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Continuing Education (CE) is an important component of the Regulations for public library staff. Public library directors are required to attend no less than eight hours of CE per year and library staff members working at least 20 hours a week are required to attend no less than six hours of CE every two years. Director’s Certificates for CE should be saved; they must submit a record of hours in the Annual Report.
The purpose of continuing education is to improve the job performance of a library director or staff member. Continuing education opportunities are not limited to those provided by BLD. In fact, consultant staff are in the best position to learn the unique training needs of the libraries in the district and to plan workshops accordingly. Workshops conducted or organized by a district, even as part of a district meeting, can be counted toward CE credit. Consider using colleagues and representatives of local organizations as presenters.
When determining if a course qualifies for CE credit, consultants should consider whether the topic being covered is a basic and essential skill for the staff member’s job. Learning basic skills or other onboarding/beginning trainings, such as how to use their library's ILS are not considered CE. CE is intended to expand upon these basic skills and broaden the attendees’ understanding of the topic covered, allowing them to more effectively function in the workplace. If you are unsure, you can always look at the CE guidelines, which have been approved by the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC).
OCL provides all library employees and trustees access to the PA Library Staff Academy where users can find webinars about all aspects of library service, management, and governance. Staff or trustees who create accounts using library domain email addresses should have automatic access. If using a personal email account, you may need to request access. Many webinars on the Staff Academy qualify for CE credits.
As a consultant, you are encouraged to provide and recommend training for board members. This could be anything from one-on-one trainings to a district-wide board development day. See the Board Relationships and Development tab for more information.
When planning training, consider how the information will be presented (virtually or in person) and who will be attending. Some districts host district-wide training sessions or in-service days for all staff.
When a new library director is hired in the district, depending on their previous experience, they may feel overwhelmed with learning their new job and the structure of the district. Best practice is to make an appointment to visit the new director and speak with them about district services and the role of the District Library Center’s services, collections, and staff. Spend time cultivating a relationship so the new director feels comfortable contacting you with any questions they may have about their library’s place in the community, county, and state. Once the new director starts, consider sending an email introducing them to the other directors in your district, including the new director’s name, library, contact information, and a short professional biography.
An agenda for a new director orientation may include the following topics (if applicable):