2024 Long Island Library Conference Programs
Session 1 – 9:00 am to 10:00 am
Beyond Plagiarism: Other Uses and Applications of AI in the Classroom and Libraries
Speakers: James Mantegna, Nassau Community College, Edward Rivera, New York Institute of Technology, Nick Tanzi, South Huntington Library
Moderator: Shikha Joseph, Nassau Community College
Sponsored by: Academic and Special Libraries Division of NCLA
Arranged by: Shikha Joseph
Location: Salons 1,2,3
This program will explore various uses of AI in the academic classroom and libraries. A panel will discuss the use of AI for library purposes such as collection development and generating programming. They will also discuss AI topics beyond plagiarism in the classroom. The focus of AI for the academic classroom will be on using it as a teaching tool, diversity and inclusion, and assessment. The challenges of AI use and arising ethical issues will also be explored in the program.
Managing a Teen Leaders Club
Speakers: Laura Panter, Sachem Public Library, Debra Cavaliere, Sachem Public Library, Abigail Lynch, Sachem Teen Leader, Amanda Thurston, Sachem Teen Leader
Sponsored By: Young Adult Services Division of SCLA
Arranged By: Laura Panter
Location: Salons 4,5,6
Sachem teen librarians and teen leaders will discuss how to build and facilitate a leadership club for secondary students in your community. Topics will include the mission of developing a life-long affinity for service and volunteerism that fosters personal growth, club recruitment and acceptance guidelines, what constitutes leadership activities, how service project ideas are generated and approved, how teen leaders prepare for and facilitate approved independent teen led library programs, and how the library partners with the local school district to offer leaders the opportunity to qualify for the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
The Banned Librarians
Speakers: Noel Reich, Lindenhurst Memorial Library, Alex Giresi, Hampton Bays Library, Kaye Spurrell, Syosset Library, James Grzybowski, Uniondale Library
Sponsored By: LILPA (Long Island Library Pride Alliance) a joint committee of NCLA and SCLA
Arranged By: Noel Reich
Location: Salons 7,8,9,10
The Long Island Library Pride Alliance (LILPA) invites you to listen and learn from the stories of queer librarians and the impact that anti-LGBTQIA+ book banning, challenges, and push-back have had on them personally and professionally. Gain insight on how to support queer staff members and patrons, and learn about the importance of solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community on a local, state, and national level. Book lists, program ideas, and other resources will be provided. Join us to share in community and resilience – we are banned, not broken.
Ask Me Anything: Women and Technology
Speakers: Alison Mirabella, Longwood Public Library, Jessica Park, Smithtown Library, Katie Brand, Smithtown Library, Elizabeth Ramos, Patchogue Medford Library,
Moderator: Rebecca Goldstein, Sachem Public Library
Sponsored By: Computer and Technical Services Division of SCLA and Children’s Librarians Association of Suffolk County
Arranged By: Julia Sukhu, Anthony Giansante, Lauren Tellerman
Location: Salons 11, 12
Join us for Women and Tech, Ask Me Anything edition! Hear panelists of the Women and Tech program and ask them what you want to know about their work and experiences with technology!
Managing Stress & Building Your Personal Resiliency Pack
Speakers: Patrick Beckley, Suffolk County Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services, Colleen Merlo, Association for Mental Health and Wellness
Sponsored By: Support Staff Division of SCLA
Arranged by: Aileen Clark
Location: Nassau/ Suffolk Room
A good mental health plan is imperative to a successful career. Learn to recognize the signs of stress and ways to cope during a disaster, the aftermath, and the everyday.
Using Mapping Software in the Public Library
Speakers: Peter Ward, Brentwood Public Library, David Troyan, Riverhead Library
Sponsored By: Local History Committee, Reference and Adult Services Division of SCLA
Arranged By: Patricia Cruz
Location: Roosevelt
Learn about the basics of mapping software and how you can use it to present historical, cultural, and local information. We will discuss resources to make software and educational programs available for staff and patrons.
Where Have All the Books Gone?
Speakers: Mara Zonderman, Head of Reference and Adult Services, Westhampton Free Library, Terry Lucas, Director, Shelter Island Public Library
Sponsored by: Reference and Adult Services Division of SCLA
Arranged By: Mara Zonderman
Location: Vanderbilt
They’ve practiced law, sold books, and lobbied for civil liberties organizations. Join librarians Terry Lucas and Mara Zonderman as they bring their combined experience in their respective multifaceted careers to bear on the issues of book banning and censorship in this timely presentation.
Seed Libraries of Long Island: Sowing Seeds for the Future
Speakers: Regina Dlugokencky, Seedsower Farm, Amber Gagliardi, Middle Country Public Library
Sponsored By: Reference Adult Services Division of SCLA
Arranged By: Amber Gagliardi
Location: Whitman
There are currently over 50 Seed Libraries in public libraries on Long Island. Seed libraries have become one of the best tools for librarians to disseminate information about individual responsibility in relation to food choices, the environment, and climate change. A seed library has the potential to introduce fresh library programming that touches important issues regarding our ecosystem, nutrition and food scarcity. Presenters will provide a list of native seeds that can be added to your local collections, highlight unique, eco-friendly gardening and crafts programs, and explain how librarians can work together to make a positive impact.
Session 2 – 10:30 am to 11:30 am
AI: The Next Frontier – Exploring ChatGPT
Speaker: Josh Varon, Varon Consulting
Sponsored By: PR & Programming Division of NCLA
Arranged By: Roseanne Dorfman
Location: Salons 1,2,3
Join us as we delve into the world of AI and discover how ChatGPT can empower library staff in their day-to-day operations and enhance the patron experience. Explore the myriad possibilities of this cutting-edge technology.
Tech, Trends and Teens at the Public Library… Oh My!
Speakers: Julia Sukhu, Teen Librarian at Deer Park Public Library, Jennifer Colon, Head of Young Adult Services at South Huntington Public Library, Liz Hughes, Teen Librarian at John Jermain Memorial Library, Melissa Somoza, Teen Librarian at Half Hollow Hills Community Library
Sponsored By: Computer and Technology Division of SCLA
Arranged By: Liz Hughes
Location: Salons 4,5,6
In the evolving digital era, public libraries are at the vanguard of technological and societal change. Our panel delves deep into the confluence of innovative technology, current trends, and teen engagement within the library realm. We’ll journey through the digital revolution of e-books, VR, and AI-powered services, explore the latest library trends, and uncover strategies that make libraries resonate with teens. Alongside, we’ll discuss the challenges and triumphs of integrating tech and ensuring libraries’ relevance in a diverse, post-pandemic world.
We Won’t Be Censored: Centering Voices from the Margins
Speakers: Syntychia Kendrick-Samuel, Umoja Book Club, Uniondale Public Library, James Grzybowski, Uniondale Public Library, George Lutz, Soul with Heart Book Club, Freeport Memorial Library, Rose Luna, Spanish Book Club/ Club de Lectura, Freeport Memorial Library
Sponsored By: Library Staff of Color of NCLA
Arranged By: Jade Jacobs
Location: Salons 7,8,9,10
Book banning and censorship are at an all-time high, and often the works of Black and Latino voices are subject to challenges. In alignment with the 2024 LILC Conference theme, Libraries: Banned and Dangerous, this presentation offers ways libraries can build community, elevate Black & Latino authors and center Black & Latino narratives to shift perspectives and open minds.
Teaching Tech to Non-Tech Teachers
Speakers: Anthony Giansante, John Jermain Memorial Library, Alison Mirabella, Longwood Public Library, Steven Alcalde, Rogers Memorial Library
Sponsored By: Computer and Technical Services Division of SCLA
Arranged By: Julia Sukhu
Location: Salons 11,12
Want to teach technology programs at your library but have never done so before? Librarians Anthony Giansante, Alison Mirabella, and Steven Alcalde will show you what you need to know to teach your own technology program!
Launching Pilots and Starting New Programs: Two of LILRC’s Newest Programs
Speakers: Tim Spindler, Long Island Library Resource Council, Sally Stieglitz, LILRC, Robert Anen, LILRC. Nicole Menchise , LILRC
Sponsored by: Long Island Library Resources Council
Arranged By: Tim Spindler
Location: Nassau/ Suffolk
LILRC launched two new programs in 2021: the Accessing Archives Program and the Diversity Internship program. The Accessing Archives Program was created to improve access to archival and special collections by providing libraries and institutions with a project archivist to process or digitize materials. The diversity internship program was created with the goal of introducing librarianship as a profession to diverse students early in their academic career. In this program, LILRC staff will discuss the decisions leading up to the design of these programs and the goals of each program highlighting the evaluation and accomplishments of each program.
Important Intellectual Freedom Websites to Know About!
Speakers: Frank McKenna, Director, Seaford Public Library, Jenny Bloom, Director, Port Jefferson Free Library
Sponsored By: Intellectual Freedom Committee of NCLA
Arranged By: Frank McKenna
Location: Roosevelt
In these challenging and dangerous times for intellectual freedom we will review important websites to be aware of, including ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, National Coalition Against Censorship, PEN America, FIRE, Unite Against Book Bans, Free for All NY, and several others you may or may not know about.
How to Analyze your Space and Increase Circulation
Speaker: David Vinjamuri, Associate Professor, New York University
Sponsored By: Reference Adult Services Division of NCLA
Arranged By: Deborah Honen
Location: Vanderbilt
Analytic techniques from retail and restaurants can help librarians better understand their space and how to maximize circulation. Discover how to create heat maps of your space to evaluate the circulation efficiency and collection capacity of different storage and display options. In addition, day part maps will help identify conflicts, underused space, and dead zones to add flexibility to any space.
Maximizing Your Seed Library’s Potential
Speakers: Samantha Uebel, Brentwood Public Library, Rosa Todaro, Brentwood Public Library
Sponsored By: Computer and Technical Services Division of SCLA
Arranged By: Samantha Uebel, Rosa Todaro
Location: Whitman
Does your library have its own seed library? Are you looking for ways to extend your seed library’s reach into your community? This program will demonstrate how to get seed donations for your library, how to present and distribute seeds to your community, and how to use various marketing and makerspace technologies to support your seed library and seed-related programming. Learn how to transform your seed library from an old card catalog into a hub of patron activity.
Lunch & Keynote- 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM
2024 Long Island Library Conference Keynote
Speaker: Bill Goldstein
Bill Goldstein reviews books and interviews authors for NBC’s Weekend Today in New York and was the founding editor of The New York Times books website. A graduate of the University of Chicago, Goldstein received a Ph.D. in English from the City University of New York Graduate Center. He is writing a biography of Larry Kramer, to be published by Crown, and worked on the book as a 2023-24 fellow at the Leon Levy Center for Biography at CUNY Graduate Center. He is the author of The World Broke in Two: Virginia Woolf, T. S. Eliot, D. H. Lawrence, E. M. Forster, and The Year that Changed Literature, published in 2017. To learn more about his books, please visit https://www.billgoldsteinbooks.com/
Session 3 – 2:45 pm to 3:45 pm
Serving New Americans in Your Library
Speakers: Lindsay Davis, Literacy Department Head, Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library, Josh Tanski , Librarian, Patchogue-Medford Library, Susan Shiloni, Executive Director, Literacy Suffolk, Inc.
Moderator: Amber Gagliardi, Middle Country Public Library
Sponsored By: Reference and Adult Services Division (RASD)/MOSAIC of SCLA
Arranged By: Amber Gagliardi and Joshua Tanski
Location: Salons 1,2,3
This program aims to prepare attendees to assist New Americans who come into their library in a world that is constantly changing and is increasingly digital. Attendees will learn about diversity on Long Island, online educational resources available to speakers of different languages, and practices to better serve New Americans. We will highlight existing partnerships with Literacy Suffolk and Nassau BOCES to help you support those new to your community.
Near-Peer Leadership at the Library: Teens Inspiring Kids through Tutoring, Storytelling, and Readers’ Advisory
Speakers: Olisha James, New York Public Library, Arielle Saber, New York Public Library
Sponsored By: Young Adult Services Division of NCLA
Arranged By: Gabriella Trinchetta
Location: Salons 4,5,6
NYPL’s Teen Reading Ambassadors are an integral part of our After School programs at library branches, acting as leaders and role models to younger kids, ambassadors for the Library’s mission to inspire a lifelong love of reading and learning, and writers and editors of their very own magazine. Learn how we have leveraged teens’ natural capacity for leadership with their younger peers through tutoring, storytelling, and readers’ advisory.
Author Alex Gino Discusses Their Work
Speaker: Alex Gino, Author
Sponsored By: Children’s Services Division of NCLA
Arranged By: Meghan Fangmann-Reale
Location: Salons 7,8,9,10
Alex Gino, award-winning author of “Melissa’s Story” and “Green” reflects on their journey as an author of queer and progressive middle-grade fiction and their writing process
How Vinyl Got Our Groove Back
Speakers: Tom Wojciechowski, Long Beach Public Library, Program Coordinator, Alexandra Blau, Long Beach Public Library, Media Librarian
Sponsored By: Media Services Division of NCLA
Arranged By: Tom Wojciechowski, Alexandra Blau
Location: Salons 11,12
Staff members at Long Beach Public Library have harnessed the vinyl renaissance to create a unique listening space, a circulating vinyl collection, and interactive programming for music lovers, expanding our reach to the community. We will speak about how this listening space has been a catalyst to reignite our joy in the profession and grow with our community.
Empowering Asylum Seekers – Let’s Talk and Share Best Practices
Speakers: Taina K. Evans, Regional Director, Brooklyn Public Library, Fred Gitner, New Americans Program, Queens Public Library, Susan Shiroma, Business Librarian, Queens Public Library, Jose-Rodrigo Hernandez, Branch Manager, Huntington Public Library, Station Branch
Moderator: Selina Sharmin, Assistant Community Library Manager, South Jamaica Queens Library
Sponsored By: Constitution & By-Laws committee of NCLA
Arranged By: Frank McKenna
Location: Nassau/ Suffolk
What are public libraries doing to support a new generation of immigrants and asylum seekers to develop small and local businesses? Dive into this discussion on the tri-part approach to immigration support by Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Public Library. Our goal is to furnish participants with tangible resources for asylum seeker assistance and effective practices for nurturing entrepreneurial aspirations. This interactive session promises a rich exchange of ideas, fostering a blueprint for enhancing library programs on Long Island.
Keeping Yourself and Your Data Safe
Speaker: Davis Erin Anderson, Senior Digital Security Trainer at Freedom of the Press Foundation
Sponsored By: Intellectual Freedom Committee of NCLA
Arranged By: Frank McKenna
Location: Roosevelt
The internet has brought both positive and negative changes to society. It’s great to be connected with friends, family, colleagues, and library users, but there is a dark side to sharing so much information online. The presenter will share recent challenges to data privacy and information security, and provide tips for how to keep your information as safe as possible.
The Human Library: Promoting Diversity and Dialog in Your Library
Speakers: Sunny Chung, Stony Brook University Health Sciences Librarian, Chris Kretz, Head of Academic Engagement, Stony Brook University
Sponsored By: Division of Academic and Special Libraries of SCLA
Arranged By: Bruce Seger
Location: Vanderbilt
The Human Library is an internationally-recognized learning experience featuring people as “Open Books” discussing specific prejudices or stereotypes they have overcome. In an increasingly divided world, the Human Library is an opportunity to promote dialogue through personal conversations among diverse people, inviting the audience as “readers” to “unjudge someone.” Stony Brook University Libraries hosted a Human Library in the Fall of 2023. This presentation covers the complete process, from the planning and recruitment phases to promoting and running the event and forming partnerships on campus, as well as tips on how to host a similar event.
Judged by the Covers: Meet the Challenge – Organize, Advocate, and Overcome
Speakers: Steve Alcalde, Rogers Memorial Library, Casey Golda, Rogers Memorial Library, Kimberly Zettwoch Manise, Port Jefferson Free Library, Erin Kanelos, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Sara Fiore, Rogers Memorial Library
Sponsored By: Computer and Technical Services Division of SCLA, Children’s Librarians Association of Suffolk County
Arranged By: Steve Alcalde
Location: Whitman
A panel of librarians from Adult, Teen and Children’s Departments explore strategies to counter book challenges, bans, and board infiltrations in libraries. Participants will receive access to a comprehensive online “toolkit,” offering digital resources for effectively addressing these challenges and engaging with advocacy groups. Attendees are invited to join a new online forum: a collaborative space to exchange ideas and support efforts against censorship in libraries. This event is essential for those dedicated to upholding information freedom and expression in libraries.
Long Island Library Conference 