As Betha noted in yesterday's webinar, many individuals choose to work in libraries because they themselves are lifelong learners--and the library is the best organization for that pursuit.
That predisposition to learning is a strong foundation for any staff training and learning program. As libraries struggle with budget deficits and competition for scarce resources, how can we leverage that desire for continuous learning? We certainly want to demonstrate the value of staff training and learning so that it doesn't become the "low-hanging fruit" in a time of budget cutting.
What strategies do you use to show return on investment, for your own learning and for staff development at your library? Studies done by ASTD and SHRM point to the many benefits of spending money for staff development, including higher staff morale, greater employee engagement and less staff turnover.
Take a look at some of the research cited by Beverly Kaye, author of
Love 'em or Lose 'em: Getting Good People to Stay (4th ed., 2008),
http://www.keepem.com.
