Polished & Prepared Part 3

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

• Prioritize tasks more strategically when everything feels urgent at once
• Adjust your workflow when priorities shift instead of losing momentum completely
• Approach workplace problems with a clearer process for evaluating options and next steps
• Make decisions more confidently without always needing someone else to tell you what to do
• Think more intentionally about how your daily choices connect to your library’s goals and values
• Respond to change with more flexibility and less panic when plans stop being useful
• Use simple frameworks to solve problems instead of reacting on instinct alone

You’ll leave with practical tools for thinking more clearly, acting more intentionally, and making stronger decisions at work.

If you are someone who:

• Has a lot coming at you and isn’t always sure what deserves your attention first
• Wants to make smarter decisions at work without freezing up or defaulting to whatever feels easiest
• Is trying to stay productive even when plans change, priorities shift, or new problems appear
• Wants a clearer way to think through challenges instead of reacting in the moment
• Is ready to be more intentional, more strategic, and less stuck in constant triage mode

This course was built for you.

This course is especially helpful for:

• Library staff in all types of libraries balancing competing priorities across public service and behind-the-scenes work
• Newer employees who want stronger judgment and problem-solving skills on the job
• Staff who are being asked to act more independently and make decisions with less hand-holding
• Anyone who wants to improve time management, adaptability, and workplace decision-making
• Library workers who want a less reactive and more intentional approach to daily work

If you’ve ever thought “I know I need to work smarter, I just don’t know how,” you’ll see yourself in this course.

Session 1 | 2:00–2:50 pm ET

Thinking Productively: Time Management and Adaptability

Library workers have to juggle a million competing priorities. How do you decide what deserves your attention first? How can you stay productive when priorities shift? This session will discuss effective time management, prioritization, and adaptability. You’ll learn how to prioritize tasks strategically, manage time intentionally, and respond thoughtfully to change. We will cover practical strategies to increase your focus and flexibility with an emphasis on planning, reflection, and adjustment. Leave with tools to think more productively, make confident decisions, and adapt your work habits in the face of fast-paced and evolving expectations in your library.

Break | 2:50–3:00 pm ET

Session 2 | 3:00–4:00 pm ET

Thinking Strategically: Problem Solving and Decision Making

Successful library professionals need to learn how to make decisions without always depending on leadership, but that’s easier said than done. How do you approach challenges with a big-picture mindset? How can everyday decisions reflect your library’s mission and values? This session will empower you to think strategically at work. You’ll learn practical frameworks for problem solving, evaluating options, and making thoughtful decisions aligned with organizational goals. Building on real workplace scenarios, this session focuses on intentional thinking and purpose-driven action. Leave with tools to assess situations clearly, solve problems effectively, and make confident decisions that support your library’s long-term success.

Lisa Kropp, Library Director, Lindenhurst Memorial Library

Lisa Gangemi Kropp is a dynamic library leader with a passion for building responsive, people-centered public libraries. With over 30 years of experience working a variety of jobs in public libraries and library systems, her skills include customer service, sustainability in libraries, youth services, human resources, and more. She is known for guiding organizations through thoughtful change management, aligning mission, staff, and community needs. In recognition of her impact and leadership, she was named a 2025 Library Journal Mover & Shaker, highlighting innovative work that strengthens libraries and the communities they serve. She is the Director of the Lindenhurst Memorial Library in New York.

ALL THE DETAILS

Library work requires constant decision-making. What needs to happen first, what can wait, how to respond when something changes, and what to do when there isn’t an obvious answer. A lot of staff are expected to build those skills on the fly, which is one reason work can start to feel reactive and exhausting.

This live session focuses on the thinking skills that make day-to-day work more manageable. You’ll explore how to prioritize more strategically, adapt when priorities shift, and approach problems with a clearer process instead of just reacting to whatever is loudest or most urgent.

You’ll also look at how to make thoughtful decisions with limited information, connect your choices to your library’s mission and values, and build stronger habits around planning, reflection, and adjustment. The goal is to help you feel more confident in your judgment and more intentional in how you approach your work.

SESSIONS AND PRICING

This is a live online session. If you can’t attend in real time, you will receive access to the recording.

GROUP OPTIONS

Training a team? Choose the setup that matches how you want to plan and pay:

Group course enrollment: Enroll 3+ staff in this course and save.

Bulk course credits: Prepay once, get the highest per-seat discount on every course, and assign seats later.

Unlimited annual licensing: System-wide access for a year with no per-course approvals.

Request Discounted Group Pricing

Questions? Email groupsales@libraryjournal.com.

COURSE FORMAT

This is a live, 2-hour online session. You can attend live or watch the recording afterward.

EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT

Plan for approximately 2 hours for the live session, plus optional time for reflection and applying what you learn.

COURSE ACCESS

You will have access to the session recording for six months after the live event.

CREDIT & CERTIFICATE

You will receive professional development credit hours and a certificate of completion from Library Journal.

This course can be taken on its own or as part of the Polished & Prepared: Core Professional Skills for Library Staff certification. Complete all four courses in the series to earn the full certification.

ACCESSIBILITY

All sessions include auto-captioning. If you require accommodations, please email course-support@libraryjournal.com upon registration and we will make our best efforts to support your needs.

SUPPORT

For technical or course-related support, please contact course-support@libraryjournal.com.