This document describes a vertically integrated instruction program created at the Robert W. Woodruff Library to promote skill sharing and peer learning among library staff. The program involved librarians from the Information and Research Services unit providing technology training to paraprofessionals from the E-Learning Technologies unit, and vice versa, on topics like research databases, video editing, and graphic design software. The goals were to reduce barriers between professional and paraprofessional staff, leverage existing expertise, and create a culture of lifelong learning. Initial findings showed benefits to instruction skills and collaboration, though challenges included scheduling and ensuring a range of topic expertise.

1. Creating a Vertically Integrated
Instruction Environment in the
Library
Emy Nelson Decker & Jennifer A. Townes
http://tinyurl.com/gacomo

2.  Provides information services support for four institutions
in the world’s largest and oldest consortium of
Historically Black Colleges and Universities:
 Clark Atlanta University
 Interdenominational Theological Center
 Morehouse College
 Spelman College
 670 faculty; 941 graduate; and 6,770 undergraduate
students
Atlanta University Center
Robert W. Woodruff Library

3. How Do We:
 “Spread the Wealth” and promote the acquisition of these
skills to other staff members?
 Reduce the barriers between professional and para-
professional staff?
 Leverage the great resource and knowledge base of
library staff for the benefit of library staff?
 Create a program wherein librarians and paraprofessionals
alternate between being the teacher and the student?
Every library has staff with
specialized skills

4.  Learning based on training and development
activities benefits organizations and employees (Noe
et al, 2010)
 Learning is often deepest when employees plan their
development to coincide with the achievement of
personal goals
 Learning and work need to be integrated throughout
an employee’s career
Learning Strategies

5. Formal vs. Informal Learning
 Generally, when a
manager/supervisor is in
control of employees
learning, the result is
most likely to be formal
learning.
 When employees take
control of their learning,
it tends to be informal
learning
 Individuals succeed when
they are active agents in
their learning

6.  Experiential learning occurs at the point where formal
and informal learning meet.
 Experiential learning is participatory (think: hands on)
 Learning by doing
Experiential Learning

7.  A library climate that promotes active learning is crucial to
employee engagement
 an organizational culture that allows for questioning in
order to find meaning in directives and tasks
 an organizational culture that understands how rewarding
or punishing the behavior of individuals has a powerful
influence on reinforcing or impeding individual learning
 an organizational culture that expresses positive forces in
the norms and values of the learning environment.
Engagement Strategies

8. Vertically Integrated Instruction
Information & Research
Services Unit
 10 full time, 1 part-time
professional librarians
 Hundreds of hours worth of
instruction sessions / training
experience
E-Learning
Technologies Unit
 3 paraprofessionals with
technology skills, 1 professional
librarian unit head
 Host workshops for faculty,
students, staff throughout
year
Very few collaborative activities related to skills building; staff members in
these units not accustomed to training each other.

9. Highlights of the Vertically
Integrated Instruction
Program
2013-14

10.  Offered by ELT staff to IRS librarians
 Instruction in classroom followed by studio
participation
 Assignment: divided librarians into 2 groups and
asked them to work together in their groups to
create and edit a short video on topic of their choice
 Reconvened in the classroom to share videos and
reflect on the process.
Camtasia

11. ProQuest Research Library
 Offered by IRS librarians for ELT paraprofessionals
 Directed research questions that allowed ELT to
search and discover the effective use of the
databases on their own
 Excellent timing: staff shortage – ELT spending time
on Info Desk

12.  Offered by ELT staff to IRS librarians
 Studio training
 Librarian with creative experience joined his ELT
colleagues in helping to teach this session
 Voice overs for PPT, PowToons, LibGuides, etc.
GarageBand

13.  IRS librarians provided a venue for an ELT self-guided
tour of WMS.
 As ELT staff conducted searches, they articulated
“why” they were searching a particular way and
allowed for sharing and peer-training
 Performed repeatable searches
Worldshare Management Services

14.  Offered by ELT staff to IRS librarians
 Promotion to students/faculty
 ELT initiated a “drawing contest” for IRS librarians
 Workshop had a Pictionary feel to it
Digital Drawing Tablets

15. Issues and Findings
 Scheduling and timing of
workshops
 Regular intervals for the
program
 Consideration of topics –
which are desired / which
are beneficial to greatest
number of staff
 Helps develop instruction
skills
 Differences between
teaching students vs
colleagues
 Skill level of staff trainers
and workshop
participants

16.  Create “learning teams” of staff to work together to
hone their skills and then instruct other staff.
Consider cross-departmental staff
 Group peer-to-peer learning vs one-to-one peer
learning
 Gathering and assessing staff feedback
Moving Forward

17.  Library budgets for staff training are reduced (use
rich resources already available – staff)
 Cultivate staff “buy in” and collegiality
 Opportunity for staff to showcase their skills to their
colleagues
 Hands on approach and discussion promotes deep
learning
Reasons to Try this Model

18. Emy Nelson Decker edecker@auctr.edu
Jennifer Townes jtownes@auctr.edu
Atlanta University Center, Robert W. Woodruff Library
Questions?