August
2026 Workshops and Webinars
The Connecticut State Library, Division of Library Development is sharing the following learning opportunities for August. Remember that these are offered for FREE to ALL Connecticut
library staff! Please share with staff not signed up to the library lists!
Click on the August training topics below or scroll through to see all the offerings:
ANNUAL REPORT
How to Complete the FY2026 Public Library Annual Report [DLD Workshop] Thursday, August 20 from 2-2:30 |
Register for How to Complete the FY2026 Public Library Annual Report
This webinar will provide an overview of the FY2026 Public Library Annual Report including an update on new and removed questions and a review of the platform that all libraries will
use to submit their data. The FY2026 Annual Report will open the week of July 6th and is due by 4pm on Thursday October 1st.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Copyright and AI [Library 2.0] Tuesday, August 11 from 2-3 | Please contact
Gail.Hurley@ct.gov for the registration form.
As artificial intelligence tools increasingly shape how libraries serve their patrons and support academic missions, librarians must play a pivotal role in establishing ethically sound practices.
This 90-minute webinar offers participants a structured, accessible approach to identifying and addressing the ethical concerns surrounding AI technologies in library environments. Participants will explore key issues such as copyright, data privacy, and authorship—grounding
these topics within the frameworks of information literacy and professional responsibility…
10 Great Ways to Use AI for Reference Questions [Library 2.0] Friday, August 14 from
12-1 | Please contact Gail.Hurley@ct.gov for the registration form.
Reference work has a new “regular” at the desk. Patrons arrive with answers from AI overviews and chatbots, some helpful, some confidently wrong, and staff are expected to sort truth from fiction
on the spot. Meanwhile, the questions themselves have not gotten any easier: they are still vague, still multi-part, and still about topics staff haven’t heard of. This workshop offers ten practical responses. Rather than treating AI as an answer machine,
this session positions AI as a research assistant that helps you find the real question, shape the search, and explain the answer, while the truth-finding stays firmly in your hands. Participants will see real examples and leave with prompts they can use on
their very next shift…
CHILDRENS SERVICES
Messy on Purpose: The Power of Playful Learning for Children [WebJunction] Thursday,
August 13 from 3-4 | Register for Messy on Purpose
Toys left out all the time, an unstaffed art room, splatter painting indoors, a sand table out on the floor for an entire month...and much more. These things really happen in the
Youth & Family Services department at the Kenosha Public Library! Learn how making a mess can benefit your patrons, why to embrace it, and how others have managed it. You will also get a ton of fun programming ideas that range from slightly untidy to totally
catastrophic!
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Creating Community with Speed Friending at Your Library
[PCI Webinars] Wednesday, August 19 from 2-3 |
Register for Creating Community with Speed Friending
We all recognize the patrons who come in to the library looking for conversation. But what about those quietly scrolling, hoping for connection and unsure how to take that first step? In an era
often called an “epidemic of loneliness,” libraries have a powerful opportunity to spark genuine community connection. Speed Friending offers a simple, low-cost, and engaging way to bring people together. With a welcoming space and thoughtfully crafted conversation
starters, your library can help turn strangers into neighbors, and neighbors into friends.
Podcasts, Fandoms and Booktok, Oh My! Patrons and Non-Traditional Media
[PCI Webinars] Wednesday, August 26 from 2-3
| Register for Podcasts, Fandoms and Booktok
With the ever-changing media landscape, it can be hard to keep up with the trends and topics that are capturing patrons’ attention outside the library. On the creative side: What resources can
we provide for our podcasters, fanfiction writers and streamers? On the user side: are we prepared to provide readers’ advisory for customers engaged with online media? This webinar will give a brief overview of some of these non-traditional forms of media
and connect them to the work of public libraries both as a resource for creatives and as a hub for media literacy and advisory.
DATA
Understanding American Community Survey Data
[FDLP Academy]
Thursday, August 20 from 2-3 |
Register for Understanding American Community Survey Data
Discover the detailed social, economic, demographic, and housing statistics that the American Community Survey (ACS) provides for every community every year. You will learn about the basics of
the yearly estimates and datasets produced from the ACS, resources available on our website, and how to access ACS data products through a variety of tools. We will also highlight useful ACS information for librarians. The webinar will include a live demonstration
of ACS data access tools.
MANAGEMENT
The Practice of Real Prioritization
[Niche Academy Webinar] Wednesday, August 19 from 2-3 |
Register for The Practice of Real Prioritization
Join Emma Kieran as she helps leaders and teams rethink how they set priorities in a world where everything feels urgent. We’ll discuss practical ways to determine what is critical and how to
align staff and board around realistic capacity. We'll talk about shifting from reactive to proactive and intentional decision-making. Join us to learn how to confidently prioritize the work that truly drives impact.
MENTAL HEALTH
Providing Mental Health Resources at Your Library
[National Library of Medicine] Tuesday, August 4 from 2-3 |
Register for Providing Mental Health Resources at Your Library
Responding to questions involving topics on mental health is challenging even for the most experienced librarian. In this 1-hour webinar, participants will explore several websites to respond
to requests for mental health information at their libraries. Sites that we'll explore include: MedlinePlus, DailyMed, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Helping Students and Patrons Reach Available Mental Health Care
[Niche Academy Webinar] Wednesday, August 26 from 2-3 |
Register for Helping Students and Patrons Reach Available Mental Health Care
Imagine a student or patron who needs mental health care. Now, imagine that help exists, but the path to it is confusing, hidden, stigmatized, or buried online. Would that person still reach
care? Mental health support is often available, but students and patrons may not know where to look, whom to trust, or how to take the first step when needed most. Join Jesse Scaccia for this webinar to explore mental health care access as a media literacy
challenge, identify communication barriers students and patrons face, and consider how librarians can become trusted guides who help people find credible information, campus resources, and pathways to support.
PROGRAMMING
Health Programming at Your Library
[National Library of Medicine] Tuesday, August 25 from 2-3:30 |
Register for Health Programming at Your Library
Join us for ideas on how to create health programs for libraries and community/faith-based organizations in this 90-minute webinar. First, we’ll discuss the purpose of conducting
health outreach programs for libraries and how to plan a program using a logic model. Then, we’ll brainstorm potential partnerships for health programming and outreach, and learn how resources from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and other reputable
agencies introduce community members to health resources in fun and engaging ways. Finally, we’ll share examples of successful programs for children, teens, adults, and seniors using NLM and National Institutes of Health resources that will activate your
interest in collaborating and engaging your community in health outreach programming.
NASA Earth Exhibits and Programming for Libraries
[FDLP Academy] Thursday, August 27 from 2-3 |
Register for NASA Earth Exhibits and Programming for Libraries
Learn how to bring an Earth Information Center (EIC) to your library! For over 50 years, NASA satellites have tracked Earth’s land, water, air, ice, and ecosystems. EICs turn this data into engaging
public exhibits—featuring stunning visualizations, real-time “mission control” dashboards, immersive audio-visual displays, and interactive stories that show Earth science in action. We also offer ready-to-use program packages to help libraries inspire visitors
to explore and reflect on our dynamic planet. Attendees will get a virtual tour of our exhibit offerings and learn about pathways for hosting an EIC.
READERS ADVISORY
Horror Readers’ Advisory: How to Help Your Scariest Patrons
[PCI Webinars] Wednesday, August 12 from 2-3 |
Register for Horror Readers’ Advisory
A recent poll of thousands of library workers identified Horror as one of the Top 5 genres they were “most scared of,” and yet, the genre is basking in a popularity among our patrons that hasn’t
been seen in decades. We cannot ignore it any longer. It’s time to stop worrying that your Horror readers are monsters, and start remembering they only like to read about them. The library world’s Horror expert, Becky Spratford, is here to help you conquer
your own fears and walk you through today’s horror landscape. In this webinar she will explain how to talk to fans, break down the appeal of horror, identify what resources will serve you best, and most importantly, give you dozens of authors and titles to
start suggesting with confidence, immediately! Get up to speed on this current Horror Renaissance without terrorizing yourself in the process. Let’s have some fun, talk about books, help patrons, and learn about the scariest genre together.
Podcasts, Fandoms and Booktok, Oh My! Patrons and Non-Traditional Media
[PCI Webinars] Wednesday, August 26 from 2-3
| Register for Podcasts, Fandoms and Booktok
With the ever-changing media landscape, it can be hard to keep up with the trends and topics that are capturing patrons’ attention outside the library. On the creative side: What resources can
we provide for our podcasters, fanfiction writers and streamers? On the user side: are we prepared to provide readers’ advisory for customers engaged with online media? This webinar will give a brief overview of some of these non-traditional forms of media
and connect them to the work of public libraries both as a resource for creatives and as a hub for media literacy and advisory.
REFERENCE
Providing Mental Health Resources at Your Library
[National Library of Medicine] Tuesday, August 4 from 2-3 |
Register for Providing Mental Health Resources at Your Library
Responding to questions involving topics on mental health is challenging even for the most experienced librarian. In this 1-hour webinar, participants will explore several websites to respond
to requests for mental health information at their libraries. Sites that we'll explore include: MedlinePlus, DailyMed, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
WELLNESS
Managing Change Fatigue
[PCI Webinars] Wednesday, August 5 from 2-3 |
Register for Managing Change Fatigue
Change fatigue is the exhaustion, resistance, and apathy toward fast-paced, complex changes in the workplace. Change will always be present but change fatigue doesn’t have to be! While often
easy to identify, change fatigue can be deadly to an organization if not addressed and managed well. Leadership should acknowledge the potential for change fatigue and have a plan for managing it. Employees should be alert to potential change fatigue situations,
their personal symptoms of it, and have a strategy for handling it.
Discover the symptoms of change fatigue, why it happens, and ways to manage it from the leadership and individual employee’s perspectives.
~
For other 2026 events, please visit the
Continuing Education Calendar
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.
© 2016 CT State Library. All rights reserved.