[OPLINLIST] NEO-RLS News: Laughter as a Radical Act at the 2026 NEO-RLS Open House

Wed Oct 7 13:00:40 EDT 2026

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[Here's what happened in September: 14 events provided; 597 registered for live events; 209 registered for the archived webinar]

[Melissa Headshot]

A Note from the

Continuing Education Coordinator

Laughter is the best medicine and I am pleased to announce the 2026 Open House-Laughter as a Radical Act.  This is just what is needed in this time of uncertainty.  Join us on Wednesday, November 18th <https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586305503&mm=168887281983> to hear about NEO-RLS progress, celebrate 2026 Stars, network with your peers and laugh!

Laughter as a Radical Act: A Keynote Held Together with Duct Tape and Hope
Library work has always required resilience, creativity, resourcefulness, and a healthy sense of humor. But laughter may matter most when there are very real reasons not to laugh. With librarians facing burnout, censorship, underfunding, AI, and increasingly complex community needs, humor can be more than comic relief. It can help us connect, cope, resist, and hold on to hope.

In this funny, candid, and hopeful keynote, 2025 School Library Journal School Librarian of the Year Tim Jones draws on his backgrounds in comedy, education, media literacy, and librarianship to explore the difference between genuine hope and toxic positivity. He also considers why a win for one library worker is a win for all of us, and how petty divisions can distract us from much bigger threats to libraries and intellectual freedom.

Registration and More Information<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586305503&mm=168887281983>

See you there!

Melissa

Exciting Events & CE You Can’t Miss!

October

Lights, Camera, Content: Creating Social Media Videos with Ease (F)<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586307947&mm=168887281983>

10/8/2026

Middle Management Active Learning Community<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586309169&mm=168887281983>

10/8/2026

Academic Library Directors Active Learning Community Meeting (In Person)<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586310391&mm=168887281983>

10/9/2026

Construction and Facilities Active Learning Community Meeting<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586311613&mm=168887281983>

10/13/2026

 2026-2027 Leadership Academy (I)<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586312835&mm=168887281983>

10/14/2026

Youth Services (Children & Teen) Active Learning Community Meeting<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586314057&mm=168887281983>

10/15/2026

Why Microlearning Works: Building a Culture of Continuous Learning (F)<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586315279&mm=168887281983>

10/27/2026

Adult Services Active Learning Community Meeting  <https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586316501&mm=168887281983>

10/27/2026

Inclusive Meetings That Work: Online, Hybrid, and Neuro-Inclusive Meeting Practice (I)<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586317723&mm=168887281983>

10/28/2026

November

Outreach Active Learning Community Meeting<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586318945&mm=168887281983>

11/3/2026

Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TTRPG) Are For Libraries<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586320167&mm=168887281983>

11/5/2026

Circulation Active Learning Community Meeting<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586321389&mm=168887281983>

11/10/2026

Technology Conference 2026: Proceed with Caution and Confidence<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586322611&mm=168887281983>

11/12/2026

NEW! NEO-RLS Open House: Laughter as a Radical Act<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586305503&mm=168887281983>

11/18/2026

Storytime Foundations Workshop<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586323833&mm=168887281983>

11/19/2026

December

Guided Reading Roundtable (GRRT): Cozy Healing & Romance<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586325055&mm=168887281983>

12/1/2026

Build Your Network: Adult Literacy At Your Library<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586326277&mm=168887281983>

12/10/2026

View Full Calendar<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586327499&mm=168887281983>

[Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TTRPGs) Are For Libraries. November 6. Online via Zoom]<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586320167&mm=168887281983>
[girls who code logo]<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586328721&mm=168887281983>

Look for Your NEO-RLS 2027-2028 Letter of Intent in October

Fall is here, and that means it’s time to start looking ahead to the next membership year. Directors will receive Letters of Intent for the 2027-2028 fiscal year (July 1, 2027 – June 30, 2028) via email next month. As our budget planning begins in January, we kindly request that you submit your completed Letter of Intent by December 31, 2026.

Your membership is vital—not only to NEO-RLS, but to libraries across our region. It allows us to continue offering a strong schedule of continuing education opportunities and valuable services to support your staff and community. Thank you for your continued commitment and partnership!

[Tech Conference November 12]<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586322611&mm=168887281983>

[https://d15k2d11r6t6rl.cloudfront.net/pub/8ziy/om4q4zpg/w1d/6ti/pek/NewStateLibrary_1.png]

Sign-Ups for 2027 CSLP Committees Are Open Until 10/15

Reminder that sign-ups for 2027 CSLP Committees are open until October 15<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586329943&mm=168887281983>. While the duties vary, committee obligations generally run for one calendar year. However, CSLP is in the process of changing committee timelines. The obligation for this set of volunteers will run from January 2027 - May 2027.

All committee work is done virtually, either through email, or through phone or online meetings. You are welcome to apply for more than one committee if your time allows. Each committee has different size and participation criteria.

To help you decide which committee to volunteer for, visit the Committees page of the CSLP website <https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586331165&mm=168887281983>  to review the responsibilities of each committee before completing the application<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586329943&mm=168887281983>. Most CSLP committees are open to all; however, some have limited seats or require previous CSLP experience.

[Welcome to our Newest Member, the library at Congregation Mishkan Or]<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586332387&mm=168887281983>

[NOTSL Logo]

NOTSL will hold its Virtual Fall Meeting on Friday, Oct 23, 2026

Catalogers, still remembering all the changes that came with the switch from AACR2 to RDA? Still not sure of the why or how to implement Official RDA? No clue what an application profile is or how it fits into all this? Come see the experts give an aerial view of the changes to RDA Toolkit and the role of application profiles, then see some samples of both put into practice.

All are welcome; membership is conferred on all attendees.

Visit NOTSL’s website<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586333609&mm=168887281983> for full program information and to register.

Registration closes 10/22 at 5pm.

[Academic Library Directors In Person Active Learning Community Meeting October 9]<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586334831&mm=168887281983>

[Library Spotlight]<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586336053&mm=168887281983>

2026 Manhattan Short Film Festival Has Stops At NEO-RLS Libraries

The Manhattan Short Film Festival is a global event where for one week, select venues across the world screen ten short films that are viewed and voted on by film fans. NEO-RLS members Cuyahoga Falls Library and Lakewood Public Library were both selected as locations for the 2026 festival which happened last week.

Learn more about the Manhattan Short Film Festival here.<https://mms.neo-rls.org/ct.php?lid=586337275&mm=168887281983>

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'd like to share.

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