Imani Odom, CLRC Professional Development Award Recipient, Talks about the New York Library Association Annual Conference

Thanks to a Professional Development Grant from CLRC, I was able to attend the New York Library Association Annual Conference and Trade Show in Syracuse, New York, from November 7-9, 2024. This year was the third NYLA conference I attended. Every year is a new experience, with new people to meet and interesting things to learn. This conference started strong, with a talk from Keynote speaker Amanda Jones. I was slightly aware of Amanda’s role in the media, but I didn’t realize how deep her fight was. As librarians, we understand the importance of fighting against censorship but we rarely are allowed to discuss how dangerous that can be. We are not only facilitators of access, we are also activists, whether we want to be or not.

This year, I decided to attend panels and meetings that I typically wouldn’t go to in the past. I was able to attend the NYBLC annual meeting and introduce myself to other African American librarians from across the state. This was a great opportunity because we are such a small minority within the field. This meeting left me feeling hopeful and grateful to learn how they are helping to sponsor other BIPOC, so they can also get involved in the profession.

I met many wonderful people during the “Pathways to Librarianship” panel. We discussed challenges within the field that we have experienced or witnessed others experience. During the panel discussion, we participated in a group activity where we explored solutions to some of these hardships. This panel was led by professionals from Syracuse University and the New York Library Association, who are conducting research for an IMLS grant.

My favorite panel was “Giving Life to Local History with Online Exhibits.” The presenters of this exhibit walked the audience through the steps needed to create a successful project. For example, they walked us through the methods implemented to conduct research, publish photos on the NY Heritage website, and create accurate descriptions for each exhibit. As a member of the historical collections committee at Utica Public Library, I was intrigued by the tips and tricks they shared with us. I was eager to learn more about curating online exhibits that our community would appreciate and enjoy.

As always, I left the NYLA Conference feeling enthusiastic, and eager to share my knowledge with my colleagues. Throughout the conference, I took copious notes of all the information and programming ideas I wanted to share. I cannot wait to attend the conference again next year in Saratoga Springs, the NYLA Annual Conference has become something I have looked forward to each year. Thank you to CLRC for the Professional Development Grant which has allowed me to attend more than one day of this conference!