Are Your Mental Models of a Library Holding You Back?

1:00 CDT 

August 8th. The registration deadline is August 6. 

Mental models are deeply held internal images of how the world works, images that limit us to familiar ways of thinking and acting.”
  —Peter M. Senge, The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization

While you need to know the ins and outs of the library and community you work in, sometimes such familiarity can lead to assumptions and mental models about the purpose, the people, and the materials of your library. When we have a mental model of something, we can get stuck in a way of thinking, making decisions that continue to reinforce the model—prioritizing tasks and budgeting to drive actions that support them. This interactive webinar will show you how to bust some of your mental models and start the shift to innovative, out-of-the-box thinking that managing a modern library requires. Chat opportunities with the instructor will make the learning relevant and engaging, so come ready to participate and discover how to unlock a world of possibilities for your library.

Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of this one-hour webinar, participants will:

• Be made aware of their own mental models of the library that inhibit change
• Learn how to spend resources and staff time once they’ve adopted new perspectives
• Learn about activities they can use at their library to continue the mental model busting experience with other staff

Who Should Attend

Library directors, managers, or supervisors who are looking for new ways of thinking about how to use staff time, money, and other resources to continually improve their libraries; any library staff member who wants to be a change agent.

The cost is $28 for PLA members and $31.50 for other ALA members. You can find more information here:

http://www.ala.org/pla/onlinelearning/webinars/models