We've crawled the web for some of the most useful library learning opportunities, most of them free and all of them curated for the librarians of Illinois.

Here's where you can expand your skills in May 2025...

All learning is online unless noted otherwise.

Library Issues & Book News 

• May 1, noon
  Info2Go! Reimagining Nonfiction (Idaho Commission for Libraries)
• May 1, 1 p.m.
  Preservation Week Webinar: Discussion and Q&A with Mychal Threets (ALA)
• May 1, 1 p.m.
  Booklist & YALSA Present: Twenty-Five Years of the Printz Award (Booklist)
• May 6, 1 p.m.
  Thrillers, Mystery, & True Crime (Booklist)
• May 7, 1 p.m.
  Preserving Legacy, Inspiring Change: The Untold Story of Black Librarians (Carterette Series Webinars)
• May 7, 7 p.m.
  Percival Everett Delivers Bauder Lecture (PBS Books)
• May 8, 10 a.m.
  Enhancing research and discoverability of primary source material from the British Library  (Choice360)
• May 8, 1 p.m.
  Cooking With Comics (Booklist)
• May 13, 1 p.m.
  Page-Turning Picture Books (Booklist)
• May 15, 1 p.m.
  MacKids School & Library Fall 2025 Preview Event (Booklist)
• May 20, 1 p.m.
  Technology and Evolving Research Practices in the Humanities (Choice360)
• May 22, 1 p.m.
  If We Could Have Just Ten Minutes of Your Time, All Library Workers! (ALA)
• May 28, noon
  Designing Academic Libraries for Student Success (Choice360)
• May 28, 1 p.m.
  Health Programming at Your Library (NNLM)
• May 19, 1 p.m.
  Junie B. Jones: Celebrate the Mischief and Magic of Childhood (Booklist)
• May 29, 1 p.m.
  Masterclass in Library Impact: Quantifying the Humanities Research Impact of Your Academic Library (Choice360)

Cataloging

• May 8, 1 p.m.
  Critical Cataloging and the American Library Association Subject Analysis Committee (Minitex)

Advocacy Webinars

• May 7, 10 a.m.
  NCompass Live: Everyday Advocacy for Smaller Libraries: Practical & Affordable Solutions (Nebraska Library Commission)

Grants & Fundraising

• May 13, 2 p.m.
  Storytelling that Connects and Inspires (Firespring)
• May 15, 1 p.m.
  Elevate Your Nonprofit Event with Strategic Branding (Bloomerang)
• May 21, 1 p.m.
  Resilient Fundraising in Uncertain Times (Candid.Learning)
• May 22, noon
  The Grant Preparation Playbook: Building a System for Grant Success (techsoup)
• May 27, 1 p.m.
  Ask Me Anything: Perfecting the Proposal Writing Need Statement (Candid.Learning)

Leadership and Communication 

• May 5, 1 p.m.
  ACRL ULS PDC Beyond Labels: Empathetic Teaching Practices for Neuroinclusion (ACRL)
• May 6, 11 a.m.
  Reading Games Well: A New Lens for Literacy in the Classroom (edWeb.net)
• May 6, noon
  Inclusive Libraries: Practical Strategies for Disability Justice (ACRL STS EDI Committee)
• May 6, 12:30 p.m.
  So Now What? Disposal of Materials After a Disaster (Connecting to Collections Care)
• May 7, 1 p.m.
  Instructional Design for Adult Learners: A Primer (Niche Academy)
• May 8, 1 p.m.
  Turn Reading Stress Into Success: Implementing Effective Intervention Strategies for Struggling Readers Grades 3–8 (edWeb.net)
• May 19, 3 p.m.
  Dealing With Distractions: New Approaches for Time Management (Govloop)
• May 21, 10 a.m.
  NCompass Live: Small Adjustments for Big Changes (Nebraska Library Commission)
• May 21, 1 p.m.  
  The Power of Rhythm: Singing, Dancing and Moving into Self-Regulation and Learning by Barbara Sorrels (Early Childhood Investigations)
• May 21 & 22, 2:00 p.m.
  Firespring’s Social Media Boot Camp (Firespring)
• May 27, 11 a.m.
  Protecting Your Mission: Effective Screening Strategies for Nonprofits (Bloomerang)
• May 28, noon
  Designing Academic Libraries for Student Success (Choice360)
• May 29, 1 p.m.
  Masterclass in Library Impact: Quantifying the Humanities Research Impact of Your Academic Library (Choice360)

Technology 

• May 1, 2 p.m.
  AI and Public Libraries: Panel and Discussion (WebJunction)
• May 7, 11 a.m.
  Getting Started with AI in Teams: Foundations, Ethics, and Practical Prompts (Nonprofit Learning Lab)
• May 7, 1 p.m.
  How to Keep Up With the Evolving Cyber Landscape (Govloop)
• May 8, 5 p.m.  
  Tech Without Tears: Tools and Tips for K–2 Classrooms (edWeb.net)
• May 12, 10 a.m.
  6+ Ways to Level Up Your Nonprofit Website Without Spending a Kazillion Bucks (Nonprofit Learning Lab)
• May 13, 10 a.m.
  Library Community at Work: Developing Custom AI Workflows for Metadata Management (Library Journal)
• May 13, 1 p.m.
  Super Searchers and Meet LEO (PLA)
• May 14, noon
  Welcome to TechSoup:  New Member Orientation and  Q & A (techsoup)
• May 14, 1 p.m.
  The Core Principles of AI (Govloop)
• May 20, noon
  Leveraging AI to Streamline Operations for Nonprofits (techsoup)
• May 20, 1 p.m.  
  Teaching Tech Skills: Future-Proofing Students for College and Careers (edWeb.net)
• May 21, 2:30 p.m.
  AI for Nonprofits, Part 1: Unlock Generative AI and Microsoft 365 Copilot for Impact (techsoup)
• May 22, 1 p.m.
  Equipping Librarians with AI: New Tools to Enhance Workflows (Choice360)
• May 28, 10 a.m.
  NCompass Live: Pretty Sweet Tech (Nebraska Library Commission)
• May 28, 2:30 p.m.
  AI for Nonprofits, Part 2: Hands-On with Microsoft 365 Copilot — Use Cases & Demo (techsoup)
• May 29, 10 a.m.
  Beyond the Bot: Leveraging AI for Nonprofit Impact (Nonprofit Learning Lab)

Wellness

• May 12, 1 p.m.
  Social Security 101 with Benefits in Action (Colorado State Library)
• May 20, 1 p.m.
  Reducing and Responding to Staff Stress and Trauma  (Library Journal)
• May 28, 1 p.m.
  Building Community-Based Wellbeing or "Social Prescribing" in the Library (Niche Academy)

Want more learning opportunities? Visit the Training Calendar from the Maine State Library.

Upcoming Conferences 

Grab your tickets! These conferences are coming up in the next few months. 

• Aug. 1, 2025, Online
  2025 Special Libraries Association Midwest Symposium 

• Nov. 11–Nov. 13, 2025, Online, & Nov. 14, 2025, in Champaign, Ill.
  Health Science Librarians of Illinois 2025 Annual Conference
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Other Events by IHLS

Illinois Heartland Library System has an expanding variety of learning opportunities, too. View them all on our Events page.

Have suggestions, ideas, or questions about Continuing Education? Contact our Continuing Education Coordinator at 618.474.9948. 

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