Free learning resources for public libraries
OCLC’s WebJunction offers free, on-demand professional development and continuing education resources that build the knowledge, skills, and confidence library staff need to deliver transformational services to their communities. Below you’ll find what’s new and coming soon.
Design community-centered spaces
This free toolkit features resources that support re-envisioning the library’s place as a center of community learning and social connection. Learn how public library staff can apply design thinking principles to engage with their communities and transform spaces to support active, collaborative learning.
Improve access to civil legal justice
The on-demand Creating Pathways to Civil Legal Justice courses help build library staff knowledge and confidence to identify civil legal issues and direct community members to relevant information and services. Additional resources and success stories, including eviction resources for libraries, support the courses.
Create community-centered libraries
Library trainers can use this Skills for Community-Centered Libraries curriculum to prepare staff for collaboration with community members to define and implement community engagement activities. Curriculum materials and supporting resources, including a webinar series, were developed by The Free Library of Philadelphia.
Supercharge your Storytimes
One of our most popular on-demand courses, Supercharged Storytimes supports the intentional development of early literacy skills in children during storytime and fosters caregiver and parent engagement with the program. Additional resources include a learning group facilitation guide and toolkit for trainers.
Digital stewardship training
In partnership with Washington State University’s Center for Digital Scholarship and Curation, WebJunction is developing a series of free, on-demand courses on the elements of the digital stewardship lifecycle and community-centered collaborative curation. The courses are designed for public library staff and staff at tribal archives, libraries, and museums. The first two courses of the Digital Collections Stewardship course series are now available, with more on the way later this year.
Coming soon: Opioid crisis support
WebJunction will produce a set of free, online resources to help public libraries seeking to address opioid use disorder in their communities. This IMLS-funded initiative builds on a previous OCLC Research project that produced the 2020 report, Call to Action: Public Libraries and the Opioid Crisis.
Stay connected with WebJunction Crossroads
This semi-monthly newsletter covers WebJunction news and opportunities for public library professional development and learning.