Southern Ontario Library Service

Advanced EXCEL Program

List of courses:

Mandatory courses:

Course A31 – Government Documents and Services  

There is a Basic EXCEL course on Information Services, which focuses mainly on print records. There is also a course on Electronic Information Sources. However, so much government information is now available in electronic form that it is time for a course which focuses on government services. This present course covers the maze of federal and provincial information that is now available through the Internet. The course provides an overview of Service Ontario and Service Canada initiatives. (One of A31 or A32 is mandatory)

Course A32 – Electronic Databases in the Public Library

Reference and information services have changed in most libraries. Library staff, particularly those in smaller libraries, now have more options when it comes to finding information for their patrons. With the Knowledge Ontario initiative, smaller libraries now have access to a variety of electronic databases Gale and EBSCO. This course will provide an overview of how to use these databases. The course will also provide some ideas on how one might be able to use these resources in regular work at the library’s service desk. (One of A32 or A31 is mandatory)

Course A33 - Developing a Collection Plan

The Ontario Public Library Guidelines provide generally accepted, although voluntary, standards on running a public library.  One of the guidelines is that “the library has established a written collection development plan reflecting the library’s collection priorities.  The plan includes long and short term objectives as well as a buying plan” (3.2.4).  This Advanced EXCEL course will guide you through the development of a collection plan, with examples and background information.  At the end of the course, the students will be well on their way to having a collection plan in place.

Course A34 – Policy Writing

Policies help to define library programs, provide direction for future action and ensure that the library’s philosophy or mission is implemented in a consistent manner. This course will provide information on writing library policies, and will include a checklist of standard policies used in most public libraries.

Optional courses:

Course A35 – MARC Records: An Overview for Public Libraries

Solve the mystery of MARC records. This course will describe exactly what MARC is and how it interacts with AACR2 cataloguing rules, classification system and the library OPAC searching functions. The course will cover the basic rules in using MARC, as well as the coding conventions used in MARC coding both in the main fields, the sub-fields and the leaders. This course would be helpful for staff who can download MARC records, but then are not always sure what changes might need to be made to suit the local catalogue.

Course A36 - Customer Service in the Public Library

Over the years, SOLS has offered customer service workshops called “Developing the Library’s Service Reputation”, and these workshops proved to be very popular.  This Advanced EXCEL course builds on those workshops.  In a service organization such as libraries, both front line staff and management must be committed to predicting what people will need, giving them what they need when they need it, and giving it to them in the context of a positive interaction.   A strong service orientation or commitment is essential among library staff, even those who do not serve the public directly.  Library service is all about helping people find the books and information they need.  This course will provide best practices and helpful information on offering good service in your public library.   

Course A37 – Services to Children

The EXCEL program has been around since 1988. Over the years, more than 600 individuals have completed the program. In the Basic EXCEL program, students are required to take one of the collection development courses, and many students chose the collection development for children course. This present course is intended for students who completed that first course on collection development for children more than 5 years ago. This course will bring students up to date on trends in children’s collections, and on offering a variety of services to children.

Course A38 – Services to Young Adults

As with the new Services to Children course, this present course intended for students who completed that first course on collection development for young adults more than 5 years ago. This course will bring students up to date on trends in young adult collections, and on offering a variety of services to young adults.

Course A39 – Readers’ Advisory Service in the Public Library

Readers’ advisory is the process of matching readers with books and books to readers. It is answering questions that have more to do with the patron’s leisure reading than their informational needs. Readers’ advisory deals with both fiction and non-fiction titles and a specific request may require both kinds of materials to meet a need. This course covers the techniques of working in the area of readers’ advisory work, but also provides suggestions for the range of options available in this type of service. This course is a shorter adaptation of the new course being offered in the Basic EXCEL stream called Readers’ advisory services.

Course A40 – Collection Evaluation

Libraries need to evaluate their collections on a regular basis, and then consider whether the collection needs to be updated, whether it needs additional materials in specific areas and even whether the balance of titles is appropriate for your community. In this course, we look at several collection evaluation methodologies, and learn to interpret the data revealed.

Course A41 – Community Outreach: The Library and its Community

The library should try to provide the best service possible to its community. Yet to be a dynamic, involved service provider, it is not enough to open the doors and wait for your community to find you. You must reach out, connect and facilitate a communication process that allows you to be the first place of contact for all community issues. This course will describe how to be a proactive and customer-focused organization that encourages partnerships within the community that will work in unison for the greatest mutual benefit.

Course A42 – Budgets

In the basic EXCEL course, the topic of budgets is covered within the Basic Library Management course. This Advanced EXCEL course will provide more detail on the budget process itself including preparing the budget and presenting it to Council. It will also explore the options for financial arrangements between the Board and Council and other government funding sources.

Course A43 – Space Planning

This Advanced EXCEL course will address the connection between facilities/space planning and library’s vision and mission/planning process, and the fulfillment of library roles. The course will discuss current issues affecting space needs of libraries and how to assess and optimize space needs. This would assist a library with knowing if a building project is needed.