WELCOME TO THE STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING OFFICE HOMEPAGE.

This learning page is a great place to find information about training, learning portfolios, and get helpful tips on customer service, managing employees, or other library issues. We'll also be posting post-conference reflections and ideas discovered by staff members at programs they attended.

Subscribe to the blog to get updates when ideas are posted.

Friday, March 6, 2026

Niche Academy site will be changing

Starting this month, the MD State Library Agency will be reviewing the contents of the Maryland Libraries Training Academy on Niche Academy site.  Current content will be evaluated and weeded based on age, usage, and accessibility, and the site will be reorganized once these changes are complete.


Please finish any tutorials/webinars that interest you by March 27, in preparation for changes to the site.  The MSLA will start removing content on March 30, and review the site every 6 months in the future.



Friday, January 30, 2026

CPR classes coming soon

If you would like to particiate in an upcoming Red Cross CPR/AED class, please complete the short survey here:


You don't need to leave your name, just your preferred location and date.

Tuesday, December 16, 2025

EPFL Move to Microsoft 365

When the library makes the switch from Google to MS 365, this blog will disappear.  There will be a replacement site hopefully available before the entire staff switches to MS 365, but in the interim, all forms and information currently available on the blog will be moved to the shared (S:) drive under Training.  This will be near the bottom of the list, and is not the same as the SD&T part of the drive.  

All forms and information sheets will be converted back to their original formats (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) which will make them easier to access as no download is required.  We will keep you updated on the location of all current documents, and look forward to trying out the new format for sharing information.

Please reach out to SD&T if you have questions or can't find something.


Monday, November 10, 2025

Manager Resource Evaluation Project

Manager Resource Evaluation Project

The Short Version

We’re evaluating management and leadership books by reading and reviewing their usefulness and beneficial aspects (or not).  Pick a book from the list, read it, submit an evaluation, and you’ll help create an annotated resource list for all interested staff members. 

 There are over 25 books on the current reading list, and more waiting to be added. Here are a few from the list:

 

8 paradoxes of leadership agility : how to lead and inspire in the real world by Chuen Yeo

Arrive and thrive : 7 impactful practices for women navigating leadership by Susan Brady, Janet Foutty, and Lynn Perry Wooten 

First Time Manager by Loren Belkner, Tim McCormick, and Gary Topchik

Twice as good : leadership and power for women of color by Mary J Wardell

The antiracist business book : an equity-centered approach to work, wealth, and leadership by Trudi Lebron

Building trust : exceptional leadership in an uncertain world by Darryl Stickel

The Culture Question – How to Create a Workplace Where People Like to Work by Randy Grieser et.al.

How to Be an Inclusive Leader by Jennifer Brown 

 

 You can view the full list on the shared drive 

or stop by the office to see what grabs your attention. 

 

If you have a suggestion that isn’t on the list we can discuss adding it to the project.

This project will run to the end of the year, and can be extended as needed.



Monday, November 3, 2025

Link to IMLS grant funded activities survey

 If you received funding for a learning activity that was charged to our IMLS learning grant, you must complete the survey below so that we can provide accurate information on the grant report.  Thanks.


https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/IMLS2026


Monday, October 27, 2025

PLA Conference Information and Deadlines

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Registration for the PLA 2026 conference is now open.  The conference will be in Minneapolis from April 1-3, 2026.  Please note that these dates overlap with both Good Friday and Passover.  

https://www.placonference.org/registration

The application deadlines are 

      PLA members January 2, 2026.

      ALA members and non-members  February 6, 2026.

Staff interested in attending the virtual PLA events should apply by February 13, 2026.


If you have any questions, please contact SD&T for assistance.  

Monday, October 20, 2025

The LMS is currently unavailable due to the AWS issue.

The LMS was affected by the AWS outage today, so you may not be able to log in to the program.


From Docebo's website:

Our upstream provider, AWS, is currently experiencing an outage affecting multiple services in all the regions, which is causing a broader impact on Docebo's system — specifically on intra-service authentication.

Customers located in US East 1 are experiencing long load times or errors when attempting to access or navigate their sites due to ongoing issues with AWS recovery. We are actively reviewing our possible mitigation paths and will update when additional information is available.  

We'll update you if we hear anything.