The Training Imperative for the Virtual Library: Challenges and Opportunities in the Skill Development of Librarians

1
The Training Imperative for the Virtual Library
Challenges and Opportunities in the Skill
Development of Librarians

• Eeva K. Munoz Ian B. Whyte
• University of Western Ontario
• London, Ontario, Canada

2
Overview

• Environment
• Library service redesign
• Librarians changing role
• Strategies for professional development
• Challenges
• Conclusion

3
Environment

• Library
• Medicine Dentistry, Engineering, Health
  Sciences, Science
• Users
• 13,000 users
• Distributed teaching and research
• Collections
• electronic only policy

4
Library service redesign

• User centered service
• services at the point of need
• Single service desk as a concept
• change in user behaviour
• library as a place of study
• fewer reference questions
• analysis of questions at desks

5
Proposed service model

• In-library service
• single service desk
• staffed by library assistants
• service guidelines/ referral
• training program

6

• Virtual library service
• subject based liaison librarians collections
  management, teaching support, web development
• Crowley 2001(Tacit knowledge, tacit ignorance,
  and the future of academic librarianship.
  CollegeResearch Libraries, 62, 565) The threat
  of being seen as peripheral, invisibleshould be
  a strong incentive to ensure that the librarian,
  in any academic environment, is seen as central,
  visible and consequential .Moving the
  librarian from the reference desk to brick and
  and electronic classrooms, combined with
  context-relevant alliance with researchers
  grounded in shared credentials and interests, may
  well be the answer to the academic version of the
  question, If your customers know as much as you
  do, why do they need you?

7
Librarians changing role an educator

• Teaching, outreach, liaison
• Skills development
• technology
• educational design
• teaching techniques
• soft skills communication, marketing

8
Strategies for professional development

• Workshops
• Team based skills development
• Performance management
• Individual skills building

9
Workshops

• ACRL information literacy standards and simple
  instructional design
• what the student will be able to do
• what the student needs to know
• what activity facilitates learning
• how the student demonstrates learning
• evaluation criteria

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• Teaching for librarians
• design a good lecture
• instructional objectives
• active learning
• group discussion
• microteaching feedback from the group and
  facilitator regarding presentation techniques,
  logical presentation, use of teaching aids etc.

11
Team-based skill development

• Avoid isolation, rely on peer development
• Share practices, strategies
• Share technical knowledge
• Effective when group dynamics are optimal

12
Performance management

• Outcomes based job descriptions
• Goal setting - linked to information literacy
  outcomes
• Objectives include incremental skill building
• Supervisors role as a coach and leader

13
Individual skill building

• Tied to performance management
• Encourage to seek outside development
  opportunities
• Effective in building communication skills,
  technical skills

14
Challenges

• Realization of the implications of the changing
  profession
• challenges the manager
• effective facilitation, leadership skills
• Effective change management

15
Effective leadership practices (Kouzes and
Posner, 2002)

• Challenge the process
• Inspire shared vision
• Enable others to act
• Model the way
• Encourage the heart

16

• group meetings
• task groups involved in identifying solutions
• staff involvement in planning
• communication
• celebration

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Conclusions

• We have moved forward single service desk,
  innovative programs
• We are not there yet challenging perceptions of
  reality still pervade
• Managers role as coach and leader is crucial
• The key is to maintain momentum with effective
  teamwork and outcomes based performance
  management