Current Issues

This course will familiarize participants about international, national, state, and local issues, trends, legislation and demographics affecting their community and their staff. 

Featuring discussions on current library management issues, case studies, and assignments, students will apply what they have learned to their own library. By the end of the course, students will be able to identify and effectively respond to current issues or trends and those coming down the road that may affect public library management.

Learning Outcomes

Identifies major current issues in public library management.

Identifies how general political, economic or social trends related to the issues in their public library management context.

Analyzes an issue in depth, incorporating information gleaned from all relevant sources, and documents how the issue could impact strategic planning, services, policies, resource allocation, or collection management as applicable.

Develops and defends recommendations for how an issue might be addressed and resolved in order to match both the particular library and its community context. Include elements of change management techniques, which may or may not be needed.

Instructor:

Catherine Hakala Ausperk