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 Contact: Brian Oberle (Anne Arundel County Public Libraries), boberle@aacpl.net; Audrey Schadt (Salisbury University), ahschadt@salisbury.edu; or Tim Van Fleet (Anne Arundel County Public Library), tvanfleet@aacpl.net .

Learn more about MLA on their website www.mdlib.org

ALA and MLA annual conferences 2017 - EPFL deadlines for funding requests

Here are the deadlines for applying to the MLA or ALA annual conferences.

If you are interested in attending the MLA/DLA conference from May 10 - 12, 2017 at the Hyatt-Chesapeake in Cambridge, MD, your completed paperwork must in the SD&T office by Friday, February 3, 2017.

If you wish to attend the ALA annual conference from June 22-27, 2017 in Chicago, IL, your completed paperwork must in the SD&T office by Friday, February 10, 2017.

All paperwork must be original, signed, and complete to be considered "on time," and on the SD&T Coordinator's desk by the end of the day on the date listed above.  Any late or incomplete paperwork will receive limited or no funding for the event.

Registration and other information is not yet available for these conferences, but we wanted to put the deadlines out now.  We will provide reminders and further information as the information becomes available.

Learning 2016 - some misc. thoughts and facts

Learning 2016

Orlando, FL

October 23-26

The Learning conferences are designed for training and learning professionals, and focuses on issues surrounding workplace learning.  This was the 26^th year of the conference, and there were 207 breakout sessions offered, as well as 6 general sessions.  Attending the conference were 1639 learning professionals who support over 30 million employees worldwide.  Maryland Libraries sent 9 staff to the conference from 7 different systems.

The themes for this year were innovation, storytelling, and the panorama of learning. 

Here are some interesting and random ideas from the conference:

• People need power skills – deep thinking, advanced communication, and problem solving
• Leadership is a habit and people have to change their habits, this requires repletion and practice
• Multi-tasking is a myth, we cannot do more than one thing at a time
• 20% of the U.S. workforce lack HS Diploma = 40 million people
• Job rotations provide stretch assignments and cross-functional learning opportunities
• Our brains are wired to love pictures, 50% of your brain is involved in visual processing and interpretation, images process 60x faster than anything else in our brain
• In space, they use Greenwich Mean time

One final thought:  the average attention span of humans is 8 seconds, and goldfish have a 9 second attention span.

Lisa Kenyon

Staff Development and Training

Core 4 -- A Conference in the Crescent City

Beignets, beads, Bourbon Street debauchery, and...breakthrough learning.  Ok, so I didn’t actually feel the need to hit up Bourbon St., having done that in my more tender undergraduate years, and sadly, I didn’t make it to Cafe du Monde to partake of their famous flaky french doughnuts, but I did learn about breakthrough learning techniques and other concepts related to instructional design and training facilitation during the 2 1/2 days I spent at the ATD Core 4 Conference in New Orleans, LA.   

    

The conference is designed for HR professionals, curriculum designers, corporate trainers, nonprofit facilitators, teachers -- really anyone who has anything to do with professional development in any type of organization.  As a SLRC Librarian I deliver a variety of face-to-face and virtual trainings, and I attended ATD with the goal of absorbing new ideas.

So, what did I learn?

• It takes A LOT of time simply to design effective training.  According to research by Brian Chapman,  it takes anywhere between 22 and 82 hours to create 1 hour of instructor-led classroom learning.  Developing 1 hour of basic e-learning from scratch takes an average of 49 hours.    

• Avoiding “death by powerpoint” is a must, and visual design play a huge role.    Playing with font styles, shapes, and types of imagery creates appealing slides, and as Connie Malamed pointed out in her session on “Crash Course on Visual Design,” aesthetic appeal actually leads to greater learning.

• Learning styles are a big lie.  Ok, not totally but several presenters referred to recent research that suggests it’s less important to focus on individual learning styles and more meaningful to provide variety in your training because most people learn best by using a combination of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic techniques.  While we’re on the topic of theory, having a grasp of adult learning theory is super important.  When designing training,  adults often want to know WIIFM (What’s In It For Me), or how this is going to immediately and practically impact them.  Also, they often appreciate opportunities to share their life experiences during learning events as well as relate newly acquired knowledge and skills to previous knowledge.    

• Action mapping is a useful instructional design strategy that helps  trainers avoid the all too common “information dump” presentation.  The 4 step method involves 1.) identifying the goal, 2.) identifying what actions (not necessarily knowledge) people need to do to accomplish the goal,  3.) designing practice activities, and 4.) identifying the minimum information people need to complete each activity.   Maybe it’s not totally practical in all library learning contexts but if you’re like me, you’ll try anything to keep your participants from snapchatting and playing Angry Birds during your trainings.   

• Games are a great learning tool to integrate into training and instruction.  No, wait games are distracting and bad. Ok, so both things can be true.   Games are ok if they facilitate successful learning outcomes (I played a friendly competitive game of Jeopardy to find out how much technical lingo I already knew about e-learning), but don’t throw them in with no strategy and call it “engagement.”  Then it just becomes what presenter termed “clicky clicky bling bling,” just for looks.      

• The New World Kirkpatrick Model  used for training evaluation is super useful and super hard to implement.   Measuring level 1 (learners’ reaction to training) and level 2 (if and how much learners’ actually learn during training) is totally doable, but it becomes much harder when we try and measure how training changes behavior (Level 3) and how it influences outcomes (Level 4). Oh,  the ever present challenge of assessment.   No magic answers here, but some good food for thought.  

Speaking of food,  I did sneak out of the hotel one day between sessions to enjoy a classic muffaletta from the world-famous Central Grocery and a view of the muddy Mississippi.   It was yet another breakthrough learning experience, I promise.  

Emily Sachs

Information Services

Ghost Walkers of EPFL

Fourteen staff members put aside their doubts to explore Mt. Vernon in search of ghosts.  Our guide Rob, from Baltimore Ghost Tours, led us from the Belvedere to Eager Street to the Washington Monument and finally to Mount Vernon Place.

Along the way we learned a bit about the history of Baltimore, a bit about architecture, and a bit about the residents who loved the area so much they never left.

From society ladies who kept monkeys, to gallant ghostly gentlemen, the spirits of Mount Vernon's past came alive (so to speak) for the participants.

We also met some interesting people along the way, including one person who just bought an apartment that was included on the tour.  He apparently did not know the history of the house, but said that he thought it was "creepy" from the moment he bought it.

Some of the participants shared bits of history or tales of their own, but the bright sunny day made it hard to believe in visitors from the other side.

Everyone was left to decide for themselves whether the stories were true, or just stories.

ALA mid-winter deadline is Friday, October 7

If you wish to attend the ALA mid-winter conference in Atlanta, you must have your original completed and signed paperwork to SD&T by Friday, October 7, 2016.   

Your goals and intentions statement must clearly state why you should attend, and if you attended last year you should include examples of how you used the information you gained at last year's conference.

If you are approved for funding, you will receive confirmation your funding amounts the week of the 10th.  If your paperwork is received after October 7, you may received limited or no funding.  

If you have questions about completing the forms, instructions are available on the SD&T blog - forms page  or you can call the SD&T office.     http://learning.prattlibrary.org/p/forms.html 

ALA 2016 - Libraries and Community

ALA Annual placed a large focus on inclusion of patrons from all walks of our communities, whether or not they fit into our majority demographic. From collection development practices to programming development, attendees were encouraged to listen and learn from their patrons.

I attended so many inspiring programs, but my top three were:

• We Need Diverse Books and More: This panel - which included authors and scholars - discussed best practices for creating a truly diverse collection of voices in YA and children’s departments. Librarians were encouraged to investigate books for authenticity and strive to include characters who have intersectional identities.
• Literacy Inside and Out: When one member of a family is incarcerated, it has a lasting effect on the entire family. How can we serve our community members during and after incarceration? One excellent program idea came from the Hennepin County Library: their program, Read to Me, allows incarcerated parents read a children’s book and record it on a disc for their child.
• YALSA’s President’s Program: Grant recipients presented inclusive programs they created for young adults, including teen parents, GLBTAQ youth, and teens who are blind.

If I had to choose one key piece of advice that echoed throughout every program, it is the importance of building your library according to your entire community. While we think we know what our community wants, we should never assume we’re doing the right thing. No event should be planned without input from your target audience; creating space for dialogue and listening without judgment is the key to creating lasting community relationships.

Rebecca Starr

Information Services

ALA 2016 - 3D Printing: Programs and Partnerships

I enjoyed my time at the ALA Annual Conference in Orlando, FL. I attended engaging and thought provoking workshops during this year’s conference. For me the 3D Printing: Programs and Partnerships session really stood out. The workshop focused on the basics of 3D printing and offered program ideas that were unique.

Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library has a variety of programs that include animation, robotics, cosplay design, fashion, and host of other examples. They offered great ideas for programs. They also spoke about partnering with their area community college and even connecting with an animation studio to show their preteens and teens how their current projects could lead to other educational opportunities and careers. Their unique programs were great examples of how to integrate 3D printing into current programs. They also offered tangible ways to invite community members into libraries to enrich the experience of local teens.

Zandra Campbell
Orleans Street Branch

ALA no longer bundling registration

Found this today on the ALA website:

Starting with this Midwinter Meeting, we’re introducing a new way to reward people who register for both Midwinter and the Annual Conference & Exhibition in any given year. After the 2017 Midwinter Meeting, registrants will receive a personalized discount code applicable to Annual Conference registration. The discount code will be valid through noon (Central), February 15, 2017. (The discount will be equivalent to the past Bundle Registration savings.)

Midwinter Meeting registrants will have access to Annual Conference registration and housing on February 1st, 24 hours before those open to everyone else, and will be given plenty of advance notice of their priority registration date and time.

Why the change? Many reasons, but first and foremost, to make it possible for more members to save money. Under the old program, after September, there was no opportunity for members who, for fiscal or budget reasons, may not have been able to take advantage of the opportunity to bundle. This new way of discounting registration will allow anyone who attended Midwinter to earn the discount. The old system also presented challenges with opening and closing the system and tracking data between registration and housing. The new system eliminates those challenges and should provide members a better experience. The usual blocks of housing will be reserved. Everyone will now need to register separately for each conference, and we recognize that for some people, this will be less convenient. We hope that the improved efficiency of priority housing and the greater flexibility of discounts for attendees of both events will help mitigate any inconvenience. Be assured that we’ll evaluate this new approach to see how it works in 2017.

For more information and details:  http://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/bundle

“When Bad Things Happen to Good Librarians”

This library training has been developed to help front-line library workers better serve patrons with mental illness and/or developmental disabilities. The training was created using input from focus groups consisting of public library staff members, mental health consumers and mental health professionals. The content of the program reflects many hours of collaboration and interaction between Department of Mental Health (DMH) librarians and the "in-the-trenches" front-line workers of many Missouri libraries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zACEc4f-Cxc

Learning Portfolios

A Learning Portfolio is a self-directed, independent study of a subject that is relevant to the staff member’s job requirements and/or duties.  The topic of the portfolio is selected by the staff member, in consultation with her/his supervisor, and completed within a set time frame.  The portfolios are an excellent way for staff to acquire knowledge of subjects where there is no formal course or ready made instruction available for the person to learn/acquire knowledge on that subject.  Portfolios are also a great way for staff to study subjects that are relevant to their specific duties or needs, or on topics which might not be of interested to the staff as a whole.

The Learning Portfolio Instructions document provides the information needed to complete a Learning Portfolio.  There are two parts to the process, and signatures from the supervisor and staff development coordinator are required for both.  Part 1 is a planning process.  Part 2 is a completion process that includes an Activities and Resources Log. This study must be approved by the staff member’s supervisor and the staff development coordinator of their library system

Although multiple Learning Portfolios may be completed during the 5 year period, a maximum of 40 total hours can be used, with a minimum of 1 hour and a maximum of 20 hours on any single Learning Portfolio.

Completed portfolios will be posted on the staff development coordinators wiki site, and will accessible by staff statewide.

The Process: 

• Staff member decides on a topic and schedules a brief meeting with immediate supervisor to determine if topic is appropriate and relevant to the staff member’s responsibilities or areas of interest.
• If topic is approved by supervisor, the staff member then completes the Learning Portfolio Plan, following the instructions on form.  The staff member then meets with the supervisor to review the information and receive feedback from the supervisor.  Once the staff member and supervisor agree on the project, the supervisor signs the form and then forwards the paperwork to the Staff Development and Training Coordinator. 
• The SD&T Coordinator reviews the Portfolio Plan, and (if necessary) contacts the staff member with questions or suggestions.  If revision is required, the forms will be returned to the staff member and then re-submitted to SD&T.  If revision is not required, the SD&T Coordinator will sign the form and send the original back to the staff member.  A copy of the paperwork will be retained in the SD&T files.
• Staff member begins and completes the project according to the approved timeline.
• Staff member meets with the supervisor to review completed project, and supervisor signs the completion form. The staff member then creates the “Official Record of Continuing Education Activity” form (CEU).
• The signed form and supporting documents are sent to the SD&T Coordinator for approval.  If the Coordinator has questions or concerns about the project, a meeting may be scheduled with the staff member and/or supervisor.  The Coordinator signs the completion form and returns the signed original to the staff member.  A copy of the paperwork will be retained in the SD&T files.
• The staff member will include the title of the activity on the appropriate “Full Record of Earned Continuing Education Units” form as part of the re-certification paperwork.

Librarians and library associates in Maryland can chose to create a Learning Portfolio as an additional means of earning contact hours to meet their continuing education requirements.  

Guidelines for Goals and Intentions Statements

If you are going to request funding for a conference or outside learning event, you need to submit the "Request for Authorization for Leave and-or Expenses to Attend" form (354).  Along with this form, you must submit a "Goals and Intentions Statement," that explains why you want to attend this event.

Your statement may be brief, but should include the following:

1.)    What is the purpose/focus of the conference or training?  Who is the intended audience?  Put this in your own words and connect it to the library, don’t just copy and paste from the website (1-2 sentences are usually fine).  

2.)    Why do you wish to attend the event?   How is it relevant to your job and/or the library?  How will the library benefit from your attendance?  What skills/ideas do you expect to gain from attendance that will improve your job performance and/or customer service? (this section should be the longest and contain the most detail).  Avoid statements that would be true of any attendee at any conference (e.g. “at this conference I’ll represent the Pratt library”) and focus on why YOU should attend this particular event.

You might include:

• Experiences/information gained from prior years' attendance that you have used in your job.  If this is your first time attending you might include information you received from others who attended or what you expect to bring back from the event.
• Specific information/training offered at the event that you cannot receive elsewhere.
• Lists of specific sessions at the event which are relevant to your job, or which prompted your request to attend.
• If committee service is part of your request, you need clearly describe the committee and its goals, and explain how service on this committee benefits the library, the staff, or our customers. 
• If you are a member of the sponsoring organization, or have a membership that entitles you to a discount in registration or other fees, include this information and your membership number in your statement. 

Remember that the goal of this statement is to give the reasons why you wish to attend the conference and how the library staff or customers will benefit from your attendance.   Be specific.  

If you have any questions about your statement,

please contact Staff Development and Training before you submit your paperwork.

Why is Professional Development Important for Librarians and Library Associates?

The continuing education requirement for public librarians and library associates in the state of Maryland is part of the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) under Title 13A.05.04.02, and is the process is the responsibility of the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).  Certification is required not only for employment as a librarian/library associate in Maryland, but also for participation in the retirement system.

So this tells us the technical “why,” but not the actual “why” of library professional development.  Often, staff are so focused on the numbers (hours, due dates) that they forget why the requirement is there in the first place.  Professional development and continuing education are crucial to improving library related skills and to the development of the staff member as a professional:  

Education for the contemporary professional no longer ends with diploma, if it ever did. It has been recognized that continuing education strengthens not only knowledge and skills necessary for competent performance but also values and attitudes necessary for the service orientation of a profession.[1]

The ever-changing role of the library requires that the staff also be ever-changing, and ever-improving.  Some estimates show that human knowledge is doubling every 13 months[2], and between 600,000 and 1,000,000 books published every year in the US[3].  The need to learn new technologies, stay relevant, and restructure services based on the needs of our customers requires ongoing professional development. 

Instead of fixating on the number of hours needed, librarians and library associates should focus on gaining knowledge, updating skills, remaining “abreast of trends and developments in the field”[4], and improving both technical and inter-personal skills.  By recognizing that training and development is a “crucial element in ensuring positive user experiences within libraries,”[5]  staff can explore learning as a means of becoming better professionals.  We don’t take classes to get hours; we get hours to remind us that we need to take classes!  

Of course, we have the yearly Full Record reports and SD&T staff to help ensure that you stay on track with your hours, but if our librarians and library associates are constantly improving skills and pursuing educational opportunities, then the 90 hour requirement should take care of itself. 

---

[1] Hurych, J. quoted in http://conference.ifla.org/past-wlic/2011/200-cooke-en.pdf

[2] Schilling, David Russell http://www.industrytap.com/knowledge-doubling-every-12-months-soon-to-be-every-12-hours/

[3] Morgan, Nick.  http://www.forbes.com/sites/nickmorgan/2013/01/08/thinking-of-self-publishing-your-book-in-2013-heres-what-you-need-to-know/

[4] Cooke, Nicole A. http://conference.ifla.org/past-wlic/2011/200-cooke-en.pdf

[5] Lockhart, Janine and Sulaiman Majal http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1134&context=iatul

City of Baltimore Registration Form and Process

If you are interested in taking one of the classes offered by the City DHR, you need to print the registration form, complete the first page, and get your supervisor to sign, and then send it to SD&T.  If the relevance of the class to your position is not obvious, you also need to submit a goals and intentions statement as well.

The form can be found here:

 http://humanresources.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/Registration_Form_0318_0.pdf

As always, if you have questions contact SD&T.

MLA/DLA 2016 Conference Notes - Unleashing Staff Potential

I attended a program at MLA called “Unleashing Staff Potential” which was presented by Beth Roszkowski and Megan Hunt, from George Mason University.  The presenters created a program where staff members dedicate 1 hour per week to a training that is related to their interests or their job. 

Staff members chose their own training and meet with their supervisors each week for 15 minutes to discuss what they did in the previous week and what they want to do in the next week.  The training was built into their schedules to ensure that it was done, and done while they were at work.  The employees were responsible for identifying trainings that interest them and supervisors also made recommendations.

Their staff is obviously significantly smaller than ours, and this wouldn’t work as a mandatory program right now, but I thought could be a useful model for our staff.

If each of our librarians and library associates did 1 hour of training every other week, or 2 hours per month, then they could easily make their re-certification goal without having to attend day long trainings or leave their locations.  This would be particularly useful in departments that may be understaffed or in smaller braches where staff have difficulty attending classes.  If the librarians and LAs did an hour every week (allowing for vacations and holidays) they could meet the re-certification goal in under 2 years.

Likewise, staff interested in increasing their skills or moving into higher positions could use this model to learn skills that would make them better candidates when these positions become available.  Managers who are interested in developing the skills of their employees might also want to think about this model when creating performance plans.

Just something to think about, and it would be an easy way to get training and explore your interests.

Lisa R. Kenyon

SD&T

MLA/DLA 2016 Conference Notes - Desk Yoga

About 63 conference attendees took the chance to unplug and De-Stress with Desk Yoga on Friday Morning, May 6.  Everyone did a great job of listening and moving thorough a series of short seated and standing routines, demonstrating everyone's ability to refresh during the work day using a break or lunch period without wearing spandex, learning Sanskrit, or standing on our heads. 

Participants learned 

1. 4 quick ways to calm and activate using simple breathing techniques 

2. Easy routines to be completed during a 5, 15, 30, or 45 minute break  

3. DIY ways to address work day stiffness or discomfort in the head and neck, back, arms and hands

4. A 5 - 7 minute deep rest period that relaxes each part of the body

Valerie Diamond

Collection Management

If you would like copies of the handouts from the class, please email Valerie at vdiamond@prattlibrary.org

MLA/DLA 2016 Conference Notes - Homelessness and Libraries

At MLA/DLA conference I attended two workshops, "Best Practices for Serving the Homeless" and "Improving Library Service for Our Homeless Patrons," about library service to the homeless. These workshops were excellent presentations, which helped participants understand that homelessness is a complicated social problem. Library's can help by providing information, programming and a welcoming attitude.

"The Homeless" is  a term frequently used as a catch all for customers who are not blending in with the typical user population. It covers a range of behaviors such as coming to the library as frequently as all day, every day, bringing a large amount of personal belongings, attempting to sleep in the library and more. Their problems include joblessness, housing insecurity, homelessness, mental health issues, addiction, no facilities to maintain personal hygiene and exposure during extreme weather.

The pre-conference workshop began with  a presentation by David Prittle, a formerly homeless  advocate for the homeless in the DC area. Sharing his story gave a human face to the complicated problem of homelessness. Participants in the workshop took the opportunity to ask “Why do the homeless not go to shelters?” , "what did you read?" "Did you ask the library staff for help?"and other practical questions. In Mr. Prittle's experience, the library was a peaceful safe place as long as he did not fall asleep too often. Eventually he was asked to leave the library.

Librarians need to raise awareness that our customers who are under stress need information and assistance from the library staff, although they may not know to ask staff directly for help. Policies must welcome all members of the community. The public areas need to be managed fairly.  Library policies should always consider how to create/maintain access to the library by all members of the community.

What helps  homeless/stressed community members?

Inclusive Programming – customers who are experiencing stress such as homelessness do not feel invited to typical programs. Scheduling Adult programing in day time helps. Fun programs are appreciated.  Movie screenings, chess boards, Art classes for adults and even “Meet the Staff” style programs are successful.  Staff may have to encourage attendance with specific verbal invitations to individuals. Job hunting and work skills oriented programming is appreciated. Programming such as health screenings and “Lawyer in the Library” are very useful to customers who have many needs.

What hurts the homeless/stressed community members?

In some cases, well intended policies may prevent community members from using the library. All libraries need to have policies which allow them to issue library cards to customers who have no fixed address. All policies that are implemented need to be applied equally at all library users. [For example, if the book club members can eat in the public areas of the library, so can every other customer.]  Policies that target specific sectors of the community can hinder positive service attitudes of the staff towards the community.

What can Librarians do?

Librarians can review proposed and existing policies to consider how the policies impact the entire community. Library staff may need training to recognize (and respond to) information needs that customers do not articulate clearly.  Staff may need to adopt a less formal style; for example, actively invite community members to attend daytime adult programming. Library staff should also be aware of the wide variety of help that is available in the community. This is a challenge.  Resources, organizations and social service programs are constantly changing. There is no one resource for all our customer’s needs.

Sarah Kuperman

Collection Management

MLA/DLA 2016 Conference Notes -- SOLID Conference Discussion

During the session "Lessons From Non-Library Conferences," Scott Reinhart & Bob Kuntz from the Carroll County Public Library shared some very interesting technology innovations from the SOLID Conference.  Some notable examples included the following: 

• custom 3D printed cell phone cases available through vending machines in Japan
• an electronic "smart plate" that keeps track of your eating habits and calorie intake
• 3D printed automobile chassis made from carbon fiber.  (This was an example of using technology to create products locally.)

Mr. Reinhart & Mr. Kuntz discussed how the field of biology is influencing technology in the notion that "binary diversity" can potentially help improve computer security and how DNA may be used as a high capacity storage unit in the future.  The presentation provided an insider's glimpse into some of the innovations from Silicon Valley that could impact society in general and library service specifically.

Greg Fromme
Herring Run Branch

MLA/DLA 2016 Conference Notes - Beyond Session Attendance

Since I’ve been going to MLA for a few years now as a Conference Committee member, I’d like to talk about some of the other aspects of MLA I’ve found valuable, especially as a SLRC outreach provider.

Presenting

Jeanne, Ray, and I organized a panel on outreach to adults titled “Connecting Resources: Becoming a Link to Local Industries.” We had very good attendance (exact numbers TBD), and I received two requests for SLRC services on the spot with a third following a few days later. There is often a lack of understanding for what SLRC does, and while that was not the central topic of the panel, it gave us a chance to explain what we do to a statewide audience. Also, I think I get CEUs for my own presentation?

Volunteering

This was my fifth (maybe sixth?) MLA conference, though it was my first year volunteering at the registration table. One of the main reasons I go to MLA is to network with other librarians in the state and learn directly from the source about the new things happening in their regions. Volunteering at the registration table turned out to be by far the best way to do this. Not only did I get to see all of the attendees I already knew, but I was also able to meet several new people via the other volunteers working at the table. I was able to coordinate with my co-presenters, field questions about SLRC services, and ask about upcoming presentations. I can’t even remember the number of business cards I received. I found it an extremely valuable two hours of my life and I highly recommend it.

Vendor Presentations

MLA is a smaller conference and the vendor presentations are often poorly attended as a result. I attended three presentations: OverDrive, a library architectural firm, and a bilingual teen magazine “Motivos.” I was able to ask direct questions about their services and hear about the new and upcoming features (especially in the case of OverDrive).

Aryn Dagirmanjian

Social Science and History Department

MLA/DLA 2016 Conference Notes - "Legal Resources for Public Librarians"

I took an informative course called "Legal Resources Training for Public Librarians." Many of the poor and indigent come to the public library looking for legal information. Often they expect us to know the answers to the legal questions they seek. As librarians, we cannot give legal advice, but we should be able to provide good resources. Please keep in mind that there is a misperception that the poor have access to free representation in court; this is only true in regards to criminal matters, not civil. It is our duty to help them as best we can.

With that in mind, here are some good online sources:

• Maryland Courts.  mdcourts.gov.   Best starting place.
• The Maryland People's Law Library.  peoples-law.org.  Think "Wikipedia" for Maryland law - but maintained by the Maryland State Law Library. Try the "Get Help" link.
• Google Scholar.  scholar.google.com   Best for finding cases nationwide and for legal articles.
• Maryland State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Services.   msba.org/public/lawyer-referral.aspx    For finding a lawyer.
• Code of Maryland (aka Michie's)  https://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/mdcode/  In case you don't have it in print at your location.
• Maryland Legal Aid. http://www.mdlab.org/   Private, non-profit law firm providing free legal services to low-income people statewide.
• Family Law Assistance. http://mdcourts.gov/family/familylawassistance.html    Family Services Programs & Self-Help Centers

Morgan Stanton
Edmondson Avenue Branch

CEU Requirements and Guidelines - An Overview

The decision regarding the appropriateness of any activity focuses on the following questions:

     Does the activity meet the minimum requirements for CEUs?
     Is the activity appropriate for library staff?  Is it appropriate for the attendee's position?
     What are the learning objectives of the activity?
     Will participating in the activity improve the skills of the attendee and improve library services?

Minimum Requirements for CEUs:

• The program must pertain to the person's position (current or future) or improve library services.  For example, a course on databases, or a course on supervision if looking at a future position as a supervisor.
• CEUs will only be given for activities that have clear and appropriate learning objectives.  Attendees need to be able to obtain behaviors, skills, or knowledge from the activity.  These may be new or an update of existing skills (for instance, reference interview skills or renew CPR certification).
• Credit will only be given for full contact hours and half hours beyond the first hour, not including lunch and breaks.

Approved program formats (from State Guidelines):

• Attending academic courses and accumulating semester hours (in appropriate fields)
• Attending a seminar, or library-sponsored or commercial workshop
• Participating in e-learning course and earning continuing education credit through contact hours as defined by the e-learning course sponsor
• Serving on the Blue Crab Award Committee or the Maryland Author Award Committee (Credit for this activity can only be earned once every five-year period)
• Creating a workshop, seminar or class that meets the criteria for receiving CEU credits (Contact hours for this activity can only be earned once for each training created and are limited to the number of contact hours awarded to the actual training)
• Creating and implementing a learning portfolio activity

Formats NOT approved:

• Meetings and/or committee service (except as above)
• Webinars or programs where the purpose is not specifically training/education (e.g. sales presentations)
• Preparation for programs/classes except as part of a learning portfolio.
• Any program/presentation that fails to meet the minimum time and/or learning objectives requirement(s).

Please Note:

Not every activity qualifies for CEU hours, even if it seems to be educational.

All CEU forms for programs offered by EPFL staff will have the signature of the coordinator.  If your form does not have a signature then the program may not be eligible for credit.

All programs/webinars/training from non-Pratt sources must be reviewed and approved by the coordinator.  If you aren’t sure if your activity meets the requirements, ask the coordinator before participating in the activity.

The Staff Development Coordinator must review and approve all continuing education activities that are submitted to meet state certification requirements.