NYLA Conference 2018

I was able to attend my first New York Library Association(NYLA) Conference in 2018.  The conference occurred from November 7th to November 10th.  My experience was amazing.  I was able to connect with various types of librarians that work in New York state.  I apologize for my delay in writing about my time at the conference.

Here are my highlights:

• I am apart of the Academic and Special Libraries Section(ASLS) so we had a happy hour event/trivia night with RASCAL(Rochester Area Special Collections, Archives, and Libraries). Our trivia night was hosted by Miss Information who has a podcast. The group that I was apart of won the trivia.  The current and incoming Presidents of NYLA stopped by during our board meeting which was held after our event. They both were open to shaking the stigma that NYLA is only for public librarians. Our board is open to supporting them in making this happen.
• I volunteered to be at our ASLS booth a couple times during the conference so that I could peck interest in NYLA members to join our section. Some librarians were apart of ASLS and didn’t know it so was beneficial for our section members. 
• Workshops attended: Libraries Respond to the Opioid Overdose Epidemic – this workshop was informative so now I am open to getting Narcan training.  I will be attending a free Narcan training this month at the Central Library in Rochester and it comes with Narcan.  Trends, Signals, and the Future of Libraries- no one knows what the future holds but that does not mean that we should not stop evolving.  Even when our predictions of trends are incorrect it is okay to try to make predictions. LAMS (leadership and management section)Leadership Luncheon: Diversity and Inclusion in Librarianship – The speaker(Kymberly Keeton) discussed that we talk about diversity but are we ready for it?  She used a picture of a black woman that was well dressed in trendy clothes to show that she is a librarian but will anyone hire her?  She talked about her journey and how she had to go into business for herself before landing a position as a librarian. Intellectual Freedom for Breakfast- discussed banned library books and lawsuits. Informative dialogue to have with fellow librarians. Improving Access to Special Collections –  the University of Rochester’s Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation Department (RBSCP) has developed workflows to better address how collections are processed, how finding aids are created, and how to enhance online navigation.  Information will help me during my special collections and archives rotation.
  

Hopefully, I can attend this year’s NYLA conference.  I met some wonderful librarians that I am still in contact with.  Please let me know if you have any questions by posting in the comment section below.