WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21ST

9:00-10:30

President's Program

Presented by: Dr. Theodore Foster, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Description: Dr. Theodore Foster will provide insight into the value of libraries in the electoral process and the history of voting rights. His research regarding voting rights and the history of the vote will illuminate and encourage those who can make a difference in their communities.

10:45-11:45

Catching FYRE: Librarians as Research Mentors

Presented by: Sarah Hernandez and Jasmine Malone, Xavier University of Louisiana

Description: With the vitalization of undergraduate research, there is room for library faculty to become a more significant part of that experience. This presentation will introduce undergraduate research opportunities and mentorship within academic libraries as a way of positively participating in undergraduate research programs and furthering campus engagement with the library.

PRIME TIME Pivots: Meeting Families' Literacy Needs During Pandemic Times

Presented by: Sarah DeBacher, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities 

Description: The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities PRIME TIME program includes Family Reading (for caregivers and their 6- to 10-year-olds), Preschool (for 3- to 5-year-olds and their caregivers), and now, PRIME TIME Online (virtual adaptations of both programs), as well as "analog" reading and discussion kits for independent, at-home implementation--the PRIME TIME Spark Box. Sarah DeBacher and Lacey Cunningham will highlight the impact of these "programmatic pivots" developed during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and explain how Louisiana libraries can partner with PRIME TIME to deliver programming in their communities. PRIME TIME is a Library of Congress Best Practices in Literacy Promotion honoree and a project of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities.

1:00-2:00

Centennial Women's Suffrage: Celebrating 100 Years of Grit and Grace

Presented by: Angela Dunnington and Carol Madere, SELU

Description: The Centennial Women’s Suffrage Project was launched at Southeastern Louisiana University in 2019. Learn how its interdisciplinary group of faculty (including librarians) and staff developed ways for members of the community to join in the centennial commemoration. Partnering with the National Women’s History Museum, Preserve Louisiana, Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, and the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources regional program, the team has successfully engaged in scholarly discourse through presentations, panel discussions, a one-day conference, a virtual institute for K-12 educators, and a traveling exhibit.

6th-8th-grade Book Talks, 2020-2021 Louisiana Young Readers' Circle (LYRC)

Presented by: Jamie Hebert, State Library of Louisiana (SLoL), and Angela Germany, West Baton Rouge Parish Library

Description: The Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice (LYRC) awards program has an average of 25,000 students reading and voting on their favorite titles annually. The LYRC committees read hundreds of titles in order to create the best book lists for our state. This program and two other others will showcase these titles, and resources to promote them, to educators, public librarians, and school librarians.

State of the State Library

Presented by: Rebecca Hamilton

Description: Learn about new and ongoing initiatives from the State Library of Louisiana with Rebecca Hamilton, State Librarian. 

2:15-3:15

It's Alive: Bringing History to Life

Presented by: Soline Holmes, Academy of the Sacred Heart, and Alicia Schwarzenbach, Delgado Community College

Description: Teaching and programming with primary sources can be useful for every age level and for every subject. These raw materials of history are also great tools to teach visual literacy and empathy. Learn best practices for using primary sources in your library or classroom to help bring history to life.

One Team, One Mission: School and Public Library Partnerships

Presented by: Amanda Jones, Live Oak Middle School; Marcie Nelson Livingston, Parish Library 

Description:  Public libraries and school libraries both have the same mission, so why not create a partnership? Learn how Live Oak Middle is working with the Livingston Parish Public Library to create a partnership for the students with their district—student ecards, the school’s Family Night, onsite visits, and more.

Rolling with Bookmobiles (and Outreach)

Presented by: Amy Wander, Lafayette Public Library;  Tameka L. Roby, East Baton Rouge Public Library;  Aime' Lohmeyer, New Orleans Public Library; and Londa Price, Rapides Parish Library

Description: Join a panel of Bookmobile and Outreach personal from across the state discuss how they do Bookmobile and Outreach offerings locally, how things have changed because of COVID-19, and what they are planning for this summer. There will also be plenty of time for questions. 

THURSDAY, APRIL 22ND

9:00-10:30

Vice President's Program

Presented by: Dan Schneider 'The Pharmacist'

Description: Dan Schneider’s (of Netflix’s “The Pharmacist”) advocacy preventing and ending substance use disorder was born from personal tragedy. Hear him speak about the hurdles and triumphs of creating informed and engaged communities. 

10:45- 11:45

Preserving Black Catholic History by Re-discovering and Re-engaging the Oral History Projects of Xavier University of Louisiana

Presented by: Vincent Barraza and Jane Fiegel, Xavier University

Description: An archives-led oral history program can fill gaps in University history and allow students fresh ways of interacting with the archives. After discovering a collection of cassette tapes from 1989 containing oral history interviews conducted by the original University Archivist, we decided to carry on the work started by Sister Roberta Smith, S.B.S. Learn how we revitalized a forgotten program, by digitizing old materials and recording new oral histories, and how we incorporated student interns into the project.

Let's Get Ready to Rumble: Creating a Battle of the Books

Presented by: Amanda Jones, Live Oak Middle School; Tiffany Whitehead, Episcopal Baton Rouge

Description: What is a book battle? Learn about resources for selecting books (including the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice nominees), combining the program with voting machines, funding, creating questions, battle formats, and our past successes.

9th-12th-grade Book Talks (LYRC)

Presented by: Jamie Hebert, SLoL, and Kristi Hammatt, Catholic High (EBR)

Description: The Louisiana Teen Readers’ Choice committees read hundreds of titles in order to create the best book lists for our state. This program will showcase these titles and resources to promote them.

1:00-2:00

3rd-5th-grade Book Talks (LYRC)

Presented by: Jamie Hebert, SLoL; Chanel Maronge, Park Elementary (EBR); and Soline Holmes, Academy of the Sacred Heart

Description: The Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice (LYRC) awards program has an average of 25,000 students reading and voting on their favorite titles annually. The LYRC committees read hundreds of titles in order to create the best book lists for our state. This program will showcase these titles and resources to promote them.

Archives Security: Methods for Protecting Restricted Information

Presented by: Zack Stein, ULL

Description: Archivists aim to make research and manuscripts accessible to the public. However, accessibility becomes an ethical challenge when confronting sensitive information. Further difficulties arise due to the size of the collections, previous accession practices, and insufficient staff and resources. The Special Collections department at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Edith Garland Dupré Library is addressing this problem by following protocols to protect sensitive information from being released while staying true to the accessibility mantra. This presentation will cover the department’s plans and provide advice to others who are confronting backlogs of sensitive information.

Put Your Self(ie) Out There: Using Social Media to Advocate for Your School Library

Presented by: Amanda Jones, Live Oak Middle School

Description: Let the world see how invaluable a school library can be for the school, as well as the community, and that a library involves more than just checking out books. Join a 2019 AASL Social Media Superstar to examine how to use social media, apps, and free website builders, and to discuss media releases, platforms, and social media resources. It’s important to advocate for your library, but first you have to put your self(ie) out there.

2:15-3:15

Get Your Free Passport to Learning with Flipgrid Virtual Field Trips

Presented by: Melanie LeJeune, St. Louis Catholic High School

Description: Discover how to connect your library to free journeys and adventures. With Flipgrid virtual field trips, your students can meet authors, engineers, designers, scientists, and others. No transportation needed!

Team Building in the Virtual World

Presented by: Tanya DiMaggio, St. Tammany Public Library

Description: Virtual meetings just may be the new normal. While it is an efficient way to get work done, we miss connecting to colleagues on a personable level. This presentation will cover how to use remote work technology to adapt some traditional team building activities. It will cover ideas from the corporate world as well as from library programming. Participants will also learn about new apps that can facilitate team building. Participants will leave with a toolkit of activities, from simple ice breakers to activities that sharpen communication skills. Many of the ideas can be used for public programming as well.