InformationKnot » Uncategorized http://informationknot.com Tue, 08 Jun 2010 21:03:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Peer Training Program http://informationknot.com/2010/04/20/peer-training-program/ http://informationknot.com/2010/04/20/peer-training-program/#comments Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:59:35 +0000 http://informationknot.com/?p=342 Lisa Mages, Jennifer Manning & Rita Tehan — all Information Research Specialists from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) at the Library of Congress presented their peer training program at the Computers in Libraries Conference this past week.

There are 170 employees at CRS with a variety of skills and abilities.  Some are incredibly technically proficient, while others are limited in what technology they use or feel comfortable using.  Who can train staff on things that others take for granted?

Peer training began four years inspired by a similar program at National Geographic.   In 2 years the program has grown to, 62 classes with an average attendance of 15.  Over 40 employees have participated as speakers or instructors.

Types of sessions:

  1. •Tips and tricks for existing resources
  2. •Introduction to research tools
  3. •Introduction to tech concepts
  4. •Conference and trip highlights

Managing the program:

  1. •Core group – They meet quarterly to plan the next three months – topics and speakers.  Use discussion boards in SharePoint to help with planning and reduce email traffic.  They recruit new hires to help.  New employees can get better known by doing these.
  2. •SharePoint – It is a repository of documents, discussions, etc.  They use the free version.  One benefit is that handouts are available for reuse.
  3. •Standard operating procedures help to lessen administrative burden
  4. •SurveyMonkey is also used for participant feedback

Benefits:

  1. •Increase digital literacy
  2. •No financial costs
  3. •Minimal administrative burden
  4. •Accessible documentation
  5. •Share conference knowledge

While there are a number of challenges, they recommend that others try it.

Challenges:

  1. •Finding time in addition to daily work
  2. •Cancellations
  3. •Recruiting new presenters
  4. •Not integrated with staff development plans
  5. •Pressure to expand

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]]> http://informationknot.com/2010/04/20/peer-training-program/feed/ 0 Interesting Twitter Search http://informationknot.com/2009/11/03/interesting-twitter-search/ http://informationknot.com/2009/11/03/interesting-twitter-search/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:20:24 +0000 http://informationknot.com/?p=338 Crowded Eye

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]]> http://informationknot.com/2009/11/03/interesting-twitter-search/feed/ 0 Editorial Observer – With the Downturn, It’s Time to Rethink the Legal Profession – NYTimes.com http://informationknot.com/2009/04/14/editorial-observer-with-the-downturn-it%e2%80%99s-time-to-rethink-the-legal-profession-nytimescom/ http://informationknot.com/2009/04/14/editorial-observer-with-the-downturn-it%e2%80%99s-time-to-rethink-the-legal-profession-nytimescom/#comments Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:28:09 +0000 http://informationknot.com/?p=269 Editorial Observer – With the Downturn, It’s Time to Rethink the Legal Profession – NYTimes.com.

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]]> http://informationknot.com/2009/04/14/editorial-observer-with-the-downturn-it%e2%80%99s-time-to-rethink-the-legal-profession-nytimescom/feed/ 0 Top 100+ Personal Finance Blogs http://informationknot.com/2009/04/01/top-100-personal-finance-blogs/ http://informationknot.com/2009/04/01/top-100-personal-finance-blogs/#comments Wed, 01 Apr 2009 03:55:04 +0000 http://informationknot.com/?p=179 Top 100+ Personal Finance Blogs.

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]]> http://informationknot.com/2009/04/01/top-100-personal-finance-blogs/feed/ 0 VOA News – China Denies Any Role in ‘GhostNet’ Computer Hacking http://informationknot.com/2009/03/31/voa-news-china-denies-any-role-in-ghostnet-computer-hacking/ http://informationknot.com/2009/03/31/voa-news-china-denies-any-role-in-ghostnet-computer-hacking/#comments Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:54:42 +0000 http://informationknot.com/?p=162 VOA News – China Denies Any Role in ‘GhostNet’ Computer Hacking.

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]]> http://informationknot.com/2009/03/31/voa-news-china-denies-any-role-in-ghostnet-computer-hacking/feed/ 0 When Your Kid Won’t “Friend” You http://informationknot.com/2009/03/06/when-your-kid-won%e2%80%99t-%e2%80%9cfriend%e2%80%9d-you/ http://informationknot.com/2009/03/06/when-your-kid-won%e2%80%99t-%e2%80%9cfriend%e2%80%9d-you/#comments Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:21:48 +0000 http://informationknot.com/?p=3 Motherlode

I just joined a group called “Moms of Kids Who are Embarrassed They Have aFacebook.” It was founded just a few days ago, and last I checked it had grown to more than 152 members. Hope Greenberg, an attorney and mother of four on Long Island, created the group when she asked her 12-year-old daughter to “friend” her and the girl pushed back. “Make your own group,” the girl said, so the mother did. She recruited three friends and let the Internet do the rest

The most meaningless words in parenting, I have found, are “when I was your age.” What I did, or thought, or was permitted, when I was their age has become irrelevant. Kids today do most things younger than their parents ever did, and do many things that their parents never did, because those things hadn’t been invented yet.

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