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Staff training, education and development has come to the forefront in most organizations. Managers and employers have realized the benefits of training and developing their staff and various government initiatives have been introduced that highlight this. Library and Information Services took some time to realize the importance of training and developing their staff, more specifically continuing professional development. The study investigates staff training, education and development at the Durban Metropolitan Library (DML) and establishes the perceptions of staff about current training and development offered. The need for, and appreciation of the training and development offered, was evident. No structured program for staff training and development exist in DML. It is recommended that DML implement the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, previously known as the Library Association, Framework for Continuing Professional Development if it intends to survive in the competitive, changing environment. This will ensure that the organization functions according to the promulgated government regulations and has skilled, competent staff. / Information Science / (M.A. (Information Science))

This study investigated the contribution of staff training and development programmes to effective library and information services in selected university libraries in Ghana. The rationale of the study was to establish the relationship between training and development of library staff and work performance of individual library staff, university libraries and the institutions as a whole, which should reflect in effective and efficient provision of library and information services. The researcher reviewed extensively literature on relevant subject areas related to staff training and development including: the concept of training and development, training needs analysis and assessment, staff training and development, monitoring and evaluation of training, effects of training on job performance, measuring return on investment in training and effectiveness of library and information services. The researcher adopted a survey research method because of the large geographical areas over which the university libraries are located and therefore dispersed population. The researcher adopted mixed methods research approach and thus data was collected using interviews, observations and questionnaires. The researcher also used a mixed sampling method where the researcher combined both probability and non-probability sampling methods in sampling the population. The population for the study comprised library staff, faculty and students from five selected universities in Ghana. The total population from the five universities was 139,463 based on which a sample of 860 was chosen. Thematic content analysis technique was use to analyse qualitative data, while statistical package for service solution was used to analyse quantitative data. The main findings of the study were that staff training and development programmes contributed to the improvement of the knowledge, skills, abilities and experiences of library staff in the universities in Ghana, thereby made university library staff in Ghana more effective and efficient in the provision of library and information services to the university community. However staff development practices alone did not contribute to job performance. Staff development practices were supported with human resource management strategies such as rewards, promotions, bonuses, salary increase and other motivational strategies. Finally the study identified inadequate funding and short falls in the training policies as some of the challenges facing the implementation of staff training and development initiatives in the university libraries in Ghana. It recommends the establishment of training units within the university libraries and adequate budgetary provisions to invest in staff training and development programmes for library staff as well as the adoption of train the trainer concept where staff who participated in training and development programmes are asked to train colleagues and submit a report for the benefit of colleagues as a way of improving staff development practices in the university libraries in Ghana. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on staff training and development and work performance in university libraries. / Information Science

Staff training, education and development has come to the forefront in most organizations. Managers and employers have realized the benefits of training and developing their staff and various government initiatives have been introduced that highlight this. Library and Information Services took some time to realize the importance of training and developing their staff, more specifically continuing professional development. The study investigates staff training, education and development at the Durban Metropolitan Library (DML) and establishes the perceptions of staff about current training and development offered. The need for, and appreciation of the training and development offered, was evident. No structured program for staff training and development exist in DML. It is recommended that DML implement the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, previously known as the Library Association, Framework for Continuing Professional Development if it intends to survive in the competitive, changing environment. This will ensure that the organization functions according to the promulgated government regulations and has skilled, competent staff. / Information Science / (M.A. (Information Science))

This study investigated the contribution of staff training and development programmes to effective library and information services in selected university libraries in Ghana. The rationale of the study was to establish the relationship between training and development of library staff and work performance of individual library staff, university libraries and the institutions as a whole, which should reflect in effective and efficient provision of library and information services. The researcher reviewed extensively literature on relevant subject areas related to staff training and development including: the concept of training and development, training needs analysis and assessment, staff training and development, monitoring and evaluation of training, effects of training on job performance, measuring return on investment in training and effectiveness of library and information services. The researcher adopted a survey research method because of the large geographical areas over which the university libraries are located and therefore dispersed population. The researcher adopted mixed methods research approach and thus data was collected using interviews, observations and questionnaires. The researcher also used a mixed sampling method where the researcher combined both probability and non-probability sampling methods in sampling the population. The population for the study comprised library staff, faculty and students from five selected universities in Ghana. The total population from the five universities was 139,463 based on which a sample of 860 was chosen. Thematic content analysis technique was use to analyse qualitative data, while statistical package for service solution was used to analyse quantitative data. The main findings of the study were that staff training and development programmes contributed to the improvement of the knowledge, skills, abilities and experiences of library staff in the universities in Ghana, thereby made university library staff in Ghana more effective and efficient in the provision of library and information services to the university community. However staff development practices alone did not contribute to job performance. Staff development practices were supported with human resource management strategies such as rewards, promotions, bonuses, salary increase and other motivational strategies. Finally the study identified inadequate funding and short falls in the training policies as some of the challenges facing the implementation of staff training and development initiatives in the university libraries in Ghana. It recommends the establishment of training units within the university libraries and adequate budgetary provisions to invest in staff training and development programmes for library staff as well as the adoption of train the trainer concept where staff who participated in training and development programmes are asked to train colleagues and submit a report for the benefit of colleagues as a way of improving staff development practices in the university libraries in Ghana. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on staff training and development and work performance in university libraries. / Information Science

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OBJECTIVES: The Enriched Opportunities Programme (EOP) is a multi-level intervention focussing on improved quality of life for people with dementia. This study compared the experience of people living with dementia and other mental health problems in extra care housing schemes that utilised EOP with schemes that employed an active control intervention. METHOD: Ten extra care housing schemes were cluster randomised to receive either the EOP intervention or an active control intervention for an 18-month period. Residents with dementia or other significant mental health problems (20-30 per scheme) were assessed on a number of outcome measures at baseline, six months, one year and 18 months. The primary outcome measure was quality of life. Self-reported depression was an important secondary outcome. RESULTS: The EOP-participating residents rated their quality of life more positively over time (4.0 (SE 0.6) units; 14% p < 0.001) than the active control (1.3 (SE 0.6) units; 4% p = 0.003). There was also a significant group-time interaction for depressive symptoms (p = 0.003). The EOP-participating residents reported a reduction of 25% at both six and 12 months and a 37% reduction at 18 months (all p's < 0.001). EOP residents were less likely than residents in the active control sites to move to a care home or to be admitted to a hospital inpatient bed. They were more likely to be seen by a range of community health professionals. CONCLUSION: The EOP had a positive impact on the quality of life of people with dementia in well-staffed extra care housing schemes.