**Registration will open on Monday, June 24th!** | |
Please note:
If this will be your first Annual Meeting and you would like to receive a pair of the famous NEFLIN SHOES, you will need to register by Monday, July 29th.
We hope to see YOU there!
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Call for Proposals
Lightning Round Sessions at the Annual Meeting
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This year, we're again including Lightning Round sessions as part of the Annual Meeting agenda. If your library has a program, service, or resource you'd like to share, please consider submitting a proposal.
Each presenter will have 5 minutes to present their Lightning Round session.
Remember that the NEFLIN membership includes all types of libraries from all types of communities, and if something is important or interesting to you, it will be to someone else, as well.
To submit a proposal, fill out the form below with a short description of your topic by Monday, July 22nd. Contact training@neflin.org with questions.
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Congratulations,
Scholarship Recipients!
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Congratulations to all of our 2024 Jim Morris Continuing Education Fund scholarship recipients!
These eight NEFLIN members are using their JMCEF awards to participate in a wide variety of professional development opportunities.
Now is the time to begin planning for 2025!
The JMCEF awards up to $250 for in-state travel and up to $500 for out-of-state travel. All scholarship funds are provided through donations and fundraisers. We will begin accepting applications in September for events happening next year.
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Technology Assessment Project Recap | |
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For 2023-2024, NEFLIN offered a new opportunity for our member libraries: the Technology Assessment Project (TAP).
The purpose of TAP was to help library staff build technology skills and knowledge so that they can serve patrons more effectively and confidently. To participate in TAP, members first completed a Technology Skill Self-Assessment Pre-Test. Between the months of January and April, participants had the opportunity to complete 10 Niche Academy tutorials, each of which addressed the skills evaluated on the pre-test. Finally, in May, participants completed a post-test in order to evaluate learning gains.
Although we are still calculating final numbers, we do know that almost 400 individual members completed the TAP tutorials and more than 300 completed all phases of the project (including the pre- and post-tests). A huge thanks goes out to the following twelve member libraries for participating in TAP:
- Alachua County Library District
- The Bolles School
- Brevard County Public Library
- Clay County Public Library
- Columbia County Public Library
- Florida State College at Jacksonville
- Keiser University - Daytona Beach Campus
- Keiser University - Jacksonville Campus
- Marion County Public Library
- Putnam County Public Library
- St. Johns County Public Library
- Suwannee River Regional Libraries
If you didn't get the chance to participate in TAP but would still like to take advantage of this training opportunity, you can find all of the tutorials on NEFLIN's Niche Academy platform by clicking on the "TAP (Technology Assessment Project) Training" category. Create your account at https://my.nicheacademy.com/neflin-staff.
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Featured Workshop
How to Resolve Conflict at Work
with Michael Clark
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When employees get together as a team to make a decision or accomplish a task, their egos, fears, biases, and agendas can all get in the way. At times, the emotional component is so dominant that the group’s purpose can get lost in the heat of the conflict. As conflict flares between individuals on a team, it usually has a strong effect on those directly involved, and often affects others on the team or more importantly--patrons. The results of any unresolved conflict are significantly farther-reaching: decreased morale, productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness. At best, the team merely gridlocks; at worst, its long-term relationships are destroyed. Learn how to identify conflict, conflict triggers, how to avoid, and what techniques to use to alleviate and/or manage conflicts when they occur in the workplace.
You will learn…
- How to define/describe conflict in the workplace
- To differentiate between differing approaches to conflict
- Describe common reasons for conflict in the workplace
- Better understand the five stages of the actual conflict process
- Identify and describe communication strategies that can be used to reduce conflict
- Describe how to give effective corrective feedback
- Describe various types of conflict management techniques and how to apply
- Describe strategies to avoid during a conflict
- How to apply corrective feedback and other conflict handling strategies to workplace scenarios
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Meet the Trainer: Michael Clark | |
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Michael Clark has an extensive background in management and supervisory development, quality improvement efforts, facilitation of strategic planning sessions and executive retreats, and one-on-one executive coaching. He worked as a Training and Performance Improvement Director for various State of Florida agencies for many years and has been the Owner/President of MRC Consulting for fifteen years. He has designed numerous training programs using the Instructional Systems Design Methodology, and has delivered over 2000 seminars, workshops, and presentations covering a diverse set of topics, with a focus towards developing leadership skills for managers and supervisors. Michael has also led the NEFLIN Management Training Institute for several years.
Mr. Clark has earned a BS in Experimental Psychology, a M.Ed., and has completed the course work for a Ph.D. in Educational Administration with an emphasis in Instructional Systems Design Methodology at Florida State University.
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Innovation Project Spotlight | |
For the last few months, we've been 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. | |
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These next two projects provide a perfect example of what we often tell those with questions about Innovation Projects - submit an idea that is innovative for your library.
Our next featured project is "Create and Innovate with Legos" with Three Rivers Regional Library. The Three Rivers system is made up of four counties - Dixie, Gilchrist, Lafayette, and Taylor - with one library per county. In these rural communities, Lego kits provide kids a creative outlet and provide library staff more opportunities for programming.
“We would like to provide each of our member libraries with a basic set of Lego building blocks and base plates. In speaking with our Children’s Librarian at Taylor Co. Library, she felt that getting the basic blocks would allow for better flexibility over a longer time frame than the different kits that are build it once and done. She also stressed that the basic blocks allowed the kids to be creative and imaginative. With the blocks each of the libraries would be able to hold programs centered around using the blocks to build items toward a theme each week."
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Meanwhile, the University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries' innovative project is Concerts at Noon:
"The UF Architecture and Fine Arts (AFA) Library seeks to launch a new library service, hosting a concert series in which students from the School of Music and others can perform in the library. To accommodate much of the music students are actively preparing, and to ensure that pianists have an instrument on which they can perform, a quality digital piano is needed for this “Concerts at Noon” series. The recitals aim to attract more students from the School of Music to the library, provide an informal performance venue, and help the library serve as a community gathering place."
We look forward to seeing the results of these innovative projects!
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For 2023-2024, we are celebrating 30 years of NEFLIN, and this month, we're highlighting the Jim Morris Continuing Education Fund, which provides financial support for NEFLIN members to take part in professional development opportunities.
The JMCEF was approved by the 2011-2012 NEFLIN Board and began awarding funds in March of 2013. Since then, $21,115 has been awarded to 54 NEFLIN members, all in honor of a man who made a significant impact on Florida libraries, Jim Morris.
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Jim was the Library Director at Florida Gateway College, formerly Lake City Community College, for 24 years and was a much loved friend and colleague to many throughout the state. He devoted his career to the love of books and libraries and is greatly missed since his untimely death in 2012 from pancreatic cancer.
In 2008, Jim - and NEFLIN - celebrated an especially happy occasion when he married Patricia Hay Morris (NEFLIN Continuing Education Coordinator from 2005 - 2013) in the Lake City Community College Library.
We continue to be thankful for Jim's life and legacy! You can read more about him at http://www.neflin.org/jmcef.
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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.
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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.
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Jenny Eason | Member Services Coordinator | NEFLIN
2233 Park Avenue, Suite 402, Orange Park, FL. 32073
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