Fundamentals of Management

Description:

The Fundamentals of Management course is designed for new managers to build the skill set they need to successfully lead their department or organization, as well as support existing managers looking to improve their skills.

This course was developed by Julia Davis, an experienced information science professional with a strong passion for employee-focused leadership practices, accessibility and procedural standardization. Her experience includes time spent in both academic and public libraries, as well as the legal and insurance industries. She currently serves as the Information Systems Manager for Smith, Hulsey, and Busey, a full-service business law firm in Jacksonville FL.

Sessions tend to sell out weeks in advance but are offered several times each year.  You only need to sign up for one session.

2026 Sessions

Click on a date range to register for that session.

• Session 1: March 2 - March 27
• Session 2: April 20 - May 15
• Session 3: July 20 – August 14
• Session 4: September 21 – October 30

Format:

Students receive a registration confirmation after registering. In the registration confirmation students will receive an access code for the course. After using your access code, students will be able to view and start participating in the course.  Students have 24/7 access to the course site for the four-week period, and aside from assignment and quiz deadlines, the course may be completed at their own pace. Instructors provide guidance and feedback as students work their way through the course material. Weekly, instructor-moderated Zoom sessions are the only live course events that students are asked to attend.

Weekly Chat Schedule:

The following times are tentative and may change according to instructor availability. Please refer to the course module for updated chat times.

• Week 1: Tuesday at 2:00 pm CT
• Week 2: Wednesday at 2:00 pm CT
• Week 3: Wednesday at 1:00 pm CT

• Week 4: Thursday at 12:00 noon CT

   

At the end of this course, attendees will be able to:

• Recognize the key differences between management and individual contributor roles
• Define your own leadership style
• Effectively build relationships in the workplace
• Identify strategic practices for managing employees and their work
• Understand HR fundamentals and how to implement them in the workplace

This is a fundamentals course that will appeal to anyone interested in the topic with no previous experience.

• Julia Davis, Librarian, Course Developer
• Susan Mythen, Director of Campus Library Services, Florida State College at Jacksonville
• Shana Higgins, Access Services Librarian, California State University, San Bernardino
• Vic Caputo, CEO, Supernova Consultants
• Jennifer Shimada, Program Director, Library and Instructional Media, Relay Graduate School of Education
• David Schuster, Director of Library Technology Services, Binghampton University.
• Melissa Perez Shadowens, Public Library Manager based out of Lewisville, Texas.
• Tiffany Duck, Consultant, LitDext LLC.
• Susan Mythen, Dean of Library and Tutoring Services

Cost

• $148.85 Core members
• $206.10 ALA members
• $114.50 Student members
• $229 Non-members

Registration fees are in U.S. dollars

Register by Mail

Register by mail using the print registration form. Tip: If you’re unable to open this “register by mail” link, right-click the link and save the form to your computer. 

Questions?

For registration questions, call 1-800-545-2433 to speak to our customer service representatives.

Registration Deadline

Registration for each course is limited to 25 people. For courses that are not sold out, online and fax registration ends at 12 noon CDT on the Monday before the course begins. Mailed registration forms must be postmarked by two Mondays prior to the course start date.

Core Code of Conduct

Please review our Statement of Conduct before registering.

Tech Requirements

A Moodle-developed site is composed of self-paced modules with facilitated interaction led by the instructors. There are predetermined start and end dates and a suggested pace which include interaction with the instructors and your classmates. Students regularly use the forum and chat room functions to facilitate their class participation. Section quizzes are offered and feedback given, however, there is no final class grade.

The course website will be open for 1 week prior to the start date for students to have access to Moodle instructions and set their browser correctly. It will remain open 1 week after the end date for students to complete any sections and submit the course evaluation survey.

Contact Hours - 16 hours

Core defines contact hours in line with the IACET standards on Continuing Education Units.

Certificates of completion are sent upon successful completion (passing score of 70% or higher) of the course.

For questions about registration, contact ALA Registration by calling 1-800-545-2433 or email registration@ala.org.

For all other questions or comments related to this course, please contact tferren@ala.org.