1. Sine Rofofsky (he/him) is a Part-Time Reference Librarian at SUNY Schenectady Community College and writes the Beyond Boxes column.
2. Tova Harris (she/they) is a full-time MLIS student at the University at Buffalo while also working in the makerspaces at Sachem Public Library and Longwood Public Library. They write the A Tale of Two Makerspaces column.
3. Kimberly Parry (she/her) is the Head of Adult and Teen Services at Amagansett Free Library. She writes the Interviews Behind-The-Stacks column.
4. Naomi Yamada (she/her) is the Senior Reference Librarian at the Great Neck Library. She writes the Librariana's Trench column. 
5. Rachael Ciancarelli (she/her) is the Public Services Librarian at the Bethlehem Public Library. She writes the Nobody Knows the Everything Place column.

Disclaimer: Make sure you are following any media release policies that your institution has before posting photos with patrons in them.

Instagram is a highly visual platform that presents us with a unique opportunity to showcase our resources, events, and most importantly the vibrant communities that we build within our libraries. While static graphics have their place, the real magic happens when we embrace candid images and videos of actual people. Let’s take the time to delve into why this dynamic content is crucial for our library’s Instagram account and explore some tips for how you can capture compelling visuals with nothing more than your smartphone camera.

The following is an interview I conducted with Dan Glass who is a Library Trustee, on the Board of Trustees at John Jermain Memorial Library, located in Sag Harbor, NY on the eastern end of Long Island. 

Did you grow up using libraries?

I grew up in a small town in upstate New York. I was always in the library, reading, using the computers, and doing homework with friends. It’s where I developed my love of science fiction and fantasy.

It's interesting to hear older librarians talk about the number of public computers they had in their library. Back then (the 1990s), computers were initially considered expensive and a luxury, so not many people would spend the money. Libraries had to set a time limit on computer use because there were so many people vying for the few we had. Everyone heard about how we would all be using them in our workplace, but who believed that?

Pre-pandemic times managed to keep library computers humming constantly. Patrons were doing research, writing papers, filling out job applications, and a myriad of tasks that only worked on a laptop or desktop computer. People had smartphones but the Internet was optimized for larger screens, sizable storage, and powerful applications.

“Be curious and be courageous. Be curious and be courageous because at the worst – it’s like my friend says about dates, it’s either a good date or good story. I think that’s really good advice. Try things, it’s going to help you grow and learn, you know, learn something, learn something about yourself.” – Emily Weiss

En route to the PLA 2024 Conference in Columbus, Ohio I was listening to the book Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss’s Glossier by Marisa Meltzer. An interesting recount of the rise and near-fall of a woman-founded direct-to-consumer cosmetic brand, it is chock-full of takeaways about leadership, communications, workplace culture, and adapting to change. Amid the thought-provoking narrative (ex: Yes! The term “Girl Boss” IS ridiculous and needs to be retired.), I was especially keen on the above quote, specifically, “It’s either a good date or a good story.”

Road Map to Sustainability

By Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, Executive Director, Mid-Hudson Library System; Co-Founder & Advisory Board President, Sustainable Libraries Initiative; and author of Sustainable Thinking: Ensuring Your Library’s Future in an Uncertain World and Resilience

The Sustainable Libraries Initiative (SLI) provides library leaders, which we define as all library workers and trustees, with a proven path forward to co- create libraries and communities that will thrive in the coming years. The Sustainable Library Certification Program and the SLI community of practice focus your leadership to enable your library, and ultimately your community, to become more environmentally sound, socially equitable and economically feasible.

Register early

Aside from the monetary difference, some conferences don’t allow you to pick a hotel until you have registered. Rooms, especially in the hotels closest to the conference center, book up quickly. You don’t want to walk two miles in the heat of D.C. or New Orleans (ask me how I know). Flights, too, should ideally be purchased as soon as possible, especially if the conference city is on a less popular route from where you live.

Wear comfortable shoes

I know people say this all the time, but they say it because it’s true. Leave the new clogs you just bought at home. You are going to walk forever each day; you deserve not to hobble around in pain by the second day. A pack of blister bandages is also an excellent idea.

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