The best practices used to assist in staff recognition:

• To Recognize Staff Efforts and Accomplishments, Large and Small:
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• Promote the use of Pearls and Gems and publicly acknowledge those who receive them.
• Thank staff members verbally.
• Write a thank you note and place on employee's desk or in mailbox or send a personal email for special recognition.
• Provide lunch or special treat for individual, department, or branch.
• Use  incentives provided by Human Resources such as:  jean day coupons, grocery cards, and vacation time coupons.
• Make special mention of the employee in the monthly department report.
• Use a branch blog to celebrate accomplishments

The best practices used to assure staff development:

• Provide access to professional journals.
• Forward all emails concerning training opportunities to all staff and encourage staff to watch the listings of training opportunities on PLCMC Central.
• Recommend relevant workshops to specific staff.
• Identify and utilize special skills of employee when delegating tasks.
• Ensure all staff are cross-trained in all departments to provide flexible scheduling for vacations, workshops, etc.
• Encourage staff to serve on system-wide teams and/or committees.
•  Encourage staff to share knowledge gained from workshops, teams, or committees  email to all staff, or at monthly staff meetings.
• Provide in-house training opportunities that involve a bit of risk, target specific needs of staff
• Have Branch managers mentor librarians to prepare them for positions of leadership.
• Encourage staff to watch the listings of training opportunities on PLCMC Central and/or forward staff the descriptions of upcoming training relevant to them specifically.
• Create work plan goals that stretch the employee's development.
• Developed a training manual for new employees.
• Pair new employees with seasoned staff for on the job training.
• Provide cross-training for part-time circulation staff so they are able to provide support for some duties and background activities traditionally done by full-time staff.
• Delegate some duties to willing staff who have shown interest in becoming more involved. 
• Created a performance journal for all direct reports and update regularly to accurately record performance examples.
• Provide notebooks for new staff including information about their duties, training checklists, work plan formats, storytime information, as appropriate.
• Encourage new staff to use Learning 2.0 technology.

The best practices used to assist staff to embrace change:

• Communication is critical: explain the reason for change and exemplify how it will affect them and their immediate work practices. Provide as much information as possible to avoid speculation and rumor.
• Explain what the long term goal of a specific change is and how it is related to the mission of the library.
• Be open, honest and available to staff wishing to voice their concerns and/or comments while continuing to support the library's mission.
• Provide in-house training and access to outside training to help staff become comfortable with specific changes.
• Actively seek staff feedback and ideas or suggestions on ways to make the change occur as smoothly as possible.
• Share ideas/suggestions/best practices from other branches as examples of successful implementation of specific change.
• Lead by example and project a positive attitude about embracing  change.
• Find opportunities to celebrate success in accomplishing specific goals when implementing change.