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Professional Development Resources for Librarians: Home

WebJunction

Free January Webinars The list, provided by the Maine State Library, includes over 40 webinars and an online conference, covering 14 different topic areas.

Course Catalog

Topic Areas

Upcoming Webinars

Past Webinar Recordings

WebJunction Projects

Unite Against Book Bans

Unite Against Book Bans supports the public to defeat attempts at every level of government to censor reading materials and ban books. The majority of Americans believe in everyone's freedom to read, and the coalition is composed of parents, students, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and library workers. Unite Against Book Bans is an initiative of the American Library Association, a 501(c)3 organization. 

Unite Against Book Bans Mission: "Unite Against Book Bans strives to stop the removal of reading materials from America’s libraries and schools, which has soared to record highs in recent years. Unite is working to defeat the vocal minority that seeks to impose their views on others by restricting the First Amendment right to read freely."

Unite Against Book Bans Beliefs: 

  • Reading is a foundational skill, critical to learning and exercising our democratic freedoms.
  • Individuals must be trusted and have the right to make their own decisions about what to read.
  • Parents should not make decisions about what to read for other parents' children.
  • Library materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
  • Books are tools for understanding complex issues. Limiting access to books does not offer protection from life's complex and challenging issues.
  • All people deserve to see themselves reflected in a library's books.
  • Library workers should not be subject to harassment, intimidation, arrest, or threats of legal action for fulfilling their professional obligation to serve all members of their community.

ALA eLearning: Providing Immigration Help with Community Partnerships

Providing Immigration Help with Community Partnerships

Duration: 60 minutes ALA Member Price: $71.00 / Non-member Price $79.00 / Division Member Price: $47.00 Certificate Available Upon Completion

"Would you like to provide immigration services at your library, but continually run up against barriers? Staffing limitations, insufficient funding, legal concerns, and in some cases anti-immigrant sentiment, can make immigration services in the library seem daunting. By leveraging community partnerships, you may be able to meet the needs of immigrant populations while simultaneously advocating for your library.

The Fox River Valley Public Library District serves 70,000 residents in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. The largest town in the library’s service area has a history of antagonism toward immigrant populations and successfully passed an “English-only” resolution in 2007, intended to shame and intimidate Spanish-speaking populations. In response, the library partnered with local organizations to initiate ongoing immigration help drop-in programs, monthly citizenship and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewal workshops, and other naturalization services. In this on-demand webinar, librarian Jason Katsion will share tools and tips for assessing the needs of your community and forging community partnerships to meet those needs."

At the conclusion of this on-demand webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Assess the immigration needs of their communities;
  • Target community partners who can assist in meeting immigration needs; and
  • Develop immigration help programming that maximizes the impact for library patrons.

This on-demand webinar is intended for all public library staff, including those with no previous knowledge of the topic.

Panelist: Jason Katsion is public services manager for the Fox River Valley Public Library District in Illinois. He has over twenty years of library experience, having worked in circulation, IT, and reference services. Current focus areas include: auditing library collections for equity, diversity, and inclusion; hosting community-led discussions of social justice issues; and providing relevant and reliable health information to the public. - ALA eLearning

Sponsored by the Public Library Association

Get a Federal LIbrary Job

How to Get a Federal Library Job

February 26, 2025, 11:00 AM MT 90 minutes ALA Member Price: $71.00 / Non-Member Price $79.00 / Division Member Price: $46.61 / Student Price $37.12 Certificate Available after completing the course.

"The U.S. government operates more than 1,000 libraries across all 50 states and around the world. Librarians and library technicians work for all three branches of the federal government -- legislative, executive, and judicial -- and in both civilian and military agencies. From the Library of Congress in Washington to the National Park of American Samoa Library in Pago Pago, federal and armed forces librarians provide a wide range of services in a variety of settings.

This “How to Get a Federal Library Job" panel will discuss the different paths to employment as a federal or military librarian, and provide practical tools for navigating these paths. We will discuss the USAJOBS website, the mysteries of the federal resume format, how to navigate the federal hiring process, and the differences among federal agencies in terms of hiring and operations.

The following federal librarians will join us to share tips, tricks, and advice:

  • Dianne Babski, Director, User Services and Collection Division, National Library of Medicine in Maryland
  • Lee Lipscomb Sergent, Assistant Librarian, Federal Judicial Center in Washington, DC
  • Sundeep Mahendra, Head of Research Access and Collection Development, Geography and Map Division, Library of Congress
  • Ebony McDonald, Librarian, 39th Force Support Squadron, Incirlik Air Base in Turkey 
  • Dr. Stephanie Rollins, Director of Library Services, Air University Library, Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama

Upon completion of this webinar, participants will:

●     Successfully navigate the USAJOBS site, submit federal applications, and prepare a federal resume.

●     Understand the federal hiring process and differences between hiring protocols in the three branches (executive, legislative, and judicial).

●     Prepare an effective federal job search strategy.

This webinar is open to all librarians, library staff, and students. It is aimed at students, new librarians, and experienced librarians interested in a career change.

This event is presented by the Federal and Armed Forces Libraries Interest Group (FAFLIG). FAFLIG is part of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). Our mission is to promote the library and information service profession in the federal and military communities. We are a common forum and professional network for library staff, supporting their current needs and helping them prepare for the future. Please contact faflig.ala@gmail.com to get involved.

 

American Newspapers as Historical Evidence: Understanding Publishing and Editorial Practices of Historical Newspapers

American Newspapers as Historical Evidence: Understanding Publishing and Editorial Practices of Historical Newspapers

March 26, 2025, 11:00 AM MT - 60 Minutes ALA Member Price $ 71.10 / Non-member Price $.79.00 / Division Member Price $46.61 / Student Price: $37.12 Certificate available after completing the course

"Newspapers are frequently used primary sources for historical research. However, there are many features of historical newspapers that reflect the society of the past, and the economics of newspaper publishing, which may not be apparent to a 21st century reader.

Newspapers had their own purposes and audiences, and researchers should know these facts when looking into them. This webinar will discuss why historical newspapers presented information in the way they did, publishing practices that readers should be aware of, and preservation practices that affect which newspapers we have access to now (and how you might find some newspapers beyond the usual places). We will discuss more about a given newspaper, "reading" a newspaper by examining its layout, and why reading a newspaper in microfilm is a different experience than using a database.

By the end of this webinar, the participant will be able to:

  • Identify some aspects of newspaper as primary sources that required skeptical scrutiny
  • Use tools that provide information about a newspaper's purpose, influence and circulation
  • Discuss drawbacks and advantages of viewing newspapers in a database vs. microfilm
  • Track down copies of newspaper editions that were not preserved in mirofilm

This webinar is for any librarian serving patrons who do historical research will be well-served by learning more about newspapers as evidence.

The presenter, Steven A. Knowlton, is a Librarian for History and African American Studies at Princeton University. He has published a number of award-number articles using newspapers as primary sources, and currently serves as Chair of the RUSA History Section-Best Historical Materials Committee. 

This webinar will be offered using Zoom. Speakers or a headset for listening to the presentation are required. Closed captioning is available in the Zoom platform. You may interact with the presenter and ask questions through text-based chat. The webinar will be recorded and the link to the recording shared with registrants shortly after the live event. " - ALA eLearning

About this Subject Guide

This subject guide was originally based on resources the presenter and program participants shared at the 2017 New Mexico Library Association Mini-conference program Transforming Ourselves through Professional Development.

Pages of this guide are predominantly organized based on the following areas.

  • Connecting with resources available through ALA
  • Attending library association conferences, in person and online
  • Completing online courses and webinars
  • Exploring library tech blogs
  • Gaining access to useful tools and skills from toolkits
  • Connecting to resources available through the New Mexico State Library