As the November elections draw near, candidates and other campaigners are likely to want to use library resources. What must you allow? What can you allow? What can you restrict and what can you put guidelines on? We will cover the appropriate responses to a variety of real life situations so you will know what to say if someone asks to post election signs on library property, leaflet for a candidate in the parking lot or on the sidewalk, or hold a campaign meeting or rally in your meeting room.
Date Recorded: 09/29/2020
Format: Archived YouTube Video
Presenter: Cheri Harris, Certification Program Director/Legal Consultant, Indiana State Library
Resources: 2020 Political Activity PPT Handout


Most librarians choose their careers based on the fact that they like to do core library work such as cataloging, collection development, or reference. But you might be surprised how far-removed the work of a Library Director is from core library work. Climbing the ranks to Director finds you crunching numbers, managing facilities, and navigating local politics. Is that really what you signed up for? In this webinar, Lynn Hobbs will talk about the range of duties that could fall under a Library Director’s job description, and will help you determine if it’s the right fit for you.
Have you secretly been planning your retirement? Is there a date circled on a calendar somewhere that only you can see? Are you counting the days/weeks/months/years to retirement? Find out what happened when a mid-level manager decided to openly involve her library district with her retirement planning. Succession planning can be an opportunity for the entire organization. And when the big day finally arrives, everyone will be ready.
As public libraries continue to strive towards deeper connections with their community, effective and mutually beneficial partnerships are essential. Unfortunately, all too often, instead of being “made in heaven,” many partnerships feel more like “shotgun marriages.” This session will examine the ingredients necessary for healthy, mutually beneficial, and sustainable library-community partnerships, and provide a number of suggestions as to where to start.
As part of the regular routine in public libraries, we plan/attend staff meetings. As a way to step it up a notch, why not plan a quarterly Staff Development Day for all of your library team. When your crew comes together in a relaxed environment, ideas and creativity can flourish! Plan to attend this webinar to get the Who? What? Why? and How?
Join Lynn Hobbs, director of Pendleton Community Public Library, as she offers advice, tips and tricks for new library directors and new library supervisors in middle management.
Jennifer Clifton, Library Development Office Supervisor from the Indiana State Library, will give an overview of the public library landscape, as well as the policies and procedures that guide what they do. She’ll talk about funding, budgets, governance, public library law, certification, standards, staffing, and services. This session will be aimed at folks that are new to Indiana libraries, as well as anyone looking for a refresher.
Many disruptive patron behaviors can be managed using appropriate and equally applied policies and procedures. In this webinar Cheri Harris, Legal Consultant for the Indiana State Library, will review relevant court cases and describe the legal standards that impact your choice of wording. She will discuss best practices and provide sample language. She will respond to recent questions about suspending or banning rule-breaking patrons and provide some guidance for making and carrying out those decisions.