Taking place on Tuesday 4 June at 11:35 and repeated at 15:15.

Library Advocacy: Raising the Profile and Priority of Your Library Service - Led by James Gray, Marketing & Advocacy Manager at Libraries Connected and Peter Gaw, Libraries Connected Trustee and Chief Executive of Inspire

This practical workshop will explore the fundamentals of library advocacy, giving participants the chance to share experience, expertise and best practice in influencing councillors, commissioners and other key decision-makers.

The Power of Data and Partnerships: A Call to Action – Led by Luke Burton & Sophie Lancaster, Arts Council England, Tiina Hill, British Library, with input from Iain Moore, Libraries Connected.

Ironically, as an information and knowledge-based profession, we currently have a poor handle on our data at a local, regional and national level. There is great work being done on an individual basis but how can/should library services, sector support organisations and government work together to build a platform, advocate for the sharing of data and improve how we use that data to deliver the best services possible in and for communities. Join Arts Council England, Libraries Connected and The British Library for an update on work so far, a call to action on the value and need for better data and, most importantly, a chance to ask questions and hear your thoughts.

Library Services Working with Volunteers to Support Communities and Build Social Capital - Led by Tess Blades, Project Manager & Sarah Mears, Programme Manager at Libraries Connected

Learn more about the Know Your Neighbourhood project which aims to widen participation in volunteering and tackle chronic loneliness.  This session will include:

• case studies from Know Your Neighbourhood library services in the target areas and their experience of working with volunteers
• a summary from a literature review on the reasons why people volunteer
• the opportunity to discuss ideas around recruiting and working with volunteers to add value and capacity in a way that enriches communities, and also emphasizes the importance of the existing workforce.

Tackling Health Inequalities: A New Reading Well Community Champions Model - Led by Gemma Jolly, Head of Health & Wellbeing at The Reading Agency, Debbie Hicks MBE, Creative Director at The Reading Agency & Krystal Vittles, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Suffolk Libraries

People at risk of health inequalities are at greater risk of poorer health outcomes. Public libraries have an important role to play in supporting people to better understand and manage their health and wellbeing.

This session will provide an overview of the Arts Council England funded Reading Well activation programme, which aims to develop the strategic impact of the Public Library Universal Health and Wellbeing Offer. It will showcase how 10 years of Reading Well development is influencing new library activity for communities experiencing health inequalities. It will detail how the programme aims to deliver authentic content, extend reach and widen engagement with a focus on the four community champions pilots underway across England, as well as wider activity with publishers and the health sector.

The session will include a pilot case study from Suffolk Libraries highlighting    the work they are doing and what they hope to achieve. The discussion will focus on sharing learning, identifying opportunities linked to community health      and wellbeing and identifying further opportunities to activate the health and wellbeing role of libraries.

Co-location: creating harmonious shared spaces - Led by Isobel Hunter, CEO Libraries Connected and Ed Jewell,

In this workshop you will hear from library services who are co-locating other services and their tips for success.

You will have the opportunity to explore the potential challenges of sharing spaces with other services and discuss the pros and cons of co-location. You will also consider what questions to ask during the planning stages, and what you might include in a co-location agreement.

Responding and Mitigating Impact of Disruptive Behaviour in Libraries – Led by Sheila Bennett, Head of Libraries Strategy and Delivery at DCMS & James Pearson, Head of Libraries, Registration & Archives, Kent County Council

All of us know the difficult impact disruptive behaviour can have on our staff and fellow customers. At this workshop we will explore the revised model library bye-laws and how they can be used as part of our library toolbox to mitigate and manage disruption in libraries. We will also explore and share experiences of other ways to reduce frequency and impact of disruptive behaviour and maintain the library as a welcoming, vibrant community space for staff and customers. This will also include ideas explored in our Creating Safer Libraries Guidance.