Latest News + Hitchhiker Blog

December Online Professional Development Opportunities – FREE

Check out the Professional Development Calendar for more information and to register for the following FREE online professional development opportunities.

 

NOTE: until we can get the calendars synced, the calendar will show Maine State Library (MSL). MSL is the host for the national professional development calendar.

 

 

ONLINE CONFERENCE

Tuesday, Dec 10 (10 am-5 pm) PRH Spring Book & Author Festival 2024 (SLJ)

Join Penguin Random House, Library Journal, and School Library Journal for our Winter 2024 virtual book and author festival, a free day-long event celebrating reading, authors, and librarians everywhere! Enjoy a day packed with author panels and interviews, book buzzes, virtual shelf browsing, and adding to your TBR pile. You’ll hear from many of your favorite authors, whose work runs the gamut from Picture Books to Young Adult titles to the best new Fiction and Nonfiction for adults. There is something of interest for every reader. Attendees will also have the opportunity to check out the virtual exhibit hall, access eGalleys, and enter to win prizes and giveaways. We’re excited to share our author lineup in the coming weeks. Stay tuned! For more information and to register, visit: https://www.slj.com/section/events?eventtype=virtualEvents

 

AT YOUR LEISURE

Pre-recorded webinars to view at your convenience

 Coordinate Volunteers for Greater Community Impact with Zoom Workplace (TechSoup)

Join us to learn how you can use Zoom to coordinate your volunteers and employees. You may already know Zoom for video meetings, but did you know your Zoom license comes with a platform’s worth of communication tools? Learn how Team Chat, AI Companion, and more can help you reimagine teamwork for your employees and volunteers. Visit: https://www.techsoup.org/community/events-webinars/coordinate-volunteers-for-greater-community-impact-with-zoom-workplace-2024-08-29

E-rate Unlocked: Strategies for Library Directors and Business Offices (EveryLibrary Institute)

Dive into a comprehensive understanding of E-rate’s technological and financial impacts, harness the strength of unified collaboration and sharpen your strategic foresight. With evolving compliance challenges and the pressing need to maximize funding, this webinar is your essential guide to confidently securing your library’s digital future. E-rate benefits libraries by enhancing technology access, expanding their roles in the community, and providing patrons with essential digital tools and internet access. It also assists in alleviating budget constraints, allowing for service improvements. A unified approach is crucial, as better communication and understanding amongst departments ensure maximized funding, adherence to compliance, and more efficient processes. It is essential to clarify the distinct but complementary roles of the Library Director, Business Office, and IT department in the E-rate process. Effective management strategies for Library Directors to oversee E-rate operations without being overwhelmed include tips on fully utilizing E-rate funding and aligning efforts with the library’s strategic goals for technology and community service. Common compliance pitfalls can be avoided with a unified approach, and non-compliance can jeopardize current and future funding. Visit: https://www.everylibraryinstitute.org/e-rate_unlocked_strategies_for_library_directors_and_business_offices

 Navigating Misinformation Online: Toolkit Resources for Impactful Library Programming (Programming Librarian)

Older adults, communities of color and rural populations in the U.S. are disproportionately affected by misinformation. This amplifies some of the biggest problems facing America today: intensifying polarization, promoting vaccine hesitancy and undermining faith in democratic institutions. MediaWise in collaboration with The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office and Stanford Social Media Lab through support from Stanford Impact Labs and the Empowering Diverse Digital Citizens Lab, has created a digital toolkit that can be used by librarians across the country to teach digital media literacy to adults in their communities. This webinar will walk participants through the toolkit contents, highlight its key features and discuss concepts that can be introduced through a range of programming options. Visit: https://programminglibrarian.org/learn/navigating-misinformation-online-toolkit-resources-impactful-library-programming

 

 

PROGRAMS BY TOPIC

 

ASSESMENT/PLANNING

Dec 2: Managing (or Initiating) Rapid Growth: Collaborative Solutions for Visionary Leaders (Nonprofit Learning Lab). https://www.nonprofitlearninglab.org/webinars

Dec 3: Growing Smarter: Strategies for Scaling and Sustaining Long-term Success at Your Organization (Blackbaud). https://www.blackbaud.com/events/webinars

Dec 3: Why Your Annual Report Should Be a Marketing Tool and Not a Snooze (Firespring). https://firespring.com/webinars/

Dec 5: Harnessing Data and Analytics for Nonprofit Success (TechSoup). https://events.techsoup.org/techsoup-online-events-and-webinars/

Dec 11: Start Your 2025 Grant Strategy Off Right! (CharityHowTo). https://www.charityhowto.com/nonprofit-live-webinars

Dec 11: What Counts? Finding Meaningful Metrics (RIPL). https://www.ripleffect.org/webinars/

Dec 12: Grant Readiness Essentials: What Funders Want and How to Deliver (TechSoup). https://events.techsoup.org/techsoup-online-events-and-webinars/

Dec 16: 2024 Grant Trends and What to Expect for 2025 (Nonprofit Learning Lab). https://www.nonprofitlearninglab.org/webinars

BOARDS

Dec 10: Build the board you need (Candid Learning). https://learning.candid.org/training-search/?_format=live&_sort=chronological

Dec 11: Building an inclusive, innovative, and impactful board (Candid Learning). https://learning.candid.org/training-search/?_format=live&_sort=chronological

CAREERS (Staff)

Dec. 4: To Librarianship and Beyond: What’s It Like Being a Corporate Librarian? (Nebraska Library Commission). https://nlc.nebraska.gov/ncompasslive/

Dec 4: Future of Gov — Where the Workforce Needs to Go (GovLoop). https://www.govloop.com/training/

Dec 17: Overcome the Overwhelm: How to Manage Stress (GovLoop). https://www.govloop.com/training/

Dec 17: Share Knowledge, Ideas, Learning, and Library Solutions! (Nebraska Library Commission). https://nlc.nebraska.gov/scripts/calendar/eventlist.asp?Mode=ALL

Dec 18: Bridging the Divide: A Panel Discussion on Library Workers Loneliness (Libraries Learn). https://www.librarieslearn.org/calendar/month/2024-12/

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT

Dec 12: The ABC’s and 123’s of Metadata Sharing & Harvesting (DPLA). https://pro.dp.la/events/workshops

COMMUNICATION

Dec 12: Why Your Business Needs to be a Media Company (TrainingMagazineNetwork). http://www.trainingmagnetwork.com/calendar

DEVELOPMENT & MANAGING CHANGE      

Dec 11: “Quiet Quitting,” Productivity, and the Future of Work (Niche Academy). https://www.nicheacademy.com/upcoming-webinars

Dec 16: How to Inspire an Unmotivated Team (GovLoop). https://www.govloop.com/training/

DIGITAL RESOURCES

Dec 4: Reflections on Reality Hitting Home: Academic Impact of Database Cancellations Two Years Later (Georgia Library Association). https://gla.georgialibraries.org/Carterette-Series-Webinars

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION

Dec 5: Demystifying LIS profession to BIPOC undergraduate students: BIPOC Become Librarians (NNLM). https://www.nnlm.gov/training

Dec 9: Building Belonging: EDI Strategies for Children’s Services and Beyond (ALSC). https://www.ala.org/alsc/elearning/webinararchive

FUNDRAISING

Dec 10: Cultivating Strategic Partnerships With Funders (GrantStation). https://grantstation.com/product/online-education/view-all-2

Dec 11: Unleashing Creativity: 7 1⁄2 Innovative Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofit Success (Nonprofit Learning Lab). https://www.nonprofitlearninglab.org/webinars

LEGAL

Dec 5: Preparing for a Nonprofit Audit (Propel Nonprofits). https://propelnonprofits.org/trainings/

MANAGEMENT

Dec 3: Business Trends and Outlook Survey (FDLP). https://www.fdlp.gov/taxonomy/term/25

Dec 5: Climate change communication: How and why to do it in libraries (WebJunction). http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction.html

OUTREACH & PARTNERS

Dec 4: NOAA Library Seminar with SciStarter (SciStarter). https://scistarter.org/events

Dec 4: Partnerships and Building Relationships: How, Why, and Who (Niche Academy). https://www.nicheacademy.com/upcoming-webinars

Dec 12: Reaching Expectant and New Parents through Community Partnerships (ALSC). https://www.ala.org/alsc/elearning/webinararchive

PROGRAMMING

Dec 2: Book Madness: Engaging Schools, Teachers, and the Community (Libraries Learn). https://www.librarieslearn.org/calendar/month/2024-12/

READERS’ ADVISORY

Dec 3: Picture Books for Winter, Spring, and Beyond (Booklist). https://www.booklistonline.com/webinars

Dec 11: Best New Children’s Books of 2024 (Nebraska Library Commission). https://nlc.nebraska.gov/scripts/calendar/eventlist.asp?Mode=ALL

REFERENCE

Dec 3: The Web of Science Core Collection perimeter. Why does it matter to you? – America (ProQuest). https://about.proquest.com/en/events/events/

Dec 4: NASA’s Eyes for Libraries (STAR Net). http://www.starnetlibraries.org/resources/webinars/

Dec 5: NASA@ My Library: Heliophysics Workshop Series Featuring Vincent, the “Aurora Guy” (STAR Net). http://www.starnetlibraries.org/resources/webinars/

Dec 10: American Indian/Alaska Native Resources at the Sequoyah National Research Center (FDLP). https://www.fdlp.gov/taxonomy/term/25

SCHOOL LIBRARIES

Dec 2: Setting AI Expectations: Creating Clarity in Classrooms (edWeb). https://home.edweb.net/webinars/

Dec 3: Empowering Learning: Leading Whole-School Initiatives from the Library (Follett). https://www.follettcommunity.com/s/webinars

Dec 5: Making Your Minutes Count: Driving Efficiency in Schools (Follett). https://www.follettcommunity.com/s/webinars

Dec 5: Teaching Resilience and Responsibility in the Classroom: Up to the Challenge (edWeb). https://home.edweb.net/webinars/

Dec 9: Promising Every Student a Future Starts with Your WHY! 18 Months to Celebration (edWeb). https://home.edweb.net/webinars/

TECHNOLOGY

Dec 11: Leveraging Technology for Insight and Impact in K-12 Schools (Follett). https://www.follettcommunity.com/s/webinars

Dec 11: Media Literacy Education for Adult Audiences: Exploring ChatGPT and Conversational AI (Programming Librarian). https://programminglibrarian.org/webinars

Dec 11: How to Build a Chatbot Using Gen AI: Accelerating Learning Through Conversation (TrainingMagazineNetwork). http://www.trainingmagnetwork.com/calendar