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 October 2024...

All learning is online unless noted otherwise.

Library Issues & Book News 

• Oct. 1, 1 p.m.
  Assessment and Advocacy: Using Project Outcome for Academic Libraries (ACRL)
• Oct. 1, 1 p.m.
  Library Love for LibraryReads (Booklist)
• Oct. 1, 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.  
  Library 2035: Imagining the Next Generation of Libraries (Library 2.0)
• Oct. 2, 1 p.m.
  Balancing Academic Demands and Fiscal Reality: Digital Content Strategies That Meet Your Library Where It Is Now (Choice 360)
• Oct. 2, 1 p.m.  
  Perfect Is the Enemy of Good: Thinking Critically about Information in an Imperfect World (Niche Academy)
• Oct. 3, 1 p.m.
  Spring 2025 Youth Preview (Booklist)
• Oct. 7, noon
  Digital Citizenship for K-12: Thinking Outside the Box (edWeb.net)
• Oct. 7, 4 p.m.
  Fighting Misinformation in the Age of AI: Tips and Techniques to Teach Students(edWeb.net)
• Oct. 8, 1 p.m.
  Series Nonfiction (Booklist)
• Oct. 9, 11 a.m.
  Winter 2025 Librarian Preview with HarperCollins Children’s Books (Booklist)
• Oct. 9, 2 p.m.
  Libraries and Non-Profits: Leveraging Data Analytics for Community Impact (WebJunction)
• Oct. 10,  8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  School Library Journal Day of Dialog Fall 2024 (School Library Journal)
• Oct. 10, 10 a.m.
  Moving Libraries Forward With an Open-Solution Strategy (Library Journal)
• Oct. 10, noon
  Pre-Application Webinar for Round 3 of Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities (ALA)
• Oct. 15, 1 p.m.
  Fall and Winter Picture Books (Booklist)
• Oct. 16, 10 a.m.
  Dragons at the Library: An Exciting New Reading Program  (Nebraska Library Commission)
• Oct. 16, 1 p.m.
  Less Alone, More Together: The Power of Consortia to Expand Access and Resources While Lowering Costs (Choice 360)
• Oct. 16, 1 p.m.
  Random House Children’s Books 2025 Spring Preview (Booklist)
• Oct. 21, noon
  The Importance of Monsters: How Engaging in the Horror Genre Sparks Adolescent Bravery (Colorado State Library)
• Oct. 24, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  Library Journal Day of Dialog (Library Journal)
• Oct. 24, 2 p.m.
  Sustaining Ecosystems for Climate Learning and Action (WebJunction)
• Oct. 24, 4 p.m.
  Empowering Digital Citizens: Media Literacy in the Age of Edtech (Follett)
• Oct. 30, 1 p.m.
  Media Literacy Education for Adult Audiences: Navigating Data Security and Privacy (ALA)
• Oct. 30, 1 p.m.
  Personal Librarians: Building Relationships Across Campus (Niche Academy)
• Oct. 31, 1 p.m.
  The State of Open Books: Where Are We Now? Where Next? (Choice 360)

Cataloging

• Oct. 8, 1 p.m.
  How PubMed Works: Introduction (NNLM)
• Oct. 10, 1 p.m.
  How PubMed Works: Selection (NNLM)
• Oct. 15, 1 p.m.
  How PubMed Works: MeSH (NNLM)
• Oct. 17, 1 p.m.
  How PubMed Works: ATM (NNLM)

Grants & Fundraising

• Oct. 1, noon
  Raise More for Your Library Foundation (Bloomerang)
• Oct. 3, 1 p.m.
  Grants Management 101 – What Happens After an Award? (Govloop)
• Oct. 8, 1 p.m.
  Small Grants as a Stepping Stone to Funding Library Health in All Policies Projects (EveryLibrary)
• Oct. 17, 1 p.m.
  Introduction to Fundraising Planning (Candid. Learning)
• Oct. 22, 1 p.m.
  Introduction to Finding Grants (Candid. Learning)
• Oct. 29, 1 p.m.
  Introduction to Proposal Writing (Candid. Learning)

Leadership and Communication 

• Oct. 2, noon
  Temperature Check: Leveraging Internal Feedback in your Strategic Planning Process (Fast Forward Libraries)
• Oct. 2, 2.30 p.m.
  Public Service Promise Webinar for the American Library Association (ALA)
•  Oct. 7, 3:30 p.m.
  You Asked for Feedback and Got It: Now What? (Govloop)
• Oct. 9, 1 p.m.
  The New Basics of Professional Customer Service (Niche Academy)
• Oct. 15, 9 a.m.
  Information Session on CARLI's Support for Members to Attend 3 OER Certificate Programs (CARLI)
• Oct. 16, 1 p.m.
  Cutting Employee Turnover 20% and More (Niche Academy)
• Oct. 16, 1 p.m.
  Resilient Operations — Policies, Tools and People Needed to Keep Gov Working (Govloop)
• Oct. 17, 10 a.m.
  Crafting Inclusive Stories to Move Your Mission (Nonprofit Learning Lab)
• Oct. 17, 1 p.m.
  Weathering the Fiscal Storm: Connecting Budgets to Strategic Plans(Govloop)
• Oct. 23, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
  Essential Skills for the Modern Public Servant (Govloop)
• Oct. 23, 1 p.m.
  Building a Quality Framework for Learning and Development (Niche Academy)
• Oct. 28, 10 a.m.
  What is My Theory of Change? (Nonprofit Learning Lab)
• Oct. 28, 3 p.m.
  Leading Through Change (Govloop)
• Oct. 30, 1 p.m.
  10 Critical Strategies You Need in Your Job Search Today (ALA)

Technology 

• Oct. 1 & 2, 1:30 p.m.
  Social Media Boot Camp (Firespring)
• Oct 1, 10 a.m.
  AI for libraries: Advancing Research and Discovery (Choice 360)
• Oct. 2, 10 a.m.
  Enhancing AI Interactions: Leveraging the CLEAR Framework for Effective Prompting (NNLM)
• Oct. 8, 1 p.m.
  From Threats to Solutions: Cybersecurity in Academic Libraries – an SNSI Security Summit (Choice 360)
• Oct. 9, 1 p.m.
  Is It Time to Upgrade Your Patron Counters?(SenSource)
• Oct. 15, noon
  The Top 5 Questions Asked about OpenAthens (ALA)
• Oct. 15, 1 p.m.
  Federal Register, Artificial Intelligence and Business Intelligence: How AI and BI are tracking, simplifying, and visualizing rulemaking (ASERL)
• Oct. 16, 1 p.m.
  Accessibility: How to Make Your Website Usable For Everyone (Firespring)
• Oct. 24, 10 a.m.
  Leveraging AI Innovations to Improve Student Outcomes (Choice 360)
• Oct. 30, 1 p.m.
  Beyond IT: Using GenAI the Right Way at Your Agency (Govloop)

Wellness

• Oct. 16, 2 p.m.
  Balancing Act: Navigating Mental Health as Parental Caregivers in the Library Profession (Colorado State Library)
• Oct. 17, noon
  Mental Health for Workers at Cultural Heritage Institutions (Connecting to Collections Care)
• Oct. 31, noon
  From Problem to Prevention: Evidence-Based Public Health (NNLM)

Additional Resources 

For more free training events, visit these additional calendars:

WebJunction: Free Training (webjunction.org)

Maine State Library: National CE Calendar – Continuing Education Calendar – LibGuides at Maine State Library

Upcoming Conferences 

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

• Oct. 8–10, 2024
  ILA Annual Conference 2024 (Illinois Library Association; Peoria, Ill.)
• Nov. 7–9, 2024
  AISLE Annual Conference 2024 (Association for Illinois School Library Educators; Tinley Park, Ill.)
• Feb. 12, 2025
  IHLS Member Day — SAVE THE DATE! (Illinois Heartland Library System; Virtual)

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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