No Cringe, Just Clarity

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

• Create a culture of feedback in your team or library.
• Give honest, direct feedback with confidence.
• Remain empathetic and people-centered during feedback conversations.
• Document feedback in professional, HR-complaint ways.
• Support your team’s growth more efficiently and effectively.

Session 1 | 2:00–3:20 pm ET

Giving Feedback Part 1: The Culture and Conversation

How can feedback become a shared practice rather than a stressful moment? What does it take to build a team culture where input flows up, down, and across? In this foundational session, you’ll explore how culture shapes feedback conversations and learn practical strategies for giving honest, direct feedback with empathy. We’ll also unpack common feedback pitfalls and how to avoid them. Leave with tools to foster trust, invite diverse perspectives, and approach feedback conversations with confidence and clarity that support ongoing growth and accountability together.

Break | 3:20–3:30 pm ET

Session 2 | 3:30–4:00 pm ET

Giving Feedback Part 2: The Documentation

How can documentation support growth while protecting your organization? What belongs in a performance review, and how much detail is enough? Building off Part 1, this session focuses on turning feedback conversations into clear, effective documentation. You’ll learn how to write meaningful performance reviews, document feedback efficiently, and align records with HR expectations and compliance requirements. Leave with tools, templates, and strategies to ensure your documentation is consistent, professional, and supportive of both employee development and organizational accountability.

COURSE SPEAKER

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

Kristen Sorth became St. Louis County Library’s first female director in November 2013. Under her leadership, Sorth guided SLCL’s building and expansion program, Your Library Renewed. The multi-million dollar capital improvement campaign renovated or replaced 21 facilities within 11 years.

During Ms. Sorth’s tenure, the Library has focused on building community partnerships to provide innovative programming and cultural enrichment. This effort has resulted in several successful and award-winning partnerships with local organizations, including Operation Food Search, the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank and Eye Thrive. Programs include offering meals and other basic needs at SLCL locations, hosting full-time social workers at the Library, addressing digital access for students, families and older adults by providing technology, and hosting weekly legal clinics for the justice-involved.

The Library has earned two national awards under her leadership: the Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize in 2025, which recognizes libraries for their active collaboration with local governments and communities, and the National Medal for Museum and Library Service in 2022, the nation’s highest honor for museums and libraries. Additionally, the Missouri Library Association named St. Louis County Library the Missouri Library of the Year in both 2022 and 2014.

Sorth was recognized in 2025 by the Community Builders Network with the Award for Excellence in Public Sector Leadership; by the St. Louis Women’s Forum with the Trailblazer Award; and by the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis with the Annual Salute to Women in Leadership. In 2024, Kristen Sorth received the Community Changemaker Award from Focus St. Louis for What's Right with the Region and the A-List Visionary Award from St. Louis Magazine. She is the recipient of the 2023 Titan Business Award, which acknowledges the achievements of both entrepreneurs and organizations worldwide. She is the 2019 winner of ALA’s Ernest A. DiMattia Award for Innovation and Service to Community and Profession.

Ms. Sorth is the Chair of the Advisory Council for the Regional Response Team, Chair of the YWCA Academy of Leaders Selection Committee, Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Friends of Kathy J. Weinman Shelter, and co-chair of the Investor Council for Greater St. Louis, Inc. She also serves on the Connecting All Missourians Statewide Advisory Council and the Executive Committee for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri Board of Directors. Ms. Sorth volunteers for several organizations, including FOCUS St. Louis and the YWCA.

WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE

This course is recommended for library managers and leaders.

THIS WILL BE A LIVE WEBINAR WITH ACCESS TO COURSE MATERIALS

• Live Webinar: Join a 2-hour live webinar session.
• Recording + Materials: You will be able to access the recorded webinar and course materials for six months after the conclusion of the webinar.
• Online Classroom: The virtual learning platform holds all course content and remains accessible for six months after the course start date.

EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT

Complete the course and earn 2 professional development credit hours. We provide a certificate that is emailed to you.

ON-DEMAND ACCESS

You'll have access to all course materials for six months after the course start date.

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

Complete the course and earn 2 professional development credit hours. A certificate will be emailed to you upon completion.

ACCESSIBILITY

All video recordings feature auto captioning. Please email course-support@libraryjournal.com upon registration if you require any special accommodations, and we will make our best efforts to facilitate them.

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 .