DUBLIN, Ohio, 29 August 2024—OCLC has been awarded a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to partner with the Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICfL) to develop a free online continuing education program for public library staff.
The project will replace an outdated series and result in a new set of courses for library staff on core library services such as collection development, collection maintenance, cataloging, and delivery of programming and services that are responsive to community needs.
“We’re excited to partner with the ICfL to reimagine and refresh this tremendously important, foundational program,” said Andrew Harbison, Director, OCLC’s WebJunction. “We will create new, modern, sustainable training and education opportunities for public library staff so that the communities they serve will benefit for many years to come. We’re grateful to IMLS for their support of this project.”
This three-year, $319,920 Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program-funded implementation will replace an outdated continuing education course series that the Idaho Commission for Libraries introduced in the 1990s called the Alternative Basic Library Education (ABLE) program. The new program will enable OCLC’s WebJunction team and ICfL staff to engage advisors and subject matter experts from the field to revitalize the ABLE program to reflect changes in services, technology, standards, and practices.
“We are grateful to IMLS for this grant and the opportunity to partner with OCLC in the creation of a contemporary professional development training program that will strengthen the skillsets of librarians, who provide a wide range of services and support to their community members,” said Idaho State Librarian Stephanie Bailey-White.
The primary beneficiaries for this program are public library staff, with an emphasis on staff at small and rural libraries. By the end of the project, 3,000 library staff nationally will have enrolled in one or more courses to build and strengthen their expertise.
This program will be accessible through WebJunction’s free online course catalog and the Idaho Commission for Libraries’ website, and it will remain freely available and hosted sustainably at these websites beyond the end date of the project.
More about this project is on the IMLS website.
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