These upcoming webinars are now open for registration. If you can’t attend a live session, all WebJunction webinars are recorded and available for free in the Course Catalog.

Whole Person Librarianship: Fostering Empathy in Challenging Times
Tuesday, March 28, 2017 ♦ 3:00 pm Eastern  ♦ 1 hour   Registration
Libraries are among the few public spaces that feel safe and welcoming to everyone in our current political landscape. As librarians striving to provide equitable service, we are challenged to meet the needs of patrons whose life experiences are markedly different from our own. To address these challenges, we have much to learn much from social workers, who are trained to approach their clients with empathy while maintaining professional boundaries. Whole Person Librarianship draws from social work concepts to help librarians become more confident in learning from, interacting with, and serving diverse patrons. Learn basic ideas to build your empathy skills, such as cultural humility and person-in-environment, to apply right away to your library practice, as well as where to find more in-depth information and support.
Presented by: Sara Zettervall, Founder, Whole Person Librarianship, and Adult Services Librarian, Hennepin County Library (MN); and Mary Nienow, PhD Candidate in Social Work, and beginning in August 2017, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (WI)

Civility Goes Viral: A New Approach for a New Era
Tuesday, April 18, 2017 ♦ 3:00 pm Eastern ♦ 1 hour  Registration
To “choose civility” means to celebrate diversity and choose respect, compassion, empathy, and inclusiveness when interacting with others. Civility is the healing power we need to counteract the divisive, fragmented forces that seem to be undermining our social fabric. Since 2006, Howard County Library System (MD) has been leading the way toward community connectedness with their Choose Civility initiative. They, along with three library systems across the country, invite you to join the movement to nurture civility in your own community. Learn how kindness creates communities, how to challenge stereotypes effectively, and cultivate random acts of civility. Find opportunities to implement Choose Civility to enhance internal and external customer service, develop partnerships and community support, and create a more connected community of people who will #choose2Bkind. Let’s see civility go viral in 2017.
Presented by: Valerie Gross, President & CEO, Howard County Library System; Christie Lassen, Director of Public Relations, Howard County Library System; and Sonya Durney, Business and Government Team Leader, Portland (ME) Public Library