WebJunction Course Catalog

Please note that this course will be retired, and no longer available for enrollment on July 28, 2025, when it will be replaced by a new program of courses called LiFT: Library Foundational Training. Anyone enrolled by that date will continue to have access to the course until August 29, 2025.

Format: Self-paced Course
Developed by: the Idaho Commission for Libraries
Length: 1.5 hours

Course Objectives
In this unit, you will learn:

• Criteria and processes for selecting materials
• List and characteristics of several collection development selection tools
• Tips for managing the acquisitions process
  
  

Important Notes:

1) A Certificate of Completion for this course is provided by the Idaho Commission for Libraries.

2) User registration data for all ABLE courses is provided to the Idaho Commission for Libraries so they can track user progress.

Format: Webinar, original date October 8, 2020
Hosted by: OCLC and IMLS
Length: 1 hour

Amid COVID-19, many archives, libraries and museums are reopening and expanding access to services in their communities. The challenges of reopening during a pandemic have led to many questions about the handling of materials as well as the management of building operations. From allowing the virus to die naturally, to using disinfectants, to applying UV light or heat treatment—there are many options to consider. View this 60-minute webinar from the REopening Archives, Libraries and Museums (REALM) project to hear how some organizations are implementing policies and procedures around the use of these various treatments and considerations that could inform your own local decisions. You’ll also hear an update on REALM testing efforts and the development of project resources.

Presented by: Bexx Caswell-Olson, Chris Carron, Scott Carey, and Kendra Morgan

Course Format: Self-paced Course

Developed by: WebJunction, in collaboration with Legal Services Corporation
Estimated Time to Complete: 6 hours

Overview

Course 2 covers the Response and early Recovery phases of the Emergency Management Cycle and continues the development of the disaster response and recovery binder (DRR binder) begun in Course 1. The first part of this course addresses trauma-informed care in the aftermath of disaster. The second part of the course covers the primary funding sources for disaster recovery, including insurance and government assistance, with their attendant legal complications. When disaster strikes a region, everyone feels the traumatic impact to varying degrees. It’s critical to understand how to respond with sensitivity to the turmoil a patron is experiencing (trauma response) before diving into connecting patrons with disaster assistance.

If the disaster is federally declared, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) can provide government-funded individual assistance for a variety of crisis needs. Library staff can benefit from knowing basic information about the application and appeals processes, timelines, and dependencies of these assistance programs to be able to guide patrons to appropriate resources and adjust their expectations. Legal complications often arise in these processes, and library staff will benefit from having their list of legal referrals as part of the reference collection assembled in Course 1.

Learning Objectives

As a result of taking this course, library staff will be able to:

• Apply a trauma-informed approach in response to disaster survivors. 
• Explain the general processes and dependencies of the primary funding sources for individual disaster assistance in a major natural disaster: insurance, FEMA, and SBA.  
• Guide patrons to information and resources that will help them navigate disaster assistance. 
• Manage patron expectations about how disaster assistance can help with recovery. 
• Recognize common issues associated with disaster relief (e.g., landlord-tenant problems, contractor scams, and price gouging) and refer patrons to legal assistance.

Format: Self-paced Course
Developed with: Funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Length: 3 hours

Are you new to the public library director role? Or considering becoming a director in the future? 
This series will introduce you to the many and unique facets of public library directorship. Each of the four on-demand recordings provide a broad overview that both informs and inspires.

Overview
Public Library Directors 101 is an introduction to some of the key concepts every new public library director needs to know on the day they start their new job.

This four‐part video series was designed by state librarians, library development directors, and CE coordinators around the question: “What do public library directors tell us they wish they had known when they started their job?”

The videos are under ½ hour each and apply to any library director in any size of library in any state. It is recommended that new library directors view all of the videos within the first month they begin their job. The videos are as follows:

• Your New Role – Whether you have served in a different role at your library or you are brand new to the community, this video explores how a library director needs to refocus when assuming this new position.
• Community Relations – The directorship is an outwardly‐focused position in the library. This session explores the concept and considers the library as a community anchor institution.
• Planning and Project Management – The director is the futurist for the library. While he or she may have participated in planning activities in the past, now the director will be leading the charge in planning for the library’s future and implementing the plan.
• Asset management – Finally, this episode looks at how the director will be managing all the assets of the library system ‐ which includes buildings, the collection, revenue, and staff.
  

Course Design:
Produced through the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) Continuing Education Connector project.

Format: Webinar, original date September 15, 2016
Hosted by: WebJunction
Length: 1 hour

Economic development and job opportunities are concerns in most communities, and thriving small businesses are important to ensuring a community's economic health. Join the Small Business Information Center (SBIC) Librarian from the Cecil County Public Library (CCPL) to learn how your library can be a part of the formula for building and supporting a stronger local economy. You'll learn how CCPL has developed the SBIC since its inception in 2003, growing from a shelf of books to a personalized service, with examples and lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Find out how your library can be an excellent resource for aspiring and experienced business owners. This session will cover the basics of collection development, classes, marketing, partnerships and more. Hear how libraries are not only helping launch small businesses, but as these businesses continue to thrive, they are able to give back to the community.

Presented by: Laura Metzler