Rockin' Staff for Everyone:Empowering Your Staff Through Technology Skills Building

Sarah Houghton-JanDigital Futures Manager, San Jose Public LibraryAuthor, LibrarianInBlack.net

The ProblemUneven staff technology skills

All TechSporadic TechLow/No Tech

The IdeaA comprehensive program utilizing web technologies and tools (much like Learning 2.0)

Why? To teach core technology skills

“So, Sarah...Do tell us what

happened!”

It didn't happen.

Plus, I cried (just a wee

bit).

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

Some core principles of the Tech2Know program (and other

successful staff training programs)

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

Four Types of Learning

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!