Online Learning and Training for
Library Staff:
WebJunction and Partners
WebJunction Background
• The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s U.S. Library Program
– 46,000 computers
– 11,000 libraries in the United States and Canada
– Five-year initiative
– Targeting public libraries serving less-affluent communities
• May 2002: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded OCLC and
partners a three-year grant
• Purpose:
– Carry forward the Foundation’s work
– Build a Web-based, public access computing community
Our Philosophy
Read
Learn
Join In!
Community Partner Program
Pilot Program: Began in June, 2004 for the State
Libraries of Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, New
Mexico, and Washington.
Customized Content and Services
•
Co-Branded Service: Users will be able to
navigate between Community Partner web sites
and the global WebJunction
•
Localized Content: Community Partners will be
able to customize content for the libraries they
serve.
•
Community Specific Forums: Members will
continue to be able to access the global forums as
well as partner specific forums
•
Community Specific Learning Center: Members
will continue to be able to access the global course
catalog as well as partner specific courses.
WebJunction Quick Stats
• 110,087 Unique Visitors
• 9,067 Registered Members
• Top 10 States:
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Texas – 475
Ohio – 449
Michigan – 405
Washington – 389
Illinois – 388
Florida – 370
Iowa – 344
California – 338
New York – 326
Colorado - 308
Pennsylvania – 302
Members by Job Role
Technical
25%
Other
1% State/Regional
Consultants
5%
General
38%
Management
31%
Members by Population Served
100,000 +
19%
< 4,999
33%
25,000 - 99,999
22%
5,000 - 24,999
26%
WebJunction Learning Center
Online courses,
downloadable lessons,
training tips and other
tools
Learning Center Statistics
Self-paced Online Courses are popular:
• 6463 total enrollments in Learning Center by 3277 unique learners
• WebJunction’s …
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Troubleshooting: 460 enrollments
Searching the Web: 489
Browsing the WWW: 316
Evaluating Web Sites: 251
Media Relations: 124
Designing a Library Web Site: 153
• Popular Third-party Courses:
• HTML: 284
• Intro to PCs: 287
• Windows Office 2000: 293
Learning Center Activity
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
May - Dec 03
Jan
Feb
Mar
Enrolled Users
Apr
May
Total Online Courses Enrolled
June
July
August
Future Plans for the Learning
Center
•E-Train Database, funded through IMLS
•WJ Self-paced Courses
•Brokered content
Future Plans for the Learning
Center, cont.
Tools for training delivery
•Distributed Learning Model for
Community Partners
•Live Learning Central
•Workshop Central
•Managing Public Access Computers
Program (MPAC)
Learning Center
Sustainability
•E-Train Database
•Self-paced courses
•Training tools and
delivery
Partners in Learning
•Library Schools
•University of North Texas
•Isoph
•The Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation
•Drexel University
Isoph’s Experience and Expertise
 Focus on mission-driven
organizations and their
diverse stakeholders
 Professional services
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Custom development
Coaching services
Strategic program planning
Instructional design
Interface design
Custom applications
 Isoph Blue software
• Technology for teaching, training,
and communicating
Distributed E-learning Model for
Community Partners
WebJunctiondedicated
database
Community
partner
WebJunctioncontrolled enterprise
management panel
Community
partner
Community
partner
Community
partner
Web services
Main WebJunction portal and customized partner portals
Community
partner
Groups Involved
• Enterprise administrators
• Organizational administrators
• End users
Enterprise Administrators
• Client creation and
management
Organizational Administrators
• Course registration
and management
• Course authoring
• Course catalogs
• User registration
and management
• Reporting and
evaluation
End Users
• Course catalogs
• Enrollment
• Ongoing online
learning
Stronger Community and Purpose
• Another avenue for fostering online
community for public access computing—at
the organizational rather as well as
individual level
• Increased support for front-line staff at
libraries and other organizations by
allowing content to be localized
LE@D
Library Education @ Desktop
University of North Texas
School of Library & Information Sciences
Library Education @ Desktop
(LE@D)
• Web-based courseware for continuing
education for public librarians and
library staff
• Partnership between UNT SLIS, the
Northeast Texas Library System, and
WebJunction
• Partially funded by an IMLS grant
What is LE@D?
• Offers CE courses requiring 1 ½ to 2
“contact hours”
• Northeast Texas Library System (148
public libraries) is the testing lab
• Accessible from any Internet computer
• Designed & hosted by UNT using the
WebCT e-learning platform
The First Seven Courses
• Managing Difficult Patrons
• Providing Excellent Customer Service in a
Multicultural Environment
• Copyright Basics
• Reaching Teenagers
• Harnessing the Internet
• Improving Your Communications Skills
• Using Databases
LE@D Courses
• Tested by hundreds of users in the Northeast Texas
Library System before national offering
• Over 3,000 successful students to date
• Multimedia elements such as video, audio,
animation and graphics
• Cost per registered student ranges from $7-$12 per
course
LE@D Home Page
Content
LE@D Multimedia
Assessments
Tracking
For More Information
• UNT contact: Gary Werchan, Project Coordinator
– E-Mail gwerchan@lis.admin.unt.edu or
LEAD@unt.edu
Telephone: (877) ASK-SLIS or (940) 369-7872
– Fax: (940)565-3101
– Postal Mail:
Library Education @ Desktop
University of North Texas
P.O. Box 311068
Denton, TX 76203-1068
– Internet: www.leadonline.info
Lessons Learned
from the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Library
Program
Public Access Computing in Libraries
Granted funds: $179,881,946
Total PCs Granted: 47,200
all numbers approximate
Buildings Receiving a Grant: 10,915
Training Opportunities: 62,000
The Impact
• Today, more than 95
percent of libraries offer
public Internet access.
• More than 14 million
Americans regularly use
these computers.
Statewide Partnership Program
• From 1998 – 2003, provided to over 10,000 U.S. public
libraries:
– Technology: standardized package (pre-configured
hardware, software, peripherals)
– Training: multi-tiered training (classroom-based and
CBT/WBT) and supporting documentation and training
publications
– Support: technical support via telephone/email
Statewide Partnership Program
Initial Steps into Online Learning
• Offered computer-based training on Gates Library Computers
– Mouse Tutorial
– Gateway Tutorials (90% indicated staff use 4-months’ post
training)
• Offered online access to technical support articles via
pacomputing.org
Lessons Learned
• Face-to-face introduction to online learning increased participants’
use
• Creation of online learning community for library staff was needed to
support public access computing (hence, WebJunction)
Statewide Partnership Program
• At program’s close, primary goal was transfer of
knowledge to public access community; efforts
included:
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Public Access Computing Project evaluation data
Impact maps
State Transition packages
Staying Connected toolkit and workshops
NPower tools, Public Access Security Tool
Content capture initiative
PAComputing.org
WebJunction.org
Two Portals for Two Audiences
• PAComputing
– Provides resource for technical information related to
foundation machines (about 250 articles)
– Will soon be moved to WebJunction
– Information will be merged with WebJunction over time as
foundation machines are replaced
• WebJunction
– Serves as living repository for all general public access
computing information from program (started with 250
articles, 150 from foundation)
– Continuing to grow through library generated content as well
as staff contributions
The First Step
• Content Capture Initiative
– Reviewed all Library Program files, web pages, publications
and curricula
– Approximately 100,000 items tagged and separated into
archival, WebJunction material, and PAComputing material
– 13,500 items passed to OCLC on 2 DVDs with a web
searchable front end for use as initial WebJunction content
set
– Additional files used as the starting content set for
PAComputing
The Next Phase
• Keep libraries open
• Increase training
opportunities for library
staff
• Maintain systems
• Enable hardware and
software upgrades
• Increase connectivity
Work to Date …
and the Role Online Learning Plays
Programs Underway
• Information Use Management and Policy Institute National
Survey - Conducting longitudinal study of public library
connectivity to the Internet as well as the manner in which that
connectivity is deployed
• CompuMentor Technical Support Planning – Studying best
practices in technical support in libraries & non-profits;
looking for an integrated service model (may include online
support communities, Web Portals and content )
• Spanish Language Outreach Pilot – WebJunction and 5 State
Library Agencies building workshop delivery package
including F2F and online components
Online Learning Benefits & Challenges
from a grant-making perspective
Benefits
• Reaches large audience with diverse skill sets
• Builds learning communities across geographic
boundaries
• Increases training opportunities for staff in rural/small
libraries
Challenges
• Library staff have limited time or lack equipment
needed to participate
• Libraries without high speed connections limited in
their ability to participate
• Difficult to engage novice technology users
Presenters
•Marilyn Mason, WebJunction
•Marilyngmason@earthlink.net
•Phil Turner, Dean, University of North Texas
•Pturner@unt.edu
•Kara Hannigan, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
•Kara@gatesfoundation.org
•Celisa Steele, Isoph
•Celisa.steele@isoph.com