Professional Development Opportunities

This 90-minute webinar explores the growing role of artificial intelligence in streamlining the research process, with a focus on using AI tools designed to summarize scholarly articles.

Book reviews are a great way to share thoughts on a book while helping others decide whether it’s worth reading. Composing a review sounds easy, but it is much more than just writing a quick synopsis or a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book. Reviewing balances concise writing with thoughtful analysis and assessment of the title’s content. What were the primary themes of the book? Were the authors successful in conveying their points? What were the book’s strengths or weaknesses? Who would be interested in reading the title? Join ACRL and Melissa Lockaby (C&RL’s Book Review Editor) to hear tips on how to write an informative evaluation of a book – from fiction to non-fiction, for casual readers to academic researchers.

Storytime isn’t just fun—it’s foundational. In this session, we’ll explore how to intentionally apply early literacy practices to storytime sessions in meaningful, engaging, and developmentally supportive ways. Learn how to align your book choices, songs, activities, and interactions with the five early literacy practices (talk, sing, read, write, play), and better understand the “why” behind what we do.

This How PubMed Works: Medical Subject Headings session addresses increasing health information access and use by highlighting features of the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed bibliographic database.

The full program, including information about our two keynote speakers, Dr. Tia Brown McNair and Lee Rainie, is also available, so please check it out. With the theme “The Evolving Landscape of Student Success,” the symposium highlights how academic libraries are responding to the shifting realities of higher education through innovative services, cross-campus collaborations, inclusive pedagogies, or technology-enabled support.

Learn how our library re-energized its programming efforts in 2024, ultimately doubling the number of programs offered and increasing our total patron count by nearly 20% in one year. You will leave with practical examples of inexpensive drop-in and passive programming that can lead to more visits and turn your library into a daily destination for your community.

Education is the number one target of hackers, and the rise of generative AI has made these threats even more sophisticated. Academic institutions face a perfect storm: open research environments designed for collaboration, diverse populations with varying technical expertise, and attackers deploying AI-powered deception at unprecedented scale. In this session, cybersecurity and AI expert Keatron Evans breaks down the AI-driven threats targeting campuses right now—from deepfake-enhanced phishing campaigns to synthetic content designed to exploit students, faculty, and staff alike. You'll discover why traditional security approaches fall short in academic settings and learn practical strategies for building awareness that resonates across your campus. We'll share insights from security awareness professionals working with higher ed institutions and show you how to leverage free resources to create year-round momentum. Walk away with actionable tactics to help your campus spot digital lies and transform your community into an active defense against AI-powered deception.

Join us for our signature open science event, a full day of virtual talks and panels from researchers and thought leaders in academia, industry, and publishing. The conference will explore how open science is transforming the ways in which we do research and share it across STEM, social science, and humanities disciplines.

In this Library Journal webinar, you’ll hear from JSTOR, the Big Ten Academic Alliance, the University of North Carolina Press, and Liverpool University Press as they share the story of how Publisher Collections came to life—why it matters, the challenges it addresses, the turning point that shaped the model, how it works in practice, and what comes next. You’ll also learn how your institution can join this new model to gain comprehensive coverage, streamlined workflows, meaningful value at scale, and integrated support for researchers—helping you serve your community more effectively while supporting the sustainability of scholarly publishing.

How can your library use data stories not just to survive, but to thrive? In this interactive session, Dr. Kate McDowell introduces key ideas from her forthcoming book Critical Data Storytelling for Libraries (ALA Editions, 2025), designed to help all library workers—whether data experts or story experts—craft ethical, evidence-based narratives for advocacy and impact.

Curious about evidence-based public health (EBPH) but not sure where to start? This class will explain the basics of evidence-based public health (EBPH) and highlight essentials of the EBPH process such as identifying the problem, forming a question, searching the literature, and evaluating the intervention. The purpose of this class is to provide an introduction to the world of evidence based public health and to give those already familiar with EBPH useful information that can be applied in their practices.

Learn how to integrate AI into evidence synthesis and help researchers utilize AI tools more efficiently.

Join this webinar led by Tara Naughtin, Director of Systems Innovation at MPCC, and Jeff Elliott, Senior Director of Product Management at Jenzabar. Together, they will explore how MPCC transformed from an institution struggling with disjointed technologies and processes to a collaborative multi-campus college with more efficient—and successful—recruitment and housing initiatives. They will also dive into how you can implement a similar approach to drive engagement and enrollment on your campus.

In this presentation, the speaker will share an overview and history of RDS in libraries as well as current trends. They will also introduce strategies for developing and launching research data services either through hiring or through taking on a new position or new responsibilities. Ultimately, upon completion of the webinar, you will have greater understanding of the broad scope of RDS, including how data management, data curation, data science, GIS, and other common terms can be part of what you have to offer.

New library workers face the challenge of learning a job as well as integrating into a workplace culture and environment. Part of onboarding is showing how the library as an institution supports and encourages employees, and engaged employees are a significant marker of an organization’s success. How do you ensure each new employee has a consistent and positive experience? Concrete tools and workflows will provide every person involved with a smooth and collaborative outcome.

Join us for this practical webinar designed for higher education IT professionals as we explore the intersection of change management, agile leadership, and AI, equipping higher education professionals with the strategies needed to navigate ongoing transformation.

The stakes are high. Twenty-one percent of college students report having disabilities that affect their ability to access digital content. Yet many institutions manage thousands of websites containing millions of pages that now require review and remediation by April 2026.

What does the path forward look like? How can colleges prioritize effectively while managing limited resources?

This session offers a mix of live demonstrations, hands-on exercises, and practical search tips from the National Library of Medicine. Key topics include the ATM keyword term translation process, leveraging the Subject, Journals, and Author Name tables, phrase searching, finding ‘your’ author, and strategies for refining searches when ATM doesn’t deliver expected results.

This webinar will describe hallmarks of rural America, identify access challenges of living in rural communities, and equip participants with tools to service the health information needs of those living in rural communities.

We will explore websites from the National Library of Medicine, U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service and the Rural Health Information Hub. The origins of each website will be explained. Each of the websites contain consumer-level information and offers an opportunity for data downloads. The downloads will be demonstrated. These resources are relevant to nurses, librarians, public health workers, allied healthcare professionals, educators, faith- and community-based organizations.

Join the Perspective on the Framework column team to learn more about publishing for the column. The team is currently accepting submissions, so this is your time to learn all about the editorial process.

Our colleagues at Authors Alliance (opens in new window) and OCEAN (opens in new window) are hosting this session to explore copyrightability and authorship of AI-assisted creative works that are increasingly used in writing as well as film, video, images and other formats. They will examine:

what AI terms of service agreements say about ownership and liability of AI outputs,

how publishing contracts, institutional policies, and professional ethics address, or fail to address, AI use.

the challenges of identifying AI-generated content, particularly in publications, donor materials, and acquisitions, and why it matters for authenticity, provenance, and preservation.

Participants will leave with practical considerations for the legal and ethical risks of AI, and the implications for authorship, ownership, and maintaining the integrity of collections.

Join us for a conversation about three different types of LIS pedagogy: instructing college students of immigrant or international heritage, teaching English-learning adults in public libraries, and training LIS professionals to effectively engage with immigrant communities. While we are careful to avoid homogenizing groups, there are transferable lessons from each instructional context. We will provide evidence-based tips and case studies to advance library service to immigrants and international groups during this divisive time in U.S. history.

This free, two-day event will include sessions on eLearning best practices, accessible and inclusive design, instructional design, open education, eLearning tools, generative AI and much more!

Every year, Andrew presents a program in November on Giving Thanks. This year he invites you to take a look at gratitude and life through Stoicism. Stoicism is a philosophy that provides a framework for ethical self-improvement and for living a human life worth living.

On Thanksgiving Day, we’re supposed to make time for thanks, to actively think about gratitude. But what is gratitude? The Stoics believe it is inclusive and counterintuitive. It wasn’t just about being grateful for the good, but for all of life.

Join Andrew for an hour of thought-provoking information including The Control Test. This program could change how you think, feel and act about gratitude on Thanksgiving Day and every day after.

Learn of ASU-tested practices for running multimedia, AI supported peer review that raises engagement, builds AI literacy, and lightens grading. We’ll unpack a graduate Psychology model where students record narrated slide presentations, choose peers to review based on interest, and then submit a short reflection on how both peer and AI feedback changed their work. You’ll see how a transparent AI-use tier policy (what tools are allowed, where, and why) plus required citations keeps expectations clear and productive.

In this session, experts from Ex Libris’ Alma will share how the close-knit Alma user community is helping shape the future of libraries through collaboration and shared innovation. Participants will learn how AI is being applied in practical ways - from streamlining copy cataloging and suggesting subject headings to generating insights from library data that support informed, data-driven decisions.

The session will introduce Alma Insights, which makes library data easier to access and interpret; explore how AI agents and assistants can assist staff in daily tasks; discuss upcoming developments for AI Metadata and cataloging; and examine how AI can increase the visibility of collections to patrons as an integrated part of the patron experience.

Speaker:
Dan D'Agostino
Compassion Institute and University of Toronto

Join panelists Kelleen Maluski and Gina Kromhout for a moderated discussion on the overlap of chronic illness and librarianship.

Higher education institutions face a perfect storm: fierce competition for cybersecurity talent, limited budgets, and increasingly sophisticated threats targeting campus environments. IT and security leaders struggle with two critical questions: how do you know if candidates truly possess the hands-on skills they claim, and can your current team handle emerging cybersecurity threats? Learn why traditional approaches to validating technical capabilities fall short, and see a live demonstration of AI-powered skills verification—a tool already being used in pilot programs across the government. See firsthand how this shift toward skills-based validation will reshape hiring practices and career progression as the workforce shifts from credential-focused to capability-focused. We'll share practical strategies for how to identify hidden skills gaps within your current team and how you can make confident hiring decisions that maximize your limited resources. Walk away with actionable tactics to build the skilled teams your campus needs.

Neurodivergent children have needs that can make coming to the library a challenge. To bridge this barrier and embrace and celebrate this community, we created programming and a designated physical space that is inclusive and provides an enriching library experience. This program will walk participants through how we developed and implemented an adaptive storytime and a sensory wall so that they can apply aspects of these strategies that work for their libraries and communities. We will also discuss the importance of staff training and the significance of families seeing the library as a safe and welcoming space for their children.

Digital literacy, including AI, media, computer, and coding skills are essential for today’s K12 students. We’ll explore how school librarians can align their digital literacy efforts with educational standards and spark meaningful reflection, collaboration, and innovation in K–12 education and beyond.

In keeping with the AI focus of their Fall programming, our colleagues at Authors Alliance (opens in new window) and OCEAN (opens in new window) will explore the latest and most impactful AI litigation that affects authors, libraries, archives, and museums.

Join us to discuss outreach initiatives and efforts for commuter and transfer student populations within academic libraries and the challenges regarding outreach to commuter and transfer students within academic libraries.

Public library building and renovation projects are often once-in-a-generation events. Staff and leaders may never have done a similar project and may never do one again, making it imperative for libraries to learn from one another. Come learn from one library’s successful experience.

Staff from the Library of Congress volunteer transcription program By the People will share about new projects that invite the public to engage deeply with the history of our country’s founding, from colonial life to the early Republic.

Step inside the evolving world of artificial intelligence with A Day in the Life of an AI Professional, a new panel series exploring how experts integrate AI into their daily work. This event offers a behind‑the‑scenes look at the scope, goals, and real‑world challenges of AI‑focused roles—from designing innovative digital tools to navigating ethical and technical complexities.

Many companies are embracing AI with an eye toward gaining transformative efficiencies – and are looking to do so in ways that follow responsible practices that are fair, reliable and secure. This session delivers a timely and pragmatic exploration for DIA members, including regulatory, clinical and medical affairs.

How are health communication and health literacy connected? How can you be more effective in providing health information to consumers, patients, clients, library patrons and your community? This 1 hour webinar introduces the concepts of health literacy and health communication, outlines components of clear health communication, and identifies online resources from NLM, government agencies and other recognized resources for health literacy and health communication.

This webinar will provide insights into prison literacy programs, offer ideas of how libraries can and should take the lead in improving their incarcerated patrons’ literacy skills, and challenge participants to take part in creating or enhancing literacy programs with library support.

This 90-minute webinar covers websites and data sources to help you respond to requests for health information from and about older adults, as well as covering programming ideas to address the health information needs of older adults.

Members of the working group and additional guests will demonstrate how cultural heritage institutions can work with the Wikimedia Commons uploaded items beyond the initial upload. This includes looking at engagement opportunities around uploaded collections, hosting dedicated editing events, improving descriptions and metadata, learning how to track usage, and seeing case studies of what DPLA institutions are already doing with their uploads.

Want to write a novel but don’t know where to start? Or maybe you’ve written a few pages, only to be waylaid by frustration, distraction, or boredom? Fear not, intrepid hero, for there is another way. In this presentation, award-winning urban fantasy novelist S.G. Tasz explains how you can borrow concepts from role playing games like Dungeons & Dragons to help get words on the page in record time.

The final session of this series ties together everything that our colleagues at Authors Alliance (opens in new window) and OCEAN (opens in new window) have discussed so far and offers practical guidance on how to communicate the key concepts and best practices, and how they might apply to your particular type of organization, to your colleagues and patrons.

Explore the intersections and applications of library data methodologies and Indigenous-focused knowledge organization.

What if speaking to power felt less like a risk and more like a skill you could grow? In this 60-minute session, Michelle Ornat shares practical strategies for engaging with positional power, such as those in leadership or decision-making roles, with insight and confidence.

The session begins by exploring how awareness is a strategic advantage and how successful conversations start with intention. You will discover how to “plate” a message, whether you are addressing problems or complaints, sharing updates or information, pitching new ideas or proposals, or raising concerns. This approach helps build trust, highlights credibility, and positions you as a thoughtful, solution-oriented leader.