[11861] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: Endowment for library staff training for digital library
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Joyce Latham)
Fri Dec 5 20:02:36 1997
Date: Fri, 05 Dec 1997 09:50:19 -0600
From: Joyce Latham <jlatham@interaccess.com>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
The Chicago Public Library Foundation sponsors Project MIND -- Managing
Information Needs Democratically -- a fund raising effort which this year is
focused on raising funds for staff training in technology. Project MIND has
been effective in the past in targeting communities in need of technology,
but it soon became apparent that the staff needed training in technology to
deliver the services. While I could not speak to exactly how much has been
spent on staff training programs it is a significant amount of money. The
structure is not competitive, however. Staff Development and Computer
Services work on contracting for or designing classes that assist staff with
everything from how to use a mouse to install a network to program an HTML
document. (I have benefited myself from this training, and my fledling
website may be found at http://homepage.interaccess.com/~jlatham/brookm.html.)
Sorry for the aside. Managers don't usually get to "do stuff".
Anyway, I'd be glad to answer any questions or put you in touch with the
right folks. I realize it is a public library but it has been a valuable
effort for us and has been training available to all staff that would not
have been possible otherwise, given the city purchasing/contracting structure.
Joyce Latham
Director of Library Automation
Chicago Public Library
