Library Management Training: Accelerated Course

Learn what they didn’t teach you in library school:
how to be a library manager.

Course Description

Live sessions via Zoom:
Thursdays, June 6 and 13, 2024 from 11 am to 4 pm ET
(recordings accessible for 6 months)

Asynchronous Workshop:
Project-based assignments with expert feedback over 2 weeks

This is a two-week, accelerated version of our longer course intended for busy managers who need crucial information quickly to better fit your schedule.

This course will set you up for success in your future or existing management position by training you on the fundamentals of library management.

Built specifically for new managers (or those on a future management track), this interactive, project-based course will provide foundational learning on a broad range of subjects crucial to effective managers, including:

Building team culture and people management
Equity-centered leadership
Managing difficult conversations
Providing feedback
Conflict resolution
Crisis and incident management
Supporting yourself and staff through burnout
Data-informed decision making
...and more

You will have the chance to build a community of peers in similar roles across the country and be able to ask questions of each other, crowdsource resources, and work through specific situations you’ve encountered.

This 2-week intensive, online course is created to prepare library managers for the specific challenges you will face but were not trained for. Each live-session week will include:

Training from an expert guest speaker
A facilitated discssion and Q&A
An optional interactive working session to practice new skills with peers

In the week between the live session meetings, you will have the opportunity to work on asynchronous prompts in peer cohort groups that will lead to a culminating portfolio of management resources. You will leave this course with a new cohort of peers and a Library Journal Management Training Certificate.

The live sessions run on Thursdays, June 6 and 13, 2024 from 11 am to 4 pm ET (recorded for on demand viewing) with an asynchronous workshop over 2 weeks. Don’t miss this opportunity!

When you sign up early, you’ll have immediate access to our Early Access On-Demand Resources—a series of webinars from past Library Journal and School Library Journal courses—to explore at your own pace

Who should take this course?

This course is intended for aspiring and new library managers, or those who feel their training did not adequately prepare them for their library management position.

Course Features

This will be a 2-week intensive 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.
Interactive working sessions: Optional breakout groups during live sessions to practice skills with peers.
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.
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.

Expected time commitment

If you attend or watch the recordings of all live sessions and participate fully in the asynchronous workshop, you'll spend approximately 6-8 hours per week on this course. You'll earn 20 hours of PD credit and a Library Journal certificate of completion.

On-demand access

All live guest speaker sessions are recorded and available on-demand for six months following the initial broadcast as a part of your purchase.

Certificate of completion

Complete the course and earn 20 professional development credit hours. We provide a certificate that is emailed to you.

Accessibility

All guest speaker sessions feature live 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

We offer discounts for groups of 3 or more. Groups have the option to collaborate in the same workshop group, where discussions and project-based assignments receive feedback from an experienced librarian.

For larger groups of 15 or more, we offer the option to apply group rates across multiple courses to receive significant discounts. For more information, select “Bulk Course Credits Packages” in the form below.

Request a group discount!

Course Curriculum Advisors

Sonia Alcantara-Antoine, CEO, Baltimore County Public Library

Lauren Comito, (she, her) Neighborhood Library Supervisor at the Leonard Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library and Board Chair of Urban Librarians Unite

Michelle Hamiel, Director of Racial Equity and Community Impact at Urban Libraries Council (ULC)

Melanie Huggins, Executive Director, Richland Library in Columbia, SC

Nay Keppler, Library Manager at Baltimore County Public Library - Woodlawn Library (MD)

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

Week 1: Thursday, June 6, 2024

Course Overview | 10:50 -11:00 am ET

Learn what to expect from this online course and how to participate in the asynchronous workshop assignments.

Session 1 | 11:00 am-12:00 pm ET

Foundations of People Management: Becoming a Leader

What kind of manager do you want to be? How do you gain the self-awareness to ensure you can manage yourself as well as your team? And how can you show up authentically without putting on a costume of power? This introduction to the course will showcase different management styles, detail qualities of good leaders, share the foundations of managing a team, and teach you how to foster a culture of relationship building between your staff and yourself.

Speaker:

Krista Beljan, Leadership Consultant at Dame Leadership

Session 2 | 12:00-1:00 pm ET

Foundations of Equity-Centered Leadership

How can your leadership style better serve and support BIPOC, disabled, LGBTQIA+, and neurodivergent staff? What is cultural competence, and what does this mean for staff management, recruitment, and reaching diverse communities? Learn how to create a workplace culture that invites all employees to feel respected and included. You will learn the characteristics of white supremacist and hetero-patriarchal work cultures and tangible ways to avoid them in your management practices. Leave this session with a toolkit for engaging with staff, establishing policies, and reaching diverse communities in ways that center intersectionality, vulnerability, and relationships.

Speaker:

Ozy Aloziem, (she, her) Founder & Principal Advisor of HEAL INC LLC

Lunch Break | 1:00-1:30 pm ET

Session 3 | 1:30-2:30 pm ET

How to Manage People: Team Meetings, Check-ins, Reviews, and Change

How do you run an effective and efficient team meeting? What should - and should not - go into your annual reviews? How often should you have staff meetings and one-on-one check ins, and how should you structure them? And how do you communicate clearly, transparently, and directly with staff, especially regarding changes or challenging situations that might impact their work lives? This week will focus on these questions and provide tangible strategies and templates for streamlining your processes and making the most out of time and communications with your team.

Speaker:

Sara Slymon, Library Director, Thomas Crane Public Library, Quincy, Ma

Break | 2:30-2:35 pm ET

Session 4 | 2:35-3:35 pm ET

Managing through Burnout and Advocating for Staff

Staff burnout is at an all-time high, and many systemic and stackable issues contribute to staff burnout. How do you support your staff even and especially when the cause of their burnout is out of your direct control? How can you identify what’s causing burnout and advocate for the resources your team needs to help build resilience? And what are ways you can create positive impact within your sphere of influence? This week will focus on these questions and discuss ways to advocate for your staff, including how to “manage up” when needed. We will also cover ways to reduce burnout and create resilience by ensuring your management practices are equitable and inclusive.

Speaker:

Kaetrena Davis Kendrick, MSLS, Researcher, Leader, Consultant and Coach

Optional Interactive Working Session | 3:35-4:00 pm ET

This live, interactive working session will give you an immediate opportunity to process and apply the skills you’ve learned this week. You will be divided into smaller working groups and presented with a prompt, role play, or activity related to this week’s sessions.

Please note: This session is completely optional, and it’s meant to be interactive, so if you can’t or don’t want to be in breakout rooms, you’re welcome to log off. If you stay, we ask that you please join on camera and audio to discuss ideas, ask questions, and hear from other participants in class.

Week 2: Thursday, June 13, 2024

Course Overview | 10:50-11:00 am ET

Learn what to expect from this online course and how to participate in the asynchronous workshop assignments.

Session 1 | 11:00-12:00 pm ET

How to Manage People: Difficult Conversations, Feedback, Conflict, and Resistance

How do you give negative feedback to staff? How do you know when to escalate to writing a disciplinary report, and how do you write one? How do you manage interpersonal conflicts on your team, especially in cross-generational teams? And how do you manage and create buy-in with resistant staff? This week will teach you practical skills for managing difficult conversations, diffusing tension on your team, and redirecting, coaching, and building relationships with resistant staff. We’ll also discuss how to create and enforce “people first” policies to help set and manage staff behavior expectations.

Speaker:

Catherine B Soehner, Associate Dean and Executive Director, Eccles Health Sciences Library