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Cross Training Gives JMRL Staff Inside Look At How Other Branches Operate
JMRL recently began a new cross training program that gives staff the opportunity to work a shift at a different branch to learn how circulation works at another location. Two staffers who traded places for the day shared their thoughts on the experience.
Kaylin Preslar (pictured above), part-time branch support at Scottsville Library, did her cross training at Northside Library. She said that despite the notable differences due to the size of the branch, she noticed a common culture in "the willingness of every employee I met to do all they can for the well-being of the library and its patrons."
"Like at Scottsville, I witnessed patrons of all ages at Northside excitedly leaving the library with books and smiles," said Preslar. "I was reminded again of how essential every branch of JMRL, from one of the biggest to one of the smallest, is to the community!"
Mary Beth Perry, part-time circulation support at Northside Library, said she "realized the uniqueness of the [Scottsville] branch when I talked to patrons who regularly walk there. It was great to see families with kids of all ages, folks sitting and reading newspapers, and many reference services all happening at once in the space."
Reflecting on her cross training experience at Scottsville Library, Perry said it enhanced her sense of being part of a regional team. "Whether the building size is big or small, the love of books and information sharing is boundless," she said.
In the first year of the cross training program, the goal is for all JMRL staff to work a shift focused on learning the ins and outs of circulation at another branch.
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