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Information Services and Library Promotion at TUT Library. Taimi Nurmiste Head of Information Services Department. Aims of Information Services. The primary aims of information services : to support the learning, teaching and research activities of TUT
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Information Services and Library Promotion at TUT Library Taimi NurmisteHead of Information Services Department
Aims of Information Services The primary aims of information services: • to support the learning, teaching and research activities of TUT • to keep the university communityinformed of the library`sservices and possibilities • to develop direct communication between the library and the academic departments • The subject librarians system is one effective way in which these aims can be achieved
A Subject Librarianis an information specialist who acts as a primary liaison between one or more academic departments and who is appointed to organize library information services in a particular subject field What is a Subject Librarian?
Subject librarians system developments • The subject librarian system with two Subject Librarians (chemistry and power engineering) was designed in 1970 • 1975 the Reference Services Departmentwas created to provide reference services in all collection areas • 1990–2002 several structural changes of the Library departments took place • 2002 Information Services Department was formed as an independent department • ISD today: 7 Subject Librarians, 1 Librarian, Head of the ISD
Subject Librarians Background • SL-s for civil engineering, chemical and materials technology, mechanical and power engineering are all graduated TUT • SL-s for information technology and social sciences, science, economics and law have no academic qualifications in the field in which they are spezialized, but they have had a long practice in the field they serve • Subject Librarians contacts
Tasks of Information Services • Help desk service • Faculty support • Participating in collection development • User training • Exhibitions • Developing Library`s webpage • Promoting library services and resources
Information Resources • Access to 100 Databases • e-Books (80 000 titles) • e-Journals (65 000 titles) • e-Catalogue ESTER, Estonian databases • EBSCO A-to-Z • Digital Collectionof TUT Library • dissertations of TUT; digitized textbooks etc • General reference collection • Map collection
Help Desk Duties of the SL-s include: • Participating in Help desk service by providing assistance with any questions about Library services and collections to all library patrons • Assisting in information searching, answering questions: • by phone and via e-mail • through Ask a Questionweb form • online by LibChat (brief questions)
Faculty support Subject Librarians are responsible for: • Establishing relationships with the faculty, identifying which information services may be required by the faculty and delivering these services • Developing effective two-way communication and collaboration between the library and the academic department • Developing subject gateways
Work with Faculty The role of the Subject Librarian includes: • Taking book orders • Selecting journals and databases • Setting up Trials and organizing presentations of new databases • Providing information for accreditation • Assisting to embed Information Skills in curriculum/class/assignment • Providing help guides and tutorials
Subject librarians are involved in: • Providing specialized assistance for the faculty staff • to identify journals for manuscript submission • to find author guidelines etc. • Providing individual and group consultations for postgraduated students • Where to publish; How to sign up for alerts • Citation analysis advice: Web of ScienceHow to find Impact Factor, H-Index etc.
Collection Development activities • Participating in collection developmentfor print and e-resources • Coordinating book purchase • Organizing pre-purchase exhibitions • Suggestions may be made also via an online formall the year round • Academics can see their book orders on the Library`s webpage • Keeping up-to-date journal and databases collections
Key factor in developing relationships with academics Subject Librarians have to make themselves known and available to the faculty The ways of communication with departments: faculty visiting and academics visiting the subject librarians via phone, via individual e-mail, via distribution lists and subject listservs Communication
Promotion • It is important to make everyone aware of the library • Promotion keeps the academics and students up-to-date with the latest developments of the library • There are many ways to promote the library: • The best thing – our new library building • Library`s website • Orientation tours and training sessions • Handouts, posters, flyers, slogans, calendar
More Promotion Channels • Special Events • E-books reader promotion week • Library Days in October, TUT Open Days • Information slaids on the LCD panels • Library news and events on the TUT web page • Articles in the TUT newspaperMente et Manu • TUT student handbook A-to-Z • Weekly lists of new books on the web page • Workshops
Exhibitions as a medium of promotion Subject Librarians present exhibitions: • in the gallery of the library entrance to promote books on a specific topic • The permanent exhibition on the 5th floor “The most…” presents the most interesting books and journals in our collection • Exhibitions and posters are designed by our Library’s artist Tiia Eikholm • Calendar of exhibitions
Library’s Webpage • The latest webpage with TUT template-based designwas launched in 2010 • Each department of the university has to create and publish their content by themselves in the Saurus Open Source Software • Subject Librarians have to manage pages • for Faculty; for Students • News and Events; Exhibitions • Information Sources; TUTL Digital Collection
Guides on the webpage Subject Librarians provide several user guides • Helping users become familiar with the library’s services, resources and facilities • Providing tips on advanced searching • How to find …How to search…How to cite… How to evaluate … • How to access library databases outsidethe campus network through the VPN (Virtual Private Network) • How to reserve an individual or group study room
Tutorials and Videos • Virtual Tour on the Library’s webpage: • TUTL new Library (by CrioNova) • Video TUTL opening ceremony • Videos created in collaboration with education technology centre of TUT and the library’s system operator: • How to use self check-outmachines? • How to use the self check-inmachine? • Tutorial How to use e-catalogue ESTER?
Social Networking • RSS Feed accessed from the library’s webpage • Twitter account accessed from the TUT webpage • Subject Librarians blog “Ainespetsid” created by the Subject Librarian for Science • http://ainespetsid.wordpress.com/ • Collaborating with librarians of Services Department by developing Facebook created by librarians of Services Department
Events at the Library March 19-24 • International Staff Week • TUT Open Day for high school students • Library Tour, promotion desk in the hall • New Trial: Polpred • New books and Journals Exhibition • ExhibitionOne Hundred Books for Understanding Contemporary Japan • Online registration for library class: Explore the Information Kiosk
New Competencies needed The digital environment require new skills: • Marketing skills, e-communication skills • Practical skills for delivering training, using new technologies: • Moodle, Web 2.0, Social networking tools • Flickr, YouTube, Blogger • Presentation skills • Powerpoint, SlideShare, Google applications • English language skills
More involvement in Teaching • Subject Librarians have become increas-inglyinvolved in the teaching of IL skills • Librarians have not usually been trained to teach, we are doing this mostly through self-directed learning • Workshops and especially summer schools of Subject Librarians of university Libraries provide support, e.g. • adults teaching methods • pedagogical skills for effective teaching
Summer Schools (7) The main objectiv: to create a network for sharing professional skills Summer Schools organized by our Library: • Virtual Communication in the university environment (by K. Aedma) • Young scientists and Library: Expectations and Reality (last year) • Vice-Rector for Research of TUT and postgraduate students participated • Workshop at Helsinki Uni of Technology
Future Plans • to create a patron survey – an effective tool for promoting library services (in Oct) • to evaluate how the faculty and students use our e-resources andhow satisfied they are with Subject Librarians support, incl • Website (e-resources through the homepage) • Databases (access, usage) • Library instruction, Help guides, TV-panels • to embed more IL tutorials in Moodle cources
Be visible! • The importance of visibility and promoting the activities of the Subject Librarians are important • Ensure that everyone in a faculty is aware that they have their very own librarian as anadviser who may offer services for their specific questions • If the academics are not going to come to us, we have to go to them!
Thanks! NB!When the new website arrives, some links in this presentation will stop working.