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25 Glendora library staff attended CLA; employee-burnout response emerges as priority
Summary
Library leadership reported on staff attendance at the 2024 California Library Association conference, described follow-up activities to translate ideas into short projects and identified employee-burnout mitigation as the most urgent staff need.
Library staff summarized their attendance at the 2024 California Library Association (CLA) conference and reported on a structured follow-up that surfaced employee-burnout prevention as a top priority.
Donna Dukes and Cindy Romero reported that 25 staff members attended CLA on Oct. 18, 2024, participating in about 104 staff-hours of sessions across 36 unique topics. The city investment for registration and related costs was $3,713; staff said 15 CLA staff scholarships reduced the net cost.
After the conference staff completed a short exercise (a 30-word suggestion about a service change) and a second-stage group activity (two truths and a lie) to evaluate and prioritize ideas. Management asked groups to score ideas on urgency and feasibility and to propose 30-day or 90-day pilot steps. The management team said the single item ranked as both important and urgent was employee-burnout mitigation. Suggested responses include peer-support pairings, monthly low-cost morale activities and scheduling practices to reduce stress; staff also noted existing supports such as the city's employee-assistance program.
Trustees heard examples of program ideas staff considered (from emergency-information hubs to interactive local-history activities) and were told some session proposals from CLA were not recommended for immediate adoption. Director Janet Stone said the broad staff exposure to conference sessions has produced many implementable ideas, with staff and management selecting small pilot projects to test in the coming months. Trustees praised the return on investment for sending a large contingent and encouraged future staff presentation proposals for conferences.
Management also described recent staff-focused actions: a renovated staff lounge and periodic recognition programs (Star Service cards, end-of-year celebrations), and a plan to share training options that directly address burnout with staff in the weeks ahead.
