Librarians Share: Training your staff

Recently, I had a chance to chat with Jessica Curtis, a librarian at the Westerville Public Library in Ohio. The Westerville staff has had great success when it comes to teaching their users how to get comfortable with their OverDrive service and she shared with us that secret to their success. They have made sure every staff member is comfortable with OverDrive by ingraining the idea that learning the service should be a standard part of their library training. We asked her to discuss their training process further and her answers are what follow:   What has been your process in training your staff on your OverDrive service? It is a department requirement that all desk staff be familiar with OverDrive and downloading to various devices. We take the stance that it's no different than expecting a librarian to be familiar with any other database. Everything is written down. We have devices for all download types (app, Kindle, Adobe Digital Editions, Overdrive Media Console, Macs) with which to practice. All necessary software is downloaded on both the service desk and everyone's personal desk computer. Everyone has a one-on-one session with the trainer using their own device (usually a smartphone), a Kindle, a basic Nook, and their own (work) computer. On their own, they have to put a book/audiobook on each device, then take it off. (After training) For app-based devices in person, we recommend that staff set up the device instead of talking someone through downloading the app, setting up an Adobe ID, and adding a library. It's stuff that the patron doesn't necessarily need to retain and it shaves nearly 20 minutes off of each interaction. We then hand the device back and have the patron do the searching and downloading. Everyone is expected to try and help a patron on their own before they ask for assistance from a coworker. If they do need help, two people can generally figure it out without getting the resident “expert.” Everyone has attended the class that is provided for the public on eMedia. Basic information and troubleshooting diagrams are available on the internal wiki.   What have the results been? Everyone in the department feels comfortable with most questions and devices.   What are some of the most frequently asked questions and how does your staff address them? "Will it work with my device?" – We usually just say yes, as it is almost always yes (I can't think of a “no” instance). "Can you show me how to do this?" – Yes. We will always sit down and do a one on one session. No appointment needed. "Can you show me why this won't work?" – Yes. We troubleshoot for any given instance. "Is there a class for this?" – Yes. There are two different classes, the App and then everything else, given once a month all year long.

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DigitalDistributionBlogOverdrive/~3/y1kDxgoxOPI/