PLAN

Finding Your Focus in a World of Distractions with Linda Bruno
2024-08-28 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago)
If I asked you to list as many of your distractions as possible in 60 seconds, how many could you list? But then, my request is a distraction, isn’t it?? And now – poof! You’ve lost your focus!

Part of the issue with finding – and keeping – our focus is that sometimes we aren’t even aware we lost it! From multi-tasking to meetings to media (social and otherwise!), to my own tendencies, every hour of the day seems to hold a multitude of opportunities to lose our focus.

I recently read that it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to regain full focus after a distraction at work. That seems a bit of a stretch – until you consider the key words “full focus.” We are so accustomed to partial focus, we may even deny that our focus is elsewhere.

In this webinar, we are going to heighten our awareness of distractions so that we can manage those distractions, set boundaries when necessary and appropriate, and calm the chaos that a loss of focus can create. Join us – and be ready to focus 😊!

Linda Bruno has been developing and conducting training workshops for libraries for more than fifteen years. Her favorite thing to do is to help people become their best selves! That’s why she offers workshops on topics ranging from Leadership Skills to Emotional Intelligence – and lots of areas in between.

If you can’t attend the live webinar, register anyway and you’ll receive a link to the webinar recording a few days after the event.

How Do We SERVE Our Customers? with Linda Bruno
2024-08-14 14:00 - 15:30
There are thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands (!) of books, articles, workshops, and TED talks on serving customers. Technology is touted as the “be all and end all” of customer service – and it’s certainly important in today’s library world.

And yet…there are some basic things we can do to make sure we SERVE our customers in the way they want to be served. Things that we may overlook in the rush to make sure we are offering the latest and greatest in technology and programming.

Picture this: what would happen if your technology disappeared for a day or two or five?

What would still draw your customers to your library?

In this webinar, we’ll look at five areas that can help us develop happy customers. Happy customers create a happy library environment. A happy library environment draws more customers. More customers lead to a happy library staff and…you get the picture. We need to make sure we are pleasing our customers – which makes us all happy!

Linda Bruno has been developing and conducting training workshops for libraries for more than fifteen years. Her favorite thing to do is to help people become their best selves! That’s why she offers workshops on topics ranging from Leadership Skills to Emotional Intelligence – and lots of areas in between.

If you can’t attend the live webinar, register anyway and you’ll receive a link to the webinar recording a few days after the event.

Making Your Habits Stick with Linda Bruno
2024-08-07 14:00 - 15:00
I recently read an article from a group of psychologists that said it takes 18 to 254 days to create a habit. 18 to 254!! That’s quite a range. No wonder we never know whether or not we’ve “arrived”! And often we focus on the time to develop that habit rather than the process we are using to get there, which can result in…no results.

In this webinar, based on James Clear’s bestselling book titled Atomic Habits, we’re going to delve deeper into the “how” of developing a habit, rather than the “how long.” According to James, there are 4 laws we can follow that will result in new habits – and the inverse is true; if we do the opposite of those 4 laws, we can break bad ones.

Don’t let the word “law” worry you – he gives us simple guidelines to make sure we are moving in the right direction. Don’t miss this opportunity to reflect on a topic that can make a meaningful difference in your life!

Linda Bruno has been developing and conducting training workshops for libraries for more than fifteen years. Her favorite thing to do is to help people become their best selves! That’s why she offers workshops on topics ranging from Leadership Skills to Emotional Intelligence – and lots of areas in between.

If you can’t attend the live webinar, register anyway and you’ll receive a link to the webinar recording a few days after the event.

The Art of Saying No to Customers with Linda Bruno
2024-06-12 14:00 - 15:00
Perhaps you’ve heard the myth that since the customer is always right, you have to say yes to whatever they want.

News flash! Not only is the customer not always right, there are certainly times when you can and should say no.

But even though the customer is not always right, they are always “the customer.” Interactions with users require trust, respect, and focus on the needs of the individual. When we incorporate those aspects of service into our interactions, we develop loyalty. And in today’s “I can find it elsewhere”-world, loyalty is at a premium.

In this webinar, we’ll help you determine when it’s appropriate to use that important little word. More importantly, you’ll learn how to say no in a way that maintains the loyalty you’ve worked so hard to earn.

Linda Bruno has been developing and conducting training workshops for libraries for more than fifteen years. Her favorite thing to do is to help people become their best selves! That’s why she offers workshops on topics ranging from Leadership Skills to Emotional Intelligence – and lots of areas in between.

If you can’t attend the live webinar, register anyway and you’ll receive a link to the webinar recording a few days after the event.

The Right Service at the Right Time with Vanessa Neblett and Josh Fox
2024-05-29 14:00 - 14:30
The Right Service at the Right Time (www.rightservicefl.org) is Florida’s statewide web portal designed to connect the working poor, jobless, and homeless with social services and government assistance programs.

It is intended to assist customers who may seek privacy or who may be uncomfortable in asking for assistance in their search for help find local resources in all 67 Florida counties.

Started in 2010, RSRT provides contact information and descriptions for customers on the following topics: Daily Needs, Family Assistance, Financial, Healthcare, Housing, Immigration, Jobs, and Transportation.

Join us for this short, informational session to learn more about how you and your patrons can access this free resource.

If you can’t attend the live webinar, register anyway and you’ll receive a link to the webinar recording a few days after the event.

Joshua Fox, MLIS, is the lead librarian on the statewide Right Service at the Right Time project. He is currently responsible for training, overseeing data review, vetting new services, and collecting data on usage for the Right Service at the Right Time website. Fox has been a reference librarian at the Orange County Library System for the past 17 years and has worked extensively with individuals in need of social services and government assistance. Fox is the creator of a bimonthly cultural food history program and two gaming programs for adults at the library.

Vanessa Neblett, MLIS, is the Department Head, Adult Services for the Orange County Library System (OCLS) and the Project Manager for Right Service at the Right Time (RSRT) for the past 4 years. For over 20 years, she has worked in a variety of roles for OCLS including as a librarian, Digital Access Architect, and Assistant Manager in branches, Circulation, Acquisitions, and Reference. In addition to RSRT, Neblett oversees adult computer classes and programs, ESL classes, Talking Books, and adult online high schools at OCLS.

Rhodium Rules with Linda Bruno
2024-05-22 14:00 - 15:00
We’ve all heard of using “the golden rule” when dealing with others. Some of us have even heard of using “the platinum rule.” But did you know that some sources say that rhodium is the most valuable of precious metals? Isn’t that the standard by which we might want to gauge our treatment of our customers?

In this 60-minute webinar, we’ll brainstorm ways we can treat them in such a way that they’ll realize how much we value their presence in our libraries – even if it’s virtually. We’ll look at how we can make our customers feel as if they are our most precious resources – because indeed, they are the reason we have a job.

It never hurts to look at ways we can make sure they’re glad they came to us!

Linda Bruno has been developing and conducting training workshops for libraries for more than fifteen years. Her favorite thing to do is to help people become their best selves! That’s why she offers workshops on topics ranging from Leadership Skills to Emotional Intelligence – and lots of areas in between.

If you can’t attend the live webinar, register anyway and you’ll receive a link to the webinar recording a few days after the event.

Tension and Friction and Conflict - Oh My! with Linda Bruno
2024-05-01 14:00 - 15:00
Tension. Friction. Conflict. Disagreements. Discord. Call it what you will, it’s still the bane of every working person’s existence. Let’s just get rid of it! Oh, if only we could! That’s probably not a logical expectation but understanding it and dealing with it certainly is!

There are many reasons these feelings are in our workplaces. Occasionally (ahem!) we have different personalities in our orbit. With different personalities comes tension, which sometimes moves to friction, which sometimes becomes conflict and on and on!

We know that the problems within our workplace can affect service to our patrons and it is rarely – if ever – a positive effect.

So rather than try to pretend everything is hunky dory (gotta love that term!), let’s figure out ways to lessen the tension and friction caused by normal, everyday emotions that we all have from time to time.

Linda Bruno has been developing and conducting training workshops for libraries for more than fifteen years. Her favorite thing to do is to help people become their best selves! That’s why she offers workshops on topics ranging from Leadership Skills to Emotional Intelligence – and lots of areas in between.

If you can’t attend the live webinar, register anyway and you’ll receive a link to the webinar recording a few days after the event.

Trends in Emerging Tech with Laura Solomon
2024-03-27 14:00 - 15:00
With so much new technology coming at us so fast, it can be difficult to keep up.

Join Laura Solomon for an exploration into emerging technology trends, and how these trends might (or might not) re-shape library services.

Laura Solomon is the Library Services Manager for the Ohio Public Library Information Network and a W3C-certified front-end web developer. She has been doing web development and design for more than twenty years, in both public libraries and as an independent consultant. She’s written three books about social media and content marketing, specifically for libraries, and speaks nationally on both these and technology-related topics. As a former children’s librarian, she enjoys bringing the “fun of technology” to audiences and in giving libraries the tools they need to better serve the virtual customer.

If you can’t attend the live webinar, register anyway and you’ll receive a link to the webinar recording a few days after the event.

Let's Get Personal with Linda Bruno
2024-03-20 14:00 - 15:00
Organizations everywhere are trying to set themselves apart and the library world is no different – or at least we shouldn’t be. Just a decade or so ago, we didn’t worry about “competition,” but now it’s rampant. Bookstores, online resources, Smartphones, even Starbucks! All are competing for “our customer.”

What can we do to make sure our patrons remain loyal to us and realize our value? How can we make our customers feel so special, they can’t wait to return? How do we make sure we don’t tend to lump them into a big group called “our customers”?

In this 60-minute webinar, we’ll look at how personalization may be one key that can help us remain first in our customers’ hearts in today’s competitive environment.

Linda Bruno has been developing and conducting training workshops for libraries for more than fifteen years. Her favorite thing to do is to help people become their best selves! That’s why she offers workshops on topics ranging from Leadership Skills to Emotional Intelligence – and lots of areas in between.

If you can’t attend the live webinar, register anyway and you’ll receive a link to the webinar recording a few days after the event.

Useful AI Tools with Laura Solomon
2024-02-21 14:00 - 15:00
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the world, and libraries can take advantage of AI tools to improve a wide variety of library services, from providing personalized recommendations to answering complex questions.

We’ll discuss a variety of AI tools, including those for marketing, research, transcription, writing and more.

This class is perfect for any librarian or library staff member who is interested in learning more about the usefulness of AI.

Laura Solomon is the Library Services Manager for the Ohio Public Library Information Network and a W3C-certified front-end web developer. She has been doing web development and design for more than twenty years, in both public libraries and as an independent consultant. She’s written three books about social media and content marketing, specifically for libraries, and speaks nationally on both these and technology-related topics. As a former children’s librarian, she enjoys bringing the “fun of technology” to audiences and in giving libraries the tools they need to better serve the virtual customer.

If you can’t attend the live webinar, register anyway and you’ll receive a link to the webinar recording a few days after the event.

Persevere with Passion with Linda Bruno
2024-02-14 14:00 - 15:00
Perseverance. It’s such a common word, it has almost become cliché. And yet…there is nothing cliché’ about what our world has experienced in recent years. How do we truly persevere in the midst of sometimes-difficult situations?

Perseverance has definitely become a necessary attribute just to work in a library these days. To do it with passion can be fulfilling – and draining – in the midst of life changes and challenges.

And if we’re being honest with ourselves, the passion we are so proud of in our work requires perseverance to maintain. This webinar will help you do just that!

Linda Bruno has been developing and conducting training workshops for libraries for more than fifteen years. Her favorite thing to do is to help people become their best selves! That’s why she offers workshops on topics ranging from Leadership Skills to Emotional Intelligence – and lots of areas in between.

If you can’t attend the live webinar, register anyway and you’ll receive a link to the webinar recording a few days after the event.

Let's Do a Mind Map with Linda Bruno
2023-11-29 14:00 - 15:30
You may have heard the term “mind mapping.” But have you ever wondered exactly what it means? Does it mean we are going to study the brain? No 😊 – I don’t think a 90-minute webinar could quite cover that complex organ!

However, we are going to unleash our brains in a creative process known as mind mapping.

In this online workshop (notice the fun format we’ll be using – it’s online AND it’s a workshop!), we are going to start with your idea – so we’ll ask you to submit your idea a few days ahead (you’ll receive a reminder email) so that you can be prepared.

Whether you are planning an event for your library, trying to develop a new service offering, a new program, or even a project you’ve been wanting to do in your personal life, this online workshop is just what you need to get a significant start on where to begin…and what to do next and next and next!

As everyone shares their ideas in the online workshop, the rest of us will help each attendee work through their own mind map to come up with as many details as we can possibly imagine over the course of our 90 minutes together, some of which you may not even need. By using guiding questions, we’ll also be able to help bring out important details that might otherwise be overlooked.

Imagine the wealth of creativity contained within our “meeting room” in the minds of all the attendees – and you have all of that at your disposal!

This is a unique opportunity to not only take some time to really focus on that idea that has been percolating in your mind, but also be able to pick the brains of some highly imaginative people.

Don’t miss this special online workshop!

Linda Bruno has been developing and conducting training workshops for libraries for more than fifteen years. Her favorite thing to do is to help people become their best selves! That’s why she offers workshops on topics ranging from Leadership Skills to Emotional Intelligence – and lots of areas in between.

If you can’t attend the live webinar, register anyway and you’ll receive a link to the webinar recording a few days after the event.

Exploring the Magic of IFTTT to Help Streamline Your Digital Life with Chad Mairn
2023-09-29 08:00 - 09:00
Register for live webinar or recording

IFTTT (If This, Then That) is a versatile automation platform that empowers you to connect and streamline your digital life. It puts the Internet to work for you by generating simple connections with online products that you use every day. In this webinar, we will:

Understand the Internet of Things and see how they will change the world.

Learn how to use and customize IFTTT to connect with a variety of products and services.

Gain insights from real-world examples of how individuals and businesses have successfully leveraged IFTTT to simplify their digital workflows and enhance productivity.

Explore other automation tools like Zapier, Hootsuite, Buffer, and others.

Chad Mairn is an Information Services Librarian, Assistant Professor, and is the founder of the Innovation Lab at St. Petersburg College. While an undergraduate studying Humanities at the University of South Florida (USF), Chad was awarded a Library of Congress Fellowship for helping archive personal papers and other items in the Leonard Bernstein Collection. During his Library and Information Science graduate work, also at USF, Chad became a technology liaison between the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Florida public libraries.

PLAN webinars are free for all Florida library staff and volunteers.

Presentation Skills with Ned Potter
2023-09-14 10:00 - 11:30, 2023-09-07 10:00 - 11:30
This is a two-part webinar:

September 7, 2023 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am CDT

September 14, 2023 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am CDT

You can register once and access both sessions:Register for live webinars or webinar recordings

The aim of this two-part workshop is to build confidence and be able to produce amazing looking but, crucially, effective presentations in a variety of styles depending on how important the presentation is and how much time you have.

Everything in this hands-on training is based on the research into multimedia communication and how to get your key messages to stay in the minds of your audience: how to make your message stick. No gimmicks, just achievable ideas and techniques which work.

We’ll cover the golden rules of creating presentations, finding amazing images without breaking copyright laws or spending any money, and creating PowerPoint Presentations in different styles. We’ll also look at interactive quizzing tools such as Menti: when and when not to use them, and how to use them most effectively.

Ned Potter is an Academic Liaison Librarian at the University of York, and a Trainer for various organizations including the Bodleian, the NHS and the British Library in the UK, and PiCS in Australasia. His book The Library Marketing Toolkit was published by Facet in 2012. Ned can be found online at ned-potter.com and on Twitter at @ned_potter.

Unleashing the Power of ChatGPT in Libraries with Chad Mairn
2023-09-08 11:00 - 12:00
Register for live webinar or recording

In this webinar, learn about the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact on libraries and education. In this session, we will study the potential of ChatGPT, a cutting-edge language model developed by OpenAI, and how it can be harnessed effectively in various library and academic contexts. This webinar aims to equip you with the knowledge and practical insights necessary to integrate ChatGPT seamlessly into your daily life and educational practices. We will:

Gain an understanding of AI and its evolution into an inherent feature of machines.

Explore the capabilities of ChatGPT, ranging from generating human-like text for chatbots to automated content creation, and beyond.

Witness real-world examples of how ChatGPT can be integrated into library services.

Engage in collaborative brainstorming to uncover innovative ways to leverage this technology in your libraries and classrooms, ultimately enhancing the learning experience.

Chad Mairn is an Information Services Librarian, Assistant Professor, and is the founder of the Innovation Lab at St. Petersburg College. While an undergraduate studying Humanities at the University of South Florida (USF), Chad was awarded a Library of Congress Fellowship for helping archive personal papers and other items in the Leonard Bernstein Collection. During his Library and Information Science graduate work, also at USF, Chad became a technology liaison between the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Florida public libraries.

PLAN webinars are free for all Florida library staff and volunteers.

How Language Rules Your Mind with Linda Bruno
2023-07-25 14:00 - 15:00
Register for live webinar or recording

When we hear someone say, “Watch your language,” we often think of cursing, intentionally belittling someone, or being defensive. And of course, we need to watch our language regarding those areas.

Have you ever considered, though, how you talk to yourself? Or about yourself? Or what you “tell yourself” as you talk to others? In this webinar, we’ll talk about those things…and how having an awareness of our language can change the direction of our days. I don’t know about you, but sometimes, my days need to change direction!

Linda Bruno has been developing and conducting training workshops for libraries for more than fifteen years. Her favorite thing to do is to help people become their best selves! That’s why she offers workshops on topics ranging from Leadership Skills to Emotional Intelligence – and lots of areas in between.

PLAN webinars are free for all Florida library staff and volunteers.

Creating a Motivating Environment for Your Staff with Linda Bruno
2023-06-20 14:00 - 15:00
Register for live webinar or recording

In this highly interactive 60-minute webinar, we’ll discuss Creating a Motivating Environment; what motivation is and what it isn’t – and why you can’t “motivate” someone else.

Although we often think motivation is linked to externals such as pay (and who doesn’t like a little more in their paycheck??), what really makes us want to go work is what’s known as “internal motivation.”

We’ll brainstorm together to create an extensive list of ways you can help create a motivating environment – at little or no cost to you. We’ll discover the power in praise and how to use it effectively. Ah…a motivating environment ~ isn’t that what we all want in our workplaces?

Linda Bruno has been developing and conducting training workshops for libraries for more than fifteen years. Her favorite thing to do is to help people become their best selves! That’s why she offers workshops on topics ranging from Leadership Skills to Emotional Intelligence – and lots of areas in between.

PLAN webinars are free for all Florida library staff and volunteers.

Assertiveness for the Unassertive: Overcoming Your Passive Tendencies with Linda Bruno
2023-05-23 14:00 - 15:00
Register for live webinar or recording

Assertiveness – grrrrr! Oh wait, that’s being aggressive! In this webinar, we’ll discuss the differences between being assertive and aggressive, as well as the dangers of being passive. Moving through today’s world, no matter what our position is in the workplace, learning to be assertive can be a valuable skill. But there can definitely be a fine line between that and aggressiveness. And it won’t serve us well to cross that line, just like it typically doesn’t serve us well to be passive.

In the midst of our daily activities, it’s easy to just let things go, which is sometimes the best choice. But being passive can create big problems – as can being aggressive. We can contribute to tension in our workplace, low morale, a poor public image, and lots of other problem areas we would all rather avert.

Assertiveness can help us be more confident in our interactions on a daily basis. AND it can relieve some of the stress in our lives. Why not develop this important skill?

Linda Bruno has been developing and conducting training workshops for libraries for more than fifteen years. Her favorite thing to do is to help people become their best selves! That’s why she offers workshops on topics ranging from Leadership Skills to Emotional Intelligence – and lots of areas in between.

PLAN webinars are free for all Florida library staff and volunteers.

Free Online Tools to Increase Your Workflow & Productivity with Laura Solomon
2023-05-11 14:00 - 15:00
Register for live webinar or recording

Have you ever found a tool or service that made you go “AHA!?” Are there little gems that make your life so much easier that you wonder how you lived without them?

This informative webinar is filled with online (and free!) tools that can help you improve how you work.

Come discover a plethora of online tools that you probably haven’t heard of but will be glad that (now) you have.

Laura Solomon is the Library Services Manager for the Ohio Public Library Information Network and a W3C-certified front-end web developer. She has been doing web development and design for more than twenty years, in both public libraries and as an independent consultant. She’s written three books about social media and content marketing, specifically for libraries, and speaks nationally on both these and technology-related topics. As a former children’s librarian, she enjoys bringing the “fun of technology” to audiences and in giving libraries the tools they need to better serve the virtual customer.

PLAN webinars are free for all Florida library staff and volunteers.

Book Repair for Circulating and General Collections with Marianne Hanley
2023-01-12 10:00 - 11:00
Register for live webinar or recording

Binding quality on books are inconsistent and, with day-to-day handling and repeated circulation, books can sustain significant damage. Don’t replace these volumes, fix them.

This webinar will introduce participants to basic book repair for circulating or general collections. Attendees will learn how to repair common types of damage, such as hinge repair, tipping in loose pages, page mending, and spine repair. During the webinar, participants will be able to watch narrated action videos of the repairs with live step-by-step instructions.

At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will:

Be familiar with different aspects of book repair for circulating collections.

Be familiar with book repair tools, supplies, and equipment.

Marianne S. Hanley is the Preservation Librarian for Syracuse University Libraries. She oversees the operations and manages the essential work of the Preservation Unit. She serves as Principal Investigator for the New York State Conservation/Preservation Grant on behalf of Syracuse University and is Co-Manager of the Disaster Recovery Operations and Emergency Preparedness Planning. Marianne enjoys serving as an instructor for local, regional, and national workshops and webinars on various topics. Marianne holds a Bachelor of Arts from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY and a Master’s in Library and Information Science from Syracuse University.

PLAN webinars are free for all Florida library staff and volunteers.

How to Train Staff Effectively with Linda Bruno
2022-12-13 14:00 - 15:30
Register for live webinar or recording

You’ve finally done it! You’ve found the perfect fit for a vacant position. Or maybe you’ve realized that your staff needs some refresher training to absorb all of the changes that have happened in your library.

So what’s your plan? Are you sure you’ve got everything covered? Have you established criteria for success? How deep does your plan go?

Something we don’t always think about is the fundamental differences that exist among human beings. Yes, we talk about serving everyone in the way they need to be served, but are we training our staff members in the way they need to be trained? Are we using all of the resources at our disposal?

Come to this 90-minute webinar to get answers to these important questions and likely a host of others as well!

Linda Bruno has been developing and conducting training workshops for libraries for more than fifteen years. Her favorite thing to do is to help people become their best selves! That’s why she offers workshops on topics ranging from Leadership Skills to Emotional Intelligence – and lots of areas in between.

PLAN webinars are free for all Florida library staff and volunteers.
