Why are separate workshops scheduled through the Rural Initiative?
Remote geographic locations, winter weather and limited staffing are common barriers to rural library staff and volunteers receiving continuing education. They often feel isolated, and have access to few training and networking opportunities with their peers. To expand these opportunities, the State Library, in cooperation with North State Cooperative Library System and Infopeople through the Rural Library Initiative LSTA Grant has increased training opportunities for rural libraries through a combination of on-ground and virtual training methods.
Top
In which parts of the state are Rural Initiative workshops held?
Six geographic areas of the state have been identified as places to reach the majority of rural libraries. The six areas and "Point Person" assigned in each are:
"Point Person"
Top
Where are the workshops held?
Five computer training labs with 10 computers each are used as on-ground computer workshop locations, (Eureka, Chico and Red Bluff in North State; Calexico in Imperial County; and Mammoth Lakes in Mono County). In addition, some community college facilities are used for computer workshops, and other library conference rooms are used for non-computer workshops.
Top
What costs are there to individual libraries who participate in this program?
None. Infopeople's workshop costs are covered by the Rural Initiative Grant. In addition, workshop participants or their libraries may be reimbursed for travel costs (other than lunch), and for the cost of hiring a substitute to cover desk time while a staff member participates in a workshop. (Download the Substitute [53k] and Travel [57k] Reimbursement forms)
Top
Are Online workshops included in the Rural Initiative workshop program?
Yes. Rural participants may currently register for online Infopeople workshops at no cost.
Top
Can my library be reimbursed for hiring a substitute to cover desk time while a staff member participates in either an on-ground or on-line course?
Yes. Library Directors may request reimbursement on a Rural Initiative Substitute Reimbursement form. (Download [53k])
Top
Can we pay work hours for part-time staff to take classes outside their normal work hours?
Yes. Library Directors may request reimbursement on a Rural Initiative Substitute Reimbursement form. (Download [53k])
Top
Will the Rural Initiative pay for one of my staff to take an Infopeople class offered only in an urban area?
The Rural Initiative sets aside a certain amount of funds for each participating geographic area to allow individual rural participants to attend a workshop in a rural area when the topic is specialized to the position, and therefore a course in that topic could not be filled if brought to a rural area (example: "training for finance managers"). Library Directors interested in that option should contact the "Point Person" in their geographic area for further information.
Top
May non-public librarians in rural areas participate in this program?
Non-public librarians in rural areas are welcome to register for rural initiative on-ground workshops if space is available 10 days prior to the workshop date.
Top
What is the role of each Geographic Area "Point Person?"
- Once the list of available Infopeople workshops is provided to Point Persons in May, they assess training needs of libraries in their region as soon as possible
- Beginning in June, based on needs assessment and working with Infopeople staff (Linda Rodenspiel) and host library staff, Point Persons select and schedule workshops at least 1/2 of the total workshops allotted to them by the Rural Initiative
- An updated workshop list will be provided to Point Persons in January. At that time, remaining workshops should be selected and scheduled early enough to ensure completion of all selected workshops by June 30
- Once Infopeople confirms that the workshops are posted on the website, Point Persons notify their libraries when sessions are scheduled and send them to rurallibraries.org to register
- Remember to remind the host library to register their people right away. Two slots for the host library will be held only until 2 weeks prior to the session -- after that, those slots will be filled on a "first-come/first served" basis
- Receive participant list from Infopeople staff 2 weeks prior to scheduled session (3 weeks prior if registration is very low) and check to be sure registrants are indeed "ruraleers" (not necessarily from your region, but at least from a rural region.)
- Point Persons also ensure that "their" libraries are aware of the subsidy for online course participation, and inform them of registration procedure - rurallibraries.org
- Point Persons also accept special requests from library directors to send a staff person to an Infopeople workshop that is only offered in an urban area, and work within the budget provided by the Rural Initiative Grant for their region to determine which requests can be accommodated.
Top
What is Infopeople's Role?
- In May, provide to Point Persons a list of on-ground workshops available for selection for at least Summer/Fall scheduling. This list will also identify which topics will be video-conferenced and/or webcast during the fiscal year. There will be two attachments to the list: These FAQs, and a Substitute Reimbursement Form. Infopeople will send an updated workshop list to Point Persons in December for additional scheduling.
- Work with Point Persons to schedule workshops, and then post on the Rural Initiative website for online registration. Notify Point Person via e-mail when session is posted on website.
- Hold two slots for the host library until two weeks prior to the workshop
- Two weeks prior to each session, provide the Point Person with a list of registered participants (If there is a waiting list for participation, the online registration system will manage it)
- Ten days in advance of workshop, if there are openings, send a notice to The Rural Listserv
- Provide Rural Initiative Travel Reimbursement Form in onground workshop participant packets, and mention the Substitute Reimbursement option in confirmation messages sent to both onground and on-line registered workshop participants
- Invoice North State regularly for on-ground workshops and individual online participants
- Regularly post notice of on-line courses scheduled to The Rural Listserv
- Monitor registrations of rural participants for billing purposes - when in doubt about a rural participant, check with Point Person, or with Carla Lehn at State Library
Top
Before being asked to select the workshops for our geographic area each year, will we be made aware of what video-conference and/or webcast topics will be broadcast by the Rural Initiative?
Yes. When Infopeople sends its list of workshop offerings each May and December, it will include a list of which topics will be presented by virtual means during the year, so that geographic areas may pick which they will attend virtually, and which they would like to have on-ground in their location.
Top
Will other rural areas of the state be brought into this project at some point?
The Task Force that has been advising on the development of this project believes that with these rural areas added to the list of geographic locations already served by Infopeople, that the majority of rural library participants now have training available to them. So additional areas are not currently being considered.
Top
Search the NSCLS Group Catalog >>
