Tech Expo: A Model for Emerging Technology Education for Library Staff

Abstract

Emerging technologies, such as personal information management tools like Zotero, productivity software like Google Documents, and web-based API's and mashups are important resources for library staff development and productivity. To keep up with rap-id technological change, the University of Minnesota Libraries developed a staff educa-tion program on emerging technologies. Begun in 2009, the fun and interactive program called Tech Expo has been a success. This paper describes our approach and lessons learned. In recent years, emerging technologies and open source software have proliferated in higher education. In response to technological change at the University of Minnesota (UMN), the Libraries created a Technology Librarian position in 2006 with a focus on emerging technologies. However, it became clear that the growing need for training was not the job of a single librarian, but must be augmented with an emerging technologies program dedicated to staff education. (This is especially true at a large research institu-tion like UMN, with a staff of more than 300.) This article describes the creation and im-plementation of such a program in 2009.