March 12, 2026

Help Shape Future Training Opportunities
Amigos Continuing Education Services is seeking member input to determine which topics should return to the schedule. Member feedback ensures that future offerings continue to reflect the needs and interests of libraries across the region.

We're interested to hear from you - Which of the following courses would you like to see on our upcoming schedule?

• Controlled Vocabularies and Taxonomies
• Chat and Online Reference Services
• Event Planning 101
• Excellence in Library Services to Older Adults
• Intermediate Cataloging: Subject Analysis

Amigos appreciates the insight shared by its community and looks forward to using this feedback to shape future continuing education opportunities.

Reminder: Free Training Includes Everyone at Your Organization
For members, all courses on the Amigos Continuing Education Services schedule are free for everyone at their institution, including administrators, librarians, staff, volunteers, and student employees. Invite your whole team to take advantage of upcoming opportunities this spring.

Consider encouraging participation in sessions like Know & Go: Beyond the Books – Strengthening Rural Communities Through Library Engagement on April 22, which highlights creative strategies for connecting with rural and underserved populations or the April 30 offering, Know & Go: Understanding Creative Commons Licensing which helps staff learn how to find and appropriately use Creative Commons-licensed material.

Staff in customer-facing roles may benefit from Soft Skills for Library Staff on May 7, while new or aspiring supervisors can build confidence with Library Management: Managing Change on May 28 and Know & Go: Library Management Skills for New and Aspiring Managers on June 2.

Members are encouraged to register early, as courses often reach capacity for live attendance. Amigos offers two easy ways to participate: attend live or register for recording-only access, with recordings available for 90 days. That way, even if you can't make the live session, you won't miss out on the content.

Share full schedule the of these free learning opportunities with your team and help everyone strengthen the skills that support your library’s mission.

Congratulations to Our New Micro-Credential Certificate Recipients

Amigos is pleased to recognize the newest recipients of the Metadata Principles and Practices Micro-Credential. These learners completed all required coursework and a capstone project, demonstrating strong commitment to advancing their metadata skills.

Congratulations to:

Kat Anderberg, Illinois Heartland Library System – Champaign (IL)
Eve Bowen, Hill College Library (TX)
Amanda Caudill, Collin College Library (TX)
Mark Cook, University of Texas at Arlington Library (TX)
Jenna Kammer, University of Central Missouri, James C. Kirkpatrick Library (MO)
Jaclyn Magness, Kilgore College (TX)
Calum Naderer, Del Mar College Library (TX)
Tim Nelson, University of Missouri–St. Louis, Thomas Jefferson Library (MO)
Vanessa Peay, Doña Ana Community College (NM)
Sunday Phillips, University of Texas at Arlington Library (TX)
Nick Raines, Southeast Missouri State University (MO)
Hannah Reidell, State Library of Kansas (KS)
Madison Russell, Dallas College – Brookhaven College Library (TX)
Lynnette Sargis, Lee College Library (TX)
Rach Teasdale, Southeast Missouri State University (MO)
Nicholas Williams, University of Texas at Arlington Library (TX)
Jessica Williams, Salt Lake County Library Services (UT)
Katelyn Wittenborn, Wyoming State Library (WY)

Look for future opportunities to join an Amigos micro-credential cohort and build your skills through guided, project based learning.

Cataloging and Classification Basics Course Registration Now Open
Build your cataloging knowledge through this 5-session Cataloging and Classification Basics Course with cataloging instructor Amanda Sprochi. This session runs from April 14 through April 28, 2026.

This course offers in-depth training in cataloging and classification, covering key areas including MARC bibliographic, classification and categorization schemas, basic copy cataloging, and other areas essential to the cataloging department.

Learning objectives may include:

• Discuss the function of Integrated Library Systems (ILS)
• Discover basic tools, both print and online, for cataloging
• Interpret Library of Congress and Dewey Decimal Call numbers to enable shelf discovery
• Recognize a MARC bibliographic record
• Apply correct MARC code to a monograph bibliographic record
• Define copy cataloging, including basic cataloging principles & terminology

This course, along with all Amigos sessions on the Continuing Education Services schedule, is free for members.

In-Person Courses in April 2026 at Austin Public Library
Join us for two exclusive in-person workshops hosted at the Austin Public Library. Each workshop requires a separate registration. Please note that these in-person workshops are only available to Amigos members.

Book Repair Basics (In-Person, Austin, Texas) – April 29 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Preservation expert Rebecca Elder will guide attendees through repair techniques for paper (surface cleaning, mending, tipping in pages) and books (hinge tightening and corner repair) and will provide guidance for setting up a repair workspace, understanding book repair terminology, and engaging a conservator.

This course requires a $75 supply fee as well as at least three hardcover books that can be used to practice book repair techniques. More information on the requirements can be found at Book Repair Basics (In-Person, Austin, Texas) | Amigos Library Services.

Customer Service Basics (In-Person, Austin, Texas) April 29 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Join CES Manager Chris Pryor and Library Services Trainer Kyla Hunt in this in-person workshop on Customer Service Basics. This hands-on review of retail customer service skills and techniques will support any interaction with a patron, whether in-person, on the phone, or virtually. Together, attendees will identify barriers to effectively communicating with patrons and develop a strategy for staff to practice their customer service skills. 

More information about this session can be found at Customer Service Basics (In-Person, Austin, Texas) | Amigos Library Services.

Adaptive Services for Staff Success: An Amigos Community Conversation
Libraries are continually finding new ways to support staff with diverse cognitive, sensory, and workplace needs, and our next Community Conversation will offer practical guidance to strengthen inclusion in your own environment. On Wednesday, April 9, 2026, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Central, Amigos will host Adaptive Services for Staff Success, a live-only discussion focused on identifying barriers, adjusting workflows, and creating emotionally safe spaces where staff can thrive. The session will explore flexible supervision, effective communication norms, collaboration with Human Resources and accessibility partners, and simple policy or space adjustments that can create meaningful improvements.

Amigos Community Conversations give members the opportunity to engage with peers on timely topics shaping library work today. This session will be led by Dawn Behrend, Associate Dean of Administrative Services at the Thomas G. Carpenter Library at the University of North Florida, and Carmaleta McKinnis-Williams, Equity and Inclusion Program Manager at Austin Public Library. Both bring deep experience supporting staff needs and creating inclusive workplace practices.

Registration is open through April 7 and only open to Amigos members.

Easy Access to Online Conference Recordings
Amigos' online conferences provide convenient and meaningful learning opportunities, bringing together insightful keynote speakers with practical concurrent sessions from leaders across Amigos member libraries and experts from across the profession.

Online conferences are a free benefit for Amigos member libraries.



Register today for access to recent conference recordings: 

• Digital Accessibility in Libraries
• Practical Paths to the AI-Enhanced Library
• Libraries Cultivating Community
• Our Present. Our Futures. The Amigos Member Conference 2025
• Collections Reflect Communities

Please Note: Attendees registered for the live event already have access to the past conference recordings. To view the recordings, login with the credentials provided for attending the live conference. 

Upcoming Learning Sessions