Library Trustee Forum Spring 2025 Webinars
January 31, 2025
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Kristin Pekoll, LTF Staff Liaison
kpekoll@ila.org
Library Trustee Forum Spring Webinars
March 8, April 12, May 10
The Trustee Forum is continuing its virtual spring webinars for 2025. Participants can attend one, two, or all three sessions. The recordings will be available to participants after each session
Registration Fees
| |
All three webinars * |
Individual webinars |
| ILA Institutional or Personal Member |
$40 |
$15 |
| Non-Member |
$50 |
$20 |
| |
|
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* If you register for all three webinars, please allow 2-3 business days for staff to send you the recording of past webinars. Or email ila@ila.org.
Webinar Information
Sustainability: A Core Value of Libraries
Jennifer Ferriss of the Saratoga Springs Public Library (NY) will share how libraries can build stronger connections with their community, improve internal operations, and make environmentally conscious decisions and how trustees can support the work. Expect to come away with numerous ideas on how to get started and make this a part of your library mission, values and everyday operations.
Date: Saturday, March 8, 10:00 am - Noon
Speaker: Jennifer Ferriss
Moderator: Jennifer Lucas
Social Media Guidance for Library Trustees
Attorney Julie Tappendorf, equity partner at Ancel Glink, PC, will share best practices for preventing Open Meetings Act violations and explain how the First Amendment impacts trustee social media use, even on personal accounts. She will review recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings concerning government officials and social media, and offer guidelines on the dos and don'ts of moderating comments on social media platforms.
Date: Saturday, April 12, 10:00 am - Noon
Speaker: Julie Tappendorf, Ancel Glink, PC
Moderator: Tom Stagg
Belonging in Community: How Libraries and Library Trustees Build Belonging in Community
Library Trustees have responsibilities that go beyond finance, policies and compliance. Belonging is also central and may be the most important of the duties. Sean Gaillard’s blog post – “Belonging in the Library: A Hub of Connection and Inspiration”, he notes that the “Library (is) a space for Everyone to Feel Seen, Heard and Valued.” While Gaillard is pointing to school libraries – the same can be said for public libraries presence in the communities. Public libraries strive to be that place in a community that supports opportunities for learning, adventure, respite, peace, gathering and fun by offering both welcoming and, ultimately, belonging. Often hard to measure, belonging is vital for public libraries by serving as gathering spaces and places for communities across Illinois and beyond.
Library Board trustees play a valuable role in building and supporting belonging in many ways: reviewing and discussing mission and vision, working with the library director to ensure a welcoming place for all community residents through good customer service, fair and impartial policies, creating spaces and places to laugh, explore, learn and build connections. Trustees ensure that the public library is for the entire community and reflects community culture, history and stories. This session will highlight how belonging is an essential element in community – from a practical perspective and a
humanistic mindset. Library trustees – new and seasoned – will gain insights into the critical role of belonging is through representation, encouraging and supporting the library director with the hope and goal that all are welcome and belong.
Saturday, May 10, 10:00 am - Noon
Speakers: Richard Kong, Skokie Public Library; Anne O'Keefe, Rockford Public Library
Moderator: Christine Westerlund
Speaker Bios
Jennifer Ferris, Saratoga Springs Public Library
Jennifer Ferriss is the Assistant Director at the Saratoga Springs Public Library (SSPL,) a library that holds the distinction of being the second library to achieve Sustainable Libraries Certification through the Sustainable Libraries Initiative (SLI.) Jennifer was a co-creator of the Certification program, contributing to its development and leading the library staff of SSPL through the process in 2018. Currently, Jennifer serves on the Advisory Board of the SLI, where she provides guidance and supports libraries nationwide in their sustainability efforts.
Richard Kong, Skokie Public Library
Richard is responsible for the overall administration, operation, and services of the Skokie Public Library. He works closely with library staff and community partners to lead the development of the library’s strategy and ensure progress is made with its current strategic priorities. Reporting directly to the Library Board of Trustees, he also develops and implements the library’s policies and manages its finances.
Richard currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Skokie Chamber of Commerce and Turning Point Behavioral Health Care Center, and is also a member of the Rotary Club of Skokie Valley and the Kiwanis Club of Skokie Valley. He is a recognized leader in the professional library community, currently serving on a number of professional boards and committees. He previously served as an executive board member of both the Public Library Association and the Illinois Library Association.
Anne O'Keefe, Rockford Public Library
Anne E. O’Keefe is the Assistant Director for Community Engagement at the Rockford Public Library. Anne’s first position at the Library was Development Officer beginning in 2016 and has been in her current role since 2022. Prior to joining the RPL team, Anne was President and CEO of the Rockford Area Arts Council for 12 years.
Her entire career has been about connecting people to ideas and resources that enrich their lives whether it is their education, career or quality of life.
She was on the lead team for 815 Choose Civility which was established to “empower our community to conduct ourselves with honesty, respect, consideration and kindness even toward those with whom we disagree.” 815 Choose Civility was established in 2016 and convened community engagement forums including local and state
government forums to inform voters. In 2020 focused pivoted to the The Belonging Begins with Us: Rockford Initiative which includes more than 30 individuals and organizations working to build a culture of Belonging in Rockford. The work being done is based on the philosophy of Othering and Belonging developed by john a. powell,
Director of the Othering and Belonging Institute at University of California, Berkeley.
Involvement in the Belonging movement aligns both personally and professionally for Anne. It requires trust, difficult conversations, and introspection. She has discovered that a sense of humor also helps as a great unifier.
Belonging belongs in libraries because we are the ideal place for lifelong learning,
convening and welcoming all.
Julie Tappendorf, Ancel Glink
Julie Tappendorf is an equity partner at Ancel Glink, PC in Chicago. She practices in the area of local government law, representing governments on a variety of legal issues, including social media, FOIA, Open Meetings Act, personnel matters, First Amendment, etc. She speaks frequently at local and national conferences on a variety of legal topics and trains government officials and employees on social media activities. She also reviews and prepares social media policies for government agencies.
REGISTER
STOP! Are you a director or admin registering your trustees? Are you registering a group? Or have you never registered for the LTF Spring Webinars before? If so, then take a moment to read through these registration instructions. If you have any trouble with registering, please email ila@ila.org.
Questions? Email ila@ila.org
Statement of Appropriate Conduct - All participants are expected to observe the rules and behaviors described in the Statement of Appropriate Conduct in all conference venues.
Cancellation Policy:
If registered for all 3 events, cancellation must be received in writing by Monday, February 26. If registered for only 1 or 2 events, cancellation must be made 5 business days prior to the start of the event you wish to cancel. Please e-mail your cancellation request to ila@ila.org. Cancellations received in time will get a refund and are subject to $15 processing fee.
Please note that these events will be recorded and recordings will be shared only with those registered for the event.
Due to a rise in paid, duplicate registrations, these will now be considered a cancellation/refund request and therefore subject to a processing fee.
Bill me later and payment policy:
Payment is expected before attending the event. If payment needs to be made after an event, advance notice by emailing ila@ila.org is required. If notice is not given to ILA and no payment is received, registration will be rescinded and the privilege of utilizing the “Bill me later” option is forfeit for future events. All invoices must be paid before confirmed registration on future events. Failure to attend an event without canceling before the deadline does not eliminate the outstanding balance. Payment is still required.
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