Soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills, play a critical role in virtual and in-person library services. Explore new ways to support staff’s development in these areas by understanding soft skills, developing personal improvement goals and implementing training plans.

Cemetery searching may initially sound morbid, but the results can breathe new life into your local history and genealogy work. Cemetery records and headstones contain a wealth of information about ancestors and a location's most prominent citizens. Dig into the types of information found when researching cemeteries, how to locate burial records, and best practices for cemetery research.

Every beginning genealogist knows that Federal Census records are a great place to start searching for one's ancestors. However, we can learn more from them than just the places, dates, and names listed. Knowing the history and historical importance of data collected by census records is an important tool in every genealogist's kit. Gleaning information not indexed in a database can lead to big breakthroughs in your research. Learn how to sift through and interpret enumerator’s abbreviations as well as your ancestor’s historical data.

Making a volunteer experience truly rewarding takes coordination and care – and leading library volunteers can be an experience unlike any other. By identifying opportunities for volunteers in the library and establishing a plan for coordinating their work, this session explores meaningful ways to inspire and celebrate volunteers. Discover best practices for recruiting, training, and supervising volunteers in the library and develop strategies for making the volunteer role beneficial for the volunteer and the organization.

Calling all bibliophiles! Come one, come all and put that lost spark back into your book discussion group this summer and fall. Let's discover and share proven tips and tricks to cultivate and revitalize an existing book group or launch a brand new one. Learn how to boost attendance in your face-to-face groups and explore the possibilities for building online groups.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is estimated to affect 1 in 44 children in the U.S. and to be present across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. Librarians will benefit from learning about modifications that can enhance the library experience for individuals on the autism spectrum. This workshop will provide librarians across settings with a greater understanding of ASD as well as strategies for communicating more effectively with such patrons.

The National Alliance of Mental Illness estimates that one in five children, teens, and adults suffer from a mental illness. With libraries functioning as a hub of the communities they support, library professionals must be prepared to serve patrons struggling with mental health needs.

Every beginning genealogist knows that Federal Census records are a great place to start searching for our ancestral history. However, we can learn more from records than just the places, dates, and names listed. Knowing the history and historical importance of data collected by census records is a necessary tool in every genealogist's kit. Gleaning information not indexed in a database can lead to major breakthroughs in your research. Learn how to sift through and interpret enumerator’s abbreviations as well as your ancestor's historical data.

Where do we come from? Researching our family history is becoming more popular with subscription services such as Ancestry.com and 23andMe ancestry kits. But what if we don’t want to spend a fortune answering this question? How can we find our ancestors without costly subscriptions? How can I confirm that my ancestors were from (insert country) or that the stories my great aunt tells are true? Knowing about free genealogy resources, both digital and physical, is one way to get started researching your genealogy.

Whether a conference, awards gala, or fundraising dinner, event planning can be a monumental task. However, setting goals and planning well in advance are keys to pulling off a successful event. Uncover the roles and mindset of the event planner and the planning process, everything from event management to budgeting, evaluation, and how to be prepared for when things go wrong.