ATLANTA, GEORGIA – March 2, 2021 – LYRASIS, a global non-profit membership organization providing technology and content solutions for libraries, museums, archives, and research communities, and WALDO, the Westchester Academic Library Directors Organization, announce a new pilot to deliver LYRASIS Learning to a test group of WALDO members, expanding access to expert professional development.
The new pilot will extend LYRASIS Learning to 20 WALDO members at no cost, sponsored by WALDO and LYRASIS. Delivered completely online, LYRASIS Learning provides high quality, virtual training in a variety of niche topics for libraries and archives. The subscription model provides continuing education content to all staff in an institution on any topic, lowering barriers, and making professional development more widely available. LYRASIS Learning responds to feedback, engages new instructors, and develops new content tailored to users, monthly.
Erin Tripp, Director of LYRASIS Research and Innovation, says of the partnership, “Our work with WALDO will explore the impact of training on communities. This pilot is intended to remove as many barriers to professional development as possible. We’re innovating a practice that has traditionally been very exclusive and focused on individuals. We want to find new ways to make it radically inclusive and community-centered.”
“The board is seeking ways to increase engagement with the WALDO community,” says current WALDO Board President, Maureen Clements. “We surveyed members and they asked for access to more professional development opportunities. We feel working with LYRASIS on this pilot will begin to meet the need and open more doors for members of our community to work and grow together.”
Robert Miller, CEO of LYRASIS, says, “LYRASIS is committed to partnerships like this with WALDO as a way to maximize the benefits of community at scale. By working together, we can share knowledge, increase participation, and enhance the wider field. We’re excited to partner with WALDO and their members as a way to bring two leading organizations together.”
The pilot participants were selected through an expression of interest process announced to WALDO members in January 2021, administered on a first-come, first-serve basis. The pilot LYRASIS Learning subscriptions will begin on March 1 and will run for 12 months, with regular evaluation discussions between LYRASIS and WALDO.