Staff Training & Organizational Development Committee
Minutes
2 February 2000

Present: Kate Reynolds (Chair), Paula Ball, Judy Carnes, Erika Heinen, Curtis Orio, Barbara Rockenbach, Pina Scalzo, Stephanie Schmitt, Kim Tran, Diane Turner, Dana Van Meter

Absent: Lynne Fors, Karen Spicher

1. Barbara gave a WAG-TLC update. The TLC is interested in collaborating with our committee. The TLC is sponsoring a 4-day Click Here workshop on webpage design/organization during the last week of April (24th-26th, 28th). The first 3 days of the workshop will cover such items as HTML, AOL Press, ftp, web page design, etc. The 4th day will be a hands on classroom. The TLC may be asking members of our committee to help out with the workshop--to just be in the room to help any workshop participants who may have trouble keeping up with what's being taught. The classes will meet from 9-11 AM. Barbara will e-mail more detailed information about this workshop to the group, including the address for a website about the Click Here workshop

   Kate asked if they would suggest in the workshop that participants draw flow charts of their web pages before they start building them. Barbara wasn't sure if that was covered, but would suggest it. Kate and Erika volunteered to help out at the workshop.

   Barbara also reported that TLC is sponsoring a speaker on webpage accessibility, Mike Patchiello, who will speak on April 4th (didn't mention where he would speak, and I forgot to ask!). The format will be open classroom/hands on.

2. Kim reported that a task force which she is on, the Task Force on Access for the Disabled, a sub-body of SQIC (Service Quality Improvement Consult) has rented for six months, a special workstation for disabled patrons from another group on campus. The workstation is now in the L&B room. It offers zoom text, a basic screen reader, large-font type, a closed caption tv, and headphone accessibility (at this point the library doesn't have any headphones to go with the workstation-patrons must bring their own). The Task Force will be announcing the availability of the workstation on yul-lib by the end of next week. The Task Force may ask for our committee's help in creating documentation on how to use the workstation.
3. Kate announced that Dick Vroom who was to speak at the Peabody Museum on Jan. 27, had to cancel, but he has rescheduled, and will speak on leadership and motivation on Feb. 16 at the New Haven Lawn Club.
4. Kate asked if anyone was able to attend the presentations by the two candidates who interviewed for the SQIC Support Director position, hoping to discuss the presentations, but unfortunately no one had been able to make the presentations. At which point it was noted that there is now a hiring freeze on for many library positions, the SQIC Support Director position being one of those frozen (is this correct?). It was questioned whether this hiring freeze carried over to the ergonomics budget, and Kate said no, that any new equipment requests that had already been put forth would be filled, but she wasn't sure if this would be true for future requests.
5. Kate stated that she's on the Libtech Committee, and she would forward that committee's minutes to our group. She asked Stephanie to report on what's new in the Systems Dept., and she reported that they are working on something they're calling "patron empowerment", which includes giving patrons the ability to renew and check out their own books.
6. Kate reported that she's been working on making improvements to our committee's website. She's been prompted to do this because of problems people have been having with electronic course registration (downloading the Excel participants list for SCML classes which must be e-mailed to Mudd library staff ??). The person on campus who she's been working on this with is leaving Yale at the end of February so the crunch is on to get that working. She feels that the web site was not that user-friendly and is trying to make improvement in the site's organization. She may ask for our feedback about the page.
7. Kate distributed two books two each member of our committee. They are: Designs for adult adult learning by Malcolm S. Knowles, and Creating training courses (when you're not a trainer) by Donald V. McCain. We are encouraged to share these books and act as the resource people on this type of information for our colleagues in our units. Kate wants us to be thinking about learning and motivation, training and how to impart learning-the best ways to get people turned on to learning. Working from the starting point of finding out what potential workshop attendees are interested in and building workshops around that is key here, and we are to encourage any potential workshop presenters to create adequate and useful training aids to facilitate workshop learning.
8. Kate next reported that she was able to make it to some of our subcommittee meetings, but not all, and asked the subcommittees whose meetings she could not attend to report what they have accomplished thus far.
1. The Implementing the Staff Resource Library subcommittee reported that they had met but that they didn't really have anything to report yet. (Is this correct? Who reported this? I missed this-sorry!!! Someone please correct this. Thanks!)
2. The SCML Train the Trainer/Basic Skills Set subcommittee reported on what they are currently working on. Deciding not to go in to detail at that time about the Basic Skills Set part of their charge, the subcommittee reported that they would attend Ernie Marinko's Train the Trainer training on Feb. 4 at 9 AM, and put forth an invitation for the entire committee to attend Since many committee members would not be able to attend on Feb. 4 it was suggested that the subcommittee present the training to the STOD committee during our next meeting (Feb. 23).

   (Being as the SCML is already spoken for from 4-6 PM on Feb. 23, this training will most likely take place on Mar. 15 instead, since we should be able to reserve the SCML during our normal meeting time of 3-4:30 on that date. Dana has asked Kate to schedule us in for the SCML on Mar. 15 from 3-4:30. The training does not take long, so we should be able to do it, and cover regular meeting topics as well on the 15th)

   The subcommittee had some questions for Kate regarding non-library staff use of the SCML, and the subcommittee's obligation to non-library staff in terms of the Train the Trainer training (i.e., do we let non-staff use the SCML, and if we do, do we charge them for use of the SCML, and do we charge them for the Train the Trainer training). Kate stated that the SCML is for library staff use only, and that at this point any non-library staff use of the SCML is assessed on a case by case basis at her discretion, and she has not gotten as far as determining any kind of fee structure for non-library staff use of the room. So at this point the subcommittee has no obligation to non-library staff for the Train the Trainer training.

   The subcommittee also asked about scheduling the SCML, and if Kate was the person responsible for that. Kate reported that she did not do the actual scheduling herself-and that she generally gives out the password needed to make changes to the SCML calendar, to anyone who asks her for it. Judy noted that anyone who had access to modify the Library-wide instruction, or the Cross-Campus Center calendars, could access the SCML calendar, using the same password. Because members of this subcommittee will be needing to use the room for Train the Trainer training we will need this password so that we can schedule time for the training

   Paula asked about the availability of parking for people attending classes at the SCML and Kate reported that there is essentially no longer any parking, and she has now removed information about parking from the SCML website.

3. Erika reported for the Evaluation of multimedia learning software/Developing Effective Library Trainers subcommittee. She reported that they were having trouble finding a place where they could review the software because none of the subcommittee members have sound cards on their computers, nor do they really wish to install the software on their personal workstations. Ernie told Karen Spicher that the subcommittee could not install the software on any of the computers in the SCML. They are now looking at the ETC as an option, hoping that they'll be able to use one of the computers there. In the meantime they are trying to create a list of criteria for evaluating the software, so that the different software will be evaluated uniformly across the board.

   Erika also reported on what the subcommittee was thinking of thus far in terms of what skills are needed for library trainers to be effective. Kate gave some suggestions of what the subgroup should focus on: how people learn, what skill sets are needed to be effective as a trainer, etc. Erika mentioned that the subcommittee was wondering if they could bring in a speaker, perhaps a professor from Southern Connecticut State U., to come do a presentation on these topics. Kate mentioned that she knew some SCSU professors and could perhaps contact them, but that having one come may cost money, and that the cost involved should be seriously considered.

   This then evolved in to a discussion about money and the costs of staff training. Diane reported a little about the history of job related training courses at Yale, stating that in the past it had been only the courses offered by ITS which cost money, but that now most courses offered at the university are for a cost regardless of subject matter and who teaches them. The reality that this presents a very serious dilemma for the Library, and for our committee as well, was discussed. How do we encourage people to learn and to take courses to improve their work skills, when most departments can't afford to send their employees to courses? Kate mentioned that the $20,000 that our committee has to work with won't go far if we must pay upwards of $200 for any speaker that we bring in, meaning that we have to seriously consider, and plan how best to use this money. In light of this grim reality, a few ideas of how we can best utilize the skills that we (library staff) possess to keep ourselves "up to speed" were discussed. The idea of mentoring was put forth, and Kim suggested that perhaps we could maintain a list of "expert trainers"-i.e, a list of people with certain skills, who would share their expertise with other staff members who needed it. Likewise, looking at the strengths of individual departments, and how we might be able assist each other at the department level, was mentioned.

Respectfully submitted by
Dana Van Meter
February 7, 2000

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