MLA 2021 Virtual Conference Archives

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Internships Reimagined: Creating a Successful Remote Internship

How do you provide an educational and worthwhile internship for both the intern and the library if you never meet in person or set foot in a physical library? This presentation will focus on how two Library of Michigan technical services staff were able to create an informative and educational experience by reimagining the traditional library internship and creating an exclusively online, remote alternative.

Everyone's Included! iPad & Chromebook Lending

In 2020, CADL added iPads and Chromebooks to their Library of Things collection to address the desperate need for digital inclusion that the pandemic highlighted. The 35 iPad Kits and 34 Chromebook Kits circulate with hotspots for internet access. Come learn how we did it from selection, purchasing, set-up, circulating, maintaining, and managing. Hear lessons learned and how to expand digital inclusion efforts in your own community.

In Small Bites: Making Diversity and Inclusion Audits Manageable

This session will look at the ways Capital Area District Libraries decided to measure diversity and inclusion in library collections in small bites. By approaching it through multiple smaller efforts in programming, readers advisory products, and collection reviews, the district has brought attention to the strengths and weaknesses of our collections and practices.

A Core Collection: Welcoming New and Casual Library Users

The session introduces Kent District Library's new CORE collection, newly purchased and specially branded copies of our one hundred most loved adult titles. This collection represents the intersection of well-reviewed books and popular books as determined by KDL circulation statistics. As a subset of the general collection, the titles are at least six months old and answer a common request received from casual library users. "Can you give me a good book to read?"

It's a Wash: Library at the Laundromat

During this session, participants will learn about the Wash and Learn Initiative (WALI) and WALI Community Toolkit (WCT) to transform laundromats into community learning spaces. Libraries Without Borders developed this toolkit to enable community leaders, librarians, and local organizations to start their own WALI program. The program brings together libraries, local nonprofits, and small businesses to provide innovative digital inclusion outreach at laundromats.