RA FOR ALL...THE ROAD SHOW!

I can come to your library, book club meeting, or conference to talk about how to help your readers find their next good read. Click here for more information including RA for All's EDI Statement.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Monday Discussion: Training Needs

I have training on the brain today.

Our new BPL RA intern Elizabeth began this morning.  Elizabeth was in my class last semester and will be here all semester.  You will be hearing more about her all semester and even seeing some of her work on the blog.  I spent the morning getting her acclimated and doing some very basic training.

Later today I will be hosting 25 librarians for the ARRT quarterly book discussion here at the BPL.  We are discussing The Night Circus, a choice which will not surprise regular readers of this blog. This is a book discussion for members of ARRT, specifically those who normally lead book discussions themselves.  It gives them a chance to participate in a discussion, and we leave time at the end for people to bring up issues or concerns about their own groups so we can all talk about it together.

And, I am also finishing up the final touches on the paperwork for some webinars I will be taping for a library system.  They have requested 2 60 min classes-- one on Horror and one on Leading Book Discussions.

So I figured, why not make the entire day about training?

For today's Monday Discussion, I want to know what you want more training in.  The good news is that as a librarian trainer, I am in a position to pass your interests and needs on to people (myself included) who can offer you training in things you want to learn about.

I for one would like more training in how to streamline all the social media options in a way that is easier for our staff to keep up with it and to make it more useful to our patrons. Right now it is overwhelming to update and our offerings are not ideal for the patrons' needs.

Today is your chance.  If you can have more training for your job in any one area, what would you ask for?  Don't worry about cost or travel to get it. The sky's the limit. 

For past Monday Discussions, click here.

5 comments:

John, Librarian At Dawn said...

I would really like extensive, comprehensive training or at least some sort of basic training for dealing with patrons who are mentally ill. Libraries, for some reason, are a magnet for the insane. This is certainly an area in which some guidance needs to be provided to library staff.

Alissa W said...

Training on leading book discussion would help me. Just finished Night Circus for our book group and LOVED IT!

Betty said...

I think I could use RA 101. I've been doing this job for five years but still have the niggling feeling in back of my mind that I'm flying by the seat of my pants.

Anonymous said...

MIKE BPL REF

Because libraries seem to be catering more to people who rarely pick up a book and simply use us
as a cybercafe, I could use more training in assisting people with computer usage. There are days when
we spend more time monitoring computers and being asked for help with using them then we do true
research projects. Also, I would like to learn more Reader's Advisory skills. That seems the only department in a library where a librarian can actually research,
suggest and discuss books with people who love reading. Which, as old-fashioned as it may be, is what I think a librarian is supposed to be doing.

Anonymous said...

Marlise SCPL
In terms of RA, I'd like more training on booktalking so we're doing a better job of giving short, intriguing introduction to titles, not just plot summary (and not just in the stacks, but at programs, as short vids, & when just generally out & about and am asked for book ideas).