/youth gap while creating a healthy sense of self and others. Topper's blend of humor and ideas from a "reality" basis help to give audiences a practical yet hopeful look at today's schools, families, businesses and communities. In the milieu of challenges we face in our respective libraries, we must keep our eyes on the prize. This keynote will ask us to re-think why and how we do what we do. Currently, Topper is an Education Program Specialist with the National Center for Conflict Resolution Education in Urbana, Il. He holds a Mediation Training Certificate from CDR Associates of Boulder, Colo. Topper is also a certified instructor in Parent and Teacher Effectiveness and an experienced T.E.S.A. trainer. He serves as a consultant with AIMS (Association of Illinois Middle Schools), AACC (American Association of Community Colleges), and with state and local drug-free education programs along with other prevention/education initiatives. He also maintains a private counseling practice with youth and adults. Topper has been the recipient of the Illinois State Board of Education "Those Who Excel" award as outstanding counselor, the "Outstanding Young Educator" award, and Champaign-Urbana's "Community Builder's Award" among other honors in his tenure in education. Topper has a B.A. Degree from Knox College in Galesburg, Il. and an M.A. Degree in Counseling from Bradley University in Peoria, Il. He is married and is the proud father of a daughter and a son. The cost to attend the RPLS Seminar whether in whole or in part is only $20 for those registering and paying by Friday, March 30th, and $30 per person for those registering after that date. Registration ends Monday, April 9th.
	9:45 - 10:00 - Find your next session.
Registration 8:30am @DPL Session 1 Lunch Session 2 Session 3 Session 4 Registration Form	Session 1 - 10:00 - 11:00 Yes to Conflict Resolution ~ Managing the Maze Interactions with others occur at many varied levels in our libraries. This session will offer attendees six abilities along with a communication process for all of us to consider as we make efforts to resolve the inevitable conflicts that seem to come interactions with systems and with people. Topper Steinman is an Education Program Specialist with the National Center for Conflict Resolution Education in Urbana, Il. He holds a Mediation Training Certificate from CDR Associates of Boulder, Colo. Yes to Reference Interviews Louise Greene, RPLS Ask?Away Coordinator, will introduce participants to strategies and techniques for conducting a reference interview, both online and in person. Learn how to help the patrons to articulate their questions. Learn how to interact with patrons in an appropriately professional style and tone. This session will help staff with the reference interview whether they only man the desk periodically or do so regularly. Louise Greene is an RPLS Consultant for Public and Special Libraries. She received an M.L.S. from the University of Maryland and was, most recently, head of the reference department at an academic library. Her professional interests include research on patron use of services and virtual reference consortia. Yes to Grant Writing Karen Egan, LSTA Grants Consultant at the Illinois State Library, will discuss what it takes to write a successful LSTA grant. Karen will give you insight into the grant writing process. Learn how to maximize your grant writing efforts. Learn what the most surefire ways to “blow” your chance of getting a grant. Grant writing takes time, thought, effort, and patience. Learn the basic rules of grant writing, so that you do not waste your time and effort. Learn how to tell your library's story in a way that makes the grant reader want to give you that grant. Many of the skills you will learn in this session will help you write all types of successful grants. "Introduction to Social Networking Technologies for Libraries" (This session will also be offered during the second breakout session.) Learn how libraries can use blogs, instant messaging, forums, MySpace, and similar tools to create a 24/7 presence in their users' lives. A list of URLs will be provided along with practical guidance on how to manage these services. Frances Jacobson Harris (http://www.uni.uiuc.edu/library) is the librarian at the University of Illinois Laboratory High School in Urbana. She is the author of "I Found It On the Internet: Coming of Age Online" (American Library Association, 2005) and has written numerous articles on teenagers, libraries, and technology. She is active in the Young Adult Library Services Association, which recently published a toolkit on positive uses of social networking software. Rebecca Caudill 2008 Do you want to have advanced knowledge about the 2008 Rebecca Caudill books? You can get a sneak preview of the books on the 2008 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award list at this session. Hear book talks/summaries about the books and be able to ask questions about content or grade levels. Learn how to participate in the Rebecca Caudill program and more. Ellen Popit is the Youth Services Consultant at Shawnee Library System, 1992-present. She is on the steering committee of the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award, 1995-present. She has an M.L.S. from Rutgers University, 1975 and a B.A. from St. Mary's of Notre Dame, 1974. She was a school Library Media Specialist, Nashville (IL) CSD #49, 1975-1979.
	11:00 - 11:15 - Find your next session.
Registration 8:30am @DPL Session 1 Lunch Session 2 Session 3 Session 4 Registration Form	Session 2 - 11:15 - 12:15 Yes to Patrons with Disabilities People With Disabilities Go To The Library Too! The Disability Awareness Team from Soyland Access to Independent Living (SAIL) will help you learn about how libraries can better serve people with disabilities. During this one-hour presentation, you will get an overview of what a Center for Independent Living is and how a CIL can help you provide accommodations for library users. Later, participants will be divided into 3 groups and move through 3 different 15-minute sessions to hunt for physical barriers in the library using Illinois Accessibility Code measuring sticks, learn about guide dogs and service animals (you will meet a guide dog and her owner) and find out more about how libraries can improve services for people with visual impairment. Disability Awareness at SAIL SAIL: Disability Awareness activities are designed to allow everyone to learn about the world of disability. We use a variety of activities to accomplish the goal including disability simulation, barrier hunts, assistive technology demonstrations and hands-on experiences and guide dog interaction. Disability Awareness activities are facilitated by SAIL staff, board members and volunteers with two purposes in mind: Focus on the similarities between people with and without disabilities Identify barriers that limit access of people with disabilities to their communities. Dealing with Clutter Is all the “stuff” in your life driving you crazy? Do you spend too much time piling, sorting and moving stacks from one place to another? Learn how to reduce stress and save yourself hours of time every week by reducing the “clutter” in your home or office. Teresa Easterly-Adams joined the University of Illinois Extension staff in Macon County in 1991. As Community Worker, Consumer and Family Sciences, Teresa coordinates Extension education programs related to consumer economics and family life. She works extensively in the Decatur-Macon County community with diverse audiences in order to improve the quality of life and health for all citizens. Teresa is a past Board member of Decatur Community Partnership, was Chairman of both the Macon County Safe Kids Campaign and Red Ribbon Committee, is a founding member of the Macon County Women Taking Action Committee and works with the Inclusive Community Action Network to facilitate acceptance for all persons in the community. Teresa is a member of the Strategy Team for the Education Network to Advance Cancer Clinical Trials funded through the Lance Armstrong Foundation. She is also a trained presenter for ENACCT and works in the community to increase knowledge and awareness of Cancer Clinical Trials. Teresa received an Extension Unit Award in 1999 and an Outstanding Program Award in 2002 from University of Illinois Extension. In 2003, Teresa received the Campus Award for Excellence in Public Engagement from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Introduction to Social Networking Technologies for Libraries" (This session is also offered during the first breakout session.) Learn how libraries can use blogs, instant messaging, forums, MySpace, and similar tools to create a 24/7 presence in their users' lives. A list of URLs will be provided along with practical guidance on how to manage these services. Frances Jacobson Harris (http://www.uni.uiuc.edu/library) is the librarian at the University of Illinois Laboratory High School in Urbana. She is the author of "I Found It On the Internet: Coming of Age Online" (American Library Association, 2005) and has written numerous articles on teenagers, libraries, and technology. She is active in the Young Adult Library Services Association, which recently published a toolkit on positive uses of social networking software. Yes to Lapsits Cindy Bardeleben from Baby TALK will discuss Library Lapsits and how they enhance and enrich the relationship between parent and child through the shared enjoyment of play. Lapsits held at the public library provide thematic activities for parents and children ages 1-3. Also learn additional training opportunities with Baby TALK. Baby TALK's Mission is to positively impact child development and nurture healthy parent-child relationships during the critical early years. Baby TALK collaborates with schools, libraries, hospitals, health clinics and literacy projects. Founded in Decatur, Illinois in 1986, Baby TALK is a national model found in 31 states and Canada.
	Lunch - 12:15 - 1:15 Lunch will consist of a selection of Panera sandwiches, salad, chips, cookies, coffee and tea. If you have any special dietary restrictions, please send an email to Angela.
Registration 8:30am @DPL Session 1 Lunch Session 2 Session 3 Session 4 Registration Form	Session 3 - 1:15 - 2:15 Yes to Barcoder Certification Have you ever had a patron request an item, only to have something totally different arrive? Were they angry or disappointed? The Statewide Cataloging Standards Committee (SCSC) has created barcoder certification standards, which will help in accessing the training needs of all individuals who are inputting data into our consortial catalogs. Doris McKay, RPLS Consultant and member of SCSC, will discuss the Barcoder Certification, and what you can expect in way of training and support from the system. Karla Johnson, Database Standards Committee Chair, will discuss specialize training materials created for RPLS member librarians to prepare them for Certification. Yes to Safety! An officer from the Decatur Police Department, will offer tips and suggestions for keeping your staff and patrons safe at your library. You will learn how to recognize and deal with suspicious behavior. You will learn how to handle confrontation safely. You will learn when you should contact your local police, and how they can help you. Libris Design - Library building planning software with power! Are you feeling crowded in your library? Do you need to expand but don’t know how much room you need? Do you need to purchase additional shelving but don’t know how much you need? Are you planning a new building and need a building program to give your architect? If you said yes to any of these questions, come to session that introduces Libris Design. This computer program is basically a huge access database that lets you choose service areas, the features you want included and crunches it all down into square foot needs. Bev Obert, RPLS Executive Director, will demonstrate some of its features at this session. Yes to Downloadable Audio Books Julie Wullner has been the Electronic Resources Librarian at Lincoln Library in Springfield IL for 7 years. She received her master's degree in library science at the University of Iowa in 1989. She does computer training for staff and customers. She never used an MP3 player before Lincoln Library subscribed to ListenIllinois, an audiobook downloading service. Julie will talk about Lincoln Library's experience with ListenIllinois and customer reactions and problems. There will be a downloading demo. Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award Brian Looker, Decatur Public Library YA Librarian and reader committee member for the Abraham Lincoln Award, will give you an inside look at the award, the books and how you can become involved. Brian is originally from Phoenix, AZ, but moved to Champaign, IL, for library school after finishing up undergraduate studies at Arizona State University. He received my Master's in Library Science from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in May 2005 and began working at the Decatur Public Library that same month. He is an adult reference librarian with responsibilities for the Young Adult collection, which makes him the YA librarian. It's a responsibility that Brian enjoys.
	2:15 - 2:30 - Find your next session.
Registration 8:30am @DPL Session 1 Lunch Session 2 Session 3 Session 4 Registration Form	Session 4 - 2:30 - 3:30 Think Outside the Barn @ Your Library The Farm Progress Show will be back in Decatur August 28-30, 2007, and Illinois libraries will again be represented. Exciting plans are in place to spread the word about libraries to the 300,000 show attendees who pass our booth. Join this panel discussion session to hear more about these plans and find out how you can participate in this fun experience. We'll be talking about publicity items, agriculture resource kits and booklists, and other ways participation in this effort can benefit your library and your patrons in Central Illinois. This is a sustainable effort - our products in 2007 may be used for future shows in Decatur and marketed nationally - so make hay while the sun shines! Panel discussion members: Louise Greene, Rachel Miller, Cyndi Bowman, and other members of the Farm Progress Show Planning Committee. Employment Law in a Nutshell Mike Szymkoski, RPLS Chief Financial Officer, will provide a brief overview of the major federal and state employment laws affecting Illinois libraries. Topics include: Employee vs. independent contractor - what is the difference? Basic employment information - wage and hours, overtime, vacations, leave and sick days, wage payments, deductions, etc. (Federal Labor Standards Act) Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) - basic requirements Military Leave Public Employee Armed Services Rights School Visitation Leave Nursing Mothers in the Workplace. Web Pages & Plink It!! Does your library have an active, up-to-date web page that provides a professional look of the library to your community? Is your library web page easy to update or do you need an advanced degree in HTML? This session will introduce you to the Plink It project, and LSTA Grant awarded to RPLS and ALS. RPLS member library web pages using Plink It will be demonstrated. You will learn how you can become a part of the Plink It Project. Eric McKinney, Plink It Trainer and Bev Obert will present. The Monarch Award-Books, Butterflies and Blossoming Readers This session will provide basic information about the Monarch Award, the previous winners and the twenty books nominated for the 2008 award. Web resources are also available for the Monarch nominees including many ideas for using the books in the library and classroom. Sharing by libraries who have participated in the Monarch is encouraged. Pam Storm is an elementary media specialist at Carl Sandburg School, a first through third grade school in Charleston, Illinois. Pam is also Chair of the Monarch Award: Ilinois' K-3 Children's Choice Award, which is sponsored by the Illinois School Library Media Association. She has been a media specialist for 25 years, President of ISLMA and a member of the Charleston Public Library Board. Decatur Public Library Insiders Tour Have you always wondered how other libraries worked? Decatur Public Library staff will give you an inside look of their library on this tour.
ROLLING PRAIRIE LIBRARY SYSTEM Rolling Prairie Library System 345 W Eldorado St Decatur, IL 62522 Phone: 217-429-2586 Fax: 217-428-1852 Email: dorism@rpls.ws Serving libraries to better serve you. WE'RE ON THE WEB @ www.rpls.ws	RPLS wishes to thank all of those who made the RPLS Seminar possible: To Decatur Public Library for generously allowing us to use their facilities. To the speakers and presenters who donated their time and talent for the improvement of us all. To the member librarians and their staff who acted as hosts and hostesses and who by their presence made the Seminar a reality. To the member libraries who shared information about their collections. To the RPLS staff members who went the extra mile to see that the Seminar went as smoothly as possible.