To say that CALCON 2018 was great is an understatement – it was amazing!!! Nothing is more exciting than to hear how libraries change lives while getting the chance to network and share these ideas with colleagues. We do amazing work on a daily basis, so why not take a moment to celebrate and share those accomplishments.

Saddle up Because We’re Heading to CALCON

When I moved to Colorado I didn’t know anyone in the area and I just finished getting my MLS. I was anxious to connect with my peers and of course there’s no better place to do it than at CALCON since it’s the highlight of the year!

Like any library conference, CALCON is broken into several different tracks or “themes.” I tended to gravitate towards leadership, advocacy, community, programming, and professional growth because those topics were aligned to my personal interests, but there were so many other topics!

None of this would have been possible without the support from the Colorado Library Education Foundation (CLEF) that sponsored my admission and expenses to attend CALCON 2018. I cannot say this enough, but thank you!

Campfire Stories from Around the World

As you might have noticed I’m all about collaboration and innovation which makes library conferences like these so much fun! I remember talking to Janet Lee who is a Fullbright Scholar and Jane Mirandette who spent 17 years in Nicaragua on how libraries change lives. There’s so much happening in our world that doesn’t get on the cover of NY Times Magazine, but the way that they told their stories was so calm and inspiring that I began to look at international library-exchange programs.

Erica Grossman also had amazing insight on how libraries can captivate audiences with creativity and innovation. After coming back from her fellowship in Tel Aviv, she shared her experience how libraries in Israel are becoming business incubators for startups and entrepreneurs. Being a Business Librarian, I’m definitely on board with the idea and I’ll be curious to learn more about the selection process for businesses establishing their headquarters in libraries, but the thought that public libraries can transform into an innovation incubator was mind blowing!

What’s Happening in Our Own Backyard

Leaving the international scene for a bit, I was impressed with all the amazing work that’s happening at home in Colorado. There was a group of Teen Librarians from Anythink Library that designed a career-based program that combined speed dating and storytelling. They called it “Future You” which I thought was a brilliant marketing piece and I would be interested in doing a similar program for our library.

I was blown away on how Claudine Perrault interacts with her library board in Estes Park. I serve as a board member for a local nonprofit, but after hearing her presentation I realized there’s so much more that board members can do to make organizations and institutions more successful.

There were also some thought-provoking discussions like what does it mean to access a library? If the library is a physical location does that mean if patrons are banned from the library are they excluded to accessing information (i.e. using a public computer to read the news)? I’m glad we had two attorneys from Seter & Vander Wall, PC on the scene since I had no idea what political and legal issues are taking precedent in libraries—apart from funding.

The highlight of the whole trip was getting to hear Deborah Hamilton from Pikes Peak Library District on legal research for beginners. I’ve been interested in legal research for a very long time! And unless you have access to Westlaw and LexisNexis (to highlight a few databases) it makes legal research very difficult. Even in public libraries we get asked statutory and regulatory questions all the time and it was helpful to hear from Deborah what resources we can use to answer those questions without it costing us an arm and a leg.

Library Shenanigans

Best part of library conferences is meeting new faces. I got to meet Christina McClelland who specializes in grant research/writing at Denver Public Library and provided me excellent advice on the whole application process for grants.

Then there’s Nuala Dundon from Westminister Public Library who I swear is my evil twin (I think she used the phrase “Chaotic Neutral” from D&D). We may – or may have not – hijacked a bookmobile and drove it around the library and parked it (conveniently) in front of Adult Services. Anyway, it was so much fun meeting new people! I went to Loveland Loves Librarians and Loveland Dine-ins which are two social events held outside the conference, which was an excellent way to meet more fellow librarians.

It was also great running into familiar faces, which is also a good foundation to start if you’re stuck in an unfamiliar terrain. For instance, there’s Joana (Jo) McNeal from High Plains Library District who’s fearless leadership and British accent inspires me and I look to her as a friend and mentor. Oh! And then there’s Amanda Armstrong from Denver Public Library who’s dear friend and helped me a lot when I came to Colorado.

Salutations

I made so many friends and connections (I’m sure I forgot to mention many of them) that it was truly a welcoming experience in Colorado. Again, we do amazing work on a daily basis so why not take a moment to relish (if not embellish) those accomplishments with your peers.

CALCON 2018’s theme was “Ignite the Magic” and that was part of what made me so excited to receive a scholarship to attend. Libraries have the capacity of ignite the magic for everyone—from the kid who loves polar bears to members of a quilting club. For me, part of the magic at CALCON 2018 was the opportunity to see and meet so many other people who believe in the power of libraries and are working together for all the varied communities in Colorado.

I attended many sessions during CALCON 2018 that were interesting and inspiring. One of the things that was the most fun for me was being able to choose topics that align with my career goals and topics that have nothing to do with my typical day at a library. For example, I attended “Doing UX? What you can do to improve user experience” given by Tiffany Clendenin, Chris Evjy, and Babi Hammond, even though my role in libraries has basically nothing to do with UX. However, I learned a lot about UX in several of my grad school classes and I was interested to hear how real libraries are approaching UX from a practical standpoint.

On the other hand, I frequently do programs for children, so I really enjoyed “Hands-On Code: Accessible Computer Coding for all,” “Enhancing Programs Through Family Engagement,” and “Hands-On Fun & Citizen Science for a Healthy Earth.” Each of these gave me ideas I can immediately incorporate into the programs I provide. I particularly enjoyed thinking about ways I can make my children’s programs center on family engagement. While the idea was familiar to me, the presenters framed it in such a way that made it the natural next step in library programming. I took several pages of notes and can’t wait to share these ideas with the rest of the staff at my library.

CALCON 2018 was my first major library conference and I had a wonderful time. I met people from all over Colorado and I had a chance to hear stories on the ways libraries are impacting people’s lives. Colorado is home to a lot of forward thinking libraries and librarians and it was an honor to have the chance to learn from them all.