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A Good Training Plan is Hard to Find

A Good Training Plan is Hard to Find. Jennifer Sirotkin Oxford College Library. Oxford College of Emory University. Two-year undergraduate school 756 enrollment Liberal Arts Intensive Significant leadership opportunities for freshmen and sophomores. Student Employment at Oxford.

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A Good Training Plan is Hard to Find

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  1. A Good Training Plan is Hard to Find Jennifer Sirotkin Oxford College Library

  2. Oxford College of Emory University • Two-year undergraduate school • 756 enrollment • Liberal Arts Intensive • Significant leadership opportunities for freshmen and sophomores

  3. Student Employment at Oxford • 282 students are awarded work-study • All students are hired by the Financial Aid Office • Students select their top job choices and are then assigned to campus departments

  4. Oxford College Library • Open 103 hours Sunday - Saturday • Oversees adjacent 24/7 study space • Over 90,000 volumes, 500 databases, and 40,000 online journals • Eight full-time staff and 39 student employees (five FTE)

  5. The Beginning • Two issues to be addressed • How do you get the right person in the job? • How do you get them trained?

  6. Try, Try Again • Tried several ideas for scheduling and training that didn’t quite work

  7. Shift in Focus Maybe it’s not about getting the right person for the job, but helping everyone be the right person

  8. What Do We Want to Teach Our Students? • Customer service skills • Basic job skills • Research skills

  9. What Do We Want Them to Take Away from Working in the Library? • Be able to help their classmates • Be the library’s best PR • Be life-long library users • Become library professionals

  10. Our Current Program • Every staff member is involved in the program’s planning and has at least one student to supervise

  11. Early Contact • New students are contacted mid-summer • Welcome • Determine skills and interest • Encourage early completion of paperwork

  12. The Training Plan • First day of work • Time and attendance • Finalize work schedule • Sign attendance contract • Sign statement of confidentiality • Supervisors train in specific office tasks • New students attend training tracks 1-3

  13. Training Track One • Welcome • Reserves (electronic and physical) • Basic circulation and orientation to the desk

  14. Training Track Two • Customer Service • Circulation Desk Expectations • Circulation Checklist • Staff member signs off on the form, giving feedback on the student’s performance • Supervisor reviews his/her students’ forms for issues to address or efforts to praise

  15. Training Track Three • Job Skills 101 • Shelving and Shelf-reading • Care and Handling of Books

  16. Research Skills Training • Basic research instruction is part of office training • Supplemental instruction sessions, such as “Introduction to Zotero” • “On the clock” research consultations for class projects

  17. Job Skills Training • Attendance and communication are our main focus • Correction is explained in terms of future employment • Mid-year and final performance reviews • Summer job/internship resume class

  18. Trusting Them with Higher Level Work • Opportunities for creative input and digital creation • Overseeing our adjacent study space • Cataloging special projects • Researching archive questions • Outstanding students are chosen to be responsible for the library building from 10am-2pm on Saturdays

  19. Acknowledging Their Efforts • Student Employee of the Month • Recognizes excellent customer service and special efforts • Verbalizes our service priorities • Award publicized in our monthly newsletter and other venues

  20. Showing Our Appreciation • Monthly birthday parties • Exam bags • Appreciation “picnic” with homemade food and end of year gifts • Sophomore book selection and foyer display

  21. The Best Part of Working at the Library? • They have their own personal cheering squad – the Librarians!

  22. Already planning for next year… • 39 students are pushing our program’s limits • Training Tracks will be reduced to two • Returning sophomores will be scheduled with new students, so they can teach circulation basics and the circ duty checklists

  23. Final Thoughts Think creatively.  Accentuate the positive. (Eliminate the negative.)  Expect great things and your students will deliver.

  24. Contact Information Jennifer Sirotkin Coordinator of Library Access Services Oxford College Library Oxford College of Emory University 100 Hammil St. Oxford, GA 30054 Phone: 770-784-8335 Email: jennifer.sirotkin@emory.edu

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