Champaign, Illinois is located in the center of the state, almost equidistant from Chicago, Indianapolis, and St. Louis. It’s home to about 90,000 permanent residents, as well as students attending the University of Illinois, and is served by the Champaign Public Library.
The library has a staff of about 100 people working at two locations. They’re so committed to excellent library service that they’ve included a goal in their strategic plan to “prioritize professional development to further position staff as experts in relevant fields."
“Having consistent onboarding has been a challenge over the years,” confesses Nanette Donohue, Collections and Technical Services Manager for the library. “Whether you're a page or a janitor, or the library director, customer service training is important because when people find out you work at the library, one of the first things they will ask you is, ‘What are you reading? What should I read?’. It doesn't matter what you do here. Patrons assume that you have some insider knowledge about what's good to read. And we want to make sure that staff are comfortable and confident providing reading suggestions for folks.”
Champaign Public Library realized they needed to provide all staff with ongoing training, building their skill and confidence when working with readers to reach that strategic goal. But finding valuable training that applies to many different skill levels, and is fun(!) is a tall order.
Angela Hursh is Manager of Library Engagement, Marketing, and Professional Development for NoveList. She just finished What I Ate In One Year by Stanley Tucci, which she highly recommends!
