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EXCEL: A certificate program in
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EXCEL is a distance education program specifically designed for public library staff or volunteers who are currently working in a public library and have little or no formal library training. The program provides an opportunity to upgrade library skills and management techniques within a flexible and practical program. It is offered by Southern Ontario Library Service as a distance education program with telephone tutors.
EXCEL is offered in English and French. The seventeen different courses are offered in a cycle over three semesters each year. The three semesters in this program are Winter (January to April), Summer (May to August) and Fall (September to December). Each course is offered at least once a year and some courses are offered twice. Each course consists of five or six modules with an assignment per module and an exam for the course. Assignments are based on practical applications to test the principles of the course in student’s own work situations.
Candidates pursuing a Certificate in managing a small public library must complete at least ten EXCEL courses, including six of the core courses, within five years. Individuals not interested in pursuing the certificate may take courses of interest to them.
Each semester, a registration form will be posted on the EXCEL section of our web site. The form will be posted approximately six weeks before the registration deadline. The registration fee per course is $145.00 plus GST.
From the left navigation bar of the EXCEL section of the website, there is a list of important dates for registration and the semester timetable. There is also information specifically aimed at EXCEL students which are under the heading “Student information”. This information includes a student handbook, glossary of terms and an evaluation form to be completed at the end of each semester. From the left navigation bar, there are also two sections which do require a password to use. The online courses are only available to students who have registered for that particular course. Note that the tutor information section called "For Tutors only" is only available to EXCEL tutors.
For further information about the EXCEL program, a list of contact people has been provided.
For those who have completed the basic EXCEL program, or who are interested in a short course on a specific topic, there is also a second stream within the EXCEL program called Advanced EXCEL. Information on the Advanced EXCEL program is also available from the SOLS website.