|
Dear Brad,
Happy February!
It's the month of love, and as we like to say around here, NEFLIN Loves Libraries. In this newsletter, we're giving you some great opportunities, such as the upcoming Hot Topics Conference and the NEFLIN Road Show. We're also celebrating the ways NEFLIN has been able to support Northeast Florida libraries through programs like the Innovation Projects.
Read on, NEFLIN friends, and take advantages of a few opportunities this month!
| |
Register Now for Hot Topics! | |
|
Remember reading the job description when you originally applied for your job? Was there some line like “Other duties as required” among the different tasks and responsibilities?
Fast forward to now. Does it seem like most of your job falls into that category?
This conference will be all about overcoming challenging circumstances and forging your own trail to success. Make your plans to join us in Gainesville on April 26th!
| |
To support the Jim Morris Continuing Education Fund, we'll be raffling off a Ninja DualBrew Pro Specialty Coffee System (valued at $239.99) at the Hot Topics Conference. Buy your tickets now! You do not need to attend the conference to win. | |
|
Check out the NEFLIN Road Show | | |
|
The NEFLIN Continuing Education Roadshow is bringing training to you! In 2024, we’re coming out to more member libraries to present in-person workshops from your favorite NEFLIN trainers AND some new faces.
Our first batch of workshops are all over the NEFLIN region – Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Gainesville, Cocoa – with more to come!
Check out these first four Road Show events and register today!
|
|
Take the NEFLIN Annual Survey | |
|
That's right...it's NEFLIN Annual Survey time!
Each February, we ask for your feedback, and we use that feedback to serve you better.
We'd LOVE for you to be a participant in the 2024 NEFLIN Annual Survey! Just 10-15 minutes of your time will help us plan future programs and services.
| |
P.S. Everyone who takes the survey will be entered into a drawing for one of five $25 Amazon.com gift cards!!! | |
|
|
|
Featured Webinar
How to Build Connections, Collaborations, and Partnerships for Librarians
with Alexandra Barr & Kate Tompkins
| |
They say many hands make light work, but how do you make professional connections and start fruitful collaborations? Who should you reach out to and where do you start? Networking and building professional relationships are critical for school and public librarians, plus they can make your life so much easier, and fun! | |
|
Public librarian Alexandra Barr and former school librarian Kate Tompkins will share how they formed their partnership, as well as ideas on other connections you can make in and outside of your building. | |
Meet the Trainers: Alexandra Barr and Kate Tompkins
| |
|
Alexandra Barr is the new Community Outreach Manager for the St. Johns County Public Library System. In her former life, she was a Youth Services Librarian for almost ten years. Her very favorite things were programming and outreach, which she loves to share with the library world! She’s previously presented at NEFLIN conferences, FLA, ALA, schools, and professional development workshops. Alex is a native Floridian that currently lives in St. Augustine with her three wild boys.
| | |
|
Kate Tompkins worked in libraries across Northeast Florida starting at age 15 for the Alachua County Library District. From there, she went on to work for the St. Johns County School District for 13 years, and worked part-time for Florida State College of Jacksonville. She was active in the Florida Association of Media in Education (FAME), serving on different committees and boards. She also served on the NEFLIN Continuing Education Committee and was active in the School Library Interest Group. Kate is now a librarian in North Carolina, and although she misses her Florida library colleagues dearly, she doesn’t miss the heat and hurricanes.
| | |
Innovation Project Spotlight | |
For the next few months, we'll be highlighting the 11 NEFLIN member libraries who are recipients of a 2024 Innovation Project Award. These libraries all submitted their innovative ideas to the NEFLIN Board, who then awarded up to $7,500 for each winning idea. All of the libraries are working now to put their projects into action, and at the NEFLIN Annual Meeting on September 13th, they will share their progress and results. | |
|
Our first featured project is Drone Dashing @ Brevard County Libraries:
"BCLS is bringing the excitement and fun of drone racing to our libraries. There will be two separate sets of drones that will float between Brevard County’s libraries. One set will consist of 10-CoDrone EDU drones and the other set will be 5-Cetus X drones. The CoDrones have the ability to be programmed using Blockly or Python programming languages. The Cetus X drones are flown using FPV (First Person View) goggles. This gives the pilot a first-person view of their flight. In addition to the drones, we will use the drone arena for safety and obstacles to challenge our pilots."
| |
|
About the Community: "Brevard County is located on Florida’s Space Coast. With the exception of education and healthcare, many of Brevard’s top employers are in the aerospace and technology industries. Some of these employers include NASA, L3HARRIS, United Launch Alliance, and Space X. Many of these employers must look outside of Brevard County due to the limited pool of qualified applicants in the area.
In addition, Brevard citizen income levels vary throughout the county. Many children and families may never have the opportunity to operate a drone or learn how to program one. These traveling drone sets will allow children and families throughout the county to participate in these activities for free and introduce a new technology to our patrons."
We look forward to seeing the results of this innovative project!
| |
|
For 2023-2024, we are celebrating 30 years of NEFLIN, and this month, we're showing a little love for NEFLIN HQ!
Since October 1995, NEFLIN's home base has been located at 2233 Park Avenue in Orange Park. We're fortunate not only to have ample office space, but also a beautiful training room where we can hold in-person workshops, as well as NEFLIN Board, Continuing Education Committee, and Interest Group meetings. In 2017, that training room underwent a makeover, and we are still enjoying the updated look and flexible furniture.
| |
If you haven't been to NEFLIN HQ, we'd love to see you there at an upcoming workshop! | |
|
|
These projects were funded either under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act from the Institute of Museum and Library Services or the Library Cooperative Grant program. Florida’s LSTA and LCG programs are administered by the Department of State’s Division of Library and Information Services.
| |
|
For FY2023-24, the total state and federal budgets for NEFLIN's programs are $694,693. 42% of the total costs ($294,693) are supported by federal funds, and 58% of this program ($400,000) is supported by state funds.
| | |
|
Jenny Eason | Member Services Coordinator | NEFLIN
2233 Park Avenue, Suite 402, Orange Park, FL. 32073
| | | | |
