Preview this course:
Creating Policies for Results: From Chaos to Clarity
Instructor: June Garcia
In this course participants will work with each other and one of the publication's authors, June Garcia, to discuss and resolve real library policy problems. During the course, participants will learn to evaluate their libraries' existing policies, determine what additional policies are needed, revise and develop policies, and establish a process to implement the new or revised policies.
The curriculum features interactive exercises, collaborative work, threaded discussions, online chats with instructors and colleagues, and online course progress assessments. Each participant will have approximately three months to finish the course, and then another six months access to the system.
This course is based on the popular American Library Association (ALA) publication Creating Policies for Results: From Chaos to Clarity by Sandra Nelson and June Garcia.
Course Outline
Part I: Policy Issues
In the first part of the course, you will meet several staff members of the Tree County Public Library and the director of the Anytown Public Library. Together you will explore some of the issues that you will be addressing while developing policies for your libraries.
Part II: Policy Inventory
In the second part of the course, you will review the policy environment in your library, design your policy audit, and complete an audit of at least one category of policies. You will also learn to review and define the elements of existing policies, first by working with JoAnn, the Policy Audit Manager at Tree County Library, and then by looking at several of your library's policies you identified during your inventory.
Part III: Policy Assessment
In the third part of the course, you will learn to develop and use evaluation criteria to assess the policy statements, regulations, procedures, and guidelines in the policies you identified during your inventory in Part II. You will begin by assessing four Tree County Library policies with JoAnn. Then, you will assess three policies from your own library.
Part IV: Policy Development
In the fourth part of the course, you will again work with JoAnn. First you will assign a level of effort and priority to each policy of the four Tree County policies that were assessed in Part III. Then, you complete the same steps with the three policies of your library that you assessed during Part III. You will help JoAnn select the people to be involved in writing each policy and consider who you would recommend involving in your library. Finally, you will revise one of the policies from your library.
Part V: Policy Implementation
In the fifth and last part of the course, you will learn what needs to be done before you can implement a new policy, how to communicate policy changes to staff and the public, and how to monitor the implementation of your new policies.
Technical Requirements
Learners will need:
- Internet access (Minimum connection speed is 56K; T-1 line, cable, or DSL is highly recommended)
- Screen resolution of at least 800 x 600
- Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher OR Netscape 6.0 or higher
- Adobe Reader 6 or higher which is available free
- Macromedia Flash Player 7 or higher, also available for free
Required Literature
Creating Policies for Results: From Chaos to Clarity, ISBN 0-8389-3535-4.
Please note that course curriculum will supplement information provided in Creating Policies for Results and participants will be expected to have access to a copy of the publication before they begin the course. The book is available via the ALA Online Store or by calling the ALA Order Department at 1-800-545-2433.