As library leaders, we often ask ourselves how we can serve unique populations in our communities. With the number of homeschool families increasing across the nation, have you been asking yourself how to best serve them? On this show Elizabeth Stinnette, Children's Librarian at the Purcellville Branch Library in the Loudoun County Public Library System in Virginia, provides answers about how libraries can best serve homeschool families. She includes useful information about the history of homes...
Jan 15, 2024•19 min
In this day and age, with many resources and services online, have you considered how to help your patrons access healthcare professionals right from your library? On this show, George Strawley, Library Engagement Specialist for Region 4 with the Network of the National Library of Medicine, and Trish Hull, Library Manager of the Kearns Branch in the Salt Lake County Library System, talk about telehealth 101. They explain the ins and outs of providing important telehealth resources for your patro...
Dec 29, 2023•28 min
Have you ever had negative work experiences and wondered what others have done when they found themselves in similar situations? On this show Amadee Ricketts, Director of the Cochise County Library District in Arizona, talks about the results of a survey she conducted about negative work experiences in libraries. The results provided insights into the commonalities of these experiences, whether libraries are worse than other workplaces, and what red flags to watch for when applying for library j...
Dec 15, 2023•25 min
What are restorative practices and how can they help our libraries create dialog, trust, and growth? On this show, Stephen Jackson – Director of Equity and Anti-Racism at Oak Park Public Library in Illinois - talks about creating peace circles in libraries where people can share perspectives in safe environments that develop relationships and heal trauma.
Nov 30, 2023•19 min
How can your library help people in your community increase their civic engagement? On this show Lauren Deering, Coordinator of Civic Engagement, and Adriana Blancarte-Hayward, Senior Manager of Outreach Services, both with the Community Outreach and Engagement Department at New York Public Library talk about Creating Civic Engagement Programming in libraries. As they describe in this episode, libraries are trusted pillars of civic life in our communities and ideal venues for implementing civic ...
Nov 15, 2023•21 min
What is compassion satisfaction and what effect does it have on those of us in the helping profession of librarianship? On this show Kay Coates - Assistant Professor of Research, Instruction, and Outreach at Georgia Southern University Libraries – explores how serving others often leads to enjoyment and satisfaction, but also a need to strive for balance and self-care in the process.
Oct 30, 2023•14 min
What are ways our organizations can unite support staff and librarians? On this show Machelle Keen, User Services and Facilities Coordinator for Vanderbilt Libraries in Tennesee, talks about this important aspect of development for our organizations and how, as a library support staff member for over 33 years, she created a conference to help do this. Her passion for uniting, supporting, and developing all members of our teams bridges the gap between support staff and librarians to help everyone...
Oct 16, 2023•17 min
What is quiet quitting and how might it affect your library? On this show Annie Epperson, Professor of Teaching & Learning at the University of Northern Colorado Libraries, and Stephen Sweeney, Director for the Cardinal Stafford Library at the Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary, share what they have learned about quiet quitting. We are hearing a lot about this in the news as people grapple with work culture, life balance, pay, and equity. This conversation explores the quiet quitting ph...
Sep 29, 2023•24 min
Have you wondered if there was a way to write policies without worry? On this show Beka Lemons, Director of the Huntington City Township Public Library in Indiana, talks about Writing Policy Without Worry. Good policies are an essential part of library operations. Beka provides concrete steps and practical tips that will make your process of policy writing far less worrying.
Sep 15, 2023•20 min
As librarians how can we utilize data and what we learn from it to skillfully represent what’s going on in our organizations? On this show Katie Pierce Farrier - Data Science Strategist for the Network of the National Library of Medicine, Region 3 – talks about ways we can use data dashboards to communicate and share findings to best serve constituents.
Aug 31, 2023•14 min
How do we recover from experiences of failure? On this show I talk with Lisa Becksford, Head of Learning Design Initiatives at Virginia Tech’s Newman Library, A.M. Alpin, Director of Library Lab & Special Projects at New York University Libraries, and Isabel Soto-Luna, Business Librarian at the University of Nebraska Omaha. Each shares personal reflections on failure and insights for recovery. While failure is something none of us wish for, it holds potential growth. Being able to talk about...
Aug 15, 2023•30 min
How can your library help constituents in the role of economic development? On this show Diane Luccy, Business and Careers Manager at the Richland Library in Columbia, South Carolina, and Julie Brophy, Adult and Community Engagement Manager at the Baltimore County Public Library in Maryland, share steps our libraries can take to become valuable resources in economic development and help support thriving local economies.
Jul 31, 2023•28 min
Have you asked yourself lately how you can up your reference interview game to best serve your constituents? On this show, we hear from two professionals at the Denver Public Library. Stacey Grijalva, is a Librarian at the Central Library, and Robin Filipzak, is Supervisor at the Eugene Field Branch Library. They share how successfully discerning what people need using reference interviews is key to creating happy customers. This topic is fundamental to our profession and essential for getting t...
Jul 17, 2023•20 min
Are you a quiet leader or do you work with others who lead quietly? In the field of librarianship, it is thought that more than half of those in the profession are introverts. On this show, Jennifer Blair, Associate Professor and Head of User Services Librarian at Azusa Pacific University in California, talks about how quiet leaders can excel in promoting successful work environments and leading others in a way that is influential but doesn’t change who they are.
Jun 30, 2023•37 min
Have you ever thought about how you can support nonprofits as essential community links and valuable resources for those you serve? On this show Sam Passey, Director of the Uintah County Library in Utah, shares how his library helps non-profits thrive to best serve constituents and create knowledge about what’s possible in developing opportunities for all.
Jun 15, 2023•15 min
There’s no denying that these days librarians all over the nation are grappling with questions regarding the First Amendment and the legal ramifications of challenges in our libraries to intellectual freedom. On this show, Deborah Caldwell-Stone, the Director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom and Executive Director of the Freedom to Read Foundation, shares essential information about libraries and the First Amendment. While Deborah is an attorney, she cannot o...
May 31, 2023•40 min
How do we engage in work that is intentional and makes the best use of our limited time and energy? On this show Rebekah Cummings, Digital Matters Interim Director at the University of Utah Marriott Library, talks about Selecting Your Yes with Intention in order to do good things in our communities while also taking care of ourselves and engaging in work that best utilizes our capacities.
May 15, 2023•22 min
Have you ever wondered how to help customers navigate information in an age of so many people making so many claims? On today’s show Heath Stanfield, Manager of the McAlester Public Library in Oklahoma, takes us back to basics to examine classical models of logical fallacies that can help us help our customers find high-quality information.
Apr 30, 2023•13 min
In leading our libraries towards success how can emotional intelligence play a role? On this show Jen Nelson, State Librarian of New Jersey, shares how our capacity to know ourselves, appropriately express our emotions, and handle our work relationships with empathy makes us more effective - and how this is accessible to everyone.
Apr 13, 2023•17 min
How do we provide supportive management for people with disabilities in our workplaces? On this show Katie Manwiller, Education Librarian & Assistant Professor at West Chester University Libraries in Pennsylvania, Sammy Peter, Chair of Research and Instruction at the University of Wyoming, and Kiyomi Deards, Chair of the Libraries Faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln talk about what we need to know to support people of all abilities working in our organizations.
Mar 31, 2023•17 min
What benefits might we see working on projects and supporting teams if we are able to decenter ourselves and empower others? On this show Erin Leach, Head of Administrative Projects and Organizational Effectiveness at University of Georgia Libraries, talks about what it takes to be an effective leader who puts others forward to create successful outcomes.
Mar 15, 2023•22 min
What do we do when things are changing around us but we are not the ones in charge? On this show Catherine Soehner, Associate Dean for Research and Director of the Eccles Health Sciences Library at the University of Utah, talks about the dynamics of change and how we can react according to our roles, all the while influencing the change process for better results.
Feb 28, 2023•21 min
How can we successfully manage volunteers in our libraries? On this show Maggie Rose, PR & Marketing Associate at the Barberton Public Library in Ohio, shares strategies for success on how to recruit, integrate, and recognize volunteers and even thoughts on what to do if something goes wrong.
Feb 15, 2023•19 min
How can we operate effectively in the workplace without overextending? On this show Kiyomi Deards, Chair of the Libraries Faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Leo Lo, Dean and Professor at the College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences at the University of New Mexico, talk about how to be generous without being a doormat. Thinking about ways to align actions with appropriate boundaries and priorities can help all of us be more effective in our work.
Jan 31, 2023•22 min
How often do we think to ourselves that if we only had time for wellness we could do so much better in our careers? On this show Laura Summers - Associate Clinical Professor and Program Leader for Leadership in the P-12 Libraries Program at the University of Colorado, Denver - talks about the 8 Dimensions of Wellness for Librarians. A commitment to taking care of ourselves truly can benefit us and our organizations.
Jan 13, 2023•20 min•Ep. 120
What knowledge do library directors need to be effective? On this show Michele Stricker, Deputy State Librarian of Library Development in New Jersey, shares the essentials of library director training developed through her agency to provide effective leadership support in her state. She talks about the essentials that library directors need to know in managing staff, working with boards, influencing elected officials, working with communities, and more.
Dec 30, 2022•27 min
What effect does worker engagement have on the success of our organizations and what can be done to increase it? On this show, Elaina Norlin, Professional Development Coordinator for the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries and author of The Six Step Guide to Worker Engagement, talks about what it means when people are disengaged in the workplace. She shares the elements that increase the likelihood of people being truly engaged and happy in their work, which sets both workers and libr...
Dec 15, 2022•23 min
Have you ever been asked a question at the library and suddenly didn’t know what to say? On this show Brittany Davis and Kevin Jones, Librarians at Eastern Kentucky University Libraries, share ways that comedy and improv can help. By knowing and practicing improvisational techniques librarians can be prepared to think outside the box when faced with the unexpected. It’s a lighthearted way to enhance the work we do in libraries.
Nov 30, 2022•15 min
How do we deal with the current climate of censorship facing libraries? On this show Alison Macrina, Director of Library Freedom Project, talks about the state of censorship in the US as coordinated efforts take place to remove materials from the shelves of libraries. She shares what we need to understand about those actively opposing materials in our libraries, how to respond to protect ourselves, and how to prepare for this issue with staff, boards, and other stakeholders.
Nov 15, 2022•20 min
What do you do when you apply for a position and don’t get it? On this show Sarah O’Shea, Head of Youth Services at the Tompkins Public Library in New York, shares how though this can feel like a set-back there are ways to move forward that allow for self-care, regrouping, and coming back with new focus and strength.
Oct 31, 2022•19 min
