The Massachusetts Library System is pleased to announce that we have contracted with ALA to provide our members with access to their live webinars.  These webinars are free to MLS members who register through our calendar.  Please do not register directly with ALA. Members who register directly with ALA are responsible for paying their registration fee. 

Please help us keep MLS sponsored training free for all members. If you are unable to attend the live webinar, please cancel your registration. A cancellation link can be found in your confirmation email, or you may contact Sarah Donnelly at sdonnelly@masslibsystem.org to cancel. 

Description

Business librarianship often comes with high expectations- fast-paced environments, faculty partnerships, high-profile student consulting, data-intensive reference work, and a demand for responsiveness. At the same time, many business librarians are navigating another complex role: motherhood.

This panel brings together business librarians who are also mothers to explore the intersections between caregiving and professional identity. Panelists will discuss how motherhood shapes their approaches to instruction, leadership, research, and service. Topics will include navigating parental leave, managing unpredictable schedules, handling bias or assumptions in the workplace, and building support systems- both personal and professional.

We'll also reflect on how the skills honed through parenting (time management, negotiation, empathy, long-range planning) contribute to professional success, and how the business librarianship community can become more inclusive of parent professionals.

Whether you're a current or future parent, a manager, or someone interested in issues of gender equity and work-life integration, this session offers space for candid conversation, community-building, and advocacy.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this webinar, the participant will be able to:

• Explore how caregiving responsibilities shape professional identity and practice in business librarianship
• Understand the unique challenges and opportunities faced by librarian-parents in high-demand academic environments
• Identify practical strategies and institutional supports that can help balance work and family
• Foster community and conversations among library professionals navigating similar life and career stages. 

Presenters

Rashida Scott Barnes, Sr. Assistant Library, San Diego State University

Lumarie Guth, Business Librarian, Western Michigan University

Summer Krstevka, Associate Librarian, Wake Forest University

Moderator: 

Ilana Stonebraker Head, Business/SPEA Library, Indiana University

Accessibility Information

If you have questions or requests regarding accessibility, contact ce@ala.org or at 312-280-5100.