This webinar will discuss foresight (or futures thinking) and how strategically thinking about the future can support the people that work in libraries, the library organization, and the community the library serves. With insights from a group of library staff across the state of Idaho, library consultants at the Idaho Commission for Libraries have been investigating how to incorporate thinking about the future into library work and developing fun ways to share what they’ve learned. Their newest toolkit, the Things From Future Libraries Toolkit, provides a guide for anyone to put on a creative, participatory design workshop where attendees imagine and prototype an object from a library in a future they select.
Annie Gaines is the Continuing Education Consultant for the Idaho Commission for Libraries, where she connects the people who work in all types of libraries to provide training and support to reach their future goals. She has experience working in academic and public libraries (her very first job was as a teenage library page in her local public library) and has earned certificates in strategic foresight, facilitation, and instructional design.
Date Recorded: 2/25/2026
Format: Archived YouTube Video
Presenters: Annie Gaines, Continuing Education Consultant / Idaho Commission for Libraries
ILF Advocacy Committee co-chairs, Vanessa Martin and Julie Wendorf will talk about the importance of advocacy and will give updates for the coming 2025 legislative session. Vanessa Martin – ILF Advocacy Committee, co-chair & Director, Greensburg Decatur County Public Library.
This session will focus on an overview of recognizing what causes conflict in the workplace, understanding our responses to conflict, and strategies for better conflict resolution. This is a high-level view of conflict resolution but participants should leave with a few solid, actionable strategies for dealing with conflict in their workplace. There will also be time to practice some of these strategies.
Good policies are an essential part of library operations. They help to create and enforce expectations and rules as well as serving as a guiding framework for decision making. Unfortunately, writing policies can sometimes be very stressful and time consuming. In this session, we will go over the basics of writing policies and learn tips and tricks to making them as painless as possible. We will also talk about how we can ensure that our policies are fair and equitable. We will have hands-on practice with writing a simple policy. 
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the employment of social workers will grow 12% from 2020 to 2030 to meet an increase in demand. Further, with the growth of telehealth and telemedicine visits continuing beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals are finding more ways to reach their healthcare providers. However, in rural areas, finding local providers and reliable Internet access can create a barrier to access. As public libraries have long been viewed as the central hub for information, gatherings, and broadband service, their pivot to serve as a place for patrons to meet virtually with social workers comes at an opportune time. This presentation will show how three public libraries developed a pilot program – titled “Because You Matter” – with the Indiana University School of Social Work to coordinate weekly telehealth visits with social work students and library patrons. They’ll share successes, failures, and what they learned to improve the program in the future. 
Moving into a new leadership role can be overwhelming and intimidating. This presentation will go over some dos and don’ts to help new leaders feel more confident and become more effective in their current and future roles. Participants will learn some common mistakes new leaders make (and how to avoid them), how to conquer feelings of doubt or imposter syndrome, and practical leadership techniques. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of creating a support network, investing in personal and professional development, and recognizing the value, knowledge, and skillset new leaders bring to their organizations.