This course is for anyone who wants to better understand the potential for 21st-century public libraries and how libraries are a force for individual growth and development, social cohesion and community well-being. The material will also cover the context in which public libraries in Ontario are governed and funded, offering information on the purpose, governance and programs and services of public libraries.

This course focuses on the provision of reference and information services in the public library. It outlines the steps involved in the successful delivery of in-person or online service, including reference interviews, information sources, search strategies, and the evaluation of resources.

This course covers the process of collection development in the public library. It begins with assessing your library’s current collection as well as the community’s needs and goes on to discuss collection development policies, collection planning, selection, and weeding. The course also highlights trends in collection development, marketing, and promotion of collections.

Public libraries have a rich tradition of programming as a way of providing additional opportunities for information, learning and entertainment. This course outlines the steps involved in planning, promoting, hosting, and evaluating public library programs. It also covers programming for specific demographics and audiences.

This course discusses the importance of customer service excellence in public libraries at the community, library, and individual levels. The course introduces a set of core values necessary for the creation of customer-centered library culture. Essential skills, attitudes, and approaches for creating positive experiences are presented through interactive learning activities, personal reflection exercises and self-assessments. This course is aimed at front-line staff who want to elevate customer service experiences from ordinary to extraordinary.

This course provides an overview of the governance of public libraries in Ontario and goes on to explore topics related to personnel management and issues, planning and policy work, as well as financial and statistical management. This course is aimed at public library supervisors and CEOs, or public library staff who want to build their knowledge base in library management and supervision.

This course provides a holistic and practical approach to marketing that is scalable for any sized library. The course covers the ongoing nature of marketing initiatives, how to initiate the marketing process, marketing plans, implementing promotions, evaluating and analyzing marketing efforts, as well as tips and tricks to improve library marketing success.

The organization of a library’s collection is the key element in providing access to all material that is available. This course covers the principles of collection organization, use of the Dewey Decimal Classification system, Library of Congress Subject Headings, Cataloguing-in-Publication data, and ALA Filing Rules. It also covers the creation of bibliographic records using the MARC Records system and provides a brief overview of the purchase of cataloguing from commercial vendors.

To provide responsive and innovative library service, libraries need to embrace planning as an essential process and fundamental management tool. This course introduces the strategic planning process and how to use planning to develop and improve library service.

Some readers enjoy personal assistance with selecting a title and others prefer to discover their next great read independently. Learners will study the theory of appeal to understand what readers enjoy about books. Students will also learn about tools and resources that support their work as reader's advisors and resources important to staying current with publishing and reading trends.

This course introduces learners to community outreach and community-led library principles and best practices for implementing community engagement initiatives in a public library setting. The course takes the learner through four phases of planning and implementing a community outreach initiative: community entry, relationship building, service planning and evaluation.

This course introduces the core concepts necessary for creating meaningful family literacy initiatives in a public library setting and explores the application and implications of family literacy practices on library programs and services. The course emphasizes the important role that public libraries play in a network of community organizations working together to strengthen relationships and learning in families.