Abstract

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. The book will be essential reading for all library and information workers involved in training.
Dr Barbara Allan is Deputy Dean of Hull University Business School and Director of the Centre for Innovations in Business and Management Education. She was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in 2008 for her innovative work in e-learning and e-mentoring. Barbara is interested in new approaches to supporting research students and led the development of the Graduate Virtual Research Environment. Her book, Supporting Research Students, was published by Facet Publishing in 2009. Barbara is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a member of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals.