Library Staff Training & Professional Development
Practical, People-First CPD for Every Stage of Your Library Career
At Empower: The Library Skills Collective, we provide high-quality, inclusive, and future-ready training for library and information professionals. Whether you’re on the front line or in a leadership role, our courses help you gain confidence, grow your impact, and thrive in your career — without burnout.
We believe everyone deserves access to meaningful, practical professional development—because doing nothing is not neutral. It means burnout spreads. Skills stagnate. Morale drops. And our profession suffers.
Training Topics for Library Professionals
Explore our topic areas — all designed to meet the real challenges faced by library staff today.
Course titles will follow
Core Library Skills
Cataloguing and metadata
Collection development and management
Information literacy and research support
Reference and enquiry services
Reader development and book promotion
Archives and special collections
Digital Skills & Technology
Digital literacy (supporting users and staff)
Teaching technology to library users
Emerging tech in libraries (e.g. AI, data ethics)
Library systems and tools (e.g. OPACs, discovery layers)
Eresources and digital content promotion
Research Support Tools
Marketing and Social Media
Teaching & Learning
Instructional design and pedagogy
Designing online learning experiences
Outreach to students, faculty, or community learners
Playful Learning
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI)
Inclusive library services and environments
Antiracism and cultural competence
LGBTQ+ inclusion and gender awareness
Disability inclusion and accessibility
Cultural sensitivity and race/disability awareness
Neurodiversity
Community Engagement & Customer Service
Frontline communication skills
Working with diverse or underserved communities
Customer service and de-escalation
Managing difficult patrons and mental health awareness
Outreach and partnerships
Libraries as safe and welcoming spaces
Marketing and Social Media
Leadership & Management
Team management and supervision
Project and change management
Strategic thinking and innovation
Leading from any level
Coaching and mentoring
Digital Fluency
Wellbeing, Workplace Culture & Burnout
Personal resilience and wellbeing
Supporting mental health at work
Creating kind and psychologically safe cultures
Conflict resolution and boundaries
Ethics, Advocacy & Intellectual Freedom
Data ethics and privacy
Freedom to read and censorship challenges
Advocacy skills and storytelling
Legal essentials (e.g. copyright, FOI)
Professional Development
Continuing professional development (CPD)
Career planning and reflective practice
Skills for new or aspiring library workers
Career advice including interviews
User Experience & Design
Space planning and layout
Signage, displays and merchandising
Designing services around user needs
Accessibility and inclusive UX
Marketing and Social Media
Research Support
Research Data Management (RDM)
Open Research
Open Access (OA)
Bibliometrics & Research Impact
Publishing Support
Researcher Development & Engagement
Systematic Reviews & Evidence Synthesis
Research Support Tools
Our Growth Phases: Supporting More Libraries Every Step of the Way
We grow with the sector, scaling sustainably and transparently.
Here’s how we’re building a CPD hub that grows in depth, breadth and value as more libraries join our community.
Phase 1: Launch & Foundations
Mix of live skills training and recordings
Library memberships open
Core course list published
Founding partners lock in best pricing
Founding partners form User Group
Phase 2: Expansion & Reach
More topics, guest trainers, and specialist content
On-demand learning library launched
CPD certificates and learning progress tracking
Bespoke CPD planning for library services
Equity-focused scholarship access for underserved groups
Phase 3: Partnership & Customisation
Sector-wide reporting on CPD gaps
Tiered support for teams, individuals, and freelance staff
Practitioner-led learning circles and discussion groups
Equity-focused access and sector-wide impact reporting
National partnerships
In-person events
Built for Real Libraries, Not Imaginary Budgets
We know the truth:
You’re exhausted from doing more with less.
Training often means logging into generic webinars that don’t land.
Budgets go to platforms and publishers, not people
Empower flips the script.
We make it easy to support your team, without cutting into what’s left of your budget.
What’s Inside Empower: Types of Courses & Materials
Live Online Training
For teams and individuals who thrive in real-time, practical sessions.
60–90 minute live workshops
Interactive, human, and always inclusive
Breakout sessions, Q&A, and reflection built in
Great for shared team learning and discussion
Includes workbook + replay access for all attendees
On-Demand Courses
For busy staff who need CPD that fits their schedule.
Pre-recorded video content with bite-sized lessons
Reflection prompts, worksheets, and real-world exercises
Self-paced access with no expiry date
Ideal for staff working different shifts or across locations
Mini Toolkits & Microlearning
For quick wins, everyday problems, and just-in-time support.
Downloadable PDFs, guides, and checklists
5–20 minute audio or video explainers
Practical tools for conversations, feedback, boundaries, and more
Perfect for team toolkits or staff rooms
Deep-Dive Programmes & Masterclasses
For those ready to lead change or build depth in key areas.
3–6 week learning journeys on specialist topics
Optional group coaching, peer discussion, or accountability
CPD certificates available
Community Conversations & Peer Learning
Because real change happens in connection.
Drop-in discussion calls with themed prompts
Optional group coaching sessions for members
Safe, kind spaces to reflect, ask, vent, and grow
Focus on belonging, not box-ticking
Custom CPD Pathways for Teams
For services that want to build something structured, together.
CPD plans aligned to your team’s goals and challenges
Mix of live sessions, on-demand content, and reflective practice
Support for team leads to embed learning into everyday culture
This isn’t training as usual. It’s the tools to rewrite the story.
For Budget Holders & CPD Leads
You’ve had to choose who gets training—and who doesn’t.
You’ve said no more times than you’d like.
You’ve closed doors you wished you could open.
Not because you didn’t care.
But because you didn’t have the tools—or the budget—to do it differently.
Empower changes that.
We make it possible to support your whole team—without breaking the budget, burning people out, or adding to your admin load.
We offer:
Scalable, high-impact training for full teams
Simple, transparent pricing
Practical CPD that builds trust, morale, and momentum
I Know What It’s Like
To want to do the right thing—for your team—but have to fight for every penny.
Before I built Empower, I was a senior leader in the library sector.
I’ve sat in those meetings.
I’ve stared at a spreadsheet, trying to justify why developing
people should take priority over yet another subscription renewal.
I’ve felt the tension between values and budgets.
The frustration of wanting to say yes—and being forced to say no.
So here’s what I want you to know:
We will work with what works for you for invoicing
We can help you brainstorm where to fund it from
Pay for 1, 2 or 3 years if you have money now but not next year
Treat it as a library subscription that builds people, not shelves
You can list it as a digital staff development resource
We get it.
Sometimes budgets disappear overnight.
Sometimes roles vanish—and the idea of investing in training feels almost wrong in the aftermath.
But cutting CPD doesn’t protect jobs. It quietly damages what’s left.
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