Blended Services Training Programme

Here are the presentation slides from Cathy Moulder’s session on Maps, Data and GIS: Overview and Referrals.

Just a reminder that the session for  next Wed. June 23rd from 9:30 am – 11:00 am will be a review session.  Bring your questions & we will review any material from the past 3 classes.   We will be inviting the mentors to this session as well.  We will go over material which we feel will be important for the assessment.  Ann Pearce, Debbie Trebych, Kim Pickett, and Helen Creedon will be at this session to answer questions.  In the meantime, we’ve provided a practice trial assessment for you.   The Assessment will look similar to the trial assessment.  Details about the assessment will be made available shortly.  Good luck practicing & if you’ve done your homework you should be fine on July 7th.  As always we’re available for any questions or concerns you may have.

• PDF: Trial Assessment: Circulation/Reserve/ILL
• PDF: Trial Assessment Answers

Lynn will provide some basic training for the new internal instant messaging (IM) chat service. Topics to be covered include:

• how IM works
• when Blended Services staff should use internal IM
• how to sign on
• how the ”Backroom” works and how to tell who is signed in and who is a member of the group but not signed in
• how to send a private message
• plus a live chat with John, Joan, Andrew and/or Ines

One session will be held on Thursday, August 27 from 11 am-12 noon, and will be repeated on Monday, August 31 from 2-3pm, both in the new Thode staff workroom (2nd floor)

Join Cathy Moulder for an introduction to the services available in the Maps, Data and GIS area of  Mills Memorial Library.

Date: Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Time: 2-3 pm
Location: Mills Wong e-Classroom
Session Slides:  Maps, Data and GIS: Overview and Referrals

You are not alone out there! You may want to consider joining a listserv. For those of you that aren’t familiar with listservs, they are free electronic mailing lists with common themes that you can join and participate in. Ask your mentor what they are all about. I belong to a few including LIBREF-L. Every day, I receive emails from fellow reference librarians discussing what matters to us all. Sometimes, I send a note to a listserv asking for help or input on a topic of interest. A good listserv is a thing of beauty! Here are three worth looking into.

LIBREF-L – listserv for reference librarians

STS-L – listserv for SciTech librarians

BUSLIB-L – listserv for Business librarians

A few  items to update you on:

1. Today marked the last in-class session of the Blended Services Training Programme.
2. The trial assessment will be sent out to you tomorrow (April 29).
3. Your mentor program will be in place until the end of May.  I encourage staff to continue relations after that date. Unfortunately, we cannot set aside the same amount of time as we have through the program. I do hope you continue building these relationships.
4. Challenge of the Day has been put to rest and will rise again on the 1st of May as Tip of the Day. These are not mandatory but should be treated as value added information.
5. Please feel free to join the Drop-In Sessions for extra help.
6. Vendor sessions are happening throughout the month of May.
7. Shadow, shadow, shadow as much as you possibly can.  Speak to your manager about being scheduled on the Mills Research Help Desk to shadow if you wish.

Need help with anything related to blended services training?  Consider attending one (or more) of the drop-in sessions being offered below. Use the time to review session materials, work on exercises and ask questions.

Date: Thursday, April 30, 2009
Time: 10am – 12 noon
Facilitators: Karen, Nora (10-11), Rhonda

Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Time: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Facilitator: Regina

Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Time: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Facilitators: Amanda, Lynn

Date: Thursday, May 28, 2009
Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Facilitators: Jeannie,  Rhonda,  Lynn

As mentioned briefly at the coffee talk, Joan Sweeney Marsh and Karen Nicholson would like to spend a few minutes with each participant in the Blended Services Training Programme to discuss individual progress, needs and concerns.

Thode staff will be meeting on Thursday, April 9.  Ann Philbrook will be assigning time for each of you. Please drop by Joan’s office in Mills at your scheduled time.

Similar sessions will also be arranged for Innis staff soon.
UPDATE:  Innis staff had their meetings on different days during the last two weeks in April.

All Blended Services trainees, trainers, and mentors are invited for coffee on the following date:

Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Time: 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm
Location: Thode Library, Staff Lounge (3rd floor)

This will give us a chance to thank everyone for their participation and to let people share stories from the blended services trenches.

The Blended Services Training Team will offer two drop-in sessions to give you a chance to ask any questions related to training, review session materials or work on exercises from previous sessions. These sessions will be available as follows:

Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Time: 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Location: Mills Wong e-Classroom

AND

CANCELLED

Date: Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Time: 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Location: Mills Wong e-Classroom

RESCHEDULED: Due to a conflict with the Library Holiday Party, the drop-in session has been rescheduled for:

Date: Thursday, December 18, 2008
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: Mills Wong e-Classroom

NOTE: Attendance at these sessions is OPTIONAL.