Present: M. Advocate, J. Cohen, C. Donick, J. Ford, J. Meyer, R. Smith, E. Tannenbaum

Review 2004

• Summary sheet of 2004 CE Attendance: Summary presented was organized by system annual report categories required by the state; total 2004 attendance = 943. Attendance numbers are high due to the viability of CE suggestions received from committee members, directors and trustees and by offering what people want.
• Training evaluation summaries: Committee members appreciated receiving reports before the meeting; new feature on evaluation forms captures the percentage of the content participants knew before attending
• Value of CE programming: committee decided that MHLS can evaluate this figure by the hour, using the figure decided up by the committee as a reasonable honorarium for speaker, $100/hour.
• Reruns: M. Advocate reported that the concept of "Summer Reruns" did not have the turn out hoped for (Disaster Preparedness and Electronic Resources @your library). Committee suggested reruns be held at the county level, not specific to the time of year. (See Action 1)
• Trustee Education Sessions report: Trend of increasing attendance. Committee suggested a specific communication to Board Presidents about the Workshop Notices. (See Action 2)
• Central Reference Library Services Report: Committee felt the visits were very helpful and want the CL to continue doing this. Felt that the # of Reference Assessments were high because S. Hermans called the libraries, and suggested additional proactive personal contact for scheduling. Suggested CL add Reference Interview Training to the On-Demand List. Central Library/Collection Development Advisory Committee has discussed CL providing basic reference training and basic OPAC training in each county. Committee suggested including the Local Portals in these training. The committee noted that the Central Reference Library Services Coordinator should keep in mind the audience of small libraries when conducting any training.

Planning for 2005

• Workshop / user group topics for 2005: M. Advocate reviewed the 44 workshop and user group topics planned for 2005 with the committee.
  • The committee suggested Building Community Partnerships / Collaboration by Yolanda Cuesta for the Special Client Populations category, if funds are available. The committee suggested opening this workshop opportunity to outside agencies to help offset the cost. (See Action 3)
  • The committee suggested a workshop on YA Readers Advisory & Collection Development, including what's hot for that age group, what libraries have that teens would be interested in (titles, trends, hobbies, Internet) and how to get them started in the adult collection. The committee felt that this topic, and the teen advisory board topic, would be more valuable than a teen spaces workshop if they have to pick between the topic areas. (See Action 4)
  • The committee recommended a restructuring of the quarterly System Tours: after the tour of the building, ½ hour at end where department staff is specifically available to meet with attendees who are involved with their area of work. The new structure would eliminate the need for a separate YS Open House. (See Action 5)
• Brief sessions at DA: committee members felt that this would work with a small panel (2-3 people), representing small/medium/large libraries speaking for about 20 minutes on one topic. Topics suggested: (See Action 6)
  • weeding
  • space issues
  • fundraising
  • collection development/what to buy/predicting demand (being worked on by the CL/CD committee)
  • success with Friends Groups (problems solved)
  • overview of library, system and database funding/tips for explaining how the cuts to MHLS impact local communities/planning for increased costs for system services/explanation of funding streams asked for in the annual report
  • grants libraries have received
  • wireless networks
• Directors Toolkit for Working with Trustees / Working With your Board Workshop Series: The Committee was in favor of this topic being presented as a series and discussed enhancements to the content outline. Committee recommended that discussion during the sessions be confidential.

2005 Chair: Jody Ford. DA Reporter, Ellen Tannenbaum.
2005 Dates:
· 2/10 Thursday
· 5/18 Wednesday
· 8/19 Friday
· 11/16 Wednesday

ACTIONS:
1. MHLS Staff will endeavor to schedule "reruns" at the county level.
2. J. Cohen will write an enclosure for Board President's mailings, to let them know that are the only trustee receiving Workshop Notices, with the intent that they bring them to their Board meeting.
3. M. Advocate will contact Yolanda Cuesta regarding her Building Community Partnerships / Collaboration workshop.
4. M. Keefe will investigate a workshop on YA Readers Advisory & Collection Development
5. MHLS Staff will reconfigure the MHLS System Tour to incorporate time for attendees to return to department staff their job is most closely aligned with to speak with further.
6. M. Advocate will send a list of the recommended DA Brief Learning Opportunities to the DA Steering Committee.

Handouts:

• Workshops / user group topics for 2005
• Working With Your Board workshop series for Directors
• Tracking attendance at Trustee education sessions over three years
• Locations where Central Library Training On Demand and Reference Assessments have taken place in 2002-4.
• 2004 Workshop Evaluation Summaries for:
  • MHLS Trustee Essentials
  • Advanced Trustee Education
  • MHLS Tour and Orientation of System Headquarters
  • Every Child Ready to Read @your library
  • Management Skills for Librarians, presented by Sandra Nelson
  • Community Presentation Workshop
  • Story Play: Story Hour as the Doorway to Literacy
  • Disaster Preparedness (Summer Rerun)
  • Electronic Resources @your library (Summer Rerun)
  • Circ Essentials (Summer Rerun)
  • Data Entry Essentials (Summer Rerun)
  • Reference Users Group: Legal Resources II

Tabled to the next meeting
· Training On Demand
· Professional Development web page
· Online Opportunities Other

Report to DA

1. 2004 total MHLS Continuing Education attendances = 943.
2. Workshop evaluation forms now capture the percentage of the content participants knew before attending.
3. Committee felt the reference assessment and training visits from the Central Reference Library Services Coordinator are very useful and want the Central Library to continue doing this.
4. Highlights of the workshop and user group topics for 2005 include:
   • Millennium training for data entry, circ, notices, holds and reports
   • Space Planning
   • Working With Your Board workshop series
   • What Libraries Can Learn for Bookstores
   • How to Maintain & Troubleshoot Computers in Your Library
   • Building Community Support for Your Library
   • Executive Committee / Director's Forum on Accounting for Libraries
5. Brief (20 minute) informative training sessions were suggested for the DA meetings. Potentially including a small panel of directors, representing libraries of various sizes, presenting their approach to topics of current interest.

Submitted by Rebekkah Smith / Merribeth Advocate, 12.15.04