Good day! This year's lineup of programming for the Maine Library Association Fall Conference is excellent. I want to call extra attention to one I am pleased to be involved with as it addresses the role libraries play in growing, attracting, and retaining a strong workforce in Maine through MaineSpark. Our major presenter for this session will be Ed Cervone from Educate Maine. Ed is a very dynamic and engaging speaker, and the MaineSpark initiative is one that touches every community in Maine. School and public librarians - and especially in rural areas - eagerly invited to attend:

"Workforce Development in Libraries Tuesday 3:30 PM - 4:20 PM -- River Room Lisa Shaw, Maine State Library Rural & Small Library Specialist ; Ed Cervone, Educate Maine Executive Director This program will focus on how libraries in Maine can work with MaineSpark and the state workforce development board to strengthen Maine communities through its workforce. Co-presented with Ed Cervone, Executive Director of Educate Maine, we will look at Maine's school, academic, and public libraries' roles in a statewide initiative with Maine's education, business, and foundation leaders to help 60% of Maine's workforce hold education and/or workforce credentials by 2025. There will also be updates on a gig economy project in library partnership with Maine's Department of Labor."

The full schedule of the MLA conference is available here: https://mainelibraries.org/AnnualConference2018 The presentations guide will let you know which sessions are happening when, for planning purposes.

If you would like to know more about MaineSpark in general, check it out here: http://mainespark.me/  Ed is very interested to hear from you during this session - what are you already doing toward this goal that you want everyone to know about, and what areas do you need a boost in?

There will also be a session led by Lee Koenigs of Libby Memorial Library of special interest to rural and small libraries around the state. Please also keep in mind that the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) will be holding its 2019 conference in Burlington, VT. The Maine Public Library Tax Checkoff Fund will be an excellent opportunity to apply for funding help to attend that conference. Watch the listservs for updates on the Tax Checkoff Fund application period.

https://arsl.info/annual-conference/

Respectfully,
Lisa

Lisa M. Shaw
Rural & Small Library Specialist
Maine State Library
145 Harlow Street
Bangor ME 04401
(207) 947-8336 Xt. 114
800-427-8336 Xt. 114
Fax: (207) 945-6694
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www.maine.gov/msl/<http://www.maine.gov/msl/>