Staff Orientation & Continuing Education
Answer
The Mundare Municipal Library Board recognizes the importance of informed and well- trained staff. It supports this policy by providing, within the limits of its budget, orientation programs; encouragement and support for attendance at library conference, workshops, and library-related courses within and outside the Town; and institutional membership in library organizations.
Orientation
- New employees are given orientation and training that will prepare them to best provide service to the public.
- Orientation and training is the responsibility of the Library Manager and includes an understanding of:
- the role of the Library in the community
- the role of the Library in the larger library community, including participation in both the local library system and the Provincial Library network
- the responsibilities and duties of the Board and staff
- the Library’s polices, services, goals, and objectives, and
- specific training for the employee’s position.
- Each new employee is given a Staff Handbook for personal use and study along with job-specific material provided by the employee’s supervisor.
Education
- The Library Manager may, within the limits of the budget, approve staff attendance at library-related meetings, workshops and conferences without prior Board approval.
- Within budget guidelines and with prior approval of Library Management, expenses incurred by individual staff members for travel, subsistence, lodging, and registration fees will be reimbursed, as per established procedure.
- The Library Board supports and encourages the ongoing training of library staff through staff development workshops and regular system training sessions. With the authorization of the Board, the Library Manager may occasionally close the library to allow staff the opportunity to attend these training opportunities.
- The Board supports and encourages informal, ongoing sharing of information among library staff as part of their continuing education.
Formal Further Education
- The Board supports staff attending formal education programs related to their work at the library to further their education.
- Employees wishing to take an unpaid leave of absence for the purpose of further education must apply to do so as per established procedure.
- For an absence for the purpose of further education, the Board may hold an employee’s position for a maximum of two (2) years.
- Employees may request an interest-free loan from the board to cover the cost of registration and supplies for a formal education program. The repayment schedule for the loan will be determined by the Library Manager and the employee (or by the Board and the Library Manager for the Library Manager’s training) but will not exceed two (2) calendar years.
Library Association Memberships
- The Board purchases an annual institutional membership in the Library Association of Alberta (LAA). The Library Manager is the voting representative.
- Within budget guidelines and with prior approval of the Library Manager, other association institutional memberships may be purchased.
- Expenses incurred by individual library staff members for association memberships may be reimbursed, with prior management approval. The Library Manager will approve individual memberships for library staff members. The Library Board will approve individual memberships for the Library Manager by board motion.