July 31, 2025

A Message from Amigos President & CEO Miguel Figueroa

Summer is the start of a new 2025-26 membership year. And while we are excited to bring new opportunities to members (including expanded benefits of free continuing education and professional development opportunities), we remain vigilant in the current environment.

Our state library partners, who have carefully planned and communicated through some difficult changes, deserve much thanks. We know that member libraries depend on many of the services provided by state libraries - and where there have been changes to those services, Amigos has tried to be ready to respond. At times we've succeeded, and at other times we've encountered limitations. We appreciate the partnership of our state library colleagues and hope that member libraries will continue to share with us any opportunities they see for Amigos to step forward to help with current or future changes.

On more positive notes, we are looking forward to our first online conference of the new membership year, Libraries Cultivating Community (September 10, 2025). We are ready to start welcoming libraries into our new digital repository service, Hyku. And we are so pleased to have the Kansas Library Association join our Association Management Services roster.

As we embark on this new membership year, we appreciate your continued engagement – please reach out to membership@amigos.org or email me directly at figueroa@amigos.org to talk about how Amigos can partner with your library.

Education and Events

September Conference Call for Proposals Due Soon!
Amigos welcomes proposals from staff at member libraries and the wider library community, individual or panel sessions for its September 10th online topical conference, Libraries Cultivating Community. The library occupies a unique role, whether in a city, town, or on an academic campus. Within this third space, library staff have an opportunity to recognize and meet needs in a way that few other organizations can. Whether connecting users to local services, providing space to nurture grassroots initiatives, or encouraging student wellness, libraries position themselves at the center of human connection.  

If you are interested in sharing your knowledge and experiences, submit your proposal by August 6th, 2025.

NISO Roundtable Registration Available for Amigos Members

Amigos members benefit from having a reciprocal membership in the NISO Library Standards Alliance and the opportunity to attend events as members.  The August monthly roundtable webinar series, titled Understanding Research Integrity – Challenges and Frameworks will be offered in two parts.  Integrity is the cornerstone of scholarly research, yet it is increasingly challenged by issues such as errors, misconduct, and retractions.

Part One: Understanding the Landscape
The August 13^th roundtable will examine the principles, pressures, and practices that shape ethical research.

Part Two: Upholding Integrity
On August 20^th, Part Two takes a closer look at the role of retractions—why they happen, what they signal, and how institutions, publishers, and researchers can respond to protect the credibility of the scholarly record.

Designated educational program contacts at NISO member organizations automatically receive sign-on credentials for regularly scheduled webinar events.  If you are unsure who your organization's NISO member contact is, please contact nisohq@niso.org.

Embrace Strategic Foresight 

Strategic foresight is a set of approaches that help explore, imagine, and anticipate the future in an open but structured way. Dr. Larry Nash White, CEO of INAMACS™ and CEO and President of The Corner Storyteller™, will discuss how strategic foresight can help identify and explore challenges and opportunities that emerge from the signals and drivers of change that shape the future in the August 4th Know & Go. 

Website Accessibility for Everyone

Join Amigos Trainer Naomi Gonzales on August 14th for a two-hour session on the fundamentals of web accessibility. Website Accessibility for Everyone is ideal for individuals new to web accessibility or those in need of a refresher.

Bilingual Programming at Your Library

Reaching a new audience in your library doesn’t have to be intimidating! Join Myriam Hernandez, Senior Librarian at the Fort Worth Public Library, for an informative session focused on bilingual programming for adult learners.

Amigos Online Learning - Free for Members

Review the Continuing Education Schedule for the latest additions and updates:

• Know & Go: From Strategic Planning to Strategic Foresight
• Website Accessibility for Everyone
• Know & Go: Welcoming Adult Learners to Your Library with Bilingual Programming
• Introduction to Programming with Python and PyMARC
• Know & Go: Making Meetings More Effective
• The Essentials: Customer Service
• Discover Hyku: Empowering Libraries with Open-Source Repository Solutions
• Know & Go: Tips for Cover Letters, Resumes, and Interviews
• Serving the Neurodiverse Library User
• The Hive: Tips and Tricks for Using Generative AI
• Building a Practice of Plain Language in Your Library
• Know & Go: Identifying When Interactions Cross the Line

From Maps to Meaning with PolicyMap
Libraries are catalysts for community growth and change, and Amigos vendor partner PolicyMap offers a powerful way to support that mission. From identifying areas of need to strengthening funding proposals, the data available through PolicyMap can help patrons turn insights into impact. 

Explore the Global Impact of Social Media
The rise of social media has transformed the way individuals interact with each other and the world around them, and its impacts are felt across every aspect of society. Social Media in Society and Culture Intersection Collection is now available as part of the new Oxford Intersections series.