What else can we bring you?
Over the summer, OCLC changed their approach to providing support and training to try to make it easier for all their users to work with OCLC products and services. On the training side, this means that all the regional networks (like Minitex) have opened up their training sessions to libraries that want it, including libraries outside their own region. On the OCLC side, they have given trainers a set of objectives that training should meet, so that wherever one gets their training, the same knowledge and skills are taught to all OCLC users.
This has been an interesting experience. On the one hand, It's comforting to know that most of OCLC's objectives were already being addressed by our MULS webinars. On the other hand, it's interesting to see how different networks and trainers have approached the same materials and the process of teaching. Suffice to say, MULS training is getting an upgrade as a result of considering what I've seen.
At the same time, reconsidering our training raises some broader questions for me about what we have been providing to our users in the way of training. I find myself wondering,
- Are we really meeting the needs of staff who work with Local Holdings Records?
- Are there ways we could make our current training more effective?
- Are there alternative ways of delivering the training that would be better suited to the needs of our users?
If you have taken Minitex training on working with LHRs, I'd be happy to hear from you about how well the training helped you do your job. If you worked through the OCLC on-line tutorials to learn about LHR maintenance, tell me what you thought of that experience.
I'd like to incorporate your experience - as the person who gets to work with LHRs - into the changes we make to our training. Comment on this post, or contact me directly at the Minitex MULS office. Your ideas will make a difference!