Have you ever wondered what the application of kindness can do in our library practices? On this show Dr. Sarah Clark, Dean & University Librarian at La Salle University and Founder of the Kind Leadership Guild and the Kind Leadership Challenge Podcast, opens up about how a crisis in her own leadership caused her to do a deep dive into kind leadership, what it is, and how we can all challenge ourselves to grow in this realm for the betterment of our organizations.
Category: Library Leadership Page 7 of 17
We have all heard a lot lately about the waves of book bannings happening across our country, reaching levels not seen in decades. What exactly is the American Library Association seeing out in the field? On this show Tracie D. Hall, Executive Director of the American Library Association, shares what is driving these efforts at book banning, what materials are being most challenged, why reporting censorship is vital to protecting the freedom to read, and what actions we can all take to protect the freedom to read.
What does your organization need to do to prepare for succession planning? On this show Carolyn Schubert, Director of Research and Education Services at James Madison University Libraries, shares ways we can prepare for organizational change and why now is the time to begin thinking about this.
Do you prepare for handling ethics situations in your library before they arise? On this show Gail Santy, Maribeth Shafer, and Patty Collins, from the Central Kansas Library System, share why this is a good idea and how to do it. When you are faced with a situation that challenges core policies and library ethics you will be ready if you apply the practical advice offered in this conversation.
On this show Jamie LaRue, CEO and Founder of LaRue and Associates, shares a distinctive way our organizations can move from being library-centric to being community-centric by cataloging the community. It’s a way we can take the classic library skills of cataloging, reference interviews, and database creation to the next level to create a powerful way to serve our communities.
Why does customer service matter? On this show Asti Ogletree, Operations Manager at the East Central Arkansas Regional Library at the Cross County Branch, jumps right into this topic to explore just why customer service matters and how we can help our library teams make it happen. You won’t want to miss this conversation on what to do when we feel like scattering when a difficult patron walks through the door or even how to create “inspiration stations” to help us be our best selves when we are helping people.
What are effective ways we can implement staff development on any budget? On this show Tiffany Hayes, Director of Library Development at the South Carolina State Library shares thoughts on this topic. All libraries have staff learning needs that can benefit from this conversation. From effective learning design to developing a plan for our own library with clear objectives and outcomes, the ideas shared here will help all of us implement effective staff development on any budget.
What do we do in libraries when patrons sexually harass staff? On this show, I speak with Katie McLain Horner, Head of Circulation & Reference at the Lake Bluff Public Library. She shares why personal experiences dealing with this issue led her to think and write about ways to support staff who experience this troubling problem. In this episode we learn how not to respond to sexual harassment, what steps to take if is someone reports an incident, how this can be especially sensitive for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ members of our staff, how important it is to ask staff what they need in these situations, and even what the documenting of sexual harassment incidents should look like.
What are Policies of Yes and how might they help us serve our user groups? On this show Jennie Garner, Director of the North Liberty Library, shares what it means to think about policies in a way that creates flexibility, inclusion, empathy, and allyship with those we serve while including staff in policy development and training in a way that gets everyone to yes.
How can we overcome the feeling of being overwhelmed and intimidated when moving into a new role of being in charge? On this show Suzanne Macaulay, Deputy Director of the Pioneer Library System in New York, talks about ways to overcome these feelings as well as how to avoid some common mistakes of new leadership. She shares the importance of support networks and professional development, and what new leaders bring to the table. We are all new to roles of being in charge at some point. Listening to this conversation will help anyone finding themselves in that situation to set off on the right foot.