Upskilling library staff donna o'doibhlin hslg conference 2013
1. Upskilling library staff
A brief overview of the Information
Services Team’s response to a rapidly
changing Higher Education and Research
environment at the Glucksman
Library, University of Limerick.
Donna Ó Doibhlin
Librarian, Education & Health Sciences
University of Limerick
2. Agenda
Background to project
Overview of information services
Challenges of changes in library and
information services in UL
Opportunities to learn new skills
SDTLS – projects 1 and 2
Benefits of upskilling
3. Increased demands from
library members
Technological
Immediacy
Space
Teaching and
research support
Self-service
. . . as compared to the days when libraries were mostly
involved in lending books, organising storage of books, and
showing people where to find the documents they needed.
– if in fact they ever they existed.
4. Supporting faculty, research PGs and
students in the 4 faculties and the University
Hospital Library
1 x Head of Information Services
5 x Faculty librarians
1 x Digital Initiatives and research librarian
1 x University hospital librarian
Information Services @ the
Glucksman Library,
University of Limerick
5. Information Services duties:
Support academics and students.
Develop IL/research skills modules and
teach on these programmes.
Manage QuestionPoint and Chat.
Librarian on duty - fire evacuation duties.
Collect reading lists, select and order stock.
Support the newly amalgamated service
desk - LOD with mobile phone.
6. Rapid increase in the demand for research
support and information literacy classes
Increase in complexity of library queries
Introduction of self-issue system and
security
Why do we need a staff
development/training
programme?
7. Introduction of single service desk – for
circulation and information queries
Serviced by reader services library assistants
(circulation desk staff) and one information
services assistant
No IS librarians sitting at service desk
Why? (con’t)
8. Big increase in demand for research support and
IL, therefore teaching larger groups
Increased demand for training for academics and
researchers
Need to ensure quality of all classes
Experienced librarians – but few with formal teacher
training –Are we any good? Have we feedback?
Specialist Diploma (PG) in
Teaching, Learning and
Scholarship
9. SDTLS Project 1
Develop formal information literacy modules
(with a view to accreditation)
Module called: Finding research information
and keeping up-to-date, developed and
delivered.
This main module was developed further by
other IS librarians and we finalised a
programme called Realising your research Value
– this is currently being delivered to researchers
in UL
10. 1. Finding research and keeping up-to-date
2. Reference management
3. Getting published and maximising your
research impact
Realising Your Research
Value:
11. Front of house staff training
IS librarian held focus groups with desk staff
to ascertain their satisfaction with new
arrangement
Where dissatisfaction was related to lack of
confidence in knowledge/skills base,
training was provided
All IS librarians delivered subject/faculty
specific training
12. Front of house staff training
Keys to success:
During regular working hours.
Always attended by IS librarian coordinating
the project
Staff surveyed following training to gauge
levels of satisfaction
Some in-house training
Some external consultant training
Opportunities for further training
13. Librarians more confident in teaching delivery
Academics viewing librarians as colleagues
A deeper understanding among Librarians of
the procedures relating to developing and
accrediting academic courses/modules
More understanding between front of house
staff and librarians
A closer working relationship between desk
staff and information services librarians.
A more efficient service desk
Benefits of training
14. So, were our endeavours
successful?
. . . mostly, yes.
15. The feeling of elation at completing the first set of
service desk training was shared among all the desk staff
. . . almost
(Pic is representative of service desk staff – not actual)
16. . . . as for the Information Services
Librarians who completed/are doing the
Teaching Diploma . . . we always knew we
could do it . . . . and we just proved it!
The reason we felt it was vital to improve the skills of library staff
Some background info.We have approx 8 staff members in Information services (in practice 7.5 as the research librarian is also the IR and Digital initiatives librarian for half her time)
Why no IS librarians at the service desk? Reduced staff, not good use of our skills, increasing demand from Faculty and Researchers for scheduled support. It is part of the universities Staff policy – to encourage continous learning and provide opportunities for staff development, both personal and professional.
Why no IS librarians at the service desk? Reduced staff, not good use of our skills, increasing demand from Faculty and Researchers for scheduled support. It is part of the universities Staff policy – to encourage continuous learning and provide opportunities for staff development, both personal and professional.
The Centre for teaching and learning advertised a new programme for early stage academics and staff involved in teaching. Discussed possibility of undertaking this course with manager as I was very involved in teaching within my faculty but felt a little unsure of my skills in this area.
As part of this course I had to undertake a project to complete and I opted to build on information skills sessions I provided to students and faculty in EHS, by developing a stand alone mondule that would give students the basics they needed to undertake research. These morphed into Level 4 (postgrad/researcher) modules, Realising Your Research Value(with contributions from other librarians on project team). Worksheets created to ensure standardisation of content, regardless of trainer
These morphed into Level 4 (postgrad/researcher) modules, Realising Your Research Value(with contributions from other librarians on project team). Worksheets created to ensure standardisation of content, regardless of trainer
For example reference interview, dealing with difficult customers, database specific training and anything else requested.Training was expanded to include LA’s from other divisions who do the service desk in the evenings and at weekends, though training was not compulsory.
In the main, yes.Why?UL seeks to provide staff at all levels with opportunities to learn new skills, or just brush up on some old skills.