Continuing Education / Professional Development Advisory Committee Meeting

August 13, 2002
Chatham Public Library
10:00am – 1:00pm

Present:

Sally Alderdice (Claverack), Wendy Fuller (Chatham), Lisa Karim (LaGrange), Donna Pidgeon (Windham)
Merribeth Advocate (MHLS), Rebekkah Smith (MHLS)
Visitors: Sue Hermans (Central Library Coordinator/PPLD), Lena Smolon (MHLS)

Minutes
Approval of June minutes:
1^st: S. Alderdice
2^nd: L. Karim

Current Workshops & Education:

Starting a Homework Center at your Library, Reports Workshop (Sept. 10), Program & Publicity Users Group (Aug. 16), Reference Users Group (Sept. 5), Advanced Trustee Training (Sept. 10 MHLS/Sept. 14 Kingston), Marketing workshop (Sept. 27), reference assessments and electronic resources training from Sue Hermans – discussion of training on the databases by county – Greene and Columbia specifically.
 
Offline Circulation Client: Instructions for installation and use will be posted on the web site at the end of the week, in the Bulletin next week. Discs with the program are available immediately.

Advanced Trustee Education: Upcoming dates noted. Clarified that directors are welcome.

Weeding Workshop: Discussion of Tom Lawrence’s suggestion of rolling it into collection development, retention and weeding. Discussion of using data from Millennium after a year of use to address collection development.

Marketing Workshop: Discussion of upcoming marketing workshop, open to nonmembers; There will a marketing and fund development workshop Council of Community Service of NYS in the MHLS Auditorium in November. More information will be forthcoming.

Technology Education: Discussion of analyzing the tech line call logs to determine ways to support the uniform dissemination of information to aid ease in which people receive information. Committee suggested specific analysis of calls during migration implementation phase.

Holds Packets: Committee feels that the paper copy of updated sheets is essential for binders to be kept update. Data Entry manual: different types of media explained, especially videos. Data Entry problems – manual, continued refresher sessions, Karen and Tom should be contacting directors at libraries with frequent problems in data entry.

VDX Training: 17 libraries said they would participate in further training. 29 libraries said they would not. Unresolved issue with RCLS impacts decision related to training. Committee feels that SENYLRC should provide training for libraries.

Actions:

• Promotion of Proquest – committee asked that MHLS note on the bill to the members that it is subsidized by MHLS and central library $$.
• Committee recommends targeted data entry help – manual, refresher sessions, regional sessions to catch volunteers in some areas.
• MHLS staff to develop handouts that can be faxed to libraries on commonly asked questions of the tech line.
• Last updated date should be included on all updates to the Millennium binder so staff can keep track of whether or not they have the most updated sheets.
• Committee has requested that the Millennium Management Reports Workshop be filmed.
• Offer 2^nd session of community presentation customization workshop.
• MHLS should remind directors that they are welcomed to come to the trustee training sessions.
• The committee requested that desk side info on electronic databases for the libraries (fashioned after Gates’ stuff) be developed. They also suggested the development of curriculum for holding a training session at the library for patrons on the databases.
• The committee requested that MHLS consider redeveloping a form/bookmark order form to centralize requests for the members and clarify which MHLS staff person to request items from.
• The committee recommends that the central library develop the weeding workshop.
• Committee would like more information about the payment schedule for VDX.
• Committee would like to see the Hillsdale Library’s staff instructions for using Millennium.

Handouts:

Circ Refresher Session Handout Packets
Marketing Workshop Registration Information

Next meeting date:
November 5

Submitted by Rebekkah Smith