ULA Annual Conference 2025

Intellectual property (IP) underscores every aspect of our lives. In today's global economy, understanding IP is crucial for knowledge workers and IP-intensive industries employees. IP-intensive industries are vital to our economy with those workers having higher lifetime earnings and more social mobility. With the recent changes in both accessing and searching patents and trademarks in the United States, it is crucial that librarians and library users increase their IP knowledge. This "train the trainer" workshop will include hands-on activities and discussions on the significance and types of IP, searching for trademark and patents, and providing equity-focused resources and opportunities.

A how-to session for ULA Annual Conference attendees. Learn to navigate the exhibits, decipher the conference program, how ULA really works, and ways to get involved. Ask questions and hear from active ULA members about staying connected and engaged in the ULA organization and how to make the most of your professional development.

Learn how to create escape rooms for all ages on a small budget. We will talk about picking a theme, figuring out what supplies you will need, creating puzzles, and mapping out the path that participants will take to solve the room. We will also discuss how to determine the appropriate difficulty and length of puzzles for your chosen age group. We will go over some of the pros and cons of requiring registration and the challenges of not requiring registration.

Transform your library's Staff Development Day from a routine training into a meaningful celebration of growth and community through strategic planning and cohesive branding. Learn how to create an engaging, inclusive full-day experience that energizes staff while delivering valuable professional development. This session will cover the essential elements of a successful staff development day, from strategic planning timelines to creative themes that unite your programming initiatives. Discover strategies for balancing structured learning, including coordinating multiple learning tracks and creating memorable moments through carefully chosen speakers, activities, and recognition ceremonies. We'll explore practical aspects like catering management, branded swag selection, and accommodation planning, alongside the more nuanced elements of fostering staff engagement and building institutional culture. Discover how to weave consistent visual branding throughout your event ecosystem, from digital platforms to on-site navigation and every touchpoint in between. Whether you're reimagining an existing staff development day or planning your first one, you'll leave with a comprehensive planning framework and creative ideas for making your next Staff Development Day both meaningful and memorable.

Library workers in the United States face a complex array of challenges in their professional environments. Recent findings from a groundbreaking survey published in College & Research Libraries reveal that harassment and abusive behaviors are alarmingly prevalent in libraries, significantly more than previously thought. The survey indicated that 78% of librarians in academic settings have encountered gender harassment, while 64% reported experiencing seductive behavior from patrons, and 35% have faced sexual assault. Additionally, the 2022 Urban Libraries Unite Trauma Study, which gathered responses from over 435 urban library workers, paints a vivid picture of the difficult working conditions many face. This survey not only highlights these challenges but also provides a promising framework for addressing the needs of the library community. The emotional labor involved in library work is substantial, particularly as workers frequently interact with patrons who are distressed or frustrated. Library staff often act as frontline responders, necessitating a high level of empathy and professionalism in their interactions. Recognizing that staff are an organization’s most valuable resource, it is crucial to protect them. In this session, we will discuss the urgent need for evidence-based, trauma-informed programs focusing on human safety, de-escalation techniques, leadership development, and crisis management.

Since the arrival of the railroad in 1869, Ogden has been a place of diversity with people from different ethnicity, race, and religion coming to work and live within the city. For too long, the history of the area has neglected to acknowledge the impact of the various cultures and communities. The goal of “Ogden at its Core” was to change this scenario. This project began working with members of the various communities to gather, document, and preserve the history of the communities. We did not try to control or manage the narratives but provided them with avenues to preserve and share their histories.

A few years ago Salt Lake County looked at what we were doing to help grow our employees for future leadership roles and recognized a need for a more formal program. A leadership development program was created, of which mentoring was a key part. Over the past three years we've seen what a critical part mentoring plays in helping employees grow and develop new skills, especially in a leadership development program. We'll be covering the benefits of mentoring for staff, good guidelines for mentoring interactions (formal and informal), and offering a look at how we structured mentoring within the framework of our own leadership development program.

We've all had that experience after a program of feeling that something went wrong. But are these failures? Let's talk about what can we learn from missteps and how can we be kinder to ourselves.

Reference librarians get asked all kinds of questions. Do you know where to direct patrons when they ask how to learn more about their family history? Learn how to find the answers in this class!

In 2024, The Salt Lake County Library installed free period product machines in County Library restrooms. This presentation will share how the process evolved for the County Library and what financial, building-related, and public health considerations came up throughout the process. We will also discuss: why should libraries care about what patrons are needing from our restroom spaces? How can something as simple as providing free period supplies in our restrooms convey care to our patrons? How can public libraries reframe the "normative restroom experience" and develop creative ways to meet patron needs in a place we all eventually visit - the restroom? Come explore and go with the flow!