Competency K

Design training programs based on appropriate learning principles and theories.

To a disciple who complained of his limitations the Master said, "You are limited indeed. But have you noticed you can do things today that you would have thought impossible fifteen years ago? What changed?"
"My talents changed."
"No. You changed."
"Isn't that the same thing?"
"No. You are what you think you are. When your thinking changed, you changed."
Unknown

The Master's words of wisdom are true. We are what we think we are, and we change because our thinking changes. This reality really fits into the fact that we are living in a society of dynamic evolution. Everything around us changes, and we have no other option but to adapt to it by ways of training ourselves and one another. Training is such a crucial factor for growth in any organization or company. In a library setting, librarians and information professionals must be keen to their working environment in order to design training which is fitting both to their staff and patrons. Training can be done as often as they deem it is necessary. When a new computer program is acquired, it is mandatory that those involved are to be trained. When a new business procedure is applied, all staff members should be trained to collaborate with one another. When a new manager takes over a branch with a different leadership style, it is important for him/her to conduct training of his/her staff. Without training, it is like without communication; business will not progress as expected. This is the internal forum, and the external patrons are equally important. Librarians and information professionals must make adequate effort to provide their patrons basic knowledge and skills regarding how to search for information effectively. Mostly in academic libraries, librarians and information professionals often conduct workshops to train users about certain procedures on how to use the library. Especially when new classes of students arrive to school in their first year, they need to be instructed about the library and its operation.

In addition to this formal training, librarians and information professionals must also commit themselves to help patrons in an informal setting. Especially in a public library, patrons come from different walks of life and levels of educations. No matter how hard one tries to explain in workshops and conferences, there are always someone who are lagging behind. Therefore, individual instruction should be offered as an alternate option.

In relations to this competency, I have had experiences both in coursework and in real life interaction. One of the reading assignments that I had for LIBR 210 was an article , "Library Staffing Considerations in the Age of Technology: Basic Elements for Managing Change," by Daryl C. Youngman, Chair of Science Libraries of Kansas State University. In his article, Youngman discusses that technology has changed the way librarians serve their patrons, and it will continue to change. Because of this constant change, librarians are taking on different roles as new services are implemented. As the electronic services require special skill sets, Youngman suggests that each library must develop individual solutions to respond to this trend. One of the examples of change that Youngman presents in the article is acquisitions. The nature of the work still remains the same but the approach has been changed with additional elements. "Acquisitions librarians still select and purchase books and traditional journals, but they also must deal with many 'access without ownership' issues involving leased electronic databases, full-text journal article access services and other services that are acquired only virtually." This task alone requires acquisitions librarians to get trained in electronic databases and online services. Youngman suggests further that, "Supervisors can begin by assessing both patron needs and the existing skills of their staff. When a comparison is developed, it will become possible to identify skill sets that are necessary but not currently represented on the staff. At this point, supervisors may consider several options: rethinking the utilization of existing staff, the recruiting of new staff and the realignment of services offered." Youngman's recommendation is to review both the internal staff and the external users and identify their skills. After having a good knowledge of what the environment the library is in, the supervisor should take actions accordingly. The article is quite an eye opening insight to see where the current librarian role is and where it is heading in the future.

My other coursework is a writing assignment, "The Future Role of Librarians in an Internet or Digital Library Environment," for LIBR 200 (Information and Society). In this paper, I discuss in length that the future of our society will be technology based. It is fast spreading in every area of life, and library service is one of them. Nowadays, more and more people are using online information instead of walking into a library building. A traditional library has transformed itself into a virtual library where people can access into it by sitting in the comfort of their living room. That is where we are right now, and imagine where we will be 20 years from now. Whatever might become of the future, librarians and information professionals should be ready for it. I emphasize this point very succinctly in the paper: "It is clear to all that when society or environment is evolving, everything in it is either adapting to the change or giving up. The same is true with the role of librarians. They need to adapt to the new change which is the use of internet services. Virtually nothing in our society nowadays is without internet access. It is certain that all agencies, public services, organization, and almost every home have internet access. For this reason the role of librarians ought to change and adapt." There is no other way around it, but to get trained and adapt to the dynamic evolution.

My other experience related to this competency has to do with daily work. As an experienced receptionist, one of my responsibilities is to train new staff. The job of a receptionist is not simply receiving phone calls and transferring the information, but it involves a whole set of customer service skills. One of the things that, I always tell the newly hired staff that they have to be patient and take people where they are, not where we are. The reason is we speak the entire new medical and insurance language to them which they do not commonly use. We have to explain to them in a simple language which they could understand. For example, we just cannot ask them, "Are you calling in to schedule for a colonoscopy?" The majority of them do not understand the process of colonoscopy. We have to explain to them what it is. Another thing that I strongly emphasize in the training is their behavior toward the patients. It has to be respectful and professional. No personal advancement should be exhitbited while working. I also tell them that violations against these basic regulations will result in disciplinary measure or termination. From this real life experience, I have learned that training is very important for growth and success. Training will give staff tools to do their work and to avoid problems.

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