Greenville, RI – The Greenville Public Library Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Library Director, Corrie Alves. Alves brings 23 years of library experience to her new position in Greenville. Most recently she served as the Technology Coordinator for the Cranston Public Library.

Alves received her Masters of Library and Information Services from the University of Rhode Island. A life-long Rhode Islander, she moved to Greenville four years ago with her family. Alves will begin her work at the Greenville Public Library in March.

The ACRL New England Chapter & the New England Library Instruction Group (NELIG) are now accepting proposals for our 2025 Conference on 6/12 (Online) & 6/13 (at Holy Cross, Worcester, MA)! Proposal submissions are due by 3/4; please go to https://acrlnec.org/annual-conference/call-for-proposals/ for conference theme details and submission guidelines. Thank you!

Proposal Submission Deadline: Monday, March 3, 2025, 11:59pm EST

Conference Dates: June 12-13, 2025
Thursday June 12, 2025: Online
Friday June 13, 2025: College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA

ACRL-NEC and NELIG sessions will take place on both conference days.

https://acrlnec.org/annual-conference/call-for-proposals/

Call for Proposals_ 2025 Joint ACRL-NEC - NELIG Annual Conference.pdf

One of my favorite parts of attending ALA’s LibLearnX 2025 in Phoenix, AZ last month was attending the “I Love My Librarian” Award Ceremony where 10 librarians from around the country were introduced and gave an acceptance speech. I was happy to see that I had met one of the honorees at a previous ALA Conference who, despite working in Hawaii, has ties to Rhode Island! (Jessica Gleason visited me at the Pawtucket Library when she was in the state visiting her in-laws after we met at that event!)

There were other great talks given by librarians from around the country along with some great authors including the very well-known graphic novel-creators Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud who are teaming up with “The Cartoonists Club,” which comes out in April! I also heard a debut novelist, Kyle Edwards, talk about his forthcoming book, “Small Ceremonies.” He is Canadian and Anishanaabe so his coming of age novel focuses on a group of Native hockey-playing high school students in Manitoba, Winnipeg.

Other favorite moments included the tour of the rare book collection of the Burton-Barr Phoenix Central Library, having lunch with an Air Force Base librarian from Oklahoma and meeting a young librarian from Washington state. Libraries all over the country are looking for ways to foster wellness among staff members, searching for new programming ideas for adults and supporting those experiencing dementia or Alzheimer’s.

– Robin Nyzio, Cranston Public Library, Adult Services Librarian

Five libraries of the East Bay have come together to bring Amanda Jones, author of 'That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America,' to join us for a moderated discussion and Q&A session on Thursday, March 6th, at 6:30 pm.

Amanda will be joining us via Zoom, but you will have the option to watch from home via Zoom or join us at any of the five libraries to watch the livestream in person and engage in a discussion afterwards with your community members. Registration for this program will open on Thursday, February 6th.

This program is a collaboration among Rogers Free Library (Bristol), Bristol BookFest, George Hail Library (Warren), Barrington Public Library, Tiverton Public Library, and Brownell Library (Little Compton).

About Amanda Jones

Amanda Jones is an American librarian and anti-censorship advocate. Jones has been heavily involved in anti-book banning movements in the state of Louisiana and throughout the US. In 2023, she was awarded the American Association of School Librarians' Intellectual Freedom Award and the American Library Association's Paul Howard Award for Courage, which honors "an individual who has exhibited unusual courage for the benefit of library programs or services." Her book, 'That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America,' is part memoir, part manifesto, the inspiring story of a Louisiana librarian advocating for inclusivity on the front lines of our vicious culture wars.

Thursday, March 6 at 6:30 pm. Registration is required: rogersfreelibrary.libcal.com/calendar/programming/ThatLibrarian 

Booked is bringing bestselling authors to Providence every month beginning in January!

Upcoming:
Tuesday, January 28th at 7 pm

Authors: 

• Catherine Newman (Sandwich)
• Alison Espach (The Wedding People)
• Betsy Lerner (Shred Sisters)
• J. Courtney Sullivan (The Cliffs)

Details:

We’re thrilled to share details about an exciting monthly event, Booked, hosted on the last Tuesday of each month at 7 PM.

Here’s what to expect:

• 3-5 authors will read from their latest works.
• A moderated discussion will provide insights into each author’s writing process and experiences.
• Books (current and backlist) will be available for purchase, and authors will stay for book signings afterward.

The hosts aim to create a warm, relaxed, and fun atmosphere for all attendees.

If you’re a book lover or curious about the creative process, this is a fantastic opportunity to connect with authors and their stories!

Future Confirmed Authors (joining in the first half of 2025):

• Ethan Joella (The Same Bright Stars)
• Amity Gaige (Heartwood, out 4/1/25)
• Annie Hartnett (The Road to Tender Hearts, out 4/29/25)

Registration/ticket required.

Learn more: www.bookedauthorseries.com

North Providence Union Free Library is pleased to announce the hiring of Maura White. In addition to her role as Administrative Assistant, Maura will also be the first of her kind at our library- Creative Content Coordinator. As Creative Content Coordinator, Maura plans to add unique visual aspects to library departments in a new and exciting manner. These aspects include hand-cut homemade props and signs to bring new life and attention to some existing overlooked areas and displays. Her unique perspective will enhance already existing services and programs, especially seasonal and special events like our annual Holiday Bazaar, Thrift Store, and fundraisers. Maura White formed a lifelong creative background first in writing and later in handmade design. After graduating with two degrees in communications, she followed her dream of working with greeting cards. Thriving on highly creative products she wrote and developed her own designs eventually seeing another dream develop later on. She started a small business creating sparkling awards and fun certificates for well over 200 designs. In between, she developed merchandising skills working in gift shops and retail. Maura has a love of creating, using lettering, texture and color. Working in this new position just might be another dream in the making.

Details: Calling all Magicians, Puppeteers, Artists, Musicians, Storytellers and Instructors with shows or programs geared for families, kids and teens. We are hosting a fair just for you.

Date: The Fair will be January 23, 2025 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. please register to reserve a space.

Register here: https://forms.gle/UZVpTZUBCMARox6M6

Submitted by Rosemary Driscoll, Library Media Specialist, East Providence High School

It had been several years since I last attended the RILA Conference, and it didn't disappoint. Being back inside the Providence Public Library where I worked as a reference librarian in the 1980s was an added treat. As a high school librarian, I chose to attend the Thursday sessions, which focused on school libraries. Shout out to all the presenters. I would have loved to attend all of them, but sadly, I had to choose!

Book Talk Blitz

Alyssa Taft and Sarah Hunicke managed to summarize 75 YA books in this session in an entertaining, engaging, and informative way. To say their knowledge and enthusiasm were impressive is an understatement. I left that session not only eager to order many of the books for my high school but also excited to share that presentation with the English faculty.

Legislative Action Update

This session was presented by Ed Garcia, Bill Lancellotta, Marianne Mirando, and Cheryl Space and facilitated by Beatrice Pulliam. The panelists provided an update on pending statewide legislative efforts concerning Rhode Island libraries, including fair pricing for eBooks, freedom to read, and the first attempt to mandate a school librarian in every public school in the state. This last effort is especially important to me, and I look forward to contributing to the cause. Marianne Mirando discussed her fight against a book challenge at her high school. Her courage and activism were truly inspiring.

Keynote Speaker: Courtney Pentland

Courtney is a high school librarian in Nebraska as well as the 2023-2024 AASL President. Courtney’s theme for her presentation was “Finding Joy in the Journey.” Essentially, her message was that while the work and the challenges school librarians face--and there are plenty--can be daunting, we should not allow those challenges to weigh so heavily on us that we forget how gratifying, rewarding, and awesome being a school librarian can be. She shared strategies and techniques that she finds successful in engaging her school community. One stood out to me: she has upwards of 125 students in the library during all of the school lunches--and she allows them to eat!!! A courageous endeavor.

2025 RI Book Awards RICBA/RIMSBA/RILBA

This session was presented by Nomi Hague, Cranston Public Library; Rebecca Lelli, Narragansett Public Library; Michaela Reed, Blackrock Elementary; and Marissa Salvas, William D'Abate Elementary, for RICBA; Elena Rios, Cranston Public Library, and Britt Donahue, West Warwick Public Library, for RIMSBA; and Maria Cotto, Pawtucket Library, and Betsy Montes, Providence Country Day, for RILBA. The speakers highlighted the 2025 RI Children's Book, Middle School Book, and the Latino Book Award nominees. So many books, so little time! A truly inspiring presentation of the titles being nominated for these awards.

Library Tour

A big thank you to the staff members who provided tours of PPL. It certainly is a beautiful building and a welcoming educational and community space. What a walk down memory lane for me. The library I knew and worked in during the 1980s has transformed into a space equipped to meet today’s patrons where they are while respecting the past. Thank you to PPL for hosting this year’s conference.

Submitted by Robin Nyzio, Adult Services Librarian, Cranston Public Library

Navigating the Census Bureau’s Website to Find the Data You Need

This was a great refresher to learn about how to better access Census Bureau information. David Kraiker from the U.S. Census Bureau also mentioned a site with their history: census.gov/history. He talked about the difference between the American Community Survey (ACS), which focuses on how people live, vs. the census, which focused on where people live. He also pointed out that the Census Bureau is a federal agency that contracts with other federal agencies, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Veteran Briefings: The VA Providence Healthcare System; Essential VA Websites and Veteran Suicide Prevention

VA Chief Librarian Cheryl Banick spoke generally about the VA itself before bringing up Community Engagement & Partnership Coordinator Kim Ferrante, LICSW. Kim is interested in outreach events at public libraries. As we all know, suicide is a public health concern for everyone and especially so for active duty and veterans. Kim has outreach programs focused on Lethal Means Reduction where she has free gun locks, ammunition locked bags, and medication bags. To contact her: kimberly.ferrante@va.gov.

Keynote speaker: Raul the Third

Having worked in children’s and teen services previously, I was aware of his work. His first book, Lowriders from Space, was created in collaboration with Portland, OR librarian Cathy Camper who reached out to him after seeing his artwork in a zine he created! He wrote and illustrated his newest picture book called Vamos! Let’s Go Read as a tribute to public libraries, where he spent so much of childhood and where he got his start illustrating as well. Great talk.

Libraries as a Trusted Election Resource 

State Librarian Megan Hamlin-Black offered the Voter Information centers available to libraries. They provide a voter registration application, mail ballot application, signage, and more. She mentioned that a voter ID is available to those who are unhoused or their gender doesn’t match their state-issued ID. Those who don’t have an address can use the city or town hall as their address. She also talked about the Civics Education Division of the Secretary of State’s office. She supports lowering the voting age to 16 because it’s a way to create lifelong voters, which makes a lot of sense. 

Building Information Literate Communities

Heather Pouliot Kisilywicz, MLIS, is a professional archivist and genealogist who believes that learning more about genealogy resources can benefit all public librarians. She talked about the ramifications of DNA testing for families who may not want to know that they are no longer related, for example.

The names have been drawn! Congratulations to our 2024 Spring Membership Drive raffle winners:

Cassidy Santos - new RILA member
Amy Golaski - new RILA member

Dhana Whiteing - referring RILA member
Mary Moen - referring RILA member

Each winner will receive a $25 gift card to Books on the Square in Providence. Thank you to all who participated. We love having new members, so don't forget to encourage your colleagues to join RILA today.

-The RILA Membership Committee