Training
Online Resources
Events
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Rethinking Youth Services Outreach: Developing Connections between Public Libraries and Parent-Teacher Associations
Public libraries are rethinking outreach strategies. In this workshop geared toward staff and professionals in Youth Services, we’ll share how public libraries can develop and sustain connections with their community through parent-teacher organizations.
Engaging directly at PTA meetings and programs connects librarians directly with parents and caregivers. This approach allows librarians to promote materials, digital resources, and programs to families in their community. In turn, parents and caregivers can engage in dialogue about community needs and preferences. This also eases the burden of busy educators by directly collaborating with families.
Join Kellyanne Healey, Children's Librarian, and Michele McCormick, PTA-President, as they showcase the burgeoning relationship between the Lake Hiawatha Branch Library and the Parent-Teacher Association of Northvail Elementary School. The session will offer suggestions and actionable advice on how libraries can connect with their own local PTAs to deepen community ties.Gale in 15: Comparing Perspectives: Indigenous Voices in Literature
Bridge historical context with literary expression by exploring Indigenous voices through both your Gale Primary Source Collection, Indigenous Peoples of North America (Part 1) and Gale Literature Resource Center (LRC). This session will demonstrate how to pair primary source materials—such as treaties, oral histories, and cultural documents—with literary works by Native American authors to deepen understanding of Indigenous experiences, resilience, and perspectives.
The New Instruction Librarian Live: Real Problems, Real Solutions
Step into the classroom with confidence! This webinar brings to life teaching scenarios from the 2025 (2nd edition) book The New Instruction Librarian, tackling the common (and sometimes surprising) challenges that instruction librarians face. Together, we’ll look at practical ways to respond in the moment, keep students engaged, and build confidence as an instructor. Our goal is to keep things real, practical, and reassuring, because you don’t have to figure this out alone.
Presenters: Co-authors Candice Benjes-Small and Rebecca Miller Waltz will be joined by a panel of librarians who served as experts in the book.
Candice Benjes-Small, MLIS, is head of research at William & Mary Libraries in Williamsburg, VA. A frequent presenter at national library and teaching-and-learning conferences, Benjes-Small has published widely on information literacy pedagogy, librarian–faculty partnerships, and the organizational structures that support effective teaching programs. Along with Rebecca, she co-founded The Innovative Library Classroom, a popular regional library instruction conference, serving as co-chair since 2014.
Rebecca Miller Waltz, MSLS, MAEd, is Associate Dean for Learning and Engagement at Penn State University Libraries. Rebecca has been active in regional, state, and national library organizations and has authored and coauthored a number of books, book chapters, technical reports, and articles on teaching, learning, and instructional technologies in libraries, including publications in College & Research Libraries News, Journal of Learning Spaces, Library Leadership & Management, and Journal of Library Administration.