What Reference Training do You Need?

Did everyone see this call for feedback about what sort of training opportunities we (library workers) need in order to provide a reference service to our users? All areas of reference work (branch librarians, local history librarians, large reference departments, etc) are encouraged to respond. I suspect that the repsonses to this call will in some way make it back to something called Ref-ex, a project to build a reference excellence wiki for NSW libraries along the lines of the Ohio Reference Excellence site.

At the last Reference & Information Services Group (RISG) Meeting at Cabramatta the question was raised as to what training and professional development opportunities we need as reference librarians.

As part of this question I would like to ask you all to consider this your wish-list opportunity:

* What training a development do you regard as essential for a reference librarian?
* What training & development do you currently do for reference work?
* What training & development do you regard as essential to your work?
(Please elaborate as to whether you are a Local History Librarian, general Reference, small branch Librarian, etc - what training/etc is important/useful for you to be able to get your work done)
* What training & development would you like to see developed?
* Are there particular areas of training & development that you do well?
* Are there areas of future training & development you would like to have the opportunity to explore?

I am keen for any and all answers to these questions - even suggestions of other questions I could have asked around this topic.

Replies will be condensed for the next RISG meeting at Parramatta in August.

Regards,
Cathy Johnston
Information
Services Librarian
reference@crl.nsw.gov.au
Clarence
Regional Library
110 Spring Street
South Grafton NSW 2460
(02) 6642 7588