BlogJunction Connecticut » Library Management

InfoPeople: The Hopeful Workplace

Kris — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:00:58 +0000

There’s a fair amount of doom and gloom out in library land, but futurist Joan Frye Williams and strategist George Needham are having none of it! These passionate library advocates believe that dealing with desperate economic times need not make us desperate.

In this upbeat webinar, George and Joan will explore how we can get out of the rat race that says “do more with less” and shift our focus to hope-engendering ways to “do different with less.” They’ll offer practical techniques for improving your own job satisfaction and moving your organization in a more positive direction.

Tune in to learn how we can all support each other, build trust and confidence, and develop services that recapture that feeling of success for ourselves and our communities.

This one-hour webinar will be of interest to anyone in the library community who wants to see libraries move forward, including library staff, volunteers, friends, trustees, and commissioners.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Online

For additional details and registration information visit: InfoPeople: The Hopeful Workplace

LE@D:Stop Managing Too Much with Too Little, with Pat Wagner

Kris — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 12:00:42 +0000

‘Time management’ is too often a code phrase for “Burn Yourself out for the sake of the team.” Instead, create an operations plan with precise target audiences and limited goals, but improved products and services. The most difficult step: deciding what you will stop doing, so you can free up time, money, and staff for better quality work.

Throwing darts at a wall is not the best way to choose what to eliminate. We will review several tested, practical strategies that help make hard decisions. Topics include reviewing the iron triangle (time, cost, quality), creating a working strategic plan, establishing priorities, ethical constraints, and making hard choices.

Slide handout: Download your slide handout at http://patternresearch.posterous.com

Thursday, September 15, 2011
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Online
For additional details and registration information visit: LE@D: Stop Managing Too Much with Too Little, with Pat Wagner

Are You Ready for Irene?

Tom Newman — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 18:06:18 +0000

Hurricane Irene may be visiting Connecticut this weekend. Are you wondering what your library can do to prepare? Check out Jane Cullinane’s Conntech post on Hurricane Preparedness and Disaster Recovery. There are many useful links on what to do before and after this kind of event.

InfoPeople: Preventing Staff Burnout

Kris — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 13:15:23 +0000

Are you feeling overwhelmed? Is having to do more with less making you tired? Grumpy?
Are you concerned about your staff’s ability to handle more and more work without relief?
Are you worried that your staff are becoming more critical, less flexible, and unhappier?
Would you like to know how to keep your staff from getting to the breaking point?

Work is stressful, and getting more so every day. Library managers and staff need to be aware of the difference between stress and burnout, which is actually unhealthy and dangerous. There are ways to prevent burnout, including making changes in the work environment as well as self care. Learn how to recognize the symptoms of burnout and what to do about it

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

understand the difference between burnout and stress.
identify the symptoms of burnout.
identify factors in the work environment that may lead to burnout.
design jobs to reduce burnout.
name the strategies to help self and other recover from burnout.

This webinar will be of interest to anyone who wants to keep themselves and their staff from burning out.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Online

For additional details and registration information visit: InfoPeople: Preventing Staff Burnout

PLA New Lessons in Library Leadership

Kris — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 06:00:34 +0000

Get a fresh perspective on library leadership at this free webinar. Join a panel of four PLA Leadership Fellow Scholarship winners as they share lessons learned from executive leadership training that included the “Senior Executives in State and Local Government” program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and the “Positive Leadership: Building Extraordinary Personal Leadership Capabilities” program at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Online

Who Should Attend: Library directors, assistant directors, and managers, as well as those interested in leadership training to enhance their careers.

For additional details and registration information visit: PLA Lessons in Library Leadership

InfoPeople: George and Joan on Conflict Resolution Techniques

Kris — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:00:40 +0000

There are many approaches to resolving conflicts. Some of these approaches are positive, resulting in an outcome that moves an idea or a project forward while protecting everyone’s self-respect. Others are destructive, leaving people emotionally battered and looking for a chance to get even. And then there’s that old tried and true approach: ignoring the conflict and hoping it will go away.

In this one-hour webinar, consultants Joan Frye Williams and George Needham will discuss:

*Solving disagreements before they escalate into conflict
*Recognizing when you have a conflict *Identifying your personal conflict resolution style, and understanding the styles of others
*Picking your fights
*Understanding and ameliorating passive-aggressive behavior

With their characteristic humor and energy, Joan and George will present real world examples of ways to approach conflict honestly, to find common ground, and to come to a mutually agreeable outcome.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Online

This webinar should be of interest to librarians, trustees, branch managers, grant writers, and any member of the library community who seeks to work with outside organizations.

Additional details and registration information visit: InfoPeople: George and Joan on Conflict Resolution Techniques

Recent Statistics Workshop Now Available as Tutorials Online

Tom Newman — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:00:36 +0000

The recent workshop on “Using Statistics to Make the Case for Your Public Library” is now available in abbreviated form in three short (10 to 15 minute) tutorials. These web tutorials cover:
How to Make the Most of the Statistical Profile of Connecticut Public Libraries
Chart-Making Tips to Help You Make the Case For Your Library
Statistical Resources for Public Library Evaluation and Advocacy

We may schedule more classroom workshops in the coming months if there seems to be a demand for them.

WebJunction: Dealing with the Difficult Patrons

Kris — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:00:03 +0000

Library staff can handle difficult patrons, resolve issues or problems quickly and efficiently and retain customer loyalty throughout. Join presenters Paul Signorelli, writer, trainer, and consultant with a strong focus on workplace learning and performance, and Maurice Coleman, Technical Trainer at Harford County Public Library, for this one hour webinar providing expert resources for working with a patron using common sense practices and techniques for bringing that customer back into the fold.

October 19, 2010
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Online

For additional details and registration information visit: WebJunction:Dealing with the Difficult Patrons

Surveys, Bloody Surveys

Tom Newman — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:48:40 +0000

Short surveys are fun. Long ones are just a big chore. This is one time of the year, however, when making the effort to complete some surveys is doubly important.

Connecticut public libraries are now filling out the Annual Report and Application for State Aid. Besides being a requirement for state aid grant money, this survey provides library administrators with data necessary for helping to evaluate their libraries and advocating for more resources locally.

But that isn’t the only survey now open for all public libraries, Connecticut and nationwide. The Public Library Funding & Technology Access Survey (PLFTAS) from ALA is available. It provides important data for the reports that have become a rallying-call for library Internet infrastructure funding. Without your help, ALA and other library organizations can’t prove that internet service in libraries is important and that it is at risk without the proper funding. These media stories help prove my point.

Please consider filling out the PLFTAS. Use the ID lookup to find your library’s survey code. I know this survey is long and requires some extra thought, but it is better to fill out what you can and leave blank what you can’t rather than not do the survey at all. Thank you!

Create Statistical Charts for Your Library…in Seconds

Tom Newman — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:06:24 +0000

Use these Automatic Chart-Makers to create statistical charts for your library. In just 3 simple steps, you can create Excel charts that can be pasted into any document or presentation. The charts use statistical measures such as circulation, library visits, income, expenses, collection size, childrens programs, and more. You can use a Chart-Maker to compare your library to the state averages or to town population group averages. Or you can pick up to 4 other libraries to compare your library to. There are also two Chart-Makers for Childrens and YA librarians. No real skill in Excel required!