Thank you for the presentation. Please let me know if you need anything else.

1. Presented by Austin Stroud

2. Name: Austin Stroud
Hometown: Mitchell, IN
Current Town: Bloomington, IN
Current Job Titles:
◦ Instructional Designer at the Monroe County Public Library
◦ Adjunct Faculty at Ivy Tech Community College
 Instructor/Course Developer for LIBR105 – Library Technology
 Instructor for IVYT101 – First Year Seminar
 Quality Matters Peer Reviewer for Computer Information
Systems and Library Technical Assistant courses to review the
quality of these online courses

3. Indiana University, Bloomington, IN:
 Bachelor of Science, Labor Studies
 Master of Science in Education, Instructional
Systems Technology
IUPUI, Indianapolis, IN:
 Master of Library Science

4. 1. Mitchell Community Public Library, Mitchell, IN - Library Clerk
2. Bedford Public Library, Bedford, IN – Circulation Clerk & Page
3. Indiana University Main Library, Bloomington, IN – Technical
Services (Serials) Assistant
4. University Information Technology Services, Bloomington, IN –
Computer Lab Consultant & Consultant Supervisor
5. UNITE HERE, Indianapolis, IN – Union Organizing Intern
6. WebLink International, Indianapolis, IN - Software Support
Specialist & Web Developer
7. Harrison College, Indianapolis, IN – Instructional Developer
8. Brownsburg Public Library, Brownsburg, IN – Reference
Assistant
9. Ivy Tech Community College, Columbus, IN – Online
Technologies Coordinator
10. Up to the present!

5. Main Duties:
◦ Designing/Developing technology classes and training
for the general public and library staff members
◦ One on one training sessions with library staff members
and the general public
◦ Getting library staff training approved for Library
Education Unit (LEU) credit from the State Library
◦ Training library staff members on new technologies
◦ Documentation for the general public on new offerings
(databases, equipment, etc.)
◦ Committee meetings within the library (Staff
Development, External Communications, Facebook,
Serving Patrons with Disabilities, Digital Creativity)
◦ See full job description (handout)

6.  Kindness
 Approachability
 Patience
 Versatility
 Ability to think quick on your feet
 Desire to continually learn
 Sense of humor

7. Past/Present/Future Offerings:
Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint,
Microsoft Access, Microsoft Publisher, Organizing/Editing
Photos, Computer Basics, Internet Basics, Gmail, Open Source
Software, Typing/Keyboarding, Online Job Searching, Budgeting
with Microsoft Excel, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Web Design,
Open Lab Technology Question & Answer

8.  Survey staff and patrons to identify specific needs
 Some class topics are a given for having an interest, such as
Microsoft Word – basic computer classes are always needed
 Some things to consider when building a class/training:
◦ How long should the training be?
◦ What time of day and day of week should the training be offered?
◦ Where should the training be held (think of equipment needs)?
◦ Who is the target audience for the training (what skills are necessary)?
◦ What instructional methods should be used (video, lecture, books,
PowerPoint, handouts, etc.)?
◦ Should the training be online only, face-to-face, or both?
◦ Should the topic be broken up into multiple sessions?
 These questions and more can ALL be answered through
surveying the staff and patrons you are serving
 Different branches have different training needs – survey each
separately

9.  Some classes you try, will not work
 If registration is low, there probably is not much need
for that class (or the timing is off)
 Be open to trying new things and experimenting to find
what works best in instructing a given topic
 Use a variety of instructional methods, as not everyone
learns the same way
 Be mindful of staff and patrons with disabilities – create
classes that anyone could take
 If you show it in the class, have it in a handout for the
staff or patrons to take with them (or a link to a
resource at the very least)
 Have a backup plan in case the technology fails – don’t
put all of your eggs in one basket

10.  Many patrons taking my classes from the general public are
seniors
 Patrons taking more advanced computer classes generally
have a better understanding of how to use a computer
 Patrons in the basic computer classes (computer basics,
email, Microsoft Word, etc.) generally need more one on one
attention
 On the library staff member side, each department has its
own unique training needs and desires

11. The ideal training environment depends on the
audience you are serving:
◦ Projector
◦ Windows PC’s (personal computers)
◦ Macintosh computers
◦ Desktop computers or a mobile laptop setup
◦ Lighting adjustable
◦ Speakers or headphones (if not built into computer)
◦ Small class sizes for basics (one on one may be
necessary), bigger class sizes possible for advanced

12. Where possible, utilize some free training
materials available on the Internet (be mindful
of copyright)
◦ http://www.gcflearnfree.org
◦ http://office.microsoft.com
◦ http://www.customguide.com
◦ http://www.digitalliteracyassessment.org/
◦ Ask colleagues in other libraries for ideas, or if they
would be willing to share materials

13.  Indiana Library Federation: http://www.ilfonline.org/
◦ $40/year membership for full-time students
◦ 2013 ILF Conference October 21-23 Indiana Convention Center
(Indianapolis)
 Indiana Online Users Group: http://www.iolug.org/
◦ $10/year membership for students
◦ Conferences in the fall and spring – Spring 2013 conference is May 3rd at
Indiana Wesleyan University North in Indianapolis
 American Library Association: http://www.ala.org
◦ $33/year membership for students
◦ Annual Conference is in Chicago this summer June 27-July 2
 Indiana Librarian List-servs:
http://www.in.gov/library/listservs.htm
◦ Free

14.  ALA Think Tank:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ALAthinkTANK/
 LibraryAware Lab: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lalab/
 LinkedIn Groups:
◦ American Library Association
◦ Bloomington Technology Partnership
◦ WebJunction
◦ Training&Development

15.  Free technology classes at the Monroe County Public Library:
http://mcpl.info/page/technology-calendar
 Free software downloads for Indiana University
students/staff: http://iuware.iu.edu/
 Free, self-paced training on computer programming/web
design: http://www.codecademy.com
 Free IT-training for Indiana University students/staff:
http://ittraining.iu.edu/
 If you still have time, take some information science IT-
oriented courses through SLIS

16.  Volunteer opportunities at the Monroe County Public Library:
http://mcpl.info/geninfo/volunteer-openings
 Take S605 for completing an internship (if you have time)
 Check with SLIS for more volunteer opportunities

17.  WebJunction’s Jobs in Indiana Libraries:
http://www.webjunction.org/partners/indiana/jobs-in-indiana-libraries.html
 I Need a Library Job: http://inalj.com/
 SLIS: http://ils.indiana.edu/careers/job_links.php

18.  Questions/Comments?
 Contact Information:
Austin Stroud
303 East Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47408
Phone: (812) 349-3050 ext. 1666
Email: astroud@mcpl.info
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/austintstroud
Twitter: https://twitter.com/austroud
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/austinstroud/