Learning Live Monthly Webinar Series
Register for Upcoming Sessions
United for Libraries personal members receive FREE registration.
Those in MA, MD, MI, MN, ND, NE, OR, SC, and VA receive FREE registration.
Non-members may purchase a one-year subscription to Learning Live.
September 2025 Learning Live
Practical Policy Management: A Guide for Trustees
Tuesday, September 9, 2025, 2:00-3:00 pm Eastern
Policy is essential to smooth library operations, and ensuring equality of access for all patrons, but is often seen as an obstacle to progress or a difficult task to be accomplished once and never seen again. This program is designed to educate both library trustees and directors of the statutory responsibility of library trustees in creating policy, as well as practical steps for creating, maintaining, and managing effective policy, including ensuring collaboration between director, staff, and board during the process. The program will also offer practical suggestions for policy creation, procedures for periodic policy evaluation, and ways to streamline the policy process.
Speaker
Dr. Andrew Smith, an Associate Professor in the School of Library and Information Management (SLIM) at Emporia State University in Kansas, studied at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, Georgia State University, and the University of Aberystwyth in Wales. He was appointed a Trustee of the Emporia Public Library in 2016 and served until 2022, as Vice-Chair from 2016-2020 and as chair from 2020 until 2022. He has presented extensively on the creation and maintenance of library policy and on the recruitment and education of library board members. He serves on the board of United for Libraries.
Register for Upcoming Sessions
United for Libraries personal members receive FREE registration.
Those in MA, MD, MI, MN, ND, NE, OR, SC, and VA receive FREE registration.
Non-members may purchase a one-year subscription to Learning Live.
Call for Proposals
Interested in presenting a Learning Live session or other webinar for United for Libraries?
United for Libraries accepts proposals for:
- Microlearning: 10-15 minutes in length, typically single presenter and presented on-demand only.
- Presentation Only: 30 minutes in length, 1-2 presenters, presentation only, can be live or on-demand.
- Learning Live or Other Webinar: 60 minutes in length, 1-2 presenters preferred, can be up to 3 presenters, approximately 35 minutes of presentation followed by Q&A.
- Extra Time for Q&A: 75 minutes in length, 2-4 presenters, approximately 50 minutes of presentation followed by Q&A.
- Deep Dive: 90 minutes in length, typically includes significant audience participation.
2025 Learning Live
United for Libraries Personal Members
Personal members have on-demand access to all past Learning Live sessions.
- Registered in the United for Libraries Member Benefits & Resources course?
- Access the 2025 United for Libraries Learning Live course on the ALA eLearning website.
- Need to register for the United for Libraries Member Benefits & Resources course?
- Log in to the ALA eLearning website with the username and password associated with your personal membership.
- On your dashboard, scroll down to Division Products. Click the Select button, and then click the Register button.
- Once registered in this course, access the 2025 United for Libraries Learning Live course.
MA, MD, MI, MN, ND, NE, OR, SC, VA
Statewide training partners have on-demand access to all past Learning Live sessions.
Presented Live: January 14, 2025
Description
Every library should have a plan for raising funds to pay for extras not covered by the budget. The easiest way to get started - an annual giving campaign! If you want to fundraise for your library, but are anxious about asking people for money, an annual giving campaign is an effective way to identify potential donors while also providing a vehicle for giving.
We all receive mailers from nonprofit organizations asking for donations during the end-of-year giving season, so how can your library be part of the mix? During this webinar, we'll go over all the steps to plan and execute an annual giving campaign - from where to get a mailing list to writing an appeal letter to keeping track of donors to stewarding donations. You'll leave the webinar confident that you can organize an annual giving campaign for your library!
Presenter
Amanda Standerfer’s passion is helping libraries and nonprofit organizations advance so they can create meaningful impact in their communities. Since 2002, Amanda's consulting practice Fast Forward Libraries has worked with libraries and nonprofits on strategic planning, fundraising, organizational development, and capacity building. Amanda has 15 years of experience at various positions in public libraries, most recently as the Director of Community Engagement for The Urbana (IL) Free Library. She also has 7 years of experience working in the philanthropy sector.
Presented Live: February 28, 2025
Description
Given the increasing national scrutiny of public libraries, strong Friends organizations that are steadfast in defending intellectual freedom and are proactively advocating on behalf of the libraries we support are more crucial than ever. Through this program, you will learn how a longstanding Friends organization evolved beyond book sales, created clarity and excitement where fear of the word "advocacy" once existed, and developed a simple framework for library advocacy that any group can put to use.
Presenter
Shanta Dickerson is the inaugural Executive Director of the Friends of Johnson County (KS) Library, an organization of nearly 1,000 members and 100+ dedicated volunteers who contributed more than 18,000 hours in 2023 alone. A graduate of the University of Kansas, Shanta is actively involved in her community. She serves on the Governmental Affairs Committee of the Kansas Library Association and the Membership Committee of Nonprofit Connect, Kansas City’s nonprofit association.
Presented Live: March 11, 2025
Description
Opportunity-driven advocacy considers people, place, and platforms. Learn how to best understand and address the needs of state and local legislators, staffers, community organizers, and influencers and engage with or create library supporters—highlighting the library as an invaluable resource that gains community support and funding dollars.
Presenter
Kathleen McEvoy is a communications expert who has worked with libraries and content/technology providers for more than 19 years. Kathleen has created strategies to address legislation in multiple U.S. states, meeting directly with state executives and legislators about book banning, criminalization, and data security. Kathleen is on the executive board of the American Library Association’s United for Libraries division and a member of its Intellectual Freedom, Public Policy, and Advocacy Committee. She is the editor of the Seeing the Whole Board column in the academic journal Against the Grain and has keynoted on the legislative and policy issues affecting libraries.
Presented Live: April 8, 2025
Description
A panel of experts will discuss key topics for library Boards/Trustees, including working with elected officials, community outreach, and board development. Each panelist will provide tips and best practices. During a “lightning round” session, speakers will field questions from attendees.
Presenters
Chris Chanyasulkit is Past President of the American Public Health Association and a member of the United for Libraries Board of Directors. Chris holds leadership positions with local, state, regional, and national governance and civic engagement organizations, working to promote racial, gender, and health equity. Dr. Chanyasulkit is an elected Library Trustee of the Public Libraries of Brookline, a Brookline Community Emergency Response Team member, and a Brookline Medical Reserve Corps member. Chris lives in Brookline, Massachusetts with her husband, James, a software engineer, their three children, and two puppies.
Deborah Doyle, 2024-2026 United for Libraries President, is a writer, editor, and fundraiser as well as an active library advocate at local, state, and national levels. She played board and staff roles at Friends of the San Francisco Public Library. She has served as President of the California Library Association (CLA) and she currently serves on the ALA Committee on Legislation, and the CLA Advocacy and Legislative Committee, and chairs the Sonoma County Library Commission, and she is treasurer (and a past president) of California Public Library Advocates.
Maura Deedy is the founding principal of Local Librarian Consulting, a consultancy focused on supporting multi-type library and library-related organizations on evaluation, assessment, strategic planning, governance, advocacy, and director recruitment. Previously, she was the Library Advisory Specialist at Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, and held management roles at Robbins Library (MA) and Weymouth Public Libraries (MA). Her vast experience in public libraries includes training library boards on governance and legal issues, including recruitment, intellectual freedom, and compliance with state laws and regulations.
Presented Live: May 13, 2025
Description
The 2024 recipients of the National Friends of Libraries Week Awards and the United for Libraries Awards for Innovation sponsored by Baker & Taylor will speak about their award-winning projects, including:
- Friends of Lakewood Ranch (Fla.) Library’s mission to “Fill the Shelves,” which helped fund an opening day collection for the new library.
- Eugene (Ore.) Public Library Foundation’s “Love Your Library” campaign that included a design competition and a letter-writing campaign to the Eugene City Council.
- Friends of Tye Preston Memorial Library (Canyon Lake, Texas)'s week full of activities for National Friends of Libraries Week, including a Fall Fun festival and a book art class.
In addition, attendees will learn about the process for applying for National Friends of Libraries Week Awards and the United for Libraries Awards for Innovation sponsored by Baker & Taylor in 2025.
Presenters
Sue Ann Miller, Ed. D., originally from Pennsylvania, has a lifelong passion for libraries and reading. She was instrumental in forming the Friends organization for the Lakewood Ranch (LWR) Library in 2018, recognizing the need for fundraising and advocacy before the library was built. Sue’s personal journey with libraries encompasses research for her degrees, leisure reading, and continuous learning. As a retired elementary school teacher, reading specialist, and supervisor of reading and language arts, she highly values the library’s early learning programs and materials for children.
Dana B. Fleming grew up in Alabama, where she had the privilege to be raised in a home full of books and taken regularly to the libraries in the communities where she lived. After graduating from Birmingham-Southern College with a degree in art history, Dana worked in a range of nonprofits in art, domestic violence, and education. She is also an art teacher, and one of her favorite places to teach art was in the Children and Youth Department of the Garland County Library in Hot Springs, Arkansas, where she shared her love of art and reading with young patrons for several years.
Nicky Pownall is the Adult Services Coordinator at Tye Preston Memorial Library in Canyon Lake, Texas. Prior to this position, Nicky volunteered at the library for 6 months and gained a deep appreciation for the essential work that volunteers and Friends do to support library operations, awareness, and funding. She worked with the Friends of Tye Preston Memorial Library on branding and marketing for select large projects and programs, including their month-long Canyon Lake Reads series, Taste & Talent gala in conjunction with the Canyon Lake Art Guild, and multiple Big Give fundraising drives.
Presented Live: June 12, 2025
Description
In the short time since the election, it seems that everything related to government has been upended. Programs slashed, mass firing of federal employees fired, and lives in turmoil. It almost seems that there is nothing the average America can do to protect those people and programs dear to us... but there is.
This webinar will start with a sobering assessment of what’s different and what’s the same in these times. Participants will learn what basic elements of advocacy they can employ to ensure their voices are heard, and what tools still work. The program will also cover basic advocacy techniques both in state/federal capitals and back home. It will conclude with some successful advocacy case studies, reminding participants that democracy still can function in times of crisis.
Presenter
Bradford Fitch, former CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation, author of Citizen’s Handbook to Influencing Elected Officials, and a long-time congressional staffer. Fitch has spent 40 years in Washington as an author, consultant, trainer, and internet entrepreneur. He is the author of frequent articles on advocacy and communications and has been quoted in The Washington Post, The New York Times, NPR, and CBS News, among others.
Presented Live: July 8, 2025
Description
Now is the time for Friends of Libraries, library Foundations, and other groups to plan for fall events – Library Card Sign-Up Month in September, Banned Books Week Oct. 5-11, and National Friends of Libraries Week Oct. 19-25 (the 20th anniversary celebration!). Learn innovative ideas for how to use these events to promote your library and group, and about new graphics and promotional items that will be available. Find out how groups across the country have celebrated these events, and new ideas for 2025.
Presenters
Betsy Gomez is the Assistant Director of Communications and Public Outreach for the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, where she is a coordinator for Banned Books Week and Unite Against Book Bans. She has been coordinator for the Banned Books Week Coalition, a diverse group of organizations dedicated to defending intellectual freedom during Banned Books Week and beyond, since 2018. She is a former coalition and editorial director for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, an advocacy organization dedicated to the First Amendment rights of the comics community. Gomez edited and designed the award-winning publication CBLDF Presents: She Changed Comics.
Jean Hodges is the Director of Communications, Marketing & Media Relations for the American Library Association. She has been with the association for 1.5 years, and in that time, she has led the marketing and communications efforts around our new Public Supporter Program, which included a redesign and repurposing of the ilovelibraries.org website to explain more about our national association’s role in supporting libraries. She formerly worked at Gannett, the largest local-to-national publisher and digital media organization in the country, as Senior Director of News Culture and Communications. Prior to that, she worked in England in marketing and PR.
Jillian Wentworth is the Deputy Director, Strategy & Engagement, for United for Libraries, a division of the American Library Association. Jillian has also worked as a librarian, editor, and journalist. She is the co-author of Proving Your Library’s Value: Persuasive, Organized, and Memorable Messaging (ALA Editions, 2020) and has presented on library advocacy, working with Friends groups and library trustees, and more at national, regional, state, and local library conferences and workshops. She earned a master's degree in library and information science from Drexel University and a bachelor's degree in English from Hollins University.
2024 Learning Live
United for Libraries Personal Members
Personal members have on-demand access to all past Learning Live sessions.
- Registered in the United for Libraries Member Benefits & Resources course?
- Access the 2024 United for Libraries Learning Live course on the ALA eLearning website.
- Need to register for the United for Libraries Member Benefits & Resources course?
- Login to the ALA eLearning website with the username and password associated with your personal membership.
- On your dashboard, scroll down to Division Products. Click the Select button, and then click the Register button.
- Once registered in this course, access the 2024 United for Libraries Learning Live course.
MA, MD, MI, MN, ND, NE, OR, SC, VA
Statewide training partners have on-demand access to all past Learning Live sessions.
Presented Live: January 9, 2024
Description
Is your Friends of the Library group and/or library Foundation following nonprofit best practices? Join Amy Coates Madsen, Vice President of Programs at the Maryland Nonprofits and the Director of the Standards for Excellence Institute, who will present on legal, ethical, and other standards for nonprofits. Learn about best practices, how to have a clear mission, board development, public engagement, and more.
Presenter
Amy Coates Madsen is the Vice President for Programs at Maryland Nonprofits and the Director of the Standards for Excellence Institute. She serves as a frequent trainer and writer in the areas of board conduct, program evaluation, program replication, fundraising ethics, and nonprofit management. Amy was appointed by the US Department of the Treasury to serve on the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Committee on Tax Exempt and Government Entities (ACT), and served one term as the co-chair of the ACT’s Exempt Organizations subcommittee. She has also served as the former President of Central Maryland CAN TOO and was a member of the Board of Trustees of the largest United Methodist Church in Baltimore City. Amy was recognized by the Daily Record in 2022 as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women.
Presented Live: February 13, 2024
Description
A panel of experts will address common issues that arise among library Boards, Friends groups, and Foundations, and how to solve them. Featured panelists will be Brenda Langstraat Bui, President & CEO, Chicago Public Library Foundation; Nicolle Davies, Colorado State Librarian, and Dr. Andrew Smith, Associate Professor, School of Library and Information Management at Emporia State University in Kansas, and past chair of the Emporia Public Library. Each panelist will present an in-depth scenario and provide tips and best practices. During a "lightning round" session, speakers will field questions from attendees.
Presenters
Brenda Langstraat Bui, President & CEO, Chicago Public Library Foundation, joined the Foundation in 2019, her personal and professional values aligning with the library’s commitment to “the freedom to read, to learn, to discover.” For more than 20 years, Brenda has led organizations in the public/private sector for parks, schools and libraries. She previously served as CEO of Working in the Schools (WITS), Chicago Public Schools’ largest literacy partner. She serves on the board of United for Libraries.
Nicolle Davies is the Colorado State Librarian, a position she has held since 2019. Nicolle previously served as the Executive Director of Charleston (SC) Public Library and before that was the Executive Director of Arapahoe (CO) Libraries. She was named Library Journal’s Librarian of the Year in 2016, for “her leadership in building and developing a committed and passionate staff dedicated to patron service,” and “her unequivocal belief that libraries are essential services, not just ‘nice’ assets, and the best medium to achieve an informed citizenry.” Nicolle serves on the board of United for Libraries.
Dr. Andrew Smith, an Associate Professor in the School of Library and Information Management (SLIM) at Emporia State University in Kansas, studied at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, Georgia State University, and the University of Aberystwyth in Wales. He was appointed a Trustee of the Emporia Public Library in 2016 and served until 2022, as Vice-Chair from 2016-2020 and as chair from 2020 until 2022. He has presented extensively on the creation and maintenance of library policy and on the recruitment and education of library board members. He serves on the board of United for Libraries.
Presented Live: March 12, 2024
Description
Is your library’s Board of Trustees and/or Friends of the Library group prepared for a crisis? How can you support your library’s communications policies and procedures? This session, presented by longtime senior communications and marketing executive Kathleen McEvoy, will go over how to develop a solid communication plan, what to know about working with the media, tips on communicating the library’s value, how to respond to inquiries about book bans/censorship, and more. This program will offer tips for board members and Friends, as well as those who work with them.
Presenter
Kathleen McEvoy is Secretary of the United for Libraries Board of Directors, and a longtime senior communications and marketing executive with more than 17 years experience working with libraries and information providers. She co-chaired the United for Libraries Intellectual Freedom Taskforce and has served on a variety of ALA committees, including the United for Libraries Board Corporate at Large; United for Libraries Intellectual Freedom and Public Policy & Advocacy Committee; United for Libraries Conference Program Committee, and the United for Libraries Finance & Audit Task Force.
Presented Live: April 9, 2023
Description
Part of a Trustee's responsibility is to evaluate the library director, yet many organizations do not have an annual review procedure in place. During this Learning Live, library Trustees will acquire the tools needed to conduct an annual evaluation. This session is designed with the understanding that many Trustees do not have HR experience. We'll offer practical strategies and tools to effectively assess the performance of library directors, with insight from a variety of library stakeholders. Trustees will gain the knowledge and confidence they need to conduct meaningful evaluations of their library directors. Especially when things are going well!
Presenter
Maura Deedy is the principal of Local Librarian Consulting, with over 17 years of experience in municipal and state government. Maura has worked with a variety of library organizations, from small and rural to large and urban, library networks, and library associations. Previously, she was the Library Advisory Specialist for the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, a state library agency, and held management roles at public libraries in Arlington (MA) and Weymouth (MA). Maura has served on the United for Libraries board since 2019, and also serves on ALA's Committee on Library Advocacy.
Presented Live: May 14, 2024
Description
Library Trustees/Board Members, Friends of the Library groups, and library Foundations can be valuable partners in supporting community health in libraries. During How Library Trustees/Boards, Friends, and Foundations Can Support Community Health, Join Dr. Noah Lenstra of Let’s Move in Libraries and Christine Weinreich of Memphis Library Foundation to learn how to work with the library on community health, get ideas for events, get funding, and develop, sustain, and expand partnerships.
We’ll talk about everything from addressing social isolation to supporting physical literacy. We’ll offer practical strategies and tools to help you connect with and work with funders, while also providing strategies that you can use to support library staff who want to try something new, like a StoryWalk or a creative aging dance class for older adults. Noah will provide the big picture, while Christine will provide an in-depth look at how Memphis Library Foundation works with both the Memphis Public Libraries and the Friends of the Memphis Public Library to support this topic.
Speakers
Dr. Noah Lenstra, MS.LIS., is an associate professor of Library & Information Science at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He received his M.S. and PhD in Library & Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He brings a community organizing approach to the research and teaching of public librarianship. His books include Healthy Living at the Library (2020, Bloomsbury) and 12 Steps to a Community-Led Library (2023, American Library Association Editions, co-author Audrey Barbakoff). Since 2016, Dr. Lenstra has managed the Let’s Move in Libraries initiative, which he started.
Christine Weinreich, JD, has been the executive director of the Memphis Library Foundation since 2019. She had almost fourteen years of legal practice before transitioning into grants & development in 2012. In 2015, she helped to establish the Department of Grants & Community Engagement in Southern College of Optometry. Since joining Memphis Public Library Foundation, Christine has worked to support the library as a place of equity, where people from every walk of life can find resources, information, connection, art, and a true civic commons.
Presented Live: June 11, 2024
Description
Banned Books Week (Sept. 22-28, 2024), is an opportunity for Friends of the Library and library Foundations to support the freedom to read. Find out how to develop an event in your community, and what resources and promotional tools are available. Learn programming ideas and what Friends groups across the country are planning for the week.
Speakers
Betsy Gomez is the Assistant Director of Communications and Public Outreach for the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, where she is a coordinator for Banned Books Week and Unite Against Book Bans. She has been coordinator for the Banned Books Week Coalition, a diverse group of organizations dedicated to defending intellectual freedom during Banned Books Week and beyond, since 2018. She is a former coalition and editorial director for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, an advocacy organization dedicated to the First Amendment rights of the comics community. Gomez edited and designed the award-winning publication CBLDF Presents: She Changed Comics.
Barbara Sosa is beginning her sixth year as President of the Friends. Her love affair with libraries began when she was 10 years old and learned the Dewey Decimal System from her grammar school librarian. She has been a member of the Friends Board of Directors for more than a decade, serving in multiple capacities.
Ellen Butler taught at Costa Mesa High School in Southern California for 35 years. Beginning as an English teacher, she became the first photography teacher at CMHS, and one of two who introduced and taught interpersonal communications, an elective for seniors. She was asked by students in the late ‘90s to advise a new club, Advocates for Student Rights (ARS). She oversaw ASR’s periodic publication of a zine used both to inform students of their rights, and to ensure those rights were granted by the (too often reluctant) administration.
Presented Live: July 9, 2024
Description
Join us as we discuss ways to proactively build relationships with your community. Building on the Get Ready Stay Ready Toolkit, the IMLS-funded READCON project is a curriculum equipping library workers, Trustees, and Friends of the Library groups with skills to partner with their communities more effectively for advocacy. Learn about this highly adaptable, open-source learning tool developed by experts in academic, public, and school librarianship, education and family law, crisis communications, community advocacy and relations, and youth leadership. Find out how the curriculum can help library workers, Trustees, and Friends engage in constructive dialogue on potentially divisive aspects of library programming, service, and material challenges.
Speakers
Valerie Byrd-Fort (she/her/hers)Valerie Byrd-Fort is an Instructor at the University of South Carolina in the School of Information Science She received her Masters in Library Science from the University of South Carolina and is currently working on her doctorate in Teaching & Learning from the University of South Carolina. Her research is focused on diverse children's literature and its use in the classroom and school library. She is a Past-President of the South Carolina Association of School Librarians and an active ALSC member.
Dr. April Dawkins is an Assistant Professor of Library and Information Science at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has over twenty-seven years of experience as a classroom teacher, school librarian, library and information science educator, and internationally recognized intellectual freedom expert with presentations and publications in material selection policies, e-book usage, self-censorship, and diversity in youth literature. She is currently Director-at-Large on the AASL Executive Board, a lead reviewer for the Council on Accreditation for Educator Preparation (CAEP) and past chair of the American Association of School Librarians CAEP Coordinating Committee where she was responsible for leading revisions of the AASL Preparation Standards for School Librarians, and past president of the North Carolina School Library Media Association. She is the editor of Intellectual Freedom Issues in School Libraries (Libraries Unlimited, 2021) and co-author of the 7th edition of The School Library Manager: Leading Through Change (Libraries Unlimited, 2023).
Dr. Lucy Santos Green is Professor and Director of the School of Library and Information Science at the University of Iowa. Her career as an educator and researcher spans twenty-five years and four states including Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina. Learn more about her work at www.lucysantosgreen.com.
Presented Live: September 10, 2024
Description
Grants can bring significant funding to your Friends group or library Foundation. This session will focus on successful strategies for identifying and applying for grants, including relationship building, working with library staff, and crafting compelling stories. Learn how to “speak libraries” and customize applications for specific audiences and funders. Participants will also learn best practices for grant management and tracking.
Speakers
Carrie Fink is the Institutional Relations Manager at The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library. She previously worked as the PJ Library Manager at Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Minneapolis and a Project Manager for the Department of Employment and Economic Development. She has degrees in Social Work and Public Policy from the University of Minnesota. Carrie is currently a member of the Twin Cities Harry Kay Leadership Institute and serves on several boards in the community.
Diana Konopka currently serves as Sr. Director of Development for The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library. Previously, she served as Development Director for Minnesota Opera, having also led the company’s institutional giving efforts for many years. Other leadership positions include the role of Managing Director at Clubbed Thumb, an award-winning new play development and producing company. Diana was the recipient of a 2007-2009 TCG New Generations: Future Leaders award and holds degrees from the University of Chicago (BA) and New York University (MA).
Presented Live: October 8, 2024
Description
A strong director-board relationship is essential to the success of the library. Find out how the best practices on the director and board working together on advocacy, community outreach, planning, succession, and more. Find out how to prevent and solve conflicts, and how to unite to advance the library’s mission.
Speakers
Nicolle Davies serves as the State Librarian for Colorado. Davies holds both a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) and a Master’s in Library and Information Sciences (MLIS). Prior to this position, Davies served as the Executive Director of the Charleston County Public Library (SC), where she designed five new libraries, introduced new technology, and established a progressive service delivery model. Previously Davies served as the Executive Director of the Arapahoe Library District (CO), during which time she was named Library Journal’s 2016 Librarian of the Year. Before coming to libraries, Davies worked in broadcast journalism and public relations.
Janet Segal is an advocate of literacy, social justice, and education. She has worked as an educator, a nonprofit leader, a political consultant, for both local and federal candidates and has been a trainer in nonprofit board governance and legislative advocacy. She has enjoyed a variety of purposeful careers and opportunities including a teacher of elementary and special education students, conservation technologist in a museum, Better Business Bureau arbitrator, founder of several nonprofits, shipyard manager of the classroom tall ship The Spirit of SC, owner of her own event company, and served as director of education for Spoleto Festival USA. For eight years she was Trustee/Chair of the Charleston County (S.C.) Public Library board. During her tenure as Chair, Janet was instrumental in updating bylaws, policies and procedures as well as the recruitment of new directors and strategic planning for the entire system. In 2011, Janet spearheaded the efforts in building a plan to enhance and grow Charleston County Public Library (CCPL). In 2021, CCPL created the first Award for Extraordinary Contributions and awarded it to Janet. Thus far, she is the only one to receive this award. In 2021, Janet relocated to Rockville, Md.
Presented Live: November 12, 2024
Description
Friends groups across the country will share ideas for maximizing book sale profit, including online sales, ongoing sales, bookstores, special events, and more. Learn tips and best practices for both small and large Friends groups.
Speakers
Jeff Budge is the Bookstore Manager for The Friends Book Shop, operated by the Friends of the Saratoga Springs (N.Y.) Public Library, since 2011. With his corps of 65 volunteers, he oversees the in-library bookstore, two online sales programs, and larger semi-annual sales. In addition to having a rock n’ roll band, Jeff enjoys horse racing and tennis. Jeff has been an architect, a buyer for a 300 store major retail toy chain, and an investment advisor. One of Jeff’s main goals has been to share his experience and the success of the Book Shop with any Friends organizations interested in how to improve their own book selling operations, whatever their scale.
Val Kaliszewski is the President of the Friends of Rochester (Minn.) Public Library (RPL). She has been volunteering at the library for seven years, starting with packing books for quarterly sales before stepping in as president in 2022. The Friends of RPL recently celebrated their 75th anniversary and currently have 400 members, supporting a single main library in Rochester. They provided over $314,000 of support for collection and programming in 2023. Val earned her Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse and worked at IBM before “retiring” to raise three daughters and focus on volunteering.
Presented Live: December 10, 2024
Description
This highly-interactive webinar will focus on elements of successful storytelling for library commission, board, and foundation members, aka library advocates; provide specific techniques for effectively developing and telling those stories; and provide plenty of resources for those who want to continue developing their ability to tell engaging stories that inspire positive action among library supporters.
Speakers
Paul Signorelli is a creative, inquisitive, results-driven writer/trainer-teacher-learner/consultant/presenter designing and facilitating transformative learning opportunities; he also facilitates transformative conversations designed to produce positive, measurable change. He brings extensive management experience in arts organizations, libraries, and other educational settings to all that he does.
2023 Learning Live
United for Libraries Personal Members
Personal members have on-demand access to all past Learning Live sessions.
- Registered in the United for Libraries Member Benefits & Resources course?
- Access the 2023 United for Libraries Learning Live course on the ALA eLearning website.
- Need to register for the United for Libraries Member Benefits & Resources course?
- Log in to the ALA eLearning website with the username and password associated with your personal membership.
- On your dashboard, scroll down to Division Products. Click the Select button, and then click the Register button.
- Once registered in this course, access the 2023 United for Libraries Learning Live course.
MA, MD, MI, MN, ND, NE, OR, SC, VA
Statewide training partners have on-demand access to all past Learning Live sessions.
Presented Live: January 10, 2023
Description
Privacy is a core value of librarianship. Libraries also have an ethical commitment, and often legal obligation, to protect the privacy of their users. In this session, you'll learn why privacy is so critical to library operations and how you can develop strong privacy first policies.
Description
Erin Berman is a fierce privacy advocate, formerly leading the American Library Association’s Privacy Subcommittee. Erin got her start with ALA as an Emerging Leader in 2014 and quickly joined the Rainbow Roundtable as their Fundraising Chair. In 2016, she was named one of Library Journal’s Movers and Shakers. During her time as Innovations Manager for San José Public Library, she published the book Your Technology Outreach Adventure: Tools for Human-Centered Problem Solving. Currently, she works as the Division Director of the Learning Group for the Alameda County Library in California.
Presented Live: February 14, 2023
Description
Do your library’s mission/value statements, policies, and recruitment processes support a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion? The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Scorecard for Library and Information Organizations, developed by the ALA Committee on Diversity, is a template to assist library administrators and other decision-makers with gathering actionable data for strengthening DEI in their institutions. In this session, library Trustees/board members will learn how to support the implementation and use of the DEI Scorecard in their libraries, and how using the scorecard can support DEI in the recruitment, hiring, retention, and promotion of people of color. Friends groups and library Foundations will also learn how to use and adapt the scorecard for their own organizations and programming.
Presenter
Heather Slania is the Library Director at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. Her mission is to help libraries actively create sites of belonging while centering diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. For over a decade, Heather has led museum and academic libraries, illustrating her passion for strategic planning, facilitating change, and holistically integrating library operations to support a user-centered experience. She is originally from Chicago, and would most want Francis Bacon to paint her portrait.
Presented Live: March 14, 2023
Description
Whether your library has a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok, Instagram, or other platforms, it’s important to have policies in place to protect both library board members and staff. Learn how to ensure you are complying with legal guidelines, what library board members and staff should know about posting on their personal accounts, and how the library, board, Friends, and/or Foundation should work together on social media policies and procedures.
Presenter
Clare Membiela is the Library Law Consultant for the Library of Michigan. She helps public libraries understand and manage legal issues that impact library services. Before joining the Library of Michigan in 2016, she was the associate director for library and instructional support for the Western Michigan University Cooley Law School Libraries. Before moving to Michigan, she worked at the University of Miami Law Library as the head of reference services. Prior to her academic library work, she worked for two major law firms as a librarian in their Miami offices. She has an MLS. from Southern Connecticut State University, a JD from the University of Miami, and 30 years of law library experience. She is excited about helping public libraries by connecting them to the legal information they need.
Presented Live: April 11, 2023
Description
Cedar Rapids Public Library received the prestigious Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize from Library Journal in 2022. The library’s Executive Director Dara Schmidt noted that the Board of Trustees’ confidence in leadership and staff was what enabled the library to achieve its ambitious goals. According to Library Journal, “What has made all the difference is that the library’s ideas, large and small, are developed with input not only from leadership and the board but from staff, residents—both patrons and non-library-users—and partners.” Learn how the CRPL board helped shape the library’s strategic plan, and how the board’s work and involvement helped the library achieve its goals of working with community partners and stakeholders to become an invaluable community resource.
Presenters
Dara Schmidt is the Director of the Cedar Rapids Public Library, winner of the 2022 Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize and 2017 National Medal for Museum and Library Services. She previously worked for Anythink Libraries in Colorado, Los Angeles County Library and Downey City Library in California, and began her career as a shelver at the Manchester Public Library her Iowa hometown. She has a BA from Baldwin-Wallace College, a Master of Professional Writing degree from the University of Southern California, and an MLIS from San Jose State University. Schmidt was chosen as a Public Library Association Leadership Fellow in 2017 and currently serves as a member of the PLA Board.
Rev. Clint Twedt-Ball is the Founder & Executive Director of Cedar Rapids' nonprofit Matthew 25. Their focus is on growing stronger neighborhoods through the building blocks of healthy food access; quality, affordable housing; educational opportunity and community building. Clint is an ordained United Methodist pastor with his Master's of Divinity from Garret-Evangelical Theological Seminary and his B.A. in psychology from the University of Iowa.
Presented Live: May 9, 2023
Description
Strong relationships with your elected officials are key to library advocacy. Learn how to connect with your electeds (and their staffs) and consistently demonstrate the value of your library, whether you are a library Trustee/board member, Friends of the Library, affiliated with a library Foundation, or are a library staff member. Find out valuable tips, whether you are making your first contacts, or continuing longstanding relationships. The session will include a walk-through of the recently updated Advocacy Action Planner from ALA, as well as a list of United for Libraries and ALA resources to help guide your relationship building and advocacy efforts.
Presenters
Lori Fisher is the State Librarian for Maine, and was previously Assistant State Librarian of New Hampshire. She served as Library Director at the Baker Free Library in Bow, N.H. for 11 years. She is the current New Hampshire Library Association chapter councilor to the American Library Association, as well as co-chair of the New Hampshire Library Association Advocacy & Legislative Committee. She is a member of the following American Library Association committees: Committee on Library Advocacy; Committee on Legislation, and the United for Libraries Advocacy Committee.
Deborah Doyle is a writer, editor and fundraiser as well as an active library advocate at local, state and national levels. She played board and staff roles at Friends of the San Francisco PL and was actively involved in helping to create SF’s well-funded modern library system. She has served as President of the California Library Association and is the only person to receive CLA’s President’s Award twice— the highest honor given to an individual for significant contributions to libraries. She is the current United for Libraries President-Elect and serves on the ALA Committee on Legislation, the CLA Advocacy and Legislative Committee, and chairs the Sonoma County Library Commission. Deborah holds a BA from University of Virginia (high honors) and an Executive MLIS from San Jose State University.
David Paige is a Past President of United for Libraries, and now serves as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. He is the director of Libraries Unlimited. David served for six years on the Conway (N.H.) Public Library Board of Trustees. leading for two years as Chair and two as Treasurer.
Presented Live: June 13, 2023
Description
You don’t have to be a graphic designer, webmaster, or user experience designer to effectively promote and market your Friends of the Library programs and events, but it is a good idea to have a marketing plan and to know a few other basics. Dr. Curtis Rogers, consultant and past president of South Carolina Library Association and past board member of Friends of South Carolina Libraries, will present this interactive session, which will also feature marketing ideas from a Friends group.
Presenter
Dr. Curtis Rogers is a library consultant who has worked in the library and information science field for over 30 years. He has worked at the Union (SC) Carnegie Library, and the Charleston County (SC) Public Library, and retired as the Communications Director of the South Carolina State Library. He has also taught courses at the University of South Carolina School of Library and Information Science. In 2008, he was President of the SC Library Association. Rogers developed a national library survey on library use of social media for public relations and presented this survey’s results at the 2009 German Library Association Conference and at the State and University Library of Hamburg. He has served as secretary of the board of the Library Marketing and Communications Conference and as secretary of the SC Academy of Authors, as well as chair of the USC School of Library and Information Annual Literacy Leaders (ALL) Awards Committee. He has also served on the Friends of South Carolina Libraries (FOSCL) board and is a member of the ALA CORE Library Consultants group. He is a recipient of the 2015 F. William Summers Outstanding Alumni Award from the USC School of Library and Information Science.
Presented Live: June 13, 2023
Description
You don’t have to be a graphic designer, webmaster, or user experience designer to effectively promote and market your Friends of the Library programs and events, but it is a good idea to have a marketing plan and to know a few other basics. Dr. Curtis Rogers, consultant and past president of South Carolina Library Association and past board member of Friends of South Carolina Libraries, will present this interactive session, which will also feature marketing ideas from a Friends group.
Presenter
Dr. Curtis Rogers is a library consultant who has worked in the library and information science field for over 30 years. He has worked at the Union (SC) Carnegie Library, and the Charleston County (SC) Public Library, and retired as the Communications Director of the South Carolina State Library. He has also taught courses at the University of South Carolina School of Library and Information Science. In 2008, he was President of the SC Library Association. Rogers developed a national library survey on library use of social media for public relations and presented this survey’s results at the 2009 German Library Association Conference and at the State and University Library of Hamburg. He has served as secretary of the board of the Library Marketing and Communications Conference and as secretary of the SC Academy of Authors, as well as chair of the USC School of Library and Information Annual Literacy Leaders (ALL) Awards Committee. He has also served on the Friends of South Carolina Libraries (FOSCL) board and is a member of the ALA CORE Library Consultants group. He is a recipient of the 2015 F. William Summers Outstanding Alumni Award from the USC School of Library and Information Science.
Presented Live: September 12, 2023
Description
Is your library considering starting a Foundation, or are you in the planning stages? Join Jeanette Conaway and Samantha Bonnette of Shreve Memorial Library Foundation (Shreveport, La.) to find out how they established the Foundation and determined its structure, projects, and initiatives. Attendees will learn first steps in creating a Foundation, what guidelines and regulations to be aware of, and how to ensure the Foundation grows and provides support for the library.
Presenters
Samantha Bonnette is the Marketing and Development Manager for Shreve Memorial Library. When it comes to marketing, she has done it all – from special events, promotions and relationship marketing in casinos to fundraising and awareness campaigns for nonprofits, public relations for local governments to organizing festivals and coordinating advertising campaigns, to name a few. Since joining Shreve Memorial Library in January 2017, Samantha has worked to develop the library’s Strategic Plan, increase awareness of library resources and services as well as attendance at library programs and events, and establish the Shreve Memorial Library Foundation.
Jeanette E Conaway, is the Development Officer at Shreve Memorial Library Foundation. With several years of experience as an advancement/fundraising professional, Jeanette joined the Shreve Memorial Library as a part-time development officer nearly two years ago. Her experience includes major gift fundraising, campaigns and foundation management.
Presented Live: October 10, 2023
Description
This year, the Anne Arundel (Md.) Public Library Board of Trustees welcomed its first student member, Linda Gayle, a senior at Annapolis High School. Linda‘s position is for a one-year term with full voting rights. She aims to contribute to the library's expansion and engage the youth demographic. As a student library Trustee, she hopes to “learn how to work with other people, take care of legislation, push things forward and get better at being connected to the community and then mobilizing that connection to make change happen.”
Join Anne Arundel Public Library CEO Skip Auld and new Trustee Linda Gayle to learn how the student Trustee program originated, how it fits into the board and library’s strategic vision, and tips for starting a similar program at your library.
Presenters
Skip Auld, MLS, has been working in public and academic libraries across the East Coast for more than 40 years. Auld is Chief Executive Officer of the Anne Arundel County Public Library, a position he has held since 2010. Prior to his tenure in Anne Arundel County, Auld served as director of the Durham County Library in Durham, North Carolina, assistant director of the Chesterfield County (VA) Public Library and branch manager of the Carroll County Public Library (MD).
Linda Gayle is the inaugural student member of the Anne Arundel County Public Library Board of Trustees and a senior at Annapolis High School in the International Baccalaureate program. Linda currently serves as a member of the Teen Advisory Board to the Anne Arundel County Board of Education and the Maryland Sierra Club Youth Leadership Council, as well as working with the Maryland Campaign for Environmental Human Rights.
Presented Live: November 14, 2023
Description
This fall, ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office released an updated ALA Advocacy Action Plan Workbook. The workbook is a project of ALA’s Committee on Library Advocacy (COLA), and updates the 2009 workbook developed by ALA and United for Libraries.
Join Megan Palmer, Research and Instruction Librarian with the University of Georgia and a project lead on the workbook, as she provides a walk-through of the ALA Advocacy Action Plan Workbook, and discusses how to adapt it for your library and/or group. The workbook provides actionable steps in creating an advocacy plan through areas including community analysis, building a library ecosystem, goal setting and message development and delivery. Workbook activities also keep users focused on needs assessment, implementation steps, and effective outreach for best results. Additionally, the workbook itself is a vehicle for documenting real-time advocacy efforts for evaluation and planning for next steps.
Presenter
Megan Palmer (she/her/hers) is a Research and Instruction Librarian at the University of Georgia. She was President of the South Carolina Library Association in 2021 and was selected as an American Library Association Emerging Leader in 2012. She served on the Committee for Library Advocacy from 2021-2023 and was a project lead on the Advocacy Action Plan Workbook. She received her BA in Psychology from the Pennsylvania State University in 2008 and her MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh in 2010.
Presented Live: December 12, 2023
Description
Are you looking to advance your fundraising efforts? Join Craig Palmer, Fund Development Manager for Sonoma County (Calif.) Library, and learn how to identify and recruit major donors, as well as connect with those who will be partners in advancing your cause. This session will include information for library Foundations, Friends of the Library groups, and libraries, as well as tips on working together on fundraising initiatives.
Presenter
Craig Palmer is a seasoned and exuberant professional, with more than 30 years’ experience in fund raising, organizational development, strategic planning, and event production -- and unabashedly passionate about the joys of bringing together kindred spirits eager to make the exceptional difference. Presently Fund Development Manager at Sonoma County Library, he has been working with the Sonoma County Public Library Foundation to lead a $3.6 million campaign to provide collection, furniture, and fixtures for the new Roseland Regional Library. Prior to establishing his own private practice, he led successful campaigns for Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco Botanical Garden Society, University of California San Francisco.
2022 Learning Live
United for Libraries Personal Members
Personal members have on-demand access to all past Learning Live sessions.
- Registered in the United for Libraries Member Benefits & Resources course?
- Access the 2022 United for Libraries Learning Live course on the ALA eLearning website.
- Need to register for the United for Libraries Member Benefits & Resources course?
- Log in to the ALA eLearning website with the username and password associated with your personal membership.
- On your dashboard, scroll down to Division Products. Click the Select button, and then click the Register button.
- Once registered in this course, access the 2022 United for Libraries Learning Live course.
MA, MD, MI, MN, ND, NE, OR, SC, VA
Statewide training partners have on-demand access to all past Learning Live sessions.
Presented Live: January 11, 2022
Description
This session will provide guidance on the tools and techniques needed for effective collaboration between Friends groups, Foundation members, libraries, and library directors. Presenters will discuss the roles of each group in relation to the library and provide resources on MOUs, guidelines for giving, and other subjects.
Presenters
Judy Hills is the President of the Friends of the North Carolina Public Libraries (FONCPL) and Vice-President of the Friends of the New Bern-Craven County Public Library. Now retired, her first career was as a registered nurse; her second career was in commercial real estate; and her third career was in nonprofit and quasi-governmental organizations (similar to regional library systems). At the end of her career, she was the Executive Director of a nine-county planning organization. She helped secure many millions of dollars in federal, state, and other grants, and continues to provide grant opportunity information to the nonprofit community.
Peter Pearson is lead consultant and co-founder of Library Strategies Consulting Group. He is a past president of United for Libraries. He was president of the Friends of the Saint Paul (Minn.) Public Library for 25 years, and was a founder of Library Strategies. As president of the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, he led three capital campaigns and coordinated an annual grassroots advocacy campaign that added millions of dollars of public funding to the library's budget. He also served as a Trustee for the Twin Cities Regional Library System for 10 years.
Presented Live: February 8, 2022
Description
In October 2021, the Toledo Lucas County Public Library (TLCPL) experienced a cyber security attack. Prior to this incident, the Library maintained robust safeguards against threats, but still a threat actor was able to infiltrate their systems, forcing a systemwide shutdown of the entire technology infrastructure. During this presentation, TLCPL Executive Director, Jason Kucsma, and TLCPL Director of Operations, Mike Graybeal, will share their experiences and lessons-learned to hopefully help your organization better protect itself from a similar situation.
Presenters
Jason Kucsma is executive director of Toledo Lucas County Public Library (TLCPL). HIs 13 years of leadership in libraries comes after nearly a decade leading a nonprofit independent media organization and publishing an internationally distributed politics and culture magazine while living in Northwest Ohio. Kucsma is a born-and-raised Ohioan who earned his bachelor’s degree in Communication and master’s degree in American Culture Studies at Bowling Green State University. He earned his master’s degree in Library and Information Science at the University of Arizona.
Mike Graybeal is the Director of Operations/Deputy Fiscal Officer at the Toledo Lucas County Public Library. Mike is on the Executive Leadership Team and leads the Operations teams which consist of the Finance, Facilities & Operations, IT, and Public Safety departments. Mike joined the Library in 2019 where he took project lead in the midst two major capital projects, one of which won two AIA awards in 2020 and 2021.
Nathan Little is Senior Vice President of Digital Forensics & Incident Response at Tetra Defense. He leads the Digital Forensics and Incident Response team at Tetra Defense, specializing in containing ongoing incidents, finding their root cause, and determining the exact actions of malware and threat actors. Some of the most common cases Nathan’s team encounters are related to ransomware, business email compromise, financial data theft, insider threat investigations, wire transfer fraud, and more.
David Kruse is Director, Strategic Client Services at Tetra Defense. He has spent the lion’s share of his career helping organizations of all sizes understand, manage, and transfer their cyber risk. At Tetra Defense, David works daily with executive teams as they recover from severe ransomware attacks and begin to plan for future security posture improvements.
Two virtual roundtable discussion groups were held during March 2022. Both were live attendance only; no recordings are available.
Presented Live: April 12, 2022
Description
As part of National Library Week, ALA debuted Unite Against Book Bans, a national initiative focused on empowering readers everywhere to stand together in the fight against censorship. Join Megan Cusick of ALA's Public Policy & Advocacy Office to learn more about the campaign and how library board members/Trustees, Friends, and Foundations can get involved. In addition, find out about United for Libraries resources specifically for Trustees, Friends, and Foundations as they support libraries facing challenges to materials and programs.
Presenter
Megan Cusick is the Deputy Director for State Advocacy in ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office. She coordinates ALA's state and local advocacy efforts in partnership with ALA offices and divisions; state chapters and affiliates; and librarians, library staff, and advocates across the country. Prior to joining ALA, Megan was a librarian in Chicago Public Schools and the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center; she is a co-founder of the Chicago Teachers Union librarians committee. She has presented and published on topics such as partnerships, library trends, civic engagement, intellectual freedom, and advocacy.
Presented Live: May 10, 2022
Description
Libraries Build Business (LBB) is a national initiative of ALA, supported by Google.org, intended to build capacity in libraries offering programming or services to local entrepreneurs and the small business community, prioritizing low-income and underrepresented entrepreneurs. Learn how library boards, Friends of the Library groups, and library Foundations can help support libraries in their business-related services and programming. Megan Janicki, project manager of Libraries Build Business, will provide an overview of the program. Susan M. Preece, director of the Topsham (Maine) Public Library, will discuss how the library’s board and Friends have supported the LBB program in their library. Stacey Goddard, public services manager at the Spokane (Wash.) County Library District, will address their library Foundation and board’s involvement.
Presenters
Megan Janicki is the project manager of the Libraries Build Business initiative with the Public Policy and Advocacy Office at the American Library Association. Prior to her work with ALA, Megan worked in a variety of adult education, workforce development, and social service roles in Washington, DC. She holds a master of education degree in learning, diversity, and urban studies.
Susan M. Preece is the director of the Topsham (Maine) Public Library. Career and small business support have been a part of the library’s program since 2005 in the aftermath of the Brunswick Naval Air Station closure and related economic downturn. Her work with Libraries Build Business from ALA and Google has been reinvigorating and, she is excited about the many possibilities that exist to expand business support in public libraries.
Stacey Goddard is a Public Services Manager at the Spokane (Wash.) County Library District. She graduated from Eastern Washington University with a bachelor’s degree in English literature, and from the University of Washington with a master’s degree in library and information science, and has more than 35 years of experience working in public libraries. Stacey and her team focus on supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs, assisting individuals with career development, and encouraging financial empowerment through consumer education.
Presented Live: June 14, 2022
Description
Join staff with the Friends of the Library, Montgomery County, Maryland, as they provide tips and answer Q&A on branch book sales, full-time used bookstores, online store fronts, and more.
Presenters
Ari Z. Brooks, MSW is executive director of Friends of the Library, Montgomery County, Maryland. An experienced fundraiser and nonprofit manager, she has held leadership positions in three not-for-profit organizations for 25 years in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Her work has primarily focused on engaging and inspiring the community to provide volunteer and philanthropic support. She lectures and trains library-support groups throughout the region on organizational development, fundraising, and program development and evaluation. Ms. Brooks earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of the 2004 Class of Leadership Montgomery and the inaugural 2009 recipient of the Emerging Leader Award for the County Executive’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities.
Lance Salins is business operations director with Friends of the Library, Montgomery County, Maryland. He manages all aspects of business development of the organization including overseeing both of the Friends of the Library, Montgomery County bookstores. Mr. Salins began volunteering in 2009 and was hired part-time as a Clerk working for the organization in 2011, before being promoted to Assistant Manager and, then, full-time Business Coordinator in 2014 and currently serves as the Director of Business Operations. Mr. Salins earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, magna cum laude, from The University of Maryland. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Hose2Habitat, a Maryland based nonprofit working to enhance the welfare of animals in zoos and sanctuaries.
Presented Live: July 12, 2022
Description
By their nature, gift acceptance policies can be exclusionary. How can a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) lens challenge us to nuance these policies? Greg Giles and Emma De Vera from The Friends of Saint Paul Public Library will walk through their process.
Presenters
Greg Giles is the Senior Director of Development for The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, a position he has held since April 2015, where he oversees individual and institutional giving, corporate sponsorship, and fundraising events. Greg has raised money for Neonatal Intensive Care Units, Endowed Violist Chairs, scholarships, landmark theater buildings, award-winning exhibits on Mayan Civilization, and much more. What he is most proud of is what he has helped donors and organizations achieve in their communities, which has made a difference for millions of people.
Emma De Vera is the Individual Giving Manager at The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library. She earned a Master of Science in Information from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College. She has worked in various roles throughout public and academic libraries and is a 2018 Spectrum Scholar.
Presented Live: September 13, 2022
Description
Learn about common issues that arise among library Boards and how to solve them. Two in-depth scenarios will be presented, along with tips and best practices, and speakers will answer questions from attendees about the presented scenarios. During a "lightning round" session, speakers will field questions from attendees.
Presenters
Deborah Doyle is a writer, editor, and fundraiser as well as an active library advocate at local, state, and national levels. She played board and staff roles at Friends of the San Francisco Public Library and was actively involved in helping to create San Francisco’s well-funded modern library system. She has served as President of the California Library Association (CLA) and is the only person to receive CLA’s President’s Award twice – the highest honor given to an individual for significant contributions to libraries. She currently sits on the United for Libraries board, the ALA Committee on Legislation, and the CLA Advocacy and Legislative Committee, and chairs the Sonoma County Library Commission, and she is treasurer (and a past president) of California Public Library Advocates. She also chairs United for Libraries’ Public Policy & Advocacy Committee. Deborah holds a BA from University of Virginia (high honors) and an Executive MLIS from San Jose State University.
Buzzy Nielsen has over 25 years’ experience working in libraries of all types, including public, academic, K-12 school, and special. He’s spent most of his career in small and rural public libraries, including city, county and independent district libraries. Currently, he manages consulting and grant programs for the State Library of Oregon, which serves over 1,600 libraries.
Presented Live: October 11, 2022
Description
Are you tired of your library being stuck in a rut? Are you looking for ways to ensure your library creates meaningful impact in the community? Then it’s time to look at your strategic plan. In this session, we will dust it off and look at methods to fast track your library's strategic plan with tools that will lead to the dynamic transformation of your community. It’s time to execute - are you ready?
Presenter
With 20+ years of award-winning experience, Arnessa Dowell’s library expertise ranges from being a Library Page to sitting in four different Library Director’s chairs. Since receiving her Masters in Library Science from North Carolina Central University and a Masters in Business Administration for Executive Leadership from the University of North Alabama, Ms. Dowell has used the library as a platform to promote community engagement, workplace inclusion, and enhance customer service standards by creating a sound strategic framework. A master strategic planner, she has a high implementation and success rate with long and short-range plans resulting in 14 individual awards, six individual staff member awards, and two team awards. She is currently the Executive Director of Kent County Public Library system in Maryland.
Presented Live: November 15, 2022
Description
A panel of experts will address common questions about library fundraising and foundations, and practical strategies for libraries/Foundations of all sizes. Panelists will provide tips and best practices, and answer questions from attendees.
Presenters
A non-profit executive, Jenni Gaisbauer has more than 20 years of experience in strategic planning, philanthropy, comprehensive campaigns, special events, board development, and community partnerships. Jenni joined Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in 2013 and serves dual roles as the Chief Development Officer and the Executive Director of the Library Foundation. Previously, Jenni served as the Senior Vice President of Development at Levine Museum of the New South and Assistant Development and Marketing Director at World T.E.A.M. Sports.
Rachel Heine is the Director of Development at the Columbus Metropolitan Library. She is a valuable member of the library’s leadership team, supervising the development department and managing the Columbus Metropolitan Library Foundation. Rachel has almost twenty years of fundraising experience primarily in university and healthcare organizations such as The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Her level of expertise and guidance has made an indelible mark on the library; most recently, the Foundation met and exceeded its campaign goal set as $7.7M expected in five years by raising $8.5M in two years, including closing 5 gifts over $1M and tripling the Foundation’s donor base.
Presented Live: December 13, 2022
Description
Join a panel of speakers to reflect on intellectual freedom and libraries during the past year and prepare for 2023. Topics include:
- A look back at the trends/issues in 2022.
- A look ahead at forecasted trends and issues in 2023.
- A sneak peek at United's brand new toolkit launching in December.
Presenters
Ned Davis has served on the United for Libraries Board of Directors, and as a featured blogger for the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom’s Intellectual Freedom Blog. He has been Executive Director of the Friends & Foundation of the Rochester (N.Y.) Public Library. Ned has been honored with the New York Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Award in recognition of his effort to make connections, clear obstacles and find resources allowing the library to host lively discussions, big thoughts, diverse stories, colorful people and ideas that stretch boundaries. In his non-spare time he also plays several musical instruments of and with varying degrees of difficulty and skill.
Kathleen McEvoy is the Vice President of Communications at EBSCO Information Services, and Secretary on the United for Libraries Board of Directors. She has served on a variety of ALA committees, including the United for Libraries Board Corporate at Large, 2016-2019; United for Libraries Conference Program Committee, 2017-2019; and the United for Libraries Finance & Audit Task Force, 2017-2018. She edits a column on the Future of Libraries and Analytics for Against the Grain.
Deborah Doyle is a writer, editor and fundraiser as well as an active library advocate at local, state and national levels. She played board and staff roles at Friends of the San Francisco PL and was actively involved in helping to create SF’s well-funded modern library system. She has served as President of the California Library Association and is the only person to receive CLA’s President’s Award twice— the highest honor given to an individual for significant contributions to libraries. She is the current United for Libraries President-Elect and serves on the ALA Committee on Legislation, the CLA Advocacy and Legislative Committee, and chairs the Sonoma County Library Commission. Deborah holds a BA from University of Virginia (high honors) and an Executive MLIS from San Jose State University.
2021 Learning Live
United for Libraries Personal Members
Personal members have on-demand access to all past Learning Live sessions.
- Registered in the United for Libraries Member Benefits & Resources course?
- Access the 2021 United for Libraries Learning Live course on the ALA eLearning website.
- Need to register for the United for Libraries Member Benefits & Resources course?
- Log in to the ALA eLearning website with the username and password associated with your personal membership.
- On your dashboard, scroll down to Division Products. Click the Select button, and then click the Register button.
- Once registered in this course, access the 2021 United for Libraries Learning Live course.
MA, MD, MI, MN, ND, NE, OR, SC, VA
Statewide training partners have on-demand access to all past Learning Live sessions.
Presented Live: January 26, 2021
Description
United for Libraries President David Paige and United for Libraries Board Member Maura Deedy will lead a discussion on how library Trustees, Friends groups, and Foundations can advocate for funding in the current environment. Participants will be invited to share success stories and tips. Additional topics will include partnerships, messaging, and shifting expenditures for Friends groups and Foundations.
Presenters
David Paige is 2020-2021 President of United for Libraries and the director of Libraries Unlimited. He has served as both a library Trustee and Friends board member in New Hampshire and California.
Maura Deedy is the Library Advisory Specialist at the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC). She serves as a Board Member at Large for United for Libraries, and is a co-chair of the United for Libraries Programming Committee. At MBLC, she supports library directors, Trustees, municipal officials, and Friends on legal and governance issues, and matters relating to the administration and development of public library services in Massachusetts.
Presented Live: February 21, 2021
Description
Is your library Board and staff prepared for change and any crises that might come your way? Learn simple steps that library boards and staff can integrate into communication processes, using both outward- and inward-facing tools. Find out about these tools and how they can set the stage for dealing more effectively with any crisis your library faces in the future.
Presenter
Lori Fisher is the Assistant State Librarian for New Hampshire, and was previously Library Director at the Baker Free Library in Bow, N.H. for 11 years. She is the current New Hampshire Library Association chapter councilor to the American Library Association, as well as co-chair of the New Hampshire Library Association Advocacy & Legislative Committee. She is a member of the following American Library Association committees: Committee on Library Advocacy; Committee on Legislation, and the United for Libraries Advocacy Committee.
Presented Live: March 23, 2021
Description
The average public library building dates back to 1970 — before the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), the World Wide Web (1991), and the “maker” movement (2005). Our communities need modern libraries to meet today’s needs. Join ALA’s Public Policy & Advocacy office staff to prepare for the next big library campaign, which is already underway.
The Build America’s Libraries Act would provide $5 billion to repair, modernize, and construct library facilities. Public libraries, tribal libraries and state libraries that serve the public would be eligible for funding, with priority for libraries serving marginalized communities. Gavin Baker, Deputy Director, Public Policy & Government Relations, and Larra Clark, Deputy Director, Public Policy & Advocacy, will share context, strategy, messaging, and action items to make the case for why libraries must be included in the anticipated infrastructure and economic recovery package.
Presenters
Gavin Baker serves as Deputy Director in the American Library Association’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office. Previously, he worked at Common Cause, the Center for Effective Government, and the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition. Gavin earned an M.S. in library and information studies from Florida State University and a B.A. in political science from the University of Florida.
Larra Clark serves as Deputy Director for both the Public Library Association (PLA) and the American Library Association’s (ALA) Public Policy & Advocacy Office. Her career spans 20 years managing library communications, policy and research following a decade in nonprofit public affairs, government relations, and print journalism. She received her library master’s degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Presented Live: April 27, 2021
Description
A panel of experts, including Friends of the San Francisco Public Library Executive Director Marie Ciepiela, Library of Michigan Library Law Consultant Clare Membiela, Friends of the Montgomery County Library (Md.) Executive Director Ari Brooks, and Kent District Library (Mich.) Board of Trustees Chair Shirley Bruursema will address common issues that arise among Library Boards, Friends Groups, and Foundations, and how to solve them. Panelists will present two in-depth scenarios, provide tips and best practices, and answer questions from attendees. During a "lightning round" session, speakers will field questions from registrants.
Presenters
Marie Ciepiela has served as the Executive Director of the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library since 2016, leading the private, community-based side of a partnership for excellence with the public library. Since arriving in San Francisco in 1990, she has served as an executive leader of three nonprofit organizations, including the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco; the OMIE (Oceanview, Merced, Ingleside, Excelsior) Beacon Center; and the Youth Service Bureaus, the mental health department of the YMCA of San Francisco. She holds a California Teaching credential, a Master's degree from the University of California at Davis, and a Bachelor's degree in history from Harvard University.
Clare Membiela serves as the Library Law Consultant at the Library of Michigan, helping public libraries understand and manage legal issues that impact library services. Before joining the Library of Michigan in 2016, Clare was the Associate Director for Library and Instructional Support for the WMU Cooley Law School Libraries. She has an M.L.S. from Southern Connecticut State University, a J.D. from the University of Miami, and 30 years of law library experience.
Ari Z. Brooks is Executive Director of the Friends of the Montgomery County Library in Maryland. An experienced fundraiser and nonprofit manager, she has held leadership positions in three not-for-profit organizations for twenty-five years in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Ms. Brooks earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of the 2004 Class of Leadership Montgomery and the inaugural 2009 recipient of the Emerging Leader Award for the County Executive’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities.
Shirley Bruursema is chair of the Kent District Library Board of Trustees in Michigan. She was the recipient of the ALA Trustee Citation in 2009. Bruursema has been a delegate for the White House Conference on Libraries. She was treasurer and co-chair of millage campaigns that continued the Kent District Library’s service to 26 communities and 18 libraries. Bruursema has been dubbed the “Millage Queen” for her work coaching libraries through millage campaigns, helping with efforts to pass more than 80 millage elections since 2000.
Presented Live: May 25, 2021
Description
Friends group leaders will speak to how each of their Friends groups have adapted their booksales models during the past year, including obstacles they’ve overcome and strategies and ideas they recommend – from online to in-person sales. Each presenter will offer insight and answer questions from attendees.
Presenters
Terry Plumb is in his second year as president of the Friends of York County (S.C.) Library. A native of Florida, Plumb retired in 2007 after a 40-year career as a journalist, including serving as editor of three daily papers, most recently The Herald of Rock Hill, S.C. (1987-2007). He is a certified Master Gardener, past president of the Master Gardeners of York County and past chair of the Summer Reading Coalition, a joint effort by the York County Library and the Rock Hill School District to promote summer-time reading by elementary school children. Terry is the proud steward of the first Little Free Library to be registered in York County, S.C. There are now upwards of 60 in the county.
Karen Jacowitz is president of the Friends of the Moorhead Library in northwest Minnesota. The Moorhead Public Library, which serves approximately 48,000 residents, is the largest branch in Minnesota's Lake Agassiz Regional Library system. For more than a decade, Karen has been co-director of the organization's book sales, including coordinating the efforts of volunteers for each sale. Prior to being elected president of the Friends of the Moorhead Library, Karen served as vice president. She has a bachelor's degree from Cornell University and a master's and doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley.
Gail Youngblood joined the Friends of the Marina Library shortly after retiring from government service in 2013. She's worked on booksales, served as membership chair, and helped out as the bookstore was established, in 2017. Youngblood has been on the board since 2014, and co-manager (with Terri Wheeler) of the bookstore since mid-2019. From the early 1990s until 2013, I was the environmental coordinator for the cleanup and transfer of Fort Ord, a closed Army installation in central coastal California.
Terri Wheeler began volunteering for the Friends of the Marina Library in mid-2016, shortly after retiring from teaching at California State University, Monterey Bay. From 1997 to 2015, she taught courses in Liberal Studies, Education, Human Communication, Service Learning, Interdisciplinary Studies, and First-Year Seminar. She has been bookstore manager (with Gail Youngblood) for the last year and a half, assisting with collecting and processing donations, inventory and stocking, creating displays, training volunteers, maintaining the bookstore's Facebook page, and even helping design the layout of the store.
Presented Live: June 29, 2021
Description
When it comes to donations to the library, free isn't always "free." Find out how to craft or revise your library or group's gift acceptance policy. Participants will learn how to ensure they are prepared for navigating how to handle proposed gifts and donations. The presenters will conduct a Q&A session, so bring your questions on this topic.
Presenters
Charity Tyler is the 2021-2022 president of United for Libraries. She has been executive director of the Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation since 2015. For the foundation, she has created policies and improved governance structures to support fundraising on behalf of the Cedar Rapids Public Library, and to support Foundation-funded programs including Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. For United for Libraries, she has led the Programming Committee and Governance Task Force.
As the library law consultant at the Library of Michigan, Clare Membiela helps public libraries understand and manage legal issues that impact library services. Before joining the Library of Michigan in 2016, she was the associate director for library and instructional support for the Western Michigan University Cooley Law School Libraries. Before moving to Michigan, she worked at the University of Miami Law Library as the head of reference services. Prior to her academic library work, she worked for two major law firms as a librarian in their Miami offices. She has an MLS. from Southern Connecticut State University, a JD from the University of Miami, and 30 years of law library experience. She is excited about helping public libraries by connecting them to the legal information they need.
Presented Live: July 27, 2021
Description
This session is a follow-up to June’s Learning Live, “Gift Acceptance Policies I: When ‘Free’ Isn’t Free.” Find out how to craft or revise your library or group's gift acceptance policy and legal considerations associated with such policies. Participants will learn how to ensure they are prepared for navigating how to handle proposed gifts and donations. The presenters will conduct a Q&A session, so bring your questions on this topic.
Presenters
Alan T. Shuckrow is a shareholder at the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania law firm Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky (“SMGG”). From 2014-2019, he served as SMGG’s president and managing shareholder and currently serves on the Executive Committee as the firm’s counsel. His experience ranges from municipal and education law to civil litigation and real estate. His clients include non-profit and for-profit organizations and governmental entities. SMGG represents the two largest libraries in the Greater Pittsburgh area.
As the library law consultant at the Library of Michigan, Clare Membiela helps public libraries understand and manage legal issues that impact library services. Before joining the Library of Michigan in 2016, Membiela was the associate director for library and instructional support for the Western Michigan University Cooley Law School Libraries. Before moving to Michigan, she worked at the University of Miami Law Library as the head of reference services. Prior to her academic library work, she worked for two major law firms as a librarian in its Miami offices. She has an MLS. from Southern Connecticut State University, a JD from the University of Miami, and 30 years of law library experience. She is excited about helping public libraries by connecting them to the legal information they need.
Presented Live: September 14, 2021
Description
Learn about the history of National Friends of Libraries Week and ideas for celebrating, including the upcoming "I Was Born to Be in a Library" Virtual Tour & Discussion led by the Pat Conroy Literary Center in partnership with Friends of South Carolina Libraries (FOSCL). United for Libraries staff will provide resources, tips, and ideas for National Friends of Libraries Week.
Presenters
Jonathan Haupt is the executive director of the nonprofit Conroy Center and the former director of the University of South Carolina Press. He is co-editor with Nicole Seitz of the anthology Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy, the recipient of 17 book awards. He is the host of the Live from the Pat Conroy Literary Center podcast on the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network and an associate producer of the TELLY Award-winning ETV author interview program “By the River.” In 2020, Haupt was recognized with the Doug Marlette Literacy Leadership Award presented by Pulpwood Queens, the largest book club in the U.S.
Marlena White has more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit management. She was the Director of the Friends of the Lexington Main Library in Lexington, South Carolina for 15 years and now serves as the Financial Services Manager for a nonprofit management firm in Columbia, South Carolina. Marlena is a graduate of several leadership programs and was the 2019 recipient of the United for Libraries/ThriftBooks grant to attend the ALA Conference in Washington, D.C. She has volunteered with the Friends of South Carolina Libraries since 2016 and currently serves as their Board President.
Presented Live: October 12, 2021
Description
Featured presenters will include Lauren Trujillo, executive director of the Santa Barbara Library Foundation, and Ari Brooks, executive director at Friends of Montgomery County Libraries. Learn fundraising tips, strategies, and techniques for your end-of-year giving campaigns, plus how to connect with potential donors. A Q&A session will follow the presentation
Presenters
Lauren Trujillo attended UCSB where she received a B.A. in History. She recently received her Masters in Library and Information Science from UCLA. She has worked with several nonprofits and organizations in Santa Barbara, including the Isla Vista Memorial Project, the Santa Barbara Mission Archive-Library, the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation and the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. She sits on the board for the Santa Barbara Women’s Literary Festival and volunteers with the nonprofit Self Enquiry Life Fellowship in Montecito. As gift operations manager at SFMOMA she managed over 60,000 members and assisted with the re-opening campaign after a three-year closure. Her background in nonprofit fundraising is diverse and aligns with the needs of the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation.
Ari Z. Brooks, MSW is an experienced fundraiser and nonprofit manager having held leadership positions in three not-for-profit organizations for twenty-five years in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Her work has primarily focused on engaging and inspiring the community to provide volunteer and philanthropic support. She lectures and trains library-support groups throughout the region on organizational development, fundraising, and program development and evaluation. Ms. Brooks earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of the 2004 Class of Leadership Montgomery and the inaugural 2009 recipient of the Emerging Leader Award for the County Executive’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities.
Presented Live: November 9, 2021
Description
Learn about virtual and hybrid fundraising through examples of successful campaigns across the country. Presenters Reed Davaz McGowan (Eugene [Ore.] Public Library Foundation) and Kerry Barnes (Tompkins County [N.Y.] Public Library Foundation) will walk attendees through the planning processes of their respective campaigns, including Eugene Public Library Foundation’s Imagination Library Luncheon and Tomkins County Public Library Foundation’s 2021 Readathon and “Hold On, Let Me Ask a Librarian” program. A Q&A session will follow the presentation.
Presenters
Reed Davaz McGowan is the executive director of Eugene Public Library Foundation. As an executive director of organizations in San Francisco and Philadelphia, she focused on increasing access to and funding for innovative arts, leadership development, and educational programming for underserved and often marginalized youth and communities.
Kerry A. Barnes serves as the assistant director for the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation. An avid swimmer, aspiring novelist, voracious reader, and intermediate knitter, she has more than 20 years’ experience fundraising for nonprofit organizations.
Presented Live: December 14, 2021
Description
According to a recent article in American Libraries (“A Conflict of Values,” Nov. 1), “Public libraries are facing a wave of trustee candidates whose goals challenge intellectual freedom, community service, and other core values of librarianship.” How can you protect your library and board from finding itself in a position where a board member’s ideologies oppose core library tenets? This session will focus on preparedness strategies, community building, and how to create strong policies that address programming, budgeting, and services.
Presenters
Megan Cusick is the Deputy Director for State Advocacy in ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy office. She ccoordinates ALA's state and local advocacy efforts in partnership with ALA offices and divisions; state chapters and affiliates; and librarians, library staff, and advocates across the country. Prior to joining ALA, Megan was a librarian in Chicago Public Schools and the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center; she is a co-founder of the Chicago Teachers Union librarians committee. She has presented and published on topics such as partnerships, library trends, civic engagement, intellectual freedom, and advocacy.
Deborah Caldwell-Stone is Director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom and Executive Director of the Freedom to Read Foundation. She is a recovering attorney and former appellate litigator who works closely with library professionals and library trustees on a wide range of intellectual freedom issues. She advises ALA's Intellectual Freedom Committee and its Privacy Subcommittee on law and policy issues, and has served on the faculty of the ALA-sponsored Lawyers for Libraries and Law for Librarians workshops. She is a contributor to the 10th edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual and has contributed articles on law, policy, and intellectual freedom to American Libraries and other publications.
Deborah Doyle is a writer, editor and fundraiser as well as an active library advocate at local, state and national levels. She played board and staff roles at Friends of the San Francisco PL and was actively involved in helping to create SF’s well-funded modern library system. She has served as President of the California Library Association and is the only person to receive CLA’s President’s Award twice— the highest honor given to an individual for significant contributions to libraries. She currently sits on the United for Libraries board, the ALA Committee on Legislation, the CLA Advocacy and Legislative Committee and chairs the Sonoma County Library Commission. Deborah holds a BA from University of Virginia (high honors) and an Executive MLIS from San Jose State University.
Beth Nawalinski is the Executive Director for United for Libraries. She has pursued a 25+ year career supporting libraries and literacy, first as Community Relations Coordinator with Barnes & Noble, followed by Public Relations Specialist with the Norfolk (Va.) Public Library, Marketing & Public Relations Coordinator with Friends of Libraries U.S.A. (FOLUSA), and Director of Marketing & Communications for United for Libraries. She is the co-author of 101+ Great Ideas for Libraries and Friends and Even More Great Ideas for Libraries and Friends.
