Actively Anti-Racist Library Service to Leisure Readers: Foundations

Wednesday, September 8^th from 11:00am-12:00pm

Rank and file workers are the heartbeat of our Public Libraries. They are the ones serving the patrons, processing items, shelving the books, and answering all of the questions, from directional to those that can best be described as “unique.” They hold the day-to-day knowledge of what is actually happening at the library. And yet, they are the staff who are most left out from the decisions making. But how can you, the library worker, be more involved in your Library’s administrative processes without overstepping your organizational boundaries?

Come learn from a 20+ year library worker and Trustee, as we will walk through the basics of how the Board makes decisions and how you, the staff member, can be more active in the process.

As a result of this program, attendees will:

• Learn how you can positively interact with management and trustees to effect organization change
• Come away with an actionable list of how you can advocate for themselves within the larger organization
• Improve communication throughout your organization

Becky Spratford ~ Biography

Becky Spratford [MLIS] is a Readers' Advisor in Illinois specializing in serving patrons ages 13 and up. She trains library staff all over the world on how to match books with readers through the local public library. She runs the critically acclaimed RA training blog RA for All. She is under contract to provide content forEBSCO’s NoveList database and writes reviews for Booklist and a horror review column for Library Journal. Becky is a 20 year locally elected Library Trustee [still serving] and a Board member for the Reaching Across Illinois Library System. Known for her work with horror readers, Becky is the author of The Reader’s Advisory Guide to Horror, Second Edition [ALA Editions, 2012] and is currently hard at work on the 3rd Edition. She is a proud member of the Horror Writers Association and currently serves as the Association’s Secretary and organizer of their annual Librarians’ Day. You can follow Becky on Twitter @RAforAll.