Professional Development Opportunities

Whether they are learning the alphabet, sharpening their literacy skills through decodable texts, or just beginning independent reading, providing young people with resources to help ignite their interest in books and learning is crucial. Join Booklist on Tuesday, May 20 at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT for a free, one-hour webinar featuring new titles that will help educators, school librarians, and parents fill their shelves. Kicking things off with phonics and decodable texts, we'll make our way through all the stages of early reading, including picture and chapter books, with titles from Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, DK, Holiday House, and Flutterbee Education Group, home of Bellwether, BearPort, Jump! and Kaleidoscope books.

With so much out there to read, what’s the best way to find engaging and fun new titles for your book club? By coming to our free one-hour webinar! Join us on Tuesday, May 27 at 1pm C.T. / 2pm E.T. as representatives from Bloomsbury, Europa Editions, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House and Dundurn Press share their hottest upcoming titles that your book club is sure to love!

Join us for a conversation with Dr. Julie A. Evans, lead researcher and CEO of Project TomorrowⓇ, and Amy Dix, a mother and a PA and Health Sciences PhD, as they discuss their experiences, key data points, and using large print as a prescriptive learning accommodation.

Whether your patrons are looking for audiobooks to listen to while doing chores, exercising, or for their young readers, it’s helpful to have a few recommendations on hand. And with so many wonderful titles to choose from, how do you know what qualifies as a “must-add” to your digital shelf? Join Booklist on Tuesday, June 3 at 11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. CT for a free, one-hour webinar featuring upcoming audiobooks from Dreamscape Media, Penguin Random House Library Marketing, Naxos Audiobooks, and L.A. Theatre Works. Plus, Michele Cobb, Executive Director of the Audio Publishers Association, will kick off the program with insightful data about audiobook listening trends among consumers.

Whether you’re a veteran historical fiction reader or a curious newcomer, this free, live event will give you the knowledge you need to explore the past through fiction.

Comics about scientists? Why such a dangerous experiment?! Comic books still have a whiff of disreputability about them, even after all the movies and all the decades of work done by creators and librarians (yes, you!) to broaden their subject matter and reach. Presenter Jim Ottaviani's niche is comics about science and engineering, and in this talk we’ll discuss why and how he makes them.

Get ready to set sail into summer with the audiobooks everyone will be talking about! Join us for Summer Sounds Like Audiobooks – 2025’s Hottest Titles, a breezy and informative webinar spotlighting the most anticipated listens of the season. Whether your patrons are searching for the perfect beach listen or a gripping series to binge on long road trips, we’ve got you covered.

oin us for a 30-minute spine-tingling panel featuring page-turners from the brightest stars of the upcoming Fall thriller lineup, including Jennifer Niven, Kiersten White, Jihyun Yun, and E. Lockhart moderated by a Booklist editor! Unravel the mysteries of their unique writing styles, discover the inspiration lurking behind their books, and hear all about the jaw-dropping twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat! The remaining 60-minutes will showcase exciting previews of Fall 2025 titles, presented by the RHCB School & Library team.