The awards themselves were named in honor of three people who have accomplished much for ILA and for our library communities. The Robert P. Doyle Award is named in honor of Bob Doyle, Executive Director of ILA, and a tireless advocate for Illinois libraries. Although he works with the Illinois legislators and top library leaders, Bob may often be seen at Reaching Forward and at the ILA annual conference working to keep the lines moving at registration, helping out in the “trenches” probably unbeknownst to most library staff. The Oberman-Rich Award was named in honor of the co-founders of Reaching Forward and champions of Library Assistants, Tobi Oberman and Tom Rich. They have recently been inducted into the Illinois Library Luminaries. So, the awards themselves are a celebration of the achievements of these three people.

The process of asking for nominations, receiving them, and reading them and marveling over the enthusiasm that those nominated have for their profession, and then the tough decision making of choosing the winners really brings home to us the excellence that lies within all of our libraries.

Most important, is the joy of making the call to the winners and hearing how astonished they were to be nominated and how happy to be selected as the winner!

These awards tend to take on a life of their own and take the winners with them! It is an opportunity to recognize and reward the initiative and creativity of these dedicated professionals.

Claire Osada, Lake Bluff Public Library, the 2012 winner of the Oberman-Rich Award states “I am very pleased to have received the Oberman-Rich Award this year. I feel the award is a true symbol of outstanding achievement amongst public library support staff. I received many congratulations from people at the conference (none of whom I knew) and even after leaving the conference and accepting my award, I am still getting great feedback from staff members in my library. I even received an email from one of our former directors from over 6 years ago!”

Sayaka Suzuki, Deerfield Public Library, the 2012 winner of the Robert P. Doyle Award says “I feel honored to be the recipient of the 2012 Robert P. Doyle Award. About 2 weeks before I received the initial phone call about being the recipient of the award, I had decided to pursue a Master of Library and Information Science Degree (MLIS). At that time, I had asked my managers at Deerfield Public Library and Indian Trails Public Library District to write a letter of recommendation for me. After the shock of finding out that I was the recipient of the award (my Deerfield Manager, Ellen Kaiser, never told me that she nominated me), it validated my decision that it was time for me to pursue my MLIS. My hope is to start taking classes in the fall.As the recipient of the 2012 Robert P. Doyle Award, I will continue to set high standards for myself by increasing my knowledge and skills. My goal is to be a strong, knowledgeable leader, with a focus on recruiting more bilingual and bicultural staff such as myself. I am looking forward to the opportunities that this award will open up for me. Thank you.”

Thank you to our winners and thank you to all who nominated your wonderful staff members!

Oberman- Rich Award:
Debbie Gardner: Warren Newport Public Library
Allen Gordon: Zion Benton Public Library
Rebecca Hayes: North Riverside Public Library
Pat Jacobsen: Schaumburg Township District Library
Claire Osada: Lake Bluff Public Library Winner of the Oberman-Rich Award 2012
Cari Shelton: New Lennox Public Library
Gertrud Vepari: Glenview Public Library

Robert P. Doyle Award:
Dawn Abron: Zion Benton Public Library
James Conley: University of Illinois at Chicago
Aisha Din: Gail Borden Public Library
Cari Jones: New Lennox Public Library
Elizabeth (Liz) O’Neill: New Lennox Public Library
Beth McCloskey: Itasca Community Library
Ellyn Ruhlmann: Waukegan Public Library
Sayaka Suzuki: Deerfield Public Library Winner of the Robert P. Dolye Award 2012

This year’s conference was very informative, enjoyable and fun! As always, it was impeccably organized and the staff very friendly. 

The keynote speaker (Jim Feldman) was very entertaining and many of his points to ponder left me with a very positive feeling about the future of libraries as a whole. I found myself wishing more of our library staff could have heard this.

 I chose a few technology driven sessions and one financial one.

“The Geeks Bearing Gifts: Technology Trends for Library Staff” program  was a delight. I enjoyed the examples of how Social Media is used by the Skokie Library. It was interesting to see how these things weave together. I could have sat there another hour and soaked in their great ideas. I know we use these techniques at our library and their demonstration proved the importance of embracing this trend.

 ”The Ten Money Rules to Live By” with Karen Chan was interesting also. I chose this because I knew she was answering questions from library patrons this month, here at STDL. Most of her tips I have heard before, but I did learn a few things about credit cards that were an eye opener! The additional websites she shared will be very helpful.

 I sat at a speaker/author’s table at lunch. This was the first time I had that experience. The speaker I dined with was Zak Mucha (”Heart Transplant: Bullying and Emotional Abuse”). The conversation was very lively and everyone at the table seemed to have an experience to share. We could hardly find the time to eat that delicious lunch we were so absorbed by the interaction with the author.

 My last session was the most difficult to choose. There were several that I was very interested in. I decided to attend the “E-reader or Tablet: Which for What,” hosted by the members of the Best Buy Geek Squad. What fun! I learned so much  about all those lovely and intimidating devices that are in the marketplace today. They provided a great  comparison chart that I will keep at hand. It will be a nice tip sheet if I decide to purchase one of the readers. The questions from the participants  in the session were as informative as the presentation itself. 

I am glad to have had the opportunity to attend this conference. I would encourage everyone to plan on attending future conferences: They are certainly worth your time!

 Kathy Bruski
Schaumburg Township District Library

2. Know Where You’re Going
The conference will be held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, at 5555 N. River Road in Rosemont. Click here for driving directions.For those taking public transportation, the Convention Center is two blocks south of the CTA Rosemont Blue Line station. Click here for full information.

Parking is available at the Rosemont parking garage across the street from the Convention Center, directly behind the Embassy Suites Hotel, for a cost of $13 per day. When inside the parking garage, take the elevator to the SB (SkyBridge) level and follow the sky bridge to the convention center. You may want to consider paying for your parking when you arrive to avoid long lines at the end of the day.

If you’re open to a bit of a walk, parking is available at the CTA Rosemont Blue Line station at 5801 N. River Road for $5. The Convention Center is two blocks south of the station.

3. Bring Your Badge
You will receive your conference badge in the mail. To speed up the morning check-in process, please be sure to bring your badge along so you can grab your registration materials when you arrive and head into the ballroom for breakfast.

4. Don’t Forget Your Appetite
Registration for Reaching Forward includes a continental breakfast and luncheon. The continental breakfast includes coffee, tea, fruit juices, breakfast pastries, and fresh fruit. Grab your breakfast and find a table — the keynote by James Feldman will be held in the ballroom at 9:00 a.m.

This year’s luncheon features a garden salad and freshly baked rolls; the entrée will be vegetarian cheese tortellini and chef’s choice of vegetable; dessert is the traditional Rosemont Dessert (half chocolate ice cream and half raspberry sherbet with chocolate sauce and assorted cookies). Lunch will also give you an opportunity to eat with a Reaching Forward speaker! Speakers’ tables will be marked with balloons and a sign with their names.

5. Dress for the Day
As much as we try, it’s difficult to control the climate in a large building. Consider dressing in layers so you can adjust to changing temperatures. Remember to wear comfortable shoes — you may be covering a lot of ground!

6. Visit the Exhibits
Exhibits will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with an exhibits-only time from 1:45 to 2:15 p.m. Take some time to check out what our exhibitors have to offer: library materials, continuing education opportunities, and something special for yourself. Exhibits help to underwrite the cost of the conference and keep registration fees down; please help us make our exhibitors feel welcome.

7. Challenge Yourself
Step outside your comfort zone, sit with someone you don’t know at breakfast or lunch. Seating is open, so take a chance and make a new connection!

8. Meet an Author
The Author Conversations, programs, and keynote give you an opportunity to meet a real live author! Our authors will be doing a book signing from 1:45 to 2:15 p.m. in the exhibits area and you can also sit with them at lunch — just look for the tables with balloons.

9. Tell Us What You Think
Your feedback will help us plan next year’s conference. Please take a moment to fill out the online conference evaluation. We really do listen to our attendees!

10. Take the Next Step
If you enjoy your experience at Reaching Forward, consider taking the next step and joining the Reaching Forward planning committee. We’re always looking for new ideas and fresh faces! Contact Cyndi Robinson at ILA – robinson@ila.org or (312) 644-1896 – for more information.

Questions?
Contact the Illinois Library Association at (312) 644-1896 or ila@ila.org. We look forward to seeing you this year on May 4th and next year on May 3rd.

Just reading the nominations made us realize the wealth of creativity, initiative, and good will there is in all of our libraries; public, academic, and private.

So, we thank those who nominated. We applaud those who were nominated. We congratulate the winners.
And who are these wonderful people….?

See you at lunch next week!

This year the conference program has a new look. If you want to check it out, click here. You will be given a printed program at the conference, but you can certainly plan your day in advance.

When you get to the conference, you will receive a bag containing the program, your name badge holder, and other information. The committee is working on a more streamlined distribution method, but the bags WILL NOT be at the registration table. A letter with instructions for the day and your name badge is sent to you. Bring your name badge; badge holders are in the bag. Of course, if you forget, you can stop at the registration table.

The committee recommends that you pay for parking when you arrive. The waiting time is much less than at the close of the day.

We are looking forward to a great day!

Sitting in front of your computer too long? Standing at the public services desk too long? By improving your work area and performing simple exercises as you work, you can help prevent aches, pains, and injuries common to this work environment.

Jill Powers, M.P.T., of All Things in Motion, will present a fun and interactive session illustrating what we sometimes do wrong and how to make it right!

Did you know our personalities are inherited, just like our physical features?  Yes, we are all “wired” a certain way.  Our personalities are encoded in our DNA, with inherent strengths and weaknesses that become reinforced through life’s experiences.

We are all a work in progress….

Join speaker and personality expert Jaclyn Rowe on the journey of self-discovery when you attend her sessions.   Gain valuable information when you learn about yourself, and the people you interact with.  Find out how to bring out your best, and improve your relationships with others as well.

Jaclyn’s engaging, humorous, and dynamic style of presenting the captivating principles of personality types will inform and entertain you.  You’ll wish you could spend the entire day with Jaclyn!  Be sure to attend one of her sessions!