Learning and development at your library
The State Library provides a range of professional development opportunities to NSW public library staff.
These professional development opportunities include online training, workshops in your library, access to training offered by partner agencies, and learning from public library peers. The State Library's Learning and development framework identifies four mechanisms to support the professional development of NSW public libraries:
- learning and development programs
- learning communities and networks
- policies, guidelines and research
- PLS website.
Learning and development programs
Learning programs include formal and structured training programs, conferences, seminars, presentations, and workshops. Learning programs may be conducted online or face to face.
- Sign up to the PL Portal online training platform
- Learn about organising training workshops in your library
- Participate in the online Reference Excellence training
- Subscribe to the PLS enews to find out about seminars, webinars and other courses
- Check the Professional development page to register for upcoming events
Learning communities and networks
Learning communities and networks allow public library staff to share information and experience with each other. Staff can learn from each other by participating in working groups, joining email lists and subscribing to enewsletters.
Working groups
Public library working groups provide support and training on a range of areas of library service provision. Working groups share information through a variety of platforms including face to face and online meetings, email discussion lists, wikis and social media.
- Join a working group
Email lists
The State Library hosts a range of different email lists for use by NSW public library staff. Join an email list to receive announcements from the State Library, share information, ask questions and to connect with colleagues from across the state
- Join an email list
Subscribe to an enewsletter
Keep in touch with what’s happening in NSW public libraries by subscribing to the PLS enews and the In the Libraries enewsletters.
- Subscribe to an enewsletter
Policies, guidelines and research
The State Library works with NSW public libraries, library researchers and academics on projects that support the planning and development of library services.
- Find out about standards and guidelines
- Find out about current research and previous research papers
PLS website
The PLS website supports the ongoing learning and development of public library staff within the context of day to day operations.
The site also provides public library staff with relevant information and resources to support the delivery of the statewide specialist services.
- Go to the PLS Statewide services page
Professional development for new staff and new library managers
- New library staff
We recommend that all new staff:
- subscribe the PLN email list and other suitable email lists
- subscribe to the enewsletters PLS enews and In the Libraries
- complete the online courses on the PL Portal.
- New library managers
We recommend that new library managers:
- contact the State Library to be added to the Managers email list
- subscribe to other appropriate email lists
- read the content on the PLS website to find out about the Library Act, standards and guidelines, statistics and other information
- consider booking a State Library training workshop in your library.
Learning and development framework
The Learning and Development Framework identifies three outcome areas for the NSW public library network:
- sharing of information and experiences
- skills and knowledge development across a broad range of topics related to the library and information sector
- inspiration and ideas generation.
These outcome areas are provided by the four mechanisms outlined above: learning and development programs, learning communities and networks, policies, guidelines and research, and specialist websites.