From Tech Shy to Tech Savvy
Mary Kay Akers, Susan DeRonne
That was then
This is now
Ereaders and downloadables sent tech shy staff over the cliff
Remedies for the legacy staff:
Bury them in technology!
What to do with a legacy staff?
Budget
Partnership
Friends
Frustration
No Confidence
No Ownership
Barriers to Service:
Be patient!
With your staff just like you are with your patrons
Know who on your staff is comfortable with technology and make them your point person.
Watch out for staff burnout
Don’t cause stress!
Encourage your staff to keep practicing!
Make sure they know that no one expects them to be perfect overnight or know everything.
Most patrons are happy to get any information that helps them get to the next step.
Fake it til you make it.
Instead of
I don't know
try
Let's see if we can figure this out together
Use the reference interview for all technology interactions.
Be a sponge.
Listen carefully to the patron's questions.
Use follow up questions to fill in the blanks.
One on one patron sessions are great practice and confidence building
Encourage eavesdropping during technology interactions. It is a great way to learn. Everyone has a script and or style that they follow sometimes they just don’t know what it is.
Provide training opportunities for all kinds of learners
As tech librarians, we are of 2 minds!
Four Main Goals
Library Staff Training Cycle
PROGRAM DELIVERY
�Special Space
Mix up methods
Engage and inspire
Hands-on
PROGRAM DESIGN
Don’t reinvent the wheel!
Series or standalones
Adult Learning Principles
NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Meet w/ Managers
Staff feedback
Surveys
Observation
FOLLOW UP
Google Forms
Evaluation
Quizzes
Managers -- input and “what next?”
Needs Assessment
Informal Object: Gauge people’s attitude, curiosity, and comfort levels How…? Use a light touch Drop casual questions Make friends Observe at desk - don’t butt in | Formal Object: Gauge skill set, manager expectations How…? Tests and Surveys-- Google Forms, Survey Monkey - easy, free Visit at a Manager’s meeting |
My Outcomes
Circulation
All Staff
Adult
My Plans
Two Series - one from each per month
Next series:
Two things
One-on-Ones
Things Change
No reinventing!
Bright Ideas for Content Design...
Check out Slideshare.
What are other libraries doing?
Recycle public classes for staff. They’ll never know! Half the work for you!
Web
Junction
Lynda.com
TechSoup
for Libraries
Grovo, Teachparentstech, Common Craft
Check your library databases!
4 Adult Learning Principles
(from Telling Ain’t Training by Harold D. Stolovitch and Erica J. Keeps, ASTD 2011)
Readiness How ready are staff to receive the information? | Experience Is the learning on target with what staff already know? |
Autonomy Is the training respectful, kind; and does it allow independent decision-making? | Action Can staff put this into action immediately following the training? |
Handy Hands-On Ideas
Quiz- Their questions on index cards
online or paper
Exercises online
Device pass-
around Games
Brainstorm on Book truck for
flipchart / browsing
whiteboard Hand outs
Mix It Up: Delivery
DIY:
DON’T BUTT IN! Let them build AUTONOMY, COMFORT and CONFIDENCE through practice.
Follow Up
You can easily create an evaluation like this in Google Drive → Forms
Possible bumps in the road...
Some Resources I Like
Colorado Public Computer Centers’ Online Tech Training for Staff: http://create.coloradovirtuallibrary.org/online-tech-training-staff
Tech Soup Webinars -- Free signup required http://www.techsoup.org/community/events-webinars
Library Edge Benchmarks for Public Technology Services: http://www.libraryedge.org/benchmarksv1