My name is April Chmara. I’m a new part-time Adult Services Specialist with DeKalb Public Library in DeKalb, Illinois. Part of my job is to implement adult programming and my supervisor suggested looking into starting a Learning Circle. I have found the site to be very helpful and I’ve already gotten a lot of great ideas and resources. I’m happy to have found this community.
1 Like
Hey @April! Nice to see you here. I got married last month over the border in Cook County 
Let us know how we can help!
Who are you?
My name is Jordan (Slowly transitioning from my first name, Anna, to my middle name, which is preferred), and I’m a public librarian in Boston, MA.
What motivated you to join P2PU?
The fact that there was a writing course available. I’ve been a Municipal Liaison for National Novel Writing Month since 2006, and I love writing. I wanted to find a way to teach writing courses for adults, but I didn’t want the burden of being the “expert” so it seemed like a perfect fit for me.
What are you hoping to achieve here?
Getting people to write and have fun doing it.
Something that you recently learned?
I’ve been researching gun holsters for a story I’m working on and learning about the various types of holsters that I didn’t even know existed has been fun and interesting.
1 Like
Hi,
My name is Jessica, I’m responsible for managing 4 branch locations here in Hernando County FL.
I would like to bring P2PU to this community because we have an interested and invested patron base and i feel they could benefit from this style of learning.
Hoping to achieve good numbers and successful stories at the end!
1 Like
Hey Jessica,
Welcome aboard! I wanted to point out a couple other library systems that are already involved. @Megan_Danak from Tampa Hillsborough Public Library and I facilitated a staff training together last month. Her and her colleague Lori have been actively trying to understand how to make learning circles work in their community. I’m sure she would be happy to tell you more and keep you updated as she is not too far away.
Also, we’ve also worked a bit with Miami-Dade Public Library, Athanasia Fitos has been our main contact there and I can connect you when you like.
Be in touch,
Nico
Ah cool, that is good to hear. If she has any questions for me I can help also. I ran a learning circle in Chicago when I was working for CPL.
Jessica
Hey Jessica, happy to connect here or via email (danakm at hcflgov.net). I’d be interested in hearing about your experience up in Chicago.
THPL has done around a dozen Learning Circles around the county since we started last year. Fiction Writing and HTML/CSS are two that the public really liked. So far we’ve seen the most success & attendance with classes that have some kind of tangible takeaway (writing stories, coding websites). After the training with Nico, we started using the model with staff. Just wrapping up four learning circles on presentation skills, and they were very well received.
Nice to “meet” you! -Megan
Hi!
I ran a few circle in Chicago… some good, some lost interest along the way. That is how it goes! I agree, the most successful circles have been related to computer science, website, writing fiction. I do like your idea of using P2PU for staff training. Gives us something to think about.
1 Like
Hi There. Am Miriam Mureithi, a librarian at KNLS Thika, a public library in Kenya. I am a facilitator with P2PU and have done several learning circles. It has been an exciting experience having people come together to do an online course. One which attracted a lot of interest is Basic Computer Skills. I am glad to be be in this community.
1 Like
Hi Miriam! Thanks for saying Hello. Looking forward to hearing if this kind of forum could be useful for your colleagues at the Kenyan National Library Service. I know you group uses Whatsapp to share updates with each other, but I hope this can be a helpful space for people to ask questions and share feedback with the rest of us. Let us know if you think there is a way for this space to be useful to your colleagues,
Nico
Hi Nico! Am excited to be in this forum. We have been using whatsapp and also telephone conversations to to get updates and learn from one another. How complicated is it if i want to pay for an exam to get a certificate from the universities offering the P2PU courses. For example, if i go through Basic computer skills is offered by University of Wisconsin.
Great question @Miriam_Mureithi Do you mind posting that question to New Topic (Go to main community.p2pu.org and click + New Topic top right corner? That way we can go into more detail and get other feedback from others.
My name is Allan Mudenda Hagwelele from Zambia. I work as Provincial Librarian for Southern Province and head Choma Provincial Library. I got to know about P2PU through a training done by EIFL in Lusaka. I would want to learn skills that will help me start learning circles in my library. I look forward to interact with the community here. It is interesting to note that Peer to Peer learning is free.
3 Likes
Hello friends. Am a librarian from chipata Provincial Library in Zambia. Am excited to be part of P2PU. Am hoping to learn alot from this platform. I got to know about P2PU through a training done by EIFL in Lusaka. This is really interesting…
2 Likes
My name is Hendrix Sikwibele from Mongu Provincial Library, Western Province, Zambia.
Its the way learning is being conducted
To increase my knowledge in Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
How Peer 2 Peer University works
3 Likes
hi friends . am a professional librarian and am so excited to be part of this platform so that i learn more about this P2Pu.
1 Like
I am Donald Katebe Musenge and what motivated me to join P2PU is the amazing courses have seen on the P2PU website which are for free and mostly is that i want to learn more on other courses.What am hoping to achieve is the knowledge on other courses and what done in that area.I learned more about the learning circles and whats involved.
2 Likes
Hello,
Thanks for welcoming me to the P2PU community.
My names are Yvonne Kabamba, am a Librarian at Lusaka City council Public Library in Lusaka, Zambia. The success stories about learning circles in Kenya motivated me to join P2PU community. I hope to gain Knowledge and introduce learning circles at my Library. I have recently learned how to create a learning circle, how to select course content and facilitation skills.
2 Likes
My name is Judith Mutelo a Librarian at Choma Provincial in Zambia. Southern Province. i learned about p2pu through a training for public librarian sponsered by EIFL in Lusaka.
i am intreseted in this learning cycle and wish to introduce it to our Library for the community to benefit from the free full packaged courses.
2 Likes
Hi everyone am new here! my name is Besa, I work for an NGO-Lubuto Library Partners in Zambia. Am currently a library manager for Lubuto Model Library which is a public library. I came to to know about P2PU through the eifl training we are currently having in Zambia. After looking at the content of the courses I was motivated to begin imparting these skills to our patrons. I hope to learn more and share my experience here in Zambia. Am super excited to learn that these courses are offered for free! Regards
2 Likes