How do you design or deliver engaging and relevant training content or sessions for your library staff?

1 Identify your training needs and goals

Before you start designing or delivering any training content or sessions, you need to identify your training needs and goals. What are the knowledge gaps, skill gaps, or performance issues that you want to address? What are the learning objectives and outcomes that you want to achieve? How will you measure the impact and effectiveness of your training? By answering these questions, you can define the scope, purpose, and direction of your training program.

3 Choose the right format and delivery mode

Depending on your training needs, goals, audience, and preferences, you can choose the right format and delivery mode for your training content or sessions. For example, you can use e-learning, webinars, videos, podcasts, or other online tools to provide flexible, accessible, and interactive learning opportunities. Or you can use workshops, seminars, coaching, mentoring, or other face-to-face methods to provide hands-on, collaborative, and experiential learning experiences. Or you can use a blended approach that combines both online and offline elements to provide a balanced, comprehensive, and engaging learning journey.

4 Use relevant and practical content and examples

One of the best ways to design or deliver engaging and relevant training content or sessions is to use relevant and practical content and examples. This means that you should use content and examples that are aligned with your training goals, audience, and preferences, as well as with your library's mission, vision, values, and policies. You should also use content and examples that are current, accurate, and credible, as well as diverse, inclusive, and respectful. By using relevant and practical content and examples, you can make your training content or sessions more meaningful, relatable, and applicable for your library staff.

5 Incorporate active learning and feedback

Another effective way to design or deliver engaging and relevant training content or sessions is to incorporate active learning and feedback. This means that you should provide opportunities for your library staff to participate, interact, practice, and reflect on their learning. You should also provide feedback that is timely, constructive, and supportive, as well as solicit feedback from your library staff on their learning experience. By incorporating active learning and feedback, you can enhance your library staff's engagement, retention, and transfer of learning.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?