|
February 2026 Workshops and Webinars
The Connecticut State Library Division of Library Development is sharing the following learning opportunities for February. Thank you
to all who completed the annual survey to help us plan future trainings for you in 2026!
Click on specific February training topics below or scroll through!:
ACCESSIBILITY
ALL CT READS
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
CHILDRENS SERVICES
EMERGENCY DRILLS
EMERGING ADULTS
INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAMMING
LIBRARY ENGAGEMENT PLATFORMS
NEW LiFT LIBRARY CATALOG TRAINING
READERS ADVISORY
SMALL LIBRARIES CONFERENCE
ACCESSIBILITY
TIAL: Creating Accessible Digital Documents, Microsoft Word and Outlook [DLD Workshop with Matt Geeza] Thursday
February 5 from 10-11:30 | Register for Creating Accessible Digital Documents
Join Matt Geeza, director of the CT Library for Accessible Books (CT LAB), for a 90-minute session that will cover the basics of creating accessible Word documents and Outlook
emails. This session will highlight the features built into Word and Outlook that can be utilized to ensure that your documents and emails can be read by all…
TIAL: Creating Accessible Digital Documents, PowerPoint [DLD Workshop with Matt Geeza] Thursday, February
19 from 10-11 | Register for Creating Accessible Digital Documents
Join Matt Geeza, director of the CT Library for Accessible Books (CT LAB), for a 60-minute session that will cover the basics of creating accessible PowerPoint slides. This session
will highlight the features built into PowerPoint that can be utilized to ensure that your slides can be read by all. Special focus will be given to the importance of alternative text, or alt text, and the reading order of slide content.
ALL CT READS
All CT Reads 2026 Virtual Author Launch with Alicia D. Williams, K.A. Cobell, and Ocean Vuong [DLD Workshop]
Friday, February 6 from 11-12:30 | Register for All CT Reads 2026
Join us for an extra-special virtual launch with the authors of the 2026 All CT Reads primary selections:
- 11-11:30 am: Alicia D. Williams author of Mid-Air, our kids pick
- 11:30 am-12 pm: K.A. Cobell author of
Looking for Smoke, our teen pick
- 12-12:30 pm: Ocean Vuong author of
The Emperor of Gladness, our adult pick
Each author will discuss their work and answer questions from our community.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Evaluating AI Content: What Librarians and Educators Need to Know
[Library 2.0 Webinar] Tuesday, February 3 from 2-3 | Email Gail.Hurley@ct.gov
for registration link.
In a world increasingly filled with AI-generated content, AI-moderated content, and AI-influenced work, librarians and educators need practical skills to evaluate quality, integrity,
and the human judgment behind digital resources. This 60-minute webinar moves beyond AI detection obsession to address what truly matters: critical evaluation.
The Skeptical Guide to AI: Exploring the Big questions
[Library 2.0 Webinar] Friday, February 6 from 12-2 | Email Gail.Hurley@ct.gov
for registration link.
This two-hour Masterclass invites library and education professionals to explore the most pressing ethical and philosophical questions about artificial intelligence, grounded in
the critical thinking and thoughtful engagement that define our professions. For four weeks following the initial session, there will be weekly optional one-hour live conversation sessions for those who want to dive deeper or ask questions (recorded for independent
listening).
CHILDRENS SERVICES
Deep Dive: Writing
[DLD Workshop with Cathy Potter] Friday, February 20 from 2-3:30 |
Register for Deep Dive Writing
It’s been almost 15 years since the release of Every Child Ready to Read 2nd Edition. This edition included the introduction of the five practices: talking, singing, reading, writing,
and playing. These practices have become the foundation for early literacy programming in libraries. Join me to take a deeper look at the science behind each concept, concluding with writing. Participants will learn more about the concept of writing, establish
associations to current initiatives, and discover ways to incorporate or expand upon activities for more meaningful learning and connection through library spaces, programming, and outreach…
Picture Book Powerhouse: Top Titles of 2025 [PCI Webinars] Wednesday, February 25 from 2-3 |
Register for Picture Book Powerhouse
Looking for inspiration for your next storytime, library, or display? Join us for an energetic tour of the best picture books published in 2025. From laugh-out-loud adventures
to creative works of art, this presentation features stories that spark joy, prompt reflection, and celebrate one another’s experiences. Whether for classrooms, storytimes, or family reading, you’ll leave ready to refresh your programs and collections with
new gems that showcase the beauty of illustration and embody the heart of storytelling.
EMERGENCY DRILLS
Top Ten Emergency Drills for Libraries: Keeping Staff, Patrons, and Facilities
Safer
[Library 2.0] Thursday, February 12 from 2-3 |
Email Gail.Hurley@ct.gov
for registration link.
This webinar looks at the ten most likely situations that could put people and property at risk. We can initiate annual drills that put all staff into realistic situations so that
if the time ever comes, they will respond with accuracy…This includes how do we evacuate our special needs patrons: seniors or other patrons with mobility or cognitive issues; toddlers; non-English speakers, who don’t know what is happening?
EMERGING ADULTS
Inviting Emerging Adults into the Library: Lessons from El Paso’s Centre Future
[WebJunction] Monday, February 9 from 3-4 |
Register for Inviting Emerging Adults into the Library
El Paso Public Library’s Centre Future blends mentorship, technology, and community in ways that traditional classrooms and job centers often cannot. Learn new ideas
from Center Future’s youth fellows about how libraries can position themselves as an important part of emerging adults’ lives.
INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAMMING
Intergen at the Library: Programming and Engagement Across Ages
[WebJunction] Thursday, February 26 from 3-4 |
Register for Intergen at the Library
Through intergenerational programming, libraries foster design opportunities for people to interact with, learn from, and share with people of different ages, interests,
and cultural backgrounds. In this session, participants will explore generational labels, discover the benefits of and barriers to intergenerational relationship building, and find resources for designing their own intergenerational programs.
LIBRARY CATALOG TRAINING
Introduction to the Library Catalog: New course from LiFT
[WebJunction] |
Information and registration for Introduction to the Library Catalog Course
Introduction to the Library Catalog, the newest course in the LiFT (Library Foundational Training) program, kicks off the four-course Library Catalog Series coming
in the next few months. This course walks the learner through what a library catalog is, its purpose, and how it is essential to providing core library services, such as reliable access to collections.
LIBRARY ENGAGEMENT PLATFORMS
Library Engagement Platforms
[DLD Workshop with David Lee King] Friday, February 27 from 3-4 |
Register for Library Engagement Platforms
In the last few years, there have been quite a few library engagement platforms that have appeared. Each of them does slightly different things, all with the goal
of connecting with and engaging your library patrons. This presentation gives an overview of Library Engagement Platforms and shares the different ways these tools help to connect library patrons to the library.
READERS ADVISORY
RA for All: Flipt the Script and Think Like a Reader [DLD Workshop with Becky
Spratford] Monday, February 9 from 2-3:30 | Register for RA for All
Readers Advisory belongs in every library, no matter its budget. The implementation of this vital service is the responsibility of every staff member-- from pages
to directors, from those behind the scenes to the ones on the front lines. This program will remove the mystery behind providing great RA service. Using her “Ten Rules of Basic RA Service” as a guide, Becky Spratford will use your own love of your favorite
books to show you how to help any patron find their next great read…
2025 Readers’ Advisory Year in Review [PCI Webinars] Wednesday, February 11
from 2-3 | Register for 2025 Readers’ Advisory Year in Review
2025 has moved into our rearview, everyone is eager to jump into the fresh start of 2026, but hold up for just a bit longer. It is important, every year, to take
a step back and look critically at the year that was before setting goals or service plans for the next year. Join noted Readers' Advisory expert, Becky Spratford as she walks you through the highlights [and lowlights] of 2026 in Adult Leisure Reading. From
the biggest trends, to the authors, titles, and genres that broke through, Becky will break it all down for you, wringing out the best of 2025 to take with us as we plan our service to Adult readers for 2026.
SMALL LIBRARIES CONFERENCE
15th Annual Big Talk from Small Libraries free online conference
[Nebraska Library Commission and Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL)] Friday, February 27 from 9:45-6 |
Information and Registration for Big Talk from Small Libraries
This free one-day online conference is tailored for staff from small libraries – the smaller the better! All of the presenters are from libraries serving fewer than
10,000 people, or are directly partnered with a small library and co-presenting with the library.
And, the conference is free and open to anyone in the world to attend! Topics range from technology to programming to new roles for the library. This event is a great
opportunity to learn about the innovative things your colleagues are doing in their small libraries…
~
For other 2026 events, please Visit:
https://cslib.libcal.com/
For any questions, please contact Gail Hurley at
Gail.Hurley@ct.gov or
860-704-2223
|
