Create a safer, warmer, and more inclusive library by learning how to approach and resolve conflict with confidence

Course Description 

How can library staff effectively deal with stressed out, disgruntled, or inappropriate patrons? And what happens when conflict occurs between staff members or colleagues? This online course will teach you foundational strategies for engaging with and resolving conflict at work, both internally with colleagues and externally with patrons. You will learn tenets of cultural humility regarding language, as well as de-escalation techniques and how to assess your own communication and conflict styles in order to bring self-awareness into all situations. 

This interactive, online course will provide you ample opportunities to role play and workshop real-life challenging scenarios asynchronously with peer groups. You will leave this course with the practical skills and confidence to maintain calm during tense situations, adapt to challenges as they arise, and know when, if, and how to engage with conflict at work.
 

The live sessions run on Wednesdays, May 14 and 21, 2025 from 2:00 to 4:30 pm ET (recorded for on demand viewing) with an ongoing facilitator-led workshop over 2 weeks. Don’t miss this opportunity!

Learning Outcomes

After you attend this course, you’ll be able to:

• Identify both positive and negative effects of conflict in the workplace
• Recognize how your conflict and communication styles and experiences might contribute to difficult interactions, and how you can use your strengths to promote positive relationships with colleagues and patrons
• Apply conflict resolution or de-escalation skills to a specific library patron interaction
• Determine steps you can take with a challenging colleague to improve your working relationship

Who should take this course?

This course is geared toward public-facing librarians and staff; however, all levels of librarians, including managers and directors, will benefit from learning how to manage conflict.

Course Features 

This will be a 2-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. 

Expected time commitment

If you attend or watch the recordings of all live sessions, you'll spend approximately 4 hours on this course. You'll earn 4 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 10 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. 

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!

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

Week 1: Foundations of Conflict Management and De-escalation
Wednesday, May 14, 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 | 2:20-3:05 pm ET
Foundations of Conflict Management
Where do disagreements come from and how does it escalate? How can you stay prepared to address and de-escalate conflict? This opening session will dive into ways you can grow self-awareness and manage your own emotions as a first step to proactive conflict management and relationship building. You'll learn how communication and conflict styles, power dynamics, and cultural humility can impact difficult interactions. Leave this session with conflict resolution methods that will give you tips and tools to communicate with others directly, kindly, and confidently. 

Speaker:

 
Break | 3:05-3:15 pm ET

Session 2 | 3:15-4:30 pm ET
Preparing for and Managing Difficult Patron Interactions
How do you maintain excellent customer service while dealing with a stressed out or disgruntled patron? And how do you manage these interactions while maintaining your personal boundaries? This session will focus on community and patron relationships and give you strategies to manage challenging interactions with the public. You will learn communication skills to help when initiating and responding in difficult conversations with the public, as well as simple, tangible tactics for de-escalating situations.

Speaker:

Week 2: Applying Conflict Management with Colleagues 
Wednesday, May 21, 2025  

Workshop Explanation | 2:00-2:15 pm ET
An introduction to this week’s assignment and an overview of what to expect from the online workshop in this course.

Session 1 | 2:15-3:15 pm ET
Managing Challenging Interactions with Colleagues and Staff
How do you effectively work with resistant or challenging colleagues or staff members? What do you do if your direct supervisor or other leadership is creating challenges? How do you have difficult conversations at work? This week will focus on internal work relationships and teach you practical ways to have tough conversations, give and receive difficult feedback, and overcome or prevent grievances at work. We will also discuss ways to "manage up" and advocate for yourself or your team, including how to build or find support systems where you might not have them.

Speaker:

Break | 3:15-3:30 pm ET

Session 1, Continued | 3:30-4:30 pm ET
Managing Challenging Interactions with Colleagues and Staff, Continued
 

Online Course Preview

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

Course Features

Live session with Andrea Blackman and Tasneem Ansariyah Grace	Live Guest Speakers Sessions Guest speaker presentations by leaders in their field.  Audience participation in Q&A and discussion with guest speakers.

Recordings of guest speakers

Recordings Available On Demand Sessions are recorded for on demand access for six months after the course ends.

Asynchronous workshop

Online Classroom + Asynchronous Workshop The virtual learning platform that holds all course content and is accessible for six months after the course ends.  Live session recordings. Peer conversation via discussion forums.

Early Access On-Demand Resources

Early Access On-Demand Resources Bonus: Register early and get access to a series of past live session archives from Library Journal and School Library Journal courses to explore at your own pace.  Some courses include supporting resources in the online classroom.