Library Management Training

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

• Understand different management styles and identify the kind of manager you want to be.
• Use cultural competency in your management techniques.
• Build a culture of trust and belonging with your staff.
• Run efficient and effective meetings.
• Gain communication skills to lead your team through change.
• Give difficult and constructive feedback.
• Manage conflicts and difficult conversations with confidence.
• Identify causes of burnout for yourself and your staff.
• Advocate for your team within your sphere of influence.
• Manage your team through crises.
• Create career goals for yourself and advocate for your own professional development.
• Use data literacy skills to make informed decisions.

WEEK 1: FOUNDATIONS OF PEOPLE MANAGEMENT

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Course & Workshop Introduction | 11:00–11:20 am ET

An introduction to the weekly assignments, an overview of what to expect from the online workshop in this course, and a chance to complete the course pre-assessment.

Session 1 | 11:20 am–12:20 pm ET
Foundations of People Management: Becoming a Leader

What kind of manager do you want to be? How do you gain the self-awareness to ensure you can manage yourself as well as your team? And how can you show up authentically without putting on a costume of power? This introduction to the course will showcase different management styles, detail qualities of good leaders, share the foundations of managing a team, and teach you how to foster a culture of relationship building between your staff and yourself.

Session 2 | 12:20–1:20 pm ET
Foundations of Equity-Centered Leadership

How can your leadership style better serve and support marginalized, minoritized, or racialized staff? What is cultural competence, and what does this mean for staff management, recruitment, and workplace culture? Learn how to create a library culture that invites all employees to feel respected and included. You will learn how to build your approaches and capacities as a leader to support staff equitably. Leave this session with a toolkit for engaging with staff and establishing policies in ways that center intersectionality, vulnerability, and relationships.

Lunch Break | 1:20–2:00 pm ET

Session 3 | 2:00–3:00 pm ET
How to Manage People: Team Meetings, Check-ins, Reviews, and Change

How do you run an effective and efficient team meeting? What should - and should not - go into your annual reviews? How often should you have staff meetings and one-on-one check ins, and how should you structure them? And how do you communicate clearly, transparently, and directly with staff, especially regarding changes or challenging situations that might impact their work lives? This week will focus on these questions and provide tangible strategies and templates for streamlining your processes and making the most out of time and communications with your team.

Session 4 | 3:00–4:00 pm ET
How to Manage People: Difficult Conversations, Feedback, Conflict, and Resistance

How do you give negative feedback to staff? How do you know when to escalate to writing a disciplinary report, and how do you write one? How do you manage interpersonal conflicts on your team, especially in cross-generational teams? And how do you manage and create buy-in with resistant staff? This week will teach you practical skills for managing difficult conversations, diffusing tension on your team, and redirecting, coaching, and building relationships with resistant staff. We’ll also discuss how to create and enforce “people first” policies to help set and manage staff behavior expectations.

Optional Interactive Working Session | 4:00–4:30 pm ET

This live, interactive working session will give you an immediate opportunity to process and apply the skills you’ve learned this week. You will be divided into smaller working groups and presented with a prompt, role play, or activity related to this week’s sessions.

Please note: This session is completely optional, and it’s meant to be interactive, so if you can’t or don’t want to be in breakout rooms, you’re welcome to log off. If you stay, we ask that you please join on camera and audio to discuss ideas, ask questions, and hear from other participants in class.

WEEK 2: ADVOCACY, CRISIS, AND DATA-INFORMED MANAGEMENT

Wednesday, June 10, 2026

Workshop Explanation | 11:00–11:15 am ET

An introduction to this week’s assignment and an overview of what to expect from the online workshop in this course.

Session 5 | 11:15 am–12:15 pm ET
Managing through Burnout and Advocating for Staff

Staff burnout is at an all-time high, and many systemic and stackable issues contribute to staff burnout. How do you support your staff even and especially when the cause of their burnout is out of your direct control? How can you identify what’s causing burnout and advocate for the resources your team needs to help build resilience? And what are ways you can create positive impact within your sphere of influence? This week will focus on these questions and discuss ways to advocate for your staff, including how to “manage up” when needed. We will also cover ways to reduce burnout and create resilience by ensuring your management practices are equitable and inclusive.

Session 6 | 12:15–1:15 pm ET
Crisis Management and Communications: Showing Up for Your Team and Yourself

Safety and security are top of mind for librarians across the country. How do you manage your team through crises? And how do you communicate clearly and effectively about crises, both internally with your staff and externally with your community and the media? This week will focus on creating safer libraries by ensuring your emergency policies and procedures are up to date and work for you. We will discuss strategies for iterating on and implementing your crisis plans; how to mandate and respond to incident reports; and how to debrief with your team after an event in a trauma-informed way. We will also discuss how to achieve effective internal and external crisis communication.

Lunch Break | 1:15–2:00 pm ET

Session 7 | 2:00–3:00 pm ET
Foundations of Data-Informed Management

How can you collect and analyze data to make informed decisions? What are techniques for data analysis to help streamline the administrative parts of your work? And how can you use data fluency to lead your team more effectively? This week will focus on data fluency and how to manage your branch or department in a way that is aligned with data-driven metrics. You will learn practical tips to recognize your data weak spots and empower you and your team to become more data literate.

Session 8 | 3:00–4:00 pm ET
Promoting Career Development in Your Staff and Yourself

Studies show that career development is one of the key indicators for staff retention. So how do you promote career development in your staff? And how do you advocate for your own goals and trajectory? In this final week, we will discuss how to mentor and coach your teams to help them build the skills and self-sufficiency they need to move forward in their careers. We will also discuss how to find mentors of your own, as well as career path opportunities for managers and strategies for stretching into a new role whenever you’re ready.

Optional Interactive Working Session | 4:00–4:30 pm ET

This live, interactive working session will give you an immediate opportunity to process and apply the skills you’ve learned this week. You will be divided into smaller working groups and presented with a prompt, role play, or activity related to this week’s sessions.

Please note: This session is completely optional, and it’s meant to be interactive, so if you can’t or don’t want to be in breakout rooms, you’re welcome to log off. If you stay, we ask that you please join on camera and audio to discuss ideas, ask questions, and hear from other participants in class.

WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE

This course is intended for aspiring and new library managers, as well as current managers who feel their previous training did not adequately prepare them for the realities of library management.

THIS WILL BE A 2-WEEK INTENSIVE ONLINE COURSE AND WILL INCLUDE

• Live sessions: Guest speaker presentations by leaders in their field. (All sessions are recorded for on-demand access for six months after the course ends.)
• Facilitated discussions: Audience participation in Q&A and discussion with guest speakers.
• Asynchronous workshop: Project-based assignments that connect what you’re learning to your professional practice. Includes peer-to-peer sharing and conversation via discussion forums.
• 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 designed to be completed over two weeks, but you will have six months of access to work at your own pace.

EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT

If you attend or watch the recordings of all live sessions and complete the 8-module workshop, you’ll spend approximately 20 hours on this course. You’ll earn 20 hours of professional development credit and a Library Journal Management Training certificate.

ON-DEMAND ACCESS

All live guest speaker sessions are recorded and available on demand for six months following the initial broadcast as part of your purchase.

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

Complete the course and earn 20 professional development credit hours. A certificate of completion will be emailed to you.

ACCESSIBILITY

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

SUPPORT

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

Christina Fuller-Gregory, Assistant Director of Libraries, South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities, Greenville

Christina Fuller-Gregory (she/her/hers) is a librarian, writer, and facilitator whose sphere of expertise centers equity, belonging, and radical empathy. A 2021 Library Journal Mover and Shaker, Christina’s work is driven by a desire to see libraries develop strategies for becoming brave and resilient organizations.

Michelle Hamiel, Chief of Programs, Urban Libraries Council

Michelle Hamiel, Chief of Programs at Urban Libraries Council (ULC), brings more than 38 years of public library experience to ULC. Michelle leads all ULC’s programmatic work and has particular expertise in initiatives related to economic opportunity, youth services, civic engagement, and professional development that support the evolving needs of the urban library ecosystem. She previously served as Chief Operating Officer for Public Services for Prince George's County Memorial Library System, where she oversaw the mission, vision, innovation, and operations of the library's 19 branches and the county detention center. Michelle holds a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Maryland and an Executive Certificate from Georgetown University.

Kate Hall, Executive Director, Northbrook Public Library

Kate Hall is the Executive Director of the Northbrook Public Library, a Library Journal 5 Star Library, after serving as Director at the New Lenox Public Library and in various library positions in the Chicagoland area for over 20 years. Kate has held leadership roles in state and national library organizations and has served on and chaired Director’s University, an intensive training program for new Illinois Public Library Directors that has trained more than 350 directors. She has co-authored two books, The Public Library Director’s Toolkit and The Public Library Director’s HR Toolkit. Kate received the 2021 Illinois Library Association Librarian of the Year Award and launched Illinois Libraries Present in 2021, a statewide collaborative programming initiative. Most importantly, she is the devoted servant of two very demanding black cats.

Catherine Soehner, Associate Dean and Executive Director, Eccles Health Sciences Library, University of Utah

Catherine Soehner is the Associate Dean and Executive Director of the Eccles Health Sciences Library at the University of Utah. She has more than 35 years of experience in librarianship, including 25 years in senior leadership positions. Her research focuses on change management and leadership, and she has published and presented extensively on systems thinking, conspiratorial thinking in the workplace, and the assessment of library programs. Catherine has delivered more than 70 professional presentations and authored two books, one focused on effective difficult conversations and another on strategic planning.

Kristen Sorth, Director and CEO, St. Louis County Library

Kristen Sorth became St. Louis County Library’s first female Director in 2013. Under her leadership, the library completed the Your Library Renewed capital improvement campaign, which renovated or replaced 21 facilities over 11 years. She has prioritized community partnerships that expand access to services and resources, resulting in innovative collaborations addressing food insecurity, digital access, social services, and legal assistance. During her tenure, St. Louis County Library received the 2025 Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize and the 2022 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. Sorth has also been recognized with numerous leadership awards, including the 2025 Award for Excellence in Public Sector Leadership and the 2019 ALA Ernest A. DiMattia Award for Innovation and Service to Community and Profession.

Further speakers to be announced.

DISCOUNTED RATES ARE AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY

Secure your tickets now to lock in the best price.

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 .