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Continuing Education

Continuing Education

The mission of the Library of Virginia’s Continuing Education Program is to enhance library staff’s capabilities in all phases of library service through a comprehensive training program.

The Library of Virginia sponsors a variety of training opportunities each year to help those responsible for library service to develop their skills and learn new approaches. Workshops and conferences cover such topics as library services to special populations, cataloging databases reference services, children and youth services, library trustees and friends of the Library. An annual public library director’s training is offered in the fall.

Get the Most Out of LVA 2023 Training Series | Front Line Customer Service | Upcoming Training | Professional Certificate | MLS Programs

Get the Most Out of LVA 2023 Training Series

The Library of Virginia has a rich collection of resources for local historians, genealogists, writers, and anyone else interested in Virginia. Many of these resources are available digitally from anywhere in the Commonwealth, and they support the interests of public library users around the state.

To learn more about how you can use the LVA collections with your library patrons, join your colleagues on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month from August to December. Since LVA has a major exhibit on Indigenous culture in Virginia coming this fall, this series will look at LVA resources through the lens of looking for information on Indigenous communities, an often overlooked and challenging topic.

Find program dates, descriptions, and registration information.

Access recent training in Niche Academy

Front Line Customer Service Online Course (February 2022 – September 2023)

This course is available through 9/30/23

The Library of Virginia Library and Networking Division is excited to announce a new online course, Front Line Customer Service!

Access the course here: https://my.nicheacademy.com/libraryofvirginia-staff/course/38645

or on the front page of LVA’s Niche Academy: https://my.nicheacademy.com/libraryofvirginia-staff

Front-line customer service employees work to create a welcoming environment in the library. They are service professionals who work directly with customers to create positive experiences and to build long-lasting relationships. They are an essential part of the library experience, usually being the first point of contact with the customer through greeting them, handling their issues, and answering their questions.

Front-line employees also experience the stressors of serving people with difficult behaviors that can affect their confidence, self-esteem, and their ability to create a welcoming experience for all. We often forget to support our people on the front lines, even though they are the heart and soul of the organization.

A library without a confident, knowledgeable, and well-supported staff is only a well-intentioned building.

In this six-module interactive and skill sharpening Front Line Customer Service online course, library employees will learn, explore, engage and grow personally and professionally through videos, exercises, knowledge checks, and more in current and relevant topics including:

- Growing Your Confidence in Serving Customers
- Creating a Positive Customer Experience for Everyone
- Handling Difficult Customer Behaviors with Less Stress and More Satisfaction
- Creating Workplace Safety and Environmental Awareness
- Recognizing Positive Customer Behaviors and Stopping Customer Bashing!

Throughout this course, you will have the opportunity to discover and apply proven techniques to create relationship-building experiences, even for your most difficult customer. Each module is designed to grow your confidence and skills in only one to two hours per week and includes time for you to reflect on your learning.

Access the course here: https://my.nicheacademy.com/libraryofvirginia-staff/course/38645

NOTE: This is a self-paced course. You can learn on your own time and schedule.

Upcoming Training

To register for any of the upcoming training opportunities please view our schedule of events

Librarian’s Professional Certificate

Public libraries serving a political subdivision or subdivisions having a population greater than 15,000 and libraries operated by the Commonwealth or under its authority, shall not employ, in the position of librarian or in any other full-time professional librarian position, a person who does not meet the qualifications established by the State Library Board.

To obtain a Librarian Professional Certificate for the Commonwealth of Virginia visit: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/lib-edu/certification.asp

Master in Library Science Programs

Old Dominion University, in Norfolk, Virginia: Master of Library and Information Studies Program at Old Dominion University is accredited by the American Library Association Committee on Accreditation, with the status of Initial accreditation. The next comprehensive review visit is scheduled for Fall 2028. Learn more here.

At this time the only program to offer local classes in library science is the Catholic University of America. However, there is a range of online programs available for those interested in pursuing a master’s in library and information science.

Virginia participates in the Academic Common Market (ACM) program, which is an arrangement among Southern states allowing students to pay reduced tuition rates at a non-Virginia college or university while studying in select programs not available at Virginia public institutions. An application for participation and further information about the program is available on their Web site.

The following colleges and universities offer distance education programs for a library science degree.