Updates from State Library Services: Free Continuing Education Resources

Minnesota Department of Education sent this bulletin at 04/10/2020 01:34 PM CDT

April 2020

Updates from State Library Services

With library staff around the state working remotely or in different capacities, some are looking for ways to invest time in training and professional development.

To that end, we've rounded up some free continuing education resources to share with you. These are all available virtually, and we hope they will help you shore up some skills and knowledge to prepare for better times.

Library Websites Offering Free Webinars

Public Library Association (PLA) On-Demand Webinars — Free on-demand webinars are denoted with a green “Free!” icon below the title. Includes webinars on adult and youth services, advocacy and marketing, and technology
Library 2.0 Webinar Series — Webinars with Steve Albrecht, consultant on workplace culture, about safety and security for library staff and patrons; note that you will need to create a free account
Readers Advisory Tools and Websites from PLA — A variety of readers’ advisory and genre-specific websites to explore
eLibrary MN Learning Center — Learn about ELM, Minnesota’s electronic database library
OCLC on YouTube — Slides and audio from OCLC presentations at recent national library conferences
WebJunction — A program of OCLC Research featuring archived webinars and courses on topics including library management, assessment, access and equity, and programming
Infopeople — Training and webinars for librarians by librarians; Infopeople is part of Califa Group, a nonprofit library membership consortium; note that you will need to create a free account
Research in Public Libraries Webinars — Quarterly webinar series about data and evaluation in public libraries
TechSoup for Libraries — Technology courses and resources for non-profit organizations

Professional Journals

The following professional library journals are available for free during the COVID-19 pandemic:

Booklist Online
Publishers Weekly
The Horn Book — To log in, email is access@hbook.com and password is THBfullaccess1
Library Journal — To log in, email is access@libraryjournal.com and password is LJfullaccess1
School Library Journal — To log in, email is access@slj.com and password is SLJfullaccess1

Library-themed TED Talks

A librarian's case against overdue book fines (14 min)
The critical role librarians play in the opioid crisis (12 min)
How to design a library that makes kids want to read (12 min)

Libraries in Times of Need

Libraries as Pivotal Community Spaces in Times of Crisis — Timely research paper from Urban Library Journal, authored by Renate L. Chancellor
This American Life – The Room of Requirement — A 2018 episode from this popular radio show on how libraries meet some unexpected needs

Illustration credit: Delwar Hossein, Noun Project

About State Library Services

State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), partners with libraries to achieve equity and excellence in our collective work for Minnesotans. Division staff are consultants who help libraries plan, develop and implement high-quality services that address community needs. State Library Services administers federal grant, state aid, and state grant programs that benefit all types of libraries.

STAY CONNECTED:

Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com.

This service is provided to you at no charge by Minnesota Department of Education 1500 Highway 36 West, Roseville, Minnesota 55113 - 651.582.8200.

Inquiries can be sent to the Minnesota Department of Education Webmaster: mde.webmaster@state.mn.us.