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 ConferenceClaudia AdamsOctober 2009

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Library Staff Development Advisory GroupFrame 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”McNeil, 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 matrix1. Personal skills2. IT skills & knowledge3. Management4. Customer services5. Teaching & learning6. Information resources, knowledge &

management7. Professional, organisational & institutional

knowledge8. Biculturalism

PERSONAL

SKILLS

Communi-cation

Timemanage-ment

Work ethic

MotivationTeam work/ inter-personal

skills

Critical thinking

Health & safety

Accuracy /attention to

detail

Adminis-trative skills

Priorities identified

Organisational skills | Difficult service situations| Keeping safe

IT SKILLS

& KNOW-LEDGE

Hardware

Software

Online communi-

cationWeb

publishing

Networking

Database manage-

ment

“…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.

Priorities

Web 2.0 | BBFlash | Outlook | Desktop publishing | Dreamweaver | Office 2007 new features | Presentation tips & skills |

MANAGEMENT

Managing staff

Service manage

ment

Planning – strategic & operational

Financial manage

mentNegotiating, lobbying & networking

Employment

Managing resources & facilities

Leadership

Health & safety

Risk manage

ment

Priorities

Report writing | Recruitment practices

CUSTOMER

SERVICES

Service levels & delivery

Service reviews

Marketing

Priorities

Customer services | Conducting reference interviews

TEACHING &

LEARNING

Learning design

Pedagogy

University’s T & L

Learning delivery

PrioritiesOngoing….• New presenters training (Learning Services)• Library resources training

Subject Librarian needs analysis study NEW!

INFORMATION RESOURCES, KNOWLEDGE

& MANAGEMENT

Searching skills

Collection managem

ent

Resource creation & description

Document delivery

Circulation

Priorities

Weeding | Mending NEW!

PROFESSIONAL,

ORGANISATIONAL &

INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE

Library & Universit

y

Relationship

building

BICULTURALISM

Cultural diversity -

bicultural & multicultural

Equal opportunit

ies

Treaty of Waitangi

• 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

Benefits of a skills & attributes matrix

LSDAG meetings

Create/ refine/ develop skills & attributes

matrix

Feedback from LMT & HoDs

Review & prioritise areas for training

Link training & identify

gaps

Create programme/UL approval

Commission training & advertise

Re-introduce an orientation programme for new staff

OrientationGOAL: 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

• 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 …

disintermediation of informatio

n

mobile technologies

embedded

services

“… 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.

creditsAcknowledgements to: Carol Catley, Hester Mountifield, Li Wang, Joanne

Rowan and Nigel AdamsImages:Clock: http://www.flickr.com/photos/macinate/2039579864/Angry toddler: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gee01/2190903226/Report writing: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gi/105450306/