Check out the 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
Thursday, Nov 6 (10 am-5 pm) LibraryCon Live! 2025 (Library Journal & School Library Journal)
Join Library Journal and School Library Journal on November 6 for our ninth annual LibraryCon Live! We’re excited to present a day-long celebration of fandom, spotlighting genre fiction for adults and teens with panels devoted to comics and graphic novels, horror, sf/fantasy, and more. Plus, network online while exploring the virtual exhibit hall, where you can chat with publishing reps and download free resources. Whether you’re a public or school librarian, an educator, or a superfan, don’t miss this chance to meet with some of your favorite creators. Join us on socials! #LibraryConLive For more information and to register, visit: https://www.libraryjournal.com/event/libraryconlive2025
Thursday, Nov 13 (11 am-3:45 pm) Leader Talk: AI-Enhanced Learning Experiences (Training Industry)
Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the way organizations approach learning. It brings new ways of thinking about design, delivery and the learner experience itself. In this Training Industry Leader Talk, industry experts will share insights on the evolving role of AI in learning and development. Explore how AI is influencing strategy, shaping learner expectations and challenging traditional approaches to instructional design. Walk away with new perspectives on how to lead the future of learning with intelligence and intention. For more information and to register, visit: https://trainingindustry.com/webinar/artificial-intelligence/leader-talk-ai-enhanced-learning-experiences/
PROGRAMS BY TOPIC
ACCESSIBILITY
Nov 5: Being There for Asylum Seekers and People Experiencing Homelessness and Poverty: How Can Libraries Help? (Georgia Library Association) https://georgialibraryassociation.org/Carterette-Series-Webinars
ADVOCACY
Nov 12: Telling Your Library’s Story (Niche Academy) https://www.nicheacademy.com/upcoming-webinars
Nov 18: Crafting Powerful Talking Points for Library Advocacy (Clarivate/Proquest) https://about.proquest.com/en/events/events/
ASSESMENT/PLANNING
Nov 6: Creating Data Management Plans with DMP Tool (NNLM) https://www.nnlm.gov/training
Nov 6: Where strategic planning and fundraising meet (Bloomerang) https://bloomerang.com/webinars-events/
Nov 18: Preparing Your Website and Marketing Analytics for 2026 (TechSoup) https://events.techsoup.org/techsoup-events/
BOARDS
Nov 5: Boards on Fire! Inspiring Leaders to Raise Money (National Girls Collaborative Project) https://ngcproject.org/events-announcements
CAREERS (Staff)
Nov 4: Information Session: MPS in Digital Curation and Management and MSLS Archives Track (UNC) https://sils.unc.edu/events/
Nov 4: Being Sabotaged at Work and What to Do About It (Training Magazine Network) https://www.trainingmagnetwork.com/calendar
Nov 18: The Price of Nice with Amira Barger (Idealist/Volunteer Match) https://www.idealist.org/en/orgs/volunteer-engagement-resources
CHILDREN & TEENS
Nov 4: Make Your Students the Stars: Practical Ways to Increase Engagement (Libraries Learn/Colorado State Library) https://www.librarieslearn.org/calendar/month/2025-11/
Nov 18: Big impact, small budget: After-school ideas that cost next to nothing (WebJunction) https://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction.html
Nov 19: Creating and Advocating for Nature-Smart Libraries (ALA/eLearning) https://elearning.ala.org/local/catalog/view/product.php?productid=1590
Nov 19: Nourishing Minds: A Free Toolkit for Teen Mental Health Programming in Libraries (Programming Librarian) https://programminglibrarian.org/webinars
COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT
Nov 11: Adult Faves (Booklist) https://www.booklistonline.com/GeneralInfo.aspx?id=63
Nov 11: Book Processing with Demco Book Doctor Kimberly Young (Demco) https://ideas.demco.com/webinars/
COMMUNICATION
Nov 19: Stay Relevant in a Digital World! Easy-to-Implement Guidance to Maintain Your Digital Presence (Nonprofit Learning Lab) https://www.nonprofitlearninglab.org/webinars
DEVELOPMENT & MANAGING CHANGE
Nov 5: Creating Thriving Workplaces: Mental Health & Well-being (Niche Academy) https://www.nicheacademy.com/upcoming-webinars
Nov 5: What Got Us Here Won’t Get Us There: Building the Next Generation of Thriving Libraries (Library Journal) https://www.libraryjournal.com/section/events
DIGITAL RESOURCES
Nov 18: The Research Data Services Landscape: How Do You Start and Where Does Your Library Fit In? (NNLM) https://www.nnlm.gov/training
FUNDRAISING
Nov 6: Beyond the Status Quo: Building a Modern Finance Function for Charities & NPOs (Charity Village) https://resources.charityvillage.com/learning-centre/webinars/
Nov 13: How to Build A Library Case for Support: Part II* (Consultants for Libraries) *Part I in At Your Leisure section https://www.consultantsforlibraries.org/events
Nov 19: The donor cultivation playbook: smarter touches, stronger results (Bloomerang) https://bloomerang.com/webinars-events/
Nov 25: Simplified Fundraising Planning for Small Nonprofits (Productive Fundraising) https://productivefundraising.com/event/
LEGAL
Nov 21: ASERL Copyright Office Hour (ASERL). Bring your copyright questions and puzzling situations! Copyright experts from ASERL libraries will be on hand to help sort through whatever is on your mind. QUESTIONS can be submitted anonymously in advance at https://forms.gle/GZM8WKMf7CtRSVTN8. For more information and to register, visit: https://www.aserl.org/events/month/2025-11/
MANAGEMENT
Nov 3: Evaluation Basics and Emerging Trends (Nonprofit Learning Lab) https://www.nonprofitlearninglab.org/webinars
Nov 17: Communicating With Confidence (GovLoop) https://www.govloop.com/training/
Nov 19: Stuck No More: Unlocking Hidden Solutions with Paradox Awareness (Niche Academy) https://www.nicheacademy.com/upcoming-webinars
Nov 19: Translating Finance in the Nonprofit World: Telling the Right Financial Story to the Right Audience (Blackbaud) https://www.blackbaud.com/events/all-events
OUTREACH & PARTNERS
Nov 5: From Rotary to the Local Bar: Unexpected Allies in Library Outreach (Nebraska Library Commission) https://nlc.nebraska.gov/scripts/calendar/eventlist.asp?Mode=ALL
PROGRAMMING
Nov 4: ALA’s Sara Jaffarian Award Presents – Hands-On History: Bringing History Alive with Historical Artifacts (ProgrammingLibrarian) https://programminglibrarian.org/webinars
Nov 12: There’s Always Something Happening at the Library: Becoming a Daily Destination for Your Community (Nebraska Library Commission) https://nlc.nebraska.gov/scripts/calendar/eventlist.asp?Mode=ALL
Nov 18: Acts of Science: Connected Info Session (SciStarter) https://scistarter.org/events
READERS’ ADVISORY
Nov 3: Celebrate Native American and Indigenous Voices! (Booklist) https://www.booklistonline.com/GeneralInfo.aspx?id=63
Nov 4: What’s News in Debuts? (Booklist) https://www.booklistonline.com/GeneralInfo.aspx?id=63
Nov 13: DK Spring 2026 Season Preview (Booklist) https://www.booklistonline.com/GeneralInfo.aspx?id=63
Nov 19: Summer Reading Program 2026: Unearth a Story (Nebraska Library Commission) https://nlc.nebraska.gov/scripts/calendar/eventlist.asp?Mode=ALL
REFERENCE
Nov 5: Harvard Education Press’s The Future of Education Webinar (Harvard Graduate School of Education) https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/events
Nov 12: Unsung Heroes of Academic Research: Magazine Archives as Primary Sources (Library Journal) https://www.libraryjournal.com/section/events
SCHOOL LIBRARIES
Nov 4: Motivation Drives Math Success for Every Student (edWeb) https://home.edweb.net/webinars/
Nov 5: Confronting the Crisis of Reading Among Children (ALA) https://ala-events.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BeI5DQmZRaOK4xol9X6Vlg#/registration
Nov 10: Redefining Dyslexia: What Every Educator Should Know About the 2025 IDA Update (edWeb) https://home.edweb.net/webinars/
Nov 12: Confronting the Crisis of Reading Among Teens (ALA) https://ala-events.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BeI5DQmZRaOK4xol9X6Vlg#/registration
Nov 13: Building Reading Fluency: The Role of Rich and Varied Practice (edWeb) https://home.edweb.net/webinars/
Nov 13: Strategies to Re-Engage Students and Foster a Culture of Reading (School Library Journal) https://slj.com/?subpage=Events
Nov 18: App Smash Extravaganza: Digital Tools for Innovation and Impact (All4Ed) https://all4ed.org/events/?_content_type_dropdown_copy=webinar&_topic_dropdown=future-ready-schools
Nov 18: Data-Informed Advocacy for School Libraries Online (Libraries Learn/Colorado State Library) https://www.librarieslearn.org/calendar/month/2025-11/
TECHNOLOGY
Nov 6: Building Capacity for Change: A TechSoup Talk with GivingTuesday’s Asha Curran and Marnie Webb (TechSoup) https://events.techsoup.org/techsoup-events/
Nov 10: You May Be Small But You Can Be Mighty: Empowering Nonprofits with AI-Powered Advocacy (Nonprofit Learning Lab) https://www.nonprofitlearninglab.org/webinars
Nov 10: The State of AI Practices in L&D: What Matters (and What Doesn’t) Across Organizations (Training Industry) https://trainingindustry.com/webinar/
Nov 12: New! Free Q&A Session: Everything You Want to Know About Social Media and Your Nonprofit but Are Afraid to Ask! (CharityHowTo) https://www.charityhowto.com/nonprofit-live-webinars
Nov 13: Bias, Bots, and Bad Data: Navigating Ethical Minefields in AI-powered Learning (Training Magazine Network) https://www.trainingmagnetwork.com/calendar
Nov 13: Ethical AI Strategies for Academic Libraries: Finding Your Path Forward (Clarivate/Proquest) https://about.proquest.com/en/events/events/
Nov 19: All Together Now: Collaborating with AI and SMEs (Training Magazine Network) https://www.trainingmagnetwork.com/calendar
Nov 19: Build Apps, Not Spreadsheets: A Live Look at Google AppSheet (TechImpact) https://techimpact.org/webinars
Nov 20: The Art of The Possible: Building Data Strategy for Greater Mission Impact (TechSoup) https://events.techsoup.org/techsoup-events/
Nov 21: Creating with AI: Copyright Issues Related to Authorship, Authenticity, and Preservation for AI-assisted Works (ASERL) https://www.aserl.org/events/month/2025-11/
Nov 25: Building Smarter Workflows with AI in K-12 Operations (Follett) https://www.follettcommunity.com/s/webinars
Nov 25: Supporting AI Education in Out-of-School Time Spaces (National Girls Collaborative Project) https://ngcproject.org/events-announcements
VOLUNTEERS
Nov 13: Is Everyone Welcome Toolkit: Encouraging Volunteer Reflection (Idealist/Volunteer Match) https://www.idealist.org/en/orgs/volunteer-engagement-resources
AT YOUR LEISURE
Pre-recorded webinars to view at your convenience
Fundamentals of Library Advocacy (EveryLibray Institute)
In this introductory webinar, we are going to explore what it takes to build a movement for libraries in your local community. The advocacy theory, strategies, and tactics that we introduce come from some of the largest movements for causes and political campaigns. These advocacy tools include data, messaging, supporter cultivation, fundraising, using volunteers, and a wide range of tactics like Facebook, outreach, email and direct mail, paid and earned media, and much more. Visit: https://www.everylibraryinstitute.org/fundamentals
How to Build a Library Case for Support that Inspires Action: Part I* (Consultants for Libraries)
We welcomed Brianna Pyka, Cassandra O’Neill, and Tracey McConnell on Thursday, September 25, 2025, with an engaging webinar discussing their Ready, Set, Go Case Statement Development Program, which blends expert instruction with hands-on application designed to help you create a powerful case statement that elevates your fundraising effectiveness. Visit: https://www.consultantsforlibraries.org/videos/how-to-build-a-library-case-for-support-that-inspires-action-part-i
*See Nov 13 for Part II
Transforming Librarianship to Model Neuroinclusion in Libraries (Library Accessibility)
This session will introduce participants to the neurodiversity employment movement and its impact in other fields, such as IT. The presenters will also share results from an IMLS-funded initiative that highlights the voices of neurodivergent librarians and their journey of negotiating identity as they face barriers and enablers to their success. Neurodivergent librarians are an important part of the profession, so it is imperative that libraries adopt neuroinclusive practices in their workplaces. Come learn what to consider at your library! Visit: https://libraryaccessibility.org/events
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 October 2025
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- CREW: A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries: CREW: https://my.nicheacademy.com/nmstate-staff/course/8834
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Coming soon
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- More than a Chore: Why Library Plans & Policies are Important and How to Write Them (NMSL Development Bureau presentation at the New Mexico Library Association conference, October 23, 2025)
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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!
This month’s book recommendation is Advocating digital citizenship: resources for the library and classroom, by Carrie Rogers-Whitehead, Amy O. Milstead, and Lini Farris-Hill (Santa Barbara: Libraries Unlimited, 2022). Building on the basic definition of digital citizenship is “the ethical and responsible use of technology,” the authors expand the term to include “being healthy online, civic and political online engagement, communication, media literacy, and online safety.” Addressing both public and school libraries, the seven chapters cover media literacy and digital law, communication and etiquette, creating policies and best practices, programming and advocacy, implementing digital citizenship in public schools, and startup lessons. The appendices provide sample policies and programming ideas to help libraries incorporate digital citizenship in their services.
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