2025 New York Library Association Conference
Saratoga Springs, NY
Thanks to the generosity of a Central New York Library Resources Council Professional Development Grant, I was able to attend the New York Library Association’s Actionable Advocacy Conference in Saratoga Springs on November 6 and 7, 2025.
Over the past nine years, my duties at the Kirkland Town Library have included a bit of everything from payroll to programming, so the NYLA conference was an ideal opportunity to learn about many different topics. Most of the sessions I attended this year focused on my current responsibilities as our adult services librarian, along with my desire to take on a leadership position someday. Learning from fellow librarians who generously share their time and expertise is invaluable, and I went home feeling energized and excited to bring new ideas back to the Kirkland Town Library.
In addition to the formal sessions, I had fun and interesting conversations with other librarians from the Mid York Library System and beyond. At dinner on Thursday night, I enjoyed time with colleagues from Cazenovia, who shared some relatable stories about patrons and gave me some good ideas for programming. While I’d met the crew from Cazenovia before, having a chance to sit with them for a few hours in an informal setting made us into real friends. I have already floated the idea of calling on them for support and ideas someday, and they were very excited to help.
More than anything else, I came home from the conference with confidence and excitement about taking on a library leadership position. In more than one session, a new library director shared an idea, and I was reassured that I had already had the same idea! Other directors recounted having to become the new boss of their colleagues, and I was comforted knowing that if they could manage this difficult relationship, I could too. At Ryan Hawk’s talk on “The Pursuit of Excellence,” he challenged the audience not to rely on doing things the usual way. Although that seems scary and tiring, I can see that only through taking chances and trying new things can I (and the library) succeed.
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity!
Laura Stoll, Assistant to the Director
Kirkland Town Library
Are you interested in being our next Professional Development Award recipient? Check out the award page for the rules & requirements!
