Wyoming Community Foundation Hosting Free Event on Charitable Giving
Join the Wyoming Community Foundation and the University of Wyoming Foundation for a free full-day event on Charitable Giving on August 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Laramie at the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center. Nonprofit leaders, board members, and professional advisors are invited to learn more about Charitable Giving today – what it means for nonprofits, how donors can have significant impacts on charity through estate giving, and ways professional advisors can support their clients and their clients’ favorite causes through their work. Learn more and register at uw.uwyo.edu/james.
ALA Accepting Applications for 2024 Class of Emerging Leaders
The American Library Association (ALA) is now accepting applications for the 2024 class of Emerging Leaders. This is a leadership development program wthat enables newer library workers from across the country and Canada to participate in problem-solving work groups, network with peers, gain an inside look into ALA structure, and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity. It puts participants on the fast track to ALA committee volunteerism as well as other professional library-related organizations.
Sign Your Library up for National Voter Registration Day
National Voter Registration Day will be held on September 19, 2023, and you can sign up your library to participate. National Voter Registration Day is a nonpartisan civic holiday celebrating U.S. democracy. It was first observed in 2012, with more than 5 million voters registered to vote on the holiday to date. Celebrated every September, National Voter Registration Day involves volunteers and organizations from all over the country hitting the streets in a single day of coordinated field, technology, and media efforts.
ARSL Early Bird Conference Registration Opens
Registration is now open for the Association for Rural and Small Libraries 2023 conference, to be held September 20-23 in Wichita, Kansas. A virtual option is available for those who choose not to attend in person. Early Bird discounted registration closes July 18. ARSL is a professional network dedicated to the positive growth and development of libraries serving rural and small communities.
Virtual Conference Upcoming for Trustees, Friends and Foundations
United for Libraries will hold a virtual conference from August 1-3, 2023. This interactive three-day virtual event will feature expert speakers on current topics facing library Trustees, Friends, Foundations, and staff who work with them. Programming runs from 9:00 a.m. MDT to approximately 2:00 p.m. MDT daily with scheduled breaks. Registrants may participate in some or all program sessions live, and/or watch recordings on-demand.
Kindergarten Gear Up Program for Public Libraries Helps Prep Kids for School
Sometimes kindergarten can be a difficult transition for both kids and parents. San Diego County Library has put together a a new, innovative program to bridge that gap. The 10-session Kindergarten Gear Up series is designed to help children ages 4-5 develop skills that will prepare them for kindergarten. The primary goal is to provide preschool-aged children with some of the social and academic skills that they will need to set them up for success in school. Kindergarten readiness is a key factor in ensuring a child’s academic and social success.
WebJunction Provides Bridgebuilding Resource Hub
Bridgebuilding (also called bridging) is defined as engaging across difference in ways that respect identities, foster mutual relationships, seek a common good, and promote a commitment to civic engagement, thereby contributing to increased social capital and strengthened civic infrastructure, and ultimately, a stronger democracy. WebJunction has created the Bridgebuilding Resource Hub as a space to share resources to support libraries with bridging and other civic strengthening activities. The project was created to enhance bridgebuilding capabilities of public libraries to combat rising levels of distrust and division in the United States.
GrantStation Updates Resources in Pathfinder Tool
GrantStation’s free PathFinder is a resource library designed to help you sharpen your skills, grow your career, and follow developments in the nonprofit and philanthropic worlds. It covers everything grant-related as well as fundraising, organizational and professional development, and sector trends. To help users filter resources, they’ve added topics, and they’ve added materials in a number of areas. Much of the site is free, with additional functionality available with a GrantStation membership.
End of Public Health Emergency Does Not Mean the End of COVID Accommodations
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued a number of updates to its COVID-19 technical assistance, “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws,” including adding a new question and answer about the end of the federal declaration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The EEOC cautions that the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency does not mean employers can automatically terminate reasonable accommodations that were provided due to pandemic-related circumstances.
Help the Library of Congress Create Video Games that Improve Civics Knowledge
The Library of Congress is sponsoring a challenge to help improve public knowledge of civics – that is, the rights and responsibilities of citizens – by asking video game developers to create fun, lightweight video games related to civics that incorporate Library of Congress resources.
PLA Releases First Public Library Services for Strong Communities Report
The Public Library Association (PLA) has published the Public Library Services for Strong Communities Report. The 2022 national survey explored types of public library program and services, the nature of partnerships with other organizations, and the state of library facilities. The survey is the third in a rotating series exploring public library roles, services, and resources to provide actionable data for decision-making and advocacy. Register for a free webinar on Tuesday, July 11 to learn more about the results from the 2022 annual survey and how libraries can apply the results to planning and advocacy.
American Library Association to Distribute $1 Million to Support Fight Against Censorship
The American Library Association (ALA) will distribute $1 million to support and expand intellectual freedom initiatives as the nation grapples with rising censorship challenges and seeks a greater array of resources to protect the right to read. ALA will use the funds to provide a major boost for its current efforts to support its members, library workers and libraries everywhere, as well as the communities they serve. The funding for these endeavors comes from Solidarity Giving.