Continuing Education Archives

This program will discuss what is Emotional Intelligence. It will help the participant to understand how understanding the emotions of themselves and others can lead to more collaborative and productive work relationships. People managers will gain tools to help them with their own jobs and also to help their direct reports. Come be part of the discussion that employers around the globe are having with people - understanding emotions and building actions for maximum job satisfaction.

This workshop will include a detailed explanation of the six steps in the problem-solving process as well as two techniques to use during that process: brainstorming and decision making. It will then cover the role of the facilitator, knowledge and expertise needed by the facilitator, as well as some of the skills of an effective facilitator. It will also include a detailed handout with information that will be useful to the attendees long after the conclusion of the workshop. 

Desired Learning Outcomes: 

Safety and security incidents in the library and/or exposure to distressing situations can have lasting impacts on library staff. As library leaders, providing debrief support to staff after such events can improve library culture as we prioritize care for staff. This session explores how trauma exposure impacts us and how to identify the signs in others. In addition to understanding the elements of an effective and safe incident debrief, the importance and strategies for communication after a significant incident occurs are also discussed. 

The objective of the presentation is to provide management fundamentals to all people managers, but particularly those who have transitioned to a people manager. As often happens, people are promoted or assigned job duties and then are left to figure out the ‘now what’. Our time together will be a chance to discover those things that all managers want to be doing and need to be doing. It is an honor and a privilege to be a people manager. Let this session help you secure and maintain an engaged team.

Libraries are like airports with continual arrivals and departures of key staff. In order to have takeoffs and landings go smoothly, directors and trustees need to prepare for the departure of a director in times of crisis and otherwise by creating a succession plan. After covering what the current director and board must put in place prior to the landing of a new director, learn how to prepare for the arrival of a new director and the role of trustees in successfully onboarding a new director and gain strategies for how to transition the new director.

With the pandemic fading into the rearview mirror, libraries are looking to the future and hoping to take what we've learned from this challenge with us. It would seem we're at a watershed moment, offering us a chance to drop some old habits and hang onto the new ones.

This program was recorded on October 6, 2022, and runs for approximately one hour.

How far would you go for your job? According to vocational awe, the ideal librarian should die for it, happily, and without complaint. It is the idea that your work is good and sacred, and therefore is more important than any one person. Mission above all. When your work is holding up democracy and democratic values, it's a lot harder to advocate for "simple" things such as equitable pay and a reasonable work-life balance.
This webinar was recorded live on April 7, 2020, and runs for approximately one hour.

As we have witnessed the social, financial, and mental health challenges of our patrons escalate during the COVID-19 pandemic, libraries must connect and build relationships with local providers focused on these needs so that we may serve our communities as effectively as possible. This session will explore why it is imperative that libraries connect with social service providers in their communities, how to cultivate these connections, and tips to make sure the agencies you work with are effective, ethical partners.

Details/Watch

Illinois library statutes require a public library to engage in the competitive bidding process under many circumstances. Attorney Derke J. Price, partner at Ancel Glink Law Firm, shares valuable information on the competitive bidding process. Topics covered in this presentation include:

• Powers and limitations under the library code
• General requirements for competitive bidding and exceptions
• Intergovernmental agreements and additional opportunities
• Issues for review and inclusion in contract documents

After years of stable prices, libraries are running into the prospect of sharp increases in costs, compounded by labor shortages. Piled on top of COVID-stress, the normally sedate budgeting process may suddenly feel chaotic and uncertain. In this webinar, we'll talk about the impacts inflation is likely to have on your library - and it turns out some of these are good! We'll provide strategies for approaching and taking control of planning this year. You'll also find out a little about what your colleagues are expecting and doing too.

With multiple funding opportunities now available to purchase library technology, it is a great time to assess and upgrade your technology based on your community's needs. But how does one even start such a daunting task?" Join library technologist Carson Block as he introduces tools for pinpointing technology problems and needs, provides strategies for prioritizing and purchasing new equipment, and explains how to create an ongoing maintenance plan for your library's technology.