CLRC

RRLC Webinar: Mastering the Art of Difficult Conversations
2025-04-23 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
In this webinar, we examine the elements of difficult conversations and why we struggle to communicate. We’ll discuss methods you can use to prepare yourself for having a difficult conversation to increase the likelihood of a positive outcome. We’ll also touch on difficult conversations in the workplace like how to have difficult conversations with your boss or people you manage and how to receive a difficult message.
Learning Objectives
Attendees will walk away with concrete strategies they can employ before and during difficult conversations to build confidence and create meaningful change in your organization through effective communication.
Presenters: Amanda Johnson and Lauren Clossey are the owners of Alliance Research and Training, LLC. Amanda Johnson started her journey in libraries 12 years ago and has since worked in academic, public, and state government environments. Lauren Clossey has worked in libraries for 17 years in academic, public, and school libraries. Together, Amanda and Lauren have developed trainings for the Association for Rural and Small Libraries, Public Library Association, Niche Academy, The People Connect Institute, New Jersey State Library, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Georgia Public Library Services, and more.

CLRC Networking Night @ The Oneida County History Center
2025-04-23 17:00 - 19:00 | Oneida County History Center, 1608 Genesee Street, Utica, 13502-5425, United States
Join CLRC staff and members for a night of light refreshments and hors d’ouevres at the Oneida County History Center!
We invite you to drop in and network with your colleagues from the CLRC community. We’ve made arrangements for behind-the-scenes” tours of OCHC’s facilities and collections.
We hope to see you there!
**Registration will close on April 18 at 5 p.m.**
If you can’t respond via Google Forms, please email Fran Dingle, fdingle@clrc.org.

CDLC In Person - A Beginner's Guide to Failure
2025-04-24 10:00 - 14:00 | Capital District Library Council, 800 Troy-Schenectady Rd, Latham, NY, 12110, United States
A Beginner’s Guide to Failure

Please Note: This is an in-person program that includes both a presentation and discussion. It will held in the CDLC building in Latham. Lunch is included. The program is free, but registration is required.
A Beginner’s Guide to Failure teaches library workers how to embrace and even celebrate failure. Instead of viewing failure as evidence of something lacking, this short course endeavors to help individuals better integrate failure as part of being fully human, taking creative risks, and growing critical skills and mindsets for learning organizations. In other words, despite the common misconception, failure is the rule, not the exception, and more failure actually leads to better ideas, creative solutions, and more productive workplaces! This workshop draws on teachings in emotional intelligence, psychology, philosophy, and culture. The goals and objectives for this workshop are to:

Encourage critical engagement and exploration of the concept of failure in our lives, especially, but not exclusively, our work lives
Experiment with new ways of failing productively, including design-thinking and prototyping approaches
Explore stories of failure in library settings, normalizing the experience of failure
Help workers orient themselves and develop connections to fellow workers in a shared spirit of celebrating failure

About the Instructor: A.M. Alpin is the Head of Digital Scholarship Services and Assistant Coordinator of Faculty Affairs at New York University. She holds an MFA in Film and Media Arts from Temple University and an MS in Information Sciences from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She teaches workshops at NYU, the Made in NY Media Lab, and other institutions. In addition to producing countless failures, she is the past recipient of the Sundance Institute’s Sheila C. Johnson Creative Producing Fellowship, the American Library Association’s Advocacy & Innovation in Library History Award, and the Association of College & Research Libraries’ Outstanding Professional Development Award. Her creative work has been supported by the Sundance Institute, the Independent Filmmaker Project, the Austin Film Society, the Southern Humanities Media Fund, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

SCRLC Lunch & Learn: Occupational Stress
2025-04-24 12:00 - 13:00 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
This webinar deals with how people and workplaces are affected by occupational stress, both acute and chronic. Dealing with stress can offer two options: change the stressor or teach the affected person to develop coping skills. A good stress reduction program incorporates both options so that attendees can appreciate that some stressors can be changed and some cannot; where stressors cannot be changed, good self-care and coping skills can help people to maintain their health and performance.

ESLN Webinar: Open Ask HR - An Ask the HR Expert Webinar
2025-04-25 10:00 - 11:30 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
This seminar is a chance to pose your “What ifs” “Whys” and “Howabouts” for employment practices in the future. Stephanie “Cole” Adams will answer your questions about HR-related issues in this session designed by you!
This is the fourth event in our 4-part “Ask the HR Expert” series.
About the presenter: Stephanie “Cole” Adams is an attorney who represents libraries, educators, students, and creative professionals. Cole provides the Ask the Lawyer service that New York State’s nine library resource councils provide to each library in the state. She is a member of the ALA Lawyers for Libraries faculty, the Vice Chair of the Erie County Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Committee, and served as the General Counsel of Niagara University for over ten years. Cole is a proud graduate of SUNY Buffalo School of Law and Hampshire College.
We invite you to submit a question for the presenter – there will be a place to do that during the registration process. The deadline to submit questions is Friday, April 11, 2025.
Free to ESLN Members. Registration is required. This webinar will be recorded.
This session is sponsored by Empire State Library Network.

LILRC Webinar: Using AI in your Library: Panel Discussion
2025-04-29 10:00 - 17:00 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
This programs features three panelists from public libraries and academics to discuss issues related to implementing AI in your library. They will be talking about the kinds of applications available as well as the important issues that have to be considered when looking at AI.
The panelists include:

Nick Tanzi, Assistant Director, South Huntington Public Library
James Hunter, Assistant Director, Port Washington Public Library
Jessica Koos, Interim Head of the Health Sciences Library, Stony Brook University

LILRC Webinar: Archival Security for Beginners
2025-04-29 13:00 - 14:00 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
Cultural institutions seek to find the balance between public access and securing valuable objects and archives. This program will address the internal and external security threats faced by public and private collections. Topics include risk assessment, security systems, and effectively responding to incidents such as theft or vandalism. The program also emphasizes the importance of collaboration between security professionals and cultural institutions.
This is a continuation of the series explaining the steps of archival management. This introduction is appropriate for those new to working as an archivist or are responsible for the safety of an archival repository or collection.
Presented by:
Nicole Menchise, LILRC Digitization and Archives Coordinator

Meet the NYLA President (In Person @ CLRC)
2025-04-30 10:00 - 12:00 | CLRC, 5710 Commons Park Drive, East Syracuse, NY, 13057, United States
This is an opportunity to meet with Tim Spindler (NYLA President) to discuss anything related to NYLA and ask questions about advocacy.
We’ll have light refreshments for attendees.

WNYLRC Webinar: How to Start a Seed Library
2025-05-01 10:30 - 11:30 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
Description:
This professional development session will walk attendees through the process of how to launch and maintain a seed library at their own library branch.
Many librarians would like to begin seed libraries, but a lack of time, money, and people-power can prove daunting. However, even with very little initial capital, any librarian can make a successful start and streamline the maintenance of their own seed library very affordably from year to year. It is our hope that this talk will provide you with the cheat-codes and life-hacks to save money, time, and labor while still providing a fully-functional and often necessary resource to your community.
This talk is designed to be exhaustive, but not exhausting! Aspects of the process covered will include: soliciting donations from seed companies, the basic hardware that you will need, proper storage techniques, spreadsheet statistics, partnering with local community organizations and volunteers, the differing seed needs of urban and rural communities, promotional materials and social media outreach, programming tie-ins, and even pest control! A 15-minute Q&A will follow the presentation.

LILRC Webinar: Creating Community Through Art - A Talk with Shinnecock Artist Jeremy Dennis
2025-05-07 14:00 - 15:00 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
Join Shinnecock artist Jeremy Dennis for an engaging Zoom talk where he delves into his dynamic art practice and the inspiring story behind Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio, Inc. Jeremy will share insights into his artistic journey, discuss the cultural narratives that shape his work, and explore how Ma’s House serves as a vibrant hub for Indigenous and BIPOC artists. This is a unique opportunity to learn about the intersection of art, community, and social impact from a visionary leader and creator.
Presenter:
Jeremy Dennis is a contemporary fine art photographer and a member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation in Southampton, NY. His work explores Indigenous identity, cultural heritage, and the narratives of his ancestors. In 2020, Jeremy founded Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio, Inc., a communal art space and residency program dedicated to supporting underrepresented artists. His innovative projects have earned him recognition for fostering cultural dialogue and community-building through art.

LILRC Webinar: Reducing Stress, Improving Mental Health
2025-05-09 11:00 - 13:00 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
The world we live in is stressful. Reducing Stress, Improving Mental Health is an interactive workshop designed to teach various coping strategies to help improve one’s mental health inside and outside of the workplace. In this workshop, Dr. Sam Colbert teaches empirically informed skills (including mindfulness techniques and positive psychological practices) shown to decrease stress and improve mental health.
Topics will include:
Relationship Between Stress and Performance
Humans Co-Regulation of Each Other’s Nervous Systems
Relaxation/Experiential Activities
Self-Care Strategies
Presenter:
Dr. Samuel M. Colbert, PhD is a counseling psychologist, licensed in the state of Pennsylvania. He earned his PhD at Ball State University and completed his pre-doctoral clinical internship at University of Pennsylvania’s (UPenn’s) counseling center. He received his Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Ball State University and his Bachelor of Arts at SUNY Geneseo, Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa.
Dr. Colbert is a clinician, consultant, educator, and researcher. He practices couples and individual therapy at Philadelphia Couples Therapy, a private group practice in Philadelphia, PA. He has also taught multiple undergraduate courses, including: The Psychology of Sexuality, Multicultural Counseling and Fundamentals of Counseling Skills. He has presented hundreds of LGBTQ+ Skill Building Workshops, with varied audiences including, psychologists at the Annual American Psychological Convention, National Rehabilitation Psychological Conference, and fellows at John’s Hopkins. Informed from his teaching, training, and clinical experiences, Dr. Colbert has co-authored a chapter in Navigating Difficult Teaching Moments in Teaching Diversity and Social Justice published by the American Psychological Association. His research includes exploring factors leading to the health and well-being of gender and sexual minority people possessing intersecting identities.
Sam is honored to continue to share his passion for learning, teaching, and training with the Long Island Library Resources Council!

RRLC Webinar: Rooting Out Dysfunction and Creating Successful Teams
2025-05-14 14:00 - 15:00 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
In this webinar, we discuss how to identify the pitfalls of dysfunctional teams and how to avoid those to create a communicative, motivated team. This training will touch on pitfalls that many teams fall prey to and how to avoid those as team leaders and team members. No matter the role
you play in your library’s team, we have information that any member of the team can implement.
Learning Objectives
Attendees will learn methods and activities they can immediately put into practice to improve communication and increase trust between team members.
Presenters: Amanda Johnson and Lauren Clossey are the owners of Alliance Research and Training, LLC. Amanda Johnson started her journey in libraries 12 years ago and has since worked in academic, public, and state government environments. Lauren Clossey has worked in libraries for 17 years in academic, public, and school libraries. Together, Amanda and Lauren have developed trainings for the Association for Rural and Small Libraries, Public Library Association, Niche Academy, The People Connect Institute, New Jersey State Library, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Georgia Public Library Services, and more.

SCRLC Webinar: Building Psychological Safety and Supportive Cultures in Teams
2025-05-15 08:00 - 17:00 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
Description: This workshop focuses on the importance of psychological safety in fostering effective teamwork and creating a culture of care. Participants will learn strategies to build trust, encourage open communication, and support each other’s well-being, leading to enhanced collaboration and performance.
Learning Outcomes:
*Define psychological safety and its impact on team dynamics and performance
*Identify behaviors that promote or hinder psychological safety within teams
*Implement practices that support individual and collective well-being.

SCRLC Webinar: Finding Hidden Links in the Underground Railroad - Oneonta and Norwich, NY
2025-05-15 10:00 - 11:00 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
The aim of the webinar is to leave participants with an understanding of how diverse documents can solve the puzzle of identifying an Underground Railroad story.

SCLRC Webinar: Finding Hidden Links in the Underground Railroad: Oneonta and Norwich, NY
2025-05-15 10:00 - 11:00 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
Description: The aim of the webinar is to leave participants with an understanding of how diverse documents can solve the puzzle of identifying an Underground Railroad story.
Participants will learn:
*The Difference between the Underground Railroad and the Freedom Journey
*How the search can begin with a primary or secondary source
*Examples of facilities preserving a record that includes reference to the local community’s involvement with the Underground Railroad

ESLN Webinar - NYH Bits & Bytes with Westchester County Historical Society
2025-05-15 12:00 - 13:00 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
In this webinar, the newly-launched digital collection, “Experiencing the Neutral Ground of the American Revolution: The McDonald Interviews,” will be introduced by Patrick Raftery, Project Manager, and Monica Genuardi, Project Archivist. They were responsible for digitizing, transcribing and annotating the collection, which consists of over 400 hand-written, firsthand accounts of the Revolutionary War years in Westchester County and environs. This was the “Neutral Ground,” the term for the area between the British-occupied New York City and the American lines in northern Westchester County. The interviews conducted by John M. Macdonald are frequently graphic, eyewitness accounts of the numerous raids, skirmishes, and depredation that occurred here between 1776 and 1783, as told by the men, women, and children who endured it. The collection is now available on the sites of Westchester County Historical Society and New York Heritage. The project was made possible by the National Historical Records and Publications Commission, a part of the National Archives.
Presenters: Patrick Raftery, Project Manager and Monica Genuardi, Project Archivist.

LILRC Webinar: Jewish Librarians Meetup
2025-05-15 15:00 - 16:00 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
Join us for conversation with fellow librarians and library workers to share your workplace concerns. All are welcome.

LILRC Webinar: From "I Can't" to "I Can" - Empowering Students to Overcome Learned Helplessness
2025-05-16 10:00 - 11:30 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
Learned helplessness can quietly derail student success—it’s the phenomenon where students feel that no matter what they do, they’ll fail, and as a result, they stop trying. In the classroom, this often manifests as students who refuse help, give up easily, or lack motivation. This webinar shines a light on learned helplessness in education and offers actionable solutions. Educators will learn how to recognize the signs of learned helplessness, understand its psychological and behavioral impact on student engagement, and implement strategies to break this negative cycle. The goal: help you replace “I can’t” with “I can” in your students’ mindset by fostering resilience, motivation, and self-efficacy.
Throughout the session, you’ll learn to identify the telltale signs of learned helplessness, such as apathy, avoidance of challenges, and negative self-talk, while exploring the underlying causes. We’ll cover how to cultivate a growth mindset in students, encouraging them to view setbacks as learning opportunities rather than failures. Practical techniques for giving students ownership and autonomy in their learning will be shared, along with ways to empower them through choice, voice, and responsibility to build confidence and intrinsic motivation.
Additionally, you’ll gain strategies for delivering encouraging, constructive feedback that reinforces effort and progress, with a focus on celebrating small wins and improvement milestones to build momentum. We’ll explore how to create a classroom culture that is safe, supportive, and fosters resilience—one where mistakes are seen as opportunities to grow, and students feel secure in taking academic risks.
By the end of the webinar, you’ll be equipped with practical tools and strategies to transform your classroom climate and support every learner. You’ll know how to spot and address learned helplessness early, foster resilience and self-efficacy, apply growth mindset techniques in daily teaching, deliver empowering feedback, and re-engage discouraged learners. Join us and gain ready-to-use strategies to boost student engagement, confidence, and success—turning “I can’t” into “I can” and watching your students thrive.
Dr. Danny Sabol is an experienced educator, librarian, and leader with a strong background in promoting student engagement, literacy, and educational innovation. With over a decade of experience spanning public libraries, K-12 schools, and higher education, Dr. Sabol specializes in fostering inclusive learning environments that empower students and support academic success.
He holds a Doctorate in Computer Science, a Master of Library and Information Science, and other advanced degrees in both Computer Science and Web Technologies. Dr. Sabol is a published author and recognized speaker, with expertise in areas such as student resilience, growth mindset, educational technology, and literacy development. His work focuses on equipping educators with practical strategies to support student motivation, self-efficacy, and lifelong learning.
In addition to his academic and professional achievements, Dr. Sabol is passionate about creating equitable and supportive learning spaces that help students overcome challenges like learned helplessness and disengagement. His engaging, actionable approach has made him a sought-after presenter at conferences and webinars nationwide.
To learn more about Dr. Sabol please visit his website: www.danielsabol.org

LILRC In Person - Chocolate Programming Experiences for Patrons of All Ages
2025-05-19 11:00 - 12:00 | Suffolk Cooperative Library System, 627 N Sunrise Service Rd, Bellport, NY, 11713, United States
Join LILRC as we welcome Linda Johnson of Chocology for an in person learning experience.
Linda Johnson brings the world of fine chocolate to life through hands-on, sensory-rich programs that are as educational as they are delicious. Designed for all ages, her library experiences blend storytelling, science, culture, and chocolate tasting into one unforgettable event. In this mini session, you’ll explore Bean-to-Bar Chocolate and her Tasting Ritual, enjoy a guided tasting, and learn about the variety of program options tailored for children, teens, multigenerational, adults, and seniors.
Linda Johnson is a passionate chocolatier and the creative force behind Chocology, a business dedicated to crafting memorable experiences around chocolate. With an international corporate background in technology, Linda transitioned into the world of chocolate to find joy, balance, and a path to a long, happy life. Her expertise and curiosity have led her to source and celebrate chocolate from around the globe, with a special focus on artisan and bean-to-bar selections.
Linda’s programs are immersive journeys that educate, entertain, and delight. She’s known for her innovative chocolate pairings with wine, cheese, and even music, bringing her clients on sensory adventures. Linda’s events highlight her belief in making chocolate personal and creating connections through shared experiences.

LILRC Webinar: Supporting Children's Mental Wellbeing with Just-Right Reads
2025-05-20 14:00 - 15:00 | NY
Books are one of the most ubiquitous, accessible, and powerful resources available to support children’s mental wellbeing. In this session, we will share information and strategies from our edited volume Using Literature to Support Children’s Mental Health, which explores the intersections and interplay between mental health topics and picture books, chapter books, and graphic novels targeted at children ages birth to twelve. Topics will include grief and loss, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, autism, and more.
Kim Becnel is a professor of Library Science at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. A former youth services librarian, she currently teaches and researches in the areas of intellectual freedom, youth literature, public library services, and distance pedagogy.
Robin A. Moeller is a former high school librarian and professor of Library Science at Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina, USA. Her research interests lie in visual representations of information as they apply to youth and schooling, as well as the reading habits and interests of children and teens.

Webinar: Hazard Analysis Techniques Overview
2025-05-21 10:00 - 11:00 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
Webinar Description:
As people become more experienced, workplace safety walkarounds and evaluations can become worse — people have seen the same workplace so often that they don’t “see” it anymore. They can overlook hazards and risks because of their familiarity. One way to overcome this problem is to use tools that are structured, yet creative — tools which turn employees’ knowledge and experience into a valuable and decided advantage for doing workplace audits and assessments.
About the Presenter:
Nellie Brown is the Director of the Workplace Health and Safety Program of Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Nellie also provides expertise for the Cannabis Workforce Initiative. A certified industrial hygienist (Board for Global EHS Credentialing, Diplomate of the American Board of Industrial Hygiene), biologist and chemist, Nellie earned a master’s degree in a multidisciplinary program in natural sciences and applied science from the State University of New York College at Buffalo. Nellie also provides industrial hygiene services for the Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine – Western New York, a clinic funded by NYSDOH for diagnosis and treatment of occupational injuries and illnesses. See: https://www.ilr.cornell.edu/buffalo-co-lab/education-and-training/workplace-health-and-safety Nellie provides virtual and on-site training and technical assistance on a wide range of occupational safety and health hazards including chemicals, biological agents (including COVID-19), ergonomics, occupational stress, shift-work and long hours of work, crisis and violence prevention, hazard analysis techniques, and indoor air quality for employers, labor unions, and the public. She teaches a virtual credit course on occupational safety and health. Nellie is frequently interviewed by the media (including CNN) and was a speaker on workplace violence for a BBC television special. She is the author of numerous occupational health hazard manuals, training programs, and articles; her publications on Cornell University’s DigitalCollections@ILR e-Library have been downloaded over 290,000 times in over 180 countries.
This webinar is NOT being recorded.

**All participants will have the option to request a certificate of attendance for one contact hour.**
All CLRC events are open to CLRC members and members of the Empire State Library Network.
All Attendees are expected to follow CLRC’s Code of Conduct

LILRC Webinar: Ask An Archivist - Archival Outreach for Beginners
2025-05-22 08:00 - 17:00 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
Making your community aware and engaged in your organization requires a steady flow of events and information. Outreach includes daily social media posts, programming for children and adults, exhibits, publications, and tours. Get some inspiration for how your archival materials can contribute to your organization’s positive exposure; making the most of what you have in your collections.
This is the conclusion of the series explaining the steps of archival management. This introduction is appropriate for those new to working as an archivist or are responsible for the safety of an archival repository or collection.

LILRC Webinar: High School and Beyond Meetup
2025-05-29 12:30 - 13:30 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
This is a bimonthly meeting of academic and school librarians to discuss the transition students face graduating from high school and entering academia. All are welcome.

ESLN Academic Leadership Series: Recruitment and Retention
2025-05-29 13:00 - 14:30 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
This series of six 90-minute panel discussions will feature academic library leaders from across New York State discussing various topics relevant to new and emerging leaders. Panelists represent a wide variety of academic institutions and provide a diverse set of experiences. As part of each session, participants will have opportunities to network with other new and emerging leaders through breakout rooms and small group discussions in addition to the larger panel discussion. These sessions will not be recorded.
Join us for the next event in this series, Recruitment and Retention! This session will focus on the strategies libraries have used to attract staff members at all levels and on strategies our libraries and institutions have implemented to help retain employees.
Topics discussed may include:
– Strategies to recruit a diverse pool of job candidates
– How to work within limitations institutions may place on recruitment efforts
– Successful interview strategies
– Managing virtual versus in-person interviews
– Effective elements of onboarding plans for new employees
– Implementing plans or programs aimed at retaining or incentivizing employees
Panelists: Liz King (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute); Elaine L. Westbrooks (Cornell University); Andrea Falcone (Binghamton University)
Facilitator: Cara Howe

CDLC In Person Event Reinvigorating Librarianship Symposium, presented by the Collection Development and Sharing Committee
2025-05-30 08:30 - 13:00 | Capital District Library Council, 800 Troy-Schenectady Rd, Latham, NY, 12110, United States
Reinvigorating Librarianship Symposium, presented by the Collection Development and Sharing Committee

Join us for an in-person symposium on reinvigorating your library career!
Tentative Agenda. This is subject to change. Check our Reinvigorating Librarianship guide for more information.
830 am Doors open
8:30 – 9:00 am Registration
9:00 am-12:00 noon Formal Program
12:00 noon-1:00 pm – Networking, socializing, selfies with Mychal Threets
Program will include:

Make Yourself Marketable: What HR is Really Looking for in a New Employee – Presentation by Erina Dacey, Human Resources Generalist III, Albany Public Library. Erina has 9 years of successful Human Resources experience, specializing in hiring and employee management. She obtained her SHRM-CP (Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professionals) accreditation in 2020.
Reimagining Your Career – You can revitalize your career while remaining in the library profession! Three veterans explain how they have thrived while making significant changes over the years. Regina, Gwen, and Susan will share lessons learned, skills acquired, and opportunities seized along the way. Regina Vertone from Russell Sage College and Gwen Weldy and Susan Flint from Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library.
A Conversation with Mychal the Librarian – Mychal Threets, Literacy Ambassador. Mychal worked in various positions at the Solana County Library in California for over 11 years. He became a library celebrity by promoting libraries and reading through social media. He now promotes literacy full-time.

SCRLC Lunch & Learn: Mosquito-borne Illnesses in NYS
2025-06-04 11:00 - 12:00 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
Attendees will learn about mosquito-borne diseases that are transmitted in NYS, travel-associated mosquito-borne diseases, how mosquito-borne disease transmission occurs, and how to protect themselves from getting infected.

LILRC Webinar: Working to Increase Safe Spaces for the LGBTQ Community
2025-06-06 11:00 - 13:00 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
Creating spaces where LGBTQ people can feel safe and supported is paramount at this point in history. In this interactive workshop, we will discuss current stressors affecting the LGBTQ community and explore methods to advocate for the needs of LGBTQ people. We will specifically highlight the needs of trans people and ways to support this resilient community.
Program Takeaways:

Current research on psychosocial stressors affecting LGBTQ people
Methods for Creating Inclusive Environments for LGBTQ people
Experiential activities for increasing empathy for working with LGBTQ people

Presenter: Dr. Samuel M. Colbert, PhD is a counseling psychologist, licensed in the state of Pennsylvania. He earned his PhD at Ball State University and completed his pre-doctoral clinical internship at University of Pennsylvania’s (UPenn’s) counseling center. He received his Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Ball State University and his Bachelor of Arts at SUNY Geneseo, Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Colbert is a clinician, consultant, educator, and researcher. He practices couples and individual therapy at Philadelphia Couples Therapy, a private group practice in Philadelphia, PA. He has also taught graduate and undergraduate courses, including: Couples and Family Therapy, The Psychology of Sexuality, Multicultural Counseling and Fundamentals of Counseling Skills. He has presented various trainings, including hundreds of LGBTQ+ Skill Building Workshops, with varied audiences including, psychologists at the Annual American Psychological Convention, National Rehabilitation Psychological Conference, and fellows at John’s Hopkins. His research explores factors leading to the health and well-being of marginalized populations possessing intersecting identities; he has published multiple empirical articles on these topics. Informed from his teaching, training, and clinical experiences, Dr. Colbert has co-authored a chapter in Navigating Difficult Teaching Moments in Teaching Diversity and Social Justice published by the American Psychological Association.

LILRC Webinar: A Dangerous Experiment - Comics and Graphic Novels About Scientists!
2025-06-10 11:00 - 12:00 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
Comics about scientists? Why such a dangerous experiment?! Comic books still have a whiff of disreputability about them, even after all the movies and all the decades of work done by creators and librarians (yes, you!) to broaden their subject matter and reach. Presenter Jim Ottaviani’s niche is comics about science and engineering, and in this talk we’ll discuss why and how he makes them.
Jim Ottaviani is the author of fifteen (and counting) graphic novels about scientists. His most recent books include Einstein, illustrated by Jerel Dye, Naturalist (with E.O. Wilson, illustrated by C.M. Butzer) and Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier, illustrated by Maris Wicks. Others include: The Imitation Game, a biography of Alan Turing illustrated by Leland Purvis; Primates, about Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas with art by Maris Wicks; and Feynman, with Leland Myrick, all of which were New York Times bestsellers. His books have been translated into over a dozen languages and are probably the only ones to have received praise from both Nature and Vampirella Magazine…and everything in between, from Physics World to Entertainment Weekly.
Jim came to comics via careers in engineering and librarianship. Find out more at www.gt-labs.com and on social media as @gtlabsrat on Bluesky and others.

RRLC Webinar: Articulating Value - Leveling Up Your Stakeholder Communications
2025-06-11 14:00 - 15:00 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
This webinar takes a deep dive into stakeholder interests and motivation and the challenges to communicating with different stakeholder groups. We will focus on how to strategically communicate the impact of library services and resources to a variety of stakeholder groups.
Learning Objectives
Attendees will learn how to use stakeholder mapping and targeted activities to assess the needs and priorities of different stakeholder groups, as well as how to use storytelling frameworks to create meaningful stakeholder communications.
Presenters: Amanda Johnson and Lauren Clossey are the owners of Alliance Research and Training, LLC. Amanda Johnson started her journey in libraries 12 years ago and has since worked in academic, public, and state government environments. Lauren Clossey has worked in libraries for 17 years in academic, public, and school libraries. Together, Amanda and Lauren have developed trainings for the Association for Rural and Small Libraries, Public Library Association, Niche Academy, The People Connect Institute, New Jersey State Library, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Georgia Public Library Services, and more.

LILRC Webinar: In the Form of a Question: Jeopardy! Champion and Author Amy Schneider
2025-06-12 14:00 - 15:00 | Online Via Zoom, NY, United States
Join LILRC when we welcome author and Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider to discuss her new book, Who Is Amy Schneider?: Questions on Growing Up, Being Curious, and Winning It Big on Jeopardy! (A Young Readers Edition of In the Form of a Question, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025). LILRC members who attend are eligible to win a copy of the book!
In eighth grade, Amy Schneider was voted “Most likely to appear on Jeopardy!” by her classmates. Decades later, she finally got her chance. Not only did Amy walk away with $1.3 million while captivating the world with her impressive forty-game winning streak, but she made history and won an even greater prize—the joy of being herself on national television and blazing a trail for openly queer and transgender people around the world. Now, she shares her singular journey that led to becoming an unlikely icon and hero to millions. Her superpowers: boundless curiosity and fearless questioning.
Who Is Amy Schneider? shows kids that there isn’t a right way to be smart nor a wrong way to learn, that curiosity fuels passion, and that discovering your true self begins with asking yourself why?”
Amy Schneider is an American software engineer and recent Jeopardy! champion. Following an impressive forty-game winning streak, she became the most successful woman ever to compete on Jeopardy!. She is second all-time in the show’s history, trailing only Ken Jennings. Amy is also the first openly transgender contestant to qualify for the Tournament of Champions. She has been covered in People, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, USA TODAY, and more, and she has appeared on Good Morning America.
