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Opening the Book
Online Courses

Library work across school, college and public libraries is changing and staff need new skills. It's no longer enough to provide a service passively; it's all about engaging students and customers and offering a richer experience.

Opening the Book courses will inspire individual staff and whole services to meet these challenges. 20,000 staff have taken our training courses in many different countries; courses gain 99% satisfaction ratings from users.

Proven skills development

  • Opening the Book courses are proven to increase skills and confidence for staff working in libraries. This is not tickbox training, it is embedded in everyday library work routines.
  • There's a great mix of online learning techniques combined with practical application of tasks in your own workplace. Interactive exercises, slideshows, quizzes – plus key in your thoughts as you go to make your personal record.
  • Your online course work creates a useful evidence-based portfolio which you can use in job applications or performance reviews.
  • 3 months after completing the course, 99% of 230 staff across the State of Victoria said it had impacted their work positively. 48% said that it had changed their view of their job and their library completely.

Expert support

  • Online training can be lonely. Our staff are here to help.
  • You will receive personal feedback on work submitted for Intermediate level courses.
  • At Advanced level, you will develop an ongoing relationship with your mentor who will help you adapt the course ideas to your specific work situation.
  • All our courses are built and tested with real library staff in real library workplaces.
  • Courses are managed in-house and any technical issues can be resolved immediately.
  • Course authors are passionate about books, reading and libraries – their commitment will help inspire yours.

Unlimited access

  • You can study at your own pace and pick up where you left off whenever suits.
  • Complete your course at a time and place that fits in with your other commitments.
  • Courses are not time limited – get places set up, take a look, then enrol when you are ready to start.
  • Access is not closed when you finish. You can revisit at any time to check out something you've forgotten, pick up on an idea you didn't get time to try – or just to refresh your thinking.
  • Switch between PC, Mac and ipad as you prefer.

Measurable impact

140 staff took Intermediate level courses in a 3-year programme at Liverpool Libraries. Their evaluation of staff experience found:

  • 96% said they felt more confident talking to readers
  • 99% said they understood how to target an audience for a book promotion
  • 98% were more confident to create and run a promotion in their library

And here’s what the line managers of the 140 graduates said:

  • 100% think their staff are more confident in recommending books
  • 88% think the course improved the way their staff work with displays
  • 93% said that more books were being borrowed directly from displays because their staff had taken an Opening the Book course

Affordable investment

  • Online training gives excellent value for money.
  • Cut out travel time and overheads associated with classroom-based learning.
  • We can advise on larger rollouts and undertake evaluative reports on the quality of learning.
  • Nothing else you can buy will give this impact in the workplace.
  • For larger programmes, free management tools on the Dashboard enable your Administrator to allocate individual staff to courses, check their progress, and see who is doing which course at a glance.
  • Proven skills development
  • Expert
    support
  • Unlimited
    access
  • Measurable
    impact
  • Affordable investment
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Playing your part in the library welcome

Playing your part in the library welcome

Playing your part in the library welcome

Library-focused customer care skills for public and academic libraries
£50.00 per place
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Engaging with readers

Engaging with readers

Engaging with readers

Boost staff confidence with tools to create a buzz about reading
£95.00 per place
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Merchandising the bookshelves

Merchandising the bookshelves

Merchandising the bookshelves

Give those unloved shelves a makeover
£95.00 per place
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Creating powerful promotions

Creating powerful promotions

Creating powerful promotions

Target audiences and get library displays pumping
£95.00 per place
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Understanding book appeal

Understanding book appeal

Understanding book appeal

Shortcuts to updating book knowledge across the library
£95.00 per place
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Managing first impressions

Managing first impressions

Managing first impressions

Skills and routines to keep the library looking its best
£95.00 per place
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The reader-centred professional

The reader-centred professional

The reader-centred professional

How to strengthen the impact of the library in the reading community and beyond
£450.00 per place
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Becoming a reading role model

Becoming a reading role model

Becoming a reading role model

Quick ideas to become a good role model without being a reading expert
£50.00 per place
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Getting children talking about books

Getting children talking about books

Getting children talking about books

Tools and games to get beyond ‘It’s boring’
£95.00 per place
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Expanding your book knowledge

Expanding your book knowledge

Expanding your book knowledge

Shortcuts to understand genres, trends and titles for different ages
£95.00 per place
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Helping children choose independently

Helping children choose independently

Helping children choose independently

Lots of inventive ideas to make choosing a fun activity
£95.00 per place
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Give your library a facelift

Give your library a facelift

Give your library a facelift

Tips and routines to lift the look of your library without spending any money
£95.00 per place
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Bringing your books alive

Bringing your books alive

Bringing your books alive

Bring a new sizzle to your book displays and merchandising
£95.00 per place
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Engaging students in reading

Engaging students in reading

Engaging students in reading

How to start conversations, encourage peer suggestions and get everyone involved
£95.00 per place
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Creating a welcoming school library

Creating a welcoming school library

Creating a welcoming school library

Transform the look of your library in just 4 weeks
£50.00 per place
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Try the Free Course Tasters

Try the Free Course Tasters

If you'd like to get a taste of what Opening the Book courses are like, we have made that easy. Sign up with your email and you get immediate free access to a great experience.

You can see what a course looks like, check out the way they communicate, sample an exercise. There are two representative sections from every course ready and waiting to try. You can choose to look at the courses by sector, by level or just click on the one you are most interested in.

There's nothing like trying an experience out for real. So don’t take our word for it, why not take a look now?

Sign up to access the tasters

The course made me think more about the various areas of the library and how we look. I enjoyed the content and it is very easy to understand and follow. I particularly enjoyed the exercise where I moved the covers of the books on the screen and tried lots of colours against each other.

I would say that the time was suggested was very realistic and it was nice being able to log on any time or any place that suited me and go straight to where I was on the course.


Carol McQuillan

Tresham College, UK

When I started this course I thought I had a well-run library with well utilised stock.
From the first lesson I realised how mistaken I was!!
I decluttered and refocused my approach to displays and stock.
I have removed myself from the barrier that the desk had become - and would like to think I am becoming like one with the user.
Thanks to everyone for all of their help and for teaching me new ways to promote our library's books and services.


Liz Fay

Mitchelstown Library, County Cork, Republic of Ireland

I want to let you know the course so far is excellent.  I enjoy the modules.  I feel revved up and informed and inspired working through and applying ideas in our own library.  The content is absolutely applicable and relevant and reflects library practice in our contemporary world and into the future.  I appreciate all of the work that goes into developing such a course and the incredible passion that drives the motivation and expertise.


Louise Mrdjen

City of Port Lincoln, South Australia

I have learned a great deal from this course, especially the value of good displays and marketing your stock to attract borrowers to items they might not normally borrow or were aware of. My awareness of this has been increased and wherever I am placed on cover, I apply these methods. My aim to provide a better variety of stock in displays and choose carefully what to include and not go straight for the obvious author.


Laura Reed

Forest Hall Library, North Tyneside, UK

The most useful thing I have learnt is the importance of displays, how they are displayed and what they are displaying. I've seen many more books coming off the display since the gaps were filled up and some interesting, but not subject-specific, books were put up. The underused fiction section also looks much friendlier than a random row of books now that it has some colourful ones facing out. Now just to keep it all up.


Zoe Tolman

City of Oxford College LRC, UK

I've enjoyed trying new things within the library, some ideas I've been able to keep and others not. The changes I did with the Young adult area of making the book shelves all look different, moving the books around looks great. Issues have increased and the youth love it that their area is different and not the same as everywhere else. I enjoy walking past a display and changing over books that have been there too long and seeing the new ones going out the door.


Dianne Mears

Mosgiel Library, Dunedin, New Zealand

Over the duration of this course, I think what has stood out most is the importance of varying the colour of the book covers in the displays and leaving fewer gaps around books. This has much improved the appearance of our book displays and made them more attractive to customers. I also am now always on the lookout for areas of clutter. I think decluttering in libraries probably needs to be an ongoing process.


Michelle Summerfield

Port Chalmers Library, Dunedin, New Zealand

One thing I've learned - or rather, been reminded of and given tips on how to implement - is the central importance of creating a certain impression on library users as they come through the door and move around in the library space. A quick glance and smile sets the tone, and can make the difference between someone feeling able to come and ask a question, and leaving without getting what they wanted from coming to the library. It's an empowering and motivating way to approach our work.


Olwen Bell

Learning Resources Assistant, City of Oxford College Library, UK

This course has been wonderful for looking at stock from a different angle. To look at things within genres - subgenres in genres like space opera and satire under the sci-fi umbrella. I particularly enjoyed the graphic novels section and the practical part of setting up a display to showcase a genre. I would say that is great for understanding genre, marketing books and for broadening knowledge of the stock.


Richard Amos

Central Bedfordshire Libraries, UK

I think the course creates food for thought, especially for people new to the job. Recently we have moved to "Shared Services" with Council administration staff which means new staff do not necessarily have library qualifications such as the longer term employees. This causes me concern, but at least a course like this can give employees with no library background a bit of an idea on what we are trying to achieve.


Annabelle Mugge

South Australia

Although I have worked in libraries for many years and feel confident greeting and helping customers, doing the course has been a really useful experience, enabling me to take a fresh look at how I work and sharing my ideas with my colleagues. I now try and structure some time every day I am at work to ensure displays are looking great - hopefully generating issues! I keep a list of what topics we've used (and if they've worked or not!) also any ideas for future displays.


Caroline Blake-Smith

Swindon Libraries, UK

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