Staff development at the University of Auckland Library -Te Tumu Herenga

1. 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

2. WHY share this story?

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7. 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.

8. 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)”.

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

10. Create a staff development programme

11. 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

12. Skills & attributes matrix • Personal skills • IT skills & knowledge • Management • Customer services • Teaching & learning • Information resources, knowledge & management • Professional, organisational & institutional knowledge • Biculturalism

15. Priorities identified Organisational skills | Difficult service situations| Keeping safe

17. “…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.

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

20. Priorities Report writing | Recruitment practices

22. Priorities Customer services | Conducting reference interviews

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

26. Priorities Weeding | Mending NEW!

29. 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

32. Re-introduce an orientation programme for new staff

33. 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

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

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

37. 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

38. 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

39. Back to the future …

40. “… 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.”

41. “… 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.

42. 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/gee01/2190903226/ Report writing: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gi/105450306/