2025 Regional Conference Schedule

New Albany - Friday, April 11th

9:00 am - 10:00 am
Registration

10:00 am - 10:50 am

• Keynote: From Stress to Strength - A Pathway to Resilience
• Presenter: Andie Hines-Lagemann
• Description: This one-hour keynote workshop is designed to empower Library staff with research-based tools from emotional intelligence and positive psychology. Through interactive exercises, attendees will practice reframing and cultivating a growth mindset. The workshop will bolster self-awareness, emotional regulation, and cognitive flexibility - skills that can be applied to enhance job satisfaction, engagement, and service quality. Attendees will also discover the power of positive social support in building collective resilience within their teams. Library staff will come away with a toolkit of strategies to not only cope with stress but to thrive in their roles, ultimately creating a more positive and resilient environment for individuals, teams, and patrons. 

11:00 am - 11:50 am
Breakout Block 1

• From Awareness to Action - Strengthening Resilience in Daily Practice
• Presenter(s): Andie Hines-Lagemann
• Description: Enjoy Andie's keynote session? She'll be digging deeper into the content in this breakout session. 
• Pockets of Opportunity: Spatial Techniques for Supporting the Neurodiverse Community
• Presenter(s): Erin Jennings
• Description: According to recent research, 15-20% of the world's population is neurodivergent. With removing the stigma around cognitive, mental, and behavioral health, we recognize that our spaces and services are adjusting with a focused sensitivity on welcoming, wellness, and belonging. Let's engage in an informed discussion around what the library can do to elevate your space to accommodate and support this community, as well as, discuss service model improvements.
• VA S.A.V.E Training
  
  • Presenter(s): Josh Singer
  • Description: S.A.V.E. stands for “Signs of suicidal thinking,” “Ask the question,” “Validate the Veteran’s experience,” and “Encourage treatment and expedite getting help.” This training is what is known as “gatekeeper training” and is a recognized best practice in suicide prevention. Gatekeeper training, which imparts basic skills for talking to individuals in crisis, helps prepare members of the public to step in when someone they interact with is experiencing a crisis. While the presentation is geared towards Veterans, these skills and information are universal for everybody and can potentially save a life.
• Using Puppets to Connect with Children’s Imagination
  
  • Presenter(s): Mary Jo Huff
  • Description: PUPPETS NEVER FIGHT, PUPPETS NEVER BITE, PUPPETS ARE ALWAYS POLITE!

    Find your special way of introducing puppets into your work with young children, library programs, or family events. Many puppets can be created for specific stories or to add fun during transitions. Librarians need to know how to adapt stories for younger children. Using the ideas presented will offer many opportunities for engaging children in easy-to-tell stories through puppet play. Learn to be comfortable with a puppet and add to your collection as the days, months, and years go by. Become attached, intrigued, and excited about your new partner. Create a storage system that suits your needs. Discover how to find the perfect puppet to bring to life your favorite stories, songs, and rhymes. Create puppets that showcase your creative side, and continually examine each one to determine if it can be adapted into a child-size puppet that children can take home. Enjoy the excitement of connecting with children in a new and passionate way.

11:50 am - 12:50 pm
Lunch

12:50 pm - 1:00 pm
Group Photo

1:00 pm - 1:50 pm
Breakout Block 2

• Get Involved with Indiana FREADOM to Read
• Presenter(s): Kyle Hickman, Vanessa Martin & Ashley Martin
• Description: Are you interested in learning more about Indiana FREADOM to Read and what it seeks to accomplish? Want to learn ways to get more involved? Come be a part of the discussion about how IN FREADOM is transforming book access in the state of Indiana. 
• AI in Libraries: Practical Tools for Smarter Service
  • Presenter(s): Joel Eckert
  • Description: Discover how AI can enhance library services, streamline workflows, and support both librarians and social workers. This session will explore practical AI tools for research, patron assistance, resource management, and community outreach—helping you work smarter, not harder.
• Trauma Informed Communities 
• Presenter(s): Jennifer Bobo
• Description: Participants will gain a foundational understanding of trauma and its potential impact on behavior, communication, and learning. The training will explore how libraries can be safe, welcoming spaces for all, including those who have experienced trauma. Attendees will learn practical strategies to promote empathy, emotional safety, and positive interactions, all while maintaining healthy boundaries and self-care. No prior mental health experience is needed—just a commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive environment for patrons and staff alike.
• Budgeting Tips & Being Strategic with Budgets
• Presenter(s): Jeff Hammond & Maddy Shewey
• Description: Join Baker Tilly for an insightful presentation on effective fiscal management practices tailored for libraries. This session will cover strategies to align your revenue streams with future capital and programming needs, ensuring sustainable growth and development. Additionally, attendees will receive a brief update on recent legislative changes impacting library funding and operations.

2:00 pm - 2:50 pm
Breakout Block 3

• Black Superhero Showcase
• Presenter(s): William Sutton
• Description: Come and experience the Black Superhero Showcase, as William Sutton shares entertaining activities, games, and crafts that spotlight some of the most popular and not-so-popular Black Superheroes of graphic novels, movies, and TV.
• Everyday Advocacy
  
  • Presenter(s): Vanessa Martin & Kyle Hickman
  • Description: Join the Advocacy Committee to discuss the current state of affairs in Indiana re: advocacy efforts and learn how you can get more involved to be an advocate for libraries and the work we do. 
• But We've Always Done it This Way": How to Approach Change, Culture, Trauma, and Buy-In 
  • Presenter(s): Nathan Jochum
  • Description: Change is hard, especially if a library has been doing things one way for a long time and then a whole new Director is hired. "What's he going to do?" "What's going to change?" A lot of times past traumas and culture dictate reaction to such change and communication is key for buy-in. It takes time, but it can be done. This is a story of one such case.
• FSSA Resources: 211 & 988
• Presenter(s): Jill Shamon
• Description: In this session, attendees will be given an overview of Indiana 211, what resources are available in our statewide database and how Indiana 211 can be used to assist people within their communities. We will also share the Community Engagement tools that can benefit them in their work.

• Afternoon Keynote: State of the ILF 
• Presenter(s): Kyle Hickman and Austin Stroud
• Description: ILF Vice President, Austin Stroud, and Executive Director, Kyle Hickman, will be sharing a brief State of the ILF that highlights what's on tap for 2025 and how everyone can get involved with ILF's strategic plans to grow the profession and address some of ILF's biggest challenges.