MLA Scholarship Report # 4

From Becky Norlien of Two Harbors Public Library:

Thank you for the opportunity to attend the MLA conference in Duluth.
I went Thursday, October 13. It was overall a good chance to pick up inspiration from all the other librarians and library staff. My plan to go also helped the current chair of our Friends of the Library make the decision to go and we carpooled, an extra chance for discussion.

The sessions I attended:

Libraries at the Front Lines of Workforce Recovery (with a great handout booklet from Project Compass)

Small and Rural Libraries Subunit Meeting (focus on getting more workshops of particular relevance in future conferences and working with the Regional Library Systems.)

Dessert Keynote, Engagement through Games: Reaching Library Users throught Playful Ways (a variety of ways to use games; I liked that many of the ideas did not involve electronic games.)

E-books: What's all the EXCITEMENT about (a panel on potential and integration in libraries: I was particularly impressed by Rita Baladad from MINITEX.)

The customer is Always Right: Top Trends in Library Design (Roseville Library's recent project--the variety of input they sought before deciding on the design was especially interesting.)

And of course a tour of the vendors was interesting.

Our Friends and I also went to the dinner group for Friends and Trustees. (At our own expense, not in the NCLC funding request.) This added chance for discussion and social time was interesting but made for a very long day.

The City of Two Harbors made the initial payment on my behalf after learning I had been approved for NCLC reimbursement; I believe a copy of that record is coming to you from Michele Monson. Unfortunately I did not remember to save my DECC parking stub to send you.

Thank you again for the chance to go to a day at MLA!