Kelly is a lively speaker with bold opinions and plenty of experience in public libraries. You will have a chance to see her holding forth on three different subjects.  “Can’t See the Forest for the Trees: the Vital Details vs. the Big Picture”, “Skill sets for Today and Tomorrow: the Lego Approach” and “All the World’s a Stage: Are You Ready for Primetime?”.  Plan on attending at least one of these great programs.   Be sure to stop by the LACONI Circulation Services information table and say hello! And remember….. CIRC RULES!

Click on this link! Follow instructions! Nominate, Submit, Repeat!

We are accepting nominations through March 31st!

Looking forward to reading about all of the accomplishments of our fabulous Library staff members!

The Awards Committee

Earlier, in the morning workshop that I attended, the NAMI speakers’ presentation included outcomes resulting from cutbacks in mental health services and inability to pay for prescription drugs.  Their insights were helpful in preparing us to understand and handle situations we may encounter at work and in the community.

I look forward to more such useful Workshops at Reaching Forward”.   Judy A.

The day is divided into 4 programs sessions. The extra session was added in lieu of a keynote speaker. The committee will be looking for your feedback about this format. If you miss the keynote, let us know after the conference. The committee is always willing to make changes.

Of course, the day begins with the continental breakfast, and lunch is included. The  lunch menu is currently the same as last year, but that may change. The committee is still investigating the options.

Online registration is also open.

Don’t forget the awards. Nominations are being taken NOW.

Check it all out and plan to join us for an amazing conference.

The Awards Committee urges you to take the  opportunity to nominate one of your support staff for the Oberman Rich Award or the Robert P. Doyle Award. The award winners will be given recognition at Reaching Forward on May 3, 2013  Anyone submitting a nomination will be entered into a drawing to win a paid registration to Reaching Forward.

The Oberman Rich Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated personal and professional growth to advance themselves to a position of leadership within their own library, library system, the Illinois Library Association, or the library community at large. This individual has made a significant impact on the support staff working in Illinois libraries. The nominee must be a support staff member working in any type of library without an advanced degree in library science. The recipient(s) will receive free registration to the current year Reaching Forward Conference, an overnight stay at the Reaching Forward conference hotel, $50 for expenses, and a framed certificate. Oberman-RichNominationForm

The winner of the Robert P. Doyle Award will receive a one-year ILA membership , full registration to ILA conference as well as $800 in expenses. This award is open to all support staff working in all types of libraries. Please submit a letter of one page or less in length that explains “Why I (or my nominee) would like to attend the ILA Annual Conference and how it would affect my (or his/her) personal and professional growth.” RobertDoyleNominationForm

Nomination deadline is March 31, 2013.

Please send e-mail letters of recommendation to Maureen Dunne at mdunne@phpl.info.

Even though we will miss the observations and energy of a keynote, we are looking forward to having an additional 11 programs to offer you. With the new schedule, lunch will be earlier in the day. Of course, we will still begin in the large ballroom with awards and a few housekeeping tips.

Committee members are booking speakers for next year. The variety of speakers will give you lots of options for the day.

To see the slides from this program, click here.

Toby Greenwalt and Anthony Molaro: Geeks Bearing Gifts: Technology Trends for Library Staff and Technology to Improve Your Life

To see the slides from these two programs, click here.

When we get additional materials from the speakers at this year’s convention, a link will be added to this blog. In addition a link will be added to the program on the Web site.

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