Southern Ontario Library Service

Expectations for Kempenfelt 2008
The New Rural @ your library

Overall:

• You are expected to participate!  You can expect me, as course co-coordinator, to make that possible by making time for discussion, by listening to all points of view, and by making you feel safe to speak up.
• You can expect information overload. You can expect me to repeat, and to reuse some skills throughout the course, so as to make it easier to take it all in.
• You can expect to learn new skills, and to revisit skills you already know. You can expect me to build on those skills throughout the week, and to wrap it all up on Thursday
• You are expected to be on time. You can expect me to finish on time.
• You can expect a relaxed atmosphere, definitely casual. However, you can expect the content of this course to challenge you and to demand something of you.
• You can expect to spend some time filling in evaluations forms. You can expect me to demand that you fill in evaluation forms.
• You can expect 15-minute breaks morning and afternoon, free coffee, and lots of beautiful scenery. You can expect me to demand your attention (away from the lake). I’ll also herd you back from breaks – don’t take it personally.
• You can expect evening get-togethers, for games, talks, walks, etc. You can expect to find me in the bar, playing pool or talking, every evening.
• You can expect terrific food, and plenty of it. You can expect me to enjoy every meal.

1. Introductions and Discussion With Hélène Golden (Sunday, September  14, 7:30 PM)

We will be packing in a lot in this first evening session. Not only will you get an introduction to the course outline and the expectations, but you will also learn each other’s names, and become familiar with people you have never before met!

After this session, you should

• Be able to call most of your fellow students by name
• Understand what is expected of you for the week
• Be able to find your way around the Centre
• Have been able to ask questions and to participate in discussion
• We will talk generally about rural communities

2. Marketing Your Collections with Sharron Smith (Monday, Sept. 15, 9-12)

This half-day session will look at the principles of using your collections to support your work of connecting to your community. Sharron Smith is well known as an exceptional trainer, and has been very popular in years past at Kempenfelt.

After this session you will be able to:

• build effective displays, no matter the size of your library
• understand why displays are necessary
• have had a chance to problem-solve around themes and methods
• have begun to understand how different, and how alike, your library systems are

3. Climate Change with Sheryl (Monday, September 15, 1:30-4:30)

We will be discussing the impact of the “new Rural” and what it means to public libraries in Ontario. Demographic shifts, shifts and changes in lifestyle patterns, and new family dynamics will be discussed.

After this session, you will be able to:

• understand and track trends in the community or communities that you serve
• identify changing moments, and learn how to give feedback to the administrators in order to have positive change
• understand the big picture in Ontario demographic changes
• learn to identify and work with other community groups to better understand and serve diversity

4. Tour of Barrie Public Library, with Anne Andrysyszyn (Monday, September 15, 7:30-9:00)

5. The Reference Interview with Hélène Golden (Tuesday, September 16, 9-12)

Back to basics. We will prepare for the Knowledge Ontario session, which will be hands on, by going over the reference process.

After this session, you will be able:

• conduct an excellent reference interview
• feel comfortable with the concept of open questions
• understand the difference between print and e-reference materials
• know when to net

6. Knowledge Ontario (Tuesday, September 16,  1:30-4:30)

Web based resources abound, but few staff are taking full advantage of these excellent resources. We will walk you through the Knowledge Ontario resources from Thompson Gale.

After this session, you will

• enjoy web-based reference work
• have a good grounding in using the web for information
• have a good grasp of the scope of good information available on Knowledge Ontario
• have had some guided trials using the resources

7. Reader’s Advisory with Hélène Golden (Wednesday, September 17, 9:00-12:00)

Reading as many of the books on the reading list will allow you to fully participate in the discussion of reading tastes, and of the difficulties of doing a good reader advisory interview.

Expectations for this session are:

• you will have read the books on the reading list, and brought them with you
• you will have an understanding of the appeal factors
• you will have a good understanding of the reader advisory process
• you will understand the need for a very wide variety of resources in order to please readers in your community
   

8. Are you Green? ( Wednesday, September 17, 1:30-4:30)

This workshop, held in conjunction with the CEO’s, will teach you about your own personal communication and personality type, and will make you aware of the differences between you, your colleagues, and your CEO.

You will

• understand your reactions to change and to stress
• see other ways of communicating with colleagues and with supervisors that may be more effective
• become more sensitive to others’ needs when communicating and interacting with them

9. Mixer with your Administrators (Wednesday, September 17, 7:30 - ? )

Entirely fun – the only objectives are to mingle, eat, drink, and stay up WAY too late! This party is hosted and catered by the Administrators.
 

10.  Wrap-up, with Hélène Golden (Thursday, September 18, 9:00-12:00)

PLEASE come prepared for a wrap up of the week. We need to hear from you about what you learned that was useful, and we also need to hear if you found something not helpful. This three hour session will be a chance for you to discuss with your classmates what bits you found challenging, what you will take away with you from the week, and what you wished we had done differently.

Expectations are

• Exhaustion
• Participation
• Fun
• You’ll want to come back

Kempenfelt 2008
Reading List