Last chance to register for the 2016 SSD Conference!

The 2016 OLA SSD Conference is next week! Seven days! We are so excited to see everyone and to hear from our lovely presenters and panelists. But registration is ending this Sunday, July 10th, so this weekend is your absolute last chance to register. 

Click here to register for three of our great sessions or panels. See you next on Friday!

Two weeks to go!

It seems like yesterday we were announcing this year's conference for the first time, but here we are two weeks away! If you plan on attending but haven't yet signed up, why not get your conference registration squared away before you head home for the holiday? Find the link to register by clicking here.

Here's hoping this will be a fun, safe, and relaxing three day weekend!

Conference Session Highlight: Ergonomics in the Library

If you're like most support staffers, you've noticed some aches and pains after a long day at work. Whether you're stuck behind a desk all day staring at a computer or on your feet running from shelf to shelf for hours, you can learn how to prevent pain and chronic injury (not to mention stay more comfortable!) at our Ergonomics in the Library session.

Victoria Eaton, OTD, OTR/L and her fabulous team of graduate student professionals Kaitlyn Blair, OTS; Kelsey Sandage, OTS; Amy Van Goey, OTS are going to be sharing some of their extensive knowledge with us about ergonomics, and you won't want to miss it. If you are looking for an interesting, informative session that will have concrete benefits for your day-to-day work, look no further!

Register for this session (and two others of your choice) here. Let's get those bodies into alignment!

Don't wait!

Just a quick reminder for everyone interested in the conference: you must register by June 10th to get our early bird price! More details can be found on our registration page if you have questions, and you can always feel free to email us at olassd@gmail.com.

Conference Session Highlight: Supportlandia

The big conference is coming up fast, and the registration numbers we're getting are great to see. If this keeps up we will definitely beat our attendance record!

As you've seen if you're a blog follower, we've got a whole bunch of great sessions this year. We'll be periodically highlighting some of the new sessions and panels we have planned, starting with something completely new: Supportlandia, our networking session!

We've gotten feedback from previous conference attendees who were hoping there would be a little more opportunity for networking at the 2016 conference, and we decided to make it happen. Supportlandia will be a gently guided networking session led by Jane Corry designed to help you meet people across the state in our profession, make connections, and maybe make a few friends too. Whether you've never been great at the whole networking thing or you're looking for an opportunity to use the skills you already have, this is the session for you.

Spots are filling up fast, so register today by clicking here. Bonus: if you register before June 10th you'll get the early bird discount!

And Basic Book Repair for Libraries is... Filled!

Thanks to all of you who have already registered for the 2016 OLA SSD Conference in Wilsonville, "Coming to a Crossroads: Intersecting Roles in Library Service and Community"! If you can believe it, the Basic Book Repair for Libraries workshop has already filled up and we've started a waitlist.

Just a reminder to those who haven't heard, there's a discount for early registration. Head to our registration page by June 10th to snag our Early Bird discount off the already-reasonable fee. Check here for more information on the conference particulars as well as what other fantastic sessions await you on July 17th!

Little Free Libraries: A Public Good... Right?

The first Little Free Library, built by  Todd Bol

These days, if you look around the neighborhoods in most cities, you're bound to run across something odd: what looks like an over-sized mailbox full of books with a sign telling you something like "take one, leave one." These so-called "Little Free Libraries" are popping up everywhere, and from their humble roots they are becoming something of a movement. Where did these cute little boxes come from?

The history, as it turns out, is an interesting one. In 2009, a man named Todd Bol built the first LFL in the shape of a small school house. His original intent had been to honor his mother's memory (she loved books and reading), but the idea quickly spread throughout the country and eventually the world. These days LFLs have their own website where interested library lovers can purchase/register their own version, and there are now over 15,000 of them worldwide.

Despite their seemingly innocuous appearance, Little Free Libraries were not without their share of controversy. In a few spots around the country, LFLs have led to citations and "Cease and Desist" letters due to laws that (we assume) simply weren't written with community book-donation in mind. Nowadays, these laws seem to be changing to allow LFLs their spot in the community network, so they appear to be here to stay.

What do you think? Are these unregulated boxes a community resource, or an unecessary eyesore? Would you love to see a box on every corner, or are our roles as library support staff an important part of the book-sharing process? Feel free to leave a comment below if you're passionate about this phenomenon!