Online Learning

New Virtual Training!

Justice at Work in Public Libraries: Understanding Power, Oppression, Resistance and Solidarity
Freedom Lifted has launched a new virtual training, Justice at Work in Public Libraries, led by nationally-recognized trainer, facilitator, and leadership coach Mia Henry. With this training, your library team can: take the course on your own schedule, at your own pace; learn frameworks that get to the heart of social justice; adopt a shared language you can use to talk openly and honestly with one another; and create plans of action to shift culture and develop practices that advance justice in your library. Individual and group registrations are available. Learn more at https://learninglab.freedomlifted.com/courses/justice-at-work-public-libraries.

This training was developed in partnership with the Public Library Association (PLA) Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (EDISJ). A portion of the proceeds from this course will go toward enhancing PLA's EDISJ work.

Webinars:

  • Live Webinars
    Upcoming live webinars offered by PLA.

  • On-Demand Webinars
    Archived recordings of previous PLA webinars available 24/7 for viewing at your convenience.

PLA Virtual Conference On-Demand Sessions:
These on-demand sessions are archived recordings of programs presented live during the PLA Virtual Conference, chosen from among the highest rated in PLA’s session preference survey, and are available for on-demand access in the ALA eLearning catalog.

Advancing Family Engagement in Libraries: A PLA Professional Development Series
Based on the Public Library Association’s Family Engagement framework, this professional development series will enable public library professionals to expand and refine their current family engagement programming and strategies and plan for new programs and services. Each cohort of this series will consist of eight virtual classroom sessions, each led by experienced facilitators from the PLA Family Engagement Task Force. Participants will also engage in small-group work and facilitated discussions with their peers.

PLA Leadership Lab: Embedding EDI in Library Leaders
The systems of public library services have evolved with a constant mission to serve the public good but have demonstrated that equal access is not equitable for all. Embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion in library leadership development requires a multi-pronged approach that relies on building trust internally with library staff and externally with community assets. This workshop—consisting of six live virtual classroom sessions—will explore transformational leadership through the lens of the current social crises, emphasizing equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice (EDISJ) principles and approaches, supplemented by leadership development and asset-based community development tools.

Also available…

PLA Facebook Forums
Free, one-hour events for Facebook users to discuss a specific topic with a guest “expert” and other users.

Social Work in Public Libraries Virtual Forum Series
Join us for a series of interactive virtual forums, in which members of the PLA Social Worker Task Force will answer your questions related to social work in public libraries. This is an opportunity to learn from the experts and engage with your peers on social service issues facing public libraries today. Attendees are encouraged to share their experiences and ask questions throughout the session.

Want to be part of PLA's successful online continuing education program?

If you have an idea for a webinar you'd like PLA to present, we encourage you to submit a proposal. PLA opens a call for webinar proposals twice per year, with deadlines of May 31 and November 30 of each year. Please contact plawebinars@ala.org with any questions or concerns about the webinar proposal process.