[Michlib-l] Advocacy Crash Courses: Championing Staff and Creating a Welcoming Library Environment - Registration Deadline Sept 23

[UW iSchool CE]

Advocacy Crash Courses: Championing Staff and Creating a Welcoming Library Environment

Thursdays Sept 25 – Oct 23
12:00-1:00 PM CST
Register today: go.wisc.edu/s3i86h<https://go.wisc.edu/s3i86h>

Join experts for a series of insightful and practical webinars designed to help you better advocate for yourself, your colleagues, and patrons alike. Whether you are a staff member who feels change is beyond your control or a manager trying to navigate advocating your team’s behalf this series will equip you with practical strategies, new approaches, and actionable tools to drive meaningful change.

Each webinar will be presented live with captions, and all sessions will be recorded and made available to registered attendees through December 31, 2025. You can register for an individual webinar for $50 or enroll in the full series for $200 and save. Register by September 23 to receive the series discount!

Belonging at Work: An Inspiring Environment for Neurodivergent Employees, Sept 25, 12:00 - 1:00 PM CST
Diversity in how employees think makes for a creative and dynamic staff. How can we recruit and train neurodivergent employees to give them a great start? And how can libraries retain and empower all employees? Learn strategies to improve your interview process and onboarding, and tips and tricks for managers and coworkers. You’ll leave this session with practical ideas for making your library more welcoming to all employees.

It’s Called Praxis: How Cis Managers Can Support Trans Staff, Oct 2, 12:00 - 1:00 PM CST
In a time of rapid change where state and federal policies disparately impact people with marginalized identities, learn how cisgender managers can support transgender staff in a professional environment already impacted by bias, outdated protocols, and even outright hostility. Attendees will engage with ideas for putting trauma-informed service into practice while considering HR and library policies, departmental communication and workflows, power dynamics and gender privilege, and workplace bullying or harassment. This session is intended to help cis library managers and administrators cultivate a greater awareness of their trans workers’ needs and lived realities, through a conversation between two librarians: a cis supervisor offering her perspective on supporting a trans employee, and a trans librarian talking about the daily experience of “working while trans” in a public library.
Modeled after their successful professional development trainings in Massachusetts, Heath Umbreit and Liz Reed will share best practices and techniques with time for questions from attendees.

HR Basics for Libraries, Oct 9, 12:00 - 1:00 PM CST
Sarah and Sara will present tips on successful HR management for rural and small libraries based on her experience and expertise.  They will look at common HR issues for public libraries (especially rural & small libraries) such as recruitment, policies and employment laws, and performance management, including how to have those difficult discussions. We will also talk about strategies to make working at the library great for everyone!

Your Voice Matters: Advocating for Yourself at Work, Oct 16, 12:00 - 1:00 PM CST
Unlock your influence with essential self-advocacy skills in the workplace! This webinar provides practical, actionable strategies for library professionals at all levels, empowering you to effectively negotiate for improved compensation and benefits, champion your innovative project ideas, and advocate for accommodations. Learn how to articulate your value, navigate challenging conversations, and achieve positive outcomes that support your professional growth and well-being within the library environment.

Inspirations, Burdens, and Other Lies: The Disability Community in the Library, Oct 23, 12:00 - 1:00 PM CST
A welcoming and accessible environment for people with disabilities is crucial to ensure that libraries are truly for everyone; however, the dominant societal narrative tells us lies about disability that can keep us from fully embracing and prioritizing people with disabilities in our work. This program will invite attendees to consider the ways dominant narratives about disability affect common library work practices, and how to counter those in ourselves and our staff in order to advocate for the disability community in their libraries.

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Questions? Email ce-info at ischool.wisc.edu

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