Your voice matters: Take the solo library worker survey

The Association for Rural & Small Library’s national research project on solo librarians is nearly complete — and the final piece is hearing from you. If you work in a public library in a solo or solo-ish capacity, we invite you to take our 20-minute survey on barriers to professional development, leadership, and community connection. 

Every response helps build a stronger, more supported future for solo library workers nationwide. Plus, all participants will be entered to win a $100 gift card from Libro.fm, South Carolina Chic, or Bookshop.org.

Take the survey

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Beyond the branch: Lessons from taking library outreach to underserved communities

Arapahoe Libraries in Colorado share their experience providing outreach services to Hispanohablantes, (a group or community whose first language is Spanish or Castilian Spanish) who may never have used a library in the US or their home country. Their responsive and persistent efforts yielded new library patrons! Read on for their tips on effective outreach efforts. 

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Every arrow in the quiver: Toledo Lucas County Public Library’s engagement strategy hits the mark

WebJunction recently sat down with Terri Carroll, Director of Communications and Design at Toledo Lucas County Public Library, to talk about the strategies her team uses to drive engagement. We were impressed with their 20,000 new library card signups in 2025, but Terri says that’s just one piece of the puzzle.

Here are some of the biggest takeaways from our conversation: 

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Free May webinars for library staff

It's a great time to put a learning opportunity on your calendar, and you'll have plenty of choices this month. Whether you're looking to pick up some programming ideas, sharpen your technology skills, or gather tips on curating a digital collection, there's something here to support your growth. The list, provided by the Maine State Library, includes a variety of webinar topics.

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Evolving technology: Using AI on the job

Have you been thinking about how AI might be able to help with your work in the future? It might be useful to think about the ways AI is already embedded in our daily lives, such as in navigation apps that help us find the best route based on real-time traffic, receiving personalized product recommendations, having email filtered for spam, or using autocorrect when writing messages. These are just a few examples that illustrate the power of AI. It’s also important to acknowledge the trade-offs with these tools, such as the need to review and refine results, the ethical considerations of the use of intellectual property, and the environmental impacts. Chris Markham of Palo Alto City Library offers this caution, “AI is here, and it’s already helping libraries solve real problems. But remember, AI should be invited to the table as a partner, with librarians setting the tone and direction.”

This article offers some examples of ways public library staff are using AI to assist in their jobs and gives you some inspiration to explore and learn new tools.

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Introduction to AI

Interests and concerns about how artificial intelligence (AI) will impact librarianship and the services that libraries provide are increasing. The field is vast, ever-changing, and, at times, overwhelming. This article was shaped by the results of a recent poll of library staff, and explores different aspects of AI and the intersections with public libraries including some basics of AI, along with ethical, legal, and environmental considerations. Future installments in this series will explore how public library staff use AI, how libraries are helping patrons use and learn about AI, and a look ahead at the potential future of AI in libraries. 

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The cure for loneliness might be at your local library

Connection and belonging are essential for individual well-being and the health of our communities. But in recent years, loneliness, disconnection, and isolation have swept through the country. According to the US Surgeon General’s recent report on loneliness and isolation, up to 50 percent of Americans have reported feelings of loneliness. There won’t be just one cure for this epidemic, but libraries can be part of the solution by offering spaces and programs that encourage connection.

In Texas, Amarillo Public Library is reaching out to community members experiencing social isolation and social anxiety through their SocialRx programs. SocialRx is designed to help community members make new connections and introduce them to engaging opportunities available in the community. We interviewed program specialist Cynthia Hunt to learn more about this impactful program.

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AI poll results: What we learned

As part of our ongoing work on AI, we launched a poll in February’s Crossroads newsletter asking how AI is showing up in your library work. These poll results will inform our upcoming AI content and programming. Let’s dig into what you shared and what we learned!

The two AI topics that are most interesting to respondents are “tools and applications in my work” and “benefits, risks, and ethics.” The poll also asked how often your work involves using AI, and the most popular answer was “rarely” chosen by 27% of respondents. By contrast, the least popular answer was “daily” chosen by 12% of respondents. About half of respondents use AI in their work 1-2 times per month or more frequently, with the other half using AI rarely or never at all. 

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Healthy Places by Design: Advancing social connection and community wellbeing

Healthy Places by Design is a nonprofit consulting organization dedicated to advancing community-led action and implementing proven, place-based strategies to improve health and wellbeing for all. By focusing on the built environment and social factors that influence community health, they help create spaces and opportunities for people to connect, thrive, and lead healthier lives. Libraries and other community organizations can participate in their Socially Connected Communities Network and utilize their valuable resources and guidance to foster social connection, address social isolation, and implement sustainable community wellbeing strategies. See below for details on those opportunities, including an upcoming webinar on Cultivating Community Hubs for Social Connection that will explore the important role that community hubs—such as libraries—play in reducing social isolation and fostering a sense of belonging. A strength of Healthy Places by Design’s approach and services is tailoring strategies to align with unique community context – so contact them to discuss ways to partner!

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Rooted in connection: Libraries designing for belonging and community

Despite living in an age of unprecedented digital connectivity, people are feeling the increasing effects of loneliness and isolation. These challenges extend beyond individuals, weakening the health, resilience, and trust of entire communities. The U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 report, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, reveals that loneliness can harm our health as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. While the impact is profound, there are clear and achievable solutions within our reach.

Eric Klinenberg, in Palaces for the People, describes libraries as essential social infrastructure—places where connections are made, trust is built, and belonging grows. Libraries have always played this role, but now there is growing evidence that intentional efforts to create programs, spaces, and partnerships can make a measurable difference in reducing disconnection and strengthening communities.

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Neurodiversity and libraries

In recent years, society has focused more on neurodiversity – for example, you hear it mentioned in popular media and movies, as more diverse characters are represented in mainstream media. New research has led to an expanded understanding of neurodiversity, leading to later-in-life diagnoses and prompting growing advocacy, especially on social media platforms. These shifts in awareness and acceptance have sparked changes in schools, workplaces, and public spaces. Efforts to understand and appreciate neurodiversity have made it into mainstream culture, and we want to highlight some resources that may help you better support your fellow staff members and patrons. In addition, we invite you to join us on Tuesday, 4 March, 2025, for a WebJunction webinar with Renee Grassi, Embracing neurodiversity: Cultivating an inclusive workplace for neurodivergent staff.

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"Free for All" documentary celebrates public libraries

Imagine having an easy way to engage your library patrons in a conversation about the importance of your library. That’s the idea behind. Free For All: The Public Library, an exciting new documentary premiering on PBS Indie Lens this April. The film chronicles the evolution of the nation’s public libraries, tracing the battles over who can enter, what belongs there, and who makes these decisions while exploring how public spaces are defined and defended.  

Directors Dawn Logsdon and Lucie Faulknor traveled the US, discovering unsung historic and modern-day figures, often women, who contributed to the library’s integral position within democracy. The film charts the institution’s trajectory from America’s original Free Library Movement that began in the mid-19th century to current struggles in a digital age amidst budget cuts, closures, and polarizing book bans. Following the stories of public library visitors and staff striving to implement innovative policies, the documentary celebrates a civic institution whose offerings are free and whose doors are open to all. 

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Bite into a good book with an edible book event

Go to the library and eat a book! The Edible Book is an international event that began in Santa Monica, California in 1999, where people use food to create representations of books, either a specific title or a generic “book.’ Events are usually held at the beginning of April to honor French gastronome Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), who was born on April 1. Public libraries have hosted Edible Book events in towns as far-flung as Bowdoinham, Maine; Northampton, Massachusetts; Groton, Connecticut; Coconut Grove, Florida; Kirkland, Ohio; and Kearney, Nebraska. 

Judges come up with creative award categories, and after the award presentations, everyone gets to eat the entries. If you want to make it a fundraiser, you can charge to attend or to submit an entry. But money doesn’t need to change hands to have a successful Edible Book event. And if your library doesn’t allow food consumption, you can hold the event in a nearby venue.

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Shelving with Dewey: Self-paced course updated

Invite new staff or volunteers to become a top-notch Dewey shelver. In the recently updated course, Shelving with Dewey, learners new to the Dewey Decimal Classification system learn the fundamentals of subject-based classification, how to read call numbers and, most importantly, how to accurately shelve books based on those call numbers. Few tasks in the library are more vital for shelf maintenance and patron access.

Not only is this course an opportunity to learn more about the Dewey classification system, it’s also designed to provide online training that will help new staff members and volunteers become productive as quickly as possible. Learners are invited to explore the main classes, divisions and sections of Dewey, to practice reading call number labels and to put that knowledge into practice through shelving simulations. What better way to practice shelving before even entering the stacks!

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WebJunction Wrap-Up: 2024 Highlights and Top Picks

We’re celebrating another year of learning, collaboration, and innovation with public library staff at the heart of everything we do. Throughout the year, we focused on our mission to provide free and practical professional development, foster vibrant peer learning, and support libraries in addressing today’s challenges. Whether you’re exploring our new offerings or revisiting community favorites, we hope these resources energize and inspire your work in 2025. 

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Friends of the Library: Tools and resources

A Friends of the Library group can provide great assistance to libraries—often in the form of fundraising, advocacy, or reaching underserved groups. These resources can help you as you think about starting a Friends group, revitalizing one, or boosting their effectiveness. 

A go-to spot for resources and training to support Friends groups is ALA’s United for Libraries. Several state libraries and associations have training videos and resources available online. While much of this content is generalizable, specific state regulations and resources should be consulted. 

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Dealing with Difficult Situations

Public libraries are meant to be safe and welcoming spaces, but sometimes difficult situations arise that can affect both staff and patrons. In the new self-paced course, “Dealing with Difficult Situations,” you’ll explore a range of scenarios, the importance of empathy, and techniques for de-escalating conflicts in the library. The course also looks at the importance of library policies and their role in empowering staff to establish and maintain appropriate boundaries with patrons.

The development of the course was informed by subject matter expert, Kate Hall, co-author of The Public Library Director’s Toolkit and the Public Library Director’s HR Toolkit and made possible in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. 

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Case study: A data empowered museum

The Museum at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) serves the Rhode Island community as well as visitors from around the world. In 2022-2023, the Museum saw close to 120,000 visitors. Their collections consist of more than 100,000 works of art and design dating from ancient times to the present, including paintings, sculpture, photography, prints, decorative arts, costume and textiles, and furniture from all over the world. When the RISD Museum joined the Data for Good initiative, they wanted to provide staff with the skills needed to ask questions of and visualize data. They were focused on changing how people thought about data and empowering staff to tell meaningful stories with it.

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Books and barks: Library pet programs for everyone

Libraries are going all out to celebrate their furriest fans! From therapy dogs that help kids build reading confidence to cat-themed storytimes and library pet spotlights, these creative programs warming hearts and sparking inspiration.

For even more pet and animal inspiration, check out Are dogs the new library cat? and Social Library, furry friends edition. Read on for a round-up of paw-some ideas and don’t miss your chance to share your own pet-centric programs with us. 

Reading to dogs is a fun and popular way to promote reading skills. Brooklyn Public Library offers a periodic Read with a Therapy Dog program, which invites kids ages five through 12 to practice reading in a low stress environment. 

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Resources for trustees and boards

Serving on a library board is a terrific way to contribute to the library and the community. The role also comes with significant responsibilities, and many board members, also called trustees, will benefit from training. This compilation of resources includes materials and handbooks from state libraries, webinars and articles from WebJunction, and tips from organizations, such as United for Libraries.

A successful library board is no accident and requires cultivation and commitment. Taking the steps to be prepared with resources, activities, and training will help ensure the board is ready to serve the library and the community well. 

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