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 our May 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 ohionet@ohionet.org.
Featured Events:
NEW: It’s the Process, Not the Product: Using AI with High School Students
Webinar on Thursday, May 29, 2025, 4-5 p.m. | $15.00 (Member) / $45.00 (Non-Member)
Join Grace Hammond, Media Center Specialist at Delaware Area Career Center, for a hands-on AI professional development session designed specifically for librarians, where we will explore the transformative potential of AI in high school education, using MagicSchool AI as an example.
Participants will practice prompt engineering and discover various teacher-facing and student-facing tools that enhance learning, along with strategies for leveraging MagicSchool for career and job development. Learn how to utilize this free educational platform as a personal assistant to streamline tasks and support your professional growth in the library setting. We will also explore how to ethically use AI with students, focusing on using AI tools “for the process, not the product.” Learn more and register here.
Last chance to register: Conversations Worth Having (In-Person) returns on May 14!
Workshop on Thursday, May 14, 2025, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. | $200.00 (Member) / $395.00 (Non-Member)
Conversations Worth Having (In-Person) returns on May 14!
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, malaise, and turnover
* 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 outcomes, Conversations Worth Having for Library Employees will give you the skills and tools to turn them around. This in-person workshop is grounded in Appreciative Inquiry, a widely used positive change approach.
View details, register for this workshop, and take the short pre-course questionnaire here.
Additional Upcoming Events:
A Deep Dive into World Politics Review, an EBSCO Database
Product Demo on May 13, 2025, 3-4 p.m. | Free!
OhioNet is excited to offer World Politics Review through our partnership with EBSCO. World Politics Review offers expert analysis of International Affairs by providing global coverage of issues from every region. The analysis is current, published daily and is non-partisan and non-biased.
World Politics Review includes multiple areas of study, with thousands of articles in its archives and more than 50,000 words of original content produced each month. This robust and authoritative database covers topics of key relevance to foreign policy, international politics and foreign affairs. Learn more and register here.
Conversations Worth Having for Library Employees (at any level)
In-Person Workshop on Thursday, May 14, 2025, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. | $200.00 (Member) / $395.00 (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.
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 level to make a difference. Learn more and register for this experiential workshop (in-person at OhioNet) here.
Member Networking Event on May 28, 2025, 10-11 a.m. | Free!
Bring your favorite morning beverage and drop in for virtual conversation and connection with OhioNet’s Executive Director & CEO, Katy Mathuews, and fellow OhioNet members. May’s discussion topic will focus on how libraries are adapting to legislative and fiscal change. Bring your questions and examples to share! Learn more and register here.
It’s the Process, Not the Product: Using AI with High School Students
Webinar on May 29, 2025, 4-5 p.m. | $15.00 (Member) / $45.00 (Non-Member)
Join us for a hands-on AI professional development session designed specifically for librarians, where we will explore the transformative potential of AI in high school education, using MagicSchool AI as an example.
Participants will practice prompt engineering and discover various teacher-facing and student-facing tools that enhance learning, along with strategies for leveraging MagicSchool for career and job development. Learn how to utilize this free educational platform as a personal assistant to streamline tasks and support your professional growth in the library setting. We will also explore how to ethically use AI with students, focusing on using AI tools “for the process, not the product.” Learn more and register here.
Webinar on June 12, 2025, 2-3:30 p.m. | $15.00 (Member) / $45.00 (Non-Member)
MARC (Machine-Readable Cataloging) is the language most libraries use to encode the records for their collections. Building on the basic overview of MARC provided in our introductory webinar series, this session dives into the details of each of the major tag groups and highlights areas of importance for different material types. Learn more and register here.
OhioNet MakerFest: A Summit for Library Makers & Makerspaces
In-Person Workshop on June 18, 2025, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. | $125.00 (Member) / $200.00 (Non-Member)
OhioNet MakerFest: A Summit for Library Makers and Makerspaces takes place on June 18, 2025, at the State Library of Ohio. This in-person event will explore how organizations can establish, maintain, and enhance making programs or makerspaces across library types.
Attendees will hear from keynote speaker Sarah Nagle, Creation and Innovative Services Librarian at Miami University, as she presents “Envisioning the Future of Equity and Belonging in Library Makerspaces.” OhioNet MakerFest will feature a day of sessions including our keynote speaker, a practitioner panel, and hands-on activities. Learn more and register here.
