PinCon Sessions - Pinnacle Library Cooperative

Working with the public is a daily exercise in improv! From storytime mishaps to patron complaints, Yes& can provide tools that help empower frontline staff to give their best customer service!

Introducing Vega Discover

Presenter: Matt Hammermeister, Pinnacle Library Cooperative

Room: Room A

Take a peek at Vega Discover, the next generation catalog coming soon to Pinnacle Libraries! Discover introduces new capabilities that make it easier to find, explore and access library resources. This session will preview some of the platform's most significant features, including format rollups, eContent integration, Staff Assist and more. Whether you're brand new to discover or it's been some time since you last looked at it, this session offers an early look at what's coming next.

The Libby Labryinth

Presenter: Lauren Pierce, Plainfield Area Public Library

Room: Room B

Learn how the PinDigital Committee manages the consortium's Libby collection and the current challenges with eContent collection development

Transitioning to Leap One Step at a Time

Presenter: Rachel Fischer, Cooperative Computer Services

Room: Room C

Over the last several years, Innovative has been adding new technical services functions to Leap one piece at a time. However, changing the technical services workflow seems daunting when you are used to the workflow in the Staff Client and some pieces of the workflow are still missing from Leap. This presentation will provide an overview of the current state of technical services functions in Leap and how you can take steps to transition your technical services workflow to Leap one step at a time. Demonstrations will include functionality that technical services staff use for daily tasks, such as using the Find Tool, navigation between records, and the key acquisitions, cataloging, and serials functions that will be the easiest to transition to Leap.

IRIS Statewide Databases: Reliable Information for All of Illinois

Presenter: Suzanna Jones, Illinois State Library

Room: Room D

Explore the databases available for the entire state of Illinois through IRIS (Illinois Reliable Information Sources). Look at what kind of information is available, tips and tricks of how to navigate around these databases, and how you can use these to help your patrons.

The Art of Self-Care

Presenter: Cindy Danzell, plus co-workers from Joliet Junior College

Room: Joliet Ottawa St - 2nd Floor

Self-care is a powerful tool for managing stress and building resilience. In this interactive presentation, participants will explore how stress affects our daily "battery life" and discover practical ways to recharge and protect their well-being. In this interactive presentation, participants will explore how stress affects their daily "battery life" and learn to build resilience across the eight dimensions of wellness. Through engaging activities, you will create a personalized self-care toolkit and leave with one actionable goal to recharge and protect your overall well-being.

11:30 AM - 12:15 PM | Breakout Session 2

Your glass is half full: Understanding your IMRF Benefits

Presenter:Morgan Johnhson, IMRF

Room: Main Room

An IMRF representative will explain how your pension is funded, your benefits as an IMRF member, and the importance of having more than one savings vehicle as you prepare for your eventual retirement.

Weeding Popular Materials Collections

Presenter: Karen Toonen, Naperville Public Library

Room: Room A

When it comes to books, we all like to buy! However, selecting materials is only half of the collection development process. Weeding must receive equal and continuous attention as selection to have a truly patron driven collection. Practical advice for weeing popular materials collections for youth or adults across formats will be discussed. Along the way, popular weeding excuses will be debunked.

SourceBook Book Buzz

Presenter:Emily Luedloff, SourceBooks

Room: Room B

SourceBook Staff will do a presentation of upcoming book releases.

RAILS Resources & Upcoming Events

Presenter: Jessica Silva & Kortni Springer, RAILS

Room: Room C

Join us to learn about RAILS resources, upcoming events, and using RAILS Academy and L2. You'll learn about how to engage with the library system, about all the exciting initiatives and resources RAILS can offer, and more about networking groups, listservs, and continuing education.

Teen Programming Roundtable

Presenter: Jessi Wakefield & Brandon Swarthout, White Oak Library District

Room: Room D

The Art of Self-Care

Presenter: Cindy Danzell, plus co-workers from Joliet Junior College

Room: Joliet Ottawa St - 2nd Floor

Self-care is a powerful tool for managing stress and building resilience. In this interactive presentation, participants will explore how stress affects our daily "battery life" and discover practical ways to recharge and protect their well-being. In this interactive presentation, participants will explore how stress affects their daily "battery life" and learn to build resilience across the eight dimensions of wellness. Through engaging activities, you will create a personalized self-care toolkit and leave with one actionable goal to recharge and protect your overall well-being.

1:30 PM - 2:15 PM | Breakout Session 3

Muppet Mayhem

Presenter: Rosie Camargo; Regina Townsend, South Holland Public Library;

Room: Main Room

Let's Get This Started!: Libraries thrive when the people inside them feel seen, valued, and empowered to be themselves. Using lessons from our beloved puppets, we explore how valuing uniqueness helps library staff build more welcoming, creative, and supportive spaces.

RAILS Resources & Upcoming Events

Presenter: Jessica Silva & Kortni Springer, RAILS

Room: Room A

Join us to learn about RAILS resources, upcoming events, and using RAILS Academy and L2. You'll learn about how to engage with the library system, about all the exciting initiatives and resources RAILS can offer, and more about networking groups, listservs, and continuing education.

Using the Catalog for All Ages Reader’s Advisory

Presenter: Laura Yanchick, Joliet Public Library

Room: Room B

From the front desk to the reference desk, we often need to find books for patrons outside our area of specialty. Find out how to use our catalog to recommend the best titles for patrons. This workshop will cover filtering results, understanding reading levels in juvenile materials, and finding series and readalikes, along with other tips and tricks.

Storytime Success: Planning, Preparing, and Performing

Presenter: Lori Freeman, Mallory Laiter, Sarah Haish and Rachel Engelhardt, Shorewood-Troy Public Library

Room: Room C

What makes a storytime unforgettable? Join us for an energetic, hands-on session that takes you behind the scenes of creating engaging library storytimes from start to finish. We’ll explore how to choose books, build themes, incorporate songs, movement, and interactive elements, and develop a presentation style that keeps children and caregivers actively involved.

Genealogy as a Library Service

Presenter: Debra Dudek, Fountaindale Public Library; Tina Beaird, Plainfield Area Public Library

Room: Room D

This session will break down resources by library, provide an overview of Ancestry Library Edition, FamilySearch, Internet Archive, and IRAD. There will be a handout of records and resources, most of which are free to use.

Adult Programming Roundtable

Presenter: Jessi Wakefield & Brandon Swarthout, White Oak Library District

Room: Joliet Ottawa St - 2nd Floor

2:30 PM - 3:15 PM | Breakout Session 4

Get to know your colleagues: talk tables

Presenter: Individual talk tables

Room: Main Room

Individual talk tables on specialized topics including: Acquisitions, Business Administration, Book Clubs, Community Outreach, Delivery/Outreach, Human Resources, Interlibrary Loan, Makerspaces/Studio, & Marketing.

The First Amendment in Libraries

Presenter: Erin Monforti, Ancel Glink

Room: Room A

This session offers a practical primer on the First Amendment for library professionals, with a focus on the legal principles most relevant to day-to-day issues and operational needs. Participants will gain a clearer understanding of free speech and the limits of library authority, while exploring how these issues surface in policies, programming, internet regulation, and public controversy.

Create and Collaborate with Canva

Presenter: Melissa Bradley, Fountaindale Public Library; Erin Richmond, Lemont Public Library; Casey Babcock, White Oak Library District; Max Hewlett, White Oak Library District

Room: Room B

Everyone is talking about Canva these days, but is it the right fit for your library? Our panel of Canva power users will teach you the tips and tricks to get the most out of this impressive graphic design platform through sharing their experiences with workflows, collaboration, branding, accessibility and more. Be sure to bring your questions for the Q&A portion!

Beyond Booklists: Reimagining Readers Advisory

Presenter: Maria Fonseca-Gonzalez

Room: Room C

This session explores practical readers’ advisory strategies for both new and experienced library staff. Participants will learn how to identify reader interests, make confident recommendations across genres and formats, and engage in inclusive conversations that help patrons discover their next favorite read. Easy tips and tricks will be showcased that staff at any service point can use with ease.

Narcan Training

Presenter: Courtney Garfield, Will County Sheriff's Office

Room: Room D

This session is presented by the Will County Sheriff's office and goes over how to safely administer Narcan in an emergency situation.

Youth Programming Roundtable

Presenter: Jessi Wakefield & Brandon Swarthout, White Oak Library District

Room: Joliet Ottawa St - 2nd Floor