NCAAL

Join us for this rare pre-conference activity.  We will be traveling to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Non-Violent Social Change. In the morning, attendees will at participate in a Coretta Scoot King Pre-Conference in the King Center Freedom Hall and engage in a conversation with Coretta Scott King Book Award winning authors and illustrators about the relevance of having diverse books.   Attendees will be greeted by Lev and Joyce Mills.  Lev Mills designed the Coretta Scott King Book Award seal and will explain its uniqueness.  Joyce Mills is a former children literature professor at the Atlanta University Library School and early Coretta Scott King Committee member.   Participates will learn how to apply these books in innovative ways with children and take away exciting ideas. 

In the afternoon enjoy a sack lunch in the atrium of Freedom Hall and then you will be free to explore the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center campus and Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. You may visit the bookstores, Dr. & Mrs. King’s Crypt, The Eternal Flame, Dr. King’s Birth Home, Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church (Heritage Sanctuary). Most of the park is self-guided; therefore, you able explore at your own pace.  However you must register to tour the Birth Home of Dr. King and there is no advance registration, it must be done on the day at a first come first serve bases. 

On behalf the BCALA leadership and the NCAAL planning committee it is our pleasure to welcome you to the 10th National Conference of African American Librarians at the Grand Hyatt (Buckhead) in Atlanta, GA. Conference badges and registration packets may be picked up at the Registration/Information Desk.  There is no onsite registration.   We will provide local information and help you with any questions you might have.  Name badges will be required for entry into conference venues, receptions, and  the conference shuttle.

Learn about two community engagement models that resulted in new and improved services.  Amy Phuong, the Commissioner of Atlanta’s Department of Parks and Recreation will disclose how they re-opened all 33 of the city’s recreation centers and turned them into safe havens where the city’s young people could receive academic enrichment, engage in physical fitness activities and learn character-building skills.

Dr. Gabriel Morley reveals Atlanta’s strategy to garner 65 percent of voters in Atlanta–Fulton County to approve a $275 million bond referendum that funded eight new libraries in the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library and two expanded libraries. You will view some these library designs and unique features.  The second phase will include 23 renovated libraries and plus $85 million toward renovated Central Library.  Hear about the largest library building program in Georgia history and the campaign to get citizen buy in.  Councilwoman Mary Norwood will present a proclamation to Black Caucus.  

 

On behalf the BCALA leadership and the NCAAL planning committee it is our pleasure to welcome you to the 10th National Conference of African American Librarians at the Grand Hyatt (Buckhead) in Atlanta, GA. Conference badges and registration packets may be picked up at the Registration/Information Desk.  There is no onsite registration.   We will provide local information and help you with any questions you might have.  Name badges will be required for entry into conference venues, receptions, and  the conference shuttle.

Join us for coffee and conversation with the BCALA leadership and conference planners.  This is your chance to talk to our leaders one on one.  Bring your questions, concerns and ideas.

We are proud to offer attendees for the first time at NCAAL 10, an online conference planning tool.  SCHED.COM is an event platform that will allow attendees to manage all critical conference details in one place and automatically keep everything in sync.  Conference attendees will have access via any mobile device.

Learn more about it.

Call for Submissions
Are you presenting a paper or poster at the 10th National Conference of African American Librarians (NCAAL)? If the answer is yes, then the NCAAL Conference Proceedings Committee invites you to submit your paper or poster presentation for inclusion in the meeting proceedings.  

Clarification: The Conference Proceedings and the Program Brooklet are separate documents. The  Conference Proceedings is a compilation of the programs and posters presented at the conference. The Program Booklet is distributed at the conference and features the schedule of sessions that will occur during the meeting. The proceedings will be compiled and distributed months after the conference has concluded. Prior proceedings are available on the BCALA website.

To have your work included in the conference proceedings, please see the guidelines For posters and papers attached to this email. Presenters should upload their presentations directly to the conference website under their Sched.com profile.  

Committee Members will be onsite to assist presenters with uploading their documents on the dates and times listed below:  

• Thursday, 8/10: 9:00 to 10 am, 4:00 to 5:00 pm

• Friday, 8/11: 9:00 to 10 am, 4:00 to 5:00 pm

• Saturday, 8/12: 9:00 to 10 am, 4:00 to 5:00 pm

All questions should be directed to the Conference Proceedings Committee at [email protected]

 

We are proud to offer attendees for the first time at NCAAL10, an online conference planning tool.  SCHED.COM is an event platform that will allow attendees to manage all critical conference details in one place and automatically keep everything in sync.  Conference attendees will have access via any mobile device.

Learn more about it.

How do we break the school to prison pipeline?  Today's public library's approach is to guide incarcerated parents with the tools to help their children learn alternative means other than what may be seen at home in the past.  Outreach Services at Brooklyn Public Library made the first successful connection to an NYC Department of Corrections facility thus paving the way to the launch of the "Telestory" program which provides incarcerated parents a virtual way to visit with their families. The Telestory Video visitation program has expanded with the City's 3 library systems to provide free live video services for families who wish to visit with their incarcerated loved ones. This unique program is offered at 21 public library branches across New York City.

We will share successful patterns of how to conduct these visits and the results these visits have made on the lives of the participants.

Thanks to the Executive Board’s donation five $1,000 NCAAL X Travel Grants were made available to attend the NCAAL 10.   The grants were designed to encourage conference attendance for a librarians in the first five years of their career.  Four librarians completed the application process.

Applicants explained how their work in a library setting has addressed an identified community need, provided an innovative approach to service and had a measurable impact or improvement in service.  They also had to create a unique and entertaining video/PowerPoint, Keynote or iMovie documenting their library story of success. 

Join them as they showcase their visual presentations at the conference.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2004, the African American History and Cultural Events (AAHCE) committee was formed at Richland Library to address related concerns and to provide enhanced, system-wide programming for the African-American community on a recurring basis. Our foundational program was "I Have a Problem With That", a roundtable discussion addressing minority issues. Join us as we share our experiences with this successful platform, and discuss ways which we have developed supplemental programming for the African American community that sets the stage for successful community conversations.

We will kick off the opening of the Authors/ Illustrators Pavilion, a favorite conference destination that brings authors and illustrator together with attendees.  Get a first look the all the talent as we feature the renowned illustrator Jerry Pinkney.

Authors/ Illustrators Pavilion will showcase some of the best and the brightest from the literary community. The authors and Illustrators will have the opportunity to meet fans, sign books, present a book reading or participate in a panel within the Pavilion. Immediately, following their presentations book signings will take place.

A panel of faculty and alumni members who serve in an advisory role on diversity and inclusive Initiatives for Library and Information Science Programs will discuss progamming, recruitment and retention services.

Outcomes:

To offer diversity and inclusion initiatives to support LIS professional ethics and values.

To offer LIS students , faculty and staff ideas on how to be recognized for their contributions to diversity and principles of community.

LIS staff and faculty will feel encouraged and supported to participate in diversity training opportunities.

Balancing personal responsibilities with an ever-growing list of professional responsibilities is likely perplexing for many academic librarians. For urban, tenure-track academic librarians, achieving a suitable work life balance may be the key to meeting their scholarly obligations and reaching a greater level of career success. This presentaton will highlight the major findings of a study on work-life balance, share successful strategies for practicing librarians, discuss some of the specific challenges for minority populations, and offer workshop participants an opportunity to share their own strategies for executing workplace flexibility through benefits and policies.

It is critical that libraries not only survive but that they thrive. Embracing triple bottom line sustainability helps better weave the library into the fabric of the community, campus, or parent organization. It also moves the discussion of sustainability beyond just the environment to also encompass financial and social (e.g. workforce, community) sustainability.

Audience engagement will be achieved with real-world table-top discussions interspersed throughout. Participants will leave armed with three things to improve organizational survivability/sustainability. Participants will receive a copy of Shaffer's 12 steps, as well as leave with their three sustainable goals for their library. Shaffer embarked on this study as there was no similar research existing in the library science field, despite it being crucial to the long term survival of libraries. The findings are the result of his doctoral dissertation research, and are being used in a how-to book, to be published by Libraries Unlimited in early 2018 titled Creating the Sustainable Public Library: The Triple Bottom Line Approach.

The College of New Rochelle (CNR) is in the midst of an initiative to support student success by addressing the needs of the whole student. This initiative is funded through the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) First in the World (FITW) grant. The potential role of librarians as mentors for supporting undergraduate research has not been investigated in depth, despite the fact that librarians play a key role in supporting undergraduate research. The study incorporates librarian mentorship and instruction of information literacy skills to develop enhanced undergraduate research skills that increase a student's persistence toward graduation.

Julius Rosenwald, former president of Sears, Roebuck, Co. and an elite businessman, desired to improve the well-being of mankind through access to education. A number of Southerners are familiar with him as the founder of the Fund that established more than 5,300 rural schools in 15 Southern states. However, there is a major piece of the puzzle missing; the Julius Rosenwald Fund Library Program, 1927-1947. This groundbreaking program contributed to and established more than 10,000 libraries to include book sets, bookmobiles, and physical locations to increase literacy among African Americans as a means to increase educational opportunities.

The opening session will be convened by BCALA President Denyvetta Davis, who will welcome all attendees to the conference.  Welcoming remarks will also be given by Dr. John Eaves, Chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commission and a representative from the City of Atlanta.  The keynote address will be delivered Tom Joyner,   legendary radio personality, entrepreneur and philanthropist. The opening session is free for all individuals registered for the 10th National Conference of African American Librarians.

Join your colleagues as you settle in for a conference.  Meet your friends and exhibitors during this uncontested time and begin 4 days of networking and socializing.  Light refreshments at stations throughout exhibits.

 

Sharon Draper, Nikki Grimes, Sharon Flake and Lamar Giles are successful young adult authors.  Teenagers of all colors gravitate to their books.  They speak in a voice that is real; they speak in a voice ground in truth, they speak in a voice teens understand.  Aren’t we fortunate that young black teens can turn to their books to help them make a way out of no way?  Hear these authors tell why they do what they do and are so successful at it.

Are you seeking to expand your book group's literary horizons? And are you eager to connect your adult readers with contemporary and diverse new voices? Come hear about an inspired selection of great group reads, including recommended recently released books to award-winning titles that you may have missed.

Archivists who work on African American collections are increasingly more aware that traditional sites of African American agency and autonomy are becoming more unstable. The need to capture the perspectives and histories of these institutions is urgent.The challenges become more acute when communities recognize the need to preserve their legacies but do not have the resources or support to make it happen. How can libraries, museums, and archives bring these individuals into the world of archives and empower them to protect and share their stories?The panelists will discuss their experiences working with black colleges, churches, neighborhoods and families.

Librarian-author Roland Barksdale-Hall, recipient of the 2015 BCALA National Leadership Award and the county's public housing authority library director, wrote "Leadership Under Fire Communicating, Teaching and Setting Communities at Liberty"(Amber Books, 2016) because of gunfire, policing and the pain of our youth. Today's youth ran up and asked. "What are you going to do?" He struggled with what to do and changed in the process. He chose to act under fire, inspire hope and will tell the story of a library modernization,collaboration and community engagement.  Quinby Street Resource Center identifies needs, develops innovative intergenerational programming and offers the following information services:

·         Employment—find a better job, plan an exciting career

·         Career planning—help in applying to college or technical schools

·         Computer training—assistance in using computers, writing letters

·         Community programming & cultural celebrations—storytelling, tours, courses about nutrition to workshops about tracing your roots.

The James E. Shepard Memorial Library at North Carolina Central University has formed strategic alliances with several academic departments and community partners to enhance campus-wide engagement. Our partnerships have resulted in national and local research presentations, an increase in diverse and collaborative programming, professional development for library staff, and an upsurge in request for information literacy instruction. This presentation will highlight how our library established avenues to demonstrate the library's value and its impact on campus-wide and community engagement.

So, you've been promoted to manager? Now what? This session will provide tips and tricks on stepping gracefully into your new role. You will receive guidance on meeting expectations, coaching and appraising staff, getting informed, managing up, down, and sideways, and keeping your skills fresh, too. Kimberly is currently a manager at DC Public Library with 16 years of management experience in public libraries in DC, Virginia, and California.

Evelyn Coleman, White Socks Only, Calvin Ramsey, Ruth and the Green Book, Carole Weatherford, Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins.

Young children of today have not been exposed to institutional segregation and white supremacy prevalent decades ago. Segregated lunch counters, water fountains, and restrooms are no longer a part of the American landscape. Discrimination of any kind is now illegal. Black Americans worked long and hard to right these wrongs. However, prejudice and bigotry still flourish in America. Books can provide not only a chance to educate children about the past, but offer an opportunity to equip them with tools for sorting through complicated or confusing issues. Join these award winning authors and they share this issue from a child’s perspective.

We will cover the benefits of brief meditation before, during and after work. We will perform seven poses you can do while at your desk to help you wake up, calm down, and relieve tension. No mat required. 

Young black males think the world of books is not for them. It is crucial to get our young males reading.   Jason Reynold is doing just that.  He is crazy about cool real life stories and he has promised not to write boring books.   Here's what I know says Jason “I know there are a lot — A LOT — of young people who hate reading.  I know that many of these book haters are boys. I know that many of these book-hating boys, don't actually hate books, they hate boredom.”   It is not surprising that main characters in his books are young black males.  Using some of his own personal experiences, he wants to tell stories about people, families and neighborhoods that not everyone knows, or even considers. Jason Reynolds reveals his personal journey from poet to novelist.  He also tells us about his inspiration and desire to write books that reflect young black lives.  

This session will explore the role of the school library and its responsibility in supporting students and families through creative collaborations, partnerships and services. The literacy and information needs of students and families extend beyond the school day and often require intervention and support from schools, governments and community agencies. Opportunities for strengthening student learning, family literacy and social engagement will be explored through successful models and initiatives. Group discussions and interactions will provide opportunities for sharing best practices and program innovations.

More and more libraries' strategic plans have begun to include Outreach and Community Engagement to engage and learn more about our users and our community to meet their evolving needs.  We have become faced with supporting our institutions' Community Engagement Mission and initiatives, by identifying priorities, seeking programs to undertake and plan, objectives to achieve within in the communities we serve.  And, we are expected to do this without additional funding, or staffing.In this session, participants will walk away with: 

1) Operational definitions for Community Engagement, Outreach, Diversity, and Recruitment; 
2) Planning Tools; 
3) Examples of events and How to use Community Engagement/Outreach to earn Tenure.

Is it more prestigious and lucrative to get your book published by a company that pays royalty advances as part of its publishing agreement?  Must you be represented by a literary agent in order to secure such an opportunity?  Are certain types of books more likely to qualify for publication from this type of publisher? Learn how the process works within the so-called “traditional” publishing environment as you consider your options in the contemporary marketplace, where digital technology has created a variety of publishing choices.

Call for Submissions
Are you presenting a paper or poster at the 10th National Conference of African American Librarians (NCAAL)? If the answer is yes, then the NCAAL Conference Proceedings Committee invites you to submit your paper or poster presentation for inclusion in the meeting proceedings.  

Clarification: The Conference Proceedings and the Program Brooklet are separate documents. The  Conference Proceedings is a compilation of the programs and posters presented at the conference. The Program Booklet is distributed at the conference and features the schedule of sessions that will occur during the meeting. The proceedings will be compiled and distributed months after the conference has concluded. Prior proceedings are available on the BCALA website.

To have your work included in the conference proceedings, please see the guidelines For posters and papers attached to this email. Presenters should upload their presentations directly to the conference website under their Sched.com profile.  

Committee Members will be onsite to assist presenters with uploading their documents on the dates and times listed below:  

• Thursday, 8/10: 9:00 to 10 am, 4:00 to 5:00 pm

• Friday, 8/11: 9:00 to 10 am, 4:00 to 5:00 pm

• Saturday, 8/12: 9:00 to 10 am, 4:00 to 5:00 pm

All questions should be directed to the Conference Proceedings Committee at [email protected]

 

Come celebrate the kick-off of our conference and connect with colleagues.  You will experience Atlanta’s southern hospitality as we welcome you to bedrock of the Civil Rights Movement.  Network your way through an evening of music, food and friendly conversation.  Enjoy the BCALA Literary Awards Ceremony and meet the new awardees.

The Black Caucus presents four Literary Awards:  first novelist, adult fiction, nonfiction and adult poetry.  A citation for outstanding contribution to publishing or for outstanding African American literature is also given each year. These awards acknowledge outstanding achievement in the presentation of the cultural, historical and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora.   In 2016 the BCALA/BiblioBoard Self-Publishing EBook Award was added and honors the best self-published EBooks in fiction and poetry by an African American author in the U.S.

Call for Submissions
Are you presenting a paper or poster at the 10th National Conference of African American Librarians (NCAAL)? If the answer is yes, then the NCAAL Conference Proceedings Committee invites you to submit your paper or poster presentation for inclusion in the meeting proceedings.  

Clarification: The Conference Proceedings and the Program Brooklet are separate documents. The  Conference Proceedings is a compilation of the programs and posters presented at the conference. The Program Booklet is distributed at the conference and features the schedule of sessions that will occur during the meeting. The proceedings will be compiled and distributed months after the conference has concluded. Prior proceedings are available on the BCALA website.

To have your work included in the conference proceedings, please see the guidelines For posters and papers attached to this email. Presenters should upload their presentations directly to the conference website under their Sched.com profile.  

Committee Members will be onsite to assist presenters with uploading their documents on the dates and times listed below:  

• Thursday, 8/10: 9:00 to 10 am, 4:00 to 5:00 pm

• Friday, 8/11: 9:00 to 10 am, 4:00 to 5:00 pm

• Saturday, 8/12: 9:00 to 10 am, 4:00 to 5:00 pm

All questions should be directed to the Conference Proceedings Committee at [email protected]

 

On behalf BCALA the leadership and the NCAAL planning committee it is our pleasure to welcome you to the 10th National Conference of African American Librarians at the Grand Hyatt (Buckhead) in Atlanta, GA. Conference badges and registration packets may be picked up at the Registration/Information Desk.  There is no onsite registration.   We will provide local information and help you with any questions you might have.  Name badges will be required for entry into conference venues, receptions, and  the conference shuttle.

Here are two ladies that have produced children’s literature worthy of praise.  They will share their latest books with you.

Lyons will share her Jada Jones chapter book series which debuts in September, 2017, published by Penguin.  

Evelyn Coleman is the award-winning author of a dozen books for young readers will share"Freedom Train," a 2008 book for young readers, which was chosen in 2010 for inclusion on the Georgia Center for the Book's first list of "25 Books All Young Georgians Should Read".

For some librarians, obtaining a doctorate is a dream they wish could come true. It can be difficult enough to work out the logistics of balancing work and home obligations, without adding school into the mix. The presenter will discuss her journey of making the dream of obtaining a doctorate a reality. By careful examination of institutions, programs, and tuition costs, the presenter applied and matriculated into a program that best fit her needs. This program will allow attendees the opportunity to think outside the box, and realize additional options to receiving a doctorate besides taking the PhD route.

While most African-American library professionals are well-versed in how to confront overt instances of cultural insensitivity in the workplace, dealing with the microaggressions we experience presents a more complex challenge. This presentation will answer the question, how do we maintain our professional posture while successfully confronting microaggressions in the workplace?

This presentation will encourage participants to realize and interpret the significance of their role within their respective library systems. We will discuss how to marry one's efforts to a library's strategic plan, mission, vision and core values. This union will enhance one's awareness of the impact that their work makes within a library system and can increase morale.

The academic library landscape has changed. Hear how four HBCU libraries are approaching the change with innovation and creativity using 3D printing. Learn about getting started, funding, identifying space, establishing policies and building a S.T.E.M./STEAM learning entrepreneurship program for your library. Presenters will discuss how 3D printing is connecting the library to teaching and learning with selected academic disciplines.

Want to enhance your library's community programming and activities? Want to share the history, contributions, and achievements of a particular group with your library patrons? Consider forming or revitalizing your library's heritage committee. This presentation, focused on an African American heritage committee, seeks to share information on how such a committee benefits the library system, staff, and library patrons; and offers specific steps and guidelines on how to run an effective and productive committee.

A group of Denver Public Library African American librarians started a non-traditional book club called R.A.D.A.: Read. Awareness. Dialogue. Action, to achieve footing within the Denver community. The R.A.D.A. is bold in its delivery by promoting reading for social consciousness, encouraging an exchange of ideas, and community sharing. The selected books (identified in this program presentation) have enabled lively discussion and very enriching sharing. R.A.D.A.'s goal is to continue this diverse and inclusive book club approach. This program overview highlights the promotion, operation and impact of R.A.D.A., as well as suggestions for forming a similar book club at your library.

We have heard the outcry about needing diverse books.  Guess who has stood the test of time in providing diverse books for nearly thirty years, Just Us Books.  More than two and a half decades ago, Wade and Cheryl Hudson were parents on a desperate search for children’s books that addressed Black history, Black heritage and Black experiences.  Disappointed by the limited number and unreliable availability, the couple embarked upon a mission: to produce the kind of positive, vibrant Black –interest books that they wanted for their own two children.  So, in 1988, the Hudson started Just Us Books, the nation’s leading independent publisher of Black interest for young people.    In this program, Wade and Cheryl share their incredible journey.

Managing library staff is no different from any other business and during times of budget cuts and transitions. Change is one of the greatest challenges an administrator or leader can face. Library administrators and leaders must learn how to manage staff experiencing frustration when faced with significant change.

"Love is a partnership of two unique people who bring out the very best in each other, and who knows that even though they are wonderful as individuals, they are even better together." Barbara Cage
The Hudson Valley based married couple of James and Lesa Cline Ransome, have worked together to build a family, to create a home and join forces to create wonderful children books. James is the illustrator, and Lesa is in charge of the words. The couple has collaborated on books such as Just a Lucky So and So: The Story of Louis Armstrong, FreedomSchool, Words Set Me Free: The Story of Young Frederick Douglass and Light in the Darkness. Be on the lookout for their fall release Before She was Harriet (Holiday House). Hear the couple talk about their working process. You will be surprised how it all comes together. The Ransomes' appearance is partially funded by Hoilday House.

Participants will explore several African Americans who were the first to breach homogeneous institutions in librarianship. As the first, these African Americans leverage their achievements to enact an institutional culture of change, advocate for authentic leadership and organization integrity in the evolution of library services for African Americans.  Consequently, under their leadership, foster collaboration and forged partnership in librarianship for the self-actualization of African Americans pursuing careers as librarians.

During the 60’s Atlanta was a major organizing center of the Civil Rights Movement.  Join us for spirited conversation with actual participants and be enlightened. Hear from several of the children as they reveal how their parents’ involvement changed their lives.  Our moderator will lead the group in a series of questions and you will have an opportunity to pose questions of your own.  Don’t miss this chance to be up close and personal with African American history.

While recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce is a high priority in the librarian profession, data shows that it is often difficult to attract librarians from under-represented groups to certain geographic regions. Are MLIS graduates of color reluctant to consider positions in some locations due to a perceived lack of diversity, or concerns for the high cost of living, or other factors? What can these libraries do to reach out to minority job seekers and become attractive options? In this interactive workshop, human resource professionals will foster an open conversation with librarians about the risks and advantages of moving to unfamiliar locations for that first, or next job.

Gil Robertson is the author of a new book “Book of Black Heroes: Political Leaders Past & Present” published by Just Us Books.    This collection of biographies on game-changing and pioneering elected political leaders is intended to introduce young readers especially to not only dynamic personalities but to the concept of individual and political leadership.   Robertson will lead a conversation with members of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus on how literature can be used as a source for leadership development in the Black Community.

There are diverse communities throughout the country and, most, if not all, still have libraries or access to libraries. We recognize that the existence of libraries is threatened. However, there can be new avenues for libraries to serve the greater community and communities still threatened by a “digital divide”. Libraries can serve as clearinghouses for information and a resource for dissemination of environmental and health information. Many communities, particularly, communities of color, suffer disproportionately from a multitude of diverse health/environmental health and environmental issues. Environmental Justice is a term used to reflect the fact that low-income and/or minority communities have historically been disproportionately impacted by adverse environmental effects. Libraries can help to increase the community’s capacity to understand and participate in defining and addressing their environmental and environmental justice issues. Libraries can serve a multigenerational constituency by providing Internet access as well as print documents. Libraries can also provide access to online mapping and screening tools to assist communities in determining their environmental and/or health risks and present threats (e.g. ToxMap, EJSCREEN). This workshop will provide useful information about library-based health information centers, environmental programming in libraries and grant programs to assist libraries in being a resource for environmental and health/environmental health information.

 

Bet the Farm is written to help individuals create stronger personal development plans. This leadership book is important because it will share insight about the Purpose/True North that is inside of you. The objectives of the Bet the Farm speaking lecture is to position individuals to be successful in personal and professional settings as well as provide a unique vantage point toward achieving individual success. Personal development does not begin with go, but when we Stop and Plan. By examining our internal clocks individuals will remove the fears of crises, let downs, miscues, and failures, to drive through the fog of disappointments.

As researcher demand for access to archival materials in virtual spaces increases, archivists are challenged to place more contemporary material online than ever before. In particular, given the current climate of activism and it's antecedents in the 1950's and 1960's, the interest in papers related to civil rights history online have provided opportunities to evaluate collections for publications online. Three archivists will discuss materials related to the Civil Rights Era in their respective repositories and the steps taken to digitize and publish collections. Discussion topics include processing and evaluating collections for digitization, copyright and permissions, and collaboration and outreach.

Information centers are adapting their methods to provide outside-the-box services to patrons that will enrich their lives. San Antonio Public Library's collaborative model of librarians and adult education instructors under one roof facilitates an intersection of traditional service with cutting edge intervention, providing job resources, literacy instruction, financial counseling, veterans’ assistance, high school diploma completion, and more, for a new millennium approach of holistic service that empowers and impacts the community educationally and economically.

The use of African American picture books to assist with motivating ways to foster creativity, critically thinking skills and peer collaboration.  These books will also lend themselves to hands on activities, and collaboration with interactivity between students.  A substantial list of African American picture book titles, authors and award winners will be provided, along with a brief description of the academic area it targets best.

"WikiLeaks: Using Wikipedia to Promote Diversity,"

Incorporation of technology in education can be seen through the many methods of instruction that are taking place in today’s classrooms.  The idea of using technology for the students’ benefit is one that students hear but often interpret to mean “use technology to educate yourself,” however, rarely are students encouraged to use technology to help educate others. This panel will feature three archivists presenting ways that we have incorporated crowd sourcing and the presence of web 2.0 tools and technologies to increase awareness of minority collections and engage underrepresented contributors and students on social platforms such as Wikipedia.

In conjunction with the theme “Cultural Keeper X: Beyond Library Walls: Innovative Ways to Engage Our Communities,”  this panel aims to share ways in which repositories have engaged students, faculty and the overall public by hosting Wikipedia edit-a-thons and/or incorporating web 2.0 initiatives into curriculum. The  three panelists will highlight how the incorporation for these tools have aided in increasing awareness for hidden/underrepresented communities, encouraged diversity within the web platform - in both the collections being edited and the editing contributor - and lastly the collaboration amongst other information professionals that is needed to ensure these events are successful. 

An informal discussion/Q&A session where you can gain an insider's perspective on the librarian recruitment process from two experienced HR Directors. Get tips on how to make your application stand out and how to navigate the interview process. Find out how to be your own best advocate for professional development and career advancement. Explore negotiation strategies to ensure you get the most out of your offer package. All questions are welcome!

 R. Gregory Christie came to Atlanta more than a decade ago to care for his ailing father. Atlanta shares Cauvin Ramsey with New York.  Atlanta gladly claims them both.  Christie's career has flourished in Atlanta’s nurturing artistic environment.   Ramsey divides his time between Atlanta and New York.  The  Ruth abd Green Book author has staged live performances of the book.

 

 

Graphic novels aren't just for children and teens! Learn more about how public libraries can engage grownup comic readers with book clubs, lectures, displays, and art activities. Learn about programs and community engagement that can bring attention to a quickly growing genre.

Awarding winning author Carole Boston Weatherford collaborated with her son Jeffery to bring the amazing story Tuskegee Airmen in You Can Fly.  How did Jeffery take his mother elegant poetic words and translate them to art for book?  Hear about this magically collaboration and how choosing the scratchboard black and white illustrations were a success. 

Attendees of this session will learn how to make a positive impact in their community and library's system. Heyward has formed strategic partnerships to enhance joint initiatives such as weekly GED classes, Coffee with a Cop, Summer Food Program for kids, Northeast Corridor Quality of Life initiatives, Community Engagement Conversation with city officials, and Fatherhood & Re-Entry Forums. She will share how her staff identified various community needs, what they've learned to make strategic partnerships successful, and how they've built trust with their patrons to bring opportunities and the people who need them together.

Affecting change, garnering support and realizing meaningful impacts for the school library program requires skill and leadership. This session will provide ideas and strategies for bolstering the role of the school librarian as a leader and change agent at the building level and in the broader community. Program accountability through evidence-based practices will be discusses in addition to successful programming ideas, collaborations and community agencies

President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015 as a bill that provides support for STEM education for K-12 in the U.S. In the near future there will be a need to fill jobs in all areas of STEM. Will our youth be prepared? This session will discuss how a public library engages youth with science, technology, engineering, math and even art (STEAM).

In January 2015, the Georgia Board of Regents announced the consolidation of Georgia Perimeter College (GPC) and Georgia State University (GSU). The effective date of the consolidation was Fall 2016.  The five individual GPC libraries are now part of the GSU University Library and function as the Perimeter Services department. The newly formed department used the recent consolidation with Georgia State University as an opportunity to assess the service points, how they were staffed, and services that were offered. This presentation will take you on our journey of how the five campuses collaborated to reinvigorate our services and celebrate helping meet our users where they are. Join us as we illustrate the rationale behind the changes, unforeseen challenges, feedback from students, faculty, and staff.

The HBCU Library Alliance Digital Collection includes more than 16,000 images representing HBCU libraries' first collaborative effort to make a historical collection digitally available. As HBCUs face challenges and threats, the HBCU Library Alliance Board of Directors has re-focused on preserving and protecting the valuable collections in member institutions. A recent survey of HBCU Library Alliance member institutions, with more than a 75% response rate, revealed needs, concerns, applications and interests regarding the Digital Collection. This program will share survey highlights, models of success and the Board's strategic actions in response to survey results

Climate change has and will continue to produce an increasing burden on vulnerable populations including children, the elderly, low-income communities of color, and tribes.  Beyond increased burdens on health, climate change impacts will continue to result in the need for a strong, coordinated, and intentional disaster response and ultimate recovery for communities affected by climate-related disasters.  Dr. Mildred McClain and Dr. Yomi Noibi have both committed themselves to increasing awareness of issues around climate change that affect vulnerable populations and communities of color.

 

After learning about how adults retain information, I use brain-friendly methods for promoting the library collection and collaborate with colleagues in order to add content to digital objects. There are effective strategies for engagement and using the collection both Africology & African American Studies and incorporating government information. As both libraries and government agencies shift their content from analog to digital, libraries help facilitate using content via different platforms.

Have you ever wondered how effective your one-shot library instruction sessions were? Evaluating the effectiveness of information literacy sessions is a crucial component of being an effective, reflective and transformational librarian. Libwizard is an excellent tool to use for creating forms, surveys, quizzes, and tutorials/assessments to gain insight and to collect data on students feedback and learning. This poster will provide an account of my experience using Libwizard to collect data and student feedback about the library's instruction sessions. Analyzing this data has helped me to shift my focus to divergent learning pedagogies and activities.

After an election fraught with misinformation, fake news, and hoaxes on all sides, students found it difficult to navigate digital media not only for scholarship but in their personal lives. Acknowledging the impact that these feelings of helplessness and confusion play in their roles as scholars, librarians conducted information literacy workshops to de-mystify and engage students with meaningful current news outlets and specific news stories from all political idealogies. This poster presentation will provide an overview of these workshops and how librarians can implement similar programs while responding to a politically and emotionally-charged campus environment. This poster will discuss the workshop development process which includes defining how information literacy may be applied to born-digital source material, learning outcomes for attendees, tools for managing misinformation, collaborating with the campus-wide programming simultaneously, and examples of active engagement opportunities for students to evaluate their own biases and perspectives both in and out of the classroom. Additionally, it will discuss the assessment process and the real-time feedback received in the workshops from members of the campus community. While these workshops occurred in an academic environment, application for such programming can be altered for every library and audience. Librarians know that information literacy education has been done for a very long time, however, it must offer connective and intrinsic ways to evaluate information as students grow as both scholars and human beings.

The rapid advancements in technology can create a bridge in connecting with student learners at academic institutions.  It is imperative for the library to be the learning connection for students.  As librarians, we are required to think innovatively and creatively to bridge the gap between deliverance of information to the current technology commonly being used by learners.  This poster will outline various health sciences mobile apps and other apps that will encourage information literacy and engage reluctant readers.  What better way to connect with learners but through the phones, tablets, and gadgets used in their everyday life.

The poster will highlight the various programs/events that I organized during my first year as a librarian. The programs ranged from a panel discussion to a community film screening to a poetry reading and book signing.

After watching the documentary, Most Likely to Succeed, I became intrigued by the idea of project-based learning (PBL).  I became even more intrigued when I learned that one of the foundations for John Dewey's educational philosophy was project based learning.  My intrigue turned to a passion.  I wanted to do PBLs with students as a way to give them a different way to succeed and to enhance the perception of our school library program.  

With varying degrees of success, I will share these three examples and provide insights for those interested in promoting PBLs in their school libraries and school communities.

This poster presentation provides an overview of how implementing change, repurposing space and relocating the DVD collection to a new area on the first floor of the library increased usage statistics.  Technical Services conducted a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis to assess the DVD collection usage statistics.  The data collected and evaluated indicated that DVD titles were not circulating as expected.  Technical Services implemented a project plan designed to improve user access to the collection.  The decision to relocate the DVD collection from behind the circulation desk into an open area on the first floor improved user services, patron access, and usage. 

Safe to be Smart is an organization that provides mentoring programs for middle and high school youth that visit libraries located in the city of Rochester. The programs formed are educational and also recreational, such as building resumes, Cancer awareness, job readiness programs, reading programs, S.T.E.M., cooking class, bike and horseback riding etc. These programs help to create better relationships with our young people. With this positive commitment, it is our hope this will help our youth to grow to adulthood to be strong productive leaders in our community. Partnered agencies: Pathways to Peace, Center for Youth, Ryan Recreation, Dream Bikes etc..

The Bronzeville community on the South Side of Chicago has undergone a transformation that has totally erased the presence of the once large and thriving Ida B. Wells Housing development that was its center for nearly 50 years. All that remains of the community are tales of violence and poverty. This poster will present a survey of archival materials found throughout various Chicago area archives that chronicle the everyday lives, families, and experiences of the residents of this now missing community.

The presence of Black and African American LIS school administrators tells a rich and conflicting story regarding the status of diversity in librarianship. As the American Library Association continues to support diversity initiatives, the number of Black and African American LIS administrators persistently pale in comparison to the number of Caucasian administrators. Moreover, the number of students represented by this population demonstrates the need for renewed recruitment efforts.  It can be speculated that the lack of Black and African American LIS school administrators is negatively impacting the number of Black and African LIS students because research indicates that role models in a profession that is traditionally overlooked by minorities positively impacts the pursuit of these careers (Lee, 2011).

This poster reports the findings of research that combines recruitment and leadership advice from current and past Black and African American LIS school administrators with an examination of the historical and current presence of Black and African American leadership in LIS education. This examination will serve as a foundation for providing implications regarding the state of Black and African American librarianship. If Black and African American librarians are to continue to excel as transformative presences within communities, there must be strong role models and educational initiatives to nurture their advancement. 
Lee. D. N. (2011). Under-represented and underserved: Why minority role models matter in STEM. Retrieved from https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/under-represented-and-underserved-why-minority-role-models-matter-in-stem/ 

Over the last 18 months, we have moved in a new direction with our faculty outreach via a liaison program. This liaison-driven outreach includes instruction marketing and redesign. The outcomes of this program include increased collaboration, increased instruction requests, as well as more meaningful faculty input on collection development/management. As with any endeavor, we have dealt with our share of challenges such as meeting faculty needs rather than traditional or assumed expectations, earning trust to deepen value of collaboration, and learning to sell our value beyond database mechanics. We would like to share (via a poster session) how we are using a variety of “hooks” to market what we can do with a variety of different audiences.

With the ever changing demographics and trends in society, planning millennial programming can be puzzling and sometimes fruitless. Understanding the differences and similarities between young adult age groups can help predict how successful a program can be. The discussion will include how to reach and engage this audience with social media and other networks. We will also discuss how to revitalize existing programming to foster a cross-generational community. 

In the summer of 2016 UM Library Operations partnered with the Washtenaw County branch of Michigan Works! in a pilot internship program to provide local area youth ages 16-24 with work experience. For our part, we were also able to expose our two high school interns with understandings of how libraries can help them in their future as they prepare for college. Our poster will also detail many of the highlights experienced, challenges that were overcome and the next steps that have come about through partnering with this pilot program.

Which would your family most likely keep as a memory of your words: a loose leaf manuscript or a printed book? Self-publishing a book preserves your passion, experience, or muses, which can be a priceless adventure for you and future generations. Whether you want fame and fortune with countless book sales or simply one book as an accomplishment, you will expand many skills, to use on your current job or other endeavors. This session will show you the five steps to self-publishing, where you can find success when publishing short stories, poetry or manuscripts as special keepsakes.

These ladies are not only authors but activists demanding diversity in children’s literature.  They walk the walk and talk the talk.  Learn how they have improved access to minority characters in children’s books through their own might.

 

Come out to mix, mingle and make connections with old friends and colleagues.  This is a great opportunity to catch up in an informal environment.   Light refreshments will be served.

Door Prices!!! Drawings!!! Giveaways!!!

The panel will foster candid and courageous conversations about the recurring issues and challenges related to diversity in the library and information science (LIS) profession. The panel will be composed of students, mentors and faculty who were involved in Project IDOL at Wayne State University, an IMLS grant that provided scholarship support for 10 students of color to obtain the MLIS degree.  The panel discussion will leverage the participants' knowledge and experience in project IDoL and other diversity related initiatives to formulate an action plan around sustaining diversity in LIS.

The Little Elm (TX) Public Library began a mobile hotspot lending program in October 2016. This presentation details the program's planning and implementation, and provides advice on starting a hotspot lending program of your own, including determining the need for the program, researching costs, leveraging library advocates, and handling concerns and objections.

How do you keep the public knowledgeable about new devices and technology, let alone staff? Hear how one public library trained 485 staff members at 21 branch locations with six devices that were purchased for each branch through public funds and a grant. From the library's Digital Strategy guidelines, core competencies were developed which required all staff to become knowledgeable about these new devices and technologies.

Health sciences libraries were among the first to move from print to electronic journals and e-books. At some institutions, volumes of print journals and shelving were removed, allowing for a repurposing of space for the library, or for other departments within the institution. Change provided an opportunity to re-think the approach to collections and services. As the research enterprise grew among academic health centers and partnering with hospital systems was on the upsurge, academic health sciences library directors and staff collaborated to implement new position titles and service models to remain an active and vital part of the changing landscape

Budget and Program development for the grant awardees are often complicated and convoluted. Our workshop will demonstrate best practices, as it relates to post award activities such as developing grant timelines, budget modifications and justifications. How to properly understand your Time and Effort reporting, annual performance report and close-out activities?

There’s something magical about a first novel — that promise of a new voice, the possibility of finding a writer you can follow for years to come.  The debut novel is evenmore important for the writer because it might spark a great career. Writing your first book is no mean feat.  Let’s hear about two exciting debut novels. The Castle Cross the Magnet Carter: a Novel by Kia Corthron; the story sweeps American history from 1941 to the twenty-first century through the lives of four men—two white brothers from rural Alabama, and two black brothers from small-town Maryland—whose journey culminates in an explosive and devastating encounter between the two families. Passage by Khary Lazarre-White; tells the story of Warrior, a young black man, who is surrounded by deep family love and a sustaining connection to his history, connections that arm him as he confronts the urban forces that he faces--both supernatural and human--forces that seek his very destruction.

Authors will share the pros and cons their writing journey and reveal how these books propelled their careers. 

Sponsored by Seven Stories an Imprint of Penguin/Random House

Call for Submissions
Are you presenting a paper or poster at the 10th National Conference of African American Librarians (NCAAL)? If the answer is yes, then the NCAAL Conference Proceedings Committee invites you to submit your paper or poster presentation for inclusion in the meeting proceedings.  

Clarification: The Conference Proceedings and the Program Brooklet are separate documents. The  Conference Proceedings is a compilation of the programs and posters presented at the conference. The Program Booklet is distributed at the conference and features the schedule of sessions that will occur during the meeting. The proceedings will be compiled and distributed months after the conference has concluded. Prior proceedings are available on the BCALA website.

To have your work included in the conference proceedings, please see the guidelines For posters and papers attached to this email. Presenters should upload their presentations directly to the conference website under their Sched.com profile.  

Committee Members will be onsite to assist presenters with uploading their documents on the dates and times listed below:  

• Thursday, 8/10: 9:00 to 10 am, 4:00 to 5:00 pm

• Friday, 8/11: 9:00 to 10 am, 4:00 to 5:00 pm

• Saturday, 8/12: 9:00 to 10 am, 4:00 to 5:00 pm

All questions should be directed to the Conference Proceedings Committee at [email protected]

Thanks in advance for your assistance. We look forward to seeing you in Atlanta.

The panel will describe how IndyPL African American History Committee (AAHC) / Center for Black Literature and Culture (CBLC)  reaches out to African-American community in Indianapolis. IndyPL AAHC/CBLC presents the diverse accomplishments and heritage of African Americans to the general public. Our major annual programs are Meet the Artists (MTA) and Fall Fest/Slammin' Rhymes . MTA is an engaging showcase of various artistic mediums by burgeoning artists. Fall Fest is an afternoon of inspiration and cultural edutainment using interactive programming. Other programs have focused on violence prevention such as Kin, Killing Kin (KKK) and the accomplishments of women of color like Women of a New Tribe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghB0JcYQqqA  Meet the Artists 2017.   https://youtu.be/AGykDRE8pUs Center for Black Literature and Culture.   

Robert Woodruff Library CEO, Loretta Parham will host a reception and honor former Atlanta University School of Library and Information Studies Alumni.   Join us in this celebration in an award winning library.  Open to all registered attendees.

The shootings at Charleston's Mother Emanuel AME Church in 2015 shocked the nation and the world.  Join the authors of this moving book as they take us on a journey that includes history of slavery in North Carolina, the Civil War, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights Movement and the present day as well as the founding of the African Methodist Episcopal Churches in the South, and the role they have played in holding together the black community and leading its members to equal rights.  All three of these authors are Charlestonians, and from their bios are clearly leaders in the city and even in the AME church.   A great takeaway from this touching saga is the power of forgiveness and its lesson for the world.

Call for Submissions
Are you presenting a paper or poster at the 10th National Conference of African American Librarians (NCAAL)? If the answer is yes, then the NCAAL Conference Proceedings Committee invites you to submit your paper or poster presentation for inclusion in the meeting proceedings.  

Clarification: The Conference Proceedings and the Program Brooklet are separate documents. The  Conference Proceedings is a compilation of the programs and posters presented at the conference. The Program Booklet is distributed at the conference and features the schedule of sessions that will occur during the meeting. The proceedings will be compiled and distributed months after the conference has concluded. Prior proceedings are available on the BCALA website.

To have your work included in the conference proceedings, please see the guidelines For posters and papers attached to this email. Presenters should upload their presentations directly to the conference website under their Sched.com profile.  

Committee Members will be onsite to assist presenters with uploading their documents on the dates and times listed below:  

• Thursday, 8/10: 9:00 to 10 am, 4:00 to 5:00 pm

• Friday, 8/11: 9:00 to 10 am, 4:00 to 5:00 pm

• Saturday, 8/12: 9:00 to 10 am, 4:00 to 5:00 pm

All questions should be directed to the Conference Proceedings Committee at [email protected]

 

On behalf the BCALA leadership and the NCAAL planning committee it is our pleasure to welcome you to the 10th National Conference of African American Librarians at the Grand Hyatt (Buckhead) in Atlanta, GA. Conference badges and registration packets may be picked up at the Registration/Information Desk.  There is no onsite registration.   We will provide local information and help you with any questions you might have.  Name badges will be required for entry into conference venues, receptions, and  the conference shuttle.

 

 

8:00am - 5:00pm

Friday, August 11

9:00 - 5:00pm

Saturday, August 12

9:00am - 12pm

Watch these two authors as they offer us some appealing children"s book.  Lewis presents Valerie's New Friends a story about friendship and racial acceptance. The book includes a teacher's guide for educators to introduce topics of diversity in the classroom

Wright introduces us joyful queen Imani who tries save her kingdom in Queen Imani: Queen of love and Smiles and plans to develop a series which includes Jay Christopher's Big Surprise.

Explore librarian Augusta Baker's rationale for creating Books About the Negro for Children (BANFC) and the three criteria she used (i.e. language, theme, and illustration) to identify books. Baker used language because she was cognizant that demeaning terms could damage black youth's self-esteem. Baker chose theme because black life needed to be represented holistically. Thirdly, she focused upon illustrations because portrayals of blacks should be visually appealing. This talk illustrates how BANFC served as a resource to educators, parents, and others who actively sought (yet had difficulty unearthing) non-stereotypical, well-written and thoughtfully illustrated children's books about black life.

Kimberla Lawson Roby and ReShonda Tate Billingsley are definitely ladies of the contemporary novel. They keep fans turning pages and anxiously awaiting the next book. Kimberla Lawson Roby will share her new book The Sinful Woman while ReShondra Tate Billingsley will talk about her new release The Perfect Mistress.  Her book The Secret She Kept will be an original TV One movie in July 2017.

We often don't hear about library services for blind and physically handicapped individuals. However, large type formats and audio books in traditional library services meet only a fraction of their needs. Hear how the Talking Books Department of the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library impacts this community. More than simply access to technologies and recreational reading, we help differing ability citizens stay connected to the community, have an opportunity for lifelong education and recreation, improve their quality of life, and even save lives.

This presentation addresses some best practices for library supervisors to foster autonomy and ownership in library support staff roles from the perspective of a new supervisor. It will cover activities and strategies used for a small library support staff in an academic library and the lessons learned from that experience. Often library support staff do not feel autonomous in their roles and are unaware of the impact their positions have in the organization as a whole. The presenter will explain how these steps and actions can potentially promote confidence and ownership within support staff roles and encourage more communication between support staff and management. 

Having completed four years of collaboration to deliver ACA outreach and enrollment services, a statewide nonprofit organization and a county library system will share how their joint experience on a politically-charged issue can inform future partnerships that expand the library's presence beyond the bookshelves. and broaden leadership and linking opportunities for library staff. Participants will learn about ways the presenters have leveraged their work on this single issue to deliver services to other target populations.

Digital literacy is an essential life skill which transcends age, race, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomics. Discover the positive outcomes that occured when the Durham County Library, the Durham Housing Authority, the WiderNet Project and the United Way collaborated to bring digital literacy, technology training, workforce development,and free computers to local residents of all ages. Learn the value of community partnerships and ways to connect with others to achieve shared goals and outcomes.

School and public libraries have historically been champions for literacy, equity, and education. Today, Black youth are in need of champions more than ever before. If you imagine literacy education as climbing a ladder, for too many Black youth, the school rung of the literacy ladder is broken. In this session, we will share information from our recent publication entitled Libraries, Library, and African American Youth, which focuses on how libraries can create more equitable and just services and programs for Black youth& services and programs that help to improve their literacy and life outcomes. Our goal is to introduce key research concepts and to offer meaningful illustrations of how school and public librarians are utilizing these concepts to effect real change in the lives of Black youth.

Learn about the weekly maker club that we held at Bayside-Martin Luther King, Jr. Academy, a K-8 public school. Each week we had a hands-on, STEAM related activity for the kids. We had programs such as creating their own light-up LED plush monsters; stomp rockets, 3D printing, and more. Our digital literacy project conducted in collaboration with the Phoenix Project of Marin, an organization that helps at-risk youth will also be shared.

Hear how a branch library in Denver took the information learned from their community conversations and tried some new approaches on how to bring a neighborhood together that's seen rapid population growth since 2014.  Library programs, community partnerships and other ideas will be highlighted.

Environmental injustice is the new civil rights issues that pledges the poor and people of color. Mustafa Santiago Ali a former senior adviser and assistant associate administrator for environmental justice, has served more than two decades at the agency, working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor, minority communities nationwide.  Ali recently resigned that position amid the White House plans to dismantle the program.  He said that the budget proposal to defund such work will harm the people who has most relied on the EPA.  Hear about his passion in working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor, minority communities nationwide. He might also speak about his new role as vice president of the Hip Hop Caucus.

When I was raised in the 1990s, the formal education I received around blackness centered on important figures like Tubman, Douglass, and King. Their contributions could and cannot be underestimated when it comes to the hungry pursuit of social justice. However, what I learned did not explain how my father could be black and Costa Rican. It did not introduce me to Negritude. In short, my education was weak in terms of diaspora. My talk highlights discourses and ways librarians and educators can conspire in highlighting blackness as a global phenomenon and not one restricted to the continental U.S.

Learn about the art of collaboration and creativity from this dynamic couple.  They have penned several relationship books and a few novels together.  They have also helped to bring many celebrity biographies to publication.  New York Times best-selling author Denene Millner is an award-winning journalist whose insightful and captivating pieces have secured her foothold in the entertainment book publishing industries.  She has penned 25 books, including Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, co-written with Steve Harvey, Around the Way Girl, a memoir with actress Taraji P. Henson, Believing in Magic with Cookie Johnson and Never Make the Mistake Twice with Nene Leakes.  Over the course of his 30-year career, Nick Chiles has distinguished himself as one of the nation’s foremost chroniclers of African American life , culture and celebrity-both as a best -selling author and as an award winning journalist. Chiles co-authored with Bobby Brown on the memoir, Every Little Step: My Story, the Rev Al Sharpton on his New York Times best-seller The Rejected Stone: Al Sharpton and The Path To American Leadership, Kirk Franklin The Blueprint; A Plan For Living Above Life’s Storm, Fatherhood: Rising to the Ultimate Challenge with retired NBA center Etan as well as Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Faith in the Dream.  In 2014 he was a NCCAP finalist for book Justice While Black: Helping African American Families Navigate the Criminal Justice System with attorney Robbin Shipp.   Aren’t you excited to hear from this Dynamic Duo?

Since the beginning of mankind, picture writing has been used as a means of communication. Caveman drawings, hieroglyphics, comic strips, and graphic novels demonstrate that pictures can make a concept concrete and visible for the reader. Storyboarding is a technique that uses boxes of written text and images in a logical sequence to help the reader understand and learn. In the age of social media tools, students today are both visual and textual learners. Thus, using storyboards to teach skills to today's students is an easy and logical progression.  Attendees will learn how to use StoryboardThat -- the free online storyboard creator.

There is a critical need to develop the next generation of library leaders. Four ranking librarians representing a variety of library settings share essential skills and characteristics of 21st Century library leaders as well as guide participants to understand the unique challenges and opportunities in today’s library world.  They will discuss methods and best practices beneficial in developing in a successful career.    

 

Today's librarians serve the most diverse generation of children and teens in the United States in terms of socioeconomic backgrounds, gender identities, abilities, races, religions, ethnicities, and cultures. They are charged with helping better prepare them to deal with the world stage. This session will focus on various program possibilities to help accomplish this. The programs are designed for public and school librarians to help counteract the subliminal, but all too pervasive, messages children receive in the world today. Attendees will have the opportunity to share their own programming ideas and experiences.

Authors Tonya Bolden, Zetta Elliott and Renee Watson use words and actions to reach young people. By developing concepts that reveal the political and social nature of institutions their writings engage young people's minds and spirits, urging them to become literate and active community members. Yet, why is it so difficult for them and other marginalized authors to be published? This panel will discuss why decolonization of children's literature is so critical and their work to promote and protect our history. Their projects include promoting self-publishing, restoring Langston Hughes home and writing about the National African American Museum.

According to a recent study, published in the journal Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, practicing mindfulness meditation appears to be associated with measurable changes in the brain regions involved in memory, learning, and emotion. Mindfulness meditation focuses attention on breathing to develop increased awareness of the present. Previous research has demonstrated that mindfulness meditation may reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.  The part of NIH that has primary research for mindfulness meditation is the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.  https://nccih.nih.gov/

Stephanie Phillips has practiced and studied mindfulness for many years.  In this presentation, she will present information on research about the benefits of mindfulness meditation and lead the group in meditation sessions.

Libraries, archives and special collections have committed themselves to doing outreach to k-12 student populations. Traditionally, this outreach has frequently been done through the use of guided tours, classroom visits, and special programming. However, new media and access to readily available technologies have propelled information professionals to incorporate such technologies into teaching and learning. This presentation will provide the audience with an overview of the tools necessary to introduce collections care and access to high school students in special collections utilizing technology.

R. Gregory Christie came to Atlanta more than a decade ago to care for his ailing father. Since then Atlanta has had the fortune to have him as one of their own   Christie career has flourished in Atlanta’s nurturing artistic environment.

Atlanta shares Calvin Alexander Ramsey with New York City.   He is the author of Ruth and Green Book, which makes available for young people information on the Green Book and its role in helping a generation of African American travelers avoid some of the indignities of Jim Crow.

Atlanta authors write about a variety of topics both fiction and non-fiction.  Hear these authors and get whisked away into their exciting stories often set right here in the South. We are proud to present authors Anthony Grooms, Akinyele Umoja and Penny Mickelbury.  Join us as we highlight authors from Atlanta who are contributing to the evolving landscape of African American literature.

Digital collections at HBCUs have an impact on the research and scholarly community at large. Libraries must be open to engage with internal and external partners to build and preserve these collections. Collaborative partnerships offer opportunities for HBCU libraries to expand resources and knowledge for developing digital collections. This presentation will discuss the approaches and successes of partnering with campus academic units and other institutions to build and preserve digital collections.

Diversity is key to our futures – both within libraries and for the communities that we serve. This session will use the development of ALA’s Center for the Future of Libraries as an opportunity to consider how diversity is key to thinking about the future and how diversity has proven central to the many trends that will shape our futures. With insight from ALA’s Spectrum and Knowledge Alliance recruitment programs, we will look at how our profession can be strengthened by new perspectives that enhance our values and enrich our conversations. 

How does a library evolve to fit the needs of patrons beyond books? Professionals of Outreach and Programming in the St. Louis, MO region present strategies that effectively redefined the library as a mobile and fluid institution. These approaches served all patrons by promoting literacy to all, providing work experience in the library, and archiving neighborhood histories through programming. The overall outcomes each resulted in a better understanding of what the library can offer users.

 

Mobile: Bookmobile services and Outreach to all ages

Malleable: The Library as a Career.

Made For You: Programs that archive the patron’s voice.

Join Khary Lazarre-White as he shares his over twenty years of work with Bro/Sis, a community based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to developing youth into empowered critical thinkers and community leaders.  Founded in 1995, The Brotherhood/Sister Sol (Bro/Sis) provides comprehensive, holistic and long-term support services to youth who range in age from eight to twenty-two. Bro/Sis offers wrap around evidence-based programming.  An excellent model for youth engagement.

 

 

Take one last look around the exhibits, network with vendors and colleagues, and be present to win at the prize drawing during this social reception. Refreshments will be provided.

The presenter will describe cultural programming that has taken place with campus colleagues, as well as multi-institutional collaborations. The Black and Banned book reading is an annual event hosted by various departments in Syracuse University, Onondaga Community College Library, and public libraries. Banned books written by Black authors are available to read during the event. Last year The Autobiography of Malcolm X was read across the various locations. Additional campus and community collaborations will be discussed during this presentation, and the audience will have the opportunity to brainstorm potential library, campus, and community collaborations they can engage in their hometowns.

Today leaders emerge from all roles and levels in an organization and can influence the outcome of a project, key initiative, or an overall organization profoundly. How do these leaders emerge, build relationships, motivate and engage, communicate and collaborate? Instead of thinking of boundaries and four walls, let's look at leadership through Four Faces of Strategic Leadership to operate with excellence to be successful at a strategic level.

UT Libraries' Diversity Committee provides successful leadership for the Libraries in meeting the needs of its constituencies through cutting-edge programming. We will review strategic approaches for two programs. Our Lunch and Learn program invites the community to engage in conversations surrounding difficult, timely topics selected through surveys by our community. Creating thought-provoking presentations for our Black Issues Conference allows the committee to interact directly with regional community groups, challenging them and us to consider new perspectives on an array of diversity topics. We'll share methods for success and how we organize these programs to engage with our community.

Libraries nationwide are exploring options for acquiring and delivering digital content that leverage the power of libraries, deliver good user experiences, and are consistent with library values. Join us to discuss ways for libraries to advance access to digital collections, with focus on the collaborative and innovative efforts of two IMLS grant funded projects: SimplyE and the Library E-content Access Project (LEAP).

If you ever get the chance to travel to South Africa, instead of a “hello”, you may instead be greeted with the Zulu phrase Sawubona (see:ya:wu:bow:nah), “we see you”. Instead of a passive hello, this Zulu greeting is an intentional acknowledgment and active witnessing of the presence of other and their place in their community.  IMLS hopes to inspire and support more of the library field, civic institutions, the philanthropic community, community and local non-profits and to affirm to our communities, Sawubona!

IMLS is gathering input from the library, museum, and community revitalization fields to develop frameworks, tools, and resources to support staff skill-building needed to help transform the connections libraries have with their communities.  The Community Catalyst Initiative intends to support libraries as they develop a deeper understanding of how they can partner with their communities to bring about positive change around a shared vision or goal. During this session, BCALA members will delve into the recent findings shared in IMLS’s recent publication “Strengthening Networks, Sparking Change: Museums and Libraries as Community Catalysts” and explore how their institutions can best leverage federal investments and their own local assets to best support their communities.  As IMLS move forward with the Community Catalyst Initiative and other legacy funding priorities like the National Leadership Grant for Libraries, it hopes to explore the role of libraries in community development and for participants at BCALA to share their thoughts on how IMLS and the field can be enablers of community vitality and co-creators of positive community change.

 

 

Beta Phi Mu, the library and information studies honor society, was founded at the University of Illinois in August, 1948 by a group of leading library and information professionals and educators to recognize and encourage scholastic achievement among library and information studies students.

Members are invited to join Em Clarie Knowles and Gerald Holmes as they host this social gathering.

OPUSSEVEN’s creative director Dwayne Bishop and Dr. Lambert Shell, Director of Roosevelt Public Library will share a collaborative project.

Today’s atmosphere is rapidly becoming more open, mobile and accessible, how do libraries continue to engage this new user on this new environment? We will try to answer this question by exploring RPL Connect – an ambitious and collaborative project in partnership with the Roosevelt Public Library. Come and interact, engage and share your ideas which we believe is the basis for successfully expanding the walls of the library via digital channels.

RPL Connect will be a leading-edge multi-media, multi-platform solution firmly rooted in the belief that our past must be carefully and accurately curated. It’s a digital cultural repository, a place for leaning and preserving the precious part of our lives - our collective history, our living history. 

 

 

 

 

Call for Submissions
Are you presenting a paper or poster at the 10th National Conference of African American Librarians (NCAAL)? If the answer is yes, then the NCAAL Conference Proceedings Committee invites you to submit your paper or poster presentation for inclusion in the meeting proceedings.  

Clarification: The Conference Proceedings and the Program Brooklet are separate documents. The  Conference Proceedings is a compilation of the programs and posters presented at the conference. The Program Booklet is distributed at the conference and features the schedule of sessions that will occur during the meeting. The proceedings will be compiled and distributed months after the conference has concluded. Prior proceedings are available on the BCALA website.

To have your work included in the conference proceedings, please see the guidelines For posters and papers attached to this email. Presenters should upload their presentations directly to the conference website under their Sched.com profile.  

Committee Members will be onsite to assist presenters with uploading their documents on the dates and times listed below:  

• Thursday, 8/10: 9:00 to 10 am, 4:00 to 5:00 pm

• Friday, 8/11: 9:00 to 10 am, 4:00 to 5:00 pm

• Saturday, 8/12: 9:00 to 10 am, 4:00 to 5:00 pm

All questions should be directed to the Conference Proceedings Committee at [email protected]

 

Join us in the pre-function area as our current and past presidents take to the red carpet.  Bring your cameras and cell phones,  It will certainily be a moment worth capturing.  No tickets needed to observe this "Red Carpet Affair".        

Alexis Scott, Publisher Emerita Atlanta Daily World and Political Commentator, Georgia Gang,Fox 5 Atlanta will serve as our guest announcer.

 

We will roll out the red carpet for President Denyvetta Davis and past BCALA presidents as we celebrate 25 years of convening National Conferences.  It is also an evening where we will honor our outstanding members.    Great Entertainment, Food and Dancing!!!!   

Black tie/Afrocentric apparel (Optional) 

Our special guest will be Ezra Knight, an award-winning narrator of more than 50 digital audiobook titles, ranging from steamy urban fiction to elegant prose and poetry.

We will close our conference with a stirring “Gospel Brunch”.  We want to lift up our faith and acknowledge its connection to our life’s work.  We need faith to navigate the joys, trials and tribulations found in daily life. This “Gospel Brunch” will reenergize and strengthen you to return home with a deeper commitment to service.  Enjoy performances of God's Dancing Angels from Central United Methodist Church and gospel recording artist, Voncile Belcher.

You should be prepared for an electrifying message from Dr. Bernice A.King.