1. Online Learning and Training for Library Staff: WebJunction and Partners

2. WebJunction Background The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s U.S. Library Program –46,000 computers –11,000 libraries in the United States and Canada –Five-year initiative –Targeting public libraries serving less-affluent communities May 2002: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded OCLC and partners a three-year grant Purpose: –Carry forward the Foundation’s work –Build a Web-based, public access computing community

3. Our Philosophy Read Learn Join In!

4. Community Partner Program Pilot Program: Began in June, 2004 for the State Libraries of Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, New Mexico, and Washington. Customized Content and Services Co-Branded Service: Users will be able to navigate between Community Partner web sites and the global WebJunction Localized Content: Community Partners will be able to customize content for the libraries they serve. Community Specific Forums: Members will continue to be able to access the global forums as well as partner specific forums Community Specific Learning Center: Members will continue to be able to access the global course catalog as well as partner specific courses.

5. WebJunction Quick Stats 110,087 Unique Visitors 9,067 Registered Members Top 10 States: Texas – 475 Ohio – 449 Michigan – 405 Washington – 389 Illinois – 388 Florida – 370 Iowa – 344 California – 338 New York – 326 Colorado - 308 Pennsylvania – 302

6. Members by Job Role

7. Members by Population Served

8. WebJunction Learning Center Online courses, downloadable lessons, training tips and other tools

10. Learning Center Statistics Self-paced Online Courses are popular: 6463 total enrollments in Learning Center by 3277 unique learners WebJunction’s … Troubleshooting: 460 enrollments Searching the Web: 489 Browsing the WWW: 316 Evaluating Web Sites: 251 Media Relations: 124 Designing a Library Web Site: 153 Popular Third-party Courses: HTML: 284 Intro to PCs: 287 Windows Office 2000: 293

11. Learning Center Activity

12. Future Plans for the Learning Center E-Train Database, funded through IMLS WJ Self-paced Courses Brokered content

13. Future Plans for the Learning Center, cont. Tools for training delivery Distributed Learning Model for Community Partners Live Learning Central Workshop Central Managing Public Access Computers Program (MPAC)

14. Learning Center Sustainability E-Train Database Self-paced courses Training tools and delivery

15. Partners in Learning Library Schools University of North Texas Isoph The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Drexel University

16. Isoph’s Experience and Expertise  Focus on mission-driven organizations and their diverse stakeholders  Professional services Custom development Coaching services Strategic program planning Instructional design Interface design Custom applications  Isoph Blue software Technology for teaching, training, and communicating

17. Distributed E-learning Model for Community Partners WebJunction- controlled enterprise management panel WebJunction- dedicated database Web services Community partner Main WebJunction portal and customized partner portals

18. Groups Involved Enterprise administrators Organizational administrators End users

19. Enterprise Administrators Client creation and management

20. Organizational Administrators Course registration and management Course authoring Course catalogs User registration and management Reporting and evaluation

21. End Users Course catalogs Enrollment Ongoing online learning

22. Stronger Community and Purpose Another avenue for fostering online community for public access computing—at the organizational rather as well as individual level Increased support for front-line staff at libraries and other organizations by allowing content to be localized

23. LE@D Library Education @ Desktop University of North Texas School of Library & Information Sciences

24. Library Education @ Desktop (LE@D) Web-based courseware for continuing education for public librarians and library staff Partnership between UNT SLIS, the Northeast Texas Library System, and WebJunction Partially funded by an IMLS grant

25. What is LE@D? Offers CE courses requiring 1 ½ to 2 “contact hours” Northeast Texas Library System (148 public libraries) is the testing lab Accessible from any Internet computer Designed & hosted by UNT using the WebCT e-learning platform

26. The First Seven Courses Managing Difficult Patrons Providing Excellent Customer Service in a Multicultural Environment Copyright Basics Reaching Teenagers Harnessing the Internet Improving Your Communications Skills Using Databases

27. LE@D Courses Tested by hundreds of users in the Northeast Texas Library System before national offering Over 3,000 successful students to date Multimedia elements such as video, audio, animation and graphics Cost per registered student ranges from $7-$12 per course

28. LE@D Home Page

29. Content

30. LE@D Multimedia

31. Assessments

32. Tracking

33. For More Information UNT contact: Gary Werchan, Project Coordinator –E-Mail gwerchan@lis.admin.unt.edu or LEAD@unt.edugwerchan@lis.admin.unt.edu LEAD@unt.edu Telephone: (877) ASK-SLIS or (940) 369-7872 –Fax: (940)565-3101 –Postal Mail: Library Education @ Desktop University of North Texas P.O. Box 311068 Denton, TX 76203-1068 –Internet: www.leadonline.infowww.leadonline.info

34. Lessons Learned from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Library Program

35. Public Access Computing in Libraries Granted funds: $179,881,946 Total PCs Granted: 47,200 Buildings Receiving a Grant: 10,915 Training Opportunities: 62,000 all numbers approximate

36. The Impact Today, more than 95 percent of libraries offer public Internet access. More than 14 million Americans regularly use these computers.

37. Statewide Partnership Program From 1998 – 2003, provided to over 10,000 U.S. public libraries: –Technology: standardized package (pre-configured hardware, software, peripherals) –Training: multi-tiered training (classroom-based and CBT/WBT) and supporting documentation and training publications –Support: technical support via telephone/email

38. Statewide Partnership Program Initial Steps into Online Learning Offered computer-based training on Gates Library Computers –Mouse Tutorial –Gateway Tutorials (90% indicated staff use 4-months’ post training) Offered online access to technical support articles via pacomputing.org Lessons Learned Face-to-face introduction to online learning increased participants’ use Creation of online learning community for library staff was needed to support public access computing (hence, WebJunction)

39. Statewide Partnership Program At program’s close, primary goal was transfer of knowledge to public access community; efforts included: –Public Access Computing Project evaluation data –Impact maps –State Transition packages –Staying Connected toolkit and workshops –NPower tools, Public Access Security Tool –Content capture initiative –PAComputing.org –WebJunction.org

40. Two Portals for Two Audiences PAComputing –Provides resource for technical information related to foundation machines (about 250 articles) –Will soon be moved to WebJunction –Information will be merged with WebJunction over time as foundation machines are replaced WebJunction –Serves as living repository for all general public access computing information from program (started with 250 articles, 150 from foundation) –Continuing to grow through library generated content as well as staff contributions

41. The First Step Content Capture Initiative –Reviewed all Library Program files, web pages, publications and curricula –Approximately 100,000 items tagged and separated into archival, WebJunction material, and PAComputing material –13,500 items passed to OCLC on 2 DVDs with a web searchable front end for use as initial WebJunction content set –Additional files used as the starting content set for PAComputing

42. The Next Phase Keep libraries open Increase training opportunities for library staff Maintain systems Enable hardware and software upgrades Increase connectivity

43. Work to Date … and the Role Online Learning Plays Programs Underway Information Use Management and Policy Institute National Survey - Conducting longitudinal study of public library connectivity to the Internet as well as the manner in which that connectivity is deployed CompuMentor Technical Support Planning – Studying best practices in technical support in libraries & non-profits; looking for an integrated service model (may include online support communities, Web Portals and content ) Spanish Language Outreach Pilot – WebJunction and 5 State Library Agencies building workshop delivery package including F2F and online components

44. Online Learning Benefits & Challenges from a grant-making perspective Benefits Reaches large audience with diverse skill sets Builds learning communities across geographic boundaries Increases training opportunities for staff in rural/small libraries Challenges Library staff have limited time or lack equipment needed to participate Libraries without high speed connections limited in their ability to participate Difficult to engage novice technology users

45. Presenters Marilyn Mason, WebJunction Marilyngmason@earthlink.net Phil Turner, Dean, University of North Texas Pturner@unt.edu Kara Hannigan, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Kara@gatesfoundation.org Celisa Steele, Isoph Celisa.steele@isoph.com