November 2026 Workshops and Webinars

The Connecticut State Library, Division of Library Development is sharing the following learning opportunities for November. Remember that these are offered for FREE to ALL Connecticut library staff! Please share with staff not signed up to the library lists or the DLD Newsletter!

Click on the training topics below or scroll through to see all the offerings:

ACCESSIBILITY

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

BUILDING PROJECTS

CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS

ACCESSIBILITY

TIAL: Web Accessibility Office Hours [DLD Workshop] Tuesday, November 10 from 10-11 | Register for TIAL: Web Accessibility Office Hours

Join Geoff Freed of onfocusAccess for the final session on web accessibility and the Department of Justice's ruling on Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This office hours session gives participants the opportunity for spontaneous discussion and exploration of questions that arise from the first three training sessions, or about any topic related to digital accessibility. Participants can also request demonstrations of specific accessibility testing techniques or approaches, discuss the finer details of the new Title II regulation, or bring new or existing digital materials for the host to verbally evaluate for accessibility at a high level.

TIAL: Creating Accessible Digital Documents, Screen Readers [DLD Workshop] Tuesday, November 17 from 10-11 | Register for TIAL: Creating Accessible Digital Documents

Join us for this 60-minute session that will cover the basics of using screen readers. Topics covered during this session include: what screen readers are, how they interact with digital content, why it is important to use them as part of accessibility testing, and a demonstration of the NVDA (Non-Visual Desktop Access) screen reader.

TIAL: Creating Accessible Digital Documents, Microsoft Word and Outlook [DLD Workshop] Tuesday, December 1 from 10-11:30 | Register for TIAL: Creating Accessible Digital Documents

Join us for this 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.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

Our Chatbots, Ourselves: Practical Strategies for AI Use in Libraries [PCI Webinars] Wednesday, November 4 from 2-3 | Register for Our Chatbots, Ourselves

This session focuses on the human side of AI literacy, inspired by the presenter’s doctoral research. We’ll explore how factors like confidence, trust, discomfort, and personal values shape the way librarians and patrons engage with AI tools. Through real-world examples from public library settings, such as reference interactions, patron questions about AI-generated information, and staff use of AI for programming and outreach, we’ll examine how these tools influence decision-making and critical thinking.

Leading Staff Through AI Change [Library2.0] Friday, November 6 from 2-4 | Contact Gail.Hurley@ct.gov for the registration link.

… Pushback about AI is often about more than the technology itself. It is about what the technology implies: whether someone's expertise still counts, whether the rules will change again next month, or whether anyone is going to ask before deciding. When those questions go unaddressed, ordinary hesitation can turn into resistance, and resistance is much harder to lead through than concern. This session gives library leaders a practical way to understand what is happening on their teams and decide how to respond.

10 Ways to Avoid AI Slop in Collections Development [Library 2.0] Tuesday, November 10 from 2-3 | Contact Gail.Hurley@ct.gov for the registration link.

In this specialized webinar for librarians and information professionals, Reed addresses one of collections development's most pressing challenges today: the flood of AI-generated content infiltrating library catalogs and acquisition pipelines. AI-generated books, articles, and media—often called "AI slop"—have proliferated at an alarming rate. These materials range from low-quality self-published books with AI-written text and covers to fabricated academic articles and synthetic media. Traditional vetting processes weren't designed to catch these sophisticated fakes, and many AI-generated items slip through vendor catalogs, recommendation engines, and even peer review processes…

10 Great Ways to Help Patrons with AI [Library 2.0] Friday, November 13 from 2-3 | Contact Gail.Hurley@ct.gov for the registration link.

Patrons are already using AI, whether they choose to or not. It answers their searches, drafts their emails, recommends books that don't exist, and occasionally sends them to the library an hour before it opens. When something goes sideways, they bring it to the most trusted information professionals they know: library staff.

This workshop offers ten ways to meet those moments. Rather than requiring staff to become AI experts, this session builds on skills library workers already have: listening, verifying, teaching, and knowing when a question has become a safety concern. Participants will get concrete language for real desk conversations, from the invented book title to the phishing link, and leave more confident about the next AI question that walks in.

BUILDING PROJECTS

Embodied Carbon in Library Building Projects [Northeast Summit on Climate Adaptation for Library Facilities] Tuesday, November 17 from 2-3:30 | Register for Embodied Carbon in Library Building Projects

Every piece of material and every item that makes up the library building and its contents has a past, a present, and a future. From raw material to end-of-life, the impact is not just in its usefulness but also in how its lifecycle contributes to or detracts from sound environmental practices. In order to make informed choices and adhere to sustainability goals, an understanding of embodied carbon and relevant considerations is key. The Northeast Summit on Climate Adaptation for Library Facilities invites you to join us for a webinar featuring experts in embodied carbon and library design who will provide insight on higher level concepts and practical applications in library building projects.

CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS

Crisis Communication: Preparing Before, During, and After the Unexpected [PCI Webinars] Wednesday, November 18 from 2-3 | Register for Crisis Communication

Every organization will face a crisis at some point. Whether it's a service disruption, controversial incident, safety concern, personnel issue, or natural disaster, the way leaders communicate can significantly influence public trust, staff confidence, and long-term outcomes. This webinar explores the fundamentals of crisis communication and crisis leadership, with an emphasis on preparation, responsiveness, and recovery. Participants will learn practical strategies for developing a crisis communication framework, building key messages, preparing spokespersons, and responding effectively when situations arise.

DATA

Data for Everyone: An Introduction to Spreadsheets [NNLM Workshop] Monday, November 2 from 2-3 | Register for Data for Everyone

This class will be an introduction to learning about data. If you have any interest in learning about data but do not know where to start, this class is a great entry point to and foundation for classes currently offered in data management, data science, data services, and statistics. Topics will include a review of data terminologies, data types, and the basic concepts involved in working with a spreadsheet.

DATABASES

How PubMed Works: Introduction [NNLM Workshop] Thursday, November 5 from 2-3:30 | Register for How PubMed Works

This How PubMed Works: Introduction session addresses increasing health information access and use by highlighting features of the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed bibliographic database

Advanced Searching in EBSCOhost and Discovery [DLD Workshop] Thursday, November 12 from 3-4 | Register for Advanced Searching in EBSCOhost

Join us to Learn how to get the most from your EBSCO resources. We will use the EBSCOhost and Discovery interfaces to demonstrate advanced search topics like custom limiters, publication and thesauri search, and important features like text-to-speech, language translation, sharing, and citation tools. We will also review the personalization features available, including creating a MyEBSCO account to save your research long term, using Projects to organize your research, and scheduling your own journal and search alerts.

Let’s Explore EBSCO’s Reference Databases [DLD Workshop] Thursday, November 19 from 11-12 | Register for Let's Explore EBSCO's Reference Databases

Join us for a tour of EBSCO’s reference databases in the Explora UI. Explora’s engaging and accessible interface is designed to support user research with rich, reliable content and easy-to-use functionality. We will demonstrate the enhanced user experience for Biography Reference Source, History Reference Source, Legal Information Source, Science Reference Source, and Small Business Source. We will cover basic and advanced search and review custom functionality like text-to-speech, language translation, cloud integrations, sharing and citation tools, and personal accounts to organize research.

HEALTH

Pathways to Wellbeing: How Libraries are Addressing Rural Health Needs in their Communities [NNLM Workshop] Tuesday, November 17 from 1-2 | Register for Pathways to Wellbeing

Join NNLM for a panel discussion featuring library professionals who are working to address rural health needs in their communities. Panelists will share examples of programs, partnerships, outreach strategies, and resources their libraries have used to respond to local health information needs and strengthen connections with rural populations.

LAW / LEGAL

Court Services and Legal Research [DLD Workshop] Monday, November 16 from 10:30-12 | Register for Court Services and Legal Research

This virtual presentation will provide an overview of the services provided by the Connecticut Judicial Branch Law Libraries and Court Service Centers. We will review the organization of the courts and the special sessions of the Superior Court. We will offer strategies for finding information on the Judicial Branch website, including how to find available forms, publications, and FAQs. We will also cover where to find self-help videos, information on the Judicial Branch’s Volunteer Attorney Program, and other free legal clinics and resources.

MANAGEMENT

Middle Management Strategies for Success in Public Libraries [WebJunction] Tuesday, November 3 from 3-4 | Register for Middle Management Strategies

Learn from Brooklyn Public Library staff about their successful middle management strategies. Leave with tips for managing expectations when directives are unclear and techniques for being an effective bridge between executive goals and daily library operations. Presenters will share a middle management resource guide which includes tools to interpret policies, a template for one-on-one meetings, team building agendas, and guides for new employee kickoffs.

Connecting Library Programs to Strategic Priorities [Niche Academy Webinar] Wednesday, November 4 from 2-3 | Register for Connecting Library Programs to Strategic Priorities

Through practical examples and guided discussion, participants will explore how programming can become one of the clearest ways a library puts its strategic plan into action. Whether your library is implementing a new strategic plan or trying to strengthen the connection between an existing plan and day-to-day programming, you'll leave with practical tools and questions you can use with your team to make more intentional programming decisions.

Managing Humans, Not Just Work: Modern Supervision for Mission-Driven Teams [Niche Academy Webinar] Wednesday, November 18 from 2-3 | Register for Managing Humans

Supervision in libraries and nonprofit organizations is about far more than assigning tasks, approving schedules, and tracking deadlines. It is about supporting humans—people with different communication styles, motivations, strengths, needs, and responses to change. In this practical and candid webinar, nonprofit leadership expert Kari Anderson will explore what effective supervision looks like in today’s mission-driven workplace.

PUBLIC SPEAKING

Back to Basics with Public Speaking [PCI Webinars] Wednesday, November 11 from 3:30-4 | Register for Back to Basics with Public Speaking

For this program, we will explore public speaking anxiety and consider transferable strategies to reduce our apprehension. Through this workshop you will learn how to prepare for your next speaking engagement and reduce your speaking anxiety as well as how to harness public speaking anxiety while presenting.

SAFETY AND SECURITY

Bringing in a Speaker at Your Library [Library 2.0] Thursday, November 12 from 2-3 | Contact Gail.Hurley@ct.gov for the registration link.

Library programs with presentations and speakers can excite audiences and help grow the public’s perception of the value and worth of their connected communities. They can range from seemingly drama-free topics to speakers, people, and political issues that bring angry crowds, the media, and safety and security concerns to your event…

Save the Date! Safe Routes to Libraries Info Session [DLD Workshop] Friday, November 20 from 11-12 | Registration coming soon.

YOUTH SERVICES

New England Teen Summit [New England Collaborative] Friday, November 13 from 10-4| Register for the 2026 Teen Summit

The Teen Summit is a free, virtual, day-long annual event full of presentations, trainings, and workshops. This year, we are excited to announce that Cynthia Leitich Smith will kick off our day as the Keynote Speaker! The Teen Summit is coordinated by the New England Collaborative, a partnership between the Connecticut State Library, Maine State Library, Massachusetts Library System, New Hampshire State Library, Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services, and Vermont Department of Libraries.

Early Literacy 101 [In-Person DLD Workshop] Tuesday, November 17 from 10-3 | Register for Early Literacy 101

Early Literacy 101 is an in person hands-on workshop to help library staff build a firm foundation in early literacy. Participants will learn how brain development impacts how young children learn, and will explore effective, research-based early literacy resources and activities. The workshop covers the Six Early Literacy Skills presented in the PLA/ALSC Every Child Ready to Read® 1st edition, and the Five Early Literacy Practices presented in the 2nd edition, along with other early literacy concepts and tools. The instructor will help attendees get ready to offer early literacy storytimes and become well-equipped to work with parents and community partners to share early literacy concepts and build community support.

For other 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.