Central Library

First: Overview of the Division

The Continuing Education Division is a vital part of the Central Library. It aims to enhance the skills of staff, researchers, and students in the field of library and information science by developing their practical and technical capacities in line with the latest library practices and technologies. The Division organizes training programs, workshops, and ongoing courses that contribute to improving the professional competence of staff in both the Central Library and its branches. This, in turn, enhances the quality of services provided to users and fosters an environment conducive to scientific research and continuous learning.

 

Second: Division’s Tasks

The Continuing Education Division undertakes a set of core responsibilities, the most prominent of which include:

-Planning and implementing training programs: Preparing and organizing courses and workshops for library staff, postgraduate students, and staff in branch libraries, covering all aspects of library and technical work.

-Developing human resource capacities: Providing specialized training programs in cataloguing, acquisitions, lending, archiving, digitization, and modern library information systems.

-Evaluating training programs: Monitoring the outcomes of training sessions and workshops, and offering recommendations to improve performance and training content in alignment with professional development needs.

– Preparing educational and guidance materials: Producing brochures, manuals, and electronic training resources to help trainees understand library procedures and services in a practical and effective manner.

 

Third: Training activities and programs

Training activities implemented by the Division include:

-Cataloging, Classification, and Automated Catalog Courses: To develop the skills of the staff in using digital library systems such as Koha.

-Supply, self-borrowing and RFID technology courses: to introduce employees to modern working methods in library group management.

-Workshops on archiving and digitalization: to train employees to preserve documents and sources and converting them into digital formats with ensuring quality.

-Training programs for students include: summer training and practical training on various library procedures to support students’ education and develop their practical skills in the field of library informatics.

– Performance and monitoring evaluation: Holding short tests and evaluation questionnaires after each course or workshop to ensure the achievement of training objectives.

 

Fourth: Techniques used in continuing education

The Division amis to use the latest methods and technologies to facilitate training and improving learning, including:

Practical simulation: To train staff and students on various library procedures practically. –

-Interactive presentations and electronic materials: to illustrate the library procedures, cataloguing, supplying and digitalization techniques.

-Automated Catalog System (Koha): For training in recording and managing sources electronically and linking branch libraries to the central catalog.

-Self- borrowing and RFID technology: To explain how these modern technologies can be used to improve the services of the users.

 

Fifth: Future directions of the division

-Expanding continuing education programs to include remote training using modern electronic platforms .

-Developing the content of training programs in accordance with the latest technologies and international standards in libraries and information.

– Strengthening cooperation with national and international universities and libraries to exchange experiences and organize joint programs.

-Establishing  a database for trainers including their attendance records , evaluatiosns and certificates they gained to support following up continuing professional development.