In this Issue:

PRESIDENT'S CORNER
NCLA CONFERENCE NEWS
UPCOMING EVENTS
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LIBRARIAN INTERVIEW
BOOK PICK
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Welcome to the North Carolina Library Association’s monthly eNewsletter! A production of the NCLA Marketing Committee, the eNewsletter is devoted to highlighting professional events and programs, librarians making exceptional differences in their communities, and how the association is working to serve YOU! Please subscribe and your feedback is always welcome.
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
 Another summer has slipped away and soon it will be time for conference. Thanks to all of you who have embraced our new software and updated your profiles in Wild Apricot as well as registered for the upcoming conference. The use of new software for the conference is also exciting and the format provides a great vehicle for planning your conference experience ahead of time.
 
If you haven’t updated your membership and/or registered for conference, please do so as we want to hit the ground running at conference and reduce manual inputs with on site registrations. At conference, there will be training and support provided to help answer questions and learn more about navigation on Wild Apricot.
 
I would also like to remind you to vote for our next slate of officers here. These are important roles that build upon the activities we accomplish, thus ensuring a healthy future for our association and strong support for our profession.
 
Another reminder is to volunteer at conference. Please use this link to sign up to help and be “hands on” by helping and sharing the load. It’s a great way to meet new people and pay back what others have been doing all year. Our backpack stuffing program with the Librarians Build Communities section is a great service model that needs all of us to contribute our time and efforts.
 
Have a great fall! We are thinking of our colleagues to the east dealing with Dorian and we will help and support them the best we can.
 
Hope to see you in Winston at conference next month,
Mike
 
NCLA CONFERENCE NEWS
Many thanks to the 63rd NCLA Biennial Conference Sponsors!
• UNCG LIS   • NC Humanities Council   • Duke University Press
 
• Springshare   • Gale/Cengage   • Appalachian State Library Science
 
• Thomson Reuters WestLaw 
 
UPCOMING EVENTS
Register for Conference Prep, Part II here
 
 
*If you missed the first webinar, no worries!
You can watch the recording at your convenience here.
Just look at the previous webinar section on the homepage.
 
Help! I'm an Accidental Government Information Librarian:
Industry Research Using the Economic Census
Thursday, September 19 • 12 pm
Online Webinar  
 
The Government Resources Section of the North Carolina Library Association welcomes you to a series of webinars designed to help us increase our familiarity with government information. All are welcome because government information wants to be free.
 
Are you ready?  Starting in September 2019, the most current Economic Census will start being released.  With this Census, there are regular changes in geographic definitions and industry classifications, but the big news is the introduction of the North American Product Classification Systems (NAPCS) and new distribution method.  The 2017 Economic Census will be one of the first Census titles released only on the new data.census.gov website, since no new programs have been added to American FactFinder since July 1, 2019.  Our time together will be spent going over the basics of what the Economic Census has to offer as well these upcoming changes.

We will use WebEx for the live session. Information on testing and accessing the session will be made available when you register.
 
The session will be recorded and available after the live session, linked from the
NCLA GRS web page
 
Register here
 
Succeeding in Challenging Customer Interactions
Thursday, September 19 • 11 am
Online Webinar  
 
Libraries strive to be open and welcoming to everyone but it can be a tricky balancing act to provide great customer service to everyone equally. This webinar will provide real scenarios and walk participants through how to prioritize, communicate policy, and get everyone the help they need. Hey, I know we spend a lot of time already training for and talking about difficult customers but these two taught me new things!
 
Presenters:
Tiffany Boeglen, Librarian, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, North Carolina
Erin Yager, Senior Library Assistant, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, North Carolina
 
Register here
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS 
Back in April, in honor of National Library Week, Wake Tech Libraries held their first Human Library event. It was held across five campuses throughout the week, one per day so the entire Wake Tech community could experience the program. It was very successful. Between five campuses we had 27 "human books," which included staff, faculty, and students, and a total number of 280 "checkouts." This was a collaborative effort with the college's Student Activities department, the Student Government Association, and our Student Ambassadors. Check out a short video entailing the event below:
 
*Please note that the Main Library had a basement flood which interrupted their book sale schedule. A full list of items is available and purchases may be made my phone or email. See the full list here. 
 
LIBRARIAN INTERVIEW
Jennifer Sackett
Library Director
Lincoln County Public Library
 
1. What was the first library job you had that made the little voice in your head go, “Yes—I have found the profession for me!”
 
My first library job was as a Graduate Assistant at Bob Jones University. Although I was ready to end my career as a college student, I agreed to attend Library School at the University’s request. So I guess the “voice in my head” was actually that of the Provost! While I held a variety of positions, serving as the University Archivist was my favorite. I enjoyed curating collections of photos and documents, designing displays, and researching the past but most of all preserving the personal stories of alumni and retired faculty. Overall, it was the opportunity to help others grow and explore new ideas that convinced me being a librarian was about more about than just books.
 
2. What part of your job keeps you going to work every day? How do you continue to find inspiration and passion in the library field?
 
I enjoy serving others and making a difference in my community. Hearing patrons talk about what the library means to them and how it transformed their lives is humbling. It’s exciting working with other organizations to broaden the impact of our services in the community. I’m especially interested in supporting the academic success of our children. Establishing strong partnerships that open doors and encourage our youth to dream big is an important part of our work. The Lincoln County Public Library has a strong school partnership with staff providing weekly STEAM programs both during and after regular classroom hours.
 
Being a Director, it’s easy to get tied up with reports, meetings, and deadlines. I spend as much time as possible interacting with people in the library and the community so I don’t
forget why I transitioned to public libraries. I also enjoy networking with so many talented colleagues across the state. Each community is different but I find the challenge of meeting unique needs extremely rewarding. It’s easy to be passionate about what you do when your work enables you to do things like sing songs with toddlers in storytime, make sure a reluctant reader gets the books he couldn’t buy at the school book fair or help a grandmother login to a computer for the first time so she can watch her granddaughter receive her doctoral degree. Every day is a new adventure. While what we do as librarians may not be brain surgery, we transform lives every day!
 
 
3. Who are your library heroes in North Carolina and beyond?
 
Dan Barron was my advisor in Library School at the University of South Carolina. When I moved to North Carolina I was inspired by his commitment to the AMY Regional Library and his community. His involvement with various organizations and efforts to improve the quality of life for local residents went beyond what you learn from textbooks.
 
Ruth Ann Copley has been a mentor and friend who not only encouraged me to dream but supported many of my “crazy, out of the box” ideas. Her work with the digital libraries showed me the impact one person can have on an entire state.
 
Finally there is Joyce Parks, my Public Speaking teacher in college, who not only taught me to walk with my toes pointed forward and never say “um” but also encouraged me to make a difference in the library field by staying involved professionally. Joyce always wanted to be a librarian but her father felt she needed a profession that would provide for her future so she went into teaching! She spent her summers working in the university library and served as a Parliamentarian for the American Library Association. She had the heart of a librarian and I cherish the many talks we had about the importance of libraries and advocacy.
 
4. Tell us a little about your interests and hobbies outside of the library.
 
 Wow! Is there really life outside of the library?! When I moved to North Carolina in 2009, I was the last of my family to relocate in Lincoln County. Weekend adventures with my two nieces and four nephews are typically my priority. We spend time exploring parks, working on art/craft projects, going shopping, playing Pokémon, and occasionally visiting the library (important to raising future library advocates). Other than that I love American history and baking, especially gingerbread. One of these days I’m going to take up reading as a hobby but I figure that’s something to look forward to in retirement.
 
BOOK PICK
Reading Behind Bars :A true story of literature, law, and life as a prison librarian
by Jill A. Grunenwald

"In December 2008, Jill Grunenwald graduated with her master's degree in library science, ready to start living her dream of becoming a librarian. But the economy had a different idea. As the Great Recession reared its ugly head, jobs were scarce. After some searching, however, Jill was lucky enough to snag one of the few librarian gigs left in her home state of Ohio. The catch? The job was behind bars as the prison librarian at a men's minimum-security prison. Talk about baptism by fire. As an untested twentysomething woman, to say that the job was out of Jill's comfort zone was an understatement. She was forced to adapt on the spot, speedily learning to take the metal detectors, hulking security guards, and colorful inmates in stride. Over the course of a little less than two years, Jill came to see past the bleak surroundings and the orange jumpsuits and recognize the humanity of the men stuck behind bars. They were just like every other library patron--persons who simply wanted to read, to be educated and entertained through the written word. By helping these inmates, Jill simultaneously began to recognize the humanity in everyone and to discover inner strength that she never knew she had."
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Looking for something new to offer?  Check out these awesome programs!
 



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