UPDATE: Due to COVID-19, this workshop series will be now be held virtually.

The OLC is adapting its in-person programming to an online format to meet our members’ needs. This year, the popular New Directors Workshop series will be offered completely online. This approach will allow us to bring this important information directly to new and aspiring library directors.

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The transition to a new management role can be challenging even for experienced and highly-skilled employees. For 20+ years, the OLC’s New Directors Workshop Series has been created specifically for new and aspiring library directors who want to develop their management skills, confidence and effectiveness. This program will be delivered through four VIRTUAL workshops; each focusing on a specific area of education.

The OLC’s New Directors Workshop Series will cover the core principles, techniques and approaches that you can apply to any situation that you’ll face as a new library director. You’ll learn how to handle management challenges with ease, including how to establish credibility and authority fast, how to motivate employees, work with your Board of Trustees, keep your library budget on track, handle legal issues and much more. This comprehensive leadership training will cover proven techniques and powerful strategies for success in your new role. The program will now begin on June 4 with Workshop 1: Essential Knowledge.

All sessions will be held ONLINE:

1. Essential Knowledge | May 20
   New Date: June 4
2. Essential HR Management | June 10
3. Essential Visibility | July 22
4. Essential Administration | August 5

This workshop series includes intensive work with everyone from OLC staff and legal counsel to seasoned directors and subject experts in various library fields to other “first-timers” just like you. It is designed to align you with other library professionals who aspire to gain the skills and education to be a leader in Ohio’s libraries. Many of the connections made will become lasting friendships throughout your career.

Who Should Attend: Library directors with less than three years of experience as a director, interim or acting directors, or library staff with management and/or administrative experience who aspire to become a library director.

What’s Included:

• Electronic handouts provided by the instructors.
• A copy of the OLC publication, Ohio Public Library Administrator’s Handbook, will be emailed to workshop attendees following the first workshop.

Continuing Education Credits: For those working toward their Ohio Public Librarian or Ohio Public Library Staff re-certification, this workshop series counts as 24 hours (six hours per workshop).

Accommodations: For a list of local hotels, please e-mail olc@olc.org or call (614) 410-8092.

Workshop 1: Essential Knowledge
NEW DATE: Thurs., June 4, 2020
9:15 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.

• Ohio’s Public Library Community
• So You’ve Decided to be a Director!
• Success with Your Board of Trustees
• Legal Issues Affecting Your Library
• Under the Rotunda: The History of Public Library Advocacy at the Statehouse, Current Legislative Issues, and Why it Matters
• If you give a New Director an old Library…A Perspective on Being a Newer Director

Workshop 2: Essential Human Resources Management
Wed., June 10, 2020
9:15 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

• Staying Legal: Good Advice on HR Matters
• The Importance of Diversity in Public Libraries
• Ohio Public Library Core Competencies
• The Nuts and Bolts of Leadership: Personnel Management Tools and Ideas
• Practical HR: Making it Work in Your Library

Primary Ohio Public Library Core Competencies addressed: Leadership; Laws; Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; Personnel Management

Workshop 3: Essential Visibility
Wed., July 22, 2020
9:15 a.m. – 3: 30 p.m.

• Telling Your Story
• Five Steps to Creating a Strong Online Library Presence
• Strategic Planning for Libraries
• Community Connections: Libraries at the Core of the Community

Primary Ohio Public Library Core Competencies addressed: Leadership; Community Engagement; Communication; Strategic Planning

Workshop 4: Essential Administration
Wed., Aug. 5, 2020
9:15 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

• The Board of Trustees and Library Finances
• Keeping Your Library Budget on Track
• Managing Your Library Building
• Public Records Act and the Open Meetings Act
• Ohio Ethics Law: Can I Do That?

Primary Ohio Public Library Core Competencies addressed: Leadership; Laws; Fiscal Operations; Building Management; Ethics

Special Pricing for Virtual Program
The registration fee for each VIRTUAL workshop is $50 for members or staff of OLC Institutional Member Libraries (Non-member fee: $100). You can choose the workshop(s) you would like to attend or register for the entire series. The registration fee for the entire series is $190 for members or staff of OLC Institutional Member Libraries (Non-member fee: $380).