Achieving Success with Online Training: BPL’s Recipe for Web 2.0

1. Presented by: “The Library Lady” Amanda Larsen AND Valerie Wettlaufer Burlington Public Library Saturday January 31, 2009 10:40 a.m. Toronto, Ontario OLA Super Conference

2. Appetizer How BPL achieves success with public computer training How BPL achieved success with online staff Web 2.0 training Main Course How a successful staff program was adapted for the public’s interests An overview of BPL’s online training program, “Betty Blogger: A recipe for Web 2.0” Dessert Our strategies for successful online training Our Menu 2

3. Appetizer – Public Classes Six ingredients to successful public training: Classroom Class Offerings Scheduling & Flexibility Marketing Policies Evaluation 3

4. Appetizer – Public Classes Classroom Hands-on Demonstration Accessibility 4

5. Appetizer – Public Classes Class Offerings Variety 5 • Scheduling & Flexibility • Variety • Consistent times • Demand • Ongoing

6. Appetizer – Public Classes Marketing Staff Word of mouth Library flyer Newspaper Web 6 • Policies • Registration • Minimum #s • Fees

7. Appetizer – Public Classes 7 • Evaluation • Demographics • OS & email provider • What they liked/what we could improve • Future classes

8. Appetizer – Staff Training Seven ingredients to successful staff training: Initiating Planning & Research Design Rules Incentive Support Outcomes 8

9. Appetizer – Staff Training Initiating Strategic Plan – “implement a computer skills program for technology and e-resources” Builds on Staff Development day that featured Stephen Abrams IS staff are expected to remain current with new developments that affect Libraries 9

10. Appetizer – Staff Training Planning & Research Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County: Learning 2.0 10

11. Appetizer – Staff Training Planning & Research McMaster University Amanda Etches-Johnson User Experience Librarian Learning 2.0 11

12. 12 Appetizer – Staff Training • Design • Web 2.Huh?!?: • http://bpltrainingroom.blogspot.com/ • Persona: Library Lady

13. Design 10 Tasks (+ the summary) Appetizer – Staff Training 13 Email Blog (blogger) RSS (bloglines) Flickr Streaming (youtube) Productivity Tools (google docs) Wikis (pbwiki) Tagging (del.icio.us) LibraryThing Facebook

14. 14 Appetizer – Staff Training Flickr task

15. 15 Appetizer – Staff Training E X A M P L E

16. Appetizer – Staff Training Rules All adult staff could participate on their own time to receive an MP3 Player All Information Staff were required to participate: On their own time to receive an MP3 Player On paid work time for up to 5 hours 16

17. Appetizer – Staff Training Incentive Increase staff buy-in / participation Rewards staff for taking on their own professional development Ties in with downloadable audiobooks 17

18. Appetizer – Staff Training 18 • Support Example: If you run into any difficulties, you can find support through: a. A co-worker: Remember, we’re doing this together! b. The blog: Comments and questions can be sent to the "Library Lady", and the F.A.Q. questions and answers will be updated regularly. c. You can email the Library Lady at training@bpl.on.ca.d. You can attend scheduled sessions in the Ron Ness Training Room (RNTR). … etc.

19. Appetizer – Staff Training 19 • Outcomes • 137 possible participants: 112 participated • = 82% participation • 40+ staff were not required to enroll, but chose to participate

20. Appetizer – Staff Training 20 • Outcomes • 112 started the tasks : 106 completed the tasks • = 95% completion rate • 88 participants received MP3 players

21. Main Course 21 Five ingredients to successful online training: • Initiating • Planning • Implementing • Monitoring • Evaluation

22. Initiating Why should I undertake online training? What are my motivations? ex. Betty Blogger: Mission statement: “Enriching Burlington through literacy, learning and community connections.” Strategic plan Outreach Main Course 22

23. Planning What are my goals? ex. Betty Blogger: Enrich our community through lifelong learning Enroll 100 students and see 1/3 of them graduate Use the software we’re promoting Encourage and support staff participation Raise awareness and increase the profile of the library Main Course 23

24. Planning How do I achieve my goals? ex. Betty Blogger: Liaison with Marketing and Communications Think simply and design accessibly! Main Course 24

26. Planning How do I achieve my goals? ex. Betty Blogger: Create your content Be relevant and creative Act “responsively” http://bplsummerschool.blogspot.com Communicate with staff Main Course 25

27. 26 Main Course

28. Planning How do I achieve my goals? ex. Betty Blogger: Prizes: to give or not to give… Creative Zen 8 GB Audio/Video MP3 Player Canon Powershot 7.1 MP Digital Camera The Reader Digital Book, from Sony Main Course 27

29. Main Course 28 • Planning • How do I achieve my goals? • ex. Betty Blogger: • Support yourself with support materials: • The registration process • Registration sheets • Asking for an email address • Setting up a designated email account

30. 29 Main Course

31. 30 Main Course Example: Week 3 Email Welcome to the third week of Betty Blogger! *stares in shock* I know. Five weeks. It feels like we only just met, doesn't it?! *blush* Don't worry. We still have two weeks together. And we'll always be Facebook friends, right?! *sigh* Regardless, you now have one week to complete week three’s task…

32. 31 Main Course • Support yourself with support materials, con’t: • Tracking and maintaining statistics

33. 32 Main Course • Planning • How do I achieve my goals? • ex. Betty Blogger: • Support yourself with support materials: • Monthly programming calendar—kibosh! • Registration package • Syllabus, task checklist, tips & tricks, user name tracking sheet!

34. 33 Main Course • ImplementingMarketing your school ex. Betty Blogger: • Connect with your community and promote yourself wherever you can!

35. 34 Main Course • Implementing • Marketing your school • ex. Betty Blogger: • Create a routine… and for Pete’s sake, make it fun!

36. 35 Main Course

37. 36 Main Course • Monitoring • “All this monitoring must take a lot of time, right?” • ex. Betty Blogger: What did we anticipate and what were our realities? • Anticipated: 1 hour daily • Monitoring blogs/tracking progress • 3 hours weekly drop-in sessions. • Reality: 30 minutes daily • Monitoring blogs/tracking progress • 3 hours weekly drop-in sessions

38. 37 Main Course • Evaluation • What were your goals and were you able to achieve them? • ex. Betty Blogger: • Were we able to: • Enroll 100 students and see 1/3 of them graduate? • Use the software we were promoting? • Raise awareness and increase the profile of the library? • Encourage and support staff participation? • Enrich our community through lifelong learning?

39. 38 Main Course • Evaluation • “Looking back over the past 8 weeks I can't believe all that has been accomplished. Clicking, editing, cutting, pasting, exploring & growing… The most important thing learned during this course was to push myself to achieve my goal even when I was uncomfortable. The end result is proving to be worth it...” – Lucy • “One of the most important things that I learned in the Betty Blogger Summer School was not to be afraid of the Web and to investigate an application before I judged whether it was useful to me or not...at least I can have a more educated opinion about these technologies and feel more confident in talking about the Web.” – Serendipity • “The self-directed learning mode was wonderful. I am not very mobile, and sometimes when I have paid for a course at an outside location, I have to miss the class if I am having a bad day. It was very good to be able to work on assignments at home.” – Laverbread

40. 39 Main Course • Evaluation • “My son is enrolled in a Web 2.0 course at Brock University. He has a learning disability and I often help him with organization tasks. His course calls for creating a blog, participating in a wiki, social networking etc. Yesterday I was able to explain to him the difference between a blog and a wiki, and tomorrow I will help him set up his blog." – Knit Wit • “It's strange but by studying social networking using technologies I've learned more about social networking in the real, physical reality. I've made actual friends that I spend time with from the classes at the library… The library itself is a social net, for sure!” – Tambourini

41. 40 Dessert • Tips and Tricks • Was there anything we didn’t anticipate? • Information overload is a myth • “I can’t remember my password…” and other dramas • Keep it simple… And when you think it’s simple, go back and make it even simpler • Don’t forget your junk! • David Suzuki will thank you… • HAVE FUN!

42. 41 Dessert • Tips and Tricks • What (if any) were our disappointments? • Summer school drop outs—program delinquency rears its ugly head. • Online privacy—take a lesson from the Boy Scouts and BE PREPARED! • Commenting—can you force people to “mingle” online? Um… Yup. You can.

43. 42 Dessert • Tips and Tricks • Setting the right tone—light and humorous • Think about your theme, and enjoy what you do. • Providing an incentive—prizes, prizes, prizes! • Go ahead and spoil ‘em • A dedicated staff • Continuity and a recognizable face • Going live—using online tools to run your program • Streamline the process and use your time wisely • Customer focused • Lots of positive feedback!

44. 43 Dessert • Tips and Tricks • What are our future plans? Is there life beyond Betty? Can the program be adapted? • “[Betty’s] future’s so bright, [she’s] gotta wear shades!*” • She’s baaaack... Betty Blogger 2009 • Partnership with Halton District School Board (HDSB) • Betty Goes Invisible…? • *Song Lyrics to "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades“, recorded by Timbuk 3, • written by Pat McDonald, from the album Greetings From Timbuk 3, (1989)

45. 44 après dîner Amanda Larsen larsena@bpl.on.ca Valerie Wettlaufer wettlauferv@bpl.on.ca http://bplsummerschool.blogspot.com