Leadership & Management

Public libraries have always been in a unique position to help local writers connect with readers in their communities. The advent of self-publishing platforms presents libraries with a new resource to enhance that connection and reinforce their place at the center of community cultural life. In 2012, the Los Gatos (Calif.) Library began a partnership with e-book self-publishing company Smashwords to offer a three-part series of e-book self-publishing seminars. This partnership has grown to include a co-branded publishing portal managed by Smashwords.

Education about consumer health services and programming can help public librarians stay current and develop new programs and services for their communities. This on-demand webinar provides an overview of educational programs available via the National Network of Libraries of Medicine about consumer health and specific health topics. These programs can help librarians get the Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS) credential, which brings an additional, recognized level of expertise to their libraries and helps them connect with community partners.

The history of public libraries is deeply rooted in white supremacy, and white cultural norms still dominate management practices in public libraries today. In order to create more inclusive workplace cultures in public libraries, new norms must be established by creating decision-making processes and modes of communication that honor the cultural norms of BIPOC staff members.

e-Forum: A 2-day moderated email discussion.
Dates: December 8-9, 2020
Offered by Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures, ALA's newest division starting September 1, 2020 (previously offered by the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services)
Focus: Library metadata needs a lot of maintenance. In this e-forum, participants will share tools, techniques, advice and best practices for both batch and manual database cleanup projects on all types of library metadata.
Cost: Free

e-Forum: A 2-day moderated email discussion.
Dates: October 6 and 7, 2020
Offered by Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures, ALA's newest division starting September 1, 2020 (previously offered by the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services)
Focus: Library metadata needs a lot of maintenance. In this e-forum, participants will share tools, techniques, advice and best practices for both batch and manual database cleanup projects on all types of library metadata.
Cost: Free

In 2017 the University of Virginia Library administration commissioned an internal task force to identify best practices for digital project workflows. This webinar will discuss the roles and responsibilities of the membership in thier multi-unit group, the nascent workflows and experiments with new communication paths, as well as the tools in use to support these new ways of interacting with each other and the tasks associated with making digital content available.

Slow Librarianship is a quality-over-quantity practice that evolved in response to academic hustle culture but applies to all areas of library work. Julia Glassman coined the term in 2017, and Meredith Farkas, inspired by Julia’s work, has been speaking and writing on the topic since.

Slow Librarianship is a quality-over-quantity practice that evolved in response to academic hustle culture but applies to all areas of library work. Julia Glassman coined the term in 2017, and Meredith Farkas, inspired by Julia’s work, has been speaking and writing on the topic since.

Scheduling staff can be challenging. Add in programming, and that can be a recipe for stress. Learn to juggle staffing, programming, and community engagements successfully while keeping your personal schedule in balance.

Interested in advocating for yourself, your department, and the profession but unsure where to start? This webinar will offer strategies for those seeking to champion for a more visible, impactful role of technical services.