Learn how to increase learner engagement through industry-leading instructional practices.

Course Overview

Who should take this course

This course is designed for instructional librarians in academic, public, and middle and high school libraries. 

Course Features 

This will be a 3-week online course and will include:

• Live sessions: Guest speaker presentations by leaders in their field. (All sessions are recorded for on-demand access for six months after the course ends.) 

• Facilitated discussions: Audience participation in Q&A and discussion with guest speakers.

• Asynchronous workshop: Project-based weekly assignments to connect what you’re learning to your professional life. Includes written feedback from an expert in the field who functions as the workshop facilitator, as well as peer conversation via discussion forums. Workshop available for all multi-week courses plus half-day courses where indicated. 

• Early access on-demand resources: Access to a series of past live session archives from Library Journal and School Library Journal courses to explore at your own pace. 

• Online Classroom: The virtual learning platform that holds all course content and is accessible for six months after the course ends. 

Course Advisor

Expected time commitment

If you watch the recordings of all sessions and participate in the asynchronous workshop, you'll spend approximately 2-4 hours per week on this course. You'll earn 15 hours of PD credit and a Library Journal certificate of completion. 

On-demand access

All guest speaker session recordings are available on demand for six months as a part of your purchase.

Certificate of completion 

Complete the course and earn 15 professional development credit hours. We provide a certificate that is emailed to you. 

Accessibility

All guest speaker sessions feature auto captioning and are made available on demand after the initial broadcast. Please email libraryjournal@edmaker.co upon registration if you require any special accommodations and we will make our best efforts to facilitate them.

Support

For support with online courses, please contact libraryjournal@edmaker.co.

Group Rates

Have a team attend and increase your impact!

Discounted registration fees are available for groups of 3 or more. When you register your team for our online courses, they will be placed in the same small workshop group, where discussions and project-based assignments receive feedback from an experienced librarian.

Send us a request for a quote.

If your group prefers to work separately, just let us know.

By registering for this event you confirm that you have read and agree to our Code of Conduct.

For support with online courses, please contact libraryjournal@edmaker.co.

Week 1: Building Foundational Instruction Skills and Relationships

Tuesday, June 3, 2025

Course & Workshop Introduction | 2:00-2:20 pm ET
An introduction to the weekly assignments, an overview of what to expect from the online workshop in this course, and a chance to complete the course pre-assessment.

Session 1 | 2:20-3:20 pm ET
Foundations of Library Instruction
What are the roles of a teacher-librarian? What are the foundations of pedagogy and praxis, and what does it all mean for librarians? How do you simultaneously teach specific skills and critical thinking? This introductory session will explore how to engage students in critical thinking and learning. We will discuss how to grow your confidence in teaching and encouraging students to be critical consumers of information instead of passive. Leave with ideas for how to elevate your instructional content to encompass both micro- and macro-level concepts. 

Speaker: Allison Jennings-Roche, Associate Director of Digital Initiatives & Collections, The University of Baltimore's RLB Library

Break | 3:20-3:30 pm ET

Session 2 | 3:30-4:30 pm ET
Building and Navigating Relationships with Faculty
How can you build effective relationships with classroom teachers and faculty? What are ways to negotiate those relationships, especially when things get tricky in the classroom? This session will discuss practical ways librarians can advocate for classroom faculty to integrate the library in their course plans. We will explore how to adapt to a pre-established classroom culture that you might not have a hand in creating and how to navigate student behavior challenges alongside the instructor of record. 

Speaker: Donna Gray, Library Operations & Instructional Coordinator, NYC School Library System

Week 2: Designing Effective Learning Content for All Students

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Weekly Workshop Introduction | 2:00-2:15 pm ET
An introduction to the weekly assignments and a chance to ask questions about the online workshop.

Session 1 | 2:15-3:15 pm ET
Trauma-Informed and Culturally Responsive Instruction
What are trauma-informed and culturally responsive instructional practices? How can you implement these practices into your instruction no matter the level or frequency with which you teach? This session will offer introductory information about student-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive teaching. Leave with big and small ideas to apply these skills to your instruction right away.

Speaker: 

Julia E. Torres, MAEd., MA, MLIS, University of Denver

Break | 3:15-3:30 pm ET

Session 2 | 3:30-4:30 pm ET
Creating Content for All Learners: Applying Universal Design for Learning
How can you ensure your learning content is accessible and impactful for all learners? This session will cover the background of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a framework for helping a wide range of students learn. You will learn how UDL relates to Universal Design and accessibility, and we will focus on concrete strategies for applying UDL to both live instruction (in-person or zoom) and learning objects.

Speakers: 
Dr. Rachel McMullin, Professor and the Humanities Librarian at West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Danielle Skaggs, Online and Distance Services Librarian

Week 3: Growing Your Confidence and Engaging Students

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Weekly Workshop Introduction | 2:00-2:15 pm ET
An introduction to the weekly assignments and a chance to ask questions about the online workshop.

Session 1 | 2:15-3:15 pm ET
Developing Your Instructor Presence and Confidence 
How can you develop your presence and confidence when you enter a classroom? How does your perspective and positionality affect how you might approach teaching? What tactics from public speaking might help make you a more dynamic presence? This session will discuss how to develop your instructor ethos and persona and help you reflect on the type of instructor you are or want to be. Leave with tips for cultivating self awareness, compassion, and confidence in your role. 

Speaker: 

Dr. Shelby Boehm, Assistant Professor of English Education in the Department of English. at Illinois State University 

Break | 3:15-3:30 pm ET

Session 2 | 3:30-4:30 pm ET
Maximizing Student Engagement in Learning
What are effective ways to engage students? How can you make the most out of your time in the classroom and ensure your content is student-centered? This session will cover techniques for engaging students. We will also discuss best practices for different instructional approaches, including Socratic, lecture-based, and activity-based styles. No matter your instructional preferences, you will leave with ideas for how to increase engagement and foster a productive learning environment. 

Speaker: 

Rebecca Miller Waltz, Associate Dean for Learning and Engagement at Penn State University Libraries

Online Course Preview

A preview of how we build your library skills and bring inspiration to your projects with our online learning experience.

Course Format

One-Week Timeline (Course Runs 3+ Weeks)

DAYS 1-2 On Demand	DAY 3 2.5 hours	DAYS 4-7 1-2 hours (optional)
PRE-LIVE SESSION - Resources - Discussions - Bonus Content	LIVE SESSIONS - Guest speakers via webcast - Q&A via chat - Recordings available on demand	ASYNCHRONOUS WORKSHOP - Project-based homework, applied to your job - Personalized feedback from a facilitator - Group discussion in an asynchronous workshop setting via discussion forum

Inspiring Live Guest Speakers + Facilitated Group Workshop for Project-Based Learning

Live session with Andrea Blackman and Tasneem Ansariyah Grace	Live Guest Speakers Each Week Expert speaker presentations with audience Q&A (session recordings available on demand for six months if you can’t join live) Project-based, asynchronous workshop assignments to practice and apply new skills for 3 weeks after the live sessions Expert, individualized feedback on asynchronous work for 3 weeks

Online Course Features

Recordings of guest speakers

Recordings Available After The Live Session Real-time guest speakers and conversation via live video stream (with recordings available afterward) Instructor-led online course features personalized interaction over 3+ weeks

Facilitator-led workshop

Online Classroom Organizes All Materials Workshop assignments to help you make progress on your goals Individualized attention from course facilitators who work with you in a coaching environment in the workshop to help sort out challenges Ongoing group conversation via discussion forums

Early Access On Demand Resources

Early Access and Ongoing Resources To Support Learning Supporting resources (articles, videos, worksheets) in the online classroom to provide a foundation for your work Access all course content for six months after the course ends Bonus: Register early and get immediate access to archival video recordings from related courses and other bonus content