It's Spring Training time at AVRL

 
Our annual Staff In-service is Monday, June 6th. All locations are closed on this day so that staff can gather together, learn, share, interact, and ‘develop’ professionally. Our goal is to return to job duties and demands with a renewed sense of purpose, with improved skills and confidence, motivated to perform our tasks effectively and efficiently.

Staff will be getting tangled up in THREADS, the 2016 Summer Reading Club theme. Plans will be unveiled for this ever-popular summer program that sees kids and teens reading and using the library like mad after the school year is over. Each year, the program is tweaked and shaped to keep things interesting and engaging.

NNELS (National Network of Equitable Library Service) will be the subject of one workshop. NNELS is a repository of content owned and sustained by Canadian public libraries working with international partners, libraries, readers and publishers (particularly Canadian ones). The service makes copies of books in accessible formats available to readers in Canada who have print disabilities.

Another topic will be Immigrants in our Community. Two guest presenters will enlighten us with individual stories that speak to the journey of immigrants and the community services which are required. We’ll look for innovative ideas that reach out to newcomers.

Lisette Jones, owner of ThinkSmart Training & Consulting, will speak to staff about Generational Differences. This workshop will show us how each generation ticks and how that information can be used to work with other people more effectively.

We’ll hear about themed programming for seniors. Creative Reminiscence: Themed Senior Programs has been developed by one of our bookmobile staff for use in serving residents in senior-type facilities. These can include songs and associated props that spark conversation and memories of days gone by.

There will be general library business as well – an AVRL restructuring check-in, an overview of our new Respectful Workplace Policy, and we’ll be taking a journey through current AVRL programming and reviewing the associated materials, kits and props which can make all that happen.

While you won’t be able to visit one of our libraries on June 6th, please understand that we’ll be working, and learning, to serve you better!

Wendy Trimper
Coordinator of Community Library Services
Annapolis Valley Regional Library

 

Spring Training is on

Our annual staff inservice is Monday, May 25^th.  All locations are closed on this day so that staff can gather together, learn, share, interact, and ‘develop’ professionally.  Our goal is to return to job duties and demands with a renewed sense of purpose, with improved skills and confidence, motivated to perform our tasks effectively and efficiently.

This year, we are excited to have guest presenter Pam Mood for our set of morning workshops. Dynamic, energetic, and humorous, she is a much sought-after motivational speaker. (She is also the serving mayor of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia).

Our Summer Reading Club Committee will unveil plans for the ever-popular summer program that sees kids and teens reading and using the library like crazy after school is out. Each year, the program is tweaked and shaped to keep things interesting and engaging.

We’ll talk about our new Be Fit Physical Literacy Kits, a partnership with Sport Nova Scotia.  These kits are now available for loan, but we’ll also be identifying ways to incorporate the physical aspects of the kits into our library programming.

Sharon Elliott, RCMP Senior Safety Officer, will provide us with practical information and tips to make our library visits for seniors a more positive experience.

One workshop will see the sharing of information and experience with challenging customer service situations. What did we do right? How can we do things better? Those public service staff will also share some innovative ideas that have enhanced the physical library spaces and made our libraries more interesting, inviting, and functional.

Staff can preview the new public library catalogue that will be coming soon. While we’ve provided input, this is our chance to see the almost-finished product, one we know the public will be pleased to see!

 While you won’t be able to visit one of our libraries on May 25^th, please understand that we’ll be working, and learning, to serve you better!

--Wendy Trimper,  Head of Branch Services