The YSIG meeting at the Johnson County Library drew a crowd eager to see each other’s faces after virtual meetings the last two years.
After two years of no face-to-face meetings, the Wyoming Library Association Youth Services Interest Group (YSIG) was finally able to get together in person. The YSIG Annual Spring Meeting was held in Buffalo, at the Johnson County Public Library on May 5-6, 2022. On Thursday evening, several youth services librarians met for dinner, catching up, and more than a few hugs.
Johnson County Library Director Steve Rzasa giving the group a tour.
On May 6, 31 librarians from around Wyoming gathered for the Intellectual Freedom and Book Challenges roundtable. Sitting on the panel were Darcy Acord, Campbell County Public Library Youth Services Manager; Jennisen Lucas, District Librarian for Park County School District #6 and AASL President; and Conrrado Saldivar, Wyoming State Library Outreach and Development Librarian and WLA President. These three spoke of their experiences with recent book challenges and the organizations behind the challenges. It was an illuminating discussion and culminated with librarians sharing strategies for handling such challenges.
Wyoming State Library Database Instruction Librarian Chris Van Burgh did training on GoWYLD.net resources.
There was also an update on the WLA partnership with EveryLibrary to work with Wyoming libraries on these issues. Following the roundtable was the interest group meeting. After lunch Chris Van Burgh, Wyoming State Library Database Instruction Librarian, provided GoWYLD.net training, then Janet Tharp (retired) did a session on storytelling. It was a fruitful meeting with everyone coming away not only with a better sense of the threats facing libraries but also with a better sense of the strength and resolve of our Wyoming librarians.
(Left to right) Becky Prelle, Youth Services Coordinator for Campbell County Public Library System, and Janet Tharp, a retired librarian, during Janet’s session on storytelling.
The group checking out Buffalo’s historic downtown.