The Learning Curriculum is a comprehensive learning plan that focuses on individual and organizational advancement. This plan is for all library staff to develop the skills needed to become members of teams and to improve the way we operate as an organization. The Learning Curriculum is comprised of ten components which in turn include a number of modules. The learning plan covers approximately 150 contact hours.

Components of the Learning Curriculum

• Introduction: Development of the Organization
• Defining Customer Service
• Measurement, Evaluation and Continuous Improvement for Planning and Decision-Making
• Development of Self, Teams and Workgroups
• Exploring Leadership and Followership
• Individual Improvement
• Computer Skills
• Library Basic Skills
• Leadership Development
• Train-the-Trainer

1. Principles and Practices of the Learning Organization

Participants will be introduced to the five disciplines of the learning organization (Systems Thinking, Shared Visioning, Mental Models, Personal Mastery and Team Learning) and will explore how these apply to the UM Libraries. Participants will also examine how learning occurs in organizations today. By considering real work scenarios, they will identify ways to apply principles and practices in their own work.
Length: Six hours

2. Shared Visioning: The UM Libraries as a Learning Organization

In this module, staff will help create a shared vision of the UM Libraries' future. A chief focus of the process will be to think and plan from the perspective of primary users --faculty and students.
Length: Three hours

3. Learning to Thrive in an Ever-Changing Workplace

This module will cover the change process in organizations, strategies for dealing with extensive change and managing one self effectively. Participants will complete an inventory that is designed to promote greater understanding of personal change style.
Length: Three hours

4. Creating a Workplace in Which Diversity is Valued

Building on the results of the Libraries' Culture and Diversity Audit 2000, this workshop examines the larger organizational context to establish the importance of valuing diversity in the workplace. Participants will learn how to effectively create a work environment where serving diverse groups of internal and external customers is key and individual differences are respected. In the workshop, the dimensions of diversity are explored and participants work together to clarify a vision for respecting, managing and leading diversity within the Libraries.
Length: Six hours

5. Working and Learning Together

Communication and dialogue are key elements of working and learning together. This module will focus on fostering collaboration and supporting one another in an environment of change. Participants will learn tools for effective dialogue. The importance of workshops, meetings and other types of learning events will be discussed. This module follows-up on the Learning to Thrive in an Ever-Changing Workplace.
Length: Three hours

1. The UM Libraries' Customer Service Philosophy

What does quality service mean in the UM Libraries? The value of shaping effective customer service and the role staff plays in the delivery of service will be presented in this module. The importance of good measures for evaluating the quality of service such as LIBQUAL+ will be discussed.
Length: Three hours

2. Working with Each Other: The Internal Customer Relationship

Participants will engage in an in-depth look at the internal customers - who they are and how they work together. Key skills for developing effective interpersonal relationships will be practiced.
Length: Three hours

3. Learning From Each Other: Achieving Service Excellence in Dealing With External Customers

External customer service requires the ability to listen to customer queries and negotiate for a successful outcome. These skills in addition to the skills useful in dealing with difficult behaviors and resolving conflicts will be discussed and practiced.
Length: Four hours

1. Creating a Culture of Assessment

This module will investigate the main forces influencing current library goals and work environments and how these forces demand the adoption of new attitudes and thinking and support for structures integral to assessment and evaluation. Participants will practice customer-focused data gathering, and integrating assessment into organizational systems and work activities.
Length: Six hours

2. The Basics of Measurement and Evaluation

Participants will examine the systems thinking approach to evaluation. This workshop will define the purposes of evaluation, provide tools and techniques to design the optimum evaluation strategy, and compare and select the most effective and efficient data-collection methods. Standards and guidelines for achieving results will be explored.
Length: Six hours

3. Measuring and Evaluating Series:

• Programs and Services
• Projects and Work Processes
• Team Performance

A series of hands-on workshops where participants will learn how to apply the tools and techniques of measurement and evaluation to a program, service, project, team performance or work process. In each workshop, participants will identify a specific case and will follow the steps to: design an evaluation strategy, establish an effective data-collection method, set benchmarks, determine reporting mechanisms, define results, and recognize important steps to take upon completion of the process.
Length: Three hours each

4. Grant Proposal Writing

What makes a good proposal? Good proposals stem from good concepts and must be written in sufficient detail to allow reviewers to understand the following: what the project hopes to accomplish, if the project personnel have the necessary expertise to accomplish the goals and objectives, the potential of the project and its cost effectiveness, and the evaluation and dissemination plans. Participants will learn what to do before they write the proposal, and understand the steps in writing the proposal, the review process, and other details that can make a difference. Discussion will include the grant award process and what to do if the proposal is not funded
Length: Three hours

5. Evaluating Individual Performance

Participants will review the Performance Review and Development process and understand their role in it. They will also learn to write clear, goal-oriented performance objectives. Staff and faculty evaluation measures will be discussed.
Length: Two hours

1.Becoming a Self-Managing Team

This module will focus on understanding the development of a self-managing team and the roles and responsibilities of team leaders and members. Discussion of the stages of team development will be included. Helping teams get their work done through a better understanding of group dynamics will round out the session.
Length: Six hours

2. Communication in Groups and Teams

How to conduct skillful discussion and dialogue to ensure effective group work will be covered. Participants will practice their interpersonal communication skills and techniques for managing conflict and disagreement.
Length: Six hours

3. Facilitation Skills

Participants will learn basic skills and tools to assist in the management of group process. The role and responsibilities of the facilitator in managing group dynamics will be discussed. Helping groups and teams get results through tools such as brainstorming, multi-voting, nominal group technique and force field analysis will be included in this module.
Length: Six hours

4. Decision-Making and Consensus Building

This module will cover different decision-making processes and when to use them in group work. Participants will practice tools for divergent and convergent thinking and building consensus.
Length: Three and one half hours

5. Making Meetings Work: Skills and Techniques

What makes a meeting effective? There are a number of roles that people play and techniques they can use that will result in better meetings. This module will also include defining consensus and tools for reaching it.
Length: Three hours

6. Tapping Creativity: Tools for Problem Solving and Decision Making

Participants will explore creativity and how to effectively tap into it for problem solving and decision making. An understanding of how to nurture creativity and what can block it will be discussed. This module will also focus on tools such as brain-writing, mind mapping, and metaphorical thinking that can stimulate the flow of creativity.
Length: Three hours

7. Becoming an Effective Coach

The importance of being a good coach is the focus of this module. Participants will understand the coaching process and have an opportunity to practice the skills critical for this role.
Length: Three hours

8. Mentoring Others

Guiding and supporting others through their work and life choices can build an enduring relationship that develops both members. Learn how to start, maintain and evaluate a mentoring relationship. Participants will learn the key principles and the specific techniques and tools associated with effective and successful mentoring. Participants will also explore different mentoring styles and the key behaviors necessary for an effective mentoring experience.
Length: Three Hours

9. Increasing Self-Awareness of Behavioral Style and Preferences

Understanding yourself and how you relate to others is the basis of this module. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is one tool that can be used to increase this understanding. Participants will create a plan for personal development.
Length: Three hours

10. Managing Stress and Burn-Out

What is stress and what causes it? This workshop will help participants identify signs and symptoms of stress, learn a variety of mental and physical techniques to better manage stress, and develop an action plan to improve stress management skills. Also covered is Wellness - what it is and how it can be achieved.
Length: Two hours

11. Planning, Setting Priorities, and Effective Time Management

There are only so many hours in one day! How do you balance all of your priorities? Participants will discuss tools and techniques for setting and balancing priorities and planning the effective use of time
Length: Four hours

1. Understanding Leadership

To be an effective leader in today's world, you must be one who leads others to lead themselves. In this workshop, participants will learn to succeed as a leader by examining the intrinsic leadership potential that lies within. Discussions will focus on qualities that make a self-leader, effective leadership practices, and understanding a preferred leadership style. What is a leader's role and work in a Learning Organization? What are the differences and similarities between leadership and management? Participants will also discuss various organizational structures that support self-leadership such as self-managing teams and distance working.
Length: Two three hour sessions

2. Effective Followership

Effective leadership requires effective followership. Participants will understand the range of followership styles, practices of self-leadership and how to influence without authority.
Length: Three Hours

3. Shared Leadership

Everyone is a leader and a follower in this organization. Staff will explore what this means. How will this be achieved? Learn how leaders turn followers into self-leaders by providing opportunities for followers to express and develop their own leadership skills. Participants will also examine power and influence in organizations and how leaders effectively use both.
Length: Two three hour sessions

1. Understanding Your Learning Style and Preferences

The Learning Style Inventory will be administered to participants to determine individual learning styles. The test is a statistically reliable and valid, twelve-item assessment tool based on Experiential Learning Theory. It identifies preferred learning styles and explores the opportunities different styles present for problem solving, working in teams, resolving conflict, and communicating at work and home. The Four Learning Styles and their impact on career choices will also be discussed.
Length: Two hours

2. Improve Your Project Management Skills: Managing For Success

This one-day seminar provides the practical knowledge needed for completing a project successfully. Participants will understand the principles and process of project management and knowledge areas as they are typically applied to the project life cycle. Participants will understand why it is crucial to focus on managing uncertainty and will be introduced to the nine principles "simultaneous managers" use to be more effective in decision-making.
Length: Six hours

3. Presentation Skills

Campus theatre director and actor leads a workshop focusing on stage presence, movement, expression, voice and improvisation. The goal is to expand your communication skills, increase comfort level when speaking to an audience, and to help people become more interactive with your audience when making presentations or providing instruction.
Length: Three hours

4. Safety and Security Measures

In this two-part workshop, you will meet University of Maryland Police Department Officers who will (1) discuss steps to identify problem situations as defined by the UMPD, (2) suggest strategies to institute within each library department to facilitate safety and security, (3) advise how to practice personal safety, and (4) describe limits for enforcing library policy, including knowledge of when to ask for additional assistance. In the second half of the workshop you will interact with library trainers to discuss important safety information outlined in the Libraries' Safety and Security Guidelines.
Length: Three hours

5. Sexual Harassment Prevention

This is a required workshop for all library staff, Graduate Assistants and student workers. A workshop where you will learn to recognize sexual harassment, document incidents, and define quid pro quo and hostile environment harassment as stated by EEOC. Included are issues related to employer liability and resolution procedures available at the University.
Length: Three hours

6. Professional Writing Series

A series of writing workshops is designed to sharpen professional writing skills. Individual classes focus on writing concisely, writing clearly and writing cohesively and avoiding grammar and punctuation errors. Participants will also learn to use an assortment of writing resources such as Strunk and White's The Elements of Style and Hacker's A Pocket Style Manual. A guide to online and print resources is located on the Libraries' Staff Training and Development web page.

The Staff Training Library, located in McKeldin Room XX, contains over 40 books and reference guides on topics ranging from Web Development and office applications to public speaking and professional writing. Staff members may borrow any of these materials for quick trouble-shooting or more extensive self-directed training.
Length: Two Hours

Staff Training and Development provides computer training forstaff.

1. Understanding Windows

Participants who are new to computers or who would like to understand more about the about the operating system, hardware, and software should take this workshop. The workshop will help participants become comfortable with the mouse and keyboard, the desktop and start menu taskbar, windows, and managing files and folders. Skill exercises follow each new topic and a self-assessment concludes the workshop.
Length: Two Hours

2. Microsoft Office 97 and 2000

The following individual workshops comprise sessions devoted to Microsoft Office Suites: Basic and Intermediate Word, Basic and Intermediate Excel, Basic and Intermediate PowerPoint, and Basic and Intermediate Access. Basic classes are open to people who have never used the program before as well as self-taught users who want to fill gaps in their knowledge. Before participants advance to intermediate sessions, a self-test provided by trainers should be taken.
Length: Individual workshops vary in length.

3. Electronic Mail

Instruction is available for Netscape electronic mail package.
Length: Two Hours

4. Using Netscape and Forms on the Web

Participants will learn about the features of the Web browser Netscape and become skilled in "surfing the web". They will also learn about using the web forms that the University uses to conduct administrative business processes and web forms.
Length: Two Hours

5. Website Tutorials and Guides

Tutorials and guides currently available on the Staff Training website include: Excel Basics, Internet Clockworks, PowerPoint 97 for Beginners, Intermediate PowerPoint 97, Simeon for Everyone, Word 97 for Beginners, and Intermediate Word. More tutotials will be added to supplement training workshops. A guide to resources for Web Development is also available.

6. Web Design: HTML

Introduction to HTML teaches the basics of hypertext markup language: what its components are and how to use them to create a Web page. This class is for beginners and for people who are self-taught and want to fill gaps in their knowledge. Participants use HTML tags to create a simple Web page with headers, lists, paragraphs, and hyperlinks.

Intermediate HTML I classes are offered for people who already understand basic HTML and want to expand their skills. Intermediate classes focus on topics such as images, tables, nested lists, and named anchors. Participants in the HTML classes receive several informative handouts, including the O'Reilly HTML Pocket Reference. WebSpinner training is incorporated into HTML workshops on an individual basis.
Length: Two Hours

7. Web Design: Graphics

Introduction to Adobe Photoshop teaches the basics of preparing a digital image for the Web: cropping, resizing, improving color balance, increasing contrast, adding text to an image, and removing flaws. Intermediate Adobe Photoshop increases participants' flexibility by teaching new options for image enhancement techniques. Participants also learn how to work with multiple images, create image files that appear non-rectangular, and create original graphic designs.
Length: Two Hours

Workshops and modules in this component will cover the variety of basic skills necessary for library staff to do their jobs. A wide range of topics is currently presented on an on-going basis in the area of database training. Tours of library facilities are also given. Workshops dealing with preservation issues will be offered. Future workshops will be offered as needs are identified.
Length: Individual time of sessions will vary.

This component will prepare managers to support organizational change by providing them with the opportunity to learn leadership skills in a collaborative context. Those managers who have direct responsibility to implement organizational change initiatives will come together to learn how to be more effective leaders, individually and together. Creating a statement of a collective philosophy of leadership for the UM Libraries, clarifying individual values, beliefs and assumptions about effective leadership, and examining the new roles and expectations of leadership will be several outcomes of this workshop. Managers will identify ways in which they can be consistent in their leadership approach and allow for their individual styles and approaches.

A group of staff will be trained in the basics of training design and deliver in a five-day program. Tom Goad's five-step process will be used as the basis for the program. As each of the five steps (analyzing, designing, developing, conducting and evaluating) is introduced, participants will work in a small design team to apply the key concepts and practices of that step. This will lead to the design of learning events that can be presented to library staff and will provide participants an immediate opportunity to apply the learning in the program itself. Participants must attend all five days.

Program Outline

• Principles and Practices of Adult Learning
• A Five-Step Model for Training
• Understanding Your Training and Learning Style Preferences
• Determining Learning Needs
  • Sources of information
  • Designing a training needs assessment tool
  • Analyzing results
• Defining Learning Objectives and Outcomes
• Designing the Training Workshop or Program
• Selecting Methods and Approaches for Optimal Learning
  • The range of approaches to consider
  • Assessing resistance
  • Determining complexity of the material
  • Choosing effective methods and approaches
• Conducting Training
  • Preparing the learner
  • Preparing yourself
  • Presentation skills
  • Staging a learning experience
  • Facilitating the learning process
• Evaluating Training
  • Kirkpatrick's Model
  • Designing Surveys
  • Analyzing and Using the Results

Length: Five days (30 hours)

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