For professional development, Click University: new online education service will take learning to members' desktops

Information Outlook, June, 2005 by John Lowery

"Once I visualized the concept, I was on board," quipped SLA President Ethel Salonen, who is an information manager for Mitre Corporation. "It just makes sense. Our profession is full of success stories--people who have made it big. But the majority of our members are working hard to succeed, and we needed to find a way to get them there."

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At the meeting in October, the SLA board unanimously approved the creation of an online university to serve the library and information profession. The new service, titled, "Click University," will reverse the 20th century model that required people to go somewhere for learning experiences. Click University will bring learning experiences to the learner.

Now scheduled for launch in June at the 2005 SLA conference in Toronto, Click University is expected to lower the barriers to access for many information professionals and knowledge workers who are thirsting for low-cost, easy-to-access learning opportunities. The initial course library will be based on template programs from the arsenal of Learn.com, the developer of the technology behind Click University. But SLA expects the offerings to ultimately range from core skills such as software and technology use to management, communications, and leadership strategies and effective practices and methods for the collection, sharing, and use of information and knowledge in the modern working world.

The CLICK University Concept

As a student or community member, when you have access to a university campus, you have access to a wide range of learning experiences. You can take an advanced degree; you enroll in a specific career-enhancing program that leads to a certificate; you can take advantage of courses that help you achieve your professional and personal goals; you are able to sign up for seminars; and, when you all you need to do is find an item of information, you can go to the library and locate the right resource. Our vision is that as a member of Click U, you will be able do all of this and more. You will be able to do everything from finding an article in the library all the way to taking an advanced degree. You will also be able to go to the lounge in the Student Center--i.e. chat rooms--and share information and ideas with fellow students.

Click University Content

When Click University goes live this month, there will be six major content areas: the SLA virtual seminar program, continuing education sessions, course libraries, university partner programs, adjunct faculty, and research partner programming.

The virtual seminar program has been expanded for 2005, and will continue to grow. Each month, we present two seminars on a common theme. Themes so far this year have included content management, competitive intelligence, identifying client needs, and weblogs. All of our seminars from this year and most from 2004 have been recorded exactly as they originally occurred and are available online. This means that as Click University goes live this month, you will have access to more than 30 excellent information studies seminars.