Domestic Violence: A Conversation with Dr. Carolyn West
2026-04-16 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago)

Help! I Have Too Much Empathy! How to Manage Staff When You Feel Too Much
2026-04-22 13:00 - 14:00
This webinar is exclusive to PLAN member libraries.

There are a lot of trainings on how to develop more empathy, but what do you do when you have too much empathy? Are you someone who can walk into a room and feel what everyone is feeling?

Do you have difficulty maintaining boundaries with staff because they feel comfortable sharing so much with you? Are difficult conversations difficult because you can feel the emotions from the other person? This ability makes it difficult to manage and lead other people.

In this session we’ll learn what it means to be an empath, how that ability can make us strong and effective leaders, and some tools, tips, and tricks to setting boundaries, taking care of yourself, and being the best leader to help your staff succeed.

About the presenter: Connie Sureck has been in libraries for the past 18 years in Virginia and Ohio and has served in various leadership and management roles for about 15 years. Connie has presented at multiple conferences and conventions for both the Ohio Library Council and the Northeast Ohio Regional Library System and has been involved in OLC action councils and program committees. She was part of the succession plan for chairing the convention, serving as Program Committee Chair in 2016 and then Convention Chair in 2017. She’s been with the Medina County District Library since 2009, taking a short break for a couple of years to manage a branch at the Stark County District Library, and then came back and is currently the branch manager at the Brunswick Library.

Leading From the Middle
2026-04-29 13:00 - 14:00
This webinar is exclusive to PLAN member libraries.

Do you have more than one boss at your library? Do you have lots of responsibility, but little authority? Are you working between multiple departments? Are you looking to improve your communications skills with your managers and your direct reports? If so, this webinar can help you communicate better and manage up, and down.

In this program, participants will learn about:

Communication techniques for communicating with upper management and employees

Prioritizing tasks and setting goals

Performance evaluation strategies: How to better give and receive feedback

Time management concerns: How to organize and prioritize your time to meet multiple (and sometimes competing) goals

About the presenter: Carrie Rogers-Whitehead is the founder and CEO of Digital Respons-Ability, a mission-based company that educates tens of thousands of students, parents and teachers through in-person and online courses across the country. She has written two books for librarians around adolescents: Teen Fandom and Geek Programming: a Practical Guide for Librarians and the ALA-award winning Serving Teens and Adults and the Autism Spectrum: a Guide for Libraries and continues to work with teens.

How To Get the Most Out of a Conference with Linda Bruno
2026-05-05 14:00 - 15:00
Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned conference-goer, there are many ways to improve your conference experience.

With the conferences often on the horizon, now is the time to think about the ingredients that go into a successful conference experience.

In this 60-minute webinar, we’ll look at 3 areas to think about- the before, during, and after of the conference. We’ll cover some basic things such as how to save money. We’ll also delve deeper and reflect on how you move through the world – are you an introvert or extrovert? What’s that got to do with your level of enjoyment and/or how much you will absorb?

Conferences can be fun, exciting, educational, eye-opening – and tiring. Come to this webinar to make sure you experience the first 4 adjectives and only experience the last one because the first 4 were so abundant!

About the presenter: Linda 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.

Weeding Popular Materials Collections
2026-05-06 11:30 - 12:30
This webinar is exclusive to PLAN member libraries.

When it comes to books, we all like to buy! However, selecting materials is only half of the collection development process. Book hoarding does not create a useful collection. Weeding, or deselecting materials, must receive equal and continuous attention as selection to have a truly patron driven collection that serves its community.

As increasing demands tax libraries’ limited resources, every item in a physical collection must justify its shelf space; while every item, both physical and digital, vies for patrons’ time and attention. We’ll discuss practical advice for weeding popular materials collections for youth or adults across formats. Along the way, I’ll debunk some popular weeding excuses.

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

Articulate to internal and external stakeholders that weeding is equally as important to collection development

Implement logical, rigorous weeding doctrines within their popular materials collections

Weed to create space for new collections, highlight materials, and increase circulation with confidence

Promote patron-driven collection policies and revitalize collections

Who will benefit from this program:

All staff that interact with the collection and the public

Staff who select for the collection

Staff who maintain the collection

About the presenter: Karen Toonen is the Collection Services Manager at Naperville Public Library, the second-highest circulating public library in Illinois. Throughout her time as a Readers Advisory Assistant, and Adult Services Librarian, and in Technical Services, Karen has remained focused on collections. She has presented extensively on weeding and other collection development aspects at the regional, state, and national level. Her service on the Adult Reading Round Table’s Steering Committee has not only allowed her to learn about weeding from colleagues across northern Illinois but also informed her philosophy that weeding and readers advisory go hand in hand.

Get Smart About Emotional Intelligence: Enhance Your Effectiveness
2026-05-06 13:00 - 14:00
This webinar is exclusive to PLAN member libraries.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is being able to perceive, interpret, and respond to your emotions and those of others. It is crucial for working collaboratively and effectively and having difficult conversations.

People with more emotional intelligence tend to be more resilient, better decision makers, more effective leaders, better communicators, have more self-awareness and self-control, and more success in life overall.

The good news is that EI can be learned and developed. Discover how to harness the power of emotions for more effective interactions!

As a result of this program attendees will:

Define emotional intelligence and describe its 4 domains

Explain the benefits of emotional intelligence in the workplace

Describe 4 ways you can improve your EI

About the presenter: Laura Greco spent more than 20 years in nursing before focusing on coaching and speaking to help professionals live vibrantly with joy and purpose. She believes that mindset and self-care of body, mind, and spirit, are cornerstones for well-being and that we all have the capacity to make positive lifestyle changes. Her work highlights simple action steps and why they work. Laura has a BSN (University of Michigan), master’s in adult education (Penn State), trainings from HeartMath and the Mass General Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, and certifications in wellness coaching from both Wellcoaches and Center for Credentialing and Education. Her books include Wellness Made Simple and Wellness Made Simple for Residents. You can find more information on her website www.YouBloomWellness.com.

Artificial Intelligence Discussion Group
2026-05-13 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-06-03 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-01 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-08-05 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-09-02 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-10-07 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-11-04 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-12-02 10:00 - 11:00
Curious about artificial intelligence? Want to learn what others are trying, or get answers to your own questions?

Join us for our upcoming AI discussion group the first Wednesday of each month (except March and May, when we’ll meet the second Wednesday)!

Everyone is welcome, whether you’re brand‑new to AI or already experimenting with tools. Come ready to share your experiences or simply listen and ask questions. It’s a relaxed, peer‑to‑peer space to explore what’s possible.

You're Not a Social Worker, But...
2026-05-13 13:00 - 14:00
This webinar is exclusive to PLAN member libraries.

While library staff are not trained social workers, they are often placed in situations that require empathy, de-escalation, and informed referrals due to the growing complex behavioral, and social-emotional needs within their branch communities.

This webinar is designed to provide practical, realistic tools that library professionals can use within their role and scope, without expecting them to replace trained clinicians or social service providers.

Attendees will learn how to:

● Communicate with patrons using empathy while maintaining professional boundaries

● Recognize and manage personal bias, stress reactions, and emotional triggers

● Build and leverage relationships to connect patrons with appropriate community resources

Who will benefit from this program:

This training is ideal for library staff, customer service representatives, frontline professionals, supervisors, and administrators who regularly interact with the public and encounter patrons experiencing mental/emotional distress, crisis, or other complex life challenges.

About the presenter: Bryanta L. Spencer, LISW-S, is the Founder and CEO of Fortitude Wellness & Consultations and the Social Work Manager of the Cuyahoga County Public Library system. Holding certifications in trauma, integrative medicine, and mental health first aid she specializes in therapeutic services, clinical supervision, professional development and consulting for organizations, schools, and community-based systems. Bryanta is known for her out-of-the-box thinking, charismatic engagement style, and practical equity centered trauma-informed trainings that bridges real-world challenges with clarity and impact. Her work focuses on strengthening frontline professionals and helping institutions better service the underserved and unseen with dignity, skill, and compassion.

The Power of Color in Library Marketing
2026-05-13 14:00 - 15:00
Can color really affect how people feel about your library? Research says yes. The colors you choose can shape emotion, trust, and engagement – and they play a big role in how your brand and promotions are perceived online. In this one-hour webinar, you’ll get a practical, library-focused introduction to color theory for marketing and social media. Learn which colors work best for different purposes, how to use them strategically, and how thoughtful color choices can make your online presence more engaging and effective.

Key Takeaways:

Understand the basics of color theory and how it applies to libraries

Learn how different colors can influence emotions and perceptions;

Discover which color choices work best for branding, marketing, and social media.

About the presenter: Laura Solomon, CPACC, MCIW, MLS, is the Library Services Manager at the Ohio Public Information Network and a W3C-certified front-end web developer. With nearly three decades of experience in web development and design, Laura has honed her expertise in both public libraries and as an independent consultant, specializing in Drupal development and in website accessibility.

Recognized as a 2010 Library Journal Mover & Shaker, she has authored books on social media and content marketing tailored for libraries, as well as about library website design. She has dedicated many course hours to learning how to make websites accessible, ensuring that digital spaces are inclusive for all users.

Laura is a frequently-requested speaker for public library organizations, sharing her passion for bringing the fun of technology to audiences and equipping libraries with the tools to better serve their virtual customers.

Cataloging for Non-Catalogers
2026-05-20 13:00 - 14:00
This webinar is exclusive to PLAN member libraries.

Wherever you work in the library, knowledge of some basic cataloging will enhance and improve your skills in library work. This will serve as a brief introduction to cataloging for non-catalogers and will help you to understand cataloging’s purpose, its goals, and some of its terminology, especially the changes you may have been seeing with the implementation of RDA recently.

Join catalogers Christopher Hill, McKenna Leckrone and Jessica C. Williams for an hour of focus on the catalog and bibliographic records. MARC may seem intimidating, but there are rules and guidelines that help catalogers create bibliographic records that make it possible for you and patrons to find the exact material you are looking for.

As a result of this program, attendees will learn:

● The catalog from both staff and user view

● Bibliographic records

● The ins and outs of MARC

● Authority records

Who will benefit from this program:

All staff that interacts with patrons

All circulation staff members

Technical Services staff not directly cataloging

About the presenters:

Chris Hill is a Cataloging Librarian II with Greene County Public Library and has held this position since December 2011. He has been cataloging library materials since 2003 and has been working in libraries since 1996.

McKenna Leckrone is the Head Cataloger at the Avon Lake Public Library near Cleveland, Ohio. She has been working in libraries for almost 20 years and began her career as a public library page, eventually working in circulation, reference, marketing, technology and IT, and now cataloging.

Jessica C. Williams has been a cataloger at Cleveland Public Library since 2023. Formerly Information Services Librarian at Tiffin-Seneca Public Library, she transitioned to Technical Services Librarian-Cataloging at T-SPL in 2022. She started in libraries as a public library page in 2000.

All presenters are current leadership for the Ohio Library Council Technical Services Division Action Council.

Bots, Books and Bedtime Stories: Spotting AI-Generated Books in Children's Collections
2026-05-27 13:00 - 14:00
This webinar is exclusive to PLAN member libraries.

Children’s librarians are on the front lines of a rapidly shifting landscape, as generative AI enters children’s publishing and AI-generated books increasingly appear on Amazon, self-publishing platforms, and from library vendors. These titles can be difficult to identify, often mimicking traditional authorship, illustration styles, and series branding while lacking transparency about their creation. This trend raises concerns about the veracity of library collections.

This webinar will equip librarians and selectors with practical tools to critically evaluate children’s books for signs of AI generation. Participants will explore real-world examples, discuss ethical and collection development implications, and learn strategies for making informed, defensible decisions that support quality, authenticity, and trust in children’s literature collections.

As a result of this program, attendees will learn how to:

● Identify four common indicators of AI-generated children’s books in print and digital collections.

● Distinguish between acceptable AI-assisted creation and fully AI-generated content when reviewing titles for purchase or retention.

● Make informed, defensible collection decisions using professional standards.

Who will benefit from this program:

Children’s and Youth Services Librarians

Collection Development Librarians

School Librarians and Media Specialists

Library Administrators developing AI policy

About the presenter: Kira Smith has been a Virtual Reference Specialist with Florida’s Ask A Librarian service for over 16 years and is a recipient of multiple Exemplary Reference Awards. In addition to her work in virtual reference, Kira freelances as a research consultant for journalists, providing fact-finding, source verification, and background research. She also regularly designs and presents professional development webinars for librarians, focusing on online reference, information literacy, and emerging issues affecting library practice. Kira’s professional background includes experience as an elementary school teacher and a certified childbirth educator. She is particularly interested in how new technologies — including generative AI — affect information quality, trust, and decision-making in library collections.

Website Makeovers Live!
2026-06-03 14:00 - 15:00
Ever wish you could see exactly how to make your library’s website look better- and why certain changes work? In this highly interactive webinar, you’ll watch as real library websites are redesigned live, with each decision explained step by step. From layout adjustments to visual refreshes, you’ll see practical design improvements in action and learn how to apply the same principles to your own site. Attendees will also have the chance to submit their websites for consideration as makeover candidates before the session.

Key Takeaways:

Watch live demonstrations of website redesigns in real time

Understand the reasoning behind each design decision

Gain practical tips you can immediately apply to your own website

See how small changes can create a more polished and user-friendly site

About the presenter: Laura Solomon, CPACC, MCIW, MLS, is the Library Services Manager at the Ohio Public Information Network and a W3C-certified front-end web developer. With nearly three decades of experience in web development and design, Laura has honed her expertise in both public libraries and as an independent consultant, specializing in Drupal development and in website accessibility.

Recognized as a 2010 Library Journal Mover & Shaker, she has authored books on social media and content marketing tailored for libraries, as well as about library website design. She has dedicated many course hours to learning how to make websites accessible, ensuring that digital spaces are inclusive for all users.

Laura is a frequently-requested speaker for public library organizations, sharing her passion for bringing the fun of technology to audiences and equipping libraries with the tools to better serve their virtual customers.

Managing Difficult Conversations Online
2026-07-08 10:00 - 12:00
The more we successfully promote the library online, the higher the chances of attracting negative or problematic attention. This session focuses on how to encourage and then manage engagement with your social media, especially when covering conversations around controversial topics, or themes which encourage trolling online. We’ll look at how to categorize difficult conversations, when and when not to respond, and how to engage.

About the presenter: Ned Potter is the Faculty Engagement Manager: Community & UX at the University of York, and a Trainer for various organizations including the Bodleian Libraries and the British Library. He has run library workshops across four continents, and his presentations have been viewed over 2.5 million times online. His book The Library Marketing Toolkit was published by Facet in 2012. Ned can be found online at ned-potter.com and on Bluesky at @nedpotter.bsky.social

PowerPoint is Your Secret Weapon
2026-09-02 10:00 - 12:00
PowerPoint is a surprisingly versatile tool which can go far beyond creating traditional presentations. Because the interface is familiar it can be a really simple tool to use for a wide variety of tasks, and we’ll see examples of many different content types in the session.

This in-depth hands-on workshop will look at PowerPoint interactivity, PowerPoint as a creator of brilliant posters or digital content for screens and social media, and even PowerPoint as a creator of video.

About the presenter: Ned Potter is the Faculty Engagement Manager: Community & UX at the University of York, and a Trainer for various organizations including the Bodleian Libraries and the British Library. He has run library workshops across four continents, and his presentations have been viewed over 2.5 million times online. His book The Library Marketing Toolkit was published by Facet in 2012. Ned can be found online at ned-potter.com and on Bluesky at @nedpotter.bsky.social
