When patrons enter your library, they expect superior services. Having a well-prepared and well-trained staff is what will help distinguish you and your staff. Like libraries across the country, your library’s budget has probably been slashed. You know good staff development is important, but you can’t afford to send staff to conferences this year. How can you best plan and run a good in-house training program?

Today’s How-To-Do-It Tip comes from Staff Development on a Shoestring: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians by Marcia Trotta.

“Best Practices for In-House Training

Five Components of Best Practices

In order for a program to meet the criterion of Best Practice, it must contain the following five components.

Theory Presentation

The first component of a good training workshop is the presentation of theory or the description of a new skill that would be useful to attain. Usually, this is an introduction, and can be accomplished in less than an hour. It is most often provided in a lecture style. This part of the program articulates a vision for change, the organization’s goals, and what management expects from participants.

Modeling

This is a demonstration of the new skill or behavior. It might include a video demonstration in addition to the live demonstration. Modeling provides a supportive atmosphere for the implementation of the new skill.

Practice

The third component of training is the practice of a skill in a simulated setting. The audience participates, trying out the new skill. This can take as long as needed for participants to be comfortable with the changes.

Feedback

The trainer must give prompt feedback about the performance of the workshop participants. He or she must give feedback on all actions taken that are necessary to assess the changes.

Coaching

The fifth component is coaching. As the new idea or skill is being applied and tried, follow-up attention is given to the workshop participants.

This reinforcement process can also be an intervention process if the participants seem not to have fully grasped the new changes or skills.

The rule of thumb seems to be that, the more the vision is communicated in the beginning, and the more the participants are encouraged to practice the new skills, and if the feedback and the interventions are provided, the more successful the program will be.”

-Excerpted from: Staff Development on a Shoestring, pp. 43-44. ©2011 by Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

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