Free December Webinars for Library Staff

Give yourself and your team the gift of learning this holiday season! As you wrap up the year, take some time to reflect on areas you'd like to explore, alone or with others. And remember, many of the sessions will be made available as recordings so you can revisit topics when the time is right for you. Take inventory with everyone on your team, staff and volunteers, and consider dividing up topics and then share that learning back with the full group, to grow the knowledge of your learning organization. This list of over 50 webinars and 2 online conferences,... Read more
Cardholder Signup: Collecting and Analyzing How Patrons Get Library Cards

In May 2023, with funding from the Mellon Foundation, Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) launched an 18-month research project to collect and study cardholder signup policies from public libraries across the nation. The project aims to identify the range of policies and procedures which govern cardholder access as well as the rationale used for establishing (or protecting) those policies. Findings will be shared with the field in a report issued in Spring 2024.
Using the findings, BPL will convene a representative working group of public library leaders and legal experts in the Spring/Summer of 2024 to develop a...
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I Partner with my Public Library Award

As libraries continue turning outward to communities, the importance of collaboration increases. We not only have to share information about core library services, we also have to share information about how and why we work with community partners on everything from animal adoption to equity in the foster care system.
The I Partner with My Public Library Awards offer a platform for public library workers to celebrate their community partners. These ten awardees come from diverse communities and represent a wide range of projects, programs, and types of collaborators. Read on to learn more about all of the award recipients... Read more
Climate Justice

While everyone is affected by climate change, the impacts of climate change are not evenly distributed. That’s why it’s so crucial to consider the social and economic impact of our environmental choices in our responses to climate change. This article offers an introduction to the Six Pillars of Climate Justice, an approach created by the University of California Center for Climate Justice to help organize climate solutions.
This article is part of the series of resources and webinars created by the Sustainable Libraries Initiative team, in collaboration with WebJunction, to support libraries in creating a more sustainable future.
Time to Change the "Checklist": A Toolkit for Reimagining School Readiness

A literature review of more than 150 research studies indicates that we are missing the mark in preparing our children for school by equating “school readiness” with a finite checklist of academic skills to be mastered by age five. Instead, we should think about school readiness as a robust developmental process that spans the early childhood years through age eight. Libraries are perfect places for children to develop early learning skills and practices to prepare them for school.
You may already be offering opportunities at your library in programs such as storytimes, play groups, and STEM/STEAM workshops. Or maybe you... Read more
WebJunction Highlights
Transforming School Library Practice
Navigating Civil Legal Issues of Natural Disasters (course series)
Researching Low Morale in Libraries
Public Health Crisis Management Playbook
Digital Collections Stewardship (course series)
Weed 'Em and Reap: Getting Your Collection from Awful to Awesome (webinar)
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Upcoming Webinars
05 December 2023
Tools for Reimagining School Readiness
The Reimagining School Readiness Toolkit provides free, online, research-based resources, created specifically for library staff, to help families prepare children ages 0 to 8 for success in school and in life.
13 December 2023
Stronger Together: Collective Impact and Climate Action Programming
This webinar with the Sustainable Libraries Initiative will feature libraries having a collective impact on climate action through community collaborations.
04 January 2024
Libraries Foster Social Connection: Responding to the Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation
Explore ways to intentionally design for social connection in library services and programs.
30 January 2024
Building Authentic Relationships with Underserved Communities
Learn how to develop a plan for identifying, reaching, and building relationships with underserved communities.