Next Steps: Continuing Your Education and Pursuing Certification John J. Burke, MSLS Ohio Library Support Staff Institute July 25, 2006

Next steps 1.Fit training to your goal(s) and learning style(s) 2.Identify your opportunities for continuing education 3.Analyze your needs and create a plan 4.Justify your library’s investment in you 5.Understand support staff certification

The naming of the parts Continuing education (CE) –Professional development –“Continuous learning” –Beyond on-the-job learning Certification –A recognition of achievement –A measurement to shoot for

Why do we pursue continuing education? We have to –Your job is changing –Your role is changing –Your library is changing –The world is changing Because we want to: –Fight complacency –Hone skills –Add abilities –Refresh yourself –Share ideas with colleagues

What is your educational goal? Adding a specific skill(s) Keeping up with new developments Taking on new responsibilities Moving into a new role/location/library type – future employability Seeking promotion/reclassification/raises Personal satisfaction

Where are you starting from? Measures of knowledge and ability: –Formal degrees (H.S., AA/AS, BA/BS, MA/MS, PhD) –Past (& ongoing) CE –On-the-job training –Day to day library experience –Non-library experiences What’s your experience picture?

Learning styles How do you learn best? Various ways to categorize/analyze: –Visual learners –Auditory learners –Kinesthetic/tactile learners Identify your style Find ways to strengthen your abilities No learning method pigeonholing! Take the test!

Learning styles & learning situations Face to face (F2F) –Lecture –Group work/discussions –Hands-on –Combination of the above (active learning) Distance learning –Synchronous vs. asynchronous –Live videoconferencing –Web-based (various styles) –Video/correspondence courses

Learning durations One-shot workshop or meeting Multiple sessions over days or weeks Formal credit course Self-directed learning Learning communities

How committed are you?

Where do you want to go? Master of Library and Information Science Bachelor’s degree or degree-completion Associate degrees and certificates Credit courses CE grab-bag (workshops, conferences, etc.) Informal CE options

MLS/MLIS/MSIS, etc. Kent State School of Library and Information Science –F2F: Kent or Columbus –Online: Distance MLIS Several other accredited schools (online) Positives: recognized credential, promotion/job development Unknowns: job openings, the job you want?, opportunities in current library

Bachelor’s degree/degree completion F2F: your local institution Online: University of Maine at Augusta – BS in Library & Information Services Online: Bowling Green State University – BS in Advanced Technological Education – AAS transfer Positives: offered in convenient formats, could add needed specialty to library, new career?, needed step prior to MLS Unknowns: cost?, time?, value to library?

Associate degrees and certificates F2F: your local institution Online: Belmont Technical College – AAS in Information Services: Library Paraprofessional Online: University of Maine at Augusta – AS or Certificate in Library & Information Services Positives: preparation/extension of library knowledge, offered in convenient formats, could add needed specialty to library, new career? Unknowns: cost?, time?, worth it?

Credit courses F2F: your local institution Online: Ohio Learning Network – OhioLearns F2F or Online: Kent State SLIS Positives: definable outcome, solid grasp of topic, feedback, focused period Unknowns: specific enough to need?, too much theory?, cost?, time?

CE grab-bag F2F and online: Workshops and conferences (many choices, including OLSSI; check organization sites) Ohio Library Continuing Education – automated statewide calendar system OHIONET State Library of Ohio – F2F and eLearning LibraryU – web-based training modules OPAL (Online Programming for All Libraries) Positives: just what you need, small investment, offered often or regularly Unknowns: not enough information, unknown quality

Informal CE opportunities Participation in electronic discussion groups, local/regional/state professional organizations, networking of all kinds Having a regular source for updates, new concepts, sharing of successes and failures Choosing ways to stay in touch with the wider world Positives: no or low cost, ongoing, builds relationships, constantly spotting trends and developments, way to pick opportunities for deeper learning Unknowns: too informal to keep you focused?, too much information?, too disconnected from daily work?

How to get more out of CE opportunities Plan ahead: have a goal! Ask questions! Networking – strike up conversations! Exhibits are not just for pens! Take good notes and review them! Follow up on suggested resources Look for the connection to your job Share your story after (whether you’re asked to or not!) See it as freedom from day to day pressures – not its own pressure

A plan comes together Your CE strategy: 1.Identify your preferred learning styles and learning situations 2.Name your goal 3.Choose opportunities to meet that goal 4.Make your case 5.Persevere Write it down! Track your progress Bring the breadth of your experiences into the library

How is CE supported in your library? Encouragement Time off to attend Flexibility in scheduling Paid/reimbursed opportunities Know your options and benefits: –How is CE funded/allocated at your library? –Does your larger organization offer funds or scholarships?

Building a case ROI – what is the library getting for its investment? –Measure the impact of CE –Agree on long-term impacts –Look for case examples elsewhere The 1.6% solution - James Casey –Regular maintenance of a larger investment How is your desired activity relevant? Going beyond in-house training

The certification story Recognition of ability and accomplishments Typically voluntary Existing certification programs: –Michigan –Minnesota –New York –Utah Librarian certification programs May exist elsewhere in larger organizations Impact

What can you do about certification? Work with statewide library groups to establish an Ohio program Work with ALA LSSIRT or COLT to institute a national certification program Build a certification program within your own library

How’s the job market? Nationally: 260,000+ support staff, 136,000 librarians (ALA) Ohio: Labor Market Information – % change from 2002 to 2012 (& number of annual jobs) –Library assistants, clerical – up 16.2% (528) –Library technicians – up 10% (281) –Librarians – up 5% (186) Regular growth; changing nature of jobs; new expectations?

Questions, Queries, or Quizzical Quotations? John J. Burke, MSLS Director, Gardner-Harvey Library Miami University Middletown AIM: infomanjjb