Public libraries are essentially all about teaching and training. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at the non-fiction section of any collection. Anything you can imagine learning about is there: self-help, religions, home maintenance, gardening, cooking, canning…and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
However, as we all know, learning from the experience and knowledge of others is also fundamental and quite often a necessary experience in the learning process.
It is also well known that presentation plays a major role in the success of a training or teaching experience. Not everyone is a born instructor. LIS 560 (Instructional and Training Strategies for Information Professionals) does an excellent job of introducing future trainers/presenters to building effective and successful trainings by not only focusing on content, but to paying close attention to the target audience’s needs, background, and differences in learning styles. By studying the ARCs model, different learning styles, and effective presentation techniques, I was able to build a presentation designed for public librarians wishing to provide a training for local daycare providers on Early Childhood Education resources and services available for free at their local public libraries.
No matter how informal or formal a training may be, the fundamental aspects of presentation learned in LIS 560 are applicable. Examples of real-life trainings that I have been involved in over the last few years include:
Managerial Training and Coaching of Employees:
It is well known that not all employees working in public libraries have a Masters degree in Library and Information Science. However, in order to meet the needs of the community and the library, quite often those employees need to perform duties which require knowledge and training specific to the library profession such as collection development, storytelling, reference and upholding library policy and procedure. As the manager of a Youth Services department, it is my responsibility to provide adequate information and training to all employees within my department in order to prepare them to perform their duties well. This training may take place formally when new responsibilities and duties are assigned or new employees are hired, or informally through regular staff meetings.
Community Outreach:
Quite often the library will attend community events or trainings and provide “mini-trainings” or presentations to community members or target groups about library resources and services. One such example is the Kindergarten Jumpstart program where I attend the spring kindergarten registrations of local elementary schools and speak with parents about the how and where to find Kindergarten Readiness Resources at the local public library in order to prepare their child for kindergarten in the fall.
Read to Me Training:
In March 2008, in the midst of campaigning for new state funding of the Read to Me program expansion (see Intellectual), I was asked to make a special presentation to a room full of over 100 youth service librarians on the importance of grass-roots lobbying, the importance and power in making connections and partnerships with your local community leaders, and being an effective library advocate. Quite often these things don’t come naturally to librarians or individuals working with children. Of course, the fact that we were in the process of winning a state appropriation which would fund the program for which they were attending the training helped in delivering an effective and powerful message.
Don’t forget to make it fun!
Through both the class on “Instruction for Information Professionals” and through my personal experiences in training, two important elements of instruction will always stay with me:
The first fundamental element of training or teaching is to always incorporate an element of fun. Whether one’s target audience is adults or children, everyone likes to have a good time. If an individual has an enjoyable experience, it will most likely become a good memory. Goal number one accomplished: memory of your training (which hopefully will contain training content) has been established.
The second fundamental element of training or teaching is to make it personal. If something applies directly to a person’s life, interests, or goals, it is more likely to be relevant. Relevance is the key to giving a presentation value and importance. By personalizing a training, the participants will gain and remember so much more. It is also one of the most effective ways to change behavior which is quite often the desired goal of a training, yet the hardest goal to achieve.
