This year, the Reference Section will sponsor and co-sponsor a number of programs to engage and inspire you.

To highlight just a few:

Librarians Fighting the Opioid Crisis: A Conversation Starter

What does it mean to fight the opioid crisis from inside the library? Join us for a conversation starter with library colleagues and community health professionals on engaging with our communities in need from a public health standpoint. We'll discuss Narcan training for library staff, ways to share addiction information and break stigmas in our libraries, and how to respond to the opioid epidemic with education, compassion, and action. Co-sponsored with the Diversity & Outreach Section.

Break on Through to the Other Side: Publishing Professionally

Do you have ideas that would benefit the library community but the prospect of publishing overwhelms you? This panel is presented by librarians who were once in your shoes: they were apprehensive about the publication process, yet have all successfully published many times. We’ll discuss different avenues for publishing, finding the right journal to publish in, how to handle peer reviewer comments, and tips for putting your ideas to paper. Co-sponsored with the College and University Section.

Library Social Work: Engage the Fusion

We all know that the modern work of libraries aligns with social work, but more libraries are actually starting to hire social workers on staff. Join colleagues from some of the first East Coast libraries to join in: New Jersey’s own Long Branch Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library in New York. Hear how it all came to be, how to sell it to the board of trustees, the community impact, the opportunities, and all about the new PLA Social Worker Task Force. Co-sponsored with the Diversity & Outreach Section.