FAQ

How does this work? [top]
Library Juice Academy offers short courses for library professional development using an online course management system. We use Moodle, an easy-to-use open source platform with few technical requirements beyond an internet connection and standard browser interface. Courses are taught asynchronously (meaning that you don't have to be online at any particular time) and involve reading assignments, offline activities, and class participation. A four week course involves about fifteen hours of work. Our instructors are knowledgeable professionals actively engaged in the learning process and are there to support you.

Who are your instructors? [top]
Most of our instructors are librarians at academic and research institutions, and some are library and information science faculty. They teach for us because they have developed significant specialized knowledge in an area of practical application in our field. Some are innovators, some scholars, and some are simply technical experts with teaching abilities. If you would like to propose teaching a class for us, we would be interested in hearing about your idea.

How do I enroll? [top]
To enroll yourself or other participants in a class, use the "add to cart" button that follows the description of each course. If the "add to cart" button does not show up, try loading the page in a different web browser. Contact us if you have technical difficulties using our shopping cart system or would like to pay for an enrollment using another method. On the payment page in the shopping cart system, there is a place to add notes, such as the names and email addresses of participants you wish to enroll. We will contact you to request this information in response to your processed payment if you do not include it in the "notes" field. Prior to the start of the workshop, we will send participants their login instructions.

Do you give CEUs (Continuing Education Units)? [top]
A few states certify librarians working in some positions, and require their certifications to be maintained through professional education activities that earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs). The standard basis for CEUs is one CEU per 10 contact hours. A four-week course through Library Juice Academy requires 15 contact hours, and is thus eligible for 1.5 CEUs. Upon completion of a course, participants can request a certificate documenting their earned CEUs. We do not offer state-specific credits (regulated, for example, by the Massachusetts Department of Education). We also do not offer courses toward certificate programs accredited by ALA, which are currently for paraprofessionals and public library administrators only.

Are your courses synchronous or asynchronous? [top]
Our courses are asynchronous rather than synchronous, meaning that participants are not required to be online for class meetings at any particular time, but can participate at their own convenience.

How much work is involved? [top]
Our intention is for participants to do fifteen hours of work in a four-week course, and half that in a two-week course. Courses are designed accordingly.

What is the "Sponsor a Librarian" program? [top]
The Sponsor a Librarian program is a system we have set up to facilitate mutual support among librarians, so that you can sponsor an unemployed librarian to take classes with us (or to get sponsorship from someone else if you are an unemployed librarian). You can find information on it here. This is also called the Library Juice Academy Scholarship program.

Can I enroll late? [top]
You can enroll up through the first week of instruction in a four-week class. For two week classes, we only accept enrollments prior to the start of the class.

Do you accept credit cards? [top]
Yes, we accept major credit cards - VISA, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express cards.

Can you issue our institution a billing statement? [top]
Yes. If your institution needs us to bill them for the workshop enrollments before issuing payment, that is not a problem; we can enroll participants in this way. Contact us to make arrangements.

Do you accept other forms of payment? [top]
Contact us to arrange an alternative form of payment.

Can we pay for multiple workshops and multiple participants with a single transation? [top]
Yes.

Do you give group discounts? [top]
Groups of five or more participants enrolling will receive a ten percent discount on the enrollment fees. The discount is applied automatically when in the checkout process. If an institution wishes to negotiate a larger discount for a larger purchase, we can do that. Contact us for more information or to set up a group discount. Also, there is a ten percent discount when enrolling in the full set of courses in a certificate program.

Can I enroll from another country? [top]
You can participate in a workshop from anywhere you can find internet access, but credit card payments might not work unless the card is U.S.- or Canada-based. Contact us to to arrange an alternate form of payment if you are not in the U.S. or Canada and you find that your credit card is not accepted.

What happens if a course is cancelled? [top]
If we cancel a course for low enrollment or any other reason, the credit card charges for your enrollment will be reversed.

What are your policies on dropped classes? Can we get a refund? [top]
Participants may cancel their enrollment up to the first day of the workshop for a full refund. Refunds will not be given after the start of the workshop.

What are the technical requirements of the course platform? [top]
Our course platform, Moodle, has no specific technical requirements in terms of browsers, operating systems, java versions, etc. Technical requirements should not be an issue if you are using a reasonably up-to-date browser.

Do you offer technical support? [top]
We do not expect that participants will encounter technical difficulties, but please do not hesitate to contact us if such difficulties should arise.