Post on 16-Apr-2017
Rockin' Staff for Everyone:Empowering Your Staff Through Technology Skills Building
Sarah Houghton-JanDigital Futures Manager, San Jose Public LibraryAuthor, LibrarianInBlack.net
The IdeaA comprehensive program utilizing web technologies and tools (much like Learning 2.0)
Why? To teach core technology skills
Lessons Learned :[1) Verbal agreement is not enough –
get everything in writing2) One person with enough power can
kill a valuable project3) Not everyone believes that some
staff still need basic skills4) Not everyone believes that web-
based training is valuable
Tech2Know Program PlanSeries of progressively complex, short web-
based (blog) how-to guides, tutorials, and pointers to other online resources for learning basic technology skills
One Topic a Week (Live – 2 chances for series)
A la 23 Things (prizes) and a la Competencies (a pre and post assessment of skills)
3 Follow-up Elements1) permanent online discussion forums
for each topic
2) a Tech Playground Day
3) an “Ask the techies” week when the Help Desk would target lingering issues people have had about anything
Allen County Public Library's “Innovation Through Technology” Program: http://blog.acpl.lib.in.us/blog/?p=202
Photo by Helene Blowers: http://flickr.com/photos/hblowers/
1109669563/
Why Invest in Staff Tech Training?
Show institutional commitment to lifelong
learning
Strengthen staff skills
and confidence
Save money
Improve customer service
Increase staff
retention rate
Increase efficiency
and productivity
Motivate staff to keep
learning
What does your staff need to know how to do with
technology to do their jobs well?
Photo by Korean Resource Center: http://flickr.com/photos/krcla/1376627377/
Benefits of a Skills-based Approach
- Equitable expectations for all staff- Reveals training needs- Accurate job descriptions- Helps with performance evaluations- Consistent customer service- Helps staff adjust and handle change
Project PlanningBegin with a comprehensive plan,
including:- Goals- Skill Lists- Assessment- Training- Reassessment- Evaluation
Planning Questions1) What are your goals?2) Who manages the project?3) Do you have, or need to create, a skills
list?4) Do you have a timeline in mind?5) What are your resources (funding &
staff)?6) What training resources exist, and
which ones need to be created?
Ensure Staff Buy-In- Listen: ask staff for their input and use
it.- Keep everyone informed.- Reassure staff that they don’t have to
know it all now.- Managers must follow project plan.- Hold a brainstorming session or party.- Fun. Rewards. Food.
Ensure Admin Buy-In- Write a purpose statement- Determine measurable deliverables (%
increase in skills by individual or unit, # of classes or hours completed, etc.)
- Build training in to performance evaluations
- Train administration/management first or separately (if need be)
Creating a Training Program
- Decide on types and numbers of trainings
- Start with the basic topics- Open trainings to all staff…period- Mandatory of voluntary attendance?- Training budget based on staff needs- Set goals and rewards
Scheduled Learning- Peer training (train the trainer)- Classroom training (small or large
groups)- Daily or weekly learn-by-email tutorials- Webcasts, teleconferences, conferences,
unconferences, and outside seminars- Use in-house talent!- Bring consultants in for weird topics or
large groups
Unscheduled Learning- Read a book, article, listserv or blog post
- Review online tutorials- See what other nearby libraries are
doing- View recorded webcasts, podcasts, etc.- Asynchronous online courses- On the spot I-gotta-know-this-now peer
training
Ongoing Learning- Give staff 15 minutes a day to
study/learn.- Schedule 1 off-desk hour for self-
study.- Encourage conference/lecture
attendance.- Share online tutorials, printed
materials, demos.
Elearning Options- Online Programming for All Libraries- SirsiDynix Institute- WebJunction Learning Webinars &
more- Infopeople Webcasts- 5 Weeks to a Social Library- ALA & State Organization eLearning - “In Plain English” series of videos
Training Tips- Add fun!- Use real world examples (esp. of
libraries)- Personalize the exercises- Highlight tips and tricks- Encourage student independence- Ask students to dream at the end- Be available and accessible
Become a Better Trainer- Trainees: don’t want to look or feel
stupid, lack basic vocabulary, can find classes too fast or too slow, can't absorb very much “new” at once, and worry about revealing ignorance or asking questions
- Trainers: feel there's never enough time, are bored by repetition, impatient, worry that trainees will be resistant or have different knowledge levels, have to sell too
Tales from the Dark Side
(aka how to sabotage your staff's training)- Don't equally apply expectations of
staff.- Have some supervisors support staff
learning and some not so much.- Give staff no time for learning.- Be as blasé and non-enthusiastic as
possible and do not acknowledge success
Ongoing Reassessment- Annual or biannual reviews
- Goal-setting for individuals and the library
- Rewards for success* Pay step increase, extra days off, prizes, public recognition
- Consequences for failure* Transfer, pay step decrease, demotion
Staff Who Don't Meet Expectations
- Are people “untrainable”?- If staff don’t meet the bare minimum
required to do the job, who suffers?* Other staff* The image of the library* The customers
(P.S. I'm not mean. Allowing incompetent workers to persist is what's mean.)
Measuring Your Success- Compare assessment and
reassessment- Staff report confidence in their abilities- Anecdotal evidence from staff- Training evaluations- Successful technology launches- Better customer service experiences
Celebrate Successes!- Have contests between units/locations- Any group that improves 20% on the whole
gets a catered lunch- Individual rewards are crucial- Award for most-improved individual &
group- Entire library celebrates- Do something out of the ordinary
Have a gaming party!Photo by Jenny Levine: http://flickr.com/photos/shifted/2113776727/
Staff trading cards!Image by me.
Have cake!Photos by Homer Township Library: http://flickr.com/photos/homerlibrary/433104519/ and http://flickr.com/photos/homerlibrary/433102240/in/photostream/
ResourcesTechnology Competencies and Training for
Libraries, a LTR by Sarah Houghton-JanAccidental Technology Trainer by
Stephanie GerdingTraining for Dummies by Elaine BiechAccelerated Learning Handbook by Dave
Meier **contact me for links to skills lists, training tutorial sites,
etc.**
Questions?
Sarah Houghton-Janweb: www.LibrarianInBlack.netemail: LibrarianInBlack@gmail.comIM: LibrarianInBlackSkype: LibrairanInBlackFacebook:
facebook.com/librarianinblack
Ask her anything. Really!