NCLA Con 2025

Navigating Northstar Online Learning for Administrators and Proctors is a hands-on session which will walk those in the role of Administrator and Proctor through the elements of Northstar Online Learning to increase their knowledge and comfort with this flexible digital assessment and skill building tool. Northstar can be used to increase the digital capacity of staff to meet the just-in-time and point-of-service digital needs of their community members. Library staff can then use and refer Northstar to their community members to increase their digital skills.

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.

The issue of library media collections being relevant today has been discussed recently. There have been recent news features on the decline of DVD and music CDs in popularity and sales. Streaming is constantly being mentioned as the reason effect will be discussed. Some libraries have chosen to no longer offer physical media. This presentation will also focus on the current state and future of library media collections. It will also provide information on maintaining those collections.

Managing a Floating Collection across 24 library branches is a complex but rewarding process that ensures materials remain accessible, diverse, and relevant to our patrons. Wake County Public Libraries has developed a strategic approach to maintaining this system, balancing selection, circulation logistics, and deselection to create a dynamic collection that serves the needs of our community. In this session, our Selection Manager, Materials Manager, and Deselection Manager will guide you through each phase of the book lifecycle, sharing insights on how we select, manage, and refresh materials across our system. The selection process plays a critical role in ensuring our collection remains balanced and representative of our patrons' needs. Our Selection Manager will discuss the criteria used to choose materials, emphasizing diversity, relevance, and demand. With a system as large as ours, selecting books that resonate with our communities while maintaining a broad range of perspectives is key. Once books enter our system, the challenge shifts to managing their movement across branches. Our Materials Manager will explore how we track and maintain circulation through an efficient logistical framework. Technology plays a crucial role in monitoring the movement of materials, preventing bottlenecks, and ensuring that all branches have a well-rounded selection of books. We will discuss the tools and strategies we use to keep books flowing smoothly while minimizing delays and gaps in availability. Just as important as adding new materials is the process of removing outdated or underutilized items. Our Deselection Manager will cover the evaluation criteria used to determine when books should be weeded from the collection. Factors such as circulation data, physical condition, and evolving community needs all play a part in these decisions. Floating Collections offer many benefits, including greater flexibility, improved access to materials, and a more patron-driven distribution model. However, challenges such as uneven distribution, wear and tear on popular titles, and maintaining balanced collections across branches require proactive management and problem-solving. By sharing our strategies and experiences, we hope to provide practical insights for libraries, whether they have a floating collection or a traditional one. Join us for this informative session as we break down the key components of our collection management. Whether you are involved in collection development, materials handling, or library operations, this discussion will offer valuable takeaways on best practices, lessons learned, and future innovations in library collection management.

We would like to use this opportunity to showcase what social work and peer support looks like at the High Point Public Library. We will share what prompted this partnership between the Mental Health Associates of the Triad and the High Point Public Library, what services we provide not only for the patrons but also for the staff, as well as the data and statistics we have collected since starting our program. Additionally, we will share creative ways other libraries can still be a resourceful place for vulnerable populations without requiring funding. Furthermore, we will cover examples of future endeavors for libraries, social workers, and peer navigators serving the mental health and homelessness population.

Family Place LibrariesTM (FPL) is a national model that transforms public libraries into community centers for early literacy, parent education, and family support. Since its formation in 1996, over 500 libraries in 32 states have joined the FPL network. The Haywood County Public Library (HCPL) implemented the national model in 2019. The overarching goal of this initiative is to help improve library services for young children and families, and to strengthen the library's role in contributing to shared goals in the community. The purpose of this presentation will be to inform other North Carolina library staff about this program and its components, to detail the staff experiences, to share the value of this program, and to advise others regarding lessons learned. The presentation will overview the seven FPL goals and how a public library can implement the program, including: improving library services for young children and their families, strengthening the library's role in the community, and enhancing literacy access for young children. Libraries can implement these goals by training staff, updating parent collections, designing special spaces for children and families, collaborating with community partners, and hosting five-week parent-child workshops and other children's programs. The FPL model supports the community goals for young children set by North Carolina' Early Childhood Action Plan. Interacting in an environment that equips children to build strong brain architecture and school readiness skills, helps ensure healthy development. This vision for healthy, successful children is set by North Carolina's Early Childhood Action Plan, and implementing the FPL model is one way North Carolina public libraries can align with this vision. The FPL components build on the traditional strengths of public to libraries in creating opportunities for children and families to flourish. In 2023 at the 64th Biennial North Carolina Library Association Conference, Canton Branch Manager Jennifer Stuart & Youth Services Librarian Ashlyn Godleski presented a poster on the HCPL's positive experience of becoming a Family Place Library. Implementing the FPL model has been a great experience for Haywood County. The program is achievable for any size public library and is a great opportunity for other NC public libraries who would like to build their role as a vital community center for young children and their families.

When libraries partner effectively within their communities, everybody wins. This discussion with staff from Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation will cover the process of building successful partnerships by defining what a partnership is, identifying different partnership tiers, and discussing ways that partnerships and fundraising intersect and strengthen each other. By the end of the session you'll be prepared to engage deeply with community partners and leverage partnerships to inspire and engage your community and meet their needs creating connections that result in meaningful change for your community.

This past year, the High Point Public Library has participated in a city-wide initiative to help provide meaningful access to public services for all individuals, regardless of their preferred language. This presentation will have two parts. Part one will discuss the process the Language Access Committee went through in developing the Language Access Plan, and its first year of implementation throughout the City of High Point. Part two will discuss how the Language Access Plan is allowing the library to better meet the needs of patrons in our community while helping to further the High Point Public Library's mission of "nurturing the joy of reading, sharing the power of knowledge, strengthening the sense of community and enhancing cultural and economic vitality".

Join us for an inside look at Wake County Public Libraries' Kit Services, a dynamic initiative designed to engage readers of all ages and meet the evolving needs of our community. Our Kit Services provide carefully curated collections that foster literacy, discussion, and connection, supporting patrons in a variety of ways. From Book Club Kits for Kids and Adults to Memory Care Kits designed for individuals experiencing memory loss and their caregivers, our offerings provide valuable resources that enhance learning, spark meaningful conversations, and promote community engagement. Libraries are continuously evolving to meet new demands, and Kit Services represent a powerful way to extend access to high-quality materials in a flexible and user-friendly format. Book Club Kits allow groups to explore literature together, making it easier for schools, community organizations, and book clubs to facilitate discussions without the burden of tracking down multiple copies of a title. Meanwhile, our Memory Care Kits serve a specialized need, providing resources tailored to individuals with dementia and Alzheimer's, along with their caregivers. These kits incorporate books, activities, and sensory tools that encourage reminiscence, engagement, and cognitive stimulation, supporting both individuals and their families. Developing and managing these kits requires thoughtful planning and ongoing assessment. Our team carefully selects materials based on community needs, circulation data, and emerging trends in reader engagement. We will share insights into our selection process, including how we balance popular titles with diverse and inclusive options to ensure broad appeal. Additionally, we will discuss the logistics behind maintaining, tracking, and refreshing our kits to keep them relevant and in excellent condition for patrons. Distribution and accessibility are also key considerations in Kit Services. Ensuring that kits are easy to find, request, and borrow requires a seamless workflow that integrates with existing library systems. We will outline our approach to organizing, cataloging, and circulating kits across our library system, including how we manage reservations and track usage to optimize availability. By streamlining these processes, we enhance the overall user experience and ensure that as many patrons as possible can benefit from these resources. Promotion and outreach play a crucial role in maximizing the impact of Kit Services. Effective marketing strategies, staff training, and community partnerships help spread awareness and increase engagement with these valuable resources. We will explore different ways to promote kits both inside and outside the library, including collaborations with local organizations, digital outreach efforts, and programming that highlights the benefits of using kits for group learning and discussion.

Interlibrary loan has provided users with access to physical books from beyond their single library's collection for a long time, but the sharp increase in ebook purchases the past five years means we must adapt our ILL services to include ebooks. In our current environments, there is no neat and tidy solution for sharing ebooks, and each institution must determine the technologies and policies for borrowing and sharing these electronic resources. This panel will represent perspectives from two institutions and multiple areas of the library. Panelists will discuss how they facilitate borrowing and lending of these resources from the perspective of interlibrary loan practitioners, subject specialists, and technical and collection services. These academic libraries have been piloting different approaches to providing ebook access for their patrons and will engage the audience in a discussion of vendor-neutral options and best practices for getting started.

In order to keep up with changing times and patron expectations, libraries constantly add innovative new resources, formats, and services. But we cannot just keep adding. Sometimes things must be taken away for us to continue to provide excellent service. What has your library technical services unit recently stopped doing? Maybe you stopped collecting print serials, or purchasing individual ebooks? Maybe you stopped classifying childrens books, or you've stopped having big monthly meetings in favor of short weekly "stand-up" meetings to plan the week ahead. We are primarily looking for deliberate decisions driven by patron needs and expectations, rather than unfortunate changes forced by budget constraints, unless you turned them into something wonderful! What have you stopped doing? The session will feature 3-4 panelists plus a moderator. Each panelist will give a 10-15 minute presentation and the session will end with some questions from the moderator and attendees addressed to all panelists. Panelists will be asked to address these questions in their presentations: What were the reasons for your decision? Was there resistance to the change? If so, how did you deal with it? What has been the effect of the change? What has stopping doing that thing allowed you to start doing instead?

When Wake County Public Libraries (WCPL) decided to phase out their Books on CD collection due to rising purchase and maintenance costs, they knew they needed to find another way to facilitate access to accessible audiobooks to their patrons who needed them. To accomplish this, WCPL reached out to the State Library of North Carolina - Accessible Books and Library Services (ABLS) to explore a partnership that would ensure these patrons retain access to no-cost audiobooks. This session will explore how ABLS and WCPL collaborated to bridge this service gap, offering an innovative model for other libraries across North Carolina. We will discuss how the partnership formed, the process of educating WCPL staff integrating ABLS resources into their own, and the impact this collaboration has had on WCPL patrons who are now also ABLS patrons. The panel will share what their experiences have been as a part of the collaboration. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how state and public library collaborations can enhance library services for underserved populations in their communities, ensuring all readers have access to the materials they need. 

Family Portraits started with a familiar missional goal: identify what holes exist for our local community in availability, access, and impact, and find a way to provide meaningful service in that space. What began as a utilitarian opportunity to leverage existing Library resources in meeting a community need has blossomed into the Library's most expansive recurring annual program, serving nearly 500 families since its inception in 2021. Starting in 2021, each fall a staff member transforms the underutilized Library Conference Room, crafting multiple festive, nonsectarian backdrops comprised entirely from materials on hand from Library storage or on loan from staff. In patrons' twenty-minute appointment slots, a Library staff member stages the family/individual and shoots photos in various combinations of backgrounds, poses, and props (as determined by the patrons prior). Afterward, the staff member uses free, open-source software to edit the best shots in the same vein a professional photographer would, delivering around a dozen card-ready edits along with any usable unedited photos to the patron digitally via cloud storage. While time-intensive for the staff member responsible for the set-up, staging, shooting, and editing, the program operates on an almost non-existent budget and is easily replicable year-over-year at libraries of any size. As the program entered its fourth year in 2024, word-of-mouth exposure increased significantly, particularly after the program was recognized at a state level by the NC Public Library Directors Association. Following the most ambitious year of the program from a patron availability standpoint (2023), and adding in that the programming staff member responsible for staging, shooting, editing, and delivering the photos would be leaving in the middle of the program's normal editing season for paternity leave, significant innovation proved necessary to slash down staff time investment if the program was to remain available to serve the community. The first step in streamlining was to completely overhaul the patron registration process. Staff enacted a new-look online registration in 2024 as a prerequisite to book an appointment. Under the new system, a custom link (available as QR codes throughout the building and hyperlinked on Library web/social media pages), directed patrons to a one-stop web experience where they could: maximize photoshoot time by filling out all their information; access the full rules, guidelines, and suggestions for enjoying the program; utilize a full catalog-style collection of family portraits from previous years, as well as photos of the backdrop options, to custom order the poses and placements they wanted for their shoot; and, especially important given the staffing circumstances of the program, select whether they preferred to ensure photo delivery by November first (whether edited or not), or wait for the full set of edited photos after the holidays. Another key change instituted in 2024 proved pivotal in slashing editing time, and thus enhancing the capacity of the program: the addition of photography lights. Investing in a set of low-end studio-style photography lights (approximately $50) allowed the staff photographer to better control the shooting environment prior to taking the photos, which cut the largest parts of the photo editing (lighting and color adjustments) out, taking the average edit time down from around ten minutes to less than three. A third key innovation-the addition of a color-neutral background option-while seemingly a flippant addition, provided an unexpected increase in access.

Libraries serve as pivotal community hubs, offering spaces where individuals of all ages can learn, engage, and celebrate cultural traditions together. This session delves into the development and execution of multigenerational cultural programming, emphasizing its significance in strengthening community bonds. Using the Traditions of Ramadan & Eid series as a case study, participants will gain insights into: Program Development; Steps to conceptualize and design inclusive cultural events that resonate with diverse audiences. Outreach Strategies: Effective methods to engage various community segments, ensuring widespread participation. Partnership Building: Techniques to collaborate with local organizations, businesses, and cultural groups to enhance program authenticity and reach. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies, templates, and resources to replicate multigenerational cultural programming in their own libraries. Whether you're just starting out or looking to enhance your library's approach to inclusive community engagement, this session will provide you with the tools and inspiration needed to bring meaningful cultural programming to life.  

Play, Learn and Explore: A Park Adventure Guide is a booklet created in collaboration between Librarians at the Cary Regional Library and the staff of the Downtown Cary Park. The booklet uses the framework of Every Child Ready to Read to guide caregivers and children on an early literacy adventure throughout the park. Using rhymes and songs, conversation prompts, coloring pages, word searches and themed book lists, the booklet helps caregivers interact with their child in proven ways to encourage literacy while having fun. In our presentation we will share the process of forming this collaboration with the Downtown Cary Park and the steps we took to get a printed booklet in people's hands. We will also discuss the various opportunities and problems that arose and how we ultimately ended with both a product and a partnership that helps increase library visitation and encourages early childhood literacy. As Children's Librarians, we understand the importance of early childhood literacy. Our presentation will share how librarians can create tools using Every Child Ready to Read so caregivers can partake every day in developing a child's love of reading. These tools can then be used to engage people all across our community and beyond the library's doors. By partnering with a community park, we have not only created a mutually beneficial relationship, but an opportunity for an outside entity to be an advocate for the importance of public libraries. 

Library Programs help to bridge the gap between customers, organizations and authors. In my experience, library programs is a safe place for meeting, it opens the doors for new library customers. Programs also lead to lasting partnerships which is a key element to community relations and resources. In keeping with High Point Public Library motto: nurturing the joy of reading, sharing the power of knowledge, strengthening the sense of community, and enhancing cultural economic vitality. I seek to create programs that foster the joy of reading organizing Programs that create a space for connections to be made and lasting friendships to form while educating attendees. Programming such as hosting author events is an excellent way for authors to network with other authors, meet and greet their readers and it's an opportunity for community engagement and promoting education.