Library-wide IT Proficiencies workshop

I’m spending the day today at the NELA-ITS workshop on Library-Wide IT Proficiencies. I’m sitting across from the eminent Andrea Mercado and next to Brian Herzog, which is lovely… since I trust and respect both of them. And feel like my next professional challenge is going to be dissolving institutional idea of a Technology Librarian as IT support. My job and training is not best utilized rebooting computers and unjamming printers. These are important things, of course, but things I think every staff member should be empowered to do themselves.
My mantras:

1. You are NOT going to break the computer.
2. What did you try before you phoned me?
3. Did you reboot?

I am hoping this workshop will help me take thing a bit further toward formal training and giving staff a sense of ownership and confidence when it comes to computers. My convention when live-blogging is to take notes but put my personal comments in brackets []:

Part I: Proficiency, IT Staff and End Users presented by Gary K. McCone and Grace R. Sines, National Agricultural Library
IT Proficiency - know what your end-users need/expect [my feelings are they EXPECT librarians to know everything or at least be proactive to solve their problems - they do not expect blank stares and shrugged shoulders.]
Training improves moral and teamwork because staff feel a sense of mastery.
Manages expectations.
Promotes efficiency. [Lately, this seems the magic word, 'it will make us more efficient goes quite far.]
A successful IT person wants to ENABLE staff to solve problems on their own.
Get to know your end-users better [I'm not trying to be sassy, but I'm not entirely sure why the National Agricultural Library is qualified for this.]
Four generations currently working all together: veterens, baby boomers, generation Xers, millennials.
[Idea: ask staff how THEY want to learn. Ask each reference librarian to take on a class.]

Define your core competencies - in black and white - the ability, skill, and knowledge required to do something technical.
Puposes:

• Develops a uniform knowledge-base
• Promotes self-sufficiency
• Keeps staff technology savvy
• Develops clear expectations
• Creates a culture of learning
• Improves customer services

Types

• Task-based: arrow in scope and specific, easy to demonstrate/measure.
• Descriptive: Broad, I know how to use the web.

Who should develop?

• management
• Professional Library staff
• Professional IT staff
• paraprofessionals
• volunteers
• Everyone should be involved.

People who are doing the work know what they need to know.
Decide on categories, levels, positions… expand on ideas within the categories.
What does everybody need to know?
Implementation: Communicate, Training, Job Description, Rating, Others… institutionalize it.

Incentives
Why? Threatened by technology, fear of looking foolish, change-resistant, increase motivation. Examples: Prizes, time off, bonus, public recognition.
All employees must go to two trainings per year related to their work… most choose what is related to technology. [I like this idea.]
Managers/supervisors write personal notes to congratulate staff, monitor progress toward a goal on a visual, group-incentive. Incentives are not always tangible.
IT Liaison Program - each division selected a liaison to act as the first point of contact for support questions - faster service, able to handle minor issues, enables self-sufficiency, representative of unit needs, assists in maintaining standards. Installation of software, assist in setting up new computers, assist with purchases, coordinate inventories, attend meetings and distribute to their unit. Wrote Standard Operating Procedures.