Transform your library projects and drive impact in your community by becoming proficient in project management skills. 

Course Overview

Learning Outcomes

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

• Understand how project management applies to libraries

• Understand and apply foundational project management methods

• Create and follow a realistic work plan

• Manage and engage a project team

• Track budgets and deliverables clearly and efficiently 

• Work within institutional constraints and guidelines

• Report on project progress with confidence and clear metrics

Who should take this course

This course is for any library worker whose role involves planning and completing mid- to large-scale projects. This course is appropriate for all levels of library staff.

Course Features 

This will be a 4-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 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 20 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 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

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.

Course Speakers

Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Week 1: Understanding the Basics: Project Management Fundamentals for Libraries
 

Course & Workshop Introduction | 2:00-2:15 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 | 2:15-3:00 pm ET

Project Management 101 for Your Library

Increasingly, librarians are embracing project management to guide their work. This session will teach you the foundations of what project management is and how to get started when you’re also juggling many other work responsibilities.

Break | 3:00-3:05 pm ET

Session 2 | 3:05-3:50 pm ET

Foundational Methods for Library Project Management

There are different ways to approach project management in your library. This session will cover the basics of the agile and waterfall methods of project management so that you leave with an understanding of available methods and what might work best for your unique organization and context.

Facilitated Discussion and Q&A Session | 3:50-4:00 pm ET

This dedicated Q&A session and facilitated discussion will give you the opportunity to ask questions you didn’t get to ask in the first two sessions. If there are topics discussed earlier that you still don’t fully understand, this is a chance for speakers to unpack or clarify anything.

Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Week 2: Preparing for success: Initiating your project and leading your team 

Workshop and Previous Week Q&A | 2:00-2:15 pm ET

This Q&A session will preview the asynchronous work for the upcoming week and answer questions that came up for you over the last week about the live content or the asynchronous work. Make sure to post questions on the Q&A discussion board so the instructors can see them before class.

Session 1 | 2:15-3:00 pm ET

Where Do I Begin? How to Initiate Projects

Initiating a project encompasses the processes that outline a new project or a new phase of a current project by obtaining authorization to begin work. Learn how to begin a project in a sustainable way through this session that will teach you first how to understand business cases and feasibility studies, how to develop goals and objectives, and how to identify risks and reveal assumptions. From there, you will learn how to determine your deliverables and clearly outline the scope of your project. 

Break | 3:00-3:05 pm ET

Session 2 | 3:05-3:45 pm ET

Set Yourself Up for Success: How to Plan Your Projects

Planning a project includes outlining the processes related to figuring out what you will do and how you will do it. This phase establishes the scope of the project, refines goals and objectives, and defines the course of action for the project. The time devoted to project planning pays major dividends later as you are executing and monitoring time, cost, and quality. This session will teach you how to: kick off your project, develop a structure to break down your work, define your work sequence, schedule your project realistically, and determine and secure your needed resources.

Facilitated Discussion and Q&A Session | 3:45-4:00 pm ET

This dedicated Q&A session and facilitated discussion will give you the opportunity to ask questions you didn’t get to ask in the first two sessions. If there are topics discussed earlier that you still don’t fully understand, this is a chance for speakers to unpack or clarify anything.

Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Week 3: Tools and strategies for planning, monitoring, and controlling your projects 

Workshop and Previous Session Q&A | 2:00-2:15 pm ET

This Q&A session will preview the asynchronous work for the upcoming week and answer questions that came up for you over the last week about the live content or the asynchronous work. Make sure to post questions on the Q&A discussion board so the instructors can see them before class.

Session 1 | 2:15-2:55 pm ET

Engaging Your Team to Execute Projects

A large part of project management includes supporting and working with all the people involved on your team. This session will teach you practical tips for how to manage and lead teams and stakeholders, how to conduct efficient and effective meetings, how to handle problems that arise, and best practices for clear and compassionate communication.

Break | 2:55-3:00 pm ET

Session 2 | 3:00-3:45 pm ET

Maintaining Progress Pt. 1: Monitoring and Controlling Projects

This phase is involved with monitoring project progress, managing change and risk, and communicating project status. Project managers will ensure a project is performing well by using appropriate tools and techniques; managing changes to the project scope, schedule, and costs; and communicating project status to stakeholders.  

Facilitated Discussion and Q&A Session | 3:45-4:00 pm ET

This dedicated Q&A session and facilitated discussion will give you the opportunity to ask questions you didn’t get to ask in the first two sessions. If there are topics discussed earlier that you still don’t fully understand, this is a chance for speakers to unpack or clarify anything.

Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Week 4: Monitoring, controlling, and closing your projects 

Workshop and Previous Session Q&A | 2:00-2:15 pm ET

This Q&A session will preview the asynchronous work for the upcoming week and answer questions that came up for you over the last week about the live content or the asynchronous work. Make sure to post questions on the Q&A discussion board so the instructors can see them before class.

Session 1 | 2:15-2:55 pm ET 

Maintaining Progress Pt. 2: Monitoring and Controlling Projects

This session will be a continuation of last week’s monitoring and controlling projects session. This is the heart of project management, and it can be a lot to digest. Together, these sessions will ensure you leave knowing how to establish a communication plan, document a project and track its progress, manage quality control and changes, and control the project to meet your goals.

Break | 2:55-3:05 pm ET

Session 2 | 3:05-3:45 pm ET

Now What? Project Reflection and Closure

Ensuring you have a process in place to complete your project is just as important as your process for starting. Typical closing actions include finishing all project activities, archiving documents, obtaining acceptance for deliverables, and communicating project closure. This session will teach you how to close your contracts, conduct performance reviews, and manage transitions. You will learn how to reflect on the lessons you learned alongside your team to build and maintain relationships and establish your desired processes for future projects. 

Facilitated Discussion and Q&A Session | 3:45-4:00 pm  ET

This dedicated Q&A session and facilitated discussion will give you the opportunity to ask questions you didn’t get to ask in the first two sessions. If there are topics discussed earlier that you still don’t fully understand, this is a chance for speakers to unpack or clarify anything.

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 4+ 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