MULS Training for Fall 2009
MULS training sessions have been scheduled for Fall 2009, and a number of changes are going into effect during this training cycle.
1) All OCLC regional networks, including Minitex, are now offering training sessions through the OCLC Training Portal. This means our classes may have attendees from outside the Minitex region. We don't know how this may effect class sizes or what the demand may be for our training, but it may be a good idea to sign up early. On the flip side, if you work for an OCLC member library and want to try taking training from another network, you will have the option of selecting another offering in the Portal.
To see all the offerings in the OCLC Training Portal [http://training.oclc.org].
If you are taking a Minitex training session, you may still register through the Minitex website, as usual.
2) As part of the new collaboration with OCLC, Minitex is implementing differential pricing. Libraries in our region (MN, ND, SD and WI) will pay a lower fee for training than libraries from other parts of the country. When you register, be sure to click on the appropriate link so that you can be billed the correct rate.
3) In order to better align our training offerings with OCLC's standard curriculum objectives, we will be developing new training on searching for serial records in WorldCat and on the use of constant data in Local Holdings Records. We'll have more on these new offerings a little further down the road, as we develop the training and schedule sessions.
If there are other topics related to local holdings around which you think training should be developed, please contact Dave Linton and let us know.
4) All Local Holdings Maintenance webinars will now include the option to use internet (VOIP) audio. For some users, this may be more convenient than using the telephone conference call, and having it helps us when creating archived webinars. Look for the section on the registration form which indicates whether you will be connecting via VOIP or telephone, and be sure to test your connections prior to the webinar.
We hope this change will help make training more user-friendly for some library staff.
To see the full calendar of Local Holdings Maintenance training, visit the Minitex training page.