Library Leadership Podcast

Have you wondered how you can support neurodivergent staff and volunteers in the workplace? On this show, Renee Grassi (she/her), Librarian and Accessibility Consultant, discusses cultivating an inclusive work environment for neurodivergent team members, including accessible communication and promoting neurodiversity in our organizations.

How can data help us transform our libraries? On this show, Sonia Alcantara-Antoine, Chief Executive Officer of Baltimore County Public Library and Past-President of the Public Library Association, discusses transforming the library with data-driven decisions. This valuable information can help us challenge our assumptions, optimize resources, and create impact.

Have you ever wondered how you can best serve older adults in your library? On this show, Suzanne LaPierre, Virginiana Specialist Librarian for the Fairfax County Public Library, discusses ways to serve older adults and provide exemplary access as our communities age. 

How do you make your case to potential donors for your library? On this show Craig Palmer, Fund Development Manager for Sonoma County Library, returns to the podcast to expound on what he shared last year about Building Strong Library Foundations. Here, he talks about case statements—what they are, how they work, and their critical role in helping donors understand how our cause can be their cause.

In your organization, are there ways to share negative viewpoints or emotions, and is it helpful to do so? On this show Carrie Rogers-Whitehead - author, library consultant, and Founder of Digital Responsibility - talks about The Glass Half Empty: the Positives of Negative Emotions. She shares how not allowing for negative emotions can hold back our teams and what we can do about it.

Have you ever wondered about the extent of sexual harassment of librarians in the workplace? On this show, Candice Benjes-Small, Head of Research at William and Mary Libraries, and Jennifer Resor-Whicker, University Librarian at Radford University, discuss their research on this topic. It’s a conversation that opens the door for broader work on what can be done to combat sexual harassment in our field.

Do you have a building improvement or construction project coming up and want solid steps to make it a success? On this show Toni Lombardozzi, Project Manager at the Charleston County Public Library, shares how to navigate building projects in various stages. This information is helpful as many of us find ourselves tasked with changing, upgrading, or building to meet the evolving needs of our communities.

How can you understand employees in a way that creates better retention and engagement? On this show James Pugh, Director at the Cedar Springs Public Library, talks about Retaining Employees Through Stay Interviews. It’s a way to help improve the workplace for staff so they will want to stay and help serve our communities.

What does your library need to harness the power of AI? This show is the second of a two-part series on AI with Christoper Jimenez, Web Services Librarian, and Melissa Del Castillo, Virtual Learning & Outreach Librarian, both with Information & Research Services at Florida International University Libraries. On this show, Melissa discusses Harnessing the Power of AI through collaboration, community, and communication. 

What does your library need to harness the power of AI? This show is the first of a two-part series on AI with Christoper Jimenez, Web Services Librarian, and Melissa Del Castillo, Virtual Learning & Outreach Librarian, both with Information & Research Services at Florida International University Libraries. On this show, Christopher discusses Harnessing the Power of AI through Literacy and Frameworks.

How do we embrace experimentation in libraries to adapt to our rapidly changing professional landscape? On this show, Cathryn Copper, Head of the Eberhard Zeidler Library in Ontario and the author of The Experimental Library, talks about how we can all use experimental techniques to create success in our organizations.

What can your organization do to embrace mentoring as part of succession planning? On this show, Ann Marie Barrett, Manager of the Bingham Creek Branch, and Maggie Mills, Manager of the Whitmore Branch, with Salt Lake County Library, talk about everything  to consider when making mentoring part of your succession planning.

How can our libraries support small businesses and nonprofits? On this show, Rachel Fuller, Information Services Manager, and Kristine Cook, Manager of the Adult Services Division for the Main Library, with the Columbus Metropolitan Library, share how they are Empowering the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in their library system and how you can, too. 

Have you ever wondered how library foundations can open doors to untapped funding for your library? On this show Craig Palmer, Fund Development Manager for Sonoma County Library, shares how library foundations can activate fundraising for your organization and what drives giving for libraries. Whether you have an established library foundation or are thinking about this for the first time, this is useful information. 

What are ways we can engage our communities in work that embraces differences? On this show Essraa Nawar, Assistant Dean for DEI Initiatives and Development at Chapman University’s Leatherby Libraries, shares her experiences regarding the power of being different and meaningfully connected to the rest of the world. She helps us learn how to engage in work that promotes cultural understanding and inclusion.