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ALA Emerging Leaders Update

January 26, 2009 By 7 Comments

Last year I wrote a few posts about the Emerging Leaders program in ALA and my frustration with the requirement that applicants hold an MLS. I am happy to say that I found out today that this requirement is being changed. The next round of the Emerging Leaders program will accept applications from library employees. Period.

I found this out in real time, as the vote was taking place, via Twitter. I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to hear the news. ALA and the Emerging Leaders Taskforce is making a huge step in the right direction by opening this program up.

Not only will this open doors for other library workers dedicated to the profession of libraries, but it sends a message that ALA is about libraries and the people who work in them–all the people.

Filed under: ALA

ALA Midwinter

January 22, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I arrived today in Denver, Colorado for ALA Midwinter. I attended ALA Annual last year, but this is my first time at Midwinter so not really sure what to expect.

ALA Welcome to Denver, originally uploaded by nengard.

After a long day of connecting flights and a lost shuttle driver who overheated the shuttle engine, I enjoyed a wonderful dinner at PF Changs with a group of about 11 other library trainers and library consultants. We received possibly the best customer service I’ve ever had when dining in a large group.

At the end of our dinner the owner brought us complimentary desserts to thank us for all we do for libraries. Then our waiter gave us a tour of the kitchen and “catacombs” of the restaurant. The building is the second oldest in Denver and contains bricked up walls that used to be secret tunnels below the city.

Basement of PF Changs

So far we’ve all felt very welcomed by Denver, the hotels, and all the hospitality people who work extra hard during big events like this.

By the way there is also a livestock and rodeo going on in Denver as well as an Outdoor Sportsmens’ Expo. It’s pretty easy to spot the ALA attendees! On day one you’ll see them sitting quietly on the floor throughout the convention center lined up and down the halls with a highlighter in hand highlighting the conference guide to mark which sessions they want to attend.

Filed under: Conferences

Virtual Town Hall: Focus on Staff Training

January 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Hosted by the great team at WebJunction:

Virtual Town Hall: Focus on Staff Training

Training budgets are shrinking while patron traffic is increasing in these economic tough times. What new or improved skills do library staff need to meet the demand? How do we think innovatively about our learning strategies? Join your learning professional community in the new “Virtual Town Hall” format. Engage your colleagues in a lively session of questions, brainstorms, stories, and practical strategies.

Date: Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Time: 2-3pm EST

Register: http://evanced.info/webjunction/evanced/eventsignup.asp?ID=1551

Filed under: Learning

3 Trainer's Tips to Start the New Year

January 14, 2009 By 2 Comments

This wonderful little reminder came to me via a newsletter today from Guila Muir.

  1. Remember that the learning objectives (outcomes) are what you’re driving for.
  2. Strive for a 70/30 ratio: 70% learner “doing,” 30% trainer “doing.”
  3. Avoid fluff. Use only activities that help to achieve the learning outcomes.

So simple, yet it sums up what we need to strive for. All of the training I have been through over the past year to improve my own training skills has taught, and more importantly, followed the same principles.

I think I might print this out, frame, and hang in my office.

Filed under: Learning, Training for Trainers

State of Learning at PLCMC

January 10, 2009 By 3 Comments

The following is an email I sent out to PLCMC employees at the beginning of January. I thought it might be of interest to other trainers who are interested in metrics and benchmarking.

We at PLCMC have been very busy learning in 2008

In 2008, PLCMC employees attended a total of nearly 13,000 hours of training–and that’s only the hours we track through myHR. This figure does not count on-the-job-training, public computer classes that staff attend, or training outside the library or Mecklenburg County that our staff attend (such as conferences).

This averages out to approximately 26 hours of training per year per employee. This figure is well above the 17 hour average per employee of most organizations, as reported in the American Society of Training and Development’s 2008 State of the Industry Report.

As you can see, PLCMC is devoted to providing learning and development opportunities to all of our employees.

We provide opportunities such as:

  • Professional membership reimbursement
  • Tuition reimbursement
  • Scholarships such as Carla Dupuy Scholarship and Friends of the Library David Howe Scholarship
  • Job related and personal development through sessions listed on myHR
  • Staff exchange program (In 2008 we sent two employees to Australia to live and work for a month)
  • Opportunities to attend conferences, training, e-learning, and webinars provided by other libraries and organizations

We will continue to be busy learning in 2009

We are in the planning stages of creating a Learning Advisory Council in 2009 with staff representatives from each of the C.O.R.E. areas. The Council will recommend and help develop training and learning solutions. There will be more opportunities for staff to help train other staff.

In 2009 there will be onsite training at every location to prepare staff for Unified Services.

As you can see PLCMC is dedicated to developing staff including our front line staff who assist our customers each and every day and those who work behind-the-scenes as well. In the coming year, look for more opportunities to learn and develop. If you have a suggestion for training or a specific need please contact me by phone or by email.

Have a safe and happy holiday and make a resolution to learn something new in the new year!

Filed under: Learning
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