Summit 2013: Updates & Reminders

Registration closes at the end of this week so I can get accurate numbers to Frostburg State University's catering company and so the Summit 2013 #makeithappen team can start making room assignments for the various breakout sessions. The two charts show the number of staff registered for the various breakout sessions in the morning and in the afternoon.

Reminders about the day:

Where: Frostburg State University's Lane University Center.

When: Nov. 11, 2013. Arrive between 9:30am-9:45am. The day will end by 3:30pm.

Parking: In any lot that suits you - preferably one that is close to the Lane University Center.

Transportation: Our individual library directors will be communicating about transportation.

How to dress: Business casual. Jeans in good condition and layers in case it's chilly or warm.

Summit 2013 Logo

Ashley Hutson, Smithburg Branch Manager (WCFL), won the logo contest with:

Congratulations, Ashley!! We'll be showcasing the logo on as many of our marketing and advertising materials as we can! 

Summit 2013: Content Preview

Click the image to enlarge it.

YA Readers' Advisory Panel 3 panelists will lead a discussion of the reviews of the newest trends in young adult literature and reviews of the most popular titles.

Helping Mentally Ill Customers Presented by Brook Lane. This is a customer service focused piece that will educate us about how we can best serve customers who experience mental illnesses and how we can best provide a safe and welcoming environment in our libraries.

Stretch Toward a New You Kirsten Hansen, Licensed Massage Therapist and Instructor at the Allegany College of Maryland presents, easy steps you can take to prevent stiff muscles and exhaustion. Feel energized and have a life after work.

Live Online Communication Marilyn Pontius (Manager, Hancock Branch of the Washington County Free Library) and Trina Panagos (Staff Development Coordinator for the Frederick County Public Libraries) will present best practices and logistical requirements for using Google+ Hangouts and Blackboard Collaborate to conduct online meetings.

Laura Gross & Tammy Gantz

Story Time Swap Presented by Laura Gross and Tammy Gantz (both of the Smithsburg Branch of the Washington County Free Library). This is a participant-driven workshop which means A meeting of the minds, where librarians share program ideas in order to prevent story time burnout down the road.  Participants will get to share some of their best story time ideas in a small group setting; these ideas will be compiled ahead of time in a jump drive that each attendee will receive at the completion of the program.

Ask Your Experts! Technology Panel For the purposes of this panel, your technology experts are: Tracy Carroll (Web Specialist for WMRL); Josh Linkner (IT Specialist for WCFL); Allen Dunson (IT Specialist for RELIB). If you register for this program you will be asked to submit your burning computer/Internet/technology questions. Panelists will review the questions in advance so they are prepared with rich answers! Panelists will also be leading the hands-on portion of the program where - based on your questions - we will have technology stations where you can get more practice.

Stephanie Anderson

Tumblr for Adult Services Readers' Advisory

Presented by Stephanie Anderson, Darien Public Library (CT). Whether you’re a tumblarian or not, come learn about the ways in which tumblr is being used for readers’ advisory, and share your own experience. We’ll discuss the nuts and bolts of using tumblr for RA, as well as how to make it part of your existing RA practices.

Emergency/Disaster Preparedness Presented by Mary Spalding, Program Coordinator/Medical Librarian for the Western MD Area Health Education Center.

Maurice Coleman's Top 5 Online Learning Resources Presented by Maurice Coleman, Technology Trainer for Harford County Public Library.

Ask Your Experts! Marketing Panel For the purposes of this panel, your marketing experts are: Renee Mason (ACLS), Bonnie Winters (RELIB), and Pat Wishard (WCFL). If you register for this program you will be asked to submit your burning marketing questions. Panelists will review the questions in advance so they are prepared with rich answers. Panelists will also briefly present their 'marketing best practices for non-marketing personnel.'

Summit 2013: Food Menu

All food items are served with biodegradable service ware and napkins. They might not be the prettiest forks and knives you've ever used but gosh darn it, they're Earth friendly!

Breakfast:

Sandwiches served on English muffins:

• Bacon, egg & cheese
• Bacon & egg
• Sausage, egg, & cheese
• Sausage & egg
• Egg & cheese
• Egg

Yogurts:

• Plain and strawberry
• With granola
• With fresh berries

Fresh fruit:

• Berries, grapes and strawberries

Beverages:

• Water will be available all day
• Coffee - caf and decaf 
• Hot tea - herbal and Lipton black
• Apple juice
• Orange juice
• Assorted sweeteners and creamers

Lunch:

Sandwiches:

• Roasted portabella with red pepper, pesto, fresh mozzarella on ciabatta bread
• The Club: turkey, ham and bacon with tomato, lettuce and cheddar cheese on white toast
• Roast beef and cheddar cheese with lettuce and tomato on a kaiser roll
• Condiments on the side

Pasta salad

Grilled vegetable platter: eggplant, zucchini, peppers and onions

Soup:

• Roasted butternut squash
• Tomato basil

Homemade potato chips

Cookies:

• Chocolate chip
• Peanut butter
• Sugar
• Oatmeal

Beverages:

• Water is available all day
• Unsweetened iced tea with assorted sweeteners

Afternoon snack:

Beverages:

• Coffee (caf and decaf) with assorted sweeteners and creamers served in to-go cups
• Vanilla caramel apple cider served in to-go cups
• Assorted sodas

Snacks:

• Brownies
• Rice Krispy Treats

Summit 2013: Survey

What do you want to learn about at the Summit (Nov. 11, 2013)?

Take our survey by April 15th:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Summit2013LOs

Ignore any areas that don’t apply to you and feel free to write in other ideas you may have.

What is Summit 2013?

The Tri-County Summit is a one-day collaborative learning event that happens every other year on Nov. 11^th. It’s a day when all four library systems (Allegany, Garrett, Washington, and the Regional) come together to develop our relationships, to feed our brains and our hearts with new skills and ideas, and to enjoy each other’s  presence! It’s intended to be a day of growth, rejuvenation, and fun!

Summit 2013: Logo Contest

Deadline: April 21st!

Summit 2013 Update

The Summit 2013 #makeithappen Team had our 2nd meeting on Monday, February 25th from 1pm-3pm at the Grantsville Library. I wanted to share with you what we accomplished.

The #makeithappen Team is:

• Georgie Dawson
• Melissa Foltz 
• Chris McGee
• Aliceana Onley
• Susie Poper
• Connie Savage
• Regina Spiker
• Julie Zamostny

The Team Hopes & Concerns:
The team started the meeting by sharing their hopes and concerns about the Summit process and the event itself. 

• We hope the event will be received as a success by all parties
• We hope we're able to embrace the "anything's possible" mindset but at the same time narrow down and focus the day around the theme of innovation and imagination
• We're concerned about addressing our colleagues' concerns regarding having the event at FSU. We're excited about it so, how do we convey that excitement to others?
• We hope we're able to create the day so that everyone can leave the summit saying they have one (1) thing that they can practically apply at their jobs in the library
•  We are concerned that the blog isn't the best way for the team to communicate with each other so, Julie will post to the blog on the team's behalf while the team will continue to communicate with each other via email.
• We hope we are able to provide an experience that is meaningful to everyone regardless of the role played in the library

 Summit Schedule:

Please do not arrive before 9:30am - that's when breakfast will be available and the team will have everything ready for the day.

Learning Objectives for Summit 2013:
The team is creating an online survey to ask you, the library staff in Allegany, Garrett, and Washington counties to tell us what you want to be able to do by the time you leave FSU on November 11th. So, start thinking about all those practical skills you wish you had or could polish up. We'll be sending the survey on March 13th. 

Since the team knows many colleagues in the counties who have artistic abilities, we thought it would be fun to hold a logo contest and to invite all artists of all kinds to submit your logo for the summit. The only guidelines are that it needs to convey these two points:

1. The regional nature of the event (encompasses all 3 counties plus WMRL)
2. The theme of Innovation Meets Imagination




Transportation: 
The aforementioned survey will also ask you to tell the team whether or not you'd take advantage of group transportation (i.e. a rental van) if the team can provide one. We'll also be asking if you'd be willing to drive group transportation (such as a rental van) if there is a need. The Team cannot be group transportation drivers as we'll be on-site a couple hours before the event begins.

Food:
Aramark is the company with whom FSU contracts with to provide their catering services. I'll be contacting them this week to find out when the team can meet to decide upon the breakfast and lunch menus. We are aware of folks who enjoy a vegetarian lifestyle so we will definitely be providing vegetarian options however, if you are vegan or have other dietary requirements/concerns, please let one of us know ASAP so we may do our best to accommodate your needs as well.

Our next team meeting is on April 22nd at 1pm. Location is TBD.

Summit 2013 will be held at...

Frostburg State University’s Lane Center!

Date: November 11, 2013

Time: TBD

Theme: Innovation meets Imagination.

The #makeithappen Team will be meeting on Feb. 25^th to work out more details which we’ll share on the Learning Journal Blog.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Julie Zamostny & the Summit 2013 #makeithappen Team

Georgie Dawson, Melissa Foltz, Chris McGee, Aliceana Onley, Susie Poper, Connie Savage, Regina Spiker

Summit 2013: HCC as potential location

By: Susie Poper, WMRL
 
Is your facility available on Nov. 11, 2013?Yes our facility is available on November 11, 2013

Can your facility accommodate 150 people? Including bathrooms (mostly women) and parking. We can accommodate 150 people in the Career Program Building rooms 210, 212 and 214. Here is link to the floor plan for the building: http://www.hagerstowncc.edu/sites/default/files/documents/09-cpb-second-floor-map.pdf  This floor also has men’s and women’s restrooms with about 8 stalls. Parking is available in LOT F. Please click to see campus map: http://www.hagerstowncc.edu/sites/default/files/documents/1301-hcc-campus-map.pdf

What types of meeting spaces do you have? Are they flexible – can accommodate all 150 but also small groups of 40? How many rooms are available? As you can see from the floor plan, rooms 210, 212 and 214 have movable walls between them which allow for a large group. If you need break out session, I would suggest reserving the rooms across the hallway, CPB 211 and 213 to be set up for breakout sessions. These room accommodate about 50 people each.

What type of dining options are available on site? Both in terms of actual food/beverage but also seating/eating. We have an onsite caterer, Food for Thoughts that could provide breakfast, lunch, snacks and beverages. Participants could dine in the classrooms or use the Valley Eatery which is open to students and staff on that day.

Does your facility have wifi access? Hardwired internet access? HCC has wifi in the Conference Center. Our presenter podiums have computers with internet access and are connected to the LCD projector.

Summit: Potential Presenter

Received a suggestion for a presenter the other day and thought I'd throw it into the mix of potential Summit presenters.

Sylvia Lafair
The Creative Edge: Unleashing Innovation
http://sylvialafair.com/

Shepherd Springs Not Available for Summit 2013

I just heard back from Shepherd Springs and they say they do not have space large enough to accomodate 150 people.

GC Regional Library Friends (Allegany Co)

The George's Creek Promotion Council, friends of the GC Regional Library reports at least 9 main people on their steering committee. Perhaps instead of inviting all friends, too many = too expensive, a representative can be invited to join us for the day... Update: I entered an incorrect number for GC. It should be 20.

LaVale Library Friends (Allegany Co)

Info on the Friends of the LaVale Library: Pam Neder, branch librarian reported a total of 9 on the steering committee. I still need to get the info from our own library branch!

Info from Autumn Becker, concerning using ACM as our host site: Hi, Autumn, Julie Zamostny, gave me your name as a contact for our Summit 2013 library system's meeting this Fall. I know we have met there for our last two Summits and are checking out alternate sites as well. First, I better ask if you even have available space for 150 people for the full day of November 11 of this year? I know you have plenty of parking available but I'm wondering if alternate dining options can be looked into. The luncheon options were delicious but it took so long for that many people to go through the buffet, even with two lines. Also, what are your estimated pricing options for the one-day event for 150 people with catering services? There are probably more questions that I haven't come up with and if I can give you more info on my end, please ask! Regina Spiker Hi Regina, Hello! We do have the theater available for your Summit on November 11, 2013. Alternate dining options are limited- we cannot put your group in our cafeteria due to our priority of making the café easily accessible to our credit students. The best option for your group for lunch is CE’s building, where you have had lunch in the past. We could create another buffet line to speed up the process if you would like. I have attached 2011’s quote for services for a pricing reference- this included use of our facilities, breakfast, and a catered lunch. If you choose to hold your summit here, please let me know as soon as you can so I can get your group’s reservations in. Thanks very much, Autumn Becker I Director, Workforce Development

Frostburg Library Friends (Allegany Co)

Info so far I have received from Connie Workman, branch manager, on the Friends of the Frostburg Library: I know there are 5 persons that sit on the board of the Friends group. Jack Riley is the president. We actually send out over 400 letters to members each year. I am not sure how many respond but we gets lots of money. I could ask Judy Harden the secretary how many active members there are – she might know. The Riley’s are gone for the winter to Vegas. I think I can email them. I’ll let you know a total ASAP.

Summit 2013: Location Update

Cacapon is not available for Nov. 11, 2013 but they are some place we might consider in future years. Here's the 411:

Is your facility available on Nov. 11, 2013?  

No, not at this time.

Can your facility accommodate 150 people? Including bathrooms (mostly women) and parking? 
Our largest conference area can seat 200 people.  There is a restroom in the conference area as well as others in a nearby area if needed during breaks. Parking is not an issue.
   
What types of meeting spaces do you have? Are they flexible – can accommodate all 150 but also small groups of 40? How many rooms are available? 
I have attached a conference room description sheet for you. This will give you a general idea of the size and the number of people they can hold.
 

What type of dining options are available on site? Both in terms of actual food/beverage but also seating/eating.  

We have a 100 person restaurant that serves 3 meals a day. We can also cater coffee breaks and lunches, and picnics.

Does your facility have wifi access? Hardwired internet access? 

We do have WiFi, but it is not hard wired.  I believe that may be in future plans

Otterbein Church in Hagerstown is available. Here's the 411:

The room fees are $50 per room for 3 hours and a Sexton fee may be assessed at $50.00 for a 3 hour period of time. 

As for food, we would have to cater it, probably through Bagelicious or Leiters or you would be free to contract a caterer of your own choosing. Dining would be in our Fellowship Hall. 

If the 150 is a sure thing, we would most likely need to put your group in the Sanctuary (can hold over 300) for the plenary.  If it is a "no more than" figure we could use the Auditorium which would be more comfortable (separate chairs instead of pews).  We have 2 rooms that can accommodate breakout sessions of 40+ people and the Auditorium if it is not used for the plenary session.  All the rooms upstairs are hard wired with internet access.  We do have Wi-fi and we can give you that password upon arrival.

Summit 2013: Theme Update

Results of the Summit 2013 Theme survey are in, and it's Innovation Meets Imagination by a nose!

So, what does this mean? It means that the team will now start brainstorming ideas for the day's programs that align with this theme and if you have suggestions we'd love to hear them --> Feel free to comment on this post or to email one of the #makeithappen Specialists in your county. In case you've forgotten, they are:

Allegany County 

Chris McGee

Regina Spiker

Garrett County 

Georgie Dawson

Connie Savage 

Washington County 

Melissa Foltz

Aliceana Onley  

Western MD Regional 

Susie Poper

Julie Zamostny 

Summit 2013 Meeting #1

Good Morning!

I found out yesterday that the Friends of the Library, for Washington County, have 180 members. Happy Holidays :)

Summit 2013 Meeting #1

Dec. 17th @ 1PM-3PM
Frostburg State University, Lane University Center Rm. 108

In attendance: Chris McGee, Connie Savage, Regina Spiker, Susie Poper, Aliceana Onley, Georgie Dawson, and JZ.

Pt. 1: Getting to know each other and our goals for being on the team

Exercise: using post-it note flip-chart paper, each team member wrote down what they hoped to get out of the experience of being on a team to create a one-day staff development conference; they also shared their concerns and what they hope to contribute.

Chris: wants to get to know colleagues from other counties; wants to contribute his attention to detail, his ability to get it done!, and his cooperative nature. He's concerned about time constraints but works well if given finite tasks and due dates.

Connie: is concerned about tailoring the summit to meet other staff needs (who aren't front-line) and also to meet unique branch needs.

Regina: wants to provide a great summit for our librarians where they can take home concrete ideas and new plans. She is worried about the amoutn of time that will need to be invested to work on this project.

Georgie: wants to contribute to a group of staff who are more administratively active (similar to Connie's concern); she wants to participate to help represent Ruth Enlow.

Aliceana: wants to meet, brainstorm and create a great 2013 Summit; she wants to hear new ideas; she wants to get out of her cubicle to be more engaged with new friends in new spaces; and she wants to learn.

Susie: is concerned about coming up with ideas; realized that she needs to provide more informative feedback when asked to complete evaluations because now she knows how evaluations are actually used to provide feedback!; getting to be involved in a "major project."

Julie: having an opportunity to create an alternative Summit experience; one goal is to work on making the process more engaging for the #makeithappen team; wants to improve on 2011; wants to get to know the team members better.

Pt. 2: The 5 W's and 1 H of The Summit

Exercise: Briefly called attention to the who, what, when, where, why and how of The Summit

Who is our target audience? 

1. Full and part-time staff from all four library systems (ACLS, RELIB, WCFL, and WMRL).
2. Volunteers
3. Substitutes?
4. Board members
5. Friends of the Library? 

To Do: By Feb. 11, 2013, Georgie, Aliceana, Chris, and Regina have been asked to get #s of Friends of Library members so we can know how many there are when considering total possible number of participants. 

What do we want participants to walk away with?

• Excitement
• Cheerleaders
• Giveaways
• Energized
• Practical take-aways
• "I like my job!"
• Kudos - staff appreciation
• Recharging of batteries
• Getting to know people / connecting with colleagues / making new friends
• Having a good time 

When will this happen? 

November 11, 2013

Where will this happen?

To do: By Feb. 11, 2013 the following team members will contact these possible summit locations to gather information on availability, accommodations, pricing, food, etc.

• Garrett College (Georgie)
• Allegany College of MD (Regina)
• Hagerstown Community College (Susie)
• Frostburg State University (Chris)
• Wisp (Connie)
• Will O' The Wisp (Connie)
• New WCFL library (Julie)

Why will this happen?

JZ will get the official wording from Joe Thompson but until then here's the answer I gave the team: A couple of years ago the WMRL advisory board was asked if they'd support the Regional hosting and facilitating a one-day staff day every other year and the board said yes. So, every other year, the Regional's staff development coordinator is responsible for putting a team together to #makeithappen.

How will we keep Summit notes and progress accessible?

We're going to use this blog with the tag Summit 2013 for every post. Should this format prove ineffective we can always change it. 

Pt. 3: Ideas for Improving Upon Summit 2011

Exercise: The team reviewed the feedback received after the 2011 event and based upon that feedback, we generated ideas for how to overcome some of the weaknesses.

•  If we require registration, announce the registration date and options a couple weeks in advance in order to give part-time staff a head's up.
• If we require registration, have folks sign up for the programs they want w/o limiting class size and then just find rooms to accommodate the amount of people. That way if there's a program no one is interested in, we just won't offer it. 
• Need to improve upon the food - process in which it is served and enjoyed as well as the taste.
• Make wifi access easier
• Have sweet (especially Nutella) and savory breakfast items
• If we have a keynote, keep the presentation shorter and have it at the end of the day
• Have a shorter yet more concentrated day (maybe 10am-3pm)

Pt. 4: Share Ideas for Themes

 Exercise: team came prepared with ideas for themes that would set the stage for the Summit and then we voted to identify our top 4 themes. To do: JZ is going to create a brief SurveyMonkey and ask staff across all four systems to vote on their favorite theme. Behind the scenes of these themes we're hoping to keep a taste of an unconference. 

The top four themes that emerged are:

1. Explore, Learn, and Play
2. Destination Inspiration
3. Innovation Meets Imagination
4. We're Trending

Pt. 5: Guests from FSU

Dave Treber from Conference and Event Services brought along two colleagues who work at the Lane University Center to share a little bit of information about FSU's facilities so we might consider them as a location for the Summit. Chris McGee is going to be having conversations with FSU in the future to gather more information and details so we can make a better decision on location by Feb. 11th. First impressions were that it's a very attractive location - all the space we'd need is under one roof, on one floor - besides dining which is on the 2nd floor; wifi and parking sounds hassle free, dining options are large and customizable - they recommended we look at CaterTrax - I'll share the URL when I have it. 

Pt. 6: Wrap Up and Loose Ends

• Possible speakers and programs: was tabled until after a theme has been chosen.
• Maker Sapces: was not talked about too much. Chris did say that he and John Taube had talked about this and came to the conclusion that if this is something that ends up fitting the theme of the day that we should focus on a program that teaches how to use your meeting room as a maker space.
• Transportation: In 2011 and also 2009, the Summit team was not responsible for organizing transportation for the counties' staff however, depending on how the finances play out, we are considering at least getting pricing for charter buses. Our thinking is that if we provide a comfortable mode of transportation folks won't mind traveling as much should we want to hold the event in either Garrett or Washington counties.

 Next Meeting is February 25th @ 1PM-3PM

JZ will find a location for the meeting and let you know ASAP.

Summit 2013 #makeithappen Team Announced

Mark your calendars:  
November 11, 2013 is WMRL's Tri-County Summit (aka staff day)!

Ok, so you probably don’t have to mark your calendars yet.

I do want to introduce you to the Summit 2013 #makeithappen Team. These folks will be working together over the next year to plan, organize, and execute our day-long tri-county staff day. Feel free to talk with them if you have questions, concerns, or suggestions for next year’s event.

Representing the Allegany County Library System

Chris McGee – Adult services and staff development specialist

Regina Spiker – Public computer specialist

Representing the Ruth Enlow Library of Garrett County

Georgie Dawson – Human resources specialist

Connie Savage – Circulation and interlibrary loan specialist

Representing the Washington County Free Library

Melissa Foltz – Boonsboro branch manager specialist

Aliceana Onley – Technical services specialist

Representing the Western Maryland Regional Library

Susie Poper – Technical services specialist

Myself – Facilitator of the #makeithappen Team

Take care and stay tuned for updates as the team makes wonderful and exciting progress!