Continuing Education

Welcome to the Learning Loop

In this blog Leah will share the latest best opportunities, resources, and scholarships. Questions and suggestions go to langby@ifls.lib.wi.us

IFLS Staff Academy

Hosted on Niche Academy, the IFLS Staff Academy is full of short tutorials about things you need to know:  Using MORE and Sierra, Interlibrary Loan, Library Ethics, Youth Services, Collection Development, Trustee Development, and Administration.  It is also where Ryan Dowd's famous Homeless Academy lives.

The IFLS Staff Academy supplements material on the Article Index. Where appropriate, Niche Academy videos are linked from the relevant article.

You will need to create an account to access most of the content. Be sure to use your library email. 

Take a look, more content will continue to be added!  If you have questions or suggestions, please contact Leah.

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Privacy and Wisconsin Public Libraries Tutorials for Front-Line Staff and for Managers

Wisconsin public library workers now have access to a tutorial covering the basics of privacy and public libraries, with specific attention to Wisconsin laws.

• The tutorial for front-line staff includes three modules.  Each module  consists of a short (8-9 minute) video, links to additional reading, and a short comprehension quiz. The goal is to help front-line staff understand the reasons behind privacy policies and laws, as well as learning how to interact effectively with library users about privacy.
• Additionally, library directors and managers can access a short tutorial with suggestions for working with staff, creating policies, and other administrative tasks related to protecting patron privacy.
• Those who complete the tutorials will be able to print a certificate of completion.

These tutorials were created by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s iSchool, and are sponsored by Wisconsin Public Library Systems with support from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Public Instruction, with funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services.  Directors who take all of the modules and submit certificates for both tutorials can claim 1 contact hour for public library director certification.

Privacy and Wisconsin Public Libraries Tutorial for Front-Line Staff:  https://my.nicheacademy.com/iflslib-staff/course/56679

Privacy and Wisconsin Public Libraries Tutorial for Managers and Directors:  https://my.nicheacademy.com/iflslib-staff/course/56903

Please contact Leah Langby (langby@ifls.lib.wi.us) with questions, or if you have any difficulty accessing the tutorials.

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Ryan Dowd Training and Recorded Webinars

Ryan Dowd’s Homelessness and Libraries is a 3.5 hour self-paced training.  This training will be available through December 2024, thanks to a statewide subscription.  Look here for tips about empathetic rule enforcement and de-escalating challenging situations with all patrons, with some specific information and education about homelessness.  In addition, recordings of monthly hour-long webinars about a variety of relevant topics are archived in the same location.

The IFLS Staff Academy on Niche Academy now hosts the Homeless Academy.  Sign up using your library email address.

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Coming up at IFLS

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