Director’s Desk: July 2026

As our public library colleagues can attest, summer is the busy season for events and activities! I’m also gearing up for several great events as we move through summer. This month I’ll be spending time with the Library Leadership Ohio 2026 Cohort in the beautiful Hocking Hills. We’re also getting started on fall event planning. As the dog days of summer settle in, I’d recommend submitting a proposal for the Human Resources Summit which will take place on September 30 at the OhioNet Town Hall in Westerville. It will be a wonderful opportunity to pick up some tips for one of those topics they don’t teach you in library school!

I’ve also been working with a wonderful group of library staff to plan for the Ohio Library Employees Institute (OLEI). As we carry on the tradition of holding space for library employees to learn and network, it’s been wonderful to create a practical and fun professional development opportunity with the steering committee.

Each member of the steering committee offers a unique perspective that has contributed to an event that will have something for everyone. This year’s steering committee includes Jennifer Hicks (Miami University Middletown), Josh Justice (State Library of Ohio), Tasha Bryant-Willis (OhioLINK), Elisha Whitenack (Toledo-Lucas County Public Library), and Margaret Breidenbaugh (Cincinnati State Technical and Community College).

I hope you will consider joining us at OLEI and encourage your staff colleagues to attend. This year’s event features topics like navigating difficult conversations, customer service skills, library programming ideas, and approaches for documentation and training. There will also be opportunities to engage with several Ohio library organizations including OhioNet, INFOhio, OPLIN, and OhioLINK. Attendees will even have the opportunity to tour the Westerville Public Library and the Courtright Library at Otterbein University. You won’t want to miss this wonderful event!

– Katy B. Mathuews, Executive Director & CEO