April 2019 Edition
Announcements
Welcome to Ann Marie Creegan!
We are pleased to announce that the State Library has a new Continuing Education Coordinator! 

Ann Marie Creegan is the newest member of the Library Development team. She was recently Supervising Librarian at Maricopa Public Library and has also worked in the Scottsdale Public Library and Maricopa County Library District. Ann Marie brings to the State Library a wealth of experience in education, librarianship and administration. We are confident that her enthusiasm for professional development will benefit all Arizona library staff. 

Congratulations to Tempe Public Library
The State Library congratulates Tempe Public Library for being named a finalist for the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. This annual award is the nation's highest honor given to museums and libraries. The finalists are being featured on the "Share Your Story" social media campaign in March and April, and anyone with a story to tell about Tempe Public Library is encouraged to use the hashtag #IMLSmedals and tag IMLS on Facebook.

The National Medal winners will be announced later this spring.
Training
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Date: Thursday, April 25, 2019
Time: 11:00am - 12:00pm
Location: Online


When was the last time you reviewed your Volunteer Handbook or Policies and Procedures Manual? It’s probably been too long. Learn how to create a living document that can help both paid and volunteer staff be better informed and know what is expected of them. A good Volunteer Handbook can also help you better identify and deal with challenging volunteers. Whether you’re just starting to create a Handbook or if you’re looking for best practices on information to include, this webinar will evaluate the Handbook you have and help you create a stronger framework for your volunteer engagement program.

What you'll learn: 
  • How to create a living document that can help both paid and volunteer staff be better informed and know what is expected of them.
  • How to deal with challenging volunteers.
  • How to evaluate the Handbook you have.
  • How to create a stronger framework for your volunteer engagement program.
Call-in information will be provided to registrants a few days prior to the webinar.
Click here to learn more about the Get Involved Collaborative.
Homelessness Training Institute
Learn how to compassionately, confidently and effectively address problematic behavior from patrons experiencing homelessness, mental illness, addiction or trauma.

This interactive training is part “how to understand your homeless patrons” and part “how to work with difficult patrons.” It focuses on very practical tools you can use every day to resolve problems and prevent conflict (e.g. how to stand, what to say, what not to say, etc.). There is a special focus on patrons with mental health and substance abuse issues.

Participants will:
  • Gain a deeper understanding of people experiencing homlessness
  • Learn about the psychology of voluntary compliance
  • Focus on practical tools for managing behavior

Joe Dutra worked for seven years at the second largest shelter in Illinois. He currently works for a nonprofit serving individuals in poverty all across the United States and the world. Joe works with Ryan Dowd, author of  The Librarian’s Guide to Homelessness , to provide training to library staff nationwide. He has a Master’s of Public Administration.


To register for one of the sessions, please click below:

New Infopeople Courses

Library Development has purchased a selection of registrations for online courses offered by the California State Library's Infopeople. These courses are available to Arizona library staff on a first-come, first-served basis. You will be expected to complete your course and fill out a short evaluation form before enrolling in another.

To learn more about any of these courses, visit the  Infopeople website . Before registering, you will need to email Ann Marie Creegan . Please use your work email to contact her and include your name, email and phone number, and your library's name and address, library type (public, academic, school, etc.), and the name and date of the course you wish to enroll in.
New WebJunction Webinars


The State Library provides general support to help sponsor WebJunction's popular free webinars. Upcoming webinars are highlighted in the Library Services newsletter. 
Grants & Opportunities
ARSL Scholarships Available

Seats at the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) Annual Conference always fill up fast! ARSL is known for its unique conference that provides library staff from rural and small libraries with networking opportunities, practical applications and professional development that can be put to use right away in their communities. The Arizona State Library reserved three spots at this year’s conference taking place in Burlington, VT on September 5 - 7. Scholarships will be awarded to eligible applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.

Visit https://arsl.info/annual-conference/ for more information about the Conference. 
Go to https://azlibrary.gov/libdev/continuing-education/scholarships to apply for a Continuing Education scholarship.
Volunteer at Phoenix Fan Fusion!
The Arizona State Library is gearing up for Phoenix Fan Fusion 2019 (May 23rd – 26th)! We’re looking for volunteers to staff our booth this year and we’d like to invite you to be one of them.
 
The goal of our booth each year is to give library staff a chance to engage with the community in a unique environment. We want to spark conversations about what libraries have to offer; as well as let you hear what con-goers love.
 
Interested? Volunteers will:
·        Work a minimum of one shift at the booth (avg. 3 hrs.) in the Exhibitor Hall
·        Engage Comic Fest attendees in conversations about STEM, technology, and fandom at Libraries
·        Share lessons learned from the event in a brief write-up following the con
·        Receive a single day pass for the convention on the day they volunteer
 
If you’re interested in participating please fill out the application and email it to Chris Guerra by no later than Monday, April 15th, 2019.
Resources
Launch into STAR Net’s “Summer of Space”!
As public libraries across the nation prepare for the 2019 Summer Learning Program, “A Universe of Stories” , The Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP), the STAR Library Network ( STAR Net) , and NASA have been working together on a virtual launch pad filled with STEM resources that they can utilize in their celebration of the anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing and space exploration.

With items including vetted hands-on STEM activities, partnership opportunities, printables and many other valuable resources, STAR Net ’s “Summer of Space” webpage can provide public libraries with the tools to help their summer learning program achieve great success. Libraries can also register and become eligible to receive additional STEM resources, build partnerships between libraries, enter to win valuable giveaways, and get in contact with space experts.
The State of Arizona Research Library announces a new star in its digital collection: Flagstaff It Is-The Founding of Lowell Observatory.
 
The collection includes more than 200 letters between founder Percival Lowell and his assistant, A.E. Douglass that mark the beginning of the Observatory's history. Douglass and Lowell ultimately chose Flagstaff as the site for Lowell Observatory, and their correspondence tells the story of the institution's early years.
 
The Lowell Observatory Archives curated and digitized the collection as part of the 125 anniversary of the observatory. 

“The Observatory continues today as a center of modern research and education, and this collection helps us understand how it all began,” said Lauren Amundson, an archivist and librarian at the Lowell Observatory Archives.
 
This digital collection is available indefinitely through the Arizona Memory Project for researchers and astronomy enthusiasts around the world. It can be viewed on any digital device at http://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/digital/custom/lo .
 
For questions about this or any digital collection, or for cultural institutions interested in sharing collections on the Arizona Memory Project, contact azmemory@azlibrary.gov .
As your patrons explore the world and their place in it this Earth Day, encourage them to also explore Reading Arizona ! This free eBook and eAudiobook collection on Baker & Taylor’s Axis 360 app contains a variety of titles that will guide readers to a better understanding of the relationship between Arizonans and the land they love.

Readers can learn of the work done in the West by notable writer-environmentalists, Edward Abbey and Wallace Stegner ( All the Wild That Remains by David Gessner ), examine the controversies surrounding forest management ( Forests Under Fire by Christopher J. Huggard and Arthur R. Gomez ), contemplate the sustainability of suburban growth ( The Future of the Suburban City by Grady Gammage, Jr. ), and much more.
Library Services is part of the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, a division of the Secretary of State. The branches of Library Services include Library Development, the State of Arizona Research Library, the Arizona Talking Book Library, and E-Rate. Library Services programs and activities are supported in part with federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Holly Henley
State Librarian and Director of Library Services
Contact
Library Services