This toolkit helps managers shape and evaluate training programs for library staff. There’s also guidance for managing your library’s personal finance and investing collections, and a curated list of online resources for responding to patron’s money-related reference questions.
Public Library Personal Finance Survey
This research report from ALA’s Library & Research Center examines staff competencies, professional development, and patron programs and services in U.S. public libraries.
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Infographic
Staff Training Needs Assessment
Survey
Concise, five-question survey will help determine staff knowledge and confidence about financial literacy resources.
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Focus Group Protocol
Use this focus group guide and script to gather staff feedback about knowledge, confidence and skill levels related to personal finance and investing.
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Evaluating Financial Literacy Staff Training
Knowledge Instrument
A pre and post test will help assess knowledge staff members gained as a result of training activities.
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Attitude Instrument
A pre and post survey will help assess how staff attitudes about library services related to personal finance have changed as a result of staff development activity.
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Behavior Instrument
Measure how well library staff members put into practice what they learned from training activities. A “mystery shopper”, posing as an individual library patron, can experience library services first-hand and provide feedback to library management.
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Skills Instrument
Reference interview skills for personal finance questions can be learned. Adapt these questions to determine whether staff members can identify the financial concepts embedded in a patron question and select an appropriate resources to answer the question.
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Collection Management for Personal Finance and Investing Resources
Personal Finance Libguide
ALA’s Library & Research Center maintains this libguide to help libraries build their personal finance collections.
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Thinking Money for All Kids
ALA and the FINRA Foundation have collaborated with a team of librarian advisors to develop a book list that eschews stereotypes and embraces diversity in telling stories and sharing skills related to personal finance and financial capability for children.
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Assessment of Personal Finance Collections
ALA’s Library & Research Center examined the personal finance collections held by a sample of public libraries in the United States and compared these holdings to an exemplar list.
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Infographic
