AD HOC TRAINING COMMITTEE REPORT
WYLD ANNUAL MEETING
MAY 21, 2004
RIVERTON, WYOMING

These were the charges given to the Ad Hoc Training Committee by the Regional Council in the fall of 2003 and winter of 2004:

1. Update WYLD skills competencies (Circulation, WYLDCAT, Reports, Serials, Acquisitions, Reserves, Cataloging, ILL) to include SIRSI specific procedures, as well as general essential library skills.
2. Establish a training needs assessment process.
3. Create a skills inventory database.
4. Determine committee status-ad hoc or permanent.
5. Determine training needs for the Annual Meeting.

The ad hoc committee held its first meeting on December 16, 2003. We did not meet again until January 20 due to the holidays. From then through May we met quite often, almost weekly. While we addressed all the charges assigned to the committee, we chose to concentrate our efforts on the skills checklists. Following are the outcomes of our deliberations:

1. Update WYLD skills competencies (Circulation, WYLDCAT, Reports, Serials, Acquisitions, Reserves, Cataloging, ILL) to include SIRSI specific procedures, as well as general essential library skills.
   1. The committee updated and revised the existing DRA skills checklists and added several new checklists. In addition to the checklists named above, the committee created a General Skills Checklist that covered skills necessary for most if not all of the other checklists. During the process the committee polled the membership through emails to all@will.state.wy.us and wyldnews@will.state.wy.us twice asking for feedback on the checklists.
   2. Most of the Training Committee members plan to attend the Annual Meeting in order to be available to answer questions about the Skills Checklists.
2. Establish a training needs assessment process.
   1. The committee viewed the skills checklists and a needs assessment as more driven by individual libraries and their management and staff than by WYLD. We decided to concentrate on the skills checklists for now. We suggest that a permanent committee get some buy-in and evaluation for the checklists (over the summer perhaps) - see if they're used and that they work. Our suggestion is that a permanent committee then develop an example of a personalized, individual needs assessment tool for one of the checklists that can be "premiered" at the director's retreat.
3. Create a skills inventory database.
   1. The issue of a skills inventory will need to be addressed by the permanent committee. The committee suggests that the Regional Council better define what they would like to see as a result of the skills inventory, i.e. their definition of a skills inventory. Sticky questions arise from the issue of a skills inventory, such as: 1) who will maintain the skills inventory, 2) in what format will it be maintained and 3) who will determine the skills a person has and if those skills qualify for the skills inventory. This is an excellent idea, especially for peer training possibilities, but it looks to be an extremely difficult process to implement in reality.
4. Determine committee status-ad hoc or permanent.
   1. The committee recommended to the Regional Council at their March 15, 2004 meeting that the Training Committee become a permanent, standing committee. The recommendation was put to a vote, which carried unanimously.
5. Determine training needs/suggestions for Annual Meeting.
   1. There was some confusion about the mission of the Training Committee as far as training for the Annual Meeting. The Training Committee did not feel comfortable with planning the training (specifically, identifying trainers) so we were only able to identify planning for the physical training space and polling the membership for training needs and wants. These are the suggestions the Training Committee gave to the WYLD Network President, Vice-President and Office Manager:
      1. There are 3 computer labs and 3 presentation rooms with Internet access reserved all day on Thursday (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). The trainers suggested below are WYLD Office staff; however, I would encourage you to consider others in the network who may have the skills and be willing to do this training. Perhaps even the WYLD office staff may "partner" with someone for these training sessions. This would be an excellent way for network members to see "local" talent at work. If you have a list of names, I am willing to ask if they would be interested.
      2. Reports
         1. Possible trainers: CCPL has done some peer-to-peer training.
         2. Separating bibliographic reports from circulation reports may make training reports easier. Serials reports have been specifically requested. While it could be hard on the server, hands-on training would be preferable.
         3. Computer Lab
      3. Circ Map
         1. Possible trainer: Des?
         2. Presentation Room?
      4. Inventory Technote/Procedures
         1. Possible trainer: Marc?
         2. Presentation Room?
      5. Serials Refresher
         1. Possible trainer: Bobbi? (Katie would be willing to help)
         2. Computer Lab?
      6. Materials Booking/Outreach Services
         1. Possible trainer: WYLD Office
         2. Suggested as a combined presentation (not hands-on) if there is time and space or if one of the above topics cannot be done.
      7. Databases
      1. Perhaps database vendors of the newly subscribed databases can set up presentations in the afternoon.

Respectfully submitted,
Katie Jones, Chair