Infopeople Webinars Added to the WebJunction Course Catalog
The WebJunction Course Catalog provides free access to library-focused self-paced courses and webinar recordings. Through the generous support of OCLC and many state library agencies across the United States, WebJunction continues to provide timely and relevant learning content for you to access anytime, from anywhere.
In addition to webinars and courses created through WebJunction, we are pleased to include quality content from other organizations, including Infopeople. We recently added ten new Infopeople webinar recordings, ranging from supporting individuals experiencing homelessness to putting equity, diversity and inclusion into practice. You’ll find the details on these great new additions below. Thank you to the Infopeople team for expanding access to their webinar recordings through the WebJunction Course Catalog, and to all collaborators and supporters of a nationally coordinated approach to continuing education for library staff. Be sure to explore all that Infopeople has to offer, including upcoming webinars.
Visit learn.webjunction.org to browse all courses and webinar recordings, and remember, with each course or webinar you view from the catalog, you earn a certificate of completion!
Balancing Books and Social Issues: Homelessness and Trauma
With numerous budget cuts to social services programs, public libraries are encountering more individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty. For many, a library may be the only place of refuge from the weather, or noise from a downtown cityscape. The increasing volume of need arising in many communities may leave library workers feeling ill-equipped or overwhelmed.
Because of this, libraries are asking the questions: Why are there so many people experiencing homelessness in our libraries? How do we better serve our vulnerable customers? How do we educate and support our library staff? During this webinar social worker Elissa Hardy will address these questions and explore some solutions.
Book Tasting in the Library: A recipe for reading
- Are you looking for a fun way to increase reading engagement with your library users, particularly teens and youth?
- Do you want a novel way to present new releases, non-fiction, digital or database content?
- Do you want to encourage engagement with the collection or highlight a particular format, genre, or topic with your library users?
Hosting a book tasting might be the answer you need to increase engagement with your collection, collaborate with another local librarian, or answer a research question. Book tasting events engage users in a curated collection using a 30-60-minute restaurant themed event.
CELEBRATE. SERVE. COLLABORATE: Partnership as a strategy for immigrant engagement
Demographic projections suggest that the U.S. is headed toward a minority-majority population. Around the country, libraries are adapting their approaches and services in order to create more welcoming environments for immigrant and refugee communities. The upcoming Decennial Census in 2020 will offer insight into current demographic realities in the U.S., and public libraries around the country are at the forefront of the demographic shift. In this webinar, Jessica Moore, Immigrant Program Specialist with The Indianapolis Public Library, will discuss strategies for creating a more welcoming, inclusive library. We’ll look at the challenges that libraries face connecting with this shifting population. We’ll also look at how strategic partnerships can help libraries overcome challenges in order to fulfill their role as public service institutions.
Creating A Crisis Communications Plan That Works
In a world with a 24-hour news cycle, libraries must be ready to communicate quickly about any crisis that may impact their community. Yet few libraries have an up to date crisis communication plan. From a natural disaster, a shooting in a branch, anger in the community over a library program or partnership, or a social media campaign against a library choice, a crisis can take many forms.
Join presenter and communications director Kim Crowder as she shares how you can create a full crisis communications plan from start to finish. She will discuss real examples of crisis communications plans that worked, and missteps that you can avoid. Start building a strong plan and community relationships now that will help you once a crisis hits.
Implicit Bias in the Library Workplace
How do library administrators and managers foster a healthy, inclusive work environment so all employees can succeed? Unfortunately, individuals with diverse backgrounds and uniqueness are being subjected to subtle and overt bias in the library workplace due to the divisive climate in which we live. We have each been a part of the process; on either end of the bias whether we know it or not.
Reducing Workplace Stress with Mindfulness
Do you sometimes feel distracted at work? Do you feel pulled in too many directions simultaneously? Do you feel stress from your work life creeping into your personal time? Mindfulness is a simple practice that can help all of us reduce stress by connecting to the present moment. It requires no special equipment or prior experience and can be practiced anywhere at any time. This webinar will introduce participants to the practice of mindfulness by presenting basic science about the practice and its benefits, connecting the experience of mindfulness to library work, and by guiding participants through several beginning practices in real time.
STRETCH Your Storytime! Supporting early learning with yoga and movement
The centuries-old contemplative practice known as “yoga” is much more than a passing trend; it has physical, cognitive, and social-emotional benefits for practitioners of all ages, including preschool age children and their caregivers. This webinar will introduce participants to ways in which the intentional use of yoga-inspired movement in the storytime setting can support and enhance the work of youth services library staff and others helping prepare young children for school success. Participants will be exposed to new ideas and great books they will be excited to share. No prior yoga experience required!
Using Social Media as a Tool to Advocate Diversity and Inclusion
Wondering how to engage larger audiences on social media? Would you like to learn how social media can help reach audiences that you haven’t tapped into yet? Are diversity and inclusion high on your list of marketing priorities? Social media is a great way to start dialogue and conversations about a variety of topics and to meet customers where they are. This webinar will demonstrate how to use humor, pop culture, children’s materials, and more, to advocate for diverse communities, and to speak up when necessary.
Visual Merchandising for Public Libraries
Does your library struggle to promote its collection in a way that is attractive, maintainable, and – above all – successful at increasing circulation? Do your customers come to your library, head straight to the computers/hold shelf/self-checkout and back out again without browsing for materials? In a time of digital downloads and two-day shipping, when the convenience of library service is of the utmost importance to both library staff and users, how do we get the attention of the average patron long enough to increase circulation and library use?
Visual merchandising is not just a tool for retail establishments. When done well, it can create a dynamic environment that encourages the customer to stay longer, check out more materials, and return for more. Public libraries can embrace the knowledge that retail stores have long used by taking some basic steps and applying some simple principles to organize library materials in a way that attracts attention and promotes use.
We Know Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion are Important
It seems like everyone is talking about equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), but what does it really mean to put these values into practice at your library? In this webinar, the presenters will a provide a “starter kit” for EDI training in libraries. They will cover topics such as staff and management buy-in, low-cost training, and how to meaningfully engage staff in an effort to create a workplace culture that is affirming, representative, and inclusive. Additionally, attendees will learn to develop their own practical, useful, and actionable plan for implementing EDI staff learning in their own library.