****** Public libraries that serve small and/or rural communities are invited to apply for a travel stipend to attend a one-day dialogue and deliberation pre-conference workshop at the 2018 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in New Orleans. “Libraries Transforming Communities: Conversation Café Workshop for Public Libraries Serving Small, Mid-Sized and/or Rural Communities” will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, June 22, 2018, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Attending the pre-conference is free, though space will be limited to 50 participants. Twenty-five participants from public libraries serving small and/or rural communities will be selected to receive an $800 stipend to help cover travel costs for one library employee. Those interested in applying for a travel stipend should read the project guidelines<https://apply.ala.org/LTC2018/guidelines> and submit an online application<https://apply.ala.org/LTC2018/> by March 9, 2018. Applicants need not be ALA members. This workshop is offered as part of Libraries Transforming Communities: Models for Change<http://www.ala.org/tools/librariestransform/libraries-transforming-communities>, an initiative of ALA and the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD). The initiative seeks to introduce libraries to various dialogue and deliberation approaches, enabling libraries to foster conversation and lead change in their communities. Libraries Transforming Communities: Models for Change Series 3<http://www.ala.org/tools/librariestransform/libraries-transforming-communities/small-mid-rural-public> highlights dialogue and deliberation models most useful for public libraries serving small, mid-sized and/or rural communities. (Learn more about our earlier offerings, Series 1 for public libraries serving large and/or urban communities<http://www.ala.org/tools/librariestransform/libraries-transforming-communities/large-urban-public> or Series 2 for academic libraries<http://www.ala.org/tools/librariestransform/libraries-transforming-communities/academic>.) Before attending the in-person workshop in New Orleans, Series 3 participants must view three 90-minute online learning sessions in winter/spring 2018. The three free webinars, respectively, will offer an introduction to dialogue and deliberation; an overview of the Future Search<http://www.futuresearch.net/method/whatis/> approach; and an overview of the Conversation Café<http://www.conversationcafe.org/> approach. Register for the three Series 3 webinars.<http://www.ala.org/tools/librariestransform/libraries-transforming-communities/small-mid-rural-public> The in-person workshop will provide a deeper exploration of Conversation Café, allowing attendees to participate in a Café and discuss applications, opportunities and challenges of the approach. Libraries Transforming Communities: Models for Change is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services grant RE-40-16-0137-16. _______________ Sarah Ostman Communications Manager Public Programs Office American Library Association 312-280-5061 For an online, shareable version of this announcement, please visit: http://www.programminglibrarian.org/articles/dialogue-deliberation-workshop-...