Library Leadership Podcast

How do you make  your   library  the  hub  of the community? On this show Lacey Sudderth, Assistant Manager at McAlester Public  Library  in Oklahoma, talks about how to engage in relationships across our communities to create broad connections and involvement that can truly make our libraries the  hub of the community.

We often talk about leading library services from within libraries. But what do you do if you want to provide library services and don't have the luxury of four walls? On this show Vashalice Kaaba, PhD Candidate of Information Studies at Florida State University, talks about spreading literacy, no walls needed. She was inspired by work she did in the Peace Corps in Uganda spreading literacy and sa...

What are the options for building a  digital  equity strategy in your library? On this show Alexandra Houff,  Digital Equity and Virtual Services Manager with the Baltimore County Public Library, talks about her library system's work in this area as well as the opportunity for all libraries to create access that is supportable, sustainable, and scalable.

How do you set up new and second- career librarians for success in your library? On this show Kathel Dunn, Associate Fellowship Program Coordinator with the National Library of Medicine, shares valuable information on ways to support those coming into the profession. It's an outstanding model that all of us can use to mentor others into excellence in librarianship. 

What are ways we can bring joy into our work lives and libraries? On this show Rebecca Hass, Programming and Outreach Manager with Anne Arundel County Public Library, talks about Building Joy-Centric Libraries. It's a way we can get joy into the conversation about what we do and then make it happen.

Have you wondered how to address your challenging library work through creativity to help solve problems and uncover new possibilities? On this show Megan Lotts, Art Librarian with Rutgers the State University of New Jersey and the author of Advancing a Culture of Creativity in Libraries, helps us do this. This discussion invites you to unlock your creative potential in tackling your library's mos...

As librarians, we are always looking for ways to bring meaningful stories and programs to our communities, but do you ever struggle with finding ways to do that? On this show Kase Johnstun, Manager of the Utah Center for the Book with Utah Humanities, talks about the ways this becomes easier through partnerships with state humanities organizations. There are 56 councils located in every U.S. state...

Do you ever find it challenging to see the good in people when difficult situations arise? On this show Rebekah Cummings, Digital Matters Interim Director at the University of Utah Marriott Library, shares insights on Leading from a "Good Inside" Perspective. It's a way of shifting our perspective when dealing with others that allows for generosity even when it may be challenging.

All of us want to avoid dysfunction within our organizations and create successful teams, yet how often do we have time to talk and think about ways to do that? On this show we do just this with Lauren Clossey and Amanda Johnson, Owners of Alliance Research and Training in North Carolina, as they share information on rooting out dysfunction and creating successful teams. They provide insightful tr...

As library leaders, we often ask ourselves how we can serve unique populations in our communities. With the number of  homeschool  families increasing across the nation, have you been asking yourself how to best serve them? On this show Elizabeth Stinnette, Children's Librarian at the Purcellville Branch Library in the Loudoun County Public Library System in Virginia, provides answers about how li...

In this day and age, with many resources and services online, have you considered how to help your patrons access healthcare professionals right from your library? On this show, George Strawley, Library Engagement Specialist for Region 4 with the Network of the National Library of Medicine, and Trish Hull, Library Manager of the Kearns Branch in the Salt Lake County Library System, talk about  tel...

Have you ever had negative work experiences and wondered what others have done when they found themselves in similar situations? On this show  Amadee   Ricketts , Director of the Cochise County Library District in Arizona, talks about the results of a survey she conducted about negative work experiences in libraries. The results provided insights into the commonalities of these experiences, whethe...

What are restorative practices and how can they help our libraries create dialog, trust, and growth? On this show, Stephen Jackson – Director of Equity and Anti-Racism at Oak Park Public Library in Illinois - talks about creating peace circles in libraries where people can share perspectives in safe environments that develop relationships and heal trauma.

How can your library help people in your community increase their  civic   engagement ? On this show Lauren Deering, Coordinator of  Civic   Engagement , and Adriana Blancarte-Hayward, Senior Manager of Outreach Services, both with the Community Outreach and Engagement  Department at New York Public Library talk about Creating  Civic   Engagement Programming in libraries. As they describe in this...

What is  compassion  satisfaction and what effect does it have on those of us in the helping profession of librarianship? On this show Kay Coates - Assistant Professor of Research, Instruction, and Outreach at Georgia Southern University Libraries –  explores  how serving others often leads to enjoyment and satisfaction, but also a need to strive for balance and self-care in the process.

What are ways our organizations can unite support staff and librarians? On this show Machelle Keen, User Services and Facilities Coordinator for Vanderbilt Libraries in Tennesee, talks about this important aspect of development for our organizations and how, as a library support staff member for over 33 years, she created a conference to help do this. Her passion for uniting, supporting, and devel...

What is quiet quitting and how might it affect your library? On this show Annie Epperson, Professor of Teaching & Learning at the University of Northern Colorado Libraries, and Stephen Sweeney, Director for the Cardinal Stafford Library at the Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary, share what they have learned about quiet quitting. We are hearing a lot about this in the news as people grapple wi...

Have you wondered if there was a way to  write   policies   without   worry ? On this show Beka Lemons, Director of the Huntington City Township Public Library in Indiana, talks about  Writing   Policy   Without   Worry . Good  policies  are an essential part of library operations. Beka provides concrete steps and practical tips that will make your process of  policy   writing  far less  worrying...

As librarians how can we utilize data and what we learn from it to skillfully represent what's going on in our organizations? On this show Katie Pierce Farrier - Data Science Strategist for the Network of the National Library of Medicine, Region 3 – talks about ways we can use data dashboards to communicate and share findings to best serve constituents. 

How do we recover from experiences of  failure ? On this show I talk with Lisa Becksford, Head of Learning Design Initiatives at Virginia Tech's Newman Library, A.M. Alpin, Director of Library Lab & Special Projects at New York University Libraries, and Isabel Soto-Luna, Business Librarian at the University of Nebraska Omaha. Each shares personal reflections on  failure  and insights for recovery....

How can your library help constituents in the role of  economic   development ? On this show Diane Luccy, Business and Careers Manager at the Richland Library in Columbia, South Carolina, and Julie Brophy, Adult and Community Engagement Manager at the Baltimore County Public Library in Maryland, share steps our libraries can take to become valuable resources in  economic   development  and help su...

Have you  asked  yourself lately how you can up your  reference  interview game to best serve your constituents?  On this show, we hear from two professionals at the Denver Public Library. Stacey Grijalva, is a Librarian at the Central Library, and Robin Filipzak, is Supervisor at the Eugene Field Branch Library. They share how successfully discerning what people need using  reference  interviews...

Are you a quiet leader or do you work with others who lead quietly? In the field of librarianship, it is thought that more than half of those in the profession are introverts. On this show,  Jennifer  Blair, Associate Professor and Head of User Services Librarian at Azusa Pacific University in California, talks about how quiet leaders can excel in promoting successful work environments and leading...

Have you ever thought about how you can support nonprofits as essential community links and valuable resources for those you serve? On this show  Sam   Passey , Director of the Uintah County Library in Utah, shares how his library helps non-profits thrive to best serve constituents and create knowledge about  what's possible in developing opportunities for all.

There's no denying that these days librarians all over the nation are grappling with questions regarding the First Amendment and the legal ramifications of challenges in our  libraries  to intellectual freedom. On this show, Deborah Caldwell-Stone, the Director of the American  Library  Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom and Executive Director of the Freedom to Read Foundation, shares e...