Hopkinton Public Library unites community in library planning
At Hopkinton Public Library in Iowa, community engagement is thriving. And the secret to this success is including community members in in the planning, from beginning to end. From an annual haunted house to community bake-offs, the library incorporates locals for ideation and program planning, so they feel invested and want to participate.
Full-time Library Director Kim Albright and her part-time Assistant Director, Michelle Bovee, run the entire show, so this kind of engagement is vital. They plan and implement all programs, handle day-to-day activities of running the library, manage social media, and oversee other communications. (I’m tired just thinking... Read more
Free March webinars for library staff
What's at the top of your learning list? We encourage you to focus an hour or two during the month of March on your learning need. Tackling those skills or knowledge gaps with one of these free webinars is a great way to make learning a priority. These training opportunities were compiled and shared by the Maine State Library. This month's list includes two online conferences and nearly 60 different webinars on 21 different topic areas.
View and subscribe to the Maine State Library Continuing Education (CE) Calendar at: https://maine-msl.libguides.com/CECAL
Do you have a free program that you... Read more
Align library services with community aspirations
The most successful library services are often those that help the community meet its aspirations while also honoring the unique purpose of the library. But balancing the community’s goals and the library’s scope is not always an easy task.
When I teach library workers how to co-create services with their communities, these are the questions I hear most often. What if the community’s goals are much different than what we traditionally think of as a library issue? (And of course, they often are.) What if they have nothing to do with books, reading, or even education? How do we support... Read more
Together we heal
Like many small-town libraries, Jarrell Community Library is an important place for connection. And through a recent Libraries for Heath grant, the library is offering new kinds of connections—to peer mental health specialists and an array of resources to help reimagine mental health and wellness in their community.
We spoke with library director Susan Gregurek and mental health peer support specialist Mary Johnson to learn how Jarrell Community Library is reimagining health and wellness in their community with the support of the Libraries for Health initiative.
Webinar series: 12 months to better library data
The Research Institute for Public Libraries (RIPL) is a national initiative to provide training about data and evaluation to public library workers. While RIPL typically provides in-person trainings, this March it will launch a free, monthly, yearlong webinar series, 12 Months to Better Library Data. This series is intended for public library workers interested in gaining knowledge and skills for data-informed decision-making, program improvement, planning, and advocacy; as well as in learning how to use data to serve their community even better tomorrow than they are today. Anyone else interested in public library data and evaluation is also welcome to... Read more
WebJunction highlights
Transforming School Library Practice
Navigating Civil Legal Issues of Natural Disasters (course series)
Researching low morale in libraries
Public Health Crisis Management Playbook
Digital Collections Stewardship (course series)
Weed 'em and reap: Getting your collection from awful to awesome (webinar)
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Upcoming webinars
16 April 2024
Navigating the library director hiring process: A guide for trustees and boards
This presentation offers crucial steps for hiring a library director, empowering your board to secure visionary leadership and avoid pitfalls.
30 April 2024
Leadership strategies for building connection and diffusing difficult situations
This webinar introduces skills and practical strategies for developing empathetic, curiosity-led leadership, to help improve communication, connection and cooperation at your library.