Why Your Best People Leave

AFTER YOU ATTEND THIS COURSE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO:

• Analyze how your library distributes workloads.
• Understand systems of burnout and retention.
• Create a productive workplace culture that encourages retention.
• Build trust with your team and lead with transparency.
• Redistribute imbalanced workloads according to data.
• Intervene and reengage employees exhibiting signs of burnout or disengagement.
• Build retention practices into everyday work processes.
• Establish regular processes for check-ins and feedback.

LIVE SESSION | 2:00–3:30 pm ET

Understanding The Big Picture: A Systems Approach for Making Staying Possible

What would it cost you if one of your best performers left tomorrow? Do your most capable people know they’re your most capable? What does your institution reward when it comes to workload and style? This live opening session sets the foundation for the remaining self-paced modules. We will examine systems of burnout and retention and explore how to create an effective, productive workplace culture. Participants will leave with practical ideas for becoming the type of leader who makes people want to stay.

SELF-PACED MODULES

Module 1
Burnout and Trust-Building: How to Encourage Retention

What contributes to cycles of burnout, and what can you do to prevent it in your team? How can you both learn to trust your team and help them learn to trust you as their leader? This module takes a deep dive into burnout, focusing on proactive approaches to stop it before it starts. Leave with effective techniques to create a work culture that encourages trust, transparency, and retention.

Module 2
Analyzing and Redistributing Workloads: A Data-Centered Approach

In what areas do you notice your team over-giving their time or energy? Are workloads distributed fairly and balanced? This module introduces a step-by-step framework for conducting a comprehensive data analysis. You will leave with actionable strategies for redistributing, pausing, or canceling tasks based on clear data you can use with leadership.

Module 3
Dealing with Disengagement: How to Intervene in Retention

What do you do if a team member is already showing signs of burnout and disengagement? This module focuses on practical strategies to address disengagement, initiate meaningful repair, and support your team before valued employees decide to leave.

Module 4
Retention as Ongoing Practice: Small Changes, Large Outcomes

Retention should not only be addressed when strong employees leave. This module explores how to embed retention practices into everyday leadership processes. We will examine meeting structures, efficiency strategies, boundary-setting practices, and ways to ensure every team member has a voice. Leave with a framework for establishing a regular cadence of “staying conversations” and honest feedback rather than relying solely on exit interviews.

COURSE ADVISOR & INSTRUCTOR

Helen Rimmer, Leadership Coach, Facilitator, and Founder

Helen Rimmer is a UK-based leadership coach, facilitator, and former senior library leader with over 20 years’ experience in libraries and higher education. She is the founder of The Kind Brave Leader and Empower: The Library Skills Collective, where she supports librarians, managers, and organisations to build kinder, healthier, and more sustainable workplaces.

Helen specialises in kindness-led leadership, burnout prevention, and strengths-based development. She holds a PGCert in the Psychology of Kindness and Wellbeing at Work and is a certified systemic team coach. Her work blends evidence-based practice with real-world experience, helping library professionals lead with courage, compassion, and clarity in challenging times.

COURSE INSTRUCTORS

Jennie Garner, Library Director, North Liberty Library

Jennie Garner is the library director at the North Liberty Library in Iowa where she has served in a variety of roles for more than 30 years. Her professional work is grounded in a deep commitment to leadership, policy development, and advancing equity and access in libraries, with particular attention to creating healthy, sustainable organizational cultures.

Jennie has presented nationally and internationally on positive leadership, civic engagement and bridging, library advocacy, and inclusive policy development. She prioritizes staff involvement at all levels of organizational planning and encourages staff development and community engagement as essential elements to resilience and well-being.

A dedicated advocate for rural and small libraries, Jennie served as the 2023 President of the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) and continues to promote collaboration across libraries of all sizes. She is currently a member of the National Civic Collaboratory. At the local level, she serves on the board of Inside Out Reentry Community and the ThriveLib Advisory Board.

Amy Stubbing, University Librarian, Solent University

Amy Stubbing, University Librarian at Solent University in Southampton, brings a wealth of experience across library leadership, collection management, and customer services. Amy is passionate about data literacy and integrating data practices into decision-making, and she has significant experience supporting librarians to gain the skills they need to succeed in this area.

As the author of the Data-Driven Decisions Toolkit for Libraries, she has worked with libraries across the globe to implement these practices and offers bespoke training in a variety of settings.

Beth Wahler, Consultant and Researcher

Dr. Beth Wahler is a consultant, researcher, trainer, and experienced administrator with a primary focus on helping library workers respond effectively to the complex challenges of serving the public while also prioritizing their own well-being and supporting one another in the workplace. She specializes in addressing the needs of individuals experiencing mental health challenges, substance use, homelessness, poverty, and trauma, and in equipping staff with practical, trauma-informed strategies to navigate these interactions with confidence and care.

As the author of the Data-Driven Decisions Toolkit for Libraries, she has worked with libraries across the globe to implement these practices and offers bespoke training in a variety of settings.

WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE

This course is for anyone in a management or leadership role.

This will be a 4-module online course with a live kickoff session and will include:

• Live Session: A live kick-off session with expert instruction. (The session is recorded and available for on-demand access for six months after the course ends.)
• Asynchronous workshop: Four on-demand, self-paced modules connecting what you’re learning to your professional practice.
• Online Classroom: The virtual learning platform holds all course content and remains accessible for six months after the course ends.

Note: The asynchronous work is self-paced, and you will have six months of access to complete the course materials.

EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT

If you attend or watch the recording of the live kick-off session and complete the four-module workshop, you will spend approximately 16 hours on this course. You will earn 16 hours of professional development credit and a Library Journal certificate of completion.

ON-DEMAND ACCESS

The live kick-off session is recorded, and all course materials are available on demand for six months following the initial broadcast.

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

Complete the course and earn 16 professional development credit hours. A certificate will be emailed to you upon completion.

ACCESSIBILITY

All guest speaker sessions feature auto-captioning and are available on demand after the initial broadcast. Please email course-support@libraryjournal.com upon registration if you require accommodations. We will make our best effort to support your needs.

SUPPORT

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

DISCOUNTED RATES ARE AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY

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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.

Request Discounted Group Pricing

For support with group purchases, please contact groupsales@libraryjournal.com .