PCI Webinars for May 2026
Free online learning opportunities
Weeding Popular Materials Collections with Karen Toonen
Wednesday, May 6th from 12:30 – 1:30pm EST
When it comes to books, we all like to buy! However, selecting materials is only half of the collection development process. Book hoarding does not create a useful collection. Weeding, or deselecting materials, must receive equal and continuous attention as selection to have a truly patron driven collection that serves its community.
As increasing demands tax libraries’ limited resources, every item in a physical collection must justify its shelf space; while every item, both physical and digital, vies for patrons’ time and attention. We’ll discuss practical advice for weeing popular materials collections for youth or adults across formats. Along the way, I’ll debunk some popular weeding excuses.
Upon completion, participants will be able to:
articulate to internal and external stakeholders that weeding equally as important as important to selection to collection development
implement logical, rigorous weeding doctrines within their popular materials collections
weed to create space for new collections, highlight materials, and increase circulation with confidence
promote patron driven collection policies and revitalize collections
Who will Benefit from this Program:
All staff that interact with the collection and the public
Staff who select for the collection
Staff who maintain the collection
Get Smart About Emotional Intelligence: Enhance Your Effectiveness with Laura Greco
Wednesday, May 6th from 2:00 – 3:00pm EST
Emotional intelligence (EI) is being able to perceive, interpret, and respond to your emotions and those of others. It is crucial for working collaboratively and effectively and having difficult conversations.
People with more emotional intelligence tend to be more resilient, better decision makers, more effective leaders, better communicators, have more self-awareness and self-control, and more success in life overall.
The good news is that EI can be learned and developed. Discover how to harness the power of emotions for more effective interactions!
As a result of this program attendees will:
define emotional intelligence and describe its 4 domains
explain the benefits of emotional intelligence in the workplace
describe 4 ways you can improve your EI
You’re Not a Social Worker, But…with Bryanta Spencer
Wednesday, May 13th from 2:00 – 3:00pm EST
While library staff are not trained social workers, they are often placed in situations that require empathy, de-escalation, and informed referrals due to the growing complex behavioral, and social-emotional needs within their branch communities.
This webinar is designed to provide practical, realistic tools that library professionals can use within their role and scope, without expecting them to replace trained clinicians or social service providers.
Attendees will learn how to:
Communicate with patrons using empathy while maintaining professional boundaries
Recognize and manage personal bias, stress reactions, and emotional triggers
Build and leverage relationships to connect patrons with appropriate community resources
Who will benefit from this program: This training is ideal for library staff, customer service representatives, frontline professionals, supervisors, and administrators who regularly interact with the public and encounter patrons experiencing mental/emotional distress, crisis, or other complex life challenges.
Cataloging for Non-Catalogers with Christopher Hill, McKenna Leckrone, and Jessica C. Williams
Wednesday, May 20th from 2:00 – 3:00pm EST
Wherever you work in the library, knowledge of some basic cataloging will enhance and improve your skills in library work. This will serve as a brief introduction to cataloging for non-catalogers and will help you to understand cataloging’s purpose, its goals, and some of its terminology, especially the changes you may have been seeing with the implementation of RDA recently.
Join catalogers Christopher Hill, McKenna Leckrone and Jessica C. Williams for an hour of focus on the catalog and bibliographic records. MARC may seem intimidating, but there are rules and guidelines that help catalogers create bibliographic records that make it possible for you and patrons to find the exact material you are looking for.
As a result of this program, attendees will learn:
The catalog from both staff and user view
Bibliographic records
The ins and outs of MARC
Authority records
Who will benefit from this program:
All staff that interacts with Patrons
All Circulation Staff Members
Technical Services staff not directly cataloging
Bots, Books and Bedtime Stories: Spotting AI-Generated Books in Children’s Collections with Kira Smith
Wednesday, May 27th from 2:00 – 3:00pm EST
Children’s librarians are on the front lines of a rapidly shifting landscape, as generative AI enters children’s publishing and AI-generated books increasingly appear on Amazon, self-publishing platforms, and from library vendors. These titles can be difficult to identify, often mimicking traditional authorship, illustration styles, and series branding while lacking transparency about their creation. This trend raises concerns about the veracity of library collections.
This webinar will equip librarians and selectors with practical tools to critically evaluate children’s books for signs of AI generation. Participants will explore real-world examples, discuss ethical and collection development implications, and learn strategies for making informed, defensible decisions that support quality, authenticity, and trust in children’s literature collections.
As a result of this program, attendees will learn how to:
Identify four common indicators of AI-generated children’s books in print and digital collections.
Distinguish between acceptable AI-assisted creation and fully AI-generated content when reviewing titles for purchase or retention.
Make informed, defensible collection decisions using professional standards.
Who will benefit from this program:
Children’s and Youth Services Librarians
Collection Development Librarians
School Librarians and Media Specialists
Library Administrators developing AI policy
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