NO MONEY? NO PROBLEM!SOLVING YOUR STAFF DEVELOPMENT PUZZLE ON THE CHEAP

Presented by Naomi Hurtienne Magola

2012 Louisiana Library Association Conference

Why is staff development so important?

A knowledgeable staff is a library system’s greatest resource.

We need to be familiar with the resources that are available both online and in our libraries.

We need to be ahead of the trends.

The Different Kinds of Staff Development

Reading Professional Texts

In-House Training

Listservs

Online Learning

Professional Texts Through Inter-Library Loan

You get access to current and relevant professional texts

Libraries can share resources

Your library can save a lot of money

In-House Training

Take advantage of staff that are willing to teach

Designate one (or more if you have them) staff member(s) to develop in-house training

Have them meet with your staff a couple of times a year to let them know about new resources that your library is offering or about upgrades that have been made to databases and other software.

Database Training and Help

It is important that we not only know what is contained in our databases, but we also need to stay on top of any updates.

All the databases have some form of help Videos Tutorials Handouts E-mail updates

The Perks of Online Training

Free or low cost

Convenient

Staff can attend training when they have free time

There is something for everyone.

What do you need for online learning?

A computer with internet access

An e-mail account

Possible software downloads

Phone or speakers and microphone

The Different Types of Online Learning

Listservs

Webinars

Videos

Tutorials

Articles and Blogs

Forums

What is a listserv?

It is an electronic mailing list.

Participants sign up for the list, and receive e-mails from others in the group.

They can also send out a message to the entire list.

What can you use a listserv for? Sharing ideas and resources

Finding out about webinars and new training

Staying on top of library trends

Asking questions and getting feedback

Learning from other libraries mistakes

Not having to reinvent the wheel

Some Popular Listervs

Louisiana Reference

The New Librarian’s Listserv

Public Librarian’s Listserv

Reference Librarian’s Listserv

What is a webinar?

A webinar is a seminar conducted online.

Participants meet in a common room to attend the webinar which is led by a single person or a panel.

When attending the webinar in real time, participants are often given the chance to participate in the conversation, give feedback, or ask questions.

Great Online Resources for Training