Date: Friday 17 April 2009

Description: This practical one-day event for librarians aims to develop skills and confidence in promoting the library’s services and resources from the customer perspective. Respect sometimes comes naturally but mainly comes as a result of making sure you are noticed at the level of a consultant rather than simply responding to a series of information requests. Tools and techniques to encourage respect will be covered, along with ways of capturing the time spent on consultancy and ideas for product branding to user segments, such that customers are aware of the library’s role in resource provision.

Audience: Librarians, particularly those with liaison responsibilities. Limited to 16 participants.

Course presenter: Terry Kendrick

Host Library: University of Limerick

Programme outline:

09.30 What is a consultant and the consultancy process?

– What does a consultant do?

– What does this mean in a library context?

– The librarian as consultant

– The Consultancy Process

11.00 Tea and Coffee

11.15 The Client – Consultant relationship

– Establishing and managing expectations, credibility and confidence

12.30 Lunch

13.15 The consultancy skill set

– tools and techniques

15.00 Tea and coffee

15.15 Mapping the consultancy stakeholders

15.45 Establishing respect

– completing the consultancy exercise

– appropriate presentation techniques to gain respect

16.15 Discussion

16.30 Close