Staff Training: an excellent service

Elaine Jennerich, Staff Development

To excel as a service organization, a library must support its staff with appropriate training and opportunities for personal development. Few large academic research libraries offer that training and development to the extent the UW Libraries does. The program is designed with better service in mind.

In a typical day, a Libraries staff member may:

• help users locate materials and information through print and computer access tools;
• teach a faculty member to use a new database;
• use software programs to compile a monthly report;
• send electronic mail throughout the day;
• interview and hire a student employee;
• answer several telephone questions from users.

To accomplish such a myriad of tasks, at least 60 percent of the 380 staff members take advantage of the training program each year. Staff may apply for funding to take a class from the UW's departments of Training and Development or Computing & Communications. The Libraries' offerings include a new staff orientation; BriefCases, which focus on topics such as "Policies and Procedures for Hiring Student Employees" and "Ethics for Librarians"; and InfoTech Updates which keep staff informed about new or enhanced computer products.

Each supervisor is expected to take at least one class per year to sharpen management skills, and a teaching technique workshop is offered each quarter for staff who teach library classes. This year, as staff and public workstations are being upgraded to Windows 95, staff are attending classes to learn its features and capabilities.

An important program is Quality Customer Service Training which all new staff and student employees who work with library users attend. The program informs staff of the qualities of good service, and the programs and services that are available both to our primary users on campus and to our visitors.

Such an ambitious program requires both commitment and dollars. The Libraries was fortunate in 1996 to receive a generous gift, and has established the Helen Johns Library Staff Endowment (see "Bequests to the Libraries"). To supplement the endowment, the Libraries has instituted a program called "GOOD FOR US!" that enables anyone to recognize publicly the excellence of a library employee or department.Upon receipt of a gift ($25 minimum) to the endowment, a certificate is tailored to recognize the recipient's excellent service, good deed, or special day. The recipient's name also appears in the Libraries' weekly online newsletter. To make a donation or for more information, contact the Libraries Development Office at 543-1760.