We offer ready-to-go courses in the following areas:

Web Searching - General
Web Searching - Subject Specific
Train the Trainer
Reference & Customer Service

Web Searching - General Programs

We have built our reputation by clarifying how information "happens" on the web, together with how and why search engines deliver the results they do. We help organizations move users away from commerce-driven search engines and pay-for-placement search results to less-well-known, high quality, pre-selected resources that deliver top starting points for web research. All of our web search courses focus on becoming good consumers of information as well as mastering technical skills.

Good Web Search Practices: The Basics

A full-day foundations course on web search skills - not just for beginners, but for anyone who has learned the web on their own. The course thoroughly covers the workings of search engines, resource discovery tools, invisible web sources, discussion time and exercises.

Beyond Google: Searching Faster and Smarter on the Web

A faster-paced, full-day intermediate course for searchers who consider themselves fairly knowledgeable about the web. The course includes a review of search engines, but focuses more on alternative resource discovery tools for information retrieval. A wide variety of resource discovery tools are covered, with more limited time for exercises and practice. The course also covers a helpful process for organizing web research, plus many browser and Windows tips and tricks for speeding up work and saving time.

Becoming an Expert - Advanced Web Searching

Custom designed programs for those who consider themselves advanced searchers, this program draws from current awareness resources, specialized help tools and services, and creative thinking on tool selection and identification.

Audio Conferences - Web Search Updates and More

We custom-design and deliver 60-90 minute audioconferences on selected topics for both intermediate and advanced web searchers. These short courses enable experienced web searchers to focus on a key topic of interest -- all without leaving their desk. Audio conferences can accommodate dozens of participants, and the only technical requirements are a telephone and either an Adobe Acrobat viewer or MS Powerpoint software. We do all the research and take care of all the details: all you have to do is decide on a topic, provide your users a date, time, and phone number!

We offer variations of any of the general courses above for subject-specific interests. Our team of librarians and researchers will investigate the best resources in any subject area and incorporate a discussion and review of those resources as part of the general searching program. A great way to bring your organization's subject focus into the training plan.

We have developed instructor-led programs in health care, accounting, computing, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, statistics, human resources, banking, insurance, law and legal resources, business and investment, sales and marketing.

Iin cooperation with the Partnership.ca (Canada) and the Special Libraries Association (US) we have developed web-based courses in kid-friendly web sites, business web resources, statistics, current awareness, health web resources, legal web resources, government documents, and genealogy.

If you don't see the topic you want, let us know. We welcome opportunities for developing new and specialized programs for your organization.

Plan and Deliver Effective Information Literacy Programs

Designed for new(or even new-ish!) or occasional instructors and trainers, this full day active couse helps you with all the basic tools that you need to plan and deliver a great session. Topics include adult learning basics, how to quickly assess learning needs, the content planning process, getting over nervous feelings, plus skills for both stand-and-deliver as well as one-on-one sessions.

How to Teach What Library Learners Want to Know - for experienced Trainers

Designed for information literacy instructors and librarians with some teaching/training experience who need to help others learn. Using case studies drawing from a variety of real-world scenarios, participant learn what users already know; how to assess learners needs and wants quickly, how to teach in an online classroom; creating a mental model of the information world that users can understand, what to teach and what to avoid teaching, how to design and plan effective exercises to reinforce learning skills.

Up Close and Personal: Understanding the Library Learner's Needs and Wants

This session is all about getting closer to your learners - understanding their motivation for attending a library workshop, keeping their attention, and meeting their real needs and wants. This half day workshop will introduce you to simple and easy-to-implement methods for getting inside your learner's head and quickly sizing up their real goals before you plan your content and activities. We'll also cover the basics of adult learning styles, plus tips and tricks to reach out more effectively to your learners during actual class time.

Customer Service, Communication and Reference

 

The Art and Science of the Reference Interview

Would you like to be better at getting your clients to tell you what they really want when they ask you for help? Do you ever spend time looking for an answer to the question the user asked and then have to back track and start over when you discover what the real question is? Would knowing how to "cut to the chase" in order to save you time at the desk and help you handle your workload? Topics include: why people can't ask the "real" question; basics of uncovering the user's information gaps; open,closed and neutral questions; managing customer expectations; and more!

Dealing With Difficult People in Customer Service

A full day seminar loaded with useful techniques that will help all employees, especially front line staff, "keep their cool" in a wide variety of difficult customer situations. Topics include the main causes of customer frustration, how to handle mood swings and anger, how to impose limits, give options, and provide rules, giving and receiving criticism, feedback techniques, and techniques for reducing your own anger, frustration and worry.

We've Got to Stop Meeting Like This!

We all have access to Robert Rules, how to plan an agenda, and how to set up the room. What is often missing is guidance on how to handle the interpersonal exchanges, the difficult people, and the counterproductive behaviors that we face during meetings. This program covers ways to handle different personality types during meetings, how to focus on goals, and how to avoid allowing others to control the agenda. With opportuniteis to practice learned skills in a no-risk, supportive setting, participants will leave the seminar with techniques that can be applied the very next day.

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