The Oklahoma Library Association (OLA) hosted its 115th Annual Conference from March 9 to 11, 2022, at the Hyatt Regency Tulsa Downtown in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This event brought together library professionals from across the state to engage in professional development, networking, and discussions on the evolving landscape of library services.
The conference featured a diverse array of sessions and workshops addressing key topics such as creating inclusive library environments, fostering partnerships between public and school libraries, and enhancing leadership skills. Notable programs included "Beyond the Binary: Best Practices for Creating a Queer-Friendly Library," which provided strategies for making libraries welcoming to all individuals regardless of gender identity, and "Student Access: A Partnership Opportunity for Public and School Libraries," focusing on collaborative efforts to improve student access to library resources.
Attendees had the opportunity to participate in a pre-conference session titled "Dare to Lead: The Courageous Leadership Adventure," based on Brené Brown's intensive program. This workshop covered the four skillsets of courage: rumbling with vulnerability, living into our values, braving trust, and learning to rise. Additionally, the conference offered various networking events, an expo hall showcasing the latest library technologies and services, and presentations by notable speakers in the field.
The OLA Annual Conference is designed for library professionals, including public librarians, school librarians, academic librarians, and library support staff. It provides a platform for attendees to gain new insights, share best practices, and collaborate on initiatives that enhance library services across Oklahoma.
Categories
Speakers(19)
Adam Brennan
Reference and Instruction Librarian at Tulsa Community College
Adam Brennan is a Tulsa Community College reference and instruction librarian and a TCC and University of Oklahoma graduate. He has been a peer reviewer for the Journal of Academic Librarianship, presented at national conferences over using library resources to create free textbooks, and has been published nationally for his contributions to assessment in research instruction. He loves research and the research process, board games, table-top RPGs, and helping students discover the library.
Calantha Tillotson
Assistant Professor and Social Sciences Librarian at University of Tennessee Knoxville
Formerly the Instructional Services Librarian at East Central University, Calantha Tillotson is now an Assistant Professor and Social Sciences Librarian at The University of Tennessee Knoxville. In this capacity, she is the liaison to the College of Communication & Information, which includes the Schools of Advertising & Public Relations, Communication Studies, Information Sciences, and Journalism & Electronic Media. She received her BA in English Literature from Friends University and her MLIS from the University of Oklahoma. Calantha is the Professional Materials column editor for Reference & User Services Quarterly. She has presented at various state, regional, and national conferences, as well as co-authoring a chapter in ACRL's Critical Thinking about Sources Cookbook, a column in the Journal of New Librarianship, and an upcoming column in New Social Worker. In her spare time, she writes and performs original poetry, reads huge piles of fantasy novels, drinks gallons of delicious green tea, and cuddles with her wonderfully spastic dog Talia Turquoise.
Casey Lowry
Digital Services Librarian at East Central University
Casey Lowry is the Digital Services Librarian at East Central University. They received their MLIS from the University of Oklahoma and have a BA in Film Studies from The University of Tulsa. Casey worked at the Edmond Public Library for five years before moving to Ada in 2016 to work at ECU as the Collection Services Librarian, overseeing periodicals, electronic resources, and ILL. As the new Digital Services Librarian, their areas of responsibility now include emerging technology, digitization projects, specialty printing services, reference, and information literacy instruction. Casey served as the OLA Marketing & Communications Committee Chair from 2018-2021 and continues to serve OLA as a member of various committees and roundtables. In their spare time, Casey enjoys playing tabletop and video games, binge-watching television shows, playing in a local band, and having trivia zoom parties with friends.
Chuck Hoskin Jr.
Principal Chief at Cherokee Nation
Chuck Hoskin Jr. was elected to serve as the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, the country's largest tribal government with more than 380,000 tribal citizens, in 2019. Prior to being elected Principal Chief, he served as the Cherokee Nation Secretary of State. As Principal Chief, he has increased minimum wage at Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Nation Businesses and secured the largest language investment in the tribe's history to expand Cherokee language education and preservation. Chief Hoskin also appointed the tribe's first delegate to the U.S. Congress, doubled Cherokee Nation's funding for career tech education, and established the Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act to repair hundreds of homes for Cherokees elders as well as public community buildings across the tribe's reservation. Additionally, as Secretary of State, Hoskin worked to secure funding from the federal government to fund a billion-dollar joint venture investment in better health care for all Cherokees. He has also served as Cherokee Nation's strongest advocate on sovereignty protection. He formerly served as a member of the Council of the Cherokee Nation, representing District 11 for six years, and served his final two years as Deputy Speaker. On the council, he worked with his fellow council members to start building homes for Cherokees again, increased education funding, and sponsored legislation to expand health care service through casino dollars. Chief Hoskin has testified at the United Nations on behalf of the Cherokee Nation and serves on multiple boards and commissions, including the United States Health and Human Services Secretary's Tribal Advisory Committee. Chief Hoskin is from the Vinita community. He and the First Lady, January, are parents to two children, Triston and Jasmine. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma and the University of Oklahoma College of Law and is a member of the Cherokee Nation and Oklahoma Bar Associations.
Emily Williams
Teen Services Manager at Metropolitan Library System
Emily Williams is the Teen Services Manager for the Metropolitan Library System in Oklahoma County. She has worked in libraries for almost 25 years and has served on multiple national book award committees and selection lists, including the Printz Award. Emily is the current Library Educator/Consultant for the High School Sequoyah Book Award reading team.
Hailey Carrell
Library Associate at Moore Public Library, Pioneer Library System
Hailey Carrell (she/they) is a Library Associate in the Information Services Department at the Moore Public Library, part of the Pioneer Library System. She is currently a member of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Intellectual Freedom Roundtable, the Children and Teen Services Roundtable, and the High School Sequoyah Reading Committee. In their free time, you can find them listening to kpop or reading with their dog.
Heather Thompson
Business Outreach Specialist at Pioneer Library System
Heather M. Thompson has served her community for eleven years as a Business Outreach Specialist with the Pioneer Library System. She and her team, along with community partners, support financial literacy, small business, and workforce development. Her free time includes reading Kindle Paperwhite books, cooking, and spending time with her two-legged daughter, Mackenzie, and four-legged daughter, Annie.
Jamie Holmes
Reference and Instruction Librarian at Tulsa Community College
Jamie Holmes is a Reference and Instruction Librarian at Tulsa Community College. Her primary areas of professional interest are information literacy instruction and the Open Education movement. As an active member of the TCC Library's OER team and Oklahoma's Council of Online Learning Excellence, she provides support to faculty in adapting open textbooks and other OERs and has coordinated teams both within the institution and throughout the state. In addition to adapting open textbooks, she has also co-authored a chapter on using peer observation to assess and improve teaching practice, which has been accepted for publication in a forthcoming book on assessment in community college libraries. She has been active in the Oklahoma chapter of ACRL for many years and has held various leadership positions within, including serving as 2022 OK-ACRL President.
Kaden Kirtley
Business Outreach Specialist at Pioneer Library System
Kaden Kirtley is a Business Outreach Specialist for the Pioneer Library System and an MLIS Graduate of the University of Oklahoma. He is a certified Re-Entry Employment Specialist and the Program Manager for Pioneer Library System's Justice-Involved Outreach.
Kellie Delaney
Digital Services and Strategy Manager at Metropolitan Library System
Kellie is the Digital Services and Strategy Manager for the Metropolitan Library System in Oklahoma County. She began her career in libraries at the age of 19 processing books and providing customer service in a small rural library. Since that time, she received her Masters in Knowledge Management from the University of Oklahoma and has dedicated her career to providing online experiences to customers through web design, social media and digital communications. She lives in Oklahoma City with her husband, Matt and their twin Westpoohuahuas Olive and Moses.
Leah Weyand
Teen Services Coordinator at Tulsa City-County Library
Leah Weyand coordinates Teen Services across 24 locations for Tulsa City-County Library. A longtime YALSA and OLA member, Leah is a passionate advocate for teens in libraries and for library workers in teen services. Outside of libraries, her interests include sewing and rewriting her friends' cover letters.
Leslie Durham
Librarian at Elgin Community Library
Leslie Durham has always loved reading and libraries. Advocating for small and rural libraries is her passion. She has served on the Elgin Community Library Board, was appointed to the Public Library Academy Board, attended OLA Leadership Gold, and was elected SOLR chair. On a more personal note, she's been married for 41 years and was adopted by two 3-legged cats.
Leslie Langley
Northern Regional Supervisor and Patrick Lynch Public Library Manager at Southeast Oklahoma Library System
Leslie Langley is the Southeast Oklahoma Library System's Northern Regional Supervisor and Patrick Lynch Public Library manager. She is an OLA Past President and a Past President of the Mountain Plains Library Association and has conducted more than her fair share of meetings.
Linda Clark
Performance Strategist
Linda Clark is a performance strategist with a finger on the pulse of the challenging conversations teams and individuals face around the language of leadership. She focuses on purpose and values-driven performance and outcomes. In demand as a speaker, facilitator, and coach, her humorous storytelling encourages participation and inclusivity in audiences ranging from undergraduates to C-Suite executives and Boards. She combines deep experience in human resources with a passionate approach to service to deliver thoughtful programs that center adventure, vibrancy, exploration, and challenge as a path to success. She's an adjunct leadership professor at the University of Central Oklahoma and a recognized HR industry leader holding positions on the OKHR State Council and Oklahoma Metro Employers' Council. Her certifications include SPHR, SHRM-SCP, and Certified Dare to Lead Facilitator.
Michael Hull
Executive Director at Southeast Oklahoma Library System
Michael Hull is the Executive Director of Southeast Oklahoma Library System, a seven-county system headquartered in McAlester, OK. After earning BAs in English and History at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, he attended the University of Oklahoma where he earned his Masters of Library and Information Studies. Michael began his library career at Western Plains Library System in Clinton, OK, where he worked for ten years as Public Services Coordinator. In 2015, Michael moved to McAlester to accept his current position.
Sadie Bruce
Consultant at Oklahoma Department of Libraries
Sadie Bruce is a Colorado transplant who loves Oklahoma. She's been in libraries for over 20 years and currently works as a Consultant at ODL. Her reading habits include lunching while reading and grabbing as many psychological thrillers as possible.
Sarah Burkhead Whittle
Librarian for the College of Education at Northeastern State University
Sarah serves as the Librarian for the College of Education at Northeastern State University on the Tahlequah campus. She enjoys the opportunity to actively engage with students by teaching undergraduate courses like University Strategies and Introduction to Online Research. She has served as OK-ACRL Secretary (2020-2021) and COIL Chair (2016) and graduated with her Master of Arts in Information Science and Learning Technologies from the University of Missouri-Columbia. In her free time, she is an avid reader, knitter, and pianist, and enjoys spending time with her husband and giant orange rescue kitty George (as in Weasley).
Syd Stephenson
Librarian at Oklahoma Transportation Library
Syd Stephenson is an MLIS student at the University of Oklahoma and librarian at the Oklahoma Transportation Library. Their research interests include gender, sexuality, information barriers, and open access. Previously, Syd has worked with Teen Vogue and GLAAD to bring awareness to issues facing transgender and queer youth.
Tim Miller
Director at Western Plains Library System
Tim Miller assumed the position of Director at Western Plains Library System in 2013. Miller joined the Western Plains staff in 2004 as Acquisitions Coordinator and was promoted to Assistant Director in 2008. Prior to his arrival at Western Plains, Miller worked for three years as a graduate assistant in the Fine Arts & Architecture Branch Libraries at the University of Oklahoma. Miller graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma State University with a degree in history and received his master's degree in library and information studies from the University of Oklahoma. He is a long-time member of the Oklahoma Library Association and has served in various leadership roles.
Event Details
- Date
- March 9-11, 2022
- 3 days
- Location
- 🇺🇸 Norman, United States
- Hyatt Regency Tulsa Downtown
- Audience
- Library professionals, including public librarians, school librarians, academic librarians, and library support staff.