This week marks National Library Week and ALA has provided a variety of ideas and activities for celebrating.  In particular, I’d like to call out Tuesday, April 6^th, National Library Workers Day.  I always thought this was a day to celebrate everyone working in libraries, recognizing the fact that everyone contributes a piece to the success of the library.  And, that is true.  However, it is also the day during National Library Week that was established to encourage library workers, library groups and libraries to advocate for better compensation for all library workers.  The resolution proposed on January 25, 2003 combined the recognition of hard work, commitment and expertise with the need for greater compensation.  We know that many of you have gone above and beyond in the past 15 months to serve your communities, support your colleagues and continue making progress toward your goals and vision.  We also know that many of you always go above and beyond!  On Tuesday, please take a moment to congratulate someone on their hard work and accomplishments.  On Tuesday, we will be thinking about how much we enjoy our jobs because we get to work with all of you!  But, let’s also think about how we can effectively advocate for better compensation by reminding the public that what library workers do every day is valuable, impacts communities, and does indeed, take lots of hard work, dedication, knowledge and professionalism.  For more ideas regarding advocacy for better compensation, check out ALA’s information on Improving Salaries/Status. Thank you, thank you, and thank you for all that you do to improve the lives of those around you.  Together we are maximizing library potential.
  
Betsy Lantz
 

Don't forget about CE @ a Glance.  A simple one-page flyer to share with your staff.

The Salary Survey was deployed on Thursday, March 18^th to Ohio’s libraries.  If you DID NOT receive an invitation to participate in the survey, please notify Betsy Lantz or Debbie Blair IMMEDIATELY.  We will send you a new link so that you can participate.  We thank everyone who has already completed their survey and all of those who are busy at work on the survey.  Your participation is crucial to helping create a meaningful tool for our libraries.

4/8/2021-Youth Services (Children & Teen) Virtual Networking Meeting-Focused on Outdoor Programming and Take and Makes
4/14/2021-Gaming & Esports in Libraries
4/14/2021-Statewide Directors' Networking Meeting
4/15/2021-An Empathic Approach to Customer Service Training
4/15/2021-Facilities and Admin Networking Meeting
4/16/2021-Human Resource and Fiscal Officer Virtual Networking Meeting
4/20/2021-Adult Services Virtual Networking Meeting
4/21/2021-Empathetic Marketing: Connecting with Users through Marketing
4/22/2021-What Can I Do? How Libraries Can Support and Heal Communities in Conflict
4/28/2021-Building Empathetic Collections: Fostering Empathy and Kindness in your Community

Nominations for 2021-2022 Open Board Seats Begin April 1st Nomination information was sent out on April 1st for those eligible to run for election for open NEO-RLS Boards seats.  There is one open seat for each of Zone 2 ($1,500,000 - $3,999,999), Zone 3 ($800,000 - $1,499,999), Zone 4 (up to $799,999) and Academic Libraries.  If you are interested, need more information or don’t know if you are eligible to nominate yourself or someone else, please contact Betsy Lantz.  Nominations close on April 30th.

NEO-RLS Awards are Open for Nominations Don’t forget that the nomination process for the NEO-RLS Awards is open all year long.  The deadline for nominations is June 30th.  Check out the website for more information.

Transforming Teen Services is a nationwide initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association. Transforming Teen Services aims to support and elevate teen services in libraries and other learning environments by integrating connected learning, computational thinking, and youth development to help build responsive services for and with teens.

The Ohio Renaissance Festival, held weekends from September 4 – October 31, 2021, is again supporting Ohio public libraries by offering coupons for 50% off gate admission for Summer Library Program participants of any age. Any Ohio public library may distribute the coupons. The coupon is being distributed digitally this year – no need to request coupons from Ren Fest

See what's new!  View Job Postings on the NEO-RLS website. 

Join Penguin Random House, Library Journal, and School Library Journal on Tuesday, April 6th  for a free, day-long virtual book and author festival as we celebrate National Library Week and librarians everywhere! Enjoy a day packed with author panels and interviews, and visit your favorite publishers in the Exhibit Hall for freebies and resources. Check out the full schedule to plan your day!

The Ohioana Library Association, which collects, preserves, and celebrates Ohio literature, is presenting the 2021 Ohioana Book Festival from April 22 through 25.   As we did last year, we decided to present the festival virtually to keep everyone safe as we continue to fight the pandemic. Thanks to technology, we will still be able to share all the things people have come to love about the festival: panel discussions, conversations, and readings. There will be story times and activities for children. And an online book fair.

EveryLibrary Institute can help you make the most of Library Giving Day 2021 #LibraryGivingDay with effective techniques for fundraising, friend-raising, and seeking donations or sponsors. Webinar 1: Getting the Most Out of Library Giving Day: From Fundraising to Friendraising, a Quick Start Guide to Making the Most of a Development Campaign. Webinar 2: Library Giving Day: An Opportunity to Cultivate Major Donors Register Today for these FREE Webinars.

If you were not able to file your Form 471 application by the March 25, 2021 deadline, please know you still have options. In previous years, the FCC has been very lenient if the application is filed within 14 days of the deadline.  To meet the 14-day “extension”, you should submit the form on or before Thursday, April 8, 2021. You will then need to submit a Request for Deadline Waiver appeal to the FCC, seeking to have your application be considered as timely filed.