Online learning from MLSA continues for another year!

Grant funding for the Maryland Statewide Webinars Project has been renewed with no interruption to service. Thanks to support from both the Maryland State Library Agency (MSLA) and Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds administered by IMLS, we will be continuing our partnerships and expanding our offerings.

• PCI Webinars will remain available to all library staff across the state.
• Dr. Steve Albrecht’s Safety Series from Library 2.0 will also continue uninterrupted. We’re excited to share that Dr. Albrecht plans to broaden his focus with additional sessions on organizational development and leadership in the coming months.
• We are adding statewide access to the Library 2.0 Wellness Series and the AI Series. These will be available both as live sessions and on-demand recordings.
• Once these new series are active and integrated into the Niche Academy archive, we will send out another update with registration and access details.

As always, we encourage you to take full advantage of these professional development opportunities—and to advocate for IMLS support. These resources are made possible through ongoing federal and state investment in library development and staff learning. Your voices matter in helping to preserve and grow this support.

Percipio course recommendations

 

According to the MSL end of year statistics, the following classes in Percipio were recommended by participants.  There are many good options here, and more in the program. 

Making the Most of an Organizational Change.
Embedding Inclusion into Everyday Experiences
Essential Customer Service Skills
Any of the Excel courses
Overcoming Unconscious Bias channel, particularly Understanding Unconscious Bias Overcoming Your Own Unconscious Biases, Overcoming Unconscious Bias in the Workplace, Recognizing and Addressing Micro-behaviors in the Workplace
Business writing, and all the related courses 
Any Cisco class is highly recommended.
Using Communication Strategies to Bridge Cultural Divides
Confronting Workplace Conflict
Taking Effective and Professional Notes
Great Leaders must be inclusive

If you would like access to the Percipio classes, you can create an account using your EPFL email on the website:

https://marylandlibraries.percipio.com/login?state=%2F#/

Workday Learning App has content!

 The "Learning" app in Workday now has content for city employees.  There are currently 10 learning programs available, and these include a program on Unconscious Bias, Navigating Challenges with Diplomacy, Stress Management, and Business Writing Fundamentals.  

Just log into Workday to participate, and look for further programs to be added to this resource.  These courses do count for continuing education, but you will need to create your own CEU forms.

Google Workspace Learning Center

 This site provides free training on Google Workspace apps like Gmail, Docs, and Drive:

https://support.google.com/a/users/answer/9389764?hl=en

Gmail       Calendars    Chat    Groups       Contacts       Docs    Sheets    and more

Welcome to the Learning Center

Here you'll find everything you need to start using Google Workspace apps like Gmail, Docs, and Drive. You'll also find business-focused end-user training, tips, and more.

ALA’s eLearning Catalog

The ALA eLearning website offers courses, webinars, and eLearning content for "library and information workers in all types of libraries and related organizations."  This site brings together learning content from all divisions of ALA  and new content is added on a regular basis.  The site offers free training opportunities as well as those requiring payment.

https://elearning.ala.org/

Funding is available for those programs with a cost.  Just submit a "Request for Authorization for Leave and-or Expenses to Attend Conference, Seminar, Workshop, Etc." form #354 to SD&T.

Browse by Event Format

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Goodbye SkillSoft, Hello Percepio!

SkillSoft has a new learning platform named Percepio.  Maryland libraries will be migrating to it when they add the features we need so probably early 2022.   

Maryland State Library will continue to make SkillSoft available for all Maryland public library staff until June 30, 2022.  Please complete all courses in Skillsoft and print your certificates prior to this cutoff date.  We will not have access to any of the completion data or certificates after June 30.

The new Percepio site will continue to provide completion certificates for new completed courses, and staff will be able to self-register so once the program is available you can sign up at your convenience and don't have to go through SD&T.  The SkillSoft logins will not transfer to the new site, so you will have to reregister once the site is available.

More details will be shared about the new site soon.  

NicheAcademy webinars

Looking for ways to develop your skills while working from home?  There are a lot of interesting recorded webinars on NicheAcademy that can be accessed from their website without having to create an account.  

These range from Diversity/Inclusive topics like "Cultivating Strong Girls" and "Serving Individuals with Autism,"  to general library topics like "Practicing Intellectual Freedom," and even some topics for managers like "Best Practices for Developing Employees' Soft Skills."

Not everything is CEU worthy, so be sure you are selecting topics that are appropriate to your work at the library, and that you are accessing webinars and not just informative articles.  Remember, the webinar has to be at least 60 minutes long to count for credit.

These are recorded webinars, so you'll need to include a review/discussion of the program with your CEU form when you submit it.  I'll attach the information about recorded webinars, which can also be found on the blog.

https://www.nicheacademy.com/blog  

Library 2.0 Mini-conference March 26, 2020

It's easy and free to join Library 2.0 but plan ahead because it can take a day or two for membership approval.

We are expanding our planned Library 2.0 special broadcast webinar for librarians to a special mini-conference, being held in conjunction with PCI Webinars and Andrew Sanderbeck. Please note the new expanded times. DATE & TIMES: Thursday, March 26th, 2020 | 1:00 - 6:30 pm US-Eastern Time (4 one-hour sessions with 1/2-hour breaks) COST: Free REGISTRATION: To register for the mini-conference, please join Library 2.0. Those who are already members of Library 2.0 do not need to do anything. ATTENDING: The schedule with the live session links will be sent to all members of Library 2.0. PLATFORM: The mini-conference platform is Zoom. To make sure your computer or mobile is configured for Zoom, please visit zoom.us/test. SESSIONS: 1. SELF-CARE DURING A CRISIS: BREATHE, THINK, AND GROW 1:00 PM US-Eastern Daylight Time Click here to see in your own time zone As libraries deal with the global crisis of 2020, staff have many difficult choices to handle every day. From deciding whether to stay open to managing the constant flow of information, the work can be all-consuming. In this webinar, we will talk about how to take time out of your day to focus on yourself and to nourish your own growth. Participants will: Learn methods and exercises for staying in the moment and remaining mindful while dealing with stress and uncertainty Spend time discussing their challenges and how they are working to handle them, while planning mindfully for the future Focus on healthy self-care activities Cari Dubiel Adult Learning and Information Services Manager at Twinsburg Public Library Cari is the Adult Learning and Information Services Manager at Twinsburg Public Library. She is also a writer, teacher, and podcaster. She is a former Library Liaison to Sisters in Crime, an organization of 3600 crime writers and readers nationwide. 2. WHY AND HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR ONLINE SERVICES DURING THE QUARANTINE 2:30 PM US-Eastern Daylight Time Click here to see in your own time zone We are certainly "living in interesting times" ... and working in them too. Even if your building is closed, your library is still offering services—but are you telling people that? While it's tempting to look at these pandemic-related closures as much-needed downtime, librarians don't have that luxury. People still need you. In fact, people who haven't used libraries in years need your boredom-breaking services and your long-trusted guidance, too. So it's vital to keep marketing your libraries now, for three reasons: 1) telling people what's available online and how to get it; 2) being the trusted source of info that people expect; and 3) proving your value to retain funding after the crisis. In this webinar, specially created to help your library be as useful as possible during the current Coronavirus pandemic, library marketing maven Kathy Dempsey will share her best advice on these topics: Working at home (Dempsey has worked at home for 10 years) Turning today's chaos into a Crisis Communications Plan in the near future Exactly what services and products to promote (some might surprise you) How to get the word out, beyond your own social media followers How to approach messaging in trying times Why today's promotion will help secure next year's library funding Why to scratch out mini marketing plans to make your work effective Resources for self-care and for social sharing In a time where everyone is inundated with information, the world still needs their librarians and librarians. The "new normal" will likely have super-tight budgets, so proving how essential you are during this crisis may well determine whether your organization survives the virus. Kathy Dempsey Libraries Are Essential Kathy Dempsey wrote the popular how-to tome The Accidental Library Marketer and founded her own marketing consultancy, Libraries Are Essential. Her work is dedicated to helping librarians and information professionals promote their value and expertise in order to gain respect and funding. Kathy has been the Editor of Marketing Library Services newsletter for 25 years, and was formerly Editor-in-Chief of Computers in Librariesmagazine. She also blogs at The 'M' Word. She's a member of the New Jersey Library Association, and Founder of the Library Marketing and Communications Conference, which she chaired in 2015, 2016, and 2017. This writer, editor, and marketing maven has been giving presentations across the U.S. and Canada for 20+ years, always sprinkling them with humor to make marketing concepts more interesting and accessible. She continues to fight the stereotypes that librarians are boring and that "marketing" is a dirty word. 3. SERVING PATRONS IN A CRISIS 4:00 PM US-Eastern Daylight Time Click here to see in your own time zone Helping people make decisions based on facts and evidence is what libraries of all types do everyday. With libraries closing to the public and reducing services because of COVID-19, how can we continue to provide the facts in this fast-paced changing environment? And how can libraries provide the services that their communities will need to remain vital to the health and welfare of their communities? This interactive and informative webinar will help attendees find the latest resources and information available to help them serve their patrons and communities, as well as looking into how libraries are responding to community needs of today and will focus on the work ahead as we shape the future of library services after the pandemic passes. Andrew Sanderbeck PCI Webinars Andrew has been developing and conducting training programs for libraries and library organizations for more than fifteen years. He has presented Web-based, On-line, and Face-to-Face sessions on Management and Leadership, Customer Service and Communication Skills in the U.S. and numerous countries around the world. He is a board member of the Haywood County Public Library and a monthly donor to EveryLibrary, advocating for libraries everywhere that support is needed. Kathy Zappitello Executive Director of the Conneaut Public Library in Conneaut, Ohio Kathy has worked for fifteen years in Ohio libraries and is currently the Executive Director of the Conneaut Public Library in Conneaut, Ohio. Kathy serves on the National Board of Directors for the Association for Rural and Small Libraries and is co-chair of the Partnership committee. Locally, she produces educational content for one of Ohio's cable access channels that provides programming to households in Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. 4. PREPARING YOUR DIGITAL BRANCH FOR INCREASED USE 5:30 PM US-Eastern Daylight Time Click here to see in your own time zone As libraries engage in social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are placing new emphasis on our online services. Is your organization ready? In this interactive and Informative program, we will discuss how to prepare your digital branch for an influx of users, and examine best practices for virtual reference and digital collections as you work to meet your community's needs. Nick Tanzi Assistant Director of the South Huntington Public Library Nick Tanzi has been incorporating emerging technologies into the library as a children’s librarian, the founding member of a digital services department, and most recently, as the Assistant Director of the South Huntington Public Library. During this time, he has spoken in the U.S. and abroad on topics ranging from social media marketing to 3D printing. He is the author of Making the Most of Digital Collections through Training and Outreach (2016), and Best Technologies for Public Libraries (2020). He writes “The Wired Library” column for Public Libraries Magazine. Tanzi was named a 2017 Dewey Fellow by the New York Library Association, and currently serves as President of its Making and STEAM Round Table.

“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.  

Webjunction Available for EPFL Staff

Webjunction Available for EPFL Staff

Access to WebJunction’s library-specific courses is now available for free to all library workers and volunteers.   Explore the catalog of library-focused self-paced courses and webinars, and earn continuing education hours toward your re-certification.

 Here is a list of what you can find on the site and throughout the year:

·        A catalog of free online learning on library topics is now available to all library staff (including students and volunteers). These self-paced courses and webinars have been developed by WebJunction and other organizations such as LibraryU and Infopeople. 

·        Certificates of completion will be provided to you for each and every course you finish or webinar you view through the WebJunction catalog.

·        All attendees of WebJunction’s live webinar programs are eligible to receive a certificate of attendance. These will be emailed to the address provided at registration, within one week of the live event. 

·        Dozens of new articles on hot library topics will be published on a regular basis, so stay tuned to the WebJunction.org homepage.

·        Crossroads newsletter is broadcast each month, to alert you to upcoming learning opportunities and keep you updated on what is happening in the library world. Make sure you are subscribed!

·        WebJunction will host more than 20 live webinar sessions throughout the year--free events that allow you to meet and learn from library leaders and fellow library practitioners.

To access this content, simply create your free account on the website and get started.

www.webjunction.org

Select the Training button and then "go to courses" to get the login screen.  As with SkillSoft, you will need to create CEU forms for classes that you complete.  Send these and copies of your certificates to SD&T.