Staff Development Policy & Procedures
1. Definition
Handley Regional Library’s staff development is a sustained effort to develop capabilities of staff to improve their overall effectiveness in the performance of their duties, and to provide consistent, good quality service to the public.
2. Policy Statement
It is the policy of this library to adequately support the goals of this development plan. The library aims to develop in its employees the skills, knowledge, and commitment necessary to provide appropriate levels of service. Staff invest in the library when the library invests in them. Its staff will continuously develop new skills and greater expertise to meet the changing needs of the library and its users.
Supervisors and employees are strongly encouraged to discuss job performance and goals on an informal, day-to-day basis, as well as in the formal review. The library expects every employee to become competent in certain basic computer functions and to keep up to date with changing technologies. Therefore, the library will survey employees to determine their skill levels.
The Board will help staff members achieve professional librarian status through loans that may be available to pursue a Masters degree in library and/or information science.
3. Goals and Desired Outcomes as Outlined in the Library Long-Range Plan
To support the service objectives of Handley Regional Library through the provision of adequate staffing and training.
Goal 1: To provide training opportunities to staff in order to enhance job performance
Goal 2: To offer training in basic computer competencies
Goal 3: To offer the training that will allow employees to develop new skills and greater expertise to meet the changing needs of our users
4. Roles and Responsibility
The responsibility of Senior Staff and Administration Staff is to determine training needs and develop and implement a continuing education and training plan.
The responsibility of Department and Division Heads is to work with the Training Associate to design training plans for the staff members they supervise. They will also:
- Give or arrange for training when the supervisor sees the need for job-related training
- Work with the employee to choose and schedule any requested and approved work-related training
The responsibility of the Training Associate is to provide computer-related training and:
- Develop and deliver a library-wide computer training plan
- Provide computer training to library staff members under direct supervision of library director
- Develop and carry out training plans with assistance of division and department heads
- Prepare formal training plans, instructional objectives/outlines, exercises, and accompanying literature
- Set priorities for training needs and work through priorities, scheduling individual or small-group instruction sessions
- Assess needs of individual staff receiving training
- Inform library director and supervisors of needs of staff
- Provide standardized instruction and training to new staff members
- Design and provide instruction for training page on the staff Intranet
- Make reports
The responsibility of staff members is to:
- Maintain the knowledge and skills needed to perform the current job assignment and with supervisors develop the knowledge and skills needed for promotional opportunities
- Be informed about the library, the community, about current events, and about topics of public interest (professional and para-professional)
- Make the supervisor aware of training needs
5. Staff Development Activities
Staff development activities are coordinated by senior administrative staff, supervisors, and computer Training Associate. This group (specific staff responsible in parentheses):
- Creates and evaluates various staff surveys to establish needs assessment and gather feedback
- Plans and leads discussion at full staff meeting (Senior Staff)
- Plans 1-day workshop(s) for all staff (Senior Staff)
- Designs, provides and makes use of an Intranet for Library Board and Staff (Senior Staff and Administration)
- Investigates local, state, regional, and in-house training programs, including staff book discussion groups (Department Heads and Division Heads)
- Reviews periodically and updates this plan and sends it on to the Personnel Committee who will review and report to the Library Board (Senior staff)
6. Training Formats
The library will also periodically survey other staff members to assess their training needs. Training may include, but is not limited to: orientation, computer training, self-paced or classroom e-learning, in-house meetings, departmental training, day-long workshops, professional conferences, outside training sessions, or other training.
Training on the Intranet
- Training associate develops Internet-Based Training pages for the Intranet
- Training associate designs layout and provide icons along with topic instructions
- Administrative staff reviews content and publishes it to the Intranet
- Supervisors and senior staff provide content for their areas
Approved by Handley Regional Library Board April 19, 2007