[OPLINLIST] NEO-RLS News: Library Joy Shines Bright at the NEO-RLS Open House

Wed Oct 29 13:09:10 EDT 2025

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[November active learning communities]<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=462994705&mm=138100675899>

[https://d15k2d11r6t6rl.cloudfront.net/public/users/Integrators/c2036c03-dbf6-4270-99c5-7afb8a06e2b9/NEOL/Ragan%20Snead.jfif]

A Note from the

Executive Director

After yesterday’s Open House, I’m definitely feeling the library joy!

Spending the morning with our members, hearing from self-proclaimed library’s #1 fan, Mychal Threets, and celebrating the incredible work of our Star Award nominees left me feeling inspired and hopeful. It reminded me of just how meaningful our work is.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the celebration. As I said yesterday, and it’s worth repeating, NEO-RLS couldn’t do what we do without the support of our members.

A special thank you goes to Mandy Knapp, State Librarian of Ohio, for sharing valuable updates from the State Library and providing insight into funding during this uncertain time. And, of course, thank you to Mychal Threets for spreading his message of library joy and for so openly sharing his mental health journey. It brought plenty of laughter (and maybe a few tears!).

Congratulations to all of our Star Award nominees<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=462995927&mm=138100675899>! Please take a moment to reach out and congratulate them for their outstanding work over the past year. And a shout out to our 2025 Star Award winners:

Rising Star: Michaela Meaney, Adult and Teen Services Assistant, Morley Library

Shooting Star: Dana Tirabassi, Head Youth Services Assistant, Hubbard Public Library

Super Star: Charlene “Charlie” Helsel-Kather, Supervisor - Technical Services/Circulation, Hubbard Public Library

Thank you again to everyone who helped make the Open House a success. The NEO-RLS staff is energized and excited for another fantastic year of serving our members!

Ragan

Exciting Events & CE You Can’t Miss!

October

Book Discussion Active Learning Community Meeting<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=462997149&mm=138100675899>

10/29/2025

Thriving at Work: Practical Strategies for Better Days in the Library<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=462998371&mm=138100675899> (F)

10/30/2025

Construction and Facilities Active Learning Community<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=462999593&mm=138100675899>

10/30/2025

November

Time Management: Eliminating Time Wasters and Staying Organized <https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463000815&mm=138100675899> (I)<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463000815&mm=138100675899>

11/4/2025

Adult Services Active Learning Community Meeting<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463002037&mm=138100675899>

11/4/2025

Storytime Beyond the Basics: Virtual Panel Discussion <https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463003259&mm=138100675899> (I)<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463003259&mm=138100675899>

11/6/2025

Supporting Neurodivergent Library Users<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463004481&mm=138100675899> (I)

11/12/2025

Building Strong Volunteer Programs: Library & Friends Group Perspectives <https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463005703&mm=138100675899> (F)<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463005703&mm=138100675899>

11/13/2025

Youth Services (Children & Teen) Active Learning Community Meeting<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463006925&mm=138100675899>

11/13/2025

IT Active Learning Community Meeting<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463008147&mm=138100675899>

11/18/2025

Chair Yoga for Library Workers: Practicing Gratitude <https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463009369&mm=138100675899> (F)<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463009369&mm=138100675899>

11/24/2025

December

Guided Reading Round Table (GRRT): Historical Literary Fiction<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463010591&mm=138100675899>

12/2/2025

You’re Not Alone: The Power of Peer Support in Management <https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463011813&mm=138100675899> (I)<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463011813&mm=138100675899>

12/4/2025

Technical Services and Collection Development Active Learning Community Meeting<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463013035&mm=138100675899>

12/4/2025

Outreach Active Learning Community Meeting<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463014257&mm=138100675899>

12/9/2025

The Power of Storytelling and Empathy-Centered Communication <https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463015479&mm=138100675899> (I)<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463015479&mm=138100675899>

12/10/2025

Special Libraries Active Learning Community Meeting<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463016701&mm=138100675899>

12/10/2025

Life Art: A New Horizon, Library Edition <https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463017923&mm=138100675899> (I)<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463017923&mm=138100675899>

12/11/2025

Excel Drop-in Q & A (Excel Nerds and Novices welcome)<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463019145&mm=138100675899>

12/16/2025

Chair Yoga for Library Workers: Reconnecting<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463020367&mm=138100675899> (F)

12/17/2025

View Full Calendar<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463021589&mm=138100675899>
[Congratulations to Michaela Meaney, winner of the Rising Star Award]<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463022811&mm=138100675899>

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Library Card Thank You for Mychal Threets

At yesterday’s NEO-RLS Open House, we were reminded of the power of library joy thanks to Mychal Threets’ inspiring presentation. One of our members suggested a heartwarming idea that we loved! As a thank you to Mychal, we’re inviting libraries across the region to send us one of your library’s cards. We’ll gather them together and send a collective thank you package to Mychal as a way to showcase the many libraries that bring joy to our communities every day.

Send your library card to:
NEO-RLS
P.O. Box 1021
Twinsburg, OH 44087

Please mail your card by November 14, 2025. Let’s fill Mychal’s mailbox with library love from across Northeast Ohio!

Still Time to Register for these Upcomming Webinars and Meetings!

Today, October 29th at 2:00 pm

Book Discussion Active Learning Community Meeting<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=462997149&mm=138100675899>

Tomorrow, October 30th at 2:00 pm

Construction and Facilities Active Learning Community Meeting<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=462999593&mm=138100675899>

Tuesday, November 4th at 2:00 pm

Adult Services Active Learning Community Meeting<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463002037&mm=138100675899>

Thursday, November 6th at 2:00 pm

Storytime Beyond the Basics: Virtual Panel Discussion<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463003259&mm=138100675899>

Thursday, November 13th at 10:00 am

Building Strong Volunteer Programs: Library & Friends Group Perspectives<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463005703&mm=138100675899>

Thursday, November 13th at 2:00 pm

Youth Services (Children & Teen) Active Learning Community Meeting<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463006925&mm=138100675899>

[Congratulations to Dana Tirabassi, winner of the Shooting Star Award]<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463022811&mm=138100675899>

[https://d15k2d11r6t6rl.cloudfront.net/pub/8ziy/om4q4zpg/w1d/6ti/pek/NewStateLibrary_1.png]<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463024033&mm=138100675899>

Reminder: 2025 Buckeye Children’s and Teen Book Awards voting is open!

Two more weeks to vote! Ohio students in grades K-12 can cast their votes for their favorite Buckeye Children’s and Teen Book Awards nominees! Voting for the 2025 awards is open through November 10 at https://bcbookaward.info/<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463025255&mm=138100675899>

How can you participate?

  *   Collect votes at your library or school. Librarians and teachers may collect student votes and submit them in bulk.
  *   Set up a book display. Showcase current nominees and past winners<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463026477&mm=138100675899> in your spaces.
  *   Promote the Buckeye Book Awards. Post on your social media and share in newsletters and announcements to encourage student votes.

To facilitate voting and to promote the Buckeye Book Awards, bookmark ballots are available for download<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463027699&mm=138100675899>. Distribute and collect the ballots and submit them using the teacher/librarian ballot on the website, or encourage your kids and teens to use the student ballot on the website to vote directly. Lists of the nominated titles in each grade band are on the student and teacher/librarian ballots. All these titles were nominated exclusively by Ohio students.

Nominations are open year-round

Students can nominate books<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463028921&mm=138100675899> for the Buckeye Book Awards at any time. Any 2024 or 2025 published book not part of a previous winning series is eligible for the 2026 awards. Librarians and teachers can collate and submit their students' nominations. The more nominations for a book, the higher its chances to make the ballot for 2026!

[Congratulations to Charlie Helsel-Katrher, winner of the Super Star Award]<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463022811&mm=138100675899>

[ALA Logo]<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463030143&mm=138100675899>

Apply by November 14: Resilient Communities: Advancing Sustainability in and through Libraries

ALA, in collaboration with the Sustainable Libraries Initiative (SLI<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463031365&mm=138100675899>), is launching Resilient Communities: Advancing Sustainability in and through Libraries<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463032587&mm=138100675899>, a new initiative designed to equip public library workers with the knowledge and tools to lead on sustainability.

Through this program, 100 library workers will receive free tuition to complete Sustainable Librarianship: Core Competencies and Practices, a four-part asynchronous e-course, and join a community of practice with peers and advisors. By modeling sustainable practices within their facilities and communities, participating libraries will strengthen their role as leaders in building a more resilient future.

The Sustainable Libraries Initiative empowers library leaders to advance environmentally sound, socially equitable and economically feasible practices to intentionally address climate change and co-create thriving communities.

Applications are now open through November 14, 2025, with accepted participants notified by December 5, 2025.

Questions? Email publicprograms at ala.org.<mailto:mailto:publicprograms at ala.org>

[Library Spotlight]<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463033809&mm=138100675899>

Congratulations to Star Awards Winners and Nominees

This week's library spotlight is for all of the library professionals who were nominated for a 2025 NEO-RLS Star Award. Your dedication to the profession shines bright.

See the full list of winners and nominees here.<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=462995927&mm=138100675899>

Email our Marketing & Engagement Coordinator Jill at jill.grunenwald at neo-rls.org<mailto:jill.grunenwald at neo-rls.org?subject=Library%20Spotlight> if you have a story from your library you want to share.

Did someone forward you this newsletter? Click here <https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463035031&mm=138100675899> to create your own account.

[Reserve our Technology and Wellness Kits]<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=463036253&mm=138100675899>
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