STAFF DEVELOPMENT: Ensure excellent customer service as our community needs evolve through proactive staff development and training.
Identify and provide opportunities for deliberate staff growth
- Review and assess opportunities for job shadowing, cross training and cross departmental teams in order to expand staff knowledge and leadership opportunities
- Evaluate and reinvigorate onboarding, training, skill development and mentorship opportunities to meet the needs of 21st century libraries
- Offer training in library advocacy so all staff can speak to the importance of the library in the community
- Encourage staff participation in professional conferences and organizations
Hire and develop staff who are inclusive and welcoming to all
- Actively pursue diverse candidates when filling open positions
- Offer staff training opportunities in the following areas:
- Trauma informed care
- Antiracism
- Implicit bias
- Customer service and language barriers
- Customer service for those with physical or intellectual disabilities
- Anti-oppression
- Mental Health First Aid
Develop staff tools for assessment and planning
- Train in and employ future casting techniques to ensure the Library is aware of broader nationwide trends
- Research library and retail trends to determine how they affect the Ames community
- Awareness and knowledge about broader worldwide trends and how they affect libraries
- Develop a library-wide system for evaluating programming based on intended outcomes