SDC Goals and Projects
Updated: 21 November 2005

The Committee is charged with transforming the Jean and Alexander Heard Library into a learning organization in which staff acquire new skills at an increased pace to keep current with technological and organizational change. It shall create a program of staff training opportunities based on (1) needs identified by Committee, Forum, and Project Team chairs (2) needs identified by the Staff Development Committee (3) needs identified by Strategic Goal Champions and (4) requests from library staff, as available within the budget and time allowed by the Strategy and Planning Council.

It shall create system-wide programs that (1) address skills as identified above (these will be emphasized); (2) encourage communication and collaboration among departmental units and task groups; (3) recognize staff achievements and celebrate holidays.

Define the State of Staff Development at the Library

• Identify comparable opportunities in sister institutions
  • identify professional listserv
• Identify training opportunities for library staff
  • review previous staff survey
  • create new survey for committee chairs
• Project training needs for the future
• Gather input from stakeholders on all projects
  • meet with Staff Development Coordinating Committee to see what worked/did not work (completed July 1, 2005)
  • meet with Technology Training Coordinators to see what worked/did not work (completed June 21, 2005)
  • review minutes of SDCC (completed)
• Devise assessment tools for all projects
• Create year-end reports

Skills Training

A. Project Management Training (top priority)\\

• Contact Jody about existing resources, conduct literature review
• Find key articles that provide an excellent overview of all that is involved in project management

B. Training on how to run a meeting, prepare agendas, brainstorm, participate as a member of a team, etc. (top priority)

• Contact HR about exisiting training program
• Find key articles that provide an excellent overview of all that is involved in running meetings and working in teams

C. Encourage lifelong learning by developing a learning organization (top priority)

• Create a program (possibly as a staff-wide retreat) that will motivate staff to participate in learning opportunities
• Conduct literature review on learning organizations
• Possibly contact Joan Giesecke or Beth Mcneil to see if they would speak to the library about Learning Organizations
• Look for incentive programs for training
• Look for how other institutions have sold the idea to supervisors
• Provide multiple opportunites for self-help
• Review and consider redesign of resources now on the Staffweb. Should a calendar for training be added that includes a list of free and pay training opportunities?
• The development of a learning-library – what is involved?
• Consider bulletin board for community resources, invitations, and events
• Consider creating a way for staff to suggest training

D. Other Training

• Technology/Database Training (Examples include: software (specific programs, like Microsoft, Macromedia, and Adobe products, Sirsi, etc.), hardware (like using digital cameras, scanners, plotters, CD/DVD burners, etc.) website development, information architecture, searching techniques, the invisible web, specific databases, valuable online resources, etc.)
• Public service classes for students and staff
• Discover your strengths program?
• Basic catalgoing/copy cataloging classes (not well taught in schools)
• Electronic resource brush up classes
• Developing a mentoring program for new or young library staff, or for people who want career path advice from more experienced library staff
• Training on how to organize your work: best practices for managing email, filing systems, scheduling and preparing for meetings, finding time to do x, y, and z (like collection development, professional activities, continued learning) etc.

Encourage Communication and Collaboration among Departmental Units and Task Groups

• Improve communication among staff
• Re-evaluate the staff forum
• Virtual tours and open houses
• Library tours (work with Personnel/New Employee Program)
• Review the success of the Journal Club and look at other forums like that and other ways to gather together to discuss important issues affecting libraries, and how to get library management involved as well
• Reexamine the Watercooler – remind people what it’s for
• Look for other ideas that build a sense of community outside the library environment (knitting club as example)
• Encourage collaboration among staff and with VU community
• Consider developing internships in other VU libraries where existing staff might work elsewhere within the library system.
• Look at “process maps” as a way for staff across work areas and functions to get to know each other
• Improve communication by having people report on conferences they attend

Recognize Staff Achievements

• Reexamine Innovation and creativity awards – needs to be defined better; are they working?
• Acorn Notes – What happens to them?
• Recognition program – should there be a program to recognize staff achievement.
• Should we institute a system-wide points system for classes taken?
• Create a statement on importance of staff development from administration to add to Staffweb
• Examine Eskind program: is it working? could it be modified?
• Encourage staff to write articles for newspaper
• Discuss the GLS Fund for staff development: should this be continued?