Technology Trainer Boot Camp

The Nicolet Federated Library System in Green Bay hosted a terrific webinar last week by Sarah Houghton, aka The Librarian in Black, called Technology Trainer Boot Camp.  It was an hour of excellent information and ideas about how to manage the onslaught of technology devices, providing training for staff and for library users alike.

You can access the archived version of the recording right here:  http://blip.tv/nfls/tech-trainer-boot-camp-6271571.  In it, you’ll learn:

• Techniques for helping e-reader newbies, including
• A regular drop-in (1 or 2 times a week) program where people can get their tech questions answered by staff and volunteers—this takes pressure off the reference desk!
• Helping pair up new users of the same device so they can help each other
• How to come up with training topics:  Think Big!  What do you want to teach?  What do you get tons of questions about?  Is there any training you can let go of to free up time for new topics?
• Remember that hands-on is the ONLY way to really teach about technology—you must allow for and encourage exploration
• Adaptability to change is a great thing to teach to staff and patrons!
• 10 great tips for tech training:
• Tell stories to really illustrate your points in a meaningful way
• Use humor
• Stop relying on step-by-steps!  Handouts alone don’t do the trick, people need to explore technology more organically.
• Keep it loose—be willing to shift what you are talking about depending on questions or technology problems
• Give people something to take away (handouts, contact information)
• Encourage exploration—give people time to mess around with a knowledgeable person in the background, ready to help
• Show respect—don’t talk down to people!
• Give them what they came for, even if it wasn’t what you planned to cover in a class.  Don’t overwhelm with superfluous information
• Be a real person—don’t put on an authoritative persona, use real examples from your own life, build commaraderie
• Give avenues for follow-up, be approachable afterwards

I recommend hearing these tips—explained with humor and real examples from Sarah’s experience—right from the horse’s mouth—give yourself an hour to watch the archive of this webinar!     -Leah Langby, IFLS Library Development and Youth Services Coordinator