May Events Digest
Whether you’re looking to sharpen your skills, explore fresh ideas, or connect with colleagues across Ohio’s library community, OhioNet has something for you! Browse this month’s round-up of upcoming webinars, in-person workshops, and vendor demos designed to boost your skills and help you connect with fellow OhioNet members.
Have questions about an event or need assistance with registration? We’re happy to help! Email our team at [email protected].
Featured Events:
Last Chance to Register for “Conversations Worth Having for Library Employees” In-Person on May 13
In-Person Workshop on May 13, 2026 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. | $150.00 (Member) / $200.00 (Non-Member)
Conversations shape our libraries, teams, and communities and influence our well-being, relationships, and future possibilities. Yet communication remains one of the top challenges for organizations, teams and relationships — especially when frustration or conflict arises.
This can show up in libraries as:
- Employee disengagement
- Dysfunctional teams, boards or committees
- Inability to give and receive feedback
- Negative attitudes, cliques, and gossip; a culture of “me”
If you’re dealing with any of these, Conversations Worth Having for Library Employees will give you the skills and tools to turn them around. You will learn and practice how to spark meaningful connections, ignite creativity, and empower library employees at all levels to make a difference.
Full Agenda Now Available for the “OhioNet Student Success Summit” on June 9!
In-Person Summit on June 9, 2026 from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. | $150.00 (Member) / $200.00 (Non-Member)
We invite you to join us for our upcoming Student Success Summit on June 9, 2026 at the OhioNet Town Hall meeting space. This in-person event will explore the ways libraries can support students at various stages, encourage information literacy, utilize affordable resources, and more.
Attendees will hear from featured speaker Matthew Mays, Digital Innovation Consultant for SPARCC and the Stark County Educational Service Center. Matthew will discuss debriefing strategies, and how to translate lessons learned into student success.
Additional Upcoming Events:
NewsBank Updates: Platform Features and New Collections
Vendor Demo on May 7, 2026 from 3-4 p.m. | Free!
Please join us for an update from NewsBank on their platform and collections. New features and content include:
- A new translation tool supporting over 30 languages in Access World News
- An additional decade of coverage (2000–2010), extending the timeline in America’s Historical Newspapers from 1690 to 2010
- New capsule collections in the Life in America Collection
- An overview of ResearchRocket, designed for digital learning in the K-8 space
Learn more and register here.
Cataloging Webinar on May 14, 2026 from 2:30-4 p.m. | $15.00 (Member) / $45.00 (Non-member)
For over 120 years, Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) have been used by libraries of all types across the country to organize their collections and help their communities find what they need.
However, LCSH can be complex to use and difficult to understand, with its subdivisions and pattern headings. And, LCSH has been notoriously slow to update language, even as terms become outdated and come to hold new meanings.
If you manage the collection records for your institution, consider joining us for this introductory webinar on inclusive cataloging practices.
Learn more and register here.
Copyright Webinar on May 19, 2026 from 3-4 p.m. | Free! (Member) / $45.00 (Non-Member)
We’re hearing about open access resources more frequently, but what are they exactly? In this webinar we’ll discuss the copyright status of open access works, how to interpret the Creative Commons licenses we often see associated with them, how to find open access works, and how to advise library patrons on using or even creating them.
Learn more and register here.
The National Maker Collective Conference 2026 (Supported by OhioNet)
In-Person Conference on July 25, 2026 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | $50.00
The National Maker Collective is thrilled to invite you to our very first in-person conference, The National Maker Collective Conference 2026. 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 – you belong here. This conference is built by makerspace people, for makerspace people. All backgrounds, all experience levels, all welcome.
Learn more about this conference and register here.
Looking for more? View a full listing of upcoming events and professional development opportunities on our Training page.
