OhioNet

Looking for the latest news, events, and opportunities from OhioNet? Our July newsletter is now available! 📚 Inside this month's edition, you'll find a member spotlight on the Ohio Private Academic Libraries (OPAL), a preview of the upcoming Ohio Library Employees Institute (OLEI) conference, a call for proposals for our Human Resources Summit (due July 31!), and a recap of our Student Success Summit. You'll also discover additional member news, upcoming learning opportunities, and this month's featured savings on Bloomsbury resources. 🔗 Read the full newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/ewNrJrEx.

We want to hear from you! 📣 There's still time to submit a proposal to present at OhioNet's upcoming Human Resources Summit. This in-person event, hosted at OhioNet on September 30, will explore the opportunities and challenges of supporting a strong library workforce. We are looking for presentations that highlight the following, or similar, topics: • Recruitment and retention strategies: • Employee wellbeing and workplace culture • Performance management and employee development/training • Onboarding and offboarding approaches • Succession planning and leadership development • Compensation, benefits, and workforce trends • Navigating employment law and HR compliance • Navigating hybrid or flexible work environments We welcome a variety of presentation styles, including: • Standalone presentations • Lightning round presentations • Panelists or roundtable discussion participants/facilitator ⏳ The deadline for proposals is July 31, 2026. 🔗 Learn more and submit your ideas here: https://lnkd.in/esRnfjkN.

Looking to connect with colleagues, discover new ideas, and invest in your professional growth this summer? ☀ Explore two new upcoming in-person learning opportunities designed for Ohio library staff! 🛠️ National Maker Collective Conference on July 25: Whether you manage an established makerspace, are planning your first one, or are simply curious about the maker movement, this conference is for you. Connect with fellow makers, share successes and challenges, and celebrate the creativity, collaboration, and hands-on learning that unite makerspaces of all kinds. 🔗 Learn more and register: https://lnkd.in/g2jzzGRV 📚 Ohio Library Employees Institute (OLEI) on August 11–12: Build your skills with practical sessions on customer service, library programming, library documentation and training, navigating difficult conversations, and an overview of Ohio library organizations. This event also includes tours of Westerville Public Library and Courtright Memorial Library at Otterbein University. 🔗 Learn more and register: https://lnkd.in/eb-UMjch Whether you work in a public, academic, K–12, or special library, we hope you'll join us. Time is running out to register for these events, so reserve your spot today!

We're just one month away from the Ohio Library Employees Institute (OLEI)! 😍 Join library support staff from across the state at OhioNet on August 11–12 to connect with colleagues, gain practical skills, and head back to your library with new ideas and inspiration. 💡 OLEI sessions will cover a variety of practical topics, including: • Navigating difficult conversations • Library programming • Library documentation and training • Customer service • Overview of Ohio library organizations 📚 The event also includes tours of two libraries: the Westerville Public Library and Courtright Memorial Library at Otterbein University. 🔗 Learn more and register — • View the full OLEI event agenda: https://lnkd.in/edXWmUHh • Register to attend OLEI: https://lnkd.in/eFuzry9M

🌟 There's still time to register for the first National Maker Collective Conference 2026 on Saturday, July 25, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Greene County Career Center in Xenia, Ohio! 🌟 Whether you're running a makerspace in a community center basement or a university innovation lab, dreaming about launching your first space, volunteering on weekends, or simply curious about what makes the maker movement tick, this conference is for you. 🔗 A full conference agenda and speaker information are available now. View details and register to attend here: https://lnkd.in/e_6Qrnpn. 🎨 More than just a conference, the National Maker Collective is building a national community where makerspaces of all kinds can connect, exchange ideas, tackle challenges together and build relationships that strengthen the maker movement. The organization exists to create a community as diverse and creative as the makers themselves.

OhioNet's July Events Digest is here! ☀️ Browse our round-up of upcoming webinars, in-person events, and product demos designed to boost your skills and help you connect with fellow OhioNet members: https://lnkd.in/evvMamNB ⛱️ P.S. Don't miss this month's featured event: Ohio Library Employees Institute (OLEI), in-person at OhioNet on August 11-12: https://lnkd.in/eb-UMjch This two-day conference supports professional development and networking for all employees across all library types, with a particular focus on support staff, who have traditionally had limited access to these experiences. OLEI sessions will cover a variety of practical topics. The event also includes tours of two local libraries: the Westerville Public Library and Courtright Memorial Library at Otterbein University.

📣 Call for Proposals: OhioNet Human Resources Summit 📣 OhioNet invites proposals to present at our upcoming Human Resources Summit. This in-person event, hosted at OhioNet in Westerville, OH on September 30, 2026, will explore the opportunities and challenges of supporting a strong library workforce. We are looking for presentations that highlight the following, or similar, topics:  • Recruitment and retention strategies:  • Employee wellbeing and workplace culture  • Performance management and employee development/training  • Onboarding and offboarding approaches  • Succession planning and leadership development  • Compensation, benefits, and workforce trends  • Navigating employment law and HR compliance  • Navigating hybrid or flexible work environments We welcome a variety of presentation styles, including:  • Standalone presentations • Lightning round presentations • Panelists or roundtable discussion participants/facilitator ⏳ The deadline for proposals is July 31, 2026. 🔗 Learn more and submit your ideas here: https://lnkd.in/esRnfjkN

🎆 Kick off your holiday weekend with "Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy, and Fulfillment" by Daniel Coyle — then join us on July 15 for the first of our two-part virtual OhioNet Book Club discussion! Through research, storytelling, and practical insights, "Flourish" explores what helps people and organizations build connection, purpose, resilience, and wellbeing. 📚 Facilitated by Andrew Whitis, this two-part discussion offers an opportunity to connect with colleagues, exchange ideas, and explore ways to help your library (and yourself!) flourish. "Flourish" Book Club Meeting Dates: 1️⃣ July 15, Noon-1 p.m. (Prologue-Chapter 5) 2️⃣ July 29, Noon-1 p.m. (Chapter 6-Epilogue) 🔗 Learn more and register to attend the first book club discussion on July 15: https://lnkd.in/efm4mZQY. Please note: The July 15 and July 29 discussions require separate registration. If you're joining us for both, be sure to register for each session. #ProfessionalDevelopment #BookClub #OhioLibraries #Wellbeing #WorkplaceWellbeing

Level up your summer learning with the Ohio Library Employees Institute (OLEI) on August 11-12! 🌟 This conference, held at OhioNet in Westerville, is geared towards library support staff who traditionally have limited professional development opportunities. 💡 OLEI sessions will cover a variety of practical topics, including: • Navigating difficult conversations • Library programming • Library documentation and training • Customer service • Overview of Ohio library organizations 📚 The event also includes tours of two libraries: the Westerville Public Library and Courtright Memorial Library at Otterbein University. 🔗 Learn more and register — • View the full OLEI event agenda: https://lnkd.in/edXWmUHh • Register to attend OLEI: https://lnkd.in/eFuzry9M

NEW: Join us for the very first in-person National Maker Collective Conference 2026 on July 25, 2026 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m at the Greene County Career Center in Xenia, Ohio! 🎨 This event is hosted by the National Maker Collective, an organization for makerspace people to find community, exchange ideas, tackle challenges together, and build relationships that strengthen the maker movement. 🔗 Learn more and register to attend here: https://lnkd.in/eek9P_Ai.