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.
Terry Beck retired last year as the Information Services Manager at Sno-Isle Libraries. She was responsible for developing and maintaining a comprehensive program of library resources, equipment, and services to meet the reading, information, and connectivity needs of Sno-Isle Libraries’ 750,000 customers. Although she’s been in Washington state for over 20 years, she’s a native Midwesterner whose first professional library job was at the East Chicago (IN) Public Library.
Date Recorded: 6/24/20
Format: Archived YouTube Video
Presenter: Terry Beck / Retired librarian
Resources from webinar
You always wanted the “luxury” of working at home. But all of a sudden, you find yourself working from your bedroom, with no clear direction, and tons of distractions. The lines between work and home have become completely blurred, and you feel overwhelmed. How can you possibly get a handle on this new way of working, while also meeting the expectations of your boss? Lynn Hobbs will give some practical tips for setting up your space, organizing your workload, and staying balanced in the world of telework.
For years now employers have identified ‘soft skills’ as one of the largest deficiencies of newly hired employees. Theses ‘soft skills’ generally encompass communication, critical thinking, leadership, problem solving, and teamwork. All of these can be nurtured and strengthened by playing board games. Libraries of all types strive to engage with their communities. By playing board games both of these two issues can be addressed. Join George Bergstrom, the Southwest Regional Coordinator in the Professional Development Office of the Indiana State Library, to discuss how libraries can help their communities foster these skills.
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?
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.
Dr. Curtis Rogers, Communications Director for the South Carolina State Library, will share his experience with SCSL’s podcast, 
After meeting as part of the first cohort in the American Library Association’s Libraries Transforming Communities initiative, three librarians from three different sized library systems will share their experience getting out of the library and engaging with their communities. By the end of the session, attendees will understand why libraries should adopt this type of work, learn strategies for how to do it, and leave with techniques to make community engagement part of their regular library routine.
Women in Leadership: What the Science Says and How to Move Forward in the Era of #MeToo
Few things are as important as setting clear expectations for employees, and providing them with the training they need to meet those expectations. Employees who understand what is expected and are confident in their skills are more likely to provide consistently great service to patrons. Untrained and undertrained employees are often less efficient and engaged; they can cost your organization time when routine errors require correction, and worse, they can cost your library customers. In this webinar, Carina Mulcrone, Circulation Services Manager from the Bettendorf Public Library (IA), will share her library’s switch to Standard Evaluation Guidelines and Daily Observation Reports.
Explore available opportunities for continuing education, peruse useful sites for keeping up with technology, and develop a plan for taking charge of your own learning. Topics covered will include planning for learning, time management, and state and national resources. Ample time will be given for participants to search for relevant training and education opportunities that fit their individual needs.