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Library employees from across the state are invited to join us for two days of learning, networking, and inspiration at the Ohio Library Employees Institute (OLEI) conference on August 11-12! Visit the "Read More" link to view event details and register. Read More
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July 2026 Newsletter

Director’s Desk —

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. Read more about OLEI in the full Director’s Desk article here.

– Katy B. Mathuews, Executive Director & CEO 

July Member Spotlight: Ohio Private Academic Libraries (OPAL)

The OPAL Directors’ Council gathered outside the OhioNet office after a recent meeting in June.

For nearly three decades, the Ohio Private Academic Libraries (OPAL) consortium has demonstrated the power of collaboration among independent academic libraries. Founded in 1998 with OhioNet, OPAL was created by a group of private college and university libraries seeking a way to share resources, reduce costs, and gain access to new technologies and services. What began as an innovative idea has grown into a vibrant community of libraries working together to serve students, faculty, and staff across Ohio.

Read more about OPAL and its longstanding partnership with OhioNet in our July Member Spotlight.

Featured Event: Ohio Library Employees Institute (OLEI)

We’re less than a month away from the Ohio Library Employees Institute (OLEI)! Join library support staff from across Ohio on August 11-12 to connect with colleagues, gain practical skills, and head back to your library with new ideas and inspiration.

OLEI sessions will cover a variety of practical topics, including:

  • Navigating difficult conversations
  • Library programming
  • Library documentation and training
  • Customer service
  • Overview of Ohio library organizations

View additional details about the OLEI conference and register to attend here. 

Featured News: Call for Proposals – OhioNet HR Summit

OhioNet invites proposals to present at our upcoming Human Resources Summit. This in-person event, hosted at OhioNet on September 30, 2026, will explore the opportunities and challenges of supporting a strong library workforce.

We are looking for presentations that highlight the following, or similar, topics:

  • Recruitment and retention strategies
  • Employee wellbeing and workplace culture
  • Performance management and employee development/training
  • Onboarding and offboarding approaches
  • Succession planning and leadership development
  • Compensation, benefits, and workforce trends
  • Navigating employment law and HR compliance
  • Navigating hybrid or flexible work environments

We welcome a variety of presentation styles, including standalone presentations, lightning round presentations, and panelists or roundtable discussion participants/facilitator(s).

The deadline for proposals is July 31, 2026. Learn more and submit your ideas here. 

OhioNet Student Success Summit in Review

Featured speaker Matthew Mays, Digital Innovation Consultant for SPARCC and the Stark County ESC, presents at OhioNet’s Student Success Summit.

On June 9, 2026, library professionals from across the state gathered at OhioNet for our Student Success Summit. This event brought together over 30 attendees to explore how libraries can support student success at all ages. Member-led sessions focused on a variety of topics, including literacy strategies, media literacy, learning environments, supporting student transitions, and curricular and co-curricular strategies.

It was exciting to see attendees from a range of roles and institutions explore new ideas, make meaningful connections, and exchange resources to support student success in their own libraries. Thank you to everyone who presented, participated, and supported this event! Read the full event recap article and view photos from the day here.

Featured Benefit: Reconnect with OhioNet Email Updates

Looking for an easy way to keep up with OhioNet news, events, and member opportunities? Signing up for our email updates is the easiest way to stay informed.

Email subscribers receive two regular emails each month: our monthly newsletter, featuring member news, resources, and updates from OhioNet; and our monthly events digest, a roundup of upcoming webinars, workshops, and other learning opportunities. Occasionally, we may also send a standalone email when there’s important news to share or a timely update members won’t want to miss.

Our team has recently made improvements behind the scenes to our email system. To help ensure you continue receiving OhioNet emails, we encourage everyone — even current subscribers — to sign up again.

Signing up only takes a minute and helps make sure you don’t miss future newsletters, event updates, or other OhioNet member communications. Take a moment to join (or rejoin) our email list here, and stay connected with us!

Featured Resource: Visual & Performing Arts Resources from Bloomsbury

Bloomsbury is currently offering an additional discount on new subscriptions and new one-time purchases of its visual and performing arts resources through August 31.

This limited-time promotion is a great opportunity for OhioNet member libraries interested in expanding their visual and performing arts collections. Whether you’re supporting programs in art, design, fashion, music, film, or media studies, this offer is worth exploring.

Eligible resources include:

You can also learn more about an upcoming webinar that Bloomsbury is hosting about their Screen Studies platform. Learn more about the resources eligible for discount and Screen Studies here. 

To determine pricing for your library or request a free 30-day trial, please email [email protected].

Announcements & Other News

Member & Partner News

  • The Ohio Health Sciences Library Association (OHSLA) invites you to apply for the Bette Sydelko Scholarship. The scholarship may be applied to early career professional development/research projects, conference/workshop attendance, or college expenses to include tuition and books but must be used for the purposes of health sciences librarianship. Membership in OHSLA is required for grant eligibility. Not a current member? You can still apply and then join OHSLA before being awarded the grant. For questions, contact Judy Griggs, Chair OHSLA Scholarship Committee at [email protected].

Have news to share with the OhioNet community? Email [email protected] to submit your newsworthy notes (maximum 100 words)!

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