Libraries have been below fixed assault for 4 straight years—and that doesn’t even have in mind how a lot has transpired on the planet of librarianship over the past decade. From COVID to AI, libraries have been weathering adjustments left, proper, and middle.
However how a lot have library staff been capable of put money into themselves and construct their ability units throughout these (seemingly ceaseless) altering occasions? Maybe the reply shouldn’t be a lot. That may very well be as a result of time is brief and the work is lengthy. It may very well be as a result of attending a category, workshop, or convention is costly. It may very well be one million different issues or any mixture therein.
As we enter the brand new yr—and one which guarantees to not be slowing down—it’s time to construct skilled improvement into your agenda and duties to be able to do one of the best job doable in serving your neighborhood. Whether or not or not you’ve a price range doesn’t matter. One in all these alternatives is freely accessible whereas the second comes on the nominal value of $35.
READCON
READCON, often known as a curriculum for library Readiness, Advocacy, and Group Empowerment Throughout Difficult Situations, is a freely accessible skill-building program that helps equip library staff with a variety of “soft skills” to assist navigate the present and future realities of library work. This system is meant to empower library staff.
Literary Activism Publication
Information you should use plus suggestions and instruments for the combat in opposition to censorship and different bookish activism!
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Developed by an Institute of Museum and Library Providers grant, READCON is an extension of the Get Prepared, Keep Prepared Group Motion Toolkit.
READCON accommodates six completely different broad subjects for library staff to discover, both chronologically or by no matter pursuits or wants they discover themselves in search of. The subjects embody disrupting censorship, disaster communication, the authorized panorama for library staff, civic engagement, battle communication, and a information to youth advocacy. Every matter was written by an professional in these subjects and consists of a variety of actions meant to assist develop these ability units—quick movies, audio classes, key readings, and extra.*
The entire subjects inside READCON will be achieved solo or with a bunch. If you happen to’ve bought a couple of hours for skilled improvement in your library, select one or two of the subjects inside READCON and run it for all applicable workers.
READCON is made accessible without spending a dime and gives its content material in a number of languages for better entry.
The Authorized Panorama of Librarianship Discussion board
An offshoot from READCON is the upcoming Authorized Panorama of Librarianship Discussion board (L3), operating February 18-20, 2025. The occasion, which prices $35, will train library staff to grasp their authorized rights as people and as workers inside the library, in addition to the authorized rights of the establishment itself. It’s designed in order that library staff inside any enviornment—public, college, or tutorial—cannot solely study however have the chance to interact with the audio system to ask questions and get clarifications on authorized points as they relate to the library.
This closed, digital occasion is proscribed to those that are at the moment working in public, tutorial, or college libraries, in addition to at the moment enrolled MLIS college students or these college students enrolled in a college librarian certification program. Every session of this system is obtainable a number of occasions over the course of the three-day occasion, which permits for limiting the variety of attendees in every session to 30. This may let attendees have the sorts of conversations and ask the sorts of questions that, too usually, they don’t get the chance to have. Not one of the classes shall be recorded or saved.
Areas for this occasion are filling up quick, and librarians in states which have confronted (or could quickly face) important authorized challenges are particularly inspired to participate. Registration will shut both when each slot is stuffed.
If all for studying extra or to enroll, head to the L3 web site.
*Full disclosure: I wrote the curriculum for the subject of civic engagement. It consists of the place and methods to do asset mapping, methods to encourage civic engagement in your library, upping your public talking expertise, understanding and appreciating what your private/skilled values are, and extra.