Categories Presentations

We keep returning to the idea of “taking care” as we move into a post-pandemic world. We have been taking care of ourselves, our families and friends, and others in the world. Now we return to tending to the needs of our users: offering a safe space for every person who comes through our doors to learn and grow, designing welcoming spaces for folks to come together to collaborate and exchange ideas, creating thriving digital communities, and providing participatory services to promote learning and well-being. What we want for everyone we serve is Joy. We want our users to experience […]

Sending a very warm thanks to all the staff at Cedar Rapids Public Library. I spoke and facilitated an exploration of “Wholehearted Libraries” at their Staff Development Day on Friday and thoroughly enjoyed meeting folks, hearing their stories, and touring their amazing building. THANK YOU! Download the slides here: Cedar Rapids Public Library Staff Day

Thanks to everyone who attended my talk “Wholehearted Librarianship: Finding Hope, Inspiration, and Balance” at ALA last week in Washington DC. We should bring our hearts to work, and qualities such as empathy, emotional intelligence, and reflective action are all part of this process. Service steeped in humanism, compassion, and understanding should be the cornerstone of what we do, and why we do it, for all members of our communities, including the underserved. Join Dr. Michael Stephens for an exploration of the importance of accessible, welcoming and responsive library environments that invite open and equitable participation, as well as an […]

Thanks to Loida, ALA staff, and everyone who attended today’s webinar. Watch the recording here. Here’s the press release: Join Garcia-Febo and Dr. Michael Stephens for an exploration of the importance of accessible, welcoming and responsive library environments that invite open and equitable participation, as well as an examination of which factors are preventing many libraries from ramping up community engagement and user-focused services. The heart of librarianship is learning. It is a cyclical process of support, engagement and discovery with deep roots in the concepts of service, access and freedom to pursue interests of all kinds. No matter what type of institution, someone […]

Thanks to all who attended my keynote today at the Upper Peninsula Region of Library Cooperation “Tech Knowledge Transforms” Annual Meeting. Download the keynote session “The Library as Classroom” slides here. Download the breakout session “Formula for Success” slides here. Useful Links: Selected Library Journal “Office Hours” columns cited: Adopt or Adapt Making a Name Flash Briefing Libraries in Balance Librarian Superpowers What’s Next Formula for Success Hygge State of Mind Talk About Compassion Dream. Explore. Experiment. Color Me Curious Speak of the Devil LibraryEmoji The Right Questions Telling Stories Gifts of this Hour Open to Change

Greetings everyone. I returned from Australia on August 12 and school started the following week. I am working to catch up. I wanted to extend a warm THANK YOU to everyone who helped bring me back to Australia for an amazing month-long visit. Special thanks to everyone at ALIA and to Helen Partridge, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) and  Kate Davis at USQ, and everyone else for putting this amazing trip together. And special thanks to the incredible folks at the National Library of Australia who invited me to do a talk, and my good friend Warren Cheetham for inviting me to speak to the […]

Greetings all! I am thrilled that I will soon be departing for a month long adventure in Australia. It’s been a decade since the first trip, touring “The Hyperlinked Library” in five cites, and nine years since I was CAVAL Visiting Scholar and spoke at ASLA and QPLA. I am honored to be returning to do the closing keynote for the Asia-Pacific Library & Information Conference and to spend two weeks at the University of Southern Queensland as part of the Eminent Visiting Scholar Scheme program. Special thanks to everyone at ALIA and to Helen Partridge, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) and  Kate Davis at USQ, and […]

Greetings all! Monday June 25th 9am MCC Room 284, I’m presenting a program at ALA Annual in New Orleans on an ongoing research project: Historically, public librarians and library personnel have pursued opportunities for professional learning experiences (PLE) such as reading professional literature, attending in-service days and conferences. By the late 1990s, webinars and other technologically focused opportunities for learning offered more channels for development. Through all of these changes, institutional support and personal drive for learning were proven to be important facets of PLE. Emerging technologies shift the emphasis for PLEs and the delivery mechanisms. These now include online […]