A Virtual Orientation Program—“one great webbie!”

Quoting one attendee, it was indeed a “great webbie” about the virtual orientation program that Baltimore County Public Library (BCPL) has created to onboard its new staff and volunteers. This webinar, jointly sponsored by WebJunction and the Learning Round Table, was another project outcome of LearnRT’s dynamic Emerging Leader Group N. They identified the topic and connected the presenters with the WebJunction webinar production staff.

Another attendee raved,
“the most useful, informative webinar I’ve ever attended!”

The superlatives are well deserved for the BCPL team. Even though you missed the live event, you can get plenty of the substance by watching the archive. Once you’ve launched the archive, listen to the first half to learn about the planning and design processes for the virtual orientation experience. The team’s deliberative and thoughtful approach is clearly reflected in the final product (even if you secretly wish they had chosen the vending machine interface).

If you’re in a hurry to see the real thing, skip down to the “App/Desktop Share Start” item in the Table of Contents window on the right. Although the actual site is part of the BCPL intranet, so not available to the public, the live tour gives you the flavor and range of ideas and strategies incorporated for orientation.

The landing page links to the five main sections, starting with “What to Expect”—an introduction to how to navigate through and use the functions of the site. Throughout the site, there is a creative combination of media that avoids over-reliance on high-tech. There are some embedded videos, but there are also more low-tech approaches of voice recorded over still photos or a photo slide show with explanatory text below. And when a simple text document is the most effective way to convey the information, that’s what you get.

The final section is “What’s Next” for the new staff member. It includes links to training opportunities and the library training calendar, an interactive quiz on the staff handbook with immediate feedback, and a list of “15 ways to shine as a new staff member.”

The 224 people who attended this webinar seemed to be itching to get back to their libraries to put some of these ideas to work. It’s likely you’ll feel the same way. Thanks Emerging Leader Group N! Thanks Learning Roundtable and WebJunction!

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Betha Gutsche

Betha Gutsche has been a virtual librarian ever since receiving her MLIS from the University of Washington Information School. Immersed in the online community of WebJunction, she has cultivated community connections through forums, live online events, and writing stories about the library community. She has delved into e-learning design, curriculum development, needs assessment, and all things connected to social learning in the online world. Betha is the editor-in-chief of the Competency Index for the Library Field. She is now the manager of Project Compass, a program working with public libraries to augment their service to communities impacted by tough times. Underneath it all, Betha is an artist and loves to raise awareness of visual literacy and introduce people to the power of image.

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