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5 Things That Make You Look Like a Noob

June 1, 2010 By

This month marks my third anniversary as Training Manager for Gwinnett County Public Library and my fifth year working in training and development. As I prepare for my annual performance evaluation, I always like to clean up my cubicle as a symbol of receiving a new beginning. While I was tidying up the old hole in the wall, I found a notebook of handouts from a train the trainer session I attended five years ago. Alarm bells rang in my head. If I’d unearthed the notebook from the black hole that is my desk, then the dreaded video of my first recorded presentation was somewhere nearby. Surely enough the mini-DVD labeled “PB&J” (I was recorded demonstrating how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to my fellow trainees) was underneath a small hill of forgotten conference swag. I couldn’t resist playing the DVD for a good laugh, and boy did I get a belly full of laughter from watching it. My awkwardly stiff performance on that video forced me to reflect on my first year or so as a trainer. Inspired by some of my worst moments, I present to you: 5 Things That Make You Look Like a Noob – in no particular order.

1. Reading from your notes: Part of the training exercise for planning for my presentation was to write down the necessary steps on how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich so that an alien could do it alone. When it was time for me to present, I was so nervous to speak in front of the group that I actually carried my notes with me and even read from them a couple of times. Nothing says uncomfortable and unprepared like reading from your presenter’s notes. This is true for webinars as well.

Nothing screams noob louder than appearing unprepared or uncomfortable.

2. Apologizing: I was stoked the very first time I taught a training class at my library. I was leading a four hour session that teaches new employees how to use the library’s ILS. I’d spent the previous week preparing, so that class would be perfect at show time. Things didn’t work the way I’d planned. Due to unplanned maintenance, I was forced to use a test version of a records database instead of the real one. I learned during my session that the database would often give cryptic error messages when certain steps were performed. I was not expecting this, so when one of these messages appeared, I would apologize to the class (and that was a lot of mea culpas!) I’ve since learned that you undermine your credibility as a presenter when you apologize repeatedly. If you say you’re sorry for an inconvenience, do it once and move on. Constant apologies draw more attention to problem and give the impression that you are not in control.

3. Dressing like the rest: The dress code at my library is business casual, and it is not uncommon to see me in the office wearing pressed slacks, a polo shirt, and sensible shoes. Early in my training career, I would teach class wearing my typical work attire. I’m no Tim Gunn, but I did find it problematic that new employees at the library thought I was a trainee and not the trainer based on my appearance. That only had to happen twice before I realized that as a presenter, I should always dress one step above the audience.

4. A long introduction: Most people don’t care about the history of your topic or how Merriam Webster defines it. Classroom time is invaluable, and blowing ten minutes on an inane intro is not a good use of it. Lead into your presentation with a solid opener – something that gets people moving, talking, and most importantly, thinking about the upcoming presentation.

5. Doing all the talking: It feels good to be the center of attention, and it’s one of the reasons why I enjoy my job. As a trainer, I can be an entertainer, motivator, and teacher – someone that people want to hear (or have to hear, depending on the circumstances). Early in my training career, I reveled in the spotlight and loved nothing more than receiving class evaluations with additional comments like, “Jay is so funny!”, or “This class was entertaining. Thanks for the good times.” The problem, I later realized, is that I was unintentionally making myself part of the subject matter, instead of the focusing solely on the learners. It took me a while to recognize the value in talking less and allowing my learners to have more meaningful interaction. If you’re doing more than 60% of the talking in your classroom, then it’s probably time to zip it.

This is only five of dozens of faux pas I’m guilty of committing. What are some noob mistakes that you’ve been guilty of? What advice would you give fledging trainers to save them some embarrassment along the way?

Jay Turner

Jay Turner, Training Manager at Gwinnett County Public Library in Georgia, is responsible for all aspects of learning and development for a staff of 300+ employees. He considers himself a lifelong student, and delights in sharing his passion for learning with anyone willing to listen (much to their chagrin!) He is a library lifer, who began working in libraries as a teen and has worn almost every conceivable public services hat since. Jay’s diversity of experience helps him develop and deliver solutions that are creative, practical, and effective. He is a self-proclaimed information and tech junkie, who gets his fix by playing in his “digital sandbox” with new tools and neat ideas to make learning more accessible, more flexible, and more fun across any medium. He can be reached at jayturner[at]comcast.net.

Filed Under: LearnRT News, Presentation Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

10 Smart Phone Apps to Help You Be a Better Trainer

February 16, 2010 By

Many of us carry smart phones with us wherever we go.  Whether you have an iPhone, an Android phone, or a Blackberry, you likely have access to thousands of applications that can make your life easier.  As a new Droid owner, I found a number of apps that I thought could help me as a trainer in my face-to-face classes.

Below is a list of apps that can help you while you are training or teaching, making you seem super-smart, tech-savvy, and creative.  I mention specific apps for the Droid and iPhone, but similar applications exist for most smart phones.  The specific names are just my recommendations — but every phone, every app list, and every person is different.   See what you can find in each category that works for you!  All are free, unless otherwise marked.  So load up your phone, and get ready to impress your next class!

  1. Music player – I find that students always love it when I have music playing before the class starts, as well as during the breaks.  I recommend installing the Pandora app, which is available for most phones.  It’s amazingly easy to use, and lets you play music on the phone while you are doing other things. You can choose one of the other many music players, like iMusic, some of which come with quick downloads of legal or semi-legal MP3 tracks as well.  Incidentally, there are many small portable speakers to plug into your phone if the internal speaker won’t do the trick.  This would be particularly helpful when your classroom has no wi-fi, so there’s no way to access streaming music.  I usually do a search for something calming, like “Meditation” and have Pandora create a nice soothing music station around that term. 
  2. Stopwatch or Timer – It’s easy to lose track of time when training, and so many of us don’t wear watches any more…instead relying on our phones. Many apps offer fairly deluxe stopwatches or multi-phase timers that can help you pace yourself and make sure you don’t run out of time.  Some timers even have really nice self-selected alarms, including flashing lights and/or non-obnoxious noises.  I like just plain Timer. 
  3. Chimes – It’s a good idea to have some kind of nice sound to indicate to students that you’re ready to re-start the class after a break or group exercise.  Nice, soft sounds can get people’s attentions just as much as the loud teacher-yell: “We’re ready to start back up now!”  I’m now a fan of White Noise Lite, which offers a number of nice nature-y sounds like windchimes, rain, etc., along with simple visuals for each.  Just start the sound, hold up your phone, and watch the learners reassemble.
  4. Tether – Tech is unreliable, and I can remember a half dozen classes where I expected an internet connection and there wasn’t any.  Now with unlimited data plans on phones and tethering applications, you can connect your laptop to your phone, and use the phone’s connection to access the web.  Granted, it’s slower than a typical wired or wireless connection, but if you need to use live demos in your class it’s a lifesaver.  That being said, you should always bring back analog (read: print) back-ups for your class materials.  As to what app to use, there are a lot out there.  I’m using Android-Wifi-Tether.
  5. Presenter Pro – Presenter Pro costs money ($1.99), but is worth every penny.  This program is for presenters, teachers, and trainers.  The program provides presentation tips, including video and audio examples of great presentation ideas.  The program can review your specific presentations and give tips geared toward your needs. Nice!  It’s like having a training coach in your pocket.
  6. Quote Dictionary – Use one of the many quote-filled apps meant to give you something to think about, or to give you something smart to say to your class!  I recommend 501 Inspirational Quotes, as most of these are applicable in a classroom environment.  Provide a quote at the start of class, throw out a few more throughout to sound really smart, and your students will classify you as a bookish fountain of knowledge…just what you wanted!
  7. Voice Recorder – My favorite voice recorder is simply named Voice Recorder.  You can use it to record quick notes to yourself about things to bring up later in class, or even tasks you need to do once class is over.  You can also use it to record the whole class – as long as your SD card has enough capacity, you can record your class and then save it as an audio file that you can review later to review your class’s successes or places you could have done better.
  8. Yoga Program – Sitting at a desk or computer all day is really tiring on the shoulders, back, and arms.  Use a free yoga program like Yoga Trainer to walk you through a few simple exercises to get your body back in shape.  This is a great thing to do with the whole class during stretch breaks.  Every time I’ve done this, students have thanked me profusely and even said they learned a new exercise for their desks!
  9. Presentation Remote App – Apps like i-Clickr ($9.99) or Logitech Touch Mouse (free) turns your phone into a presentation remote, letting you click through your presentation slides using your phone screen.  Again, one less gadget for you to carry with you when you travel to train.
  10. Documents Program – Make sure you have a documents program on your phone that will read Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files (or their equivalents).  The app that many iPhone users seem to like the best, Documents to Go, costs $11.99, the most expensive app I’ve seen so far.  But the ability to sync up your documents from computer to phone is super nice, and for on-the-go presenters, it’s a huge benefit.  I’m using QuickOffice, which is free and works just fine for reading documents that I’ve manually transferred to the phone. Never again worry about transferring files over to your flash drive—just plug your phone into the presentation computer and you’re good to go.  One less device to carry!

So many other programs are out there that help too – time and expense trackers to keep track of what you need to bill to your clients, mobile blogging apps so you can post to the class blog/website on the fly, Twitter clients to help you create live classroom conversations, cameras and Flickr uploading tools so you can share class photos, mobile Skype to help you bring in a guest speaker for free through your phone, restaurant finding apps to help your students find good nearby dining for your lunch break, and even spy-cams (Sec-u-ret spy cam) to use the camera to auto-photograph you while you’re teaching.  Look around with an eye for your life as a trainer and you’re bound to find many more ways to make yourself look like the super-awesome trainer you are!

Sarah Houghton-Jan

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5 Tips for Trainers to Prevent TechFail

February 4, 2010 By

Rewind to Monday, February 1, 2010. It’s 11:45 am at the Harford Public Administration offices.

It’s a typical Monday morning: catching up on email, social media, mailboxes moving slowly toward zero. I prepare to jot down some notes for this post on the ALA Learning Blog.  I open my trusty laptop and start banging away at some ideas about marketing your trainings and marketing yourself.

I take a break and find some video blogging resources on the web and >>>WHAMMO<<< surreptitious website redirection to an unknown Web site, leads to an extremely large popup ad that says:

YOU HAVE BEEN INFECTED…DOWNLOAD OUR PRODUCT NOW.

The background on the screen becomes an ugly green/yellow color and says:

YOU ARE INFECTED SAVE YOURSELF!

Well it said something like that making me think a zombie had entered the interwebs. I clicked the X to close the program, which of course installed the bleeping thing. I tried the faithful CTRL + ALT + DEL keys and discovered I lost Task Manager.

To sum it up, it’s a Monday morning and I lost my computer.

Yeah. Good times. The upshot is that my laptop has now been nuked. Wiped out. Toast.

But I am such a twenty-year plus veteran tech head, of course I saved my data on our network. Right? Well, no not quite everything. So that stuff is toast. I lost two projects in various stages of brilliance.

Did I mention that my brand new HTC Hero (an Android based smartphone), with 50+ apps and set up to my specs also decided to take a holiday to bricktown? Yeah, great day Monday was, so as we stand today (Thursday) the Hero had to get fully wiped–as did the laptop. But, I got an upgrade to Windows 7 so I have that working for me! Yeah me.

So, what does this have to do with training you ask?

There are so many aspects to creating and delivering training and presentations that inform and transform that sometimes we forget some essential training tech tricks that save our sanity. I like to think my bad day of tech inspired this list so that you may not have a day like my “Techfail” Monday.

Training Tech Tip One: If you need it, back it up.

Backing up your important data should be as automatic as the sun rising. You will always be thankful for backed up copies of your presentations, research, writing and photographs when your computer goes belly up–which it will when you least want it to do so. Make sure you do this on a regular basis. If you are a mobile trainer, you may want to back your stuff up in the cloud (as in applications and/or data that live on the web) and on a handy portable hard drive.

Now ask yourself: Do you have your vital training materials backed up? If so, could you reach them if you needed them while you are out of the office?

Training Tech Tip Two: Don’t cry over spilled anything.

Think of this as the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy tip. Don’t panic. Stuff happens. Everyone has had something unexpected happen while training. The room you booked for training is being used for a storeroom or extra office space. You will show up and no one remembers that you were coming that day, and no one is available for training, and can you come back next Thursday. Thanks. Goodbye.

Perhaps you will double confirm and show up at the wrong time, floor, building, street, town or state because someone left the trainer out of the loop. Perhaps the room is uncontrollably too hot/cold/moldy/drafty/sunny for you (and your participants) to be comfortable during four–days of training. Perhaps you are doing an all-day training on “Using the Internet for Beginners” and there is NO internet access whatsoever because of a fire early that morning. Roll with it and adapt. Remix on the fly.

Now ask yourself: Have you had a bad start to a training day followed by the one of your best trainings ever? Were you able to transform your tragedy into a learning opportunity for not only your learners but for yourself?

Training Tech Tip Three: Be prepared for technology to fail.

Being prepared for technology failure will save your bacon and make you look like the training deity that you are. Make sure that you could get across most if not all of your learning objectives without anything that uses electricity or batteries. Just you and your tools (voice, handouts, facilitation skills, adaptability, experience, flipcharts) and some time should be all you need to do your presentation in a pinch.

A very easy way is prepare for tech fail is to think about doing computer training without a computer. What would you say? How would you demonstrate certain skills or point things out? Would you want to have screen shots to hand out as back up plan? Detailed instructions on basic tasks participants could do back at their computers without you standing over them?

Now ask yourself: How would you deal with a technology failure while training? Would you be able to get across your training objectives without technology?

Training Tech Tip Four: If you think you need it, bring it.

Over the years, I’ve created my own technology kit for off site trainings.

The BGIMD Basic Training Technology Survival Kit©:

Computer stuff:

  • One 50 Foot Network Cord
  • One 25 foot Rotating Head Extension Cord
  • One/Two Surge protectors
  • 24 port hub
  • Projector
  • Laptop
  • USB 8 in one kit
  • USB hub

I also may throw in a small webcam and speakers if needed.

Boy Scout Stuff:

  • Extra Batteries for Remote Keyboard/Mouse/Presentation Remote
  • Flash Drive with Materials (if I am working outside of my home library system)
  • Healthy Snack Food (a low blood sugar trainer is a mean trainer)
  • Markers, pens and sometimes writing pads
  • An extra shirt or two to adapt to the crowd

Ask yourself: Do you have your own “training kit”? What’s in it? What do you always seem to need but forget to carry to a training site?

Training Tech Tip Five: Back that cloud up!

The cloud (as in applications and/or data that live on the web) is a great tool to organize and back up your information. You can use tools in the cloud to create training curricula; share materials and resources; bookmarks and links; all accessible from any computer with an internet connection. You may be able to eliminate all of your handouts or point trainees to a site with all of your class information in one handy place.

Just remember to have a copy of whatever you put in the cloud somewhere in real life. If you use a wikispace to create your content and that wikispace gets attacked your data could be wiped out. A more likely scenario is that your favorite cloud resource is purchased/goes bankrupt and you no longer have access to the data you created. Would that throw a wrench into your plans? Sure it would.

Now ask yourself: Do you have up-to-date copies of all of your cloud materials? Are you ready if your cloud service goes offline?

I hope these five tips and the follow up questions help you become better trainers and help you avoid a technology disaster. Have you survived techfail in training? Share your stories and tips in the comments!

Maurice Coleman (ALA Learning Bio) is a Trainer for the Harford County (MD) Public Library, Speaker, Consultant and Organizer/Producer of T is for Training, the Library Training Podcast.  He blogs when the mood hits at
The Chronicles of the (almost) Bald Technology Trainer and tweets a few times a day.

Maurice Coleman

Maurice Coleman, has been Technical Trainer at Harford County (MD) Public Library in North Eastern Maryland for the last 7 years. He has 20 years of experience training all ages how to sensibly use technology, computer hardware and software. He has also trained on effective technology planning and deployment, social media skills, nonprofit organizational development and fundraising, community organizing and presentation skills. He has presented at numerous conferences on topics such as digital personal branding, technology implementation, presentation and training skills, community development and effectively using social media. He hosts the library training podcast T is for Training and writes for the American Library Association’s LearnRT blog ALALearning. For his work he was named a 2010 Library Journal Mover and Shaker and received the Citizens for Maryland Libraries Davis McCarn Technology Award. You can find him on twitter @baldgeekinmd

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Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

8 Easy Ways to Get Connected With ALA Learning

February 1, 2010 By

I hope you enjoyed getting to know the ALA Learning authors these past few weeks. Tomorrow we return to our regularly scheduled posts bringing you the best training and learning news, information, best practices, and thoughtful discussion.

Today I’d like to share some additional ways for you to get connected with ALA Learning, the official blog of the Learning Round Table of the American Library Association.

  1. Comment and join the discussion on our posts.
  2. Become a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ALALearning
  3. Join our Linked In Group: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=2700921&trk=anet_ug_hm
  4. Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ALALearning
  5. Subscribe to our posts or news by RSS or email: http://alalearning.org/subscription-options/
  6. Join the Learning Round Table Email List: http://alalearning.org/about-the-learning-round-table/email-discussion-lists/
  7. Become a Learning Round Table Member–Only $20 on top of your ALA Membership: http://alalearning.org/join/
  8. Plan to join us for one of our events at PLA, ALA Annual, or ALA Midwinter.

As always feel free to comment and contribute to the discussion. If you have a topic to suggest for a post drop me (or any of the authors) a line at webmaster@alalearning.org.

Lori Reed

Lori Reed, Managing Editor of ALA Learning, has more than 15 years experience in training and is the Learning & Development Coordinator for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library where she oversees the learning & development of a diverse group of staff at twenty libraries. Lori’s passions are performance consulting, learning strategies, and e-learning. Lori is coauthor, with Paul Signorelli, of Workplace Learning and Leadership: A Handbook for Library and Nonprofit Trainers. Lori also blogs at LoriReed.com and can be reached at lori[at]lorireed.com.

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Stephanie Zimmerman’s Turn…

January 21, 2010 By

I will use the ORIGINAL 27 questions proposed for the T is for Training gang. Here goes (answers in bold)…

1) Your One Sentence Bio
A surrendering to something greater than myself mother and wife who likes to sing and is a training coordinator for a public library system.

2) Do you blog? If yes, how did you come up with your blog name?
Yes. I always warn the library-types I train that I am NOT a creative-type; I’m more of a math/science-type, and I don’t come up with very original stuff; hence, the name of this blog…

3) What is your professional background?
I have a BA in Social Work with a minor in Spanish and I almost finished a tech degree in Computer Information Systems. See question 21 for more details.

4) What training do you do? staff? patrons? types of classes?
Strictly staff/volunteers. Millennium ILS, Microsoft Office, Social Media, and anything else staff/volunteers need to use a computer for in our libraries.

5) What training do you think is most important to libraries right now
How to do advocacy well – something I know nothing about but can see is desperately needed.

6) Where do you get your training?
I LOVE webinars, especially the free variety as that works well with my current budget.

7) How do you keep up?
If only I could! I do my best through RSS (just made the switch from Bloglines to Google Reader last week and LOVE it), tweets, Facebook, Friendfeed, podcasts, video, flickr, etc.
8) (that’s supposed to be an 8, but the coding keeps putting a cool face with shades here, whatever!) What do you think are the biggest challenges libraries are facing right now?
Funding, funding, oh, and funding!

9) What are biggest challenges for trainers?
For underfunded and understaffed libraries to see the value of time/cost needed for training.

10) What exciting things are you doing training wise?
Currently working on being able to offer some e-learning Microsoft tutorials through CustomGuide.

11) What do you wish were you doing?
Wish I were home with my 2 beautiful girls. For a more work-related answer, I wish I could be training the public; the patrons, on all things technology with a focus on social media.

12) What would you do with a badger?
Stand at least twenty feet away from it. Wait, make that thirty feet.

13) What’s your favorite food?
Teff, an amazing Ethiopian grain. I gave up all forms of sugar, wheat and flour over 9 years ago and have discovered so many amazing foods.

14) If you were stranded on an island, what one thing would you want to have with you?
My family.

15) Do you know what happens when a grasshopper kicks all the seeds out of a pickle?
It’s left with a seedless pickle.

16) Post it notes or the back of your hand?
Post it notes – everywhere…

17) Windows or Mac?
Windows, but wish I weren’t.

18) Talk about one training moment you’d like to forget?
I had a training while working in private industry where we were shoved in a room big enough to hold a small round table and I had to train the president, vp and 2 other high ranking people (usually the hardest types to train as they usually have other people do everything for them) for 2 straight days; agony!

19) What’s your take on handshakes?
They are a necessary evil.

20) Global warming: yes or no
I’m afraid the answer is… yes.

21) How did you get into this line of work?
Feel free to read the twisted tale here.

22) What is the best part of your job?
Watching someones eyes grow big and hear them let out an “oooh” or an “ahhh” when they learn how to do something really cool or something that will save them TONS of time on a computer.

23) Why should someone else follow in your shoes?
I have to agree with Peter here and suggest people find their own pair of shoes.

24) Sushi or hamburger?
Neither thank you. Refer to question 13.

25) LSW or ALA?
LSW, it’s hip, it’s what I can afford, and it allows me to wear a cape when I’m in the mood.

26) What one person in the world do you want to have lunch with and why?
Mary, the mother of God, to ask her how she survived motherhood and how to cultivate unconditional love and acceptance.

27) What cell phone do you have and why?
A Motorola E815 I got over 5 years ago because it still works, I only use it for telephone calls, and I’m too broke to afford a data plan.

Stephanie Zimmerman

Stephanie Zimmerman is the Training Coordinator for the Library System of Lancaster County (Pennsylvania), a federated system with 14 member libraries, three branches and a bookmobile, which serves 490,562 residents. She designs and implements technology and development training and consulting to the member libraries. This includes training on Innovative’s Millennium Integrated Library System, Microsoft Office Applications, emerging technologies (i.e. social media) and various other areas. Her goal is to remove the fear of technology and help others to realize the amazing possibilities it provides. Teaching others to do things for themselves and see their excitement when they break through their barriers is her greatest reward. Stephanie has been a software trainer for 15 years. Her past employment involved training on federal and county government applications. She also worked for a private industry marketing company where she traveled across the country showing manufacturers and retailers in the consumer packaged goods industry how to use geodemographic targeting software. Always wanting to help others, Stephanie graduated from Millersville University (in Pennsylvania) cum laude with a BA in Social Work. She was also a student in the Computer Information Systems program at Harrisburg Area Community College. She is a member of ASTD (American Society of Training and Development). She is also a regular contributor to the T is for Training podcast which focuses on training in libraries. She was a trainer for WebJunction’s Spanish Language Outreach project and has done training for Commonwealth Libraries. She is grateful to have landed in the world of libraries. When she began her current job in January of 2004, there were no other library trainers in her immediate area. She turned to the social web to begin networking with other library trainers across the world and immediately realized her passion for social networking and social media. All of her continuing education has been done through these networks and she can’t help but push others to discover the immense opportunities available through online collaboration. Stephanie lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with her family which includes husband, Bill (a self-employed stay-at-home-dad) and two children (ages 2 and 4 months). When she’s not being Mommy, or working, you’ll most likely find her singing. Stephanie can be reached at szimmerman[at]lancasterlibraries.org.

Filed Under: The Training Life Tagged With: , , , ,

20 Questions for Just That Guy

January 20, 2010 By

1. Your One Sentence Bio
Just that guy.

2. Do you blog? If yes, how did you come up with your blog name?
Yes, but only on ALA Learning. I have much respect and admiration for the other authors here who run their own blogs or who are writing books. I think I must have a case of permanent writer’s block or something. I’ve been going by the online moniker Lawless Librarian for a while now. I believe in the rules – I just believe more strongly that they do not apply to me. Don’t tell my boss I said that!

3. What is your professional background?
I’m a library lifer. I started shelving books at the tender age of 15, and 15 years later, here I am. I’ve worn almost every conceivable public services hat, and I try to bring that diversity of knowledge to my current role as Training Manager.

4. What training do you do? staff? patrons? types of classes?
I do staff training in a blended learning environment. I’m the Inspector Gadget of library learning. It’s rare that I’ll find a concept, tool, or trick that I don’t want to apply to training. I subject my willing (and unwilling) guinea pigs to radioactive live and virtual ILT and neuron-nuking self-paced training. Training topics run the gamut: we have a new hire onboarding program where the Training Team and I will teach the fundamental skills necessary to work in the library. We also offer a ton of continuing education — roughly 80% online and 20% face-to-face – that covers topics of interest like customer service, readers’ advisory, and communication skills..

5. What training do you think is most important to libraries right now?
I think the most important training libraries need right now would be along the lines of helping staff members help customers who need help helping themselves. Try saying that three times fast.

6. Where do you get your training?
I steal it from little kids and old ladies. You might be next, so watch out. Seriously, I’m constantly online looking for supplemental learning assets. I’ve found great content from places like the Ken Blanchard Companies, SirsiDynix Institute, Webjunction, InfoPeople, and Training Zone. I often get inspiration and ideas from notable trainers like Elliot Masie and Bob Pike.

7. How do you keep up?
Rather poorly.

8. What do you think are the biggest challenges libraries are facing right now?
((Usage)^2 +(Funding)^-1) = NOT good

9. What are biggest challenges for trainers?
Budget. Learner engagement. Getting folks to realize that some performance issues are not training issues.

10. What exciting things are you doing training wise?
I’m currently working on my library’s second annual virtual staff day. Another exciting project I’m currently working on is teaching the basics of my library’s circulation guidelines using characters from the Street Fighter games. Hadoken!

11. What do you wish were you doing?
Running my own pizza shop in the mountains of Appalachia.

12. What would you do with a badger?
Give it dredlocks and parade it around town as my long-lost twin.
13. What’s your favorite food?
I’m not picky. You could give me bread and water every day and I’d be fine with it.

14. What’s your take on handshakes?
They’re a little gross, if ask me. Germs, germs, germs!

15. How did you get into this line of work?
A great mentor and happenstance.

16. What is the best part of your job?
I’ll echo what others have said here: it feels great to know that the things I do, no matter how big or small, can help staff members serve our community. How awesome is that?!

17. Why should someone else follow in your shoes?
Like shaking hands, following in someone else’s shoes is a little gross. Seriously, who knows where those feet have been? Buy your own pair.

18. Sushi or hamburger?
How about a sushi-burger, or some cow carcass-sushi?
19. LSW or ALA?
If by LSW you mean Lego Star Wars, then I’m with LSW.
20. What one person in the world do you want to have lunch with and why?
Axl Rose so I can learn how to do the snake dance. Yes, I’m still stuck in the 80s.

Jay Turner

Jay Turner, Training Manager at Gwinnett County Public Library in Georgia, is responsible for all aspects of learning and development for a staff of 300+ employees. He considers himself a lifelong student, and delights in sharing his passion for learning with anyone willing to listen (much to their chagrin!) He is a library lifer, who began working in libraries as a teen and has worn almost every conceivable public services hat since. Jay’s diversity of experience helps him develop and deliver solutions that are creative, practical, and effective. He is a self-proclaimed information and tech junkie, who gets his fix by playing in his “digital sandbox” with new tools and neat ideas to make learning more accessible, more flexible, and more fun across any medium. He can be reached at jayturner[at]comcast.net.

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Paul Signorelli’s “Getting To Know Me” Post

January 19, 2010 By

1.   Your One Sentence Bio
I was born; have been deeply immersed in writing, training-teaching-learning, and working with libraries and nonprofit organizations for many years; am honored to sometimes be mistaken for ALA Learning colleague Peter Bromberg when the two of us are lucky enough to be on Maurice Coleman’s T is for Training podcasts at the same; and plan to die someday—which, I believe, covers all bases.

2.   Do you blog? If yes, how did you come up with your blog name?
You’ll find me blogging here at ALA Learning and at Building Creative Bridges. I came up with the name because “Librarian In Black,” “Library Trainer,” and “(almost) Bald Trainer” were already taken by writers better than I’ll ever be, and Building Creative Bridges seemed like a good way to describe what I hoped to accomplish through the blog and everything else I’m doing.

3.   What is your professional background?
As far as I can tell, I’ve worked for newspapers, magazines, a couple of schools in Japan, the Monterey Peninsula Museum of Art, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and the San Francisco Public Library system, and with a variety of other groups and organizations, but if you’ve heard differently, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

4.   What training do you do? staff? patrons? types of classes?
My position as Director, Volunteer Services & Staff Training for the San Francisco Public Library system had me providing orientations, software introductions and updates, and other learning opportunities for staff and volunteers; current training-teaching-learning efforts include writing e-learning courses for Infopeople and LE@D (Lifelong Education @ Desktop)–http://www.leadonline.info/–and conducting workshops at professional conferences.
 
5. What training do you think is most important to libraries right now?
We need to be combining sessions on practical matters (software upgrades, customer service, leadership and collaboration skills, conflict resolution, health and safety issues) with inspirational/visionary/long-term matters (how to continue serving library members and guests on site and online, maintaining libraries as on-site and online community centers, becoming collaborators with members of the communities we serve rather than one-way providers of information and services).
 
6.   Where do you get your training?
For training-learning, I try everything I can think of, including conversations with colleagues; on-site and online workshops and courses; blogs/RSS feeds; books; journals, magazines, and newspapers; webinars; conferences; speakers at ASTD (American Society for Training & Development) and ALA (American Library Association) meetings and conferences—and I’m sure that’s only about half the list.

7.   How do you keep up?
Keep up?

8.  What do you think are the biggest challenges libraries are facing
right now?
One of the many large challenges is to recognize and respond to their increasingly huge role in being learning centers for their local and online communities while not abandoning any of the important and life-changing roles their members and guests still expect them to fulfill. 

9.   What are biggest challenges for trainers?
All too often, we have training-teaching-learning as part of our job rather than as the entire focus of our job, which leads to lots of half-finished projects, lots of stress for everyone, and less than optimum learning opportunities; focusing on our own continuing education and our primary roles as workplace learning and performance providers might be the best lesson-by-example that we can provide to colleagues whose workplace focus is equally divided to their own detriment and the detriment of those they serve. 

10.   What exciting things are you doing training wise?
Trying to be creative face-to-face and online in the way I respond to learners’ needs: delivering a synchronous online learning opportunity through live Google Chat, for example, was a fun distance-learning experiment with a University of Nevada, Las Vegas colleague and his class in October 2009.

11.   What do you wish you were doing?
Writing; oh, wait, I am writing.

12.   What would you do with a badger?
Teach it to use Google Chat so it could more effectively participate in synchronous online learning opportunities.

13.   What’s your favorite food?
Pizza.  Purchased somewhere in NY, NJ or the Philly area.  If you’re not buying pizza in one of these geographic areas it’s not really pizza.  Sorry, it’s not.  (OK, an exception for Chicago deep-dish.  As long as you qualify it.)

14.   If you were stranded on an island, what one thing would you want
to have with you?
A confirmed flight back to the mainland.

15.   Do you know what happens when a grasshopper kicks all the seeds
out of a pickle?
I live in San Francisco; can someone tell me what a grasshopper is?

16.   Post it notes or the back of your hand?
No, thanks.

17.    Windows or Mac?
OK, but definitely not on the first date.

18.   Talk about one training moment you’d like to forget?
Can’t remember; must be an occupational hazzard since at least one other ALA Learning colleague has responded similarly.

19.   What’s your take on handshakes?
A handshake is certainly a pleasant way to avoid open warfare in a learning environment.

20.   Global warming: yes or no?
Best response I’ve seen is Jill Sobule’s “happy song about global warming”; who am I to argue?

21.   How did you get into this line of work?
My supervisor at the time told me I had to take over the organization’s staff training program if I was going to keep my job; I found that to be tremendously motivating.

22.   What is the best part of your job?
Being part of what ASTD refers to as the effort to “create a world that works better.”

23.   Why should someone else follow in your shoes?
This question reminds me of a story from Martin Buber’s Tales of the Hasidism, which I will now paraphrase to the best of my recollection. The gist of it: Samuel, a very devout man who is struggling to be good in the eyes of the Lord, approaches the Rabbi and asks, “Rabbi, should I try to be more like Moses or more like Abraham?”  The Rabbi replies, “Rather than trying to be more like Moses, or more like Abraham, the Lord would be pleased if you tried to be more like Samuel.” And that’s all I have to say about that.

24.   Sushi or hamburger?
Depends on who is asking.

N.B.: Special thanks to Peter Bromberg for allowing me to insert, verbatim, his answers to questions #13 and #23 here. I figured if I couldn’t match his responses for cleverness, I might as well just outright steal them and see if I could further confuse colleagues about which of us is speaking (please see response to question #1, above).

Paul Signorelli

Paul Signorelli is a writer, trainer, presenter, and consultant based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He works with clients to successfully facilitate the introduction of new technology into organizations; prepares and presents webinars and other online and onsite learning opportunities for a variety of clients; is actively involved in ALA and ASTD; continues to prepare articles for "American Libraries," the eLearning Guild's "Learning Solutions Magazine," and other publications; and co-wrote "Workplace Learning & Leadership" with Lori Reed for ALA editions. Paul can be reached at paul@paulsignorelli.com.

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Welcome Sarah Houghton-Jan to ALA Learning

January 18, 2010 By

Please welcome Sarah Houghton-Jan, Digital Futures Manager for the San José Public Library, to the ALA Learning blog. Sarah is author of the librarianinblack.net blog and was named a 2009 Library Journal Mover & Shaker. She is a well-traveled consultant, speaker, and writer, and has been published widely in both library and technology publications.

We are thrilled to have Sarah join our team!

Lori Reed

Lori Reed, Managing Editor of ALA Learning, has more than 15 years experience in training and is the Learning & Development Coordinator for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library where she oversees the learning & development of a diverse group of staff at twenty libraries. Lori’s passions are performance consulting, learning strategies, and e-learning. Lori is coauthor, with Paul Signorelli, of Workplace Learning and Leadership: A Handbook for Library and Nonprofit Trainers. Lori also blogs at LoriReed.com and can be reached at lori[at]lorireed.com.

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Twenty Questions with Bobbi Newman

January 14, 2010 By

1. Your One Sentence Bio

  • I’m not that kind of librarian.

2. Do you blog? If yes, how did you come up with your blog name?

  • Yes, I blog at Librarian by Day. The name is a reference to Barbara Gordon and the all the non-traditional roles librarians fill these days.

3. What is your professional background?

  • I’ve worked in libraries since I was 16.  Before I got my MLS I worked with engineers, and my first job after graduating was working with engineers, for some of you this may explain a lot. :-)

4. What training do you do? staff? patrons? types of classes?

  • Staff, patron, and other libraries that ask me to in a wide range of subjects – reference in the digital age, social media, web 2.0, gaming, time management, tech tools etc

5. What training do you think is most important to libraries right now

  • We need to step up staff training, every staff member should feel comfortable offering basic assistance with any service or technology the library offers.

6. Where do you get your training?

  • Anywhere I can! conferences, webinars, colleagues etc.

7. How do you keep up?

  • My feed reader, Twitter and Facebook.

8. What do you think are the biggest challenges libraries are facing right now?

  • We need to shift our foundations so change is easier and faster.

9. What are biggest challenges for trainers?

  • shortage of staff, time, money and in some cases the unwillingness of trainees

10. What exciting things are you doing training wise?

  • The library has a gadget garage that the FIT (Future Innovation & Technology) Committee is working with to help staff become familiar with new tools, investigate potential new services and circulation to patrons.

11. What do you wish were you doing?

  • more training for everyone

12. What would you do with a badger?

  • feed it chocolate cake

13. What’s your favorite food?

  • Italian

14. What’s your take on handshakes?

  • firm is a must

15. How did you get into this line of work?

  • by luck & love

16. Why is the best part of your job?

  • making a difference, see “it” click whatever “it” is

17. Why should someone else follow in your shoes?

  • I’m going to have to agree with Pete on this one – blaze your own trail

18. Sushi or hamburger?

  • depends

19. LSW or ALA?

  • both

20. What one person in the world do you want to have lunch with and why?

  • Barack Obama I heard him speak when he was campaigning and it was amazing, I’d just like to have a conversation with him

Bobbi Newman

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Marianne’s Day in the Library

January 13, 2010 By

When asked to write an introductory post I knew that my answers to 27 questions could never measure up with the others that had been posted, so I thought I’d let my new camera do it for me. Bobbi Newman’s fabulous Library Day in the Life Project is coming round again soon for Round Four,  and she didn’t mind that I get a bit of a jump-start and use the format for this spiel.  This time I’m using a Flickr Slideshow, if you’ll view it full screen and check for descriptions under Options or at Flickr you’ll get my notes for each image…

I’m so fortunate to love what I do and that I get to learn from other people, here,  doing much the same thing.  I’m looking forward to reading the rest of my fellow contributor’s biographical posts and the upcoming Library Day in the Life pieces, all to connect us just a little bit more.

Marianne Lenox, Staff & Volunteer Coordinator
Huntsville Madison County Public Library

Marianne Lenox

As the Staff Training & Volunteer Coordinator for the Huntsville - Madison County Public Library in Alabama, Marianne is responsible for planning, directing, maintaining and implementing a comprehensive staff training and volunteer program for her library. She consistently strives to provide learning opportunities, professional information and technical training to ensure both better library service and the professional development of the Library’s staff and volunteers.

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