Know & Go

Whether you are working with colleagues, engaging community partners, or getting active in professional organizations – meetings are a fact of life for library staff. Save valuable time and motivate others by learning the most efficient ways of preparing for and running everyday meetings. With practical guidance and proven tools, learn how to the make the most effective use of conveners’ and participants’ time while avoiding common pitfalls. Leave with practical tips to plan, facilitate, and follow-up after different types of meetings.

There are times when we seek board or committee service and then there are times when we are called to board or committee service. Discover the first steps in becoming a great board or committee member. Become versed in board and committee best practices.

Bedbugs remain a constant concern for libraries and other public spaces – and more and more it seems like a question of when, not if. Learn how bedbugs affect library facilities and collections today. Equip library staff and facilities managers with the training and strategies necessary to protect their library collections, patrons, and staff from the disruptions posed by bedbug infestations.

Gifts and donations to libraries require careful development and consideration. And the terms for acceptance, retention, and use of gifts and donations should be well-documented and communicated. Explore best practices in gift and donation policies for libraries and discover new ways to make the best case for effective donation- and gift-making to your library.

Climate change is one of the most critical issues of our time. Every library can play a role in communicating accurate information and inspiring action. Enhance climate literacy and climate change awareness of library staff. Empower staff contributions to climate change awareness and education within their communities.

ChatGPT and other generative AI tools have the potential to disrupt many librarians’ approaches to library instruction. Join library leaders from the University of the Incarnate Word (Texas) to hear how they are developing co-curricular learning outcomes for generative AI and information literacy applications.

Many libraries wade into trend scanning occasionally – for strategic planning or to help inform a new program, service, or target audience. But a regular program of trend scanning can prove a manageable and beneficial practice across the organization. Borrowing from futures and foresight practices, library staff can adapt a "scan, clip, and review" process to identify new pieces of information. With simple set-up strategies and a clear sense of what to look for, scanning provides a quick path to analyze and socialize new ideas and anticipate changes in our communities.

Thinking about the future is not about prediction. It is about seeing the changes and trends in our world – across society, technology, education, economics, politics, and the environment – and finding opportunities for learning and actions that can help us move forward. This overview will share a bit about future thinking before diving into some recent (and continuing) trends and their possible implications for libraries.

Plain language must be organized, clear, and concise for all audiences. Libraries can implement plain language to ensure communications are understood the first time the message is seen or heard. Investigate the guidelines for using plain language in library communications and initiate strategies to improve existing language in library documents.