COMPETENCY K

“LIBER DILECTATION ANIMAE (Books, the delight of the soul).”

K.
Design training programs based on appropriate learning principles and theories.

      Training and instructional programs are important to librarians, library staff and the public. Changing technologies, literature, and settings create plentiful opportunities for growth in the library field and new topics to teach the staff and the public. A librarian can teach a seminar on reading or writing and then turn around and teach something as simple as explaining how to use the library computers to create a search. It is up to the librarian to create training programs to benefit everyone.
       Library programs can cover many topics and teach patrons many different skills. For Library 260a, Programming and Services for Children. I created a twelve-month children’s programming plan (Library 260a Program). I covered repetitive programs such as weekly story times, science clubs, and arts and crafts. Each program was meant to cater to a specific age group and to help improve reading, science, and artistic skills. Other events were added monthly to allow for family movie and game nights, homework help, book talks, and special presentations. Monthly events reflected historic events throughout the month and allowed learning to be fun while still educational.
       For Library 261a, Programming for Young Adults, I created a staff-training program (Library 261a Staff). I observed the daily routine of the staff at Ukiah High School. After observing interactions with students and faculty I came up with an area that was lacking in their training. I continually observed staff members walking students over to books and sections of the library. When a student asked for help locating a book they were not taught how to search online for the book or how to use the Dewey Decimal System to find the book on the shelf. Instead it was easier and faster for the staff member to search for the book them self and then walk the student over to the book. I felt the staff was not allowing students to solve their own problems or to grow and explore the library. Every question was answered without allowing the student to search and discover on their own. I focused on the Dewey Decimal System and how staff could be trained to understand the system and to teach students how to find the books they were searching for.
       I created a training handout with links for further training and a Power Point presentation that taught the Dewey Decimal System along with the easiest way to explain the system to the students. Most staff members already knew how the system worked, but they needed pointers on how to explain the system quickly in order to continue helping multiple patrons. I also included an orientation for new students at the beginning of the year for English and History classes to access the library and learn how to find books and use the online database.


References

Library of Congress (2006). On These Walls. Retrieved July 20, 2011 from http://www.loc.gov/loc/walls/


Evidence: Libr 260a: 12 Month Children's Program
Libr 261a: Staff Development