Libraries of all sizes must be prepared to deliver services that reflect the changing needs of communities. They maintain critical relevancy by conducting regular and effective community needs assessments. Review examples of frameworks and tools needed to begin a new community needs assessment. Form an actionable plan to align with the library’s mission and vision and secure the library’s role as a vital organization in the community.

While rarely part of education and training, library staff are often tasked with assisting or leading fundraising for library projects or programs. Grants, donations, gifts, and fundraising events all play into this informative session that will get anyone started on the path to supporting your library.

The older adult population is a diverse and fast-growing population in the United States, with a range of interests and levels of engagement. Older adults are often a driving force behind support and participation with the public library and library staff can design programs and services with older adults in mind. Discover what older adults want from their local library. Explore programs and resources for older adults. And consider the possible challenges inherent in serving older adults.

Gain an overview of archival practice by learning how to work with collections, describe and organize archival materials, and create a basic finding aid. Understand how to assist patrons with archival requests. Implement basic workflows, processes, and procedures to make collection maintenance and archival work easier.

This course is an introduction to preserving library collections. It will cover the difference between preservation and conservation and will focus on budget friendly actions that can extend the life of your library collections. Basic collection housekeeping, risk management, appropriate storage and environment, as well as an introduction to emergency preparedness will be covered.

Interested in Genealogy? Do you know where to start? Which resources to use? How to keep track of it all? This course will demonstrate a step-by-step beginning research strategy by tracking down a specific ancestor and gathering their information and leads to other relatives. Learn to use a research journal, ancestor information sheets, and decipher database results. We'll use Ancestry Library Edition and Family Search to build our ancestor from scratch.

Library users want to feel loved. The best kind of PDA in a library is patron driven acquisition. We will look at the current role of this PDA in our library collections. This session will offer ways to celebrate and support patron requests.

As libraries are moving services online, there is a renewed emphasis on chat and online reference services. How is chat reference different from traditional in-person reference? This course will provide techniques and best practices to provide effective chat reference services. We will learn how to conduct a thorough online reference interview and explore tools and apps for the virtual reference desk.

Designed for those new to cataloging, this overview of the basics highlights the essential tools and techniques, including descriptive cataloging, subject cataloging, and Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC). With clear instruction and an overview of available resources to consult, become empowered to catalog library materials and contribute to their discoverability.

Soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills, play a critical role in virtual and in-person library services. Explore new ways to support staff’s development in these areas by understanding soft skills, developing personal improvement goals and implementing training plans.