A Note From the 
Executive Director

 

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the NEO-RLS Open House yesterday! It was a privilege to connect with library staff from across the region as we celebrated our progress, shared updates, and explored opportunities to engage with NEO-RLS. 

 

One of the highlights of the event was the thought-provoking keynote presentation, Checking Out Despair: Librarians as Gatekeepers of Hope in a Digital Age, delivered by R. David Lankes. His inspiring message challenged library staff to reframe their roles as proactive agents of change, addressing critical societal issues such as isolation, addiction, and economic despair. Attendees left motivated to deepen their impact and embrace their potential as catalysts for hope within their communities. If you missed this incredible session, don’t worry—a recording will be available soon! Stay tuned to the newsletter for details. 

 

For those who couldn’t attend, we encourage you to explore how you can get involved with NEO-RLS. Visit our Board Committees, Advisory Groups, and Network Groups pages for more information. Feel free to reach out to me at ragan.snead@neo-rls.org if you’re interested in participating. 

 

Finally, a big congratulations to all our Star Award nominees and winners for their outstanding contributions to library service: 

 

Rising Star Award Winner: Bryanta Spencer, Social Work Manager, Cuyahoga County Public Library 

Shooting Star Award Winner: Paula Wagner, Head of Adult Services, Geauga County Public Library 

Super Star Award Winner: Mary Anne Russo, Children's Librarian, Hubbard Public Library 

 

Thank you to everyone who made this event a success. We are excited about what’s ahead and look forward to another year of supporting and serving our members across Northeast Ohio and beyond! 

 

Have a great day! 

 

Ragan 

Don't Miss a Continuing Education Opportunity

 

December

Practical Approaches to Library Assessment:
Focus on Library Instruction and Programming (F)

12/3/2024

Genealogy Networking Meeting

12/4/2024
Management in Harmony (I)

12/5/2024

Training / Staff Development Networking Meeting

12/5/2024

Unlocking the Power of AI in Libraries:
An Intermediate Guide to Enhancing Services and Workflows (I)

12/10/2024

Special Libraries Network Meeting

12/10/2024

Adobe Illustrator Basics (F)

12/11/2024

Ableism and Access: How to Be an Accomplice to Change (F)

12/12/2024

Book Discussion Networking Meeting

12/18/2024

 

January
NEW-
Children's Summer Reading Workshop: Color Our World

1/9/2025


What Does it Mean to be Anti-Racist? (A)

1/14/2025

Strategic Leadership (I)

1/22/2025

Top 24 Titles of 2024 (F)

1/28/2025

Mark Your Calendar - Teen SRP Workshop 
1/30/24

 

February

Success in Programming for Adults with Developmental Disabilities (DD)

2/4/2025

Foundations of Conflict Management

2/5/2025

Mark Your Calendar - Adult SRP Workshop 
2/13/24

Canva Essentials: From Ideas to Designs (F)

2/18/2025

Building Joy-Centric Libraries: an Experiential Approach (F)

2/20/2025

 

March

Cultivating Your Resilience to Avoid Burnt Out: Managing Stress, Appreciation Inequalities, and Workload Demands (F)

3/12/2025

 

More Programs Being Added Weekly

 

View Full Calendar
 
 
 

 NEO-RLS is Hiring

 

We’re excited to announce that NEO-RLS is hiring for three positions: Fiscal Officer, Programs and Services Associate, and Marketing and Engagement Coordinator. We are looking for passionate and collaborative individuals to join our team!

 

If you’re interested in working with us, we encourage you to apply or share these opportunities with someone who might be a great fit. Detailed job descriptions and application instructions can be found by following the links above. The deadline for applications is January 6, 2025.

 

Ohio Web Library Webinar Interest Poll

 

We are currently planning an instructional webinar about the Ohio Web Library. We would like to know what subjects and specific databases you are most interested in learning about. Please complete this survey by November 26 so that we may plan accordingly. Thank you!

 
 

Massillon Public Library

 

"Each year, our branch participates in the special events that surround the community holiday parade and tree-lighting ceremony. Entitled "Christmas In Bethlehem" after our township, Bethlehem Township, our local business association plans a day of fun for the whole family with "Twinkle the Trolley" giving rides to all the different venues. We coordinate with each other so as not to duplicate services that day; you wouldn't want to have a Santa at every location! Our library has become the keeper of the live reindeer, complete with education about the animals provided by the handlers, who do a great job. It's an expensive venture to rent reindeer, but is well worth it for the number of people who come to our location, the joy it brings, and the investment in our community that it shows. This year, over 450 people came into our branch during the 4 hours we were open, and that's not counting the ones who only visited the reindeer outdoors and may not have come in! We had a pine cone gnome craft, coloring, bowling for gnomes, a book giveaway, a gnome scavenger hunt, storytime, photo opp, and we hosted a grandmother-granddaughter local author duo. Believe it or not, people also utilized regular library services including printing and borrowing items that day! Besides that, we served as a "third space," providing a pleasant, festive, warm and safe area for folks to wait for the trolley or just hang out. And they did indeed stick around to chat and participate in our activities before visiting other venues throughout the Village of Navarre. We are so pleased to be able to serve our local business association and the entire community. It really makes for a warm and friendly atmosphere and promotes awareness of what the library has to offer."

233-5d2ad6b2396447ec38d1799793be89d0_Girl_w_reindeer_closeup.jpg

 

Submitted by: Laura Klein, Massillon Public Library

To spotlight your library or staff click this link to submit.

 

 
 

Adult Book Buzz

 

Cuyahoga County Public Library is once again delighted to invite you to our Adult Book Buzz with your favorite publishers presenting the highlights from their upcoming Spring 2025 list !!

 

The date is Tuesday, November 26th from 2 p.m. to 4:15 ish.
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7GVj_rQBS1WqNUnaa35lgg

 

This is a virtual presentation, so if you cannot make it, or you can’t stay for the whole shebang, a link to view will be sent to all who register so you can watch at your leisure.

 

The chat will be wide open for you to meet and greet with friends and reps, and for you to shout out great covers, favorite authors, and all that good stuff—so don’t be shy about joining in the conversation!

 

This year we’re joined by the publisher reps from these houses……all of whom are returning presenters who look forward to this event as much as we do:

HarperCollins    Virginia Stanly and Lainie Mays            

Penguin Random House    Amanda Fensch
W. Norton    Golda Rademacher 

Hachette     Annie Mazes

MacMillan    Amanda Crimarco

        

We’ll give away ARC bundles in our random drawings,  and we’ll have a great time finding out who has what coming out.  Hope to see you there!

 

 
 

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