TARGET: LTA programs

[Kathy Graves <kgraves@SISSCOE.SISNET.SSKU.K12.CA.US>]

I' interested in finding out if there are schools, community colleges, or
distance learning programs out there offering the Library Technical
Assistance certificate program.  At one time Foothill college in  Los
Altos, California had one, but that's 400 miles from where our library is.
Our local community college, College of the Siskiyous, offered it a few
years back, but there just isn't the base of people interested in taking
the training, thus justifying the class.  Is there anything in Southern
Oregon anyone knows of?  I want to encourage two of my three clerks to go
back for training.  There's an ulterior motive here, also.  Not only would
it be good for them personnally and for the department, but I have an
opportunity to take part in the upgrading and professionalization of our
county office's general job descriptions and compensation packages.  We're
at the beginning levels of this project, and I am hoping to create a
divided salary schedule for my department which recognizes certificates and
continued education, so that we don't have a situation such as we did
several years ago, where we hired two new clerks, one with the LTA
certificate and one with no library experience (but had an aptitude for it,
plus was a County Office employee seeking transfer to another position).
They both had to be put at the same salary level, which doesn't seem fair
in that one of them had gone back to school for her certificate. Since it's
unlikely that our local CC will offer the course again, I'd really be
interested in correspondence programs.  My clerks all have access to
computers and e-mail, so that would not be a problem, and their union, just
this year, bargained for professional growth days, so everything else seems
to be in place.  Thanks for any information you can provide.

***********************************************************************

Kathy Graves                            kgraves@sisnet.ssku.k12.ca.us
IMC Director/Librarian                  phone: 916-842-8427
                                        fax: 916-842-8436

Siskiyou County Superintendent of Schools Office
609 South Gold Street
Yreka, CA 96097

***********************************************************************