On Wednesday, August 16, 2017, approximately 26 library employees attended a luncheon workshop in Tomás Rivera Library sponsored by the Library Professional Development Committee.

The workshop topic was “Work-Life Balance” and featured a webinar plus small group discussion and sharing exercises.

“This topic was purposely picked from the suggestions staff gave in the first ever PDC kickoff event,” said Leslie Settle, Chair of the Professional Development Committee. “Almost 50% of those in attendance also completed the online survey, which had overwhelmingly positive feedback on both the content of the material and the facilitation from the breakout sessions. Many staff reported to me that they will apply the tools learned in the brown bag to enhance their work and home performance as well as educate others.”

Klein Librarian for Science Fiction JJ Jacobson won the luncheon raffle, which included the first public giveaway of a UCR Library branded fidget spinner.

The next PDC-sponsored event will take place on Thursday September 14, 2017. The focus of the September event will be “communication,” with learning objectives focused on developing active listening skills, changing the way you communicate, becoming aware of how others respond to you, and winning support.

The Professional Development Committee (PDC) is comprised of both academic and support staff in the Library whose goal is to offer an inclusive perspective on library employees’ development needs. The PDC offers four library-wide events per year as well as several “brown bag” lunch-and-learn sessions, like this most recent example.