October Professional Development Opportunities

NEW TO NICHE!  highlights the library continuing education trainings and tutorials newly added to the NMSL Professional Development Niche Academy Learning Platform. Find them after the At Your Leisure pre-recorded webinars section.

READ THIS NEXT! This section features one recent reading (print book, eBook or journal article published within the last five years) focusing on the librarianship profession. Scroll down after the New to Niche section to find this month’s reading selection.

CONFERENCES

 

Tuesday, Oct 9 (9 am-6 pm) School Library Journal Day of Dialog Fall 2025 (School Library Journal)

Join us October 9th for SLJ Day of Dialog—fully virtual and free to attend! Our daylong 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

Wednesday, Oct 22 (10 am-4 pm) NextGen Virtual Summit: Powering Your Career with Skills and Collaboration (GovLoop)

We’re thrilled to have you join us at the upcoming NextGen Government Training Virtual Summit! Registration is free and open to everyone. We look forward to hosting a full day of professional development keynotes and breakout sessions. Stay tuned for schedule and speaker announcements! For more information and to register, visit: https://www.govloop.com/training/

PROGRAMS BY TOPIC

 

ACCESSIBILITY

Oct 1: Pre-Application Webinar for Round 4 of Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities (Programming Librarian) https://programminglibrarian.org/webinars

Oct 9: Programming for Inclusion: Disability Outreach and Native Representation with Support from the Peggy Barber Tribute Grant (Programming Librarian) https://programminglibrarian.org/webinars

Oct 23: Building Accessible LibGuides: A Panel on Policies, Workflows, and the ADA Update (Library Accessibility Alliance) https://libraryaccessibility.org/events

Oct 27: Using Chrome tools to support diverse readers (PACER Center) https://www.pacer.org/workshops/

ADVOCACY

Oct 15: Advocacy 101: How Nonprofits Can Use Advocacy to Grow Their Power and Influence (GrantStation) https://grantstation.com/product/online-education/view-all-2

Oct 21: Creative Aging in Action: Practical Strategies for Libraries Webinar Series (Infopeople) https://infopeople.org/training/view/webinar

ASSESMENT/PLANNING

Oct 6: Guide to Becoming a Data-Powered Organization: Unlocking Your Organization’s Greatest Assets (Nonprofit Learning Lab) https://www.nonprofitlearninglab.org/webinars

Oct 8: Leading Through Disruption: How Public Libraries Adapt, Innovate, and Thrive (Library Journal) https://www.libraryjournal.com/section/events

Oct 8: What Makes a Proposal a Winner (GrantStation) https://grantstation.com/product/online-education/view-all-2

Oct 9: Blueprint for Community Change: Strategic Planning Made Easy (Alliance Research) https://allianceresearchco.org/

Oct 21: Effective, Sustainable, and Practical Library Assessment (ASERL) https://www.aserl.org/#webinars

Oct 28: Ask Me Anything: Navigating the Federal Grant Landscape (Candid Learning) https://learning.candid.org/page/live-training

Oct 29: Transforming Business Models (Propel Nonprofits) https://propelnonprofits.org/trainings/

BOARDS

Oct 28: 10 Things Every Library Friend or Trustee Should Know (WebJunction) http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction.html

CAREERS (Staff)

Oct 1: The Science of Emotional Intelligence & Well-Being at Work (Training Magazine Network) https://www.trainingmagnetwork.com/calendar

Oct 14: Unmasking Imposter Syndrome: Navigating Anxiety, Uncertainty, and Systemic Challenges in Librarianship (LibrariesLearn/CSL) https://www.librarieslearn.org/csl-in-session

Oct 23: Achieving Work-Life Balance: Is “Severance” the Answer? (Training Magazine Network) https://www.trainingmagnetwork.com/calendar

Oct 29: Beyond Retention: Mechanisms to Support Librarian Job and Career Success and Longevity (ASERL) https://www.aserl.org/#webinars

Oct 29: Tarot for Well-Being (Infopeople) https://infopeople.org/training/view/webinar

CHILDREN & TEENS

Oct 1: Letters About Literature 2025 (Nebraska Library Commission) https://nlc.nebraska.gov/scripts/calendar/eventlist.asp?Mode=ALL

Oct 1: Talking Teen Services – Understanding Teens: Intersectional Factors – part 1 of 3 (LibrariesLearn/CSL) https://www.librarieslearn.org/csl-in-session

Oct 15: Talking Teen Services – Understanding Teens: Biases and Stereotypes – part 2 of 3 (LibrariesLearn/CSL) https://www.librarieslearn.org/csl-in-session

Oct 23: Creative Writing Workshops for Library Kids: From New York, NY to Norwalk, IA (ALA eLearning) https://www.ala.org/alsc/elearning/webinararchive

Oct 29: Talking Teen Services – Understanding Teens: Building Positive Relationships – part 3 of 3 (LibrariesLearn/CSL) https://www.librarieslearn.org/csl-in-session

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT

Oct 7: Fall in Love with Series Nonfiction (Booklist) https://www.booklistonline.com/GeneralInfo.aspx?id=63

Oct 14: Fall and Winter Picture Books (Booklist) https://www.booklistonline.com/GeneralInfo.aspx?id=63

COMMUNICATION

Oct 21: Finding Your Voice: Content that Stands Out of the Crowd (CharityHowTo) https://www.charityhowto.com/nonprofit-live-webinars

DEVELOPMENT & MANAGING CHANGE      

Oct 15: Empowered Employees, Exceptional Service: The EX-CX Connection (GovLoop) https://www.govloop.com/training/

Oct 15: How to Help People Change (Training Magazine Network) https://www.trainingmagnetwork.com/calendar

Oct 22: Working Well with Your Team: How to Manage Your Staff (Niche Academy) https://www.nicheacademy.com/upcoming-webinars

Oct 27: Strategy-Culture Connection: How Culture Powers Strategic Change (Nonprofit Learning Lab) https://www.nonprofitlearninglab.org/webinars

DIGITAL RESOURCES

Oct 15: Unemployment Insurance Employment Outcomes (UIEO): The Composition and Re-employment Dynamics of UI Claimants (US Census) https://www.census.gov/data/academy/webinars/upcoming.html

Oct 20: Syracuse University Librarians, Faculty, and Publisher: Collaborating for Tomorrow with Path to Open (Library Journal) https://www.libraryjournal.com/section/events

FUNDRAISING

Oct 13: Recurring Revenue, Real Impact: A Strategic Blueprint for Monthly Giving Success (Nonprofit Learning Lab) https://www.nonprofitlearninglab.org/webinars

Oct 14: Fundraising Alternatives for Cultural Institutions (Connecting to Collections) https://connectingtocollections.org/webinars/

Oct 16: Future-Proof Your Fundraising with Scenario Thinking (Bloomerang) https://bloomerang.com/webinars-events/

Oct 30: How to Have More Productive Conversations with Donors (Productive Fundraising) https://productivefundraising.com/event/

LEGAL

Oct 9: Read On: Tools to Help You Prepare for and Respond to Book Challenges (Booklist) https://www.booklistonline.com/GeneralInfo.aspx?id=63

Oct 29: Figuring Out Fair Use (Niche Academy) https://www.nicheacademy.com/upcoming-webinars

MANAGEMENT

Oct 8: From Managing to Leading: How to Inspire, Unite, and Elevate Your Team (Follett) https://www.follettcommunity.com/s/webinars

Oct 14: Toxic Talk: Identifying Harmful Workplace Communication Styles that are Destroying Morale and Trust (ASERL) https://www.aserl.org/#webinars

Oct 14: Whole-Person Leadership: A Strategic Framework for Team Clarity, Engagement, and Performance (Training Magazine Network) https://www.trainingmagnetwork.com/calendar

Oct 15: Leading Boldly Through Uncertainty: Act Different to Emerge Different (Training Industry) http://trainingindustry.com/webinar/

PROGRAMMING

Oct 1: Health Programming at your Library (NNLM) https://www.nnlm.gov/training/schedule

Oct 7: Creative Aging in Action: Practical Strategies for Libraries Webinar Series (Infopeople) https://infopeople.org/training/view/webinar

Oct 8: The Do’s & Don’ts of D&D (Nebraska Library Commission) https://nlc.nebraska.gov/scripts/calendar/eventlist.asp?Mode=ALL

Oct 14: Creative Aging in Action: Practical Strategies for Libraries Webinar Series (Infopeople) https://infopeople.org/training/view/webinar

Oct 15: Acts of Science – Make Every Program Count This April (SciStarter) https://scistarter.org/events

Oct 21: Acts of Science: Connected Info Session (SciStarter) https://scistarter.org/events

Oct 22: “They asked you for WHAT?!” Helping Your Patrons Outsmart Scammers and Avoid Fraud (Programming Librarian) https://programminglibrarian.org/webinars

READERS’ ADVISORY

Oct 2: Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group Winter 2026 Preview Event (Booklist) https://www.booklistonline.com/GeneralInfo.aspx?id=63

REFERENCE

Oct 1: Addressing Research and Writing Challenges with the APA Style Manual (American Libraries/Booklist) https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/al-live/

Oct 7: Graphic Medicine in Public Libraries: Unique Challenges, Unique Opportunities (NNLM) https://www.nnlm.gov/training/schedule

Oct 8: Introduction to the American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) Files (US Census) https://www.census.gov/data/academy/webinars/upcoming.html

Oct 8: Meet FRED® (Federal Reserve Economic Data) from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FDLP) https://www.fdlp.gov/events

Oct 9: Innovative Teaching: Exploring Women’s Histories with Newly Digitized Primary Source Archives and Media (Clarivate|ProQuest) https://about.proquest.com/en/events/events/

Oct 9: Providing Mental Health Resources at Your Library (NNLM) https://www.nnlm.gov/training/schedule

Oct 28: Ask. Discover. Cite. How Academic AI is Redefining Discovery (Library Journal) https://www.libraryjournal.com/section/events

Oct 30: Curriculum Shifts and Library Strategy: Insights from Emerging Higher Ed Trends (Clarivate|ProQuest) https://about.proquest.com/en/events/events/

SCHOOL LIBRARIES

Oct 6: Prevention and Intervention in Reading: When, Why, and How (edWeb) https://home.edweb.net/webinars/

Oct 7: Designing a Menu of Behavior Intervention Options: Beyond Check-In, Check-Out (edWeb) https://home.edweb.net/webinars/

Oct 9: Rethinking Student Mental Health Support: The Power of Dual-Factor Screening (edWeb) https://home.edweb.net/webinars/

Oct 16: Leading to Retain: Servant Leadership Strategies for K–12 School Leaders (Blackbaud) https://www.blackbaud.com/events/all-events

Oct 28: Life Skills, Collaboration, and STEAM Connections Beyond the Classroom (edWeb) https://home.edweb.net/webinars/

TECHNOLOGY

Oct 1: How Social Media is Used as an Information Discovery Tool (Georgia Library Association) https://georgialibraryassociation.org/Carterette-Series-Webinars

Oct 7: AI Made Simple: Practical Tools for Today’s Libraries (Clarivate|ProQuest) https://about.proquest.com/en/events/events/

Oct 8: Trust, Trickery and the Click: Defending Against Human Hacks (Nonprofit Hub) https://nonprofithub.org/webinars-events/

Oct 8: What’s Up Wednesday: AI Literacy for Librarians: Understanding and Teaching AI (Indiana State Library) https://continuinged.isl.in.gov/find-training/online-training-series/

Oct 8: Why IT Managers Need to Care About Website Security (Tech Impact) https://techimpact.org/webinars

Oct 14: Lower the Stress and Increase the Effectiveness of Your Social Media (WebJunction) http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction.html

Oct 20: Getting Started with AI in Teams: 3 Things Every Nonprofit Needs to Know (Nonprofit Learning Lab) https://www.nonprofitlearninglab.org/webinars

Oct 22: Leading the Charge: Navigating Change in Edtech Leadership (Follett) https://www.follettcommunity.com/s/webinars

TRAINING & INSTRUCTIONS

Oct 8: Training That Works: A Simple Guide for Nonprofits (Niche Academy) https://www.nicheacademy.com/upcoming-webinars

Oct 16: Adapting Training to Meet Diverse Learning Needs (Training Industry) http://trainingindustry.com/webinar/

VOLUNTEERS

Oct 9: Appreciation & Recognition Workshop Series Kick Off (Idealist formerly Volunteer Match) https://www.idealist.org/en/orgs/volunteer-engagement-resources

Oct 23: Appreciation & Recognition Series: Designing New Events (Idealist formerly Volunteer Match) https://www.idealist.org/en/orgs/volunteer-engagement-resources

 

AT YOUR LEISURE

Join us for an insightful round table discussion on Accessibility Policy with Librarians and Representatives of the Publishing Industry. This webinar, hosted by the Library Accessibility Alliance (LAA) and the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), will take place on March 24 at 10 a.m. Eastern. Representatives from Elsevier, New Day Films, and EBSCO Ebooks will share their expertise on making works accessible for people with disabilities in alignment with the ADA Title II and the European Accessibility Act (EAA). Visit: https://libraryaccessibility.org/events

Embracing neurodiversity: Cultivating an inclusive workplace for neurodivergent staff (WebJunction)

Work environments that are made up of people who think differently bring more ideas and perspectives to the table. In fact, research consistently shows that diverse teams are better at problem solving, are more innovative, and are more effective. As our workplaces become more diverse, it becomes everyone’s responsibility to learn how to embrace differences. In this webinar, gain an understanding of the term ‘neurodiversity’ and learn about the strengths of those who are neurodivergent. In addition, attendees will learn about ways they can support inclusion of neurodivergent colleagues to help create a more supportive and welcoming environment for all. Visit: https://www.webjunction.org/events/archives.html

 Smarter year-end fundraising: spot what’s working & fix what’s not (Bonterra)

GivingTuesday and year-end represent the most critical fundraising window of the year. It’s the time to raise dollars but also drive long-term donor engagement and growth. But how do you know if your campaign is truly on track or if it’s time to pivot? Join us for a practical session on how to evaluate your campaign performance in real time and make the pivots you need to hit your goals. Visit: https://www.bonterratech.com/events-webinars

NEW TO NICHE!

Hosted on Niche Academy, a learning, training, and development platform for public library staff and managers, the NMSL Professional Development Academy provides dozens of recorded trainings and tutorials focusing on a variety of topics such as basic librarianship skills, library management, community relations, accessibility, and many others. Each month, new recordings and tutorials are added to the NMSL Academy.

Tutorials added in September 2025

LIBRARY FOUNDATIONAL TRAINING (LiFT) – Public Library Fundamentals

• Developed by the Idaho Commission for Libraries in partnership with WebJunction and using an IMLS grant, the LiFT series of trainings will gradually replace the ABLE (Alternative Basic Library Education) courses. Please note that a WebJunction account (free) is needed to access the courses)

WELNESS AND SUPPORT FOR LIBRARY STAFF

• Burnout in Public Libraries Series 
  • • • Burnout and a Trauma-Informed Approach
      • Burnout and Workplace Wellness
    • Burnout and Materials Challenges

Note: While the Niche Academy trainings are available for free to New Mexico public library managers and staff through the New Mexico State Library subscription, an account is needed to access the content. Some of the tutorials require additional approval prior to watching. For more information, please contact Ada Negraru, Continuing Education Coordinator: ada.negraru@dca.nm.gov

 

READ THIS NEXT!

Joining archivists in celebrating October as the American Archives Month, Read This Next! recommends five titles in the Archival Fundamentals series published by the Society of American Archivists The books have been recently added by the New Mexico State Library to the New Mexico Archives and Archivists Special Interest Group professional development collection with funding from the New Mexico Library Association. Whether seasoned archivists or dealing with their first archival collection, readers will have plenty to learn from this set of foundational archival literature.

• Gottlieb, Peter, and David W. Carmichael, ed., Leading and managing archives and manuscripts programs. 3rd edition (Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2019)
• Meissner, Dennis, Arranging and describing archives and manuscripts. 3rd edition (Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2019)
• Roe, Kathleen, Advocacy and awareness for archivists. 3rd edition (Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2019)
• Oestreicher, Cheryl, Reference and access for archives and manuscripts, 3rd edition (Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2020)
• Joffrion, Elizabeth, and Michele Valerie Cloonan, Advancing preservation for archives and manuscripts, 3rd edition (Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2020)

For more library and information science titles, 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. The New Mexico Reads portal also includes a selection of Library and Information Science works. Access those through the New Mexico State Library’s website or directly: https://nmreads.boundless.baker-taylor.com/ng/view/library

Happy Reading! Happy Learning!