Two people look at figures on a transparent glass screen

Learn Skills for a New Career for Free with Skill Forward

July 16, 2024

Skill Forward, in partnership with Verizon and edX, is here to help answer that question. Skill Forward is designed to provide in-demand skills across a variety of industries, including business, communications, leadership, information technology, and artificial intelligence. With no prior work experience or college degree required, Skill Forward is a comprehensive and 100% free online … Continue reading Learn Skills for a New Career for Free with Skill Forward



Business colleagues having a conversation. They are discussing finance charts and graphs on a laptop computer. They are both young business people in an office. Could be an interview or consultant working with a client.

Free In-Demand Skills to Help You Step into a New Career

April 17, 2024

Skill Forward addresses each of those challenges. Brought to you by Verizon and edX, Skill Forward is a 100% free program that offers tech and non-tech skills training and certifications in a variety of in-demand areas, including artificial intelligence, business, coding, communication, finance, information technology, and more. Participants can sign up with no prior work … Continue reading Free In-Demand Skills to Help You Step into a New Career


Playing to the Crowd

January 22, 2024

“[Twitch is] where gamers are,” Brown said. “That’s where we really wanted to do some outreach.”  She discussed the pros and cons of using Twitch, ideas for library programs that can be livestreamed, and how the popular platform enables libraries to reach new audiences at “Low Stress, High Mayhem: Using Twitch for Professional Development and … Continue reading Playing to the Crowd


Life-Changing Learning

January 31, 2023

Murphy, product management director at Gale, moderated “All Together Now: Changing Lives through Library Adult Education and Learning Resources,” a January 29 session sponsored by Gale at the American Library Association’s 2023 LibLearnX conference in New Orleans. Joining her to discuss why adult learning programs are critical and how libraries can help serve these patrons … Continue reading Life-Changing Learning


Graphic of letters and legal scales

Libraries and the Law

June 1, 2021

We’ve assembled some of their most topical entries, touching on copyright issues for remote learning, face-mask exceptions, and liability waivers, among other things. The information in this column does not constitute legal advice, nor does it necessarily reflect the views of ALA or PLA. It is meant to serve as a starting point for librarians … Continue reading Libraries and the Law


On My Mind with Mercedes Rutherford-Patten and Nicki Viso

Starting a New Legacy

May 11, 2021

As representatives of the first generation of college graduates in our families, we face a distinct set of challenges entering grad school. Mercedes comes from a working-class family; both her parents held positions in manufacturing; Nicki’s parents pursued jobs in industries that did not require a college degree. Our parents encouraged and supported our decisions … Continue reading Starting a New Legacy


Photo: ©Marcos/Adobe Stock

Serving the Community at All Times

May 3, 2021

DPL’s Cultural Inclusivity Department is tasked with developing programs that help connect the library with its immigrant community. The department’s mission is to “collaborat[e] with Denver’s multicultural community to create equitable opportunities for learning, discovery, and connection.” This is done through Plaza and other intentional multicultural programming. DPL’s Plaza program has existed for more than … Continue reading Serving the Community at All Times


A wooden kamishibai box, which contains illustrated cards ((Photo: Geo1208)

Think Inside the Box

March 1, 2021

Clack, clack! Siskind hits the sticks together, sets them down, and opens the flaps on the front of the box to create a small stage showing the illustrated cover of that day’s kamishibai storytime. Kamishibai, or “paper theater,” is a form of storytelling that originated in Japan in the late 1920s. Storytellers would ride into … Continue reading Think Inside the Box


Librarian's Library by Araceli Mendez Hintermeister

Engagement at a Distance

March 1, 2021

    Pivoting during the Pandemic: Ideas for Serving Your Community Anytime, Anywhere Edited by Kathleen M. Hughes and Jamie Santoro This collection includes 22 reflections from library staffers across the US on how public libraries have responded to challenges posed by COVID-19. Whether you seek to serve specific patron groups, address larger community needs, or … Continue reading Engagement at a Distance


Destiny facilitates holds and curbside pickup.

Remote Realities

January 4, 2021

Follett Destiny User: Craig Seasholes, librarian at Dearborn Park International Elementary School in Seattle What is Destiny? Destiny is a library management system that allows cataloging, inventory, and usage reports for print and electronic resources. Destiny Discover is the student-facing catalog that allows students to log in, download electronic resources, and put holds on books. … Continue reading Remote Realities