Libraries spend a lot of time and resources training staff. However, how do we know that staff are receiving the right training, in the right format, at the right time? And how do we know it’s having the intended effect? In this e-Forum, we will share best practices in training as they relate to hard and soft skills for technical services staff. Topics include: conducting needs assessments, ensuring that staff apply what they learn in training, evaluating training effectiveness, and overcoming obstacles specific to technical services training.
This e-Forum was presented on December 5-6, 2017. For a complete summary of this session, view Training for Results: Hard & Soft Skills for Technical Services Staff: e-Forum Summary.
Learning Outcomes
In this e-Forum, attendees will:
- Learn how to identify training needs and overcome obstacles for yourself and your staff
- Understand how to support your staff in focusing on and applying their training
- Learn methods for evaluating the effectiveness of training
- Discuss training challenges faced by technical services departments, including the rapid pace of change, decreasing budgets and staff, and balancing hard and soft skills
Who Should Attend
Anyone interested in developing and managing training programs including identifying and articulating training needs and obstacles, assessing the impact of training, and the particular training challenges faced by technical services departments and staff.
Hosts
Terry McQuown is the Staff Development Coordinator with King County Library System, in Washington State. He received a BA in classical civilization from the University of California, Los Angeles; an MA in Archaeological Studies from Yale University; a JD from Vanderbilt University; and an MLIS from Kent State University. He has worked for the King County Library System as an Adult & Teen Services Librarian, a Supervising Librarian, and, in his current position, as the Staff Development Coordinator, where he oversees the library's trainings.
Maggie Dull is the Head of Metadata Strategies at the University of Rochester’s River Campus Libraries. She was recently the Metadata and Digital Curation Librarian at the University of Baltimore’s Langsdale Library. She has presented at the Maryland Library Association/Delaware Library Association Annual Conference and ALA Annual Conference on topics relating to collaboration and training. She has served as a member of the ALCTS Leadership Development Committee since 2014.
Registration
Cost
free
How to Register
You must register your email address to subscribe to or access an electronic discussion list on ALA's Mailing List Service. Find instructions for subscribing online.
Once you have registered for one e-Forum, you do not need to register again, unless you choose to leave the list. Find instructions for unsubscribing.
Tech Requirements
Internet connection with email address. You can manage your subscription to this list following the online instructions.
Credits
None
Contact
For questions about registration, contact ALA Registration by calling 1-800-545-2433 and press 5 or email registration@ala.org.
For all other questions or comments related to the webinars, contact Megan Dougherty, ALCTS Program Officer, Continuing Education at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5038 or mdougherty@ala.org.