The Massachusetts Library System is pleased to announce that we have contracted with PCI Webinars to provide our members with access to their live webinars.  These webinars are free to MLS members who register through our calendar.  Because we are working with an outside vendor, it is important that you cancel your registration in the event that you are unable to attend the live webinar.  A recording of the webinar will be available on the PCI Webinars Niche Academy website about a week after the live webinar.  If you have any issues registering or signing into the PCI Webinars Niche Academy website, please let us know.  Please do not contact PCI Webinars or Niche Academy directly about their live webinars or webinar recordings.

Join Dr. Heitner to learn how to help parents and caregivers who are dealing with more issues related to kids' public sharing, privacy and reputation. What does it mean to be "famous" these days? How can we prepare all young people for the realities of having a searchable digital reputation? What can we do when explicit or hateful images and videos circulate in our communities on social media?

This program will help libraries support patrons to mentor young people via character-based conversations and to be proactive rather than reactive.

As a result of this program, attendees will learn how to:

• Understand what digital milestones kids and families are facing
• Become familiar with resources that can inform them about specific apps
• Consider specific titles (both YA books for conversation starters and parenting books
• Plan a program or book group around parenting in the digital age parenting in their library

Biography ~ Devorah Heitner, Ph.D.,

Devorah Heitner is the authority educators and parents turn to for empowering advice on mentoring resilient and kind kids in our always-connected world. is the author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World. Her newest book, Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World will be out with Penguin Random House in September, 2023.  Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN Opinion, and Fast Company, among others. Dr. Heitner earned a Ph.D. in media/technology and society from Northwestern University and has taught at DePaul University, Lake Forest College, and Northwestern.

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