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.
READ THIS NEXT! Starting in 2025, in addition to the calendar of professional development webinars, Read This Next! highlights one recent reading (print book, eBook or journal article published within the last five years) focusing on the librarianship profession. See this month’s reading selection in the “At Your Leisure” section following the online professional development calendar.
CONFERENCES
Thursday, May 8 (10 am-4:40 pm) Penguin Random House Spring Book & Author Festival 2025 (Library Journal). Join Penguin Random House, Library Journal, and School Library Journal for our Spring 2025 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. For more information and to register, visit: https://www.libraryjournal.com/event/prh-spring-festival-2025
Thursday, May 22 (9 am- 6 pm) School Library Journal Day of Dialog Spring 2025 (SLJ). Join us May 22nd for our School Library Journal Day of Dialog virtual event! Our day-long program of author panels, in-depth conversations, and keynote talks will leave you informed, inspired, and entertained. Come hear about the hottest forthcoming titles for children, tweens, and teens, from nonfiction and romance to picture books and graphic novels. You can also visit the virtual exhibit hall to network with leading publishers and download digital galleys and other free resources. For more information and to register, visit: https://www.slj.com/section/events?eventtype=virtualEvents
PROGRAMS BY TOPIC
ADVOCACY
May 1: Beyond Hours Served: Telling the Strategic Story of Volunteer Impact (Bloomerang) https://bloomerang.co/webinars-events/
May 7: Everyday Advocacy for Smaller Libraries: Practical & Affordable Solutions (Nebraska LC) https://nlc.nebraska.gov/scripts/calendar/eventlist.asp?Mode=ALL
May 13: Storytelling that Connects and Inspires (Firespring) https://firespring.com/webinars/
ASSESMENT/PLANNING
May 7: Navigating Change in Districts and Schools: Data-Driven Strategic Planning (edWeb) https://home.edweb.net/webinars/
May 12: 6+ Ways to Level Up Your Nonprofit Website Without Spending a Kazillion Bucks (Nonprofit Learning Lab) https://www.nonprofitlearninglab.org/webinars
May 15: Blueprint for Community Change: Strategic Planning Made Easy (Alliance Research, LLC) https://allianceresearchco.org/
May 27: 2025 Grants Trends and Projections (Nonprofit Learning Lab) https://www.nonprofitlearninglab.org/webinars
May 27: Grantseeking Solo: Secure Awards With Limited Staff (GrantStation) https://grantstation.com/product/online-education/view-all-2
BOARDS
May 7: The Board’s Guide to Fundraising Success (Nonprofit Hub) https://nonprofithub.org/webinars-events/
CAREERS (Staff)
May 20: Interview Strategies, Insights & Winning Answers – Roundtable Discussion (NNLM) https://nnlm.gov/training/schedule
CHILDREN & TEENS
May 19: Junie B. Jones: Celebrate the Mischief and Magic of Childhood (Booklist) https://www.booklistonline.com/GeneralInfo.aspx?id=63
COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT
May 1: Info2Go! Reimagining Nonfiction (Idaho Commission for Libraries) https://libraries.idaho.gov/continuing-education/info2go/
COMMUNICATION
May 7: 5 Social Media Tips that Will Help You Turn heads and Raise Funds for Your Nonprofit (CharityHowTo) https://www.charityhowto.com/nonprofit-live-webinars
May 15: Elevate Your Nonprofit Event with Strategic Branding (Bloomerang) https://bloomerang.co/webinars-events/
May 20: The SPLASH Method & How To Use It To Create World Class Content (TMN) https://www.trainingmagnetwork.com/calendar
May 20 & May 21: Social Media Boot Camp (Firespring) https://firespring.com/webinars/
FUNDRAISING
May 12: Funding Beyond Federal: How to Diversify Funding to Ensure Stability in Uncertain Times (Candid Learning) https://learning.candid.org/training-search/?_format=live&_sort=chronological
May 29: fundraiserchad’s Favorite Free (or cheap) Fundraising Tools (Productive Fundraising) https://productivefundraising.com/event/
MANAGEMENT
May 8: How to Speak Like a Leader (Training Magazine Network) https://www.trainingmagnetwork.com/calendar
May 8: Office hours with Libraries4DE (Libraries4DE) https://libraries4de.org/resources/upcoming-events/
May 19: Dealing With Distractions: New Approaches for Time Management (GovLoop) https://www.govloop.com/training/
May 20: Reducing and Responding to Staff Stress and Trauma (Library Journal) https://www.libraryjournal.com/section/events
OUTREACH & PARTNERS
May 28: Building Community-Based Wellbeing or “Social Prescribing” in the Library (Niche Academy) https://www.nicheacademy.com/upcoming-webinars
PROGRAMMING
May 8: Citizen Science and Libraries: Community of Practice Call (SciStarter) https://scistarter.org/events
May 8: Cooking with Comics (Booklist) https://www.booklistonline.com/GeneralInfo.aspx?id=63
May 21: Small Adjustments for Big Changes (Nebraska Library Commission) https://nlc.nebraska.gov/scripts/calendar/eventlist.asp?Mode=ALL
May 28: Health Programming at your Library (NNLM) https://nnlm.gov/training/schedule
READERS’ ADVISORY
May 1: Booklist & YALSA Present: Twenty-Five Years of the Printz Award (Booklist) https://www.booklistonline.com/GeneralInfo.aspx?id=63
May 6: Thriller, Mystery & True Crime (Booklist) https://www.booklistonline.com/GeneralInfo.aspx?id=63
May 7: The Summer Bookshelf: Professional and Personal Reads That Inspire (All4Ed) https://all4ed.org/events/?_topic_dropdown=future-ready-schools
May 8: Beyond the Shelf: How Genrefication Sparks Student Discovery (Follett) https://www.follettcommunity.com/s/webinars
May 8: CLEL BELLS: What are they and how do I use them? (Colorado State Library) https://www.librarieslearn.org/calendar/month/2025-05/
REFERENCE
May 7: Preserving Legacy, Inspiring Change: The Untold Story of Black Librarians (Georgia Library Assn) https://georgialibraryassociation.org/Carterette-Series-Webinars
May 8: Community Resilience Estimates: Data and Tools (US Census) https://www.census.gov/data/academy/webinars/upcoming.html
May 13: Revealing Ties to Espionage in the Office of Strategic Services Records (National Archives) https://www.archives.gov/calendar
May 13: Providing Mental Health Resources at Your Library (FDLP) https://www.fdlp.gov/events
May 14: Federal Courts: Structure, Jurisdiction, & Research (FDLP) https://www.fdlp.gov/events
May 15: Sustainability and Climate Change across the Curriculum: Library Edition (ProQuest) https://about.proquest.com/en/events/events/
May 21: From the Territory of Montana to the Republic of Vietnam: Researching Native American Veterans in the National Archives, 1881–1966 (National Archives) https://www.archives.gov/calendar
SCHOOL LIBRARIES
May 5: Fostering Relationships for Student Motivation, Well-Being, and a Positive School Climate (edWeb) https://home.edweb.net/webinars/
May 7: 2025 Future Ready Librarians Webinar Series: Innovation, Collaboration, & Impact (All4Ed) https://all4ed.org/events/?_topic_dropdown=future-ready-schools
May 13: Integrating Behavioral Threat Assessment into Your System of Supports (edWeb) https://home.edweb.net/webinars/
May 13: Selecting the Right edtech Tools in the Age of AI: Balancing Policy, Instruction & Practical Use (Follett) https://www.follettcommunity.com/s/webinars
May 16: Students and AI: A Framework for Understanding the Benefits, Challenges, and Impacts of AI on Learners (Library 2.0) https://www.library20.com/
May 29: Mentoring K-12 Teachers Through the Copyright Maze (Copyright & Creativity) https://copyrightandcreativity.org/online-training/
TECHNOLOGY
May 1: AI and public libraries: Panel and discussion (WebJunction) https://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction.html
May 7: Getting Started with AI in Teams: Foundations, Ethics, & Practical Prompts (Nonprofit Learning Lab) https://www.nonprofitlearninglab.org/webinars
May 13: Library Community at Work: Developing Custom AI Workflows for Metadata Management (ProQuest) https://about.proquest.com/en/events/events/
May 14: The Core Principles of AI (GovLoop) https://www.govloop.com/training/
May 20: Leveraging AI to Streamline Operations for Nonprofits (TechSoup) https://events.techsoup.org/techsoup-events-and-webinars/
May 28: Pretty Sweet Tech (Nebraska Library Commission) https://nlc.nebraska.gov/scripts/calendar/eventlist.asp?Mode=ALL
TRAINING & INSTRUCTIONS
May 7: Instructional Design for Adult Learners: A Primer (Niche Academy) https://www.nicheacademy.com/upcoming-webinars
AT YOUR LEISURE
Pre-recorded webinars to view at your convenience
Building a Fundable Strategic Plan (EveryLibrary Institute)
It’s often difficult to motivate voters or elected officials to say yes to new funding. Developing a “fundable strategic plan” for your library helps communicate to local leadership and the citizens about where the money is going, who is spending it, and the impact it will have on the community. Funders and supporters need to know how outcomes will be enhanced through new features at the library, and diminished across the community if it is not funded. EveryLibrary’s executive director John Chrastka will share actionable insights from nearly 100 library funding campaigns about inclusive planning, and uncover what data drives successful strategic plans to build political and social support for funding libraries. Visit: https://www.everylibraryinstitute.org/fundable_strategic_plan
Navigating Uncertainty in Federal Funding for Nonprofits (Bonterra)
With potential disruptions in critical federal funding, nonprofits face increasing uncertainty about their financial sustainability. Chances are, you could use some guidance. Check out our webinar where experts from the nonprofit, corporate, and foundation sectors break down strategies to navigate funding uncertainty and build resilient, sustainable financial models. Visit: https://www.bonterratech.com/events-webinars/on-demand-webinar-navigating-uncertainty-in-federal-funding-for-nonprofits
Preparing for Program Challenges at your Public Library (Programming Librarian)
Learn best practices and strategies to support staff, board, and community through program challenges. Are you unsure how to handle a program challenge in your library? Do you worry about having the right policies and procedures in place? Two public library directors will share their personal experiences with intellectual freedom challenges of programs. Learn best practices and strategies for supporting staff, board, and community members through program challenges. Resources to assist in responding to challenges and crafting appropriate policies, procedures, and training will be provided. Visit: https://programminglibrarian.org/learn/preparing-program-challenges-your-public-library
READ THIS NEXT!
In addition to the calendar of professional development webinars, Read This Next! highlights one recent reading (print book, eBook, journal article or blog post published within the last five years) focusing on the librarianship profession.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Read about different ways public libraries use to integrate mental health education in their programming and other resources in Sage Love’s blog post “Connecting communities to care: the role of libraries in mental health information access” (ITHAKA S+R, March 25, 2025; republished in Library Journal): Connecting Communities to Care – Ithaka S+R.
National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI)’s website offers a wealth of resources as well: Mental Health Awareness Month | NAMI
Check out NMSL’s recently acquired library and information science collection titles: 2025 – New in Library and Information Science – LibGuides at New Mexico State Library
Happy Reading!