Creating CE Opportunities Without a CE Department
Description:
Not every library has a Continuing Education (CE)
department—but every library needs confident, capable staff. This session
offers practical, scalable strategies for building a sustainable staff
development program, even without dedicated CE personnel or big budgets.
Designed for managers, administrators, and anyone passionate about staff
growth, this session will focus on how to create an inclusive, goal-driven
learning culture from the ground up.
We’ll explore real-world examples of how libraries have empowered staff using
free and low-cost tools, internal expertise, and creative partnerships. Learn
how to appoint a CE liaison, set achievable training goals, conduct needs
assessments, and mix learning formats—from webinars and peer-led workshops to
reading groups and lunch-and-learns. We’ll also cover how to make CE accessible
for part-time staff and inclusive of diverse voices and learning styles.
Attendees will leave with sample templates, resource lists, and a clear
framework for developing a CE plan tailored to their team’s needs—regardless of
size, staffing, or budget. Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to
strengthen an existing approach, this session will provide inspiration and actionable
tools to help you build staff confidence, support retention, and cultivate a
library culture that values continuous learning
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the webinar, attendees will be able to:
- Identify at least three low-cost or no-cost strategies to support staff training without a dedicated CE department.
- Create a basic Continuing Education (CE) plan tailored to your library’s staffing, budget, and training needs.
- Apply inclusive training practices by selecting diverse formats, accessible delivery methods, and representative content creators.
Who Should Attend: Library: The primary audience for this webinar is library managers, administrators, and supervisors responsible for staff development, particularly those working in libraries without a dedicated Continuing Education (CE) department or a large training budget.
Presenters: Margae Schmidt, margae.schmidt@railslibraries.org and Diana Rusch, diana.rusch@railslibraries.org
Tech Requirements
Core Webinars are held in Zoom. Speakers or a headset for listening to the presentation are required. You may interact with the presenter and ask questions through text-based chat. Closed captioning is available in the Zoom platform. The webcast will be recorded and the link to the recording shared with registrants shortly after the live event.