The Washington State Library is pleased to offer College of DuPage’s teleconference series to all Washington libraries.

More information can be found at:  http://www.bcr.org/training/partners/teleconferences/index.html.

The first teleconference is Friday, November 7 from 9:00 AM-10:30 AM (Pacific Standard Time.)

Registration is available at:

       http://www.bcr.org/training/partners/teleconferences/registration.html for viewing the teleconference from your worksite.

        http://www.secstate.wa.gov/library/libraries/training/trainingView.aspx?event=438&audience=state for viewing the teleconference from the Washington State Library, Room 221.

Information on the upcoming program:

Reversing the Ratchet: Basic Technology Adoption Strategies for Library Workers

Speaker: Steven Bell 

Are you feeling more pressure in your library to keep up with the latest technologies?

Library workers must constantly learn the latest techno-tweaks to their familiar information systems, but they also face ongoing tension from the expectation that every new technology must be applied to enhance library services. In a technology landscape where gadgets, gizmos, software and Web 2.0 innovations hit us at an ever accelerating pace, how do we successfully manage technology adoption in our libraries?

This Soaring to Excellence presentation addresses the challenge of the technology ratchet and how to keep it from tightening its grip on library workers. Steven Bell will share ideas and techniques for regaining control over library technology with an exploration of better ways to identify, adopt and leverage the technologies that make sense for us and that create a better library user experience for our communities. With the right attitude and approach every library worker can develop a personal professional development strategy for keeping pace with the technology curve.

For additional information, please contact Jennifer Fenton, CE/Training Coordinator, Washington State Library at 360.570.5571 or jfenton@secstate.wa.gov.

Several years ago we started talking about the fact that most of our managing staff were over 50 and would begin retiring.  However, we were looking at it more as how we would find replacements — not how do we keep our history.

This article in the Talent Management magazine http://www.talentmgt.com/talent.php?pt=a&aid=763 talks briefly about ways to plan for the transfer of the knowledge from our long time staff as they retire.  The 3 ways they discuss are: 

1. Phased retirement, begin by reducing the person’s hour but having them around to answer questions as they arise.
2. Ex-employee networking.  Allow for ex-employees to network with their replacements.
3. Council participation.  A group of retirees that meet to share their information.

How have you been addressing this issue?  Or is this not an issue your library system is facing?