Meetings are a weekly – sometimes daily – ritual for many library administrators and staff. Learning to lead and participate effectively in meetings results in better preparation to get the most out of your time. How to plan and facilitate an effective meeting and employ strategies to combat common meeting problems are covered.

Learn some of the best time management principles to increase productivity and assess the value of tasks. Discover the benefits of creating goals and how productivity is tied to the ability to assess time and establish priorities.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is estimated to affect 1 in 44 children in the U.S. and to be present across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. Librarians will benefit from learning about modifications that can enhance the library experience for individuals on the autism spectrum. This workshop will provide librarians across settings with a greater understanding of ASD as well as strategies for communicating more effectively with such patrons.

The National Alliance of Mental Illness estimates that one in five children, teens, and adults suffer from a mental illness. With libraries functioning as a hub of the communities they support, library professionals must be prepared to serve patrons struggling with mental health needs.

In an era of rapid technological advancements and evolving user expectations, libraries face the ongoing challenge of staying relevant and engaged with their communities. Design thinking, a human-centered approach to problem-solving, offers a powerful framework for librarians and staff to foster innovation and create exceptional user experiences. After reviewing the concept and theory behind design thinking, take a deep dive into each step of the process through discussions and exercises.

Effective communication is often what sets great leaders apart. Through listening, questioning, and refining, managers can assertively provide direction and effective feedback to staff. Learn about the importance of non-verbal communication, active listening techniques, how to influence others, and having difficult conversations with your staff.

Weeding the library’s collection is a vital piece of collection development because it provides a more accessible and attractive collection to patrons. Gain techniques for collection assessment, evaluation criteria, weeding policies, and best practices for weeding the collection. Provide effective communication about the process to staff and patrons.

Effective communications are vital for the success of libraries. Since most libraries have limited staff and financial capacity for communications efforts, it is critical to deploy these resources as strategically as possible. The concepts and skills covered in this course will help libraries approach communications in a way that builds commitment to their organization’s mission, strategic initiatives and outreach activities.

Many times, a project fails due to a lack of organization, communication, and planning. Instead of hiring a certified project manager, discover tools and apps designed to keep a project on track. Learn several free(ish) project management tools that can help a team successfully complete the project.