Instructional Challenges Faced by Multitype Library Systems

Multitype library systems often encounter instructional challenges that are unique to library consortiums.  The Lincoln Trail Libraries System (LTLS) is a multitype library serving 121 member libraries in nine counties in east central Illinois.  The system serves seven academic, 53 public, 44 school, and 17 special libraries. As part of its instructional function, LTLS delivers continuing education and training courses to librarians and staff from these libraries.

LTLS continues to offer a wide variety of courses covering diverse areas of interest. These courses are selected based upon the needs of member libraries.  LTLS assists in arranging for a variety of continuing education instruction in areas such as trustee education (aimed at public and school trustees), family literacy training, multimedia selection and management, adult programming in libraries, and grant writing.

LTLS also presents training courses in the area of automation.  This often introduces the age-old instructional challenge of offering training to people who have varying levels of knowledge and experience.  LTLS tries to address this challenge by gearing courses to a variety of skill levels. For example, basic courses are offered in the areas of reference tools, the internet, PCs, and Windows.  In addition, LTLS offers eight core courses and an equal number of more specialized and comprehensive courses about the shared automation system.

LTLS also offers courses aimed at special circumstances in the libraries.  Examples of these course topics are: processing interlibrary loan requests for non-automated libraries, medical reference on the internet, and children's literature.

Along with the variety of skill levels in people, there is also the challenge presented by the wide variety of equipment used by different libraries. While a relatively well funded library may be fortunate enough to have the latest in technology, a small library may be operating on donated equipment that represents older technology, presenting a challenge in accessing the shared catalog. Instruction must cover both the latest technology, as well as older connection methods.

An added complication presented by the numerous methods of access is the fact that an instructional document can become lengthy and complicated in order to address each access method. While it would be ideal to be able to individualize the instruction document for each library's specific access method, this usually is not feasible.  Therefore, a comprehensive instruction document can sometimes be discouraging and confusing to libraries that must perform a substantial amount of their own automation tasks.  In order to try to avoid this, a library system needs to take three basic steps.  First, familiarity with each library's access method must be achieved. Then the instruction document must be comprehensive enough to address the different access methods used by all member libraries.  And finally, the document should be as simple and understandable as possible.  An introductory section in the document outlining each access method aids in the flow of instruction to individual libraries.

The above discussion has highlighted special challenges inherent to library instruction delivered by LTLS.  It is the responsibility of each library system to identify its own unique instructional challenges as part of the process of developing effective continuing education for librarians and staff in member libraries.
 

Meredith Smith
Consultant, Lincoln Trail Libraries System
Champaign, IL 61981
Email: msmith@LTnet.ltls.org

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