Library Skills Training That Empowers People and Transforms Workplaces
Professional development for library and information staff, rooted in real-world skills, leadership confidence, and workplace wellbeing.
The Empower Manifesto
Empower exists to change how libraries do development—because the current system isn’t working.
Staff are stuck waiting for permission.
Leaders are stuck with impossible choices.
And CPD is often a luxury, not a right.
We believe in something better.
A future where growth is built into the culture, not handed out by hierarchy.
Where everyone—regardless of grade or geography—has access to real, inclusive, future-ready learning.
Where leaders don’t have to choose between platforms and people, because there’s finally a model that supports both.
Empower isn’t just a training platform—it’s a collective.
The more libraries and individuals who join us, the more we can offer back to the sector. This isn’t about profit. It’s about scale, sustainability, and making professional development fair for everyone.
Here’s how we make it happen:
When 10 libraries join, we offer 30+ live webinars a year
When 100 libraries join, we add full courses, bitesize content, and new themes
When 1,000 join? We’ll create the CPD ecosystem our profession has always needed—accessible, scalable, kind, and brave.
The more who join, the more we can provide.
No gatekeeping. No burnout. No one left behind.
Because professional development shouldn’t be a reward.
It should be a right.
It’s in all of us coming together to raise the standard, remove the gatekeeping, and build something better.
The more who join, the more we can grow—together.
Why Choose Empower?
Empower: The Library Skills Collective is a new kind of professional development space—one that’s built for library people, by someone who’s been there.
We’re here to make growth possible again—for everyone, at every stage.
No travel budget required.
No gatekeeping.
No waiting for permission.
Just real-world, inclusive, future-ready support that doesn’t leave anyone behind.
Who's This Perfect For
Frontline & Customer-Facing Roles
SubJect / Liaison Librarians
Systems Librarians / IT Support for Libraries
UX and Discovery Specialists
Cataloguers / Metadata Specialists
Digital and E-resources Librarians
Learning & Teaching Librarians
Archives, Heritage & Special Collections Staff
Library Leaders and Decision-Makers
Experienced staff not in formal leadership roles
New and Aspiring Professionals
Staff from underrepresented backgrounds
What We Stand For
At Empower, we do what the sector wants and needs.
We listen to library staff across all roles and levels, and we build offers that meet the real challenges you're facing—not what vendors assume you need.
Here’s how we’re different:
We focus on people.
We teach skills that build confidence, connection, and courage.
We believe kindness is a strategy, not a soft skill.
We meet you where you are—and help you grow from there.
Because professional development shouldn’t be exclusive, exhausting, or irrelevant. It should be human, hopeful, and genuinely helpful.
You Belong Here If…
You want more for your team than just surviving
You’re tired of being left out because of role, grade, or geography
You believe libraries can be places of learning—for everyone inside them
You’re ready to build a career—or lead a team—with meaning and momentum
This is your space.
This is your time.
Let’s build the future of libraries—together, and from the inside out.
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