Library Leadership Podcast Adriane Herrick Juarez

How often do we think to ourselves that if we only had time for wellness we could do so much better in our careers? On this show Laura Summers - Associate Clinical Professor and Program Leader for Leadership in the P-12 Libraries Program at the University of Colorado, Denver - talks about the 8 Dimensions of Wellness for Librarians. A commitment to taking care of ourselves truly can benefit us and our organizations.

What knowledge do library directors need to be effective? On this show Michele Stricker, Deputy State Librarian of Library Development in New Jersey, shares the essentials of library director training developed through her agency to provide effective leadership support in her state. She talks about the essentials that library directors need to know in managing staff, working with boards, influencing elected officials, working with communities, and more.

What effect does worker engagement have on the success of our organizations and what can be done to increase it? On this show, Elaina Norlin, Professional Development Coordinator for the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries and author of The Six Step Guide to Worker Engagement, talks about what it means when people are disengaged in the workplace. She shares the elements that increase the likelihood of people being truly engaged and happy in their work, which sets both workers and libraries up for success.

Have you ever been asked a question at the library and suddenly didn’t know what to say? On this show Brittany Davis and Kevin Jones, Librarians at Eastern Kentucky University Libraries, share ways that comedy and improv can help. By knowing and practicing improvisational techniques librarians can be prepared to think outside the box when faced with the unexpected. It’s a lighthearted way to enhance the work we do in libraries.

How do we deal with the current climate of censorship facing libraries? On this show Alison Macrina, Director of Library Freedom Project, talks about the state of censorship in the US as coordinated efforts take place to remove materials from the shelves of libraries. She shares what we need to understand about those actively opposing materials in our libraries, how to respond to protect ourselves, and how to prepare for this issue with staff, boards, and other stakeholders. 

What do you do when you apply for a position and don’t get it? On this show Sarah O’Shea, Head of Youth Services at the Tompkins Public Library in New York, shares how though this can feel like a set-back there are ways to move forward that allow for self-care, regrouping, and coming back with new focus and strength.