2021
Spring Workshop 2021: Compassionate Patron Engagement: The Pandemic, Homelessness & Mental Health
Presented by the Pacific Library Partnership Staff Development Committee
Thursday, April 8, 2021, virtual, 9:00 am – 12:45 pm
Conference Chairs: Tamecca Brewer at tbrewer@aclibrary.org and Daniel Keough at dkeough@losgatosca.gov .
Leah Esguerra is a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the nation’s first full-time library social worker. Leah started providing social services in a library setting at San Francisco Public Library in 2009. Since then, Leah’s social service team at SFPL has received national and international attention in the library community and has become a model on which other libraries have created their own programs. Prior to working at SFPL, Leah worked as a social work supervisor providing Intensive Case Management services for people with chronic experience of homelessness, severe mental illness, and substance abuse.
Ida Abolins is a Health and Safety Associate at the San Francisco Public Library since 2018. As part of her outreach to library patron experiencing homelessness, Ida provides information and referrals about social service resources.
Cary Latham worked as a Health and Safety Associate at the San Francisco Public Library from 2016-2019. He identifies as a consumer of mental health and wellness services for nearly two decades. Cary is trained and certified as a Community Mental Health Worker (CMH) through the City College of San Francisco and is a registered biodynamic craniosacral therapist (rBCST).
2019
Spring Workshop 2019: Career Vision: Your Path To Professional Growth
Presented by the Pacific Library Partnership Staff Development Committee
April 9 at Castro Valley Public Library ; April 10 at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library ;
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Conference Chairs: Karen Engle at engle@plsinfo.org; Danielle Wilson at dwilson@aclibrary.org,
“There are no wrong turnings. Only paths we had not known we were meant to walk.”
― Guy Gavriel Kay, Tigana
Is there a job you have always wanted but never knew how to achieve?
Have you considered all your skills and how to put them to the best use?
Do you have a professional weakness you want to change?
Consider Career Vision Theory. Participants will have the opportunity to deeply consider their passions and their “professional allergies.” By knowing your strengths, you can start to develop a path towards your dream job. Learn your skill gaps and find ways to bridge them to reach your future aspirations. Learn how to advocate for your own professional and educational growth. Supervisors will have the opportunity to rethink their teams, see ways to support and develop employees and create environments that lead to stronger work ethics and employee satisfaction.
During this first block participants will mentally map how they got to where they are professionally, evaluate their connotation of work, understand their weekly work time in conjunction to their total weekly time allotment, and redefine the purpose of work in their lives using Career Vision Theory.
During this segment, staff will learn to identify their passions and work allergies in preparation for the next segment. While some of the interests and work allergies may not seem relevant to their current job or career, the next segment will show them how to integrate their passions into their current or future positions.
The concept of brain sorting will be introduced as a way to combine interests and passions with current and future work and the results from the previous session will now be integrated into a brain sort chart. Participants will work with colleagues who share interests to do brain sorting. A plethora of examples will be provided relevant to staff at all levels of library service and
administration. Gaps in skills to reach future aspirations will be identified and resources to bridge those gaps will be provided.
During this segment, participants will learn to redefine “leadership” through a fun and interactive analogy with Hershey Candy Bars. They will develop strategies to grow and implement new ideas and knowledge within their current structure immediately and in the future by determining their leadership style. Administrators will better understand how to foster leadership among staff in their areas of interest and passion to create a cohesive work environment.
Staff will be guided in developing a professional development plan that is meant to be living and breathing once they get back to their work settings and will be given tools to present their plans to their supervisors. Plans may include modifications to current duties, future programming ideas, ways to partner with community organizations, personal educational growth, soft skill development, and much more. Detailed examples will be provided for participants to model off of. Supervisors in attendance will have a chance to rethink their team, find ways to support growth and development amongst staff, and revamp what is within their control to increase employee work satisfaction, comradery, and work ethic.
The morning will conclude with practical next steps for implementing big ideas and a reminder of Career Vision Theory to refocus all new ideas that were generated. Time will be left for questions and comments to benefit the group.
Jamie Beck, M.S., is a former CSU Career Counselor and has a Master’s Degree in Human Services with an emphasis in Social Systems and a concentration in Family and Work. She also has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Children and Family and a minor in Criminology.
Career Vision has been reshaping the way people of all ages fundamentally conceptualize, prepare, search, apply and “do” work throughout California for the past 8 years at high schools, colleges, universities, community-based organizations, county offices, workforce development programs, government agencies, tribal programs, and in public libraries.
Her work has be funded by the United States Institute of Museums and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian and provided over 50 employment bootcamps at public libraries in three Southern California Counties training job seekers and professionals who work with them in the Career Vision Model. Most recently, North Net Library Consortium was just awarded the same LSTA grant in the amount of $110,000 to offer up to 30 workshops to their California rural libraries in 2018-2019. Some other notable contracts include work with San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Foster and Homeless Youth Department, Path of Life Ministries Employment Pipeline for the Homeless in Riverside County, La Sierra University 4U Program, How to Be a Girl Foundation, Housing Authority of San Bernardino County, ATAP, The Board Room in San Diego, Boys Republic, Bishop Paiute Tribe, Owens Valley Career Development Center, Morongo Tribal TANF, Kern Valley Workforce Development Program, and the Independent Living Program (ILP) through San Bernardino County Probation. Additional Clients and testimonials can be found at www.careervisionbyjamie.com.
2018
Spring Workshop 2018: Inclusion and Empowerment: Gender Diversity, Harassment Prevention, and Resilience
Presented by the Pacific Library Partnership Staff Development Committee
April 24 at Castro Valley Public Library ; April 25 at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Conference Chairs: Michelle Krasowski at mkrasows@ccclib.org; Elaine Tai at tai@plsinfo.org,
An interactive and engaging session covering various topics related to queer identity including the impacts of the gender binary, current language, and best practices. Attendees will understand the spectrum of gender and sexuality, key terminology, and inclusive language; will have an increase awareness of specific issues, myths, and barriers for LGBTQ+ people in your community and workplace; and learn tips on embracing and celebrating diversity.
Presented by Jamie Joy of the Diversity Center Santa Cruz County, Board Secretary for Monarch Services (sexual/domestic violence agency), state-certified HIV Test Counselor, Adjunct Health Trainer for CA Dept. of Public Health, and performance artist.Presented by Jamie Joy of the Diversity Center Santa Cruz County, Board Secretary for Monarch Services (sexual/domestic violence agency), state-certified HIV Test Counselor, Adjunct Health Trainer for CA Dept. of Public Health, and performance artist.
Leonie Sherman will cover harassment prevention, resiliency, and mindfulness in this interactive workshop! Leonie has reached over 12,000 students in the past 15 years, as young as 5 and as old as 96, from Southeast Asia to Southeast Alaska, with simple tools that empower and increase confidence. As a self-defense, yoga, and resiliency instructor, Leonie aims to provide a fun, compassionate and safe space for people to face fears and move through them.
Presented by Jamie Joy
Slides: PLP Training
LGBTQ+ Booklist: LGBTQ+ BOOKLIST.
Spanish Resources:
Website and video on terms
Safe Space Signs
Gender vs Sexuality Handout
English Resources:
Website and video on terms
Safe Space Signs
All Inclusive Signs
2017
Spring Workshop 2017: Cracking the Codes: Libraries Promoting Racial Equity
Presented by the Pacific Library Partnership Staff Development Committee
April 11 at Castro Valley Public Library ; April 25 at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Through a combination of filmed interviews and small discussion groups, participants will gain a practical framework for understanding and deconstructing systemic racial inequities, for creating positive dialogue, and for building skills that allow us to continue the discussion. Stories from dozens of women and men of all races describe and analyze inequity from individual and collective perspectives as well as through the lens of external relationships. Tammy Johnson, from World Trust, will facilitate discussion of the stories. Participants will learn to build more equitable relationships, communities, and institutions.
Tammy Johnson’s experience directing electoral and issue campaigns gives her insight into what makes people tick. She is a writer, dancer and racial equity consultant. As an equity trainer with Race Forward, she assisted countless groups in developing initiatives, dismantling structures, and empowering communities. Bringing her creative self into each workshop and presentation, she encourages out-of-the-box thinking. She turns divisiveness on its ear and gives everyone an opportunity to be present, leaving participants with questions and the passion to seek answers outside of the room. Tammy’s knowledge is deep and her experience unique.
2016
Spring Workshop 2016: Protect Yourself – Staying Emotionally and Physically Safe in a Public Service Environment
Presented by the Pacific Library Partnership Staff Development Committee
April 21 at Castro Valley Public Library ; April 22 at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Since the doors of our libraries are open to everyone, it’s not unusual for public service staff to find ourselves in stressful situations when dealing with the public. Patrons can behave in ways that are scary or hard to understand, and some situations can be emotionally exhausting or feel physically threatening. This workshop will help you learn to handle those situations.
Matt Sweeny has decades of experience working with and speaking about the mentally ill. Matt will help attendees understand the thoughts and behavior of mentally ill persons, to help reduce staff fear and to improve the library experience for patrons as well.
Leonie Sherman is a professional self-defense trainer who teaches people how to face fears and move through them. Leonie will teach situational awareness, verbal self-defense, basic release from holds (how to get someone who has grabbed your arm to let go), and emotional recovery and wellness for staff
Safe Coping Skills handouts developed by Leonie Sherman w/ Santa Cruz Public Library:
ABCs of Verbal Diffusion
Detaching from Emotional Pain
Safe Coping Skills
Some Information on PTSD
Contact Leonie at 831-457-8751 compostitos@hotmail.com.
2015
Spring Workshop 2015: Why Do They Act Like That and How Am I Supposed to Deal With It? : Working Successfully with Teens, Children, and Parents in Public Libraries
Presented by the Pacific Library Partnership Staff Development Committee
April 21 at Castro Valley Public Library ; April 22 at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
All of us who work in public libraries have to occasionally address behavioral issues. Children and teens fill most of our libraries every day. We all work with them and, at times, with their parents. The presenters will provide practical techniques and resources to work successfully with children and teens.
Presenters:
Sarah Flowers has worked in California public libraries for 20 years, including five years as Deputy County Librarian at the Santa Clara County Library. She was the 2011-12 President of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). She is the author of Young Adults Deserve the Best: YALSA’s Competencies in Action (2011) and Evaluating Teen Services and Programs (2012).
Penny Peck has been a children’s librarian for 30 years. She has led thousands of children’s storytimes, hundreds of book club discussions for students in grades 4-12, and hundreds of school tours and assemblies. She has taught classes in children’s and teen services at San Jose State University since 2002. She has written three books on children’s services, including Crash Course in Children’s Services, 2nd edition (2014).
Topics will include:
- Child development by age group
- Age of reason
- When can a child be left alone?
- Children with special needs
- The reference interview and the child
- Tween/teen brain changes
- Teen behavior
- Distracting vs. dangerous behavior
- Tips for positive interactions with teens
- Tips for talking with parents of younger children, of older children, and of teens
Why do they act like that - Handout and PPT presentation