Straightforward and practical guidance for library and information workers in all sectors who are involved in training users, colleagues or other groups.
In order to make an impact with their customers, library staff must be well trained and up-to-date. Training is often delivered by library managers, development officers and trainers who may have limited budgets with access to few resources. This accessible guide uses case studies and examples of best practice from public, school, academic, special and government libraries to help library and information workers deliver excellent training practice.
Increasingly, library and information staff are being asked to do more and more with fewer resources. In the context of higher education and further education, library and information workers are often involved in training large, diverse groups of more than 100 students, who may have limited resources. In public libraries, library staff may be involved in delivering a wide range of training activities to extremely diverse groups.
Many library and information workers in special libraries deliver end-user and specialist training to busy professionals who are unlikely to have the time to attend pre-scheduled workshops. In addition, the rise of social networking tools and other information and communication technologies, has meant that training practices are continually changing to meet the expectations of participants.
This book provides guidance on the design and delivery of effective training courses and is aimed at helping experienced trainers, as well as those who are still developing their skills, including:
- The people side of training
- Use of technologies to support training practices
- Different approaches to learning and teaching
- Planning and designing training
- Delivering training: face-to-face and blended learning
- Evaluation of training events and continuous improvement
- Learning and development in the workplace.
Readership: All library and information workers involved in training.
Table of Contents:
1. Introduction
- Introduction to this chapter
- Introduction to the book
- Contribution of training to library and information services
- Benefits of training
- The training cycle and the planning stage
- The financial side of training
- Legal issues
- Structure of the book
- Summary
- References and additional resources
PART 1: TRAINING PRACTICES
2. Different approaches to learning and teaching
- Introduction
- Three approaches to learning and teaching
- A model for workplace learning programmes
- Theories of learning
- Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning
- Levels of competence
- Summary
- Notes
- References and additional resources
3. Making training interesting
- Introduction
- Action planning
- Activities
- Case studies
- Demonstrations
- Discussion groups
- Drop-in sessions
- Games
- Group work
- Guest speakers
- Hands-on sessions
- Ice-breakers
- Inquiry-based learning
- Lectures and presentations
- Problem-based learning
- Stories and metaphors
- Surveys and questionnaires
- Treasure hunts
- Using a combination of methods
- Summary
- References and additional resources
4. Use of different technologies to support training practices
- Introduction
- Apps
- Audience response systems
- Audio files
- Blogs
- Games
- Interactive whiteboards
- Mind mapping
- Mobile learning
- Podcasts
- PowerPoint
- QR codes
- Screen recording
- Screen sharing
- Skype
- Social networking tools
- Surveys or questionnaires
- Twitter
- Videos
- Virtual learning environments
- Virtual talks
- Virtual visitor
- Web-based training
- Web conferencing
- Webinars
- Web portals
- Wikis
- Summary
- Notes
- References and additional resources
5. Making it happen
- Introduction
- Thinking about participants
- Design principles
- Designing face-to-face sessions
- Impact of learning style preferences on training styles
- Managing session timings
- Evaluation of training
- Marketing and promoting training programmes
- Summary
- References and additional resources
6. Delivering face-to-face training sessions
- Introduction
- Getting started
- Different ways of involving everyone in the training process
- Managing the learning process
- Questions
- Ending the learning process
- Teaching large groups
- Making database training interesting
- Working with challenging learners
- Summary
- References and additional resources
7. E-learning and blended learning
- Introduction
- E-learning
- Design of e-learning programmes
- Web-based tutorials
- Learning groups and communities
- Blended learning
- Design of blended learning programmes
- E-tutoring
- Evaluation of e-learning and blended learning
- Summary
- References and additional resources
PART 2: LEARNING IN THE WORKPLACE
8. Learning and development in the workplace
- Introduction
- 90+ approaches to learning and development in the workplace
- 360 degree feedback
- Accreditations
- Action learning
- Action planning
- Analysing mistakes
- Appraisal processes
- Apps
- Asking advice
- Asking and answering questions
- Audio recordings
- Benchmarking
- Blogs
- Book reviews
- Briefing papers
- Briefing sessions
- Cascade training
- Celebrating success
- Coaching
- Communities of interest and practice
- Competitions and prizes
- Complaints
- Conferences
- Covering for holidays
- Crises
- Critical friend
- Delegation
- Demonstrations
- Displays
- E-bulletins
- E-learning
- Electronic mailing lists
- E-mails
- E-portfolio
- Evaluating different products
- Exchanges
- Exhibitions
- Exit interviews
- External funding
- Feedback
- Fishbone diagram
- Focus groups
- Frequently asked questions
- Gap year
- Induction
- Instructions
- Internet
- Interviews
- Job rotation
- Key performance indicators
- Learning boxes
- Learning contracts
- Learning conversations
- Learning journals
- Meetings
- Mentoring
- Metaphors
- Mind mapping
- Networking
- Online discussion groups
- Online tutorials
- Organizing events
- Personal development planning
- Personal development portfolios
- Playing cards
- Presentations
- Professional journals
- Professional organizations
- Project work
- Promotion
- QR codes
- Quality assurance activities
- Quizzes
- Reading
- Reflection
- Retreats or residentials
- Rich pictures
- Secondment
- Self-assessment tools
- Setting deadlines
- Speed networking
- Sticky notes
- Study tours
- SWOT analysis
- Teamwork
- Training a colleague
- Twitter
- Video clips
- Visits
- Wikis
- Work-based learning qualifications
- Work shadowing
- Working parties
- Writing
- YouTube
- Notes
- References and additional resources
About the Author :
Professor Barbara Allan is Dean of Westminster Business School. Her background includes managing workplace and academic libraries. She has spent many years working in business schools where her focus is on enhancing learning, teaching and the student experience, and the internationalization agenda. She was awarded a National teaching Fellowship in 2008 from the Higher Education Academy. Barbara is the author of several Facet Publishing titles including: Project Management (2004), Blended Learning (2007) and The No-nonsense Guide to Training in Libraries (2013).
Review :
"Well-written and covering a broad range of topics in a useful in-depth manner, this guide to library training deals with topics ranging from making training interesting for both staff and users, to the best ways of delivering face-to-face instruction. Modern technology useful for training, such as QR codes, virtual learning, or interactive white boards is also discussed. Allan (Westminster Business School) also offers brief case studies and real-world examples, along with "tips for trainers." The second part of the book focuses on over 90 approaches to facilitate learning in the workplace. The author's experience includes managing workplace and academic libraries and she also holds a MSc in information science."
