May Member Spotlight: OhioNet Library Communications and Outreach Summit

On April 22, 2026, library professionals from across the state gathered at OhioNet for our sold-out Library Communications and Outreach Summit. Part of our in-person Summit Series, this event brought together over 40 attendees from a range of roles and institutions to explore how libraries can communicate their value, engage patrons, and build meaningful community connections. 

It was inspiring to see a room full of library staff focused on strengthening communication and outreach efforts. Through a full day of member-led sessions, attendees shared practical strategies, real-world examples, and lessons learned — creating space for both skill-building and connection with peers facing similar challenges. 

The day opened with featured speaker, Grayson Kelly, Digital Storytelling Specialist at Columbus Metropolitan Library. His presentation, “Unhinged Library Content: Creating Effective Social Media in 2026,” explored the evolving social media landscape and encouraged attendees to prioritize authenticity and value. Kelly emphasized focusing on quality over quantity, hooking audiences quickly in short-form videos, and using real, relatable content like candid photos over highly polished graphics. He also encouraged library leaders to empower staff managing social media to take thoughtful risks and trust their instincts when navigating trends. 

Favean Keflom and Ria Vimal of Worthington Libraries shared “From Visit to Belonging: Inreach to Multilingual Seniors Through Creative Engagement and Access.” Their session highlighted a successful program designed to connect multilingual seniors with library services in ways that reflected their lived experiences. They shared a clear, replicable guide with the framework used for planning “inreach” visits that move participants from initial awareness to active participation, ultimately improving access and fostering a sense of belonging.

In “Removing the Margins: Library Service to Underserved Patrons,” Melody Yoder of Lima Public Library encouraged attendees to start with their “why.” Drawing on personal experience, she shared how partnerships helped reach patrons who are often overlooked. Her outreach efforts began by partnering with Capabilities, through the Allen County Board of Developmental Disabilities, and expanded into other areas of the community like the municipal court. Her session was a reminder of how much thoughtful outreach can grow from strong local collaborations. 

Janell Verdream from Kenyon College, presented “You Can’t Engage Alone: Relationship-Building as Program Promotions.” She shared how building the right partnerships can completely change the outcome of a program. Using the example of a campus game night, Verdream walked through the shift from a low-attendance event to a lively, well-attended one. By collaborating with a trusted faculty member on campus, setting clear expectations, and using engaging, approachable promotion, the library created an event that resonated with students and built momentum for future programming.  

Allysa Darden and Samantha Kapp of Franklin University presented “Centralizing and Streamlining Learning Commons Communications,” addressing the challenge of managing fragmented communication channels across a large institution. They shared a step-by-step approach to building a comprehensive communications plan, starting with identifying pain points and auditing existing efforts. Their solution: a centralized, year-long planning spreadsheet that helped coordinate messaging, define audiences, establish timelines, and measure success. This shift from reactive communications to intentional planning has already improved outcomes for key initiatives, including increased participation in the university’s Distinguished Student Scholarship Collection. 

After lunch, Nicole Fowles and Bryan Howard of Delaware County District Library shared, “If You Don’t Tell Your Story, Someone Else Will.” Their presentation examined the current funding landscape for Ohio’s public libraries and emphasized the importance of proactive storytelling. Drawing from their experience with a recent levy campaign, they highlighted how creating accessible, transparent resources helped explain library funding, rally support, and communicate impact to their community in a meaningful way. 

In the afternoon, speakers shared a series of lightning round presentations that offered quick insights and innovative ideas for library communications and outreach, including: 

• “Overdue Conversations” presented by Loni Smith, Williams County Library
• “From the Ground Up: Building a Pro-Library Community from Scratch” presented by Annie Zwisler, Portage County District Library
• “Activating Sound Collections Through a Collaborative Radio Program” presented by Valerie Lines and Peter Lusch, Bowling Green State University
• “Special Libraries: How Law Libraries Foster Outreach, Instruction and Research to Demonstrate Value” presented by Adrian Tinsley, Supreme Court of Ohio Law Library
• “We Can’t Go to Everything: A Data-Driven Approach to Community Events” presented by Courtney Lewis and Ruby Smart, Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library
• “Trending: Knowing Which Social Media Trends to Cash In On As An Academic Library” presented by Carly Fledderjohann, University of Cincinnati

The summit concluded with a shared sense of renewed energy; attendees left with actionable ideas, new connections, and practical takeaways to strengthen communication and outreach efforts at their own libraries. 

Thank you to all who presented, participated, and supported this event! View additional photos from the day here. Special thanks to WhoFi for sponsoring this event — OhioNet members receive a 10% discount on WhoFi products, including Community Calendar, Question Sets, and Spaces. For more information, contact us at [email protected]. 

PS: We invite you to join us for our upcoming Student Success Summit on June 9. This in-person event will explore how libraries can support students at every stage, strengthen information literacy, and expand access to affordable resources.