Talent Within: Building Library Leaders Through Staff Development

Abstract

Staff development is the cornerstone of a vibrant and responsive library system that meets the needs of today’s students. In lean times, spending effort on staff development can often be overlooked beyond the initial training of new staff members. We will share our development of two key staff training initiatives addressing first-year staff members and future library leaders. Semester-long, New Team Member Training focuses on group work and how individuals can be productive contributors to the library system. Year-long, Team Leader Training focuses on leadership development and the skills needed to lead our library into the future. We will share the structure and foundations of our trainings including how we incorporated diversity learning opportunities into our curriculum. We will also showcase our online resource to promote staff development for all levels of our organization. Participants will walk away with tangible ideas to implement on your campus.