Are you interested in increasing your outreach to families? Are you wondering how you might elevate family voice in the work that you do? Are you thinking about how to develop stronger community partnerships in support of families? In their recent report Public Libraries: A Vital Space for Family Engagement, Harvard Family Research Project and the Public Library Association outlined five important processes that build successful family engagement pathways.
Running a successful library frequently requires political savvy. Whether you’re working on a community-wide initiative, proposing an annual budget, or just want to make sure you have a seat at the table, it helps to know what makes city and county officials tick. Learn how to make the connections, open up communications, and help your library get the attention it deserves.
Originally recorded on Wednesday, May 6, 2015, this free, hour-long webinar features Patricia Barch, Schaumburg Township (Ill.) District Library and Carmen Patlan, Waukegan (Ill.) Public Library, as they discuss tips, tools, resources, and best practices for serving English language learners. Made possible by The American Dream Starts @ your library®, a grant initiative funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.
Public libraries across the country readily embrace their role as centers for democracy and civic participation. But what role should libraries play in advancing social justice and addressing persistent racial inequities? Learn how public libraries can engage in meaningful social justice and racial equity work by leveraging their existing strengths, supporting transformational relationships, and developing new tools to support social change. — PREVIEW AVAILABLE
Diane McNutt and Jane Light, Silicon Valley Reads, will describe this library’s "one book-one community" program in Santa Clara (Calif.) County. Its 2012 program, "Muslim and American -Two Perspectives," featured two books written by American Muslims, ("The Muslim Next Door" by Sumbul Ali-Karamali and "The Butterfly Mosque" by G. Willow Wilson). More than 100 programs were presented, including author readings, panel discussions, films, an open house evening at a local mosque and an art exhibit.
Frontline library advocates work at all levels in all types of libraries—public, academic, school and special—and are the internal/external face and voice of the library. They can tell the library’s story and deliver the library’s message at their comfort level and with people they know best. Because every staff member is the face of the library to his/her respective
community, each infl uences what the community knows and thinks about the library; and all librarians and library staff are perfectly poised to inform people about their library’s value and needs.
What's the biggest fear in Western society? According to a Gallup Poll it's snakes. What's #2? Public speaking (2001). In order to be successful in ANY field, you need to have the ability to communicate your message in an effective, concise, and memorable way. Speakers need one set of skills to create a great message; and then have to call upon a completely different set (and a healthy dose of confidence) to effectively deliver that message.
Friends groups and Foundations are more critical than ever in providing support for libraries. Learn about the roles and responsibilities of each of these fundraising organizations including best practices for each and their distinct activities. This on-demand webinar addresses how to build strong relationships between the two organizations and covers topics such as building strong boards, the different fundraising activities for Friends and Foundations, the role of advocacy, and the importance of maintaining good communications with your library director. — PREVIEW AVAILABLE
We often hear about "skilled volunteerism" but what does it mean and how can it help to build capacity in your library? How do you plan for and recruit skilled volunteers? What changes might you need to make to your traditional volunteer services to be successful with skilled volunteers? During this webinar, participants will hear from libraries who have been participating in the "Get Involved: Powered by Your Library" volunteerism initiative. Learn about their successes and how to plan your next move. — PREVIEW AVAILABLE
With the new reality of tighter budgets and strained finances, libraries are stepping up to find new (and more) ways to effectively expand their sources of revenue. For many, it’s hard to know where to start. This PLA on-demand webinar is designed to offer an introduction to the best practices in fundraising for libraries and library organizations.