The Utah State Library is dedicated to helping Utah’s librarians grow professionally — it’s a key part of our mission, vision, and values. As our Training Coordinator Rachel Lenahan puts it: “One of the goals here at the Utah State Library is to empower Utah’s librarians through ongoing training, sharing ideas and success stories, and providing tech support.”
Rachel works hard to develop continuing education services and resources for all library staff in Utah, including webinars, in-person training, and creating courses for the Utah Public Library Institute for Training, with the cool acronym: UPLIFT.
“Professional development keeps us up-to-date with what’s happening in the library world and what our communities really need,” she explains. “Plus, it can actually be a lot of fun! It gives us a chance to step out of our usual routine, learn something new, and connect with other folks in the library community.”
Rachel listens to feedback from Utah library staff, and works to ensure our training is on target. “Our offerings are really designed with Utah’s librarians in mind,” she explains. “Even though we have webinars from organizations like PCI, WebJunction, and Homeless Training Academy that cover national trends, it is important to us that the training offered directly from the State Library is based on Utah library staff’s feedback and suggestions.”
Librarians need training for critical skills and the Utah State Library is here to help you every step of the way in your professional journey. By working together, we can ensure Utah’s libraries continue thriving as vital community resources.
Check out our professional development opportunities:
- You’ll find a variety of training opportunities for Utah library staff, including non-MLS library staff, the full library community, and library trustees in our UPLIFT Courses.
- Niche Academy has new webinars added weekly and monthly. You’ll find everything from “Welcoming your Board”, to safety training, and training for first-time managers.
- Join Our Mailing Lists to stay informed about upcoming training events, UPLIFT courses, and grant opportunities.
- Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on training opportunities and more.
- Feel free to contact our Training Coordinator Rachel Lenahan, [email protected]/ 801.715.6776