Homewood Public Library
1721 Oxmoor Road, Birmingham, AL 35209

Deadline to pre-register was January 15, 2025. Registration is now closed.

Contact Laura Tucker if you have any questions.

8:00-8:45 AM REGISTRATION & NETWORKING, Coffee & Snacks provided by the Library Furniture Guy, Large Auditorium Main Level

9:00-9:45 AM MORNING SESSIONS

• Publicity Swap (all day in Room 102)
• Customer Service – Personnel Board of Jefferson County
• Alabama Literacy Act for Families and Communities – Nancy English & Jodie Lawley, ALSDE
• Libraries and schools are essential to the lives of every individual. In this session, you will develop an initial understanding of the Alabama Literacy Act and consider opportunities to partner with schools.
• ALLA Update with Craig Scott
• Library of Things Collections and Processing Tips – Aubrie Dreschel, Hoover Public Library & Wendy Bridges, Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest
• MedlinePlus: A Resource for Credible, Current, Easy-to-Read Health Information in English & Spanish – Megan Bell, Alabama Health Libraries Association
• Do you need easy to read health information material to provide your patrons? Would you like to know about a resource that provides vetted health information in both English & Spanish? This workshop provides a tour of the MedlinePlus website and explains why it is a trusted resource to use to find consumer health information and to refer to your patrons.

10:00-10:45 AM MORNING SESSIONS

• Publicity Swap (all day in Room 102)
• Customer Service – Personnel Board of Jefferson County - REPEAT
  
• Alabama Literacy Act for Families and Communities – ALSDE - REPEAT
• MedlinePlus: A Resource for Credible, Current, Easy-to-Read Health Information in English & Spanish – Megan Bell, Alabama Health Libraries Association - REPEAT
  
• Do you need easy to read health information material to provide your patrons? Would you like to know about a resource that provides vetted health information in both English & Spanish? This workshop provides a tour of the MedlinePlus website and explains why it is a trusted resource to use to find consumer health information and to refer to your patrons.
• Computer Programming Swap – Melanie Carden, Pelham Public Library
• Youth Reader’s Advisory – Morgan Higgins, O’Neal Library & Jordan Rawson, Pell City Public Library
• What's big in YA, Middle Grade, and Juvenile? Find out from a panel of experts who will discuss their favorite books and the tools they use to help their patrons find their next read.
• Writing Policy While Your Hair is on Fire – Mary Campbell, Pelham Public Library
• How to write policies that work for your library and meet state requirements as painlessly as possible. Writing and rewriting policy often gets put on the back burner with everything else librarians have to do, often while understaffed and underfunded. Throw in a requirement to make major changes in a short amount of time or lose crucial funding? It feels impossible. This program will give you some basics as well as tips to help you get where you need to be, most importantly, by working together! Leave with policy examples and concrete help.

11:00-11:45 AM MORNING SESSIONS

• Publicity Swap (all day in Room 102)
• MedlinePlus: A Resource for Credible, Current, Easy-to-Read Health Information in English & Spanish – Megan Bell, Alabama Health Libraries Association - REPEAT
  
• Do you need easy to read health information material to provide your patrons? Would you like to know about a resource that provides vetted health information in both English & Spanish? This workshop provides a tour of the MedlinePlus website and explains why it is a trusted resource to use to find consumer health information and to refer to your patrons.
• HICA: Empowering Immigrant Communities in Alabama – Sherah Nielsen, HICA Empowering Communities Program Manager
• Discover the transformative work of the Hispanic & Immigrant Center of Alabama (HICA), a community development organization advocating for economic equity, civic engagement, and social justice for Latino and immigrant families.
• Stellar Storytimes Panel – Betty Pate, South Huntsville Public Library & Savannah Galliher, Boaz Public Library & Jessica Lister, Hunstville-Madison County Public Library
• Learn tips and tricks from Stellar Storytellers to make your storytimes out of this world.  The panelists will talk about favorite stories, how to maintain attention, and developing storytimes for outreach and in-house.
• Adult Reader’s Advisory – Leigh Ann Laney, Guntersville Public Library & Barbara Francois, Oxford Public Library & Darlene Horton, Oxford Public Library
• Brush up on how to find the perfect book for each patron with expert Readers' Advisors. The panelists will discuss their favorite go-to books from a variety of genres and the best tools for when they get stumped.
• Let's Talk About It: an interactive discussion about the past year as librarians in Alabama – Daisy Griffin, Auburn Public Library
• Join us for an engaging and interactive discussion as we reflect on the past year’s experiences and challenges in Alabama’s public libraries. We will delve into the triumphs and trials faced by librarians across the state, sharing insights and strategies that have shaped our collective journey. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the field, bring your thoughts, questions, and success stories to this open forum where we’ll come together to celebrate our achievements, mourn our losses and look towards the year ahead. Let’s talk about it and inspire each other to continue making a positive impact in our communities!

12:00 PM -1:00 PM CATERED LUNCH Round Auditorium and Large Auditorium Main Level – 1918 Catering

1:00 PM – 1:45 PM AFTERNOON SESSIONS

• Publicity Swap (all day in Room 102)
• Workforce Development – Nichole Stinson, Director of the Thomasville Career Readiness Center
• Learn about Thomasville Public Library's Career Readiness Center and how your library can incorporate workforce development into your services.
• Teen Programming on a Budget – Hannah Stiglitz, Gadsden Public Library & Michelle Finch, Florence-Lauderdale Public Library
• Looking to add or expand your Teen Programming without breaking the budget? This panel will present great ideas for YA Programming that is cheap or free.
• Bring your reconsideration policy to share and discuss with fellow librarians. The panel will include a discussion of things that we wish would have been included.
• Narcan/Naloxone – Nakeisha Robinson, Jefferson County Department of Health
• The Jefferson Co. Dept. of Health will share knowledge and resources to support public libraries and their partners in addressing the opioid crisis.

2:00-2:45 PM AFTERNOON SESSIONS

• Publicity Swap (all day in Room 102)
• Exhibit Hall - Large Auditorium Main Level
• PLDAA Update – Lyndsy Gardner, O’Neal Library
• Wellness Session - TBD
• Copyright/First Amendment Law – Laura Pitts, Jacksonville State University

3:00-3:45 PM - EXHIBIT HALL - Large Auditorium Main Level

• Mr. Larry
• Moundville
• HICA
• Narcan/Naloxone Training
• Alabama Humanities Alliance
• The Library Furniture Guy
• David Mathews Center for Civic Life
• KultureCity
• Alabama Healthy Librarian Association
• AIDB
• Southern Miss Library School
• & More!

Contact Laura Tucker ([email protected]) if you have any questions.