NCLA Con 2025

Many libraries host traditional book clubs, but what happens when those formats don't fit the needs of modern readers? Book Chat and Chill offers a fresh alternative, creating casual, social spaces where people can talk about books without the pressure of assigned reading. This program meets patrons where they are-literally-by partnering with local businesses like breweries, coffee shops, and restaurants to offer relaxed, low-commitment bookish discussions. In this session, we'll walk attendees through the evolution of Book Chat and Chill, from its initial concept to its current model, shaped by trial and error, community feedback, and creative problem-solving. We'll discuss how we built relationships with local businesses, marketed the program to attract a diverse audience, and adapted our approach as we learned what worked (and what didn't). One of the key benefits of this format is its flexibility. Rather than focusing on one assigned book, participants are free to share what they're reading-books they loved, books they hated, and books they want to read next. This freeform structure encourages lively discussion, allows for more personalized recommendations, and helps readers build their ever-growing To Be Read lists. It also fosters a sense of community, drawing in both avid and reluctant readers who might not commit to a traditional book club. Beyond adults, this concept can easily be adapted for teens and kids. A teen Book Chat and Chill offers a space where young readers can talk freely about books-without school assignments dictating their choices. For younger kids, the program could be a fun, interactive way to promote a love of reading outside the classroom. Of course, like any new program, there were challenges. Attendance ebbed and flowed, venues varied in suitability, and we had to fine-tune our approach to keep conversations engaging while ensuring the program remained accessible and welcoming. We'll share our lessons learned and strategies for overcoming obstacles, so attendees can anticipate potential roadblocks and tailor the program to fit their own communities. By the end of this session, attendees will leave with a clear framework for launching a Book Chat and Chill (or similar) program at their library. Whether they're looking for a way to revitalize book clubs, build new community partnerships, or create more informal literary spaces, this session will offer practical insights, real-world examples, and plenty of inspiration to take back home.

Public libraries have long served as essential community hubs, providing access to information, resources, and support for diverse populations. As society becomes more aware of the challenges faced by justice-impacted individuals, libraries have a growing role in supporting successful reentry. This panel will explore how libraries can collaborate with state agencies, reentry councils, and community organizations to provide vital services that help individuals transition back into society. Led by the State Library of North Carolina, this panel will bring together representatives from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (DAC) Reentry and Rehabilitation Division, a local reentry council, a justice-impacted individual who has directly experienced the reentry process, and a social worker embedded in a North Carolina county library system. The discussion will explore how libraries can build partnerships with correctional and reentry organizations, develop targeted programming, and serve as accessible and welcoming spaces for individuals returning to their communities. Panelists will share insights on reentry needs and ways to integrate reentry services into library programming. The session will highlight the importance of information access, digital equity, and community partnerships in reducing recidivism and promoting long-term success. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of the reentry landscape, the needs of justice-impacted individuals, and practical steps to create or enhance library services that contribute to successful reintegration into society.

The State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) has developed new tools to support public libraries as centers of community archiving. Learn about various types of community archiving and resources to facilitate these services. A wide range of community archiving initiatives across public libraries statewide includes services to patrons to help them preserve their own treasures, work with grassroots community organizations to store records; and facilitate books and exhibits with patron-created content. Speakers will share nine preservation tipsheets for public distribution, recorded panel discussions with ideas and guidance from peer librarians statewide, and community archiving guidebooks for library staff. A Q &; A session after brief presentations will supplement these resources by building a community of practice with librarians sharing ideas about successes and challenges and catalyzing collaborations.

This presentation will discuss two ongoing initiatives in the University Libraries' Interlibrary Services department, both of which serve to strengthen relationships with NC public libraries. The first aims to increase access to the University Libraries' collections, while the second focuses on our students' access to the public library and pleasure reading. Last spring we conducted a survey of N.C. public library staff that focused on identifying needs and barriers related to resource sharing. The goal was to inform how we may better support N.C. public libraries and their patrons, especially in rural communities. We'll share some characteristics of our current lending profile, survey results, and the project's next steps to begin addressing some of the barriers to access to our collections. Last fall, in collaboration with the Overdrive/Libby group, we piloted a "Books for Break" event. We invited Chapel Hill Public Library staff to campus for the event, which served as a CHPL library card drive, along with the opportunity to share information about the public library and its resources. And of course, there were fun giveaways and swag! We also shared various resources to locate the public library and all it has to offer. We will share qualitative and quantitative feedback received from this event, as well as information on the follow-up event that occurred in Spring 2025.

Public libraries have well documented the challenge of ensuring that staff reflects the community it serves; this disparity is especially pronounced in rural communities. As a three-county regional library system covering a rural area facing significant economic challenges, Neuse Regional Libraries (NRL) researched and developed the Teens Lead program, which provides paid learning opportunities with an emphasis on opening the door to positive learning experiences in the field of librarianship for diverse individuals. The Teens Lead internship program focuses on developing life skills and immersing teens in real-life work experiences through community volunteering initiatives in partnership with our local public school systems. The Teens Lead initiative is a workforce development program for teens entering 11th or 12th grade. As part of the internship, participants are required to complete a capstone literacy project that exemplifies the library and promotes lifelong learning in the community. Each internship program offers information sessions on librarianship career pathways through professional guest speakers in the academic, public, and school library fields; financial literacy education; leadership development training; entrepreneurship workshops; and work etiquette instruction using a toolkit platform that can be shared nationally for replication for all types of libraries. The toolkit centers on a community-focused approach that allows users to adapt the program to the specific representative needs of their community. Students who complete the program receive a monetary stipend and earn a Career and Technical Education (CTE) credit in conjunction with public schools. The Teens Lead program has opened the door for young adults in our communities to gain positive learning experiences in the librarianship field, thus building a more sustainable future for libraries and the library profession.

This thesis investigates the intricate relationship between librarianship and the coined concept of vocational awe, as articulated by Fobazi Ettarh. Vocational awe, characterized by an intense emotional investment in library work that works to place librarianship and libraries beyond critique, has surfaced as a critical lens for examining the culture of the profession (Ettarh 2018). Ettarh contends that idealizing librarianship can result in unrealistic expectations, burnout, and an unhealthy blending of professional boundaries. Drawing parallels between vocational awe and historical sentiments, reminiscent of Robert Leigh's "The Library Faith"; this study explores the enduring nature of the unnamed features of librarianship that inspire unwavering devotion. By connecting the concepts of library faith and vocational awe, the research aims to elucidate how individuals' sense of calling to librarianship influences work motivations and perspectives. Using a triangulated mixed methods approach, A quantitative survey, utilizing the Calling and Vocation Questionnaire developed by Duffy et al., alongside inquiries into the presence of negative vocational awe impacts works to inform the qualitative interviews. Interviews function as the primary data source and will delve into participants' work motivations, perceptions of librarianship, and the influence of these factors on negative job experiences. This paper will work to identify a) if a sense of being called to librarianship/library work influences devotion to the library faith or a sense of vocational awe, b) values that current librarians/library workers have with library work, c) their experience with negative features of vocational awe, and d) if there are perceived supports in place to mediate these problems. Studying this adds to the ever-growing literature on vocational awe in librarianship and can provide a basic assessment of workers' experiences with vocational awe, which can be used to inform workplace support infrastructure and implementation of critical librarianship.

Cooking and sharing food is a powerful way to connect with patrons of all ages and backgrounds. In this interactive workshop, you will learn how to start a cooking club that will bring in your patrons and leave them hungry for more!

Libraries are uniquely positioned to support local non-profits by providing resources and expertise. This session will explore innovative ways libraries can (at little or no cost) provide non-profits with a wide array of programs, training, and volunteer recruitment support. Attendees will gain practical strategies for launching similar initiatives in their own libraries, which will both aid the non-profits and promote the library through the people who are often the most active in a community.

Do you have a diverse community but struggle with how to incorporate other cultures into your programming at your library? This session will share strategies to work with cultural groups to implement a successful program or series that highlights and provides a journey into another culture. Using an example of a Culture of India series that was successfully implemented at a branch of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, we will share how you can engage your community in celebrating international cultures, diversity and inclusion, as well as highlighting ways to successfully work together to promote understanding. For urban and rural communities alike, you will learn ways to implement a stand alone program or series that can support and educate about a culture within your community. After this session, you will leave with tools to get started and step by step instructions to successfully plan a series that celebrates an international culture. The session will provide an opportunity to engage and brainstorm with other attendees a foundation to take back to their library to implement cultural programming. We'll also share opportunities to support cultural programming whether funding is limited or robust. There will also be a discussion on Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's annual program plan and how this helps guide and support cultural programming. In addition, we will briefly mention Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's welcoming initiative, WelcomeCLT.

From day-to-day operations at a branch to large-scale collaborations across an organization; the outcomes of group efforts are influenced by two things: project management, and team dynamics. Panelists will discuss experiences with a variety of projects and teams, and share what they have learned about best practices and effective methods to help teams set themselves up for success. Some focus areas for this discussion include: communication methods, identifying strengths, creating timelines, building accountability, finding common objectives, defining resource and informational needs, fostering healthy dynamics, measurable goal-setting, identifying deliverables, delegation, division of labor, and tracking progress. This session will include a Q&A portion with panelists.