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Library Management Training

Are you one of the many current or aspiring managers that didn't learn management skills in library school? We have the perfect training for you.

This course will set you up for success in your future or existing management position by training you on the fundamentals of staff relationships and management, managing difficult conversations and staff feedback, crisis and incident management, budget management, and more. Built specifically for managers (or those on a future management track), this interactive course will give you the opportunity to role play challenging scenarios and get feedback from experts and peers.

This 8-week intensive, virtual training is created to prepare library managers for the specific challenges you will face but were not trained for. Each live-session week will include training from an expert guest speaker, a facilitated discussion, and an interactive session to workshop new skills with peers. In the week between each live session meeting, you will have the opportunity to work on asynchronous prompts in peer cohort groups that will lead to a culminating portfolio of management resources. You will leave this course with a new cohort of peers and a Library Journal Management Training Certificate.

Curriculum Advisors

Sonia Alcantara-Antoine,

Director, Baltimore County

Public Library

Lauren Comito, (she, her) Neighborhood Library Supervisor at the Leonard Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library and

Board Chair of Urban

Librarians Unite

Michelle Hamiel,

Director of Racial Equity and Community Impact at Urban Libraries Council (ULC)

Melanie Huggins,

Executive Director, Richland Library in Columbia, SC

Nay Keppler,

Library Manager at Baltimore County Public Library - Woodlawn Library (MD)

Course Program

Week 1 Session 1 | 2:00-2:50 pm ET

Foundations of People Management: Becoming a Leader

What kind of manager do you want to be? This introduction to the course will showcase different management styles, detail qualities of good leaders, share the foundations of managing a team, and teach you how to foster a culture of relationship building between your staff and yourself.

Week 2 Session 2 | 2:00-2:50 pm ET

How to Manage People: Team Meetings, Check-ins, and Reviews

How do you run an effective and efficient team meeting? What should - and should not - go into your annual reviews? How often should you have staff meetings and one-on-one check ins, and how should you structure them? This week will focus on these questions and provide tangible strategies and templates for streamlining your processes and making the most out of time with your team.

Week 3 Session 3 | 2:00-2:50 pm ET

How to Manage People: Difficult Conversations, Feedback, and Change

How do you give negative feedback to staff? How do you communicate clearly, transparently, and directly with staff, especially regarding changes or challenging situations that might impact their work lives? This week will focus on how to manage communication with your team from tough feedback, to crisis communication, to leading a team through change, and more.

Week 4 Session 4 | 2:00-2:50 pm ET

How to Manage People through Conflict and Resistance

How do you manage interpersonal conflicts on your team, especially in cross-generational teams? How do you manage and create buy-in with resistant staff? This week will teach you practical skills for diffusing tension on your team and redirecting, coaching, and building relationships with resistant staff. We’ll also discuss how to create and enforce people-first policies to help set and manage staff behavior expectations.

Week 5 Session 5 | 2:00-2:50 pm ET

Managing through Burnout: Building Staff Resilience

Staff burnout is at an all-time high, and many systemic and stackable issues contribute to staff burnout. How do you support your staff even and especially when the cause of their burnout is out of your direct control? What are some ways you can create positive impact within your sphere of influence? This week will focus on these questions and discuss ways to build staff resilience. We will also cover ways to reduce burnout and harm by ensuring your management practices are equitable and inclusive.

Week 6 Session 6 | 2:00-2:50 pm ET

Crisis Management: Showing Up for Your Team and Yourself

Safety and security are top of mind for librarians across the country. How do you manage your team through crises? This week will focus on creating safer libraries by ensuring your emergency policies and procedures are up to date and work for you. We will discuss strategies for iterating on and implementing your crisis plans; how to mandate and respond to incident reports; and how to debrief with your team after an event in a trauma-informed way.

Week 7 Session 7 | 2:00-2:50 pm ET

Foundations of Financial Planning and Budget Management

So you’ve been put in charge of a budget, but no one has ever taught you what to do with it. This week will focus on how to manage your financial planning and budget process. You will learn practical tips from a library perspective and leave with templates to streamline this part of your job.

Week 8 Session 8 | 2:00-2:50 pm ET

Promoting Career Development in Your Staff and Yourself

Studies show that career development is one of the key indicators for staff retention. So how do you promote career development in your staff? And how do you advocate for your own goals and trajectory? In this final week, we will discuss how to mentor and coach your teams to help them build the skills and self-sufficiency they need to move forward in their careers. We will also discuss career path opportunities for managers and strategies for stretching into a new role whenever you’re ready.