Hi everyone, I didn't get a lot of responses, but here is what I did receive regarding reference training for circ staff: * The Library of Michigan offers “Beginning Workshop” every May. It is an annual 3-day event held each spring for library staff without a Master's degree in Library Science. Unfortunately, it is usually up near Petoskey. This makes it useful only for staff you really want to invest in. Also, how many staff can you afford to send away for the same 3-day period? Plus, it is much more than just reference. So it may not be suited to your needs. * There are great, self-paced library training tutorials available for free through the Library of Michigan's access to [ http://learn.webjunction.org/ | WebJunction ] . There are also some good general work place training videos available through MeL's Jobs Portal and then the Learning Express Library and Lifelong Soft Skills databases. * There was a list of "core competencies" that both librarians and circ staff had to know - how to place a hold on a book, how to take money, how to check things in/out, how to answer a basic question about a book. If something came up that was more complicated, whether it was reference or circulation-related, we were supposed to try to find someone from the appropriate department to help. In terms of training, Library Video Network does have some good videos on basic reference work that might be of benefit to you. If anyone has any other suggestions, feel free to send them along. Thank you to everyone who took time to answer. Jessica Wilhoite Assistant Director/Youth Librarian Romulus Public Library 11121 Wayne Rd. Romulus, MI 48174 (734) 942-7589 Serving Romulus and Huron Township Residents
