Custom Label
Library Education

Webinar: Using the MeL Maven Badge to Create a Statewide Standard of Reference Service Among Front Line Staff

In this free one-hour webinar, Sonya Schryer Norris and Liz Breed discuss the development of a six-part, asynchronous training: the MeL Maven Badge.

Webinar: Using the MeL Maven Badge to Create a Statewide Standard of Reference Service Among Front Line Staff

Originally presented October 27, 2021

Michigan has a decades-long history of experimenting with methods to teach eResource use to front-line staff. Michigan took advantage of online learning to create a statewide standard of service using real-world reference situations like solving a Pinterest fail, providing research services to city officials, and homework help, to provide front line staff with a context in which to practice digital literacy using the eResource tools that the state library contracts for.

In this webinar, Sonya Schryer Norris and Liz Breed discuss the development of a six-part, asynchronous training experience: the MeL Maven Badge.

Bonus: The Library of Michigan is also releasing a 3-part Information Literacy Badge for frontline public library staff everywhere. See it unveiled during this webinar!

Takeaways include:

  • Baking professional skills-building into eResource training.

    Using narrative to model behavior and set aspirational goals for learners in training environments.

    How to leave politics on the back porch when teaching information literacy skills.

Click below to experience this webinar as a tutorial. When you continue past the introduction to the webinar, you'll be prompted to log in. We require login to view the whole tutorial so we can provide certificates of completion for your records and for professional development credit. No purchase is required and you can create a Niche Academy account if you don't already have one. The certificate will be available for download when you have completed all sections of the tutorial.  

 

Click the link below to download the presentation slides:
MeL Maven Slides

Click the link below to see the MeL Maven Badge: 
MeL Maven Badge

 

About the author:

Julie Edwards is a librarian and instructional designer with Niche Academy. She has worked in academic and public libraries with a focus on reference, instruction, outreach, and programming. She has authored/edited two books, has written numerous academic and professional articles, and has presented nationally and internationally on issues in librarianship. In 2017-2019 she taught in the Department of Library and Information Studies at the University of Botswana as a Fulbright Fellow. She's passionate about helping libraries build community and individual assets.

Get notified of new articles and webinars

Subscribe to our blog and never miss content that can help you tackle today's most important learning and development challenges.