1. Training Libraries in SPARK
You Want me to do What?
Training Libraries in SPARK

2. SPARK Director of Technology and System Support
Lugene Shelly
SPARK Director of Technology and System Support
Christina Thomas
Circulation Manager, Albright Memorial Library

3. What is PaILS? What is SPARK?
PaILS-Pennsylvania Integrated Library System--a non profit formed by an Advisory Group to create an affordable ILS for Pennsylvania Libraries. After much thought and discussion, it was decided to go with Evergreen. PaILS is supported by the Office of Commonwealth Libraries using LSTA funds and by our Members fees.
SPARK is the ILS. The name was chosen to align with the state’s Power Library branding. Originally there were 40some libraries on Millenium, and they were migrated to Evergreen.
We now have over 100.

4. SPARK Libraries in Pennsylvania
How do you provide quality training to this geographically spread out group? SPARK has two full time staff members--myself and our Executive Director, Scott Thomas. I live in Blair County, Scott lives near Scranton. Our mem

5. Training During Migration
How do we provide training during a migration?

6. Equinox
Equinox hosts our system and manages our migrations. We contract with them to provide training on basic Circulation, Cataloging and Administration several weeks before a library goes live on our system.

7. PaILS employees monitor migration phone calls and training.
While Equinox manages migration, Either Scott or I sit in on every migration phone call. We also drop in at on-site training and are present at go-live.

8. But, then what?
So that works to bring a library or library system on to SPARK. But then what? How can we provide ongoing training for new hires and system improvements? With only two staff members and the size of the consortium it’s difficult. Scott and I talked about it, and realized we had a lot of...

9. Local Talent
People who use SPARK everyday. Circulation managers, trained catalogers, technical services staff

10. Training RFP and MOUs
We sent out an RPF for training to our member libraries. Right now we have three library systems that do training for us-Lackawanna County, Blair County and York County.

11. Three Reasons To Train: Basic Circulation Training
Needs A Refresh
Web Client Conversion

12. On-site Group Training
Methods of Training:
On-site Group Training
One-On-One Training
Remote Training

13. Training Needs: Access To A Test Server

15. Training Needs: Access To A Test Server Projector and Computers

16. support.sparkpa.org

17. Questions?
Comments?

18. Thank you! lugene.shelly@sparkpa.org cthomas@albright.org