Onboarding for New Public Library Employees

After you attend this course, you’ll be able to:

• Describe the core mission of public libraries and common roles of library workers.
  


• Define key library values and articulate how these values inform your daily work and library policies.
  


• Identify the unique needs of your community.
  


• Define concepts of identity and belonging.
  


• Understand how awareness of your own perspective contributes to a more inclusive environment.
  


• Apply effective communication techniques with a diverse range of library users.
  


• Apply de-escalation techniques and reflective listening during challenging interactions.
  


• Conduct a basic reference interview and determine appropriate sources or referrals.
  

This course consists of 6 on-demand modules:

Module 1: Library Mission and Roles

This beginning module will lay the groundwork for your workplace success by exploring the core mission and vision driving public libraries of all types. You'll learn about common job roles and responsibilities that you might encounter and gain a solid understanding of the essential services and collections that are the heart of public library work. This foundational knowledge will help you connect the dots between the work you do to the library's vital community mission.

Module 2: Core Library Values

Public libraries are built upon a number of fundamental principles. In this module, we'll explore key values such as information access, intellectual freedom, privacy, and the concept of libraries as a public good. Understanding these values is crucial, as they inform daily operations, policies, services, and collections at your library. This module will reveal how these core tenets underpin your work which supports your community.

Module 3: Community and Workplace Culture

Libraries are shaped by their communities, and this module explores how those relationships influence your library's operations. In this module, you'll learn about diverse library users, identify the unique makeup of your community, and gain an understanding of how a library is tailored to meet local needs. By the end, you'll grasp how your local community shapes your daily work experiences and contributes to the library's success.

Module 4: Sensitivity Training

Our individual perspectives impact our interactions with library users and colleagues. In this module, we will define and discuss key concepts such as identity, belonging, and inclusion to help you better understand the varied and complex experiences of others. This sensitivity training aims to provide a foundational understanding of what it means to create a truly inclusive and collaborative environment. By the end, you'll be equipped with the awareness needed to foster a more welcoming library for everyone in your community.

Module 5: Customer Service and De-Escalation

Customer service is a core part of all library roles, and this module will provide you with the skills to handle interactions with both excellence and professionalism. You will learn best practices for courteous and empathetic communication to address user inquiries and resolve common issues. We'll also cover essential de-escalation techniques and the power of reflective listening to navigate challenging interactions and uphold library values. Finally, this module emphasizes self-care, providing you with the tools to manage stress and maintain your well-being after a difficult encounter.

Module 6: Information Assistance

One of the most common and important tasks you’ll do as a library employee is to help patrons find the information they need. This final module will cover the basics of how to conduct a "reference interview," a process to determine a library user’s information need. You will also learn how to determine appropriate sources to consult and identify when a referral to a co-worker is needed. After this module, you will be empowered to assist patrons with their information needs.

Who should take this course

This course is designed for new public library staff, primarily frontline workers without an MLS.

This will be a self-paced, asynchronous online course.

Expected time commitment

This course includes 6 modules, each designed to take approximately 4 hours to complete. You can move through the content at your own pace and on your own schedule. You'll earn 24 hours of PD credit and a Library Journal certificate of completion.

On-demand access

You will have access to the full course and materials for 6 months after your initial registration.

Certificate of completion

Complete the course and earn 24 professional development credit hours. We provide a certificate that is emailed to you.

Support

For support with online courses, please contact course-support@libraryjournal.com .

Course Advisor

Judah Hamer, Lead Consultant, Constructive Disruption & Human Resources Manager, Boston Public Library

Judah Hamer (he/him/his) has deep experience in public and school libraries, with a career spanning over three decades. His areas of expertise are organizational development, people operations, knowledge management, and interactional analysis.

 Judah has taught extensively at the School of Communication & Information, Rutgers University, as an instructor for the MIS program. He won the school’s first recognition for its online instruction, from WISE. His personal research has been most heavily focused on the LGBTQ community.

 Judah is a Lead Consultant for Constructive Disruption and the Human Resources Manager for the Boston Public Library.

Course Instructors

Mary Grace Flaherty, Professor Emerita, School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Mary Grace Flaherty is Professor Emerita at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Information and Library Science where she taught in the graduate LIS program. She has over forty years of professional library experience working in a variety of settings and positions, from creating a library for a corporate health research center in Atlanta, GA, to assistant director in an academic medical library in Baltimore, MD to director of a rural public library in Upstate NY. Dr. Flaherty has her PhD from Syracuse University where she was an IMLS Fellow. She has an MS degree from Johns Hopkins University, and her MLS is from the University of Maryland. Dr. Flaherty has published extensively in the health and library literature. Her books include the Library Staff Development Handbook; Great Library Events; Disaster Planning Handbook for Libraries, and Promoting Individual and Community Health at the Library.

Christina Fuller-Gregory, Principal Consultant and Founder of Fuller Potential Consulting

Christina Fuller-Gregory is principal consultant and Founder of Fuller Potential Consulting, a consultancy at the forefront of preparing individuals and organizations to harness the power of authentic belonging. Growing up in the Upstate of South Carolina as the daughter of a Library Administrator Christina Fuller-Gregory always knew two things 1) that she would never be a librarian like her mother and 2) that after attending countless library programs on the weekends, her least favorite place was the library. Luckily, an adult Christina discovered that she was wrong on both counts. She did, in fact, become a librarian like her mom, and Libraries would ultimately become her Third Place. Today, Fuller-Gregory uses her lifelong relationship with Libraries to inform her work as a people-driven, community-centered library leader. Christina has been recognized as an American Library Association's Emerging Leader, she's acted as a committee member and chair for numerous library committees, and was recognized for her work in the equity space by Library Journal when she was named a Mover & Shaker. She is a highly sought-after speaker and consultant, and her writing has been featured in numerous publications. Her first book, A Library Worker's Guide to Saying No to White Supremacy Work Culture will be available in September 2025. Led by Fannie Lou Hamer's belief that 'Nobody's free until everybody's free,' Christina's research and writing is driven by a desire to see Libraries develop strategies for positively shifting their organizational purpose.

Cathay Keough, Reference Services Librarian (Retired)

Cathay Keough began her library career in 1979 as an undergraduate work-study student at The Evergreen State College. She later pursued graduate coursework in education and special education at the University of Oregon, and earned her Master of Library and Information Science degree from Drexel University, graduating with Beta Phi Mu honors.

Her professional path has included work in public and community college libraries, as well as serving as Reference Services Coordinator for the Internet Public Library. Drawn to virtual reference services, Cathay contributed to Maryland AskUsNow! and served as the Statewide Coordinator for Reference Services with the Delaware Division of Libraries. Throughout her career, Cathay has been dedicated to training—providing instruction and support to library customers, staff, and graduate students alike. She retired in 2023 as the Information Services Coordinator for Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources in southwest Florida.

In retirement, Cathay serves as lead librarian for the private library of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Venice, volunteers as a hospice support worker and Death Doula, and continues to champion lifelong learning.

Kate Hall, Executive Director, Northbrook Public Library

Kate Hall is the Executive Director of the Northbrook Public Library, a Library Journal 5 Star Library located in northern Illinois. Prior to this role, she served as a teen librarian, youth services manager, and director at various Chicagoland libraries for over 20 years. She co-authored the Library Director’s Toolkit that has become a great resource for library leaders.

Erin Jones, Equitable Libraries Division Director

Erin Jones is the equitable libraries division director for Alameda County Library in California. She is a fierce advocate for intellectual freedom and privacy. Jones previously led the Privacy Subcommittee of the ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Committee and co-led the teams that developed Article VII of the Library Bill of Rights and the Core Values of Librarianship. She currently serves as a trustee for the LeRoy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund. Her work has been honored with the California Library Association’s Zoia Horn Award in both 2016 and 2021. She is also a coeditor of the Ultimate Privacy Field Guide (2022).

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Group Rates

We offer discounts for groups of 3 or more.

For larger groups of 15 or more, we offer the option to apply group rates across multiple courses to receive significant discounts. For more information, select “Bulk Course Credits Packages” in the form below.

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