Staff development at the University of Auckland Library

Staff development at the University of Auckland Library -Te Tumu Herenga Endeavouring to “get what it takes” in an academic library People in the Information Profession Conference Claudia Adams October 2009

WHY share this story?

300

Library Staff Development Advisory Group Frame of reference: • • • To promote and encourage professional and personal development of library staff. To identify library staff training and development needs, taking into account information from development reviews and advice from supervisors. To plan and implement an annual programme of staff training and development that is aligned with the library’s strategic direction. To advise the University Librarian on issues relating to staff training and development. To facilitate the sharing of learning from staff development opportunities among other library staff, including discussion of common problems and solutions in order to promote best practice. To analyse and evaluate feedback from staff about training activities in order to identify quality programmes.

The Library annual plan states the Library should. . “Encourage a Library culture of innovation, collaboration, cultural awareness, a commitment to excellence and high job satisfaction (15. 1)” and “provide Library staff with a quality orientation and development programme that helps to equip them to be effective in a rapidly evolving digital environment (15. 2)”.

Projects • Create staff development programme • Re-introduce a Library Staff orientation programme

Create a staff development programme

Why competencies? • Competencies review/development reviews/advice from supervisors • “skills, technical knowledge and personal attributes that contribute to an individual’s success in a particular position” Mc. Neil, B. , & Giesecke, J. (2001). Core competencies for libraries and library staff. In E. F. Avery, T. Dahlin & D. A. Carver (Eds. ), Staff development: a practical guide (pp. 49 -62). Chicago: American Library Association. • ALA (position), ALIA, LIANZA (IFLA), CILIP, LATN

Skills & attributes matrix 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Personal skills IT skills & knowledge Management Customer services Teaching & learning Information resources, knowledge & management 7. Professional, organisational & institutional knowledge 8. Biculturalism

Communication Administrative skills Time management Accuracy /attention to detail Work ethic PERSONAL SKILLS Health & safety Motivation Critical thinking Team work/ interpersonal skills

Priorities identified Organisational skills | Difficult service situations| Keeping safe

Hardware Database management Software IT SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE Online communication Networking Web publishing

“…the benefits of working as trainers …should not be underestimated. Often the people who do the work day-to-day make the best trainers. Rather than a section manager showing a new member of staff how a particular piece of software works, why not let the assistant who uses it every day show the new colleague? ” (Webb, 2004, p. 102). Webb, J. (2004), “Development routes for academic library support staff” in Developing academic library staff for future success edited by Oldroyd, M. London, Facet Publishing, pp. 95 -111.

Managing staff Risk management Service management Planning – strategic & operational Health & safety MANAGEMENT Financial management Leadership Managing resources & facilities Negotiating, lobbying & networking Employment

Priorities Report writing | Recruitment practices

Service levels & delivery CUSTOMER SERVICES Marketing Service reviews

Priorities Customer services | Conducting reference interviews

Learning design Learning delivery TEACHING & LEARNING University’s T&L Pedagogy

Priorities Ongoing…. • New presenters training (Learning Services) • Library resources training Subject Librarian needs analysis study NEW!

Searching skills Collection management Circulation INFORMATION RESOURCES, KNOWLEDGE & MANAGEMENT Document delivery Resource creation & description

Priorities Weeding | Mending NEW!

Library & University PROFESSIONAL, ORGANISATIONAL & INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE Relationship building

Cultural diversity bicultural & multicultural BICULTURALISM Treaty of Waitangi Equal opportunities

Benefits of a skills & attributes matrix • Working off other lists/creating your own? • Helpful tool to identify priorities & create a programme • Raises awareness of the types of skills required across library positions • For personal development can help identify skills & courses • Useful to refer to when providing justifications for more in-depth needs analysis studies • Framework to expand & explore competencies

LSDAG meetings Create/ refine/ develop skills & attributes matrix Commission training & advertise Create programme/ UL approval Feedback from LMT & Ho. Ds Link training & identify gaps Review & prioritise areas for training

Re-introduce an orientation programme for new staff

Orientation GOAL: to provide an overview of the library system to new staff members and provide an introduction to the physical and organisational structure of the library Supplement the training and induction that each new staff member received as part of their introduction to their jobs

• Updated information pack (twice a year) • New Staff Welcome • Tours

Findings … • Developing a skills matrix helped to identify gaps & create a programme • A mix of staff from across the system fed in ideas from different areas • Using sub-committees helps to achieve results quickly, work load is shared • Senior management involvement beneficial • Staff development opportunity • Staff orientation sessions very well received

What next? • • Develop matrix Accommodate evening & weekend staff Introduce research culture Consider the impact of the university’s new development & salary review process • Evaluate the programme & processes • Refine policy & processes

Back to the future … embedded services mobile technologies disintermediation of information

“… opportunities for rapid progress will appear for the grasping, but unless we are prepared to seize them at the right moment, they may vanish … Collectively, therefore, librarians should have a clear idea of the changes they wish to effect, and should work out now the steps required to bring them about. ”

“… opportunities for rapid progress will appear for the grasping, but unless we are prepared to seize them at the right moment, they may vanish … Collectively, therefore, librarians should have a clear idea of the changes they wish to effect, and should work out now the steps required to bring them about. ” Paton, W. E. (1942). The library of the future. Library Review, 8(5), 163 - 168.

credits Acknowledgements to: Carol Catley, Hester Mountifield, Li Wang, Joanne Rowan and Nigel Adams Images: Clock: http: //www. flickr. com/photos/macinate/2039579864/ Angry toddler: http: //www. flickr. com/photos/gee 01/2190903226/ Report writing: http: //www. flickr. com/photos/gi/105450306/