Planning & Assessment:
- Do a "needs assessment" of patron needs
- Do a "needs assessment" for staff needs
- Track questions that patrons are asking
- Create training plans for patrons and for staff
- Create a simple "getting started on the computer" training plan
- Identify core competencies for staff - work to offer training
- Add budget line item for professional development and training
- Require and plan for 15 minutes - 2 hours per week of training for each staff member (It will pay off!)
- Reward staff that complete courses
- Reward volunteer teachers for completing tasks
- Plan trainings during staff development days
- Are there businesses in the area that offer training? See if library staff members can attend
- Give staff "play time" each week to learn. Work it into their schedule so that they can commit time to learning a new program or skill
- Plan staff development days - have guest speakers come to talk about online databases, emerging technologies, basic troubleshooting or application training
- Create a technology matrix for staff
- Create a list of minimum computer skills to be achieved to do their jobs
- Develop an operations manual
- Check out assessment tools on TechAtlas to focus time effectively
- Register for WebJunction and look at archives of InFocus
- Set up wireless so laptops can be used for training
- Create an online collection of lesson plans, put it in a wiki, or contribute to WJ
- Partner with local restaurants and vendors to offer coupons/gift cards
- Create online tutorials
- Plan for a portable computer lab for classes away from the library
Offer Patron Classes:
- Senior Citizens
- Parents
- Teens
- Children (of all ages)
- Adults new to technology
- Teachers
- Local Business people
- Spanish Speakers
- Native American Community members
- ESL Patrons
Possible Technology Classes for Staff & Patrons:
- Digital photography
- MS Office Skills
- Quicken or Turbo Tax
- Email
- Library 2.0
- AOL
- Ebay
- Flash
- Excel- upgrades
- Search Engines
- Web Searching
- Web Design
- Troubleshooting - beginning and advanced
- Social Software - My Space, Wikis, Blogs, Chat
- Podcasting
- RSS Feeds
- Upgrading the computer to XP
- Computer System Basics
- Catalogue and Database Training
- Internet Safety for Parents
- Hardware
- Desktop publishing - for business, for teachers, for fun
- Keyboard Shortcuts
- Troubleshooting - Basic and Advanced
- Printing
- Server 101
- Photoshop
- Mac vs. Windows
- Searching OPAC
- Immediate updated computer software trainings
- Databases vs. search engines
- What's new?
Other Training Aids for Patrons:
- Training on library and community resources for parents, teachers, local business people
- Homework Help
- Create sheets with basic computer info around computer areas
- Training on what information resources a library can provide- databases, etc...
- Training on book repair
- How to upload pictures of children/grandchildren
- Online holiday shopping, ebay, online safety
- Buying your first home, protecting your credit
- How to download music
- Making holiday cards with Flickr, etc...
- Digital camera/video/web
- Genealogical research
- Educational gaming
- Government services, information
- GPS community training
- Useful websites on a specific subject
- How to use the library website
- How to use the online catalog
- Go into schools and teach live homework help
- Create a scavenger hunt
- Job seeking
- Sponsor "Farm" night to have farmers come in for training, or other group
- Dewey decimal classification
- Basic computer training for seniors
- WebJunction Resources:
Other Training & Classes for Staff:
Web Resources For Staff Training:
- WebJunction Resources for Rural & Small Libraries
- WebJunction Rural In Focus webinars and archives
- WebWise - http://www.webwise.ie/
- Infopeople - https://infopeople.org
- SirsiDynix Institute - http://www.sirsidynixinstitute.com/ Free seminars - including archived training on Blogs & Libraries, Library 2.0, Proven Streams of Revenue for Under-Funded Libraries
- Lyrasis - http://www.lyrasis.org/
- OCLC - https://www.oclc.org
- WebJunction Online Courses
- OPAL Conferences - You can find course on such things as the Ten Top Technologies for Librarians 2006, Day of the Digital Audio Book, Introduction to eBay, Yahoo! Let's Ask Jeeves How to Google: An Introduction to Searching the Web, to name a few.
Possible teachers:
- Big/Little Buddy tutor system (teen & senior?)
- Seniors teaching seniors
- Community members
- High School Students (many have a community service component to fulfill before graduation)/Teen Volunteers- could train staff/patrons in IM and chat, emerging technologies, gaming, etc...
- Regional Systems
- State Library
- Community Recreation
- Continuing Education
- Literacy Council (teaches basic classes)
- Community College students
- Local Business People
- Have a local electronics/computer vendor come in and showcase new technologies (best buy, radio shack, computer city)
- City Technology Staff
- Parents
- Vo-Tech Students
- Interns from University
- Volunteers
- Teachers/professional instructors
- H&R Block- tax prep training
- Retired teachers/technicians
- Current volunteers
- Use central offices to bring experienced trainers to your site
- Hobby people: scrap bookers, knitters, etc...
Class Basics: Where:
- Mobile/Portable Computer Lab (take to patrons, senior center, mall, etc)
- Online
- In Community Center/School Labs
- Conduct staff training outside of work at fun locations
When:
- Offer classes when the library is closed - patrons sign up ahead of time
- Evenings (students, 9-5ers, etc...)
- Day-time (stay-at-home parents, retired people, etc...)
- Weeklong camps during the summer
How:
- 1:1 Training
- Set up "partners" - teen/senior, senior/senior
- Coordinate training with other libraries
- Create online lesson plans
- Offer video taping of classes that are in high demand
- Create powerpoint presentations to use during classes
- Create cheat sheets
- Provide bibliography with "how to" books and quick guides
Publicity & Marketing:
- Put class information on webpage
- Create online calendar
- Newsletter
- Library Blog
Tips & Fun, Quick Ideas:
- Create a Tips and Tricks List (For staff and/or patrons)
- Share a Website or database of the Week with everyone, staff or patrons
- Schedule the state library mobile computer lab
- Make a list of databases available placed by computers
- Develop a staff only website, blog, or wiki for staff notes and scheduling
- Use contests as a motivator
- "Lunch with a geek"
- Pair trainees up with a partner at the end of a workshop- they will help each other to remember to use ideas and skills back at work.
If you have other staff and patron training ideas or resources to add, please share them in the comments area below. Thank you for all your great work!! |
