InfoGuides: COVID-19: Information for Oregon Libraries: Home

Topic Talks

Topics of interest to library staff throughout the state. Please visit our CE LibGuide for upcoming and previous sessions.

Upcoming Webinars

October 6, 11:00am PT: Virtual Programming During COVID: What we Wished we had Known in Advance & What we Learned During the Process (Niche Academy) - Join a group of academic and public librarians from Laramie (WY) to see how they provided a series of programming about African American poetry and music. They will share practical tips for what to keep in mind when planning accessible virtual programs, how academic and public libraries can collaborate to create dynamic programming, and note areas where practices can be improved to help you avoid pitfalls in advance when planning remote programs!

October 21, 12:00 - 3:00p PT: Libraries as Community Anchors (Library 2.021) - In light of the recent Covid-19 pandemic and other natural disasters such as floods, drought, firestorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes, universal access to the internet has never been more important. Libraries increasingly have an important role to play: as second responders in large scale events via the development and deployment of collaborative connectivity projects; in developing strategies to bridge technological digital divides; and to promote digital access, equity, opportunity, and inclusion. Registration is free.

October 21, 6:30a - 2:00p PT: Don’t Call It a Comeback: Libraries @ the Center of Community Recovery (Library Journal) - Join Library Journal for a free, daylong virtual event to hear from public library leaders and staff who are reinventing their services and building on their best COVID-inspired innovations to better connect with and serve patrons and help their communities recover.

Highlighted Recorded Webinars

Concrete Recommendations for Cutting Through Misinformation During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic presents multifaceted challenges for the US health care system. One such challenge is in delivering vital health information to the public—a task made harder by the scourge of health misinformation across the information ecosystem. For this event, we will discuss recommendations for public health advocates and communication professionals drafting communication campaigns to maximize the chance that timely health advisories reach the public. (Recorded February 2, 2021)

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Presenter: Joan Donovan, PhD
Dr. Joan Donovan is the Research Director of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. Dr. Donovan leads the field in examining internet and technology studies, online extremism, media manipulation, and disinformation campaigns.
Preparing for the Next Wave of Pandemic-Fatigued Customers presented by Andrew Sanderbeck
Free for Oregon staff, click "more" to request access. New research suggests that pandemic fatigue - the mental exhaustion caused by being in a state of heightened awareness and alertness due to COVID-19 coupled with uncertainty about how the pandemic will develop - is real, and it is already causing an increase in difficult customer behaviors such as resistance to wearing masks and ignoring social distancing guidelines.

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Is your organization ready and are your employees prepared to safely handle the next wave of customer behaviors?
This interactive and informative program will help organizations and their employees create and maintain safe workplace practices, and prepare them to better handle customer conflicts including people who are non-compliant with your rules and policies.
As a result of this program attendees will learn:
- Their role in customer conflicts: Are their actions and decisions making things better or worse?
- How to be more environmentally aware of customer situations before they turn difficult or potentially dangerous
- The OODA Loop decision making cycle: Learn to quickly react to difficult customer situations to maintain control and order
- Specific phrases to use with customers to set expectations and boundaries with them and to guide their behaviors
- 7 Things to never say to a customer...ever again
Oregon library staff (volunteers, board members, etc.) must register first; once your registration is approved you will receive an email from info@nicheacademy and then you can view the recording.
COVID: How to Deal With Problem Behaviors Related to COVID-19 presented by Ryan Dowd
Free for Oregon library staff, click "more" to request access. This recorded webinar discusses: five things your organization can do to prevent COVID-related behavior issues; a 3-Step Strategy for the three types of people who don't wear masks or social distance; and masks and the ADA.

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This training supplements our Librarian's Guide to Homelessness which is a 3.5-hour asynchronous, online training (email darci.hanning@state.or.us for more information). Upon completion of the training, your certificate will be available to save or print. At the Homeless Training Institute, our mission is to train library staff members on how to compassionately and confidently manage problematic behavior from homeless, addicted, and mentally ill individuals.

Oregon library staff (volunteers, board members, etc.) must register first (and select at least the first option, “I want access to the self-paced, online tutorial, "Librarian's Guide to Homelessness" and recorded webinars by Dowd.” Once your registration is approved, you will receive an email from info@nicheacademy and then you can view the recording.
De-Escalating Difficult COVID-19 Customer Behaviors presented by Andrew Sanderbeck
Free for Oregon library staff, click "more" to request access. In this recorded webinar, you will learn eight customer de-escalation tips and specific verbal intervention techniques including proven verbiage to use with customers that are violating your organization's code of conduct and endangering your employees' safety.

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As organizations are reopening, they are finding customers that are looking for a new audience to express their anger and frustrations about their feelings of a loss of normalcy and continued uncertainty. Because of that, dealing with individuals who are angry, non-compliant, and even hostile can and will likely become an everyday occurrence.

How you respond to their behaviors is often the key to de-escalating these situations and protecting yourself when a customer is losing control.

Areas of customer behaviors to be addressed in this webinar include:
- Not wanting to wear a mask or not willing to socially distance
- Verbally or physically threatening an employee or customer
- Spitting on an employee or customer
- Non-compliance and other unwanted behaviors
- Wanting to argue and to “be right” that you are wrong
Oregon library staff (volunteers, board members, etc.) must register first; once your registration is approved you will receive an email from info@nicheacademy and then you can view the recording.
Additional COVID-19 Learning Resources
Online, self-paced tutorials on the topic of COVID-19 are also available. These are free and do not require registration.
Additional Customer Service Learning Resources
Online, self-paced tutorials on the topic of customer service are also available. These are free and do not require registration.

We're here to help!

Have a question? Need assistance?
Contact us at library.support@slo.oregon.gov!

Ongoing Online Discussions

ARSL Round Table: Rural & Small Libraries’ Response to COVID-19.
Regular meetings are no longer occurring, check back regularly for upcoming topics . Recordings from previous meetings are available.
National Digital Inclusion Alliance Community Calls
To help our community stay informed during this chaotic time – NDIA is hosting Community Zoom calls the 1st and 3rd Friday of every month at 10a PT. During these calls, we will share national resources and on-the-ground strategies for providing digital inclusion services during this health crisis. Register here if you would like to join.
What is a Library If the Building is Closed?
Webinars/discussion every Friday. Hosted by the Gigabit Libraries Network.