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2024 WLA Preconference Workshops

Thursday, April 10

8:30 AM–12:30 PM | Morning Preconference Workshops [4 Hour]

Law for Librarians
Join ALA's “Law for Librarians” representatives for a session on the legalities of intellectual freedom and a review of current trends, resources, and events. Discussion will include civic definitions of concepts, explanations of court decisions, past and present, and an outline of policies and practices libraries should review to be prepared for challenges to their materials. Internet access, privacy, and copyright basics will also be included.

Gavin Downing, Teacher-Librarian, ALA Law For Librarians trainer, Kent School District
Brenna Shanks, Teen Materials Selector, ALA Law For Librarians trainer, King County Library System
Betsy Gomez, ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom

Navigating Challenges: The Workplace Situation of Library Workers in the USA
Library workers in the U.S. face significant challenges, including frequent harassment and abusive behaviors. Additionally, the 2022 Urban Libraries Unite Trauma Study highlighted the tough working conditions for urban libraries, emphasizing the emotional labor involved in managing distressed patrons. Library workers often serve as frontline responders to community needs, requiring them to navigate complex interpersonal dynamics with empathy and professionalism. Recognizing staff as invaluable resources, this session will explore the necessity for evidence-based, trauma-informed programs focused on human safety, de-escalation, leadership development, threat assessment, conflict resolution, and crisis management in libraries.

Arlene Limas, OLY, PAVE Prevention

Ukulele 101: Enlivening Storytime with Ukulele 
Join Tacoma Youth Symphony for a crash course in the basics of playing ukulele, then hear from a panel of librarians who use ukuleles in programs ready with tips, tricks, and songs to start you on your ukulele librarian journey! Jam out with other attendees and strum along on your very own ukulele, included in the price of registration. Recommended for ukulele beginners. Open to all experience levels. Workshop sponsored by the Children & Young Adult Services (CAYAS) Section and the Washington State Library.

Registration is capped at 25 participants for this workshop.

Tacoma Youth Symphony
Ukulele practitioners TBA

2:00–5:00 PM | Afternoon Preconference Workshops [3 Hour]

Creating Equitable Access in Public Libraries for Disability, LGBTQ+ &  ELL Communities
In 2023, our library system conducted a comprehensive Accessibility Audit of its 48 staffed public libraries. Fast forward to today, and accessibility initiatives appear throughout 2025 organizational budget goals, priorities, and activities. How did they do it and why does it matter? In this session, the Equity and Social Impact department team members tell how they designed and conducted the audit process, intentionally gathered targeted community input, and worked with senior leaders to create a seven-year implementation plan for improvements and best practices for more welcoming, accessible, and usable public library spaces.

Dominica Myers, Director of Equity and Social Impact, King County Library System
Shun-Jen Hsiao, Library Access Coordinator, King County Library System
Teresa Luengo Cid, World Language Coordinator, King County Library System

Busting Burnout: Play as a Leadership Tool for Library Professionals 
Is play the opposite of productivity? In this dynamic, hands-on session, participants will discover that play is not a break from work—it is the work! Play is a powerful tool for energizing teams, fostering creativity, and preventing burnout. Library leaders will learn to incorporate playful engagements at personal, shared, and organizational levels, ranging from quick ice breakers to immersive half-day activities. Through interactive exercises, participants will explore how varying levels of energy and vulnerability can provide relief from the cycle of emotional labor and compassion fatigue that lead to burnout. Leaders of all levels will walk away with the confidence and tools to reignite inspiration and boost morale within library teams.

Beck Messick, Library Learning and Development Specialist, Tacoma Public Library

Unique Youth Services Programming: Bringing Community Together with a Limited Budget
Youth services programming often faces challenges with community engagement, attendance, and limited budgets. I would like to offer my insights into unique, creative, successful programming ideas that I implemented at my library, which maximizes community engagement and program attendance while working within a small programming budget. With our programming, we strengthen and foster the ties within our small community by bringing hundreds of people together. I will discuss successful take-home craft kits, themed events such as festivals and parties, and regular programming ideas. These approaches can be adapted for both small and large libraries.

Michelle Burton, Youth Services Librarian, Kelso Public Library

Political Disaster Preparedness: Prioritizing Community Safety
As we enter an authoritarian federal administration that places targets on public resources, education, immigrant communities and trans folks, it is a time to learn collective skills in identifying, confronting, and shutting down the white nationalist ideologies and actions that threaten the safety of our communities. In this workshop we’ll cover proactive steps, best practices, and common scenarios that arise in libraries and ways of addressing them. There will be time for interactive community-building through group work. This workshop will help library staff in all sectors prepare for situations as they arise utilizing a toolkit written by librarians and published by Western States Center. The intent of this training is to help make libraries—as agents for democracy—safe, supportive, and in service to our more vulnerable communities.

Reed Garber-Pearson, Integrated Social Sciences & Online Learning Librarian, University of Washington Seattle
Elaine Harger, School Librarian, Retired