New Jersey's Train-the-Trainer:
Creating a community of Library Instructors

Presented at:

Continuing Library Education & Network Exchange
First Annual Training Showcase
June 27, 2004

By Peter Bromberg, South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative (SJRLC)

New Jersey Train-the-Trainer (NJTTT) is a four day workshop offered to the staff of New Jersey libraries.  The target audience of our workshop is library staff members who are either new to training or who have been training for a while, but have little or no formal background in the art of training adults.   NJTTT is based on Penny Ittner's and Alex Doud's, Train the trainer: Training Techniques for Library Staff.   The workshop focuses on these main points:

• how adults learn
• what your audience needs
• how to use training aids
• successful training techniques
• facilitation skills
• handling problem situations

We give students three full consecutive days of lessons (usually a Wed-Fri in February or early March.)  During that time, students are developing a lesson plan.  They return one week later and make a 15-minute presentation based on a portion of their lesson.  They receive specific, descriptive feedback from their peers and experienced trainers.  This is an invaluable opportunity to receive accurate, timely feedback in a safe environment.

The ultimate goal of the NJTTT workshop is that participants will learn how to develop and conduct effective training.  Do we succeed?  Judge for yourself--check out these comments from the class of 2004. The workshop, now in it's 11th year, is subsidized by the New Jersey State Library.  It is completely organized, managed and trained by NJTTT graduates, who volunteer to train, understudy, handle logistics, and more.  This model has helped create a tight-knit community of trainers who come from libraries of all types, and all geographic regions across the state.

In any given year we may have from 7-15 trainers, and another 5-10 graduates who understudy lessons, help plan, and/or attend a day or two of training as observers and offer structured feedback to trainers.   The four main volunteer roles (trainer, understudy, observer, and dress rehearsal attendee) are explained here. 

The goal of this webpage is to offer support to other librarians across the country who are interested in setting up a Train-the-Trainer program.   We encourage you to contact us for more information.  We're happy to share the lessons we've learned, and lend a hand to help make your program a success!

1. TEN YEARS AND GOING STRONG:  2005 will be the eleventh year of the New Jersey Train-the-Trainer (NJTTT) workshop!   Since March 1995, over 200 students have completed the training.
    
2. WE'VE BUILT A TRUE COMMUNITY:  Alumni of this program are now training the public how to use library resources and technology, conducting staff development workshops for colleagues, coordinating programming for the Regional Library Cooperatives, presenting programs at local, state and national conferences and are in positions of leadership across the State of New Jersey.
    
3. IT TAKES A VILLAGE: The NJTTT Planning Group, made up of NJTTT graduates, plans and coordinates this annual four-day workshop.  In past years, there have been one or two primary coordinators and one head of logistics to shepherd the project through it's annual cycle.   All our trainers and understudies are volunteers. It is due to their dedication and hard work that the NJTTT has earned a reputation for high quality content delivered at a very reasonable cost. 
    
4. FIND FUNDING TO MAKE IT AFFORDABLE!  NJTTT is funded by the New Jersey State Library and participant registration fees, each providing approximately $6000 towards covering the cost of the entire workshop (approximately $12000). The cost of $310 per person includes lessons, a high quality workbook, two nights lodging, and meals. (A comparable course offered by well-known training provider costs $2000 a person, without meals and lodging!)  Without the matching funds from the State Library, the program would be too expensive for many of our libraries.  To see a copy of the proposal we send to the State Library to secure funds, click here
    
5. ANY LIBRARY, ANY STAFF MEMBER: Any library that is a member of the NJ Library Network can send participants, and no distinction is made between professional staff or support staff.
    
6. HOME GROW YOUR PROGRAM, BUT DON'T REINVENT THE WHEEL:  Experienced trainers from the NJTTT Planning Group conduct the training, using the "NJ Train-the-Trainer" Coursebook, which is based on Penny Ittner's and Alex Doud's, Train the trainer: Training Techniques for Library Staff. 
    
7. GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE:  New Jersey Train the Trainer is registered with the New Jersey Department of Education as a Continuing Education Provider. The course counts as 30 contact hours toward students' continuing education requirements. Our NJ Dept of Education provider number is #1273.
    

NJTTT doesn't happen by itself.  Many people work throughout the year, following a finely tuned schedule, to ensure that the four-day workshop comes off without a hitch.  Below are a selection of our planning documentation.  Bon appetit!

• NJTTT:  So what does it cost to do this anyway?
   
• TTT Program Coordination Calendar: A month-by-month guide to the tasks that must be accomplished to ensure a successful program.
   
• Trainers' tasks and time commitments: Want to be a trainer?  Here's what's involved.
   
• Logistics tasks and time commitments Want to help with logistics?  Here's what's involved.
   
• Proposal to NJ State Library for Matching Funds Our annual pitch to the State Library for matching funds.  TTT graduates are active in giving back to the NJ library community, and so many of them have gone on to positions of leadership in New Jersey libraries and in our library association that the program almost sells itself.  There's nothing like a proven track record of success.
   
• Web Flyer: Once this web flyer is posted, simultaneous email messages are sent out to New Jersey's four Regional Library Cooperative listservs as well as the EMANJ listserv (school media specialists).  This ensures that all library staff have an equal shot at registration, regardless of library type or geographic location.
   
• Volunteer Form: Each summer, a message goes out on our NJTTT alumni listserv (133 subscribers) asking for volunteers to teach, understudy, observe, and manage logistics.  Responses are emailed to the NJTTT Coordinator, who puts together a draft schedule with training assignments listed.
   
• Sample Schedule for 2004 (Student version)
   
• Sample Schedule for 2004 (Instructor version)  Note that the instructor version is more detailed the student version.  On the student schedule, breaktimes are not listed, nor are times of transitions between lessons.  This affords trainers more leeway to make adjustments as we go.
   
• Certificate of Appreciation (for instructors)
   
• Certificate of Completion (for participants)
  NOTE: These are printed on diploma quality paper.  They are classy, professional-looking and highly suitable for framing.  It's one more way we try to honor the accomplishment and commitment of trainers as well as the students.
   
• Summary of Evaluations, 2003: Each year, participants evaluate the quality of the workshop.  Based on these evaluations, the planning team makes changes; some large, and some small.  We have added new content, primarily related to training in an electronic classroom, and added 1 full day to training.  We have also reordered, shortened, lengthened, combined and eliminated lessons based on participant feedback.
   
• Graduation Speech: Ok, it's a little hokey, but it comes from the heart.  The important thing is to celebrate the accomplishment and thank all of the people who generously gave of their time to make it happen.
   
• When it all comes together it looks like this  (large powerpoint slideshow.  recommend downloading, rather than viewing on the web)

For More Information, please email Peter Bromberg,
Program Development Coordinator, SJRLC and NJTTT Co-coordinator, 2002-2005