B.R.A.I.N.C.E.L.L.S. The goal is to provide an opportunity for existing and new DPL librarian staff to enhance and refresh their professional skills through information sessions and interaction with their colleagues in order to uphold in a consistent manner the Library’s mission of meeting the needs of our community.

WHY??  TRAIN TO SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES  CONSISTENCY IN KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL ACROSS DPL  TRAIN THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN :  94 LIBRARIAN- ORIENTED SESSIONS OFFERED  60% OF SESSIONS HAD 50% OR FEWER LIBRARIANS ATTEND

WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE Reference InterviewingPrint Resources Children’s ServicesCommunication Electronic Resources*Teen Services DPL’s CollectionReader’s Advisory Cataloging/ClassificationServices to Spanish- Speaking Customers *Includes Core Catalog; Core Magazine & Newspapers; Business; Genealogy & History; Government Documents; Ready Reference; Student/Homework; Niche

STATISTICS  Number of presenters: 33 presenters from 18 departments and branches  117 librarians were required to attend  77 librarians (66%) completed all six sessions  25 librarians (21%) missed one or more full sessions  11 librarians (9%) missed parts of one or more sessions  9 EPA’s attended; 5 on-call librarians attended  712 seats were filled in 24 sessions

OUTCOMES  Ensure excellent customer service  Provide a targeted system of ongoing professional development for librarians  Introduce a framework for defined competencies and accountability  Maintain awareness of DPL practices and perspectives including current policies, practices and services of all departments and branches  Update skills on quickly changing technology and reference skills

OUTCOMES  Provide a development opportunity for individual growth and leadership, public speaking and facilitation  Showcase and share individual expertise and best practices  Fulfill requests for training and development from staff, targeted at identified gaps in skills  Provide an opportunity for colleagues to network and develop a sense of community  Maintain credibility of DPL’s librarian skills in a #1 library

FEEDBACK  524 evaluations were received  466 (89%) responded to a question about the value of the series  430 responses (92%) indicated the series had value to the professional development of DPL librarians

ATTENDEE COMMENTS  I appreciated the teambuilding and improved rapport with colleagues and other depts. - from sharing of expertise and commiseration on challenges. Collective knowledge and expertise is being better utilized.  It was a pleasure to share insights and experiences with colleagues from around the system. It’s too rare an occurrence.  I will use information from this on a daily basis, and reader's advisory. Both will be most helpful in patron services  Have many new useful tools to use in my work.

MOVING FORWARD….. We recommend that mandatory performance development for librarians continue:  exploring further topics and methods of delivery to librarian staff.  soliciting input from the Lead Managers group as well as reviewing suggestions from the evaluations.  investigating valid, useful methods of measuring the impact of this training on librarian performance and customer service.

TOOLS UTILIZED  Defined Competencies and Outcomes  Pre-survey: skills assessment, trainer planning tool  Evaluation form  Statistical analysis of data  Feedback from trainers  Survey of literature, libraries  Data, feedback from SmartyPants series

ADDITIONAL TOOLS GOING FORWARD  Train the trainer sessions  Different logistics in time frames  Content Input from lead managers  Accountability process for content