December 2025 Newsletter

December brings a chance to pause, take stock of the season’s pace, and prepare for the opportunities the new year will bring. In this newsletter, we reflect on the 2025 conference season and highlight some OhioNet resources that will be helpful to you in the new year. We appreciate your continued support and wish you all the best in 2026!

Director’s Desk: Reflecting on the 2025 Ohio Library Conference Season

This year the Ohio library community had an action-packed conference season! During a three-week run in November, OhioNet staff had the opportunity to connect with over 1,300 members of the Ohio library community across three organizations’ annual conferences…and our executive director got a big surprise! Read the full recap here.

Member Highlight: Library Facilities Summit in Review

On October 28, 2025, more than 40 library professionals gathered at OhioNet for our Library Facilities Summit. Participants from libraries of all types and sizes came together for this single-day summit focused on how libraries can fix, maintain, and design facilities to best serve their patrons and staff.  

It was inspiring to see such a large group of librarians and library staff dedicated specifically to understanding the challenges and opportunities inherent in managing library facilities. “Facilities don’t often get highlighted with their own programming,” said Hannah Rosen, Director of Strategic Purchasing and Professional Development at OhioNet. “It was very impactful to see people from all kinds of facilities share solutions and inspiration with each other.” The summit agenda was jam packed with presentations to spark ideas and encourage the exchange of practical insight.

Read the full December Member Highlights feature here.

Featured Event

Inspired by conversations with OhioNet members about the economic challenges their libraries and communities are facing, OhioNet and the Chillicothe & Ross County Public Library (CRCPL) are excited to co-host Boom and Bust: Libraries Navigating Economic Change in Their Communities.

This free, in-person event welcomes colleagues from all library types. Boom and Bust will be held at the Chillicothe & Ross County Public Library Annex, located at 140 S. Paint St., Chillicothe, Ohio on March 4, 2026. 

We hope you’ll join us as we discuss ways libraries don’t just survive — but thrive — while navigating the highs and lows of economic change in their communities. More information and event registration to be announced in early 2026. 

Did you know? OhioNet members have access to free and discounted professional development!

Browse a full listing of upcoming webinars, workshops, and vendor demos on our Training page. Looking for learning on-demand? Employees of OhioNet member libraries can also access the Training Archive, a repository of past webinar recordings and related resources for learning at your own pace. Log in to your OhioNet user account to access the Training Archive and earn CE credits for completed trainings.

Featured Resource

OhioNet continues to offer physical book discounts with Ingram! We have a portfolio of member discounts with Ingram for all library types (K12, special, academic, and public) for print book purchases that are automatically available for all OhioNet member libraries. While our original deadline for these discounts was September 30, 2025, they were extended through the end of the year and will automatically renew for 2026, so there is no disruption of service.

To view our Ingram rates, please log in to your OhioNet website user account. Once logged in to your member dashboard, you’ll find information about Ingram discounts (one for Public & Academic Libraries and another for K-12 and Specialty Libraries) in the “Access OhioNet Member Discounts” section. Please email Hannah or Lisa at [email protected] for questions about our equipment and supply offers.

Announcements

• Please join us in extending a warm welcome to our newest OhioNet member, East Palestine Memorial Public Library!
• Call for Steering Committee Members: Continuing the Tradition of OLSSI —We are forming a Steering Committee to help shape the next chapter of the Ohio Library Support Staff Institute (OLSSI) and are seeking current or former library support staff who are passionate about building an engaging and inclusive program (read the full Call for Steering Committee Members on our blog). If you are interested in joining the OLSSI Steering Committee, please email Hannah Rosen at [email protected] by December 20.
• We have officially built a group of over 30 library locations for WhoFi’s Wifi Analytics. Even if you did not originally commit to the group, there is still time to maintain your access to Wifi Analytics. Please email Hannah or Lisa at [email protected] to join this purchasing group and receive discounted pricing for 2026.  
• Don’t miss Janway’s end of the year promotion! OhioNet members are automatically eligible for a year-round 10% discount with Janway (along with discounts for many other equipment and supply vendors). On top of this member discount, Janway is offering $50 off of every purchase of $250 or more with the code GIVING50 now through December 31, 2025.
• Applications are now open for the 2026 NOTSL Scholarships, which support professional development and educational activities related to library technical services for Ohio-based library workers and students. Individual awards of up to $1,500 are available; learn more and apply using the online application form. Applications are due by December 31, 2025. Please send questions to Cara Calabrese, Scholarship Committee Chair, at [email protected].
• OhioNet will be closed December 24-25, 2025 and January 1, 2026 for the winter holidays.