Peer 2 Peer University (P2PU) and the Rhode Island Library Association (RILA) welcome library staff to build a learning community with fellow librarians across the state. P2PU is developing workshops on in-demand topics for Rhode Island library staff. Join any of the 60-minute workshops on our calendar about these advanced facilitation techniques:

• June 8, 2023 - Safe Spaces: Balancing feeling safe with feeling challenged (Click here to RSVP)
• June 15, 2023 - Self Advocacy: How to look out for yourself when running  a program (Click here to RSVP)

Since 2016, P2PU has supported RILA in running learning circles. These free, peer-led study groups can increase patron engagement and retention in online courses, and they provide an accessible and supportive environment for learners. Providence Public Library initially worked with ESOL students to run citizenship prep learning circles where adults at various levels of readiness prepared for the citizenship exam process, practiced English, and built relationships with their peers. In 2021, P2PU worked with Amrita S. Patel and Denise LaForce, former colleagues at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (CML), to develop course materials on How to Talk about Race. Facilitators across the country have adapted this learning circle to navigate these difficult and necessary conversations in their communities. (Read more about this project at their blog!)

At the heart of the success of learning circles is the community of facilitators that make them happen. We’re grateful to the facilitators in the RILA library community who voiced their interest in these topics, and we look forward to continuing this work. Email us at thepeople@p2pu.org with any questions about how to join our peer learning community.