April Webinar Line-Up

Upcoming Webinars and Workshops

For Managers and Supervisors: Cultivating an Inclusive Workplace for Neurodivergent Staff – Renee Grassi [PCI Webinars] Wednesday, April 2 from 2:00 – 3:00 pm | Register

Library managers and supervisors are responsible for creating a welcoming, supportive, and safe environment for the staff and teams they supervise. In this webinar, gain an understanding of the term neurodiversity and learn about the strengths of those who are neurodiverse.

Focusing on Focus Groups – Dr. Curtis Rogers [PCI Webinars] Wednesday, April 9 from 2:00 -3:00 pm | Register

Are you thinking about hosting focus groups? This session is designed to equip librarians and non-profit professionals with the essential skills to conduct effective focus groups. Delve into the intricacies of gathering qualitative data and harnessing valuable insights to inform strategic decision-making.

The First Amendment and Libraries – Matt Beckstrom [Niche Academy] Wednesday, April 9 at 2:00 p.m. | Register

The First Amendment affects how libraries operate in so many ways that understanding it has become a vital skill for librarians. Join Matt Beckstrom for this webinar on developing and updating library policies and offering spaces and services with the First Amendment in mind.

Andragogy: Understanding Adult Learners – Laura Saunders and Melissa Wong [Niche Academy] Wednesday, April 16 at 2:00 p.m. | Register

Most learning theories and the instructional design practices derived from them are based on our understanding of how children learn. Adult learners come to instruction with more extensive and varied experiences and social roles, which impact their needs and should influence our instruction.

Enhancing Your Energy and Enthusiasm – Laura Greco [PCI Webinars] Wednesday April 16 from 2:00 – 3:00pm | Register

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to live each day enthusiastically and energetically? Your fatigue, which is telling you something, can stem from your food choices, mindset, sleep cycle, decision making, thinking patterns, movement, grief, lack of purpose, or worry.

Managing Difficult Employee Behaviors – Dr. Stevie Munz [PCI Webinars] Wednesday, April 23 from 2:00-3:00 | Register

Effectively managing challenging employee behaviors requires a balance of strong communication skills, emotional intelligence, and strategic problem-solving. This program will provide you with practical tools and techniques to address difficult situations while fostering open dialogue and a respectful workplace culture.

Disciplinary Differences: Generative AI in the Research and Publication Process – Evan Allgood [Niche Academy] Wednesday, April 23 at 2:00 | Register

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has exploded onto the scene, leaving librarians scrambling to keep up with the latest news and use cases. Understanding disciplinary differences in GenAI use and how these differences impact publication is a critical step in contextualizing and understanding recent sources

Trauma-Informed Libraries -- What are they, why do they matter, and how do we become one? – Bea Forkan [PCI Webinars] Wednesday, April 30 from 2:00 – 3:00pm | Register

Trauma-Informed Libraries has become a buzz word in the field and seemingly everywhere, but what exactly does it mean? In this webinar, we will take deep dive into providing easy to digest explanations of what it means to be trauma-informed, why does it matter, and simple, actionable steps that professionals working in libraries can take to implement at their libraries from small scale to large scale.

Construction Grant Information Session – Dawn La Valle [DLD Workshop] Wednesday, April 30 from 1:00-2:30 | Register

If your library is thinking of applying for a construction grant from the CT State Library, this webinar will walk you through the process. You'll learn what you need to do before applying as well as what's required after you receive the grant. Don't get tripped up -- just plan ahead and be prepared.

New Niche Academy On-Demand Webinars Added

Niche Academy Webinar – Personal Librarians: Building Relationships Across Campus

Niche Academy Webinar – Brief but Descriptive: Writing Effective Alt Text

Niche Academy Webinar – What Gets in the Way of Excellence?

Sneak Peek May 2025

Leading from the Future: Strategic Frameworking Facing Forward – Dawn La Valle and Ashley Sklar [DLD Workshop] Thursday, May 1 from 10:00 – 11:00 | Register

We are living in a rapidly changing world that is moving much faster than organizations can necessarily react. Disruption is perpetual. Join CT State Library staff to learn how the Division of Library Development (DLD) Strategic Framework Toolkit guided the innovative approach towards envisioning the future of the State Library. The CT State Library strove to move strategy planning beyond the traditional linear process of data analysis, looking past library land to the surrounding environment to develop robust, flexible, creative, and transformative visions of the future.

AI and Public Libraries: Panel and Discussion [WebJunction] Thursday, May 1 from 3:00-4:00 | Register

The adoption and advancement of AI technologies has been swift, extensive, and...overwhelming. After assessing community interests and needs around AI in a recent poll (summarized here), WebJunction is bringing together a group of library leaders and technologists with AI expertise to discuss some of the main themes identified in the poll results, and their professional perspectives on the questions and opportunities that AI presents. Attendees will come away with a deeper understanding of AI and its applications in public libraries, and strategies for addressing AI with the public. 

Note: When going to our CT State Library Niche Academy, you will see included in the list of categories on the right, both Library 2.0 Academy and PCI webinars. These webinars are free to view, but you may need to set up a free account on Niche the first time viewing. Please use your library email address when setting up your account.

For other 2025 events, please Visit: https://cslib.libcal.com/

For any questions, please contact Gail Hurley at Gail.Hurley@ct.gov or

860-704-2223

CT State Library is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.