Scholarship Recipients Reflect on the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services Conference

Posted by E. Bailey Sterling on February 1st, 2021

The following guest blog post is provided by NNLM All of Us Community Engagement Network in collaboration with Sarah Lucero. We always love to share what libraries around our region are up to! Read below to learn about ABOS and Sarah’s experience at this year’s virtual conference.

In October 2020, NNLM financially supported 20 library staff across the country to attend the 15th annual Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services (ABOS) conference. Originally slated for Dallas, TX, the conference was retooled as a virtual event due to Covid-19. Most attendees agreed that there were actually benefits to the online format. NNLM All of Us presented at the conference and continues to work with ABOS on health outreach initiatives. Here, one South Central Region scholarship recipient outlines her favorite moments, and what she took away from the ABOS conference.

Sarah Lucero, Programming and Outreach, Nicholas P. Sims Library (TX)

This was my first year to attend the ABOS conference. I learned about ABOS in early spring of 2020 and when I saw that a conference would be held in Dallas I immediately applied for the Carol Hole Award. I was delighted to find an organization that focuses on outreach!

ABOS did not disappoint! I chose to attend multiple sessions that concentrated on children and senior citizens outreach; which is the primary focus of my position and my community programming.

I particularly enjoyed seeing how other Outreach Services were revamping and modifying how to do outreach in a new way; and discussing with fellow attendees what has and has not worked for us.

Overall, I learned there is a huge community of like-minded people who are just as passionate about serving our local communities as I am. I eagerly await next year’s conference.

Thank you to Sarah for the work she is doing and for contributing to this blog post.

To learn more about ABOS, please click here.

To learn more about The Carol Combs Hole Conference Attendance Award, click here.

Check out the Nicholas P. Sims Library in Waxahachie, TX here.

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ABOUT E. Bailey Sterling
E. Bailey Sterling is a Digital Communications Specialist with the NNLM SCR and presently a graduate student pursuing an MS in Information Science specializing in Health Informatics from the University of North Texas (GMG!). She's also a Graduate Student Council Senator, Teaching Assistant, analog gamer, writer, and lifelong learner living in DFW. If you have anything you'd like to see featured on the NNLM SCR blog or social channels, please email Bailey.Sterling@unthsc.edu. We would love to hear more about what's happening at your library!

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