When you sign up for our new online Social Emotional Librarianship course as a group, your team will be placed in the same small workshop group, where discussions and project-based assignments receive feedback from an experienced librarian. Plus, you get discounted rates for groups of 3 or more.

Effectively serving the needs of your community requires an understanding of how to support their social and emotional needs in addition to their information and practical needs. It also requires self-care strategies and engagement tools for yourself, colleagues, and staff.

Over three weeks, join us for our brand new course Social Emotional Librarianship, where you’ll learn from experts how to support the ‘whole patron’ in your practice, programs, partnerships and services.

You’ll complete assignments to create your own initiative over 3+ weeks in an interactive online classroom environment with personal coaching from an expert in the field.

The speaker program runs on Tuesdays, March 29, April 5, and 12, from 2:00-4:00 pm ET (recordings available for on-demand viewing) with an ongoing facilitator-led workshop over 3 weeks.

Program

Week 1: Supportive Programs for Staff - Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Session 1 | 2:00-2:45 pm ET

Solidarity as Strategic Plan

Hierarchies, silos, vocational awe, toxic positivity, imposter syndrome, low morale, theatrical listening…. As we evolve in our profession, more and more new terms related to dissatisfaction seem to pop up. Meaningful support of staff should be rooted in recognizing our issues and then participating in genuine teamwork through solidarity and communication.

In this session, you’ll learn how to be an advocate and ally for yourself and staff members or colleagues by setting clear, value-driven intentions directly into your institution’s driving documents at multiple levels: strategic plans, vision statements, needs assessments, and action plans.

Session 2 | 3:00-3:45 pm ET

Social Emotional Communication: How To Develop Compassionate Communication as Personal Philosophy

Strong leadership skills ideally extend to all library staff as they take ownership of their individual roles and contributions to the library at large. Best-in-class communication practices benefit from strong social-emotional skills and can be the ticket to reaching patrons and colleagues during challenging times. In this session, library director Sonia Alcantara-Antoine (Baltimore County Public) shares her strategies for communicating openly and honestly as she works to shift organizational culture, connect with over 600 employees, and engage the Baltimore community in her second role as a director. She’ll share lessons learned from participatory decision making and tips for communication strategies you can adopt as an individual or as part of your department or team.

Speakers:

Week 2: Programs and Services to Support the Community - Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Session 1 | 2:00-2:45 pm ET

Community Programs That Change Lives

In this rapid-fire session, you’ll hear from several minds behind new initiatives that address the needs of community well being. Each panelist will present a short snapshot of their latest work, and the group will host an extended Q+A session to answer your questions about partnerships, parameters of success, budgeting, and whatever else you want to know!

Projects:

The Healing Library

Learn about The Healing Library, a series of kits to help ease healing from trauma, and the way Anne Arundel County Public Library adapted the unique lending program to meet their community’s SEL needs.

Presented by Megan Schadlich, creator of The Healing Library, and Laura Efrom, Assistant Branch Manager, Anne Arundel County Public Library (MD)

Bicycle Lending Initiative

Get a behind-the-scenes look at how community need for transportation grew into a bike lending program and wellness initiative at Anythink Libraries in Colorado. Presented by Ricardo Cardenas, Commerce City Branch Manager, Anythink Libraries

Intergenerational Community Circles

Learn about this Restorative Justice based program that combines peace circles and intergenerational community reads–building community, offering support, and more. The program is led by trained library staff, community partners, college students, and local high school students who all act as guides through thought-provoking and challenging discussions of titles like Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You and the March series at Oak Park Public Library in Illinois. Not only was the program a success in a pre-pandemic setting, it survived the transition to virtual hosting. Presented by Tatiana Swancy, Restorative Practices Coordinator at Oak Park Public Library (IL)

Session 2 | 3:00-3:45 pm ET

Restorative Justice as Organizational Culture

Learn about this Restorative Justice based program that combines peace circles and intergenerational community reads–building community, offering support, and more. The program is led by trained library staff, community partners, college students, and local middle grade students who all act as guides  through thought-provoking and challenging discussions of titles like Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You and the March series at Oak Park Public Library in Illinois. Originally intended to be in-person, the program launched during the pandemic and has been a success in a virtual setting.

Speakers:

Week 3: Whole-Person Partnerships with Mental Health, Social Work, and Other Organizations - Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Session 1 | 2:00-2:45 pm ET

Lessons From The Social Workers in Rural and Small Libraries Project

Learn ways that small, rural or underfunded libraries can partner with social workers or social service organizations to address needs in the library community. Licensed social worker Tiffany Russell was the first Social Services Manager at Niles District Library (MI). She’ll share insights into the transformational program, The Social Workers in Rural and Small Libraries Project, which has helped connect librarians and patrons to available resources and deepen their understanding of social services available to patrons. She’ll help spark ideas for wide ranging community partners and provide grant writing tips to support this work.

Session 2 | 3:00-3:45 pm ET

Whole Person Librarianship: Lessons from the World of Social Work to Modernize Librarianship

Partnerships aren’t a possibility for every library, but the lessons learned from social-work-library collaborations can bring profound change to the practice of librarianship.

In this session, you’ll learn about Whole Person Librarianship – the application of social work to improve library public service – and how it can serve you. Author, librarian and instructor Sara Zettervall will share examples of the evolution of social work partnerships in libraries, discuss how to strategically choose and prepare for these types of partnerships, and how to set healthy, supportive boundaries to grow personally, professionally, and as a community.

Speakers:

Register early and save!