Niche Academy Reviews

“Useful webinars with recordings

Pros

The webinars and their recordings that are offered have been a blessing. I often tell my staff to watch the Niche Academy content for advice on handling tough situations at work. I especially found the Homeless Training Institute material very helpful. Sometimes I even print pages from the handouts to discuss with my team during meetings. I get invites to new webinars all the time and even though I sometimes sign up but can't make it, I love that I can always watch the recording later. This is perfect for my busy and unpredictable schedule.

Cons

I've found the software easy to use, though I'm not doing anything too complicated with it.

“Great for library training but messy interface

Pros

It was specifically geared towards training library staff which I liked. It was relatively easy to use and it gave me access to important Homeless Library trainings.

Cons

The interface feels a bit clunky and outdated to me and it could use a design refresh with greater functionality. It's also frustrating that staff on shared computers get automatically logged in as the previous user which caused issues during our initial setup.

“Quick tech help but poor content categorization

Pros

What I like most is that our patrons can get help quickly to learn new library eResources and general technology. I look forward to creating our own tutorials for patrons, though we use our intranet for staff training instead.

Cons

Content for library staff and users isn't well categorized for me. It makes it time consuming to sift through when adding new tutorials for patrons versus staff. It would also be nice for my team if marketing toolkits were available, like those offered by Brainfuse and Libby which provide templates and graphics.

“Easy to follow with strong search

Pros

So far, I find it very easy to follow and the search function works well with the keywords I commonly use.

Cons

I can't retrieve any information unless I'm connected to the internet which limits my flexibility.

“Perfect to access and print CE certificates

Pros

I really value being able to access and print my CE certificates and see my past training records with a clear progress indicator.

Cons

It would be helpful if the platform could add closed captioning automatically as an optional feature whenever I upload a video.

“Well organized online training access

Pros

This program lets me take classes and attend trainings that I normally couldn't go to in person. It's very easy to use and well organized. If I have to stop in the middle of something, I can easily return to where I left off.

Cons

The program seems to work well overall and I really don't have any complaints or cons to mention.

“Perfect for staff and patron training

Pros

We use Niche Academy as a learning platform for both our patrons and our staff. I really like that we can embed their training videos right into our website to help people use our databases, eBooks and apps. We also created a staff academy to train our team on all the services we offer. The best part for me is that the learning is self-paced and the videos make confusing technology much easier to understand.

Cons

I did need help from Niche Academy staff to get the website integration formatted properly, as I couldn't figure it out on my own.

“Mostly easy with five star service

Pros

From my perspective, it's mostly very easy to use and we use it constantly. I also think their customer service is always five star and extremely helpful.

Cons

The pages sometimes look similar so I get lost moving between them. For example, trying to see which employees have completed which courses isn't simple at all for me.

“Audio cuts out and hard to navigate

Pros

What I find most useful are the step by step illustrated instructions. I can access them anytime I want and they cover knowledgeable subjects that are important to me.

Cons

Sometimes the narration cuts out unexpectedly and I find it hard to locate specific subjects. Some subjects could really use more illustrated details to make them clearer.

“Many learning modules to explore

Pros

Personally, I love that there are so many different learning modules. Every time I log in, I find something new I want to study or rewatch to really understand it. I enjoy telling others about this product because it has something for everyone who wants to learn at their own pace without any pressure.

Cons

I honestly don't feel there were any problems with the program, it worked well for my needs.

“Relevant workplace training topics

Pros

In my job at a public library, my employer provides Niche Academy for staff training. I find the programs very easy to log into and navigate. The topics are really relevant to my work, like workplace security, having fun at work and creating programs for all ages.

Cons

One feature that could be improved is when I scroll through subtitles too quickly, the system thinks I've completed the class. I might just be skimming but it still gives me a certificate of completion.

“User friendly with progress save feature

Pros

I find this product very user friendly. I can start and stop whenever I need to and it always picks up right where I left off. As someone who isn't tech savvy, this is a wonderful training tool for me and I can also access many other interesting courses.

Cons

I don't really have any major complaints, except that under 'My Niche' or my account, I wish there was a list of completion dates, especially since I have to retake the same course every year.

“Easy tutorials with certificates

Pros

I've really enjoyed using this tool because of its wide variety of features. Creating tutorials seems simple and taking them is very easy. I like that I can stop and start and my progress is saved and I can get a certificate when I finish. Their support is always fast and resolves problems quickly.

Cons

Haven't found anything particularly difficult about this platform. I'm not aware of the pricing, so that might be a sticking point for some but honestly, I feel it's worth the cost given the wealth of resources available.

“Helpful support and customization options

Pros

We had some trouble at first getting started and adding it to our website. Thankfully, the support team worked with us and it's working much better now. I really appreciate how accessible their support is and the options to customize our course content.

Cons

We haven't been able to access any reporting or analytics information and support hasn't been able to help us. We really need to see how people are using our content to make improvements.

“Updated vendor tutorials and best practices

Pros

The thing I love most is that Niche continuously updates the tutorials for the most important vendors. This alone makes the software worth the cost for me. I also really value the collaboration and willingness to share best practices.

Cons

When Niche started, the marketplace was manageable for me but now with so many libraries contributing, it's hard to figure out what tutorials are available. Even when I find one I like and add it to our repository, it's tough to locate it later among all the others.

“Clear concise content for teams

Pros

This tool, I think, is very easy to use for me and also for my team. The content was clear and concise which I appreciated.

Cons

The lessons can feel very repetitive for me, at times and they sometimes become lengthy and monotonous which makes it hard to stay engaged.

“Lessons easy to share with staff

Pros

I find it very easy to use! It has lessons that I can use myself and also easily share with my entire staff.

Cons

There's nothing I dislike, I don't have any least favorite aspects of the platform.

“Easy to use learning tool

Pros

What I enjoy most is how easy this tool is to use as a learner. I can always find a good program and learn from it without any trouble.

Cons

This platform works perfectly for my needs and I haven't encountered any problems with the platform so far.

“Workshops and videos for libraries

Pros

I feel that Niche Academy complements our library's learning team perfectly. There are so many useful workshops and videos available!

Cons

The software is very user friendly for me and no aspect feels too difficult to use or navigate through.

“Clear visual learning indicators

Pros

I'm really impressed by the clear visual signals used throughout the platform. I always know what I've finished and what I should do next.

Cons

More personal customization would be great for me, particularly the ability to choose the order of upcoming content I want to engage with next.