Staff Training Melissa Tallis

1. University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences Possible Topics for Library Staff Training The Dictionary of Business defines staff training as: “the process of teaching staff better and more profitable ways of working” (Black, 2006). Staff training can also be known as staff development. Training staff through a systematic approach can orient, train, and teach employees to improve services (Trotta 2011). Organizations can have in-house training programs or programs that are performed by an outside source. Staff training should be an ongoing, continuous process. • There are many topics that can be covered through training programs, depending on the needs of the library and staff • Diversity and Inclusion • New technology • Safety and emergency procedures • Customer service • New library services • Digital Literacy • Online resources such as eBooks and e-journals • Techniques for answering specialized reference questions • Time management • Multicultural services Staff Training Melissa Tallis http://allbusinessadvice.com/the-importance-of-media-training-for-an-efficient-communication/ Creating a Staff Training Program • In some libraries staff training is the responsibility of the H.R. department. However some libraries might not have a department to prepare training programs and the responsibility can fall on department heads, managers, or any other employee. • Things to consider when making a staff training program: • To prepare for a training program, the staff member conducting the program needs to be organized and have a clear goal in mind about what they hope to accomplish with the program • Assess the needs of the library and staff: what does the staff need to know? This can be done formally with surveys or informally • Create a plan or agenda detailing what the program will cover • Determine how to present the information while being aware of the different learning styles to ensure that everyone will understand the information • Be creative, make sure that the training program is interesting to keep staff engaged. Hands-on activities are a good way to ensure that the staff understands the material • Follow up with staff after the training program as the new skills and ideas are being applied in the work environment to ensure that the new skills and ideas are fully understood • Have an evaluation process for after the training session, to determine how successful the training was and what to do differently for the next staff training What is Staff Training http://nnlm.gov/psr/newsletter/2006/07/03/pala-tribal-library-training/ https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/workshops/index.html Examples of Staff Training in Libraries Reasons for Training Staff in Libraries Being creative and innovative are key for successful training. If the staff is engaged, the information will be better received . The Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University created staff book clubs for staff training. The head of the program would pick books that were relevant to the library and then staff would discuss the books in small groups. The book clubs allowed the staff to discuss important information in informal, relaxed settings. The library staff preferred the book clubs over traditional lecture style training programs. (Smith & Galbraith, 2011) The University of Nevada, Las Vegas performed staff training to teach staff how to better answer business reference questions. The library created workshops that had staff doing hands-on activities to make them familiar with the resources available when answering business questions. (Tucker, 2004) • Effective staff training programs can: • Raise morale and motivate staff • Create knowledgeable and skillful staff • Cause greater job satisfaction and lower job turnover • Help libraries’ achieve their goals and objectives • Improve staff performance • Help staff provide a higher quality of service • Promote acceptance of change and flexibility • Comply with professional standards • Not having staff training can: • Allow poor service to continue • Promote higher job turnover • Result in more accidents and errors • Allow for goals and objectives not to be met • (Mathews, 1997) http://www.american.edu/hr/ProfDev-Education.cfm

2. References Black, C. (2006). staff training From “ Dictionary of Business ”. Dictionary of Business. Mathews, P. L. (1997). An investigation into Internet training for academic library staff. New Library World, 98(3), 84–97. doi:10.1108/03074809710164587 Smith, S. D., & Galbraith, Q. (2011). Library Staff Development: How Book Clubs Can Be More Effective (and Less Expensive) than Traditional Trainings. College & Undergraduate Libraries, 18(2-3), 170–182. doi:10.1080/10691316.2011.577700 Trotta, M. (2011). Staff Development on a Shoestring. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. Tucker, J. C. (2004). Getting down to business: library staff training. Reference Services Review, 32(3), 293–301. doi:10.1108/00907320410553704