ANLTC 1996 – 2000
Executive Summary
1 Introduction
2 Training Courses
3 Cooperative links
4 Other activities
4.1 National Information
Policy
4.2 Visits
4.3 Staff exchange framework
4.4 CONUL Library Assistant
Bursary
4.5 Directory of Trainers
5 Library staff survey
6 CONUL survey
7 Recommendations
8 Appendices
8.5
ANLTC Courses
8.6
National Information Policy submission
8.7
U.S. Study visit report
8.8
Staff exchange framework procedures
8.9
Library staff survey results
8.10
CONUL survey results
8.11
Directory of Trainers
Executive Summary
The decision to review the activities of ANLTC over the last 5 years has
provided the group with the opportunity for critical evaluation and
consultation with its stakeholders, the CONUL Librarians and Directors and the
staff of the CONUL Libraries.
The core business of the group is the coordination and hosting of an
annual programme of training events, of which there have been 51 since
1995. These training events have
covered a broad range of management, technical, customer, personal and
information/library skills and 815 people have attended them.
Supporting this core activity are a number of other strands, the most
important of which is the development of cooperative links with other relevant
organisations. Such links have been established
with the Scottish Academic Libraries Cooperative Training Group (SALCTG) and
the U.S. Association of Research Libraries (ARL). In addition, activities of the LIR group and the Irish
Universities Information Systems Colloquium (IUISC) activities are monitored
with a view to appropriate collaboration and to minimise overlap. ANLTC is also represented on the Standing
Committee on Staff Training & Development – Public Library Service.
Recommendations for the future development of ANLTC include:
I.
Continuation of management / general skills and information /
library specific training and expansion of IT training
II.
Introduction of ‘best practice’ and ‘briefing’ strands into the annual
programme
III.
Maintenance and development of sectoral, national and international
cooperative links
IV.
Monitoring of relevant accredited programmes
V.
Improved communication with CONUL
VI.
Regular updating of training needs analyses within each library
VII.
Improved course effectiveness evaluation by ANLTC and internally within
libraries.
1 Introduction
The Academic and National Library Training Co-operative (ANLTC) evolved
from a 1994 CONUL initiative ‘to help its members develop a framework for staff
development’[1]. Following a course[2] for Librarians
and training officers, commissioned by CONUL and conducted by Dr David Baker, a
working group of training officers, known as the CONUL Training Officers’ Group
(TOG) was formed. This Group’s remit
was to produce a model training plan incorporating a training needs analysis
for each Library and, if this was not possible, to have a collective review of
training needs, so that courses of use to all could be identified.
TOG submitted the Model Training Plan for CONUL Libraries to CONUL in
1995, outlining the proposal to co-operatively run skills based courses,
workshops, seminars and exchanges. It
was pointed out to the Group that it could no longer call itself a CONUL
Training Officers group because CONUL did not have sub-committees. The group then adopted the working title of
ANLTC. Following this, ANLTC,
comprising those responsible for coordinating staff development in CONUL
Libraries, was formed to implement effective co-operative training programmes
for this sector. Programmes are
intended to cover the needs of all library staff and ANLTC has also been
determined to maintain links with groups and organisations involved in staff
development both nationally and internationally. From 1995 to 1998, TOG and then ANLTC were co-ordinated by Agnes
Neligan, from 1999 to 2000, ANLTC has been co-ordinated by Pauline Corrigan,
and from 2000 by Lindsay Mitchell.
This 5-year review aims to summarise the activities of ANLTC to date,
and to recommend the way forward for co-operative staff development activities
and training programmes.
2 Training
Courses
Training courses are run by ANLTC for the staff of the CONUL
Libraries. If all places in a course
are not filled, they may be offered to other libraries.
Applications to attend a course must be ‘signed off’ by the local ANLTC
coordinator to indicate that the application has been approved internally. Participants evaluate the course they have
attended and these evaluations are reviewed by ANLTC in order to ensure that
quality is maintained and that courses are relevant to the work of the
participants. Courses are proposed each
year by ANLTC members based on perceived needs within their organisations.
A total of 815 participants have attended ANLTC courses for a total cost
of £36,230, representing an average of
£44 per person.
It should be noted that course participants who need to travel have been
accommodated in student residences whenever possible. Recently, ANLTC has endeavoured to run one-day courses which do
not require overnight accommodation. In
1999, ANLTC was in a position to subsidise course fees to a considerable
degree.
The following list summarises ANLTC courses run from 1996 to 2000. Attendance is given in brackets following
the title of each course. Two courses
have been funded by the E.U. and run under the auspices of the IUTN: Financial
techniques and skills for librarians (1998) and Training the Trainers
(1998). Full course information is
reproduced in Appendix 8.1.
1996 Disaster
planning workshop (26)
Presentation and teaching skills for
librarians (14)
Assessing client needs in academic
libraries (25)
Career development workshop for
library staff (17)
Career development workshop for
library staff(12)
Building on softer skills (22)
Building on softer skills (16)
1997 Promotional
literature and brochure design (18)
Building on the softer skills (19)
Book handling skills (15)
Reference skills (15)
Customer service skills (24)
Local history sources (25)
Quality is the key in customer
satisfaction (17)
Supervisory skills for SLAs and LAs
(12)
Supervisory skills for Sub-librarians
and librarians (14)
Staff management awareness (Four
parts) (43)
Study tour to QUB, Linenhall
libraries (15)
1998 Demystifying
the web (15)
Financial techniques and skills for
librarians (20)
Advanced internet skills (14)
Project management (12)
Bibliographic software (14)
Stress management (14)
Personal effectiveness (17)
Local history sources (25)
Effective information skills (19)
Role of conservation in academic
libraries (15)
Success at the reference desk (15)
Staff management awareness (9)
1999 Learning and
Teaching (Edulib) (10)
Time management (19)
Putting
your user education on the Web (16)
Problem solving/decision making (16)
Disability awareness training (15)
Presentation skills (15)
Learning and teaching in the
electronic library (12)
Genealogical sources (19)
Team building (11)
Success at the reference desk (15)
Assertiveness – improving personal
effectiveness (11)
Joint seminar with SALTCG, Glasgow (15)
2000 Care and
handling of photographic collections (9)
Dealing with diversity (25)
Maps in libraries (16)
Marketing the academic library (15)
Statistics for librarians (16)
An introduction to HTML (9)
Problem solving / decision making
(10)
Developing
Information Skills Packages (13)
(Where numbers were not available, an estimate is given in italics.)
Several courses have been facilitated by staff members in the CONUL
Libraries. A number of courses have
been re-run by individual libraries for a larger group of their own staff
following positive feedback from the original course.
3 Co-operative
links
ANLTC has endeavoured to maintain national and international
co-operative links. In particular, the
University of Ulster and Queen’s University Belfast are full members of ANLTC
and both host and attend courses.
Discussions have been held with the LIR Committee to ensure that there
would be no overlap of IT training and there has been some preliminary
discussion with IUISC in order to investigate training activities. In September 2000, ANLTC was invited to be
represented on the Standing Committee on Staff Training & Development –
Public Library Service.
Links have been established
with SALCTG, the Scottish Academic Libraries Training Co-operative. Representatives from SALCTG met with
counterparts from ANLTC in September 1998 to exchange experience and examine
proposals for co-operation in areas of joint interest. This resulted in a joint event in Glasgow in
March 1999, focusing on the provision of library services from the perspectives
of systems staff and subject staff. The
event also included visits to university libraries in the Glasgow area. A reciprocal event, based in Dublin, is
anticipated.
ARL, the Association of Research Libraries, has expressed interest in a
study visit to Ireland as a result of a study visit made by members of ANLTC to
the U.S. in 1998 (see 4.2).
4 Other
activities
4.1 National Information
Policy
In 1998, An Chomhairle Leabharlanna, as co-ordinators for the
development of a National Policy on Libraries and Information Services, invited
submissions from a range of stakeholders.
One of the major impediments nationally to training provision is
sectoral funding which does not at present encourage cross-sectoral
co-operation in this area. As part of
the preparation for this submission, ANLTC representatives met with Dr Mary
Burke, head of DepLIS in UCD, to discuss the issue of further education. The submission made by ANLTC to this process
is included in Appendix 8.2.
4.2 Visits
In 1997, ANLTC arranged a successful
study visit to QUB.
In October 1998, three ANLTC co-ordinators undertook a
study visit to the United States.
Harvard Libraries and Boston Library Consortium were visited and the
participants attended a Facilitation Skills Institute course run by the
Association of Research Libraries. It was
felt that information gathered during the visit to Boston Library Consortium
might be particularly useful to consortial initiatives underway among some
CONUL Libraries. Links have been
established with the staff development unit in Harvard libraries and a useful
discussion on staff development took place with ARL representatives. The report to CONUL on this study visit is
reproduced in Appendix 8.3.
4.3 Staff exchange framework
In 1996, ANLTC developed a framework for a pilot staff
exchange framework for library assistants.
It was felt that such a scheme would provide an opportunity for skill
transfer, networking and exposure to alternative problem-solving
approaches. Reservations about the
pilot scheme have been expressed by CONUL and it has not been implemented. Two visits have taken place: two Library
Assistants, from NUI, Maynooth and Dublin City University, visited the National
Library of Ireland. The details of the
Staff Exchange : Pilot Scheme for Library Assistants scheme is reproduced in
Appendix 8.4.
4.4 CONUL Library Assistant
Bursary
In 1997, CONUL decided to award a biennial £500
bursary for a Library Assistant, group of Library Assistants, a visit or a
training activity. The organisation of
the competition was undertaken by ANLTC.
The issue of a bursary for a Library Assistant
undertaking the Telford / Scotvec Certificate in Library and Information
Science was also progressed within ANLTC but changes to the accreditation of
the course have resulted in the suspension of this proposal.
4.5 Directory of Trainers
ANLTC have evaluated a range of trainers, who have
provided courses for ANLTC or other individuals and groups. This information is freely shared and has
been collated into a directory which is included as Appendix 8.7. It should be noted that courses are run by Library staff, as well
as external trainers, providing a valuable staff development activity in itself
for internal course presenters.
As part of this review of its activities, ANLTC devised a questionnaire
to be distributed to the staff of member libraries. Responses were received from 6
libraries and 71 staff. Unsurprisingly,
given that the majority of respondents were from Dublin, Dublin is the most
popular venue for courses. Weekdays in
June, July, August and September are the most popular times to hold courses. A
valuable range of comments, including suggestions for topics for future
courses, was received. The
questionnaire and results are contained in Appendix 8.5.
ANLTC has sought the views of CONUL Librarians in preparing this
report.
Responses were received from 7 of the 9 CONUL Libraries and the full set
of comments is included in Appendix 8.6.
Many valuable suggestions were made regarding the range and type of
course which should be run through ANLTC and also for improvements in
communication and future strategies.
7.1 Training
(I)
IT training - plan to include in future programmes, in
collaboration with other relevant groups
(II)
Management training – continue to offer management training
(III)
Information resources management (de-selection, new ways of
acquiring materials, collection development in the electronic era) - need to
plan a workshop which may include AGI.
(IV)
Best practice – need to develop framework for ‘exchange of
experience’ to ensure that information about best practice in areas such as
document delivery can be disseminated.
The pilot ‘exchange’ programme should be dropped and the purpose behind
this programme should be realised through ANLTC developing a Best Practice
stream within its annual programme.
(V)
Briefings – within the annual programme, an explicit strand of
briefing events on topical and important areas needs to be developed.
(VI)
General skills (time management, presentation skills etc) – ANLTC
will continue to offer a selection of these each year to assist with networking
and also to ensure that individual libraries who may not be in a position to
run in-house courses on such topics each year, will have an opportunity to send
one or two staff to courses which are also being attended by other Library
staff.
(VII)
Subject-based events – ANLTC will run more of these courses / workshops
(VIII)
Public Library sector – ANLTC has been invited to nominate a representative
to the Standing Committee on Staff Training and Development – Public Library
Service. Joint seminars and
cross-sectoral regional events will be examined.
(IX)
Intra-organisational cooperation – ANLTC will examine methods of
training cooperation within the universities, e.g. with IT and AV/media
sections and with established and emerging teaching and learning units.
(X)
Training needs analysis – ANLTC will examine the possibility of running
another Training Needs Analysis event since the last one was held in 1994.
(XI)
Accredited courses – ANLTC will continue to monitor accredited courses
(such as City & Guilds, NVQs).
CONUL will be asked to approach DepLIS regarding progress in developing
in-service training / continuing professional development.
(XII)
Certificates for course participants – ANLTC will design and provide
certificates for those completing ANLTC courses.
(XIII)
Evaluation – ANLTC will revise its course evaluation form to
ensure that it is as effective as possible.
7.2 Communication
Although ANLTC has operated with the guidelines it was given in 1995,
i.e. that it was not a CONUL Sub-group, it is recognised that communication
between the two groups is essential.
CONUL has expressed concern about communication with ANLTC and a number
of recommendations are made to ensure that this is improved.
(XIV)
Presentation - ANLTC Chair should make an annual presentation to
CONUL on the group’s activities
(XV)
Programme consultation - CONUL Librarians will be formally consulted on the
ANLTC annual programme during its planning stages
(XVI) Programme - ANLTC will
continue to formally send a copy of each year’s programme to CONUL Librarians
(XVII)
Web site – ANLTC will investigate providing information about its activities via
a Web site.
7.3 Internal
Library Issues
(XVIII)
Training Needs Analysis - ideally a training needs analysis should be
undertaken in each Library on a regular basis in order to provide the most
effective input to the ANLTC training programme. ANLTC courses can be part of a Library’s staff development
programme but will never provide for all training needs in any library.
(XIX) Evaluation – ANLTC seeks
course evaluations from course participants but each Library should consider
the best way of evaluating the effectiveness of an individual’s attendance at
any training course.
8 Appendices
Appendix 8.1
ANLTC Courses
|
|
|
|
DCU |
NLI |
NUIG |
NUIM |
QUB |
RCSI |
TCD |
UCC |
UCD |
UL |
UU |
others |
Total |
|
|
1996 |
Disaster
planning workshop |
|
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
26 |
|
|
|
Presentation
and teaching skills for librarians |
UL |
1 |
|
2 |
4 |
|
|
2 |
1 |
2 |
6 |
|
|
14 |
|
|
|
Assessing
client needs in academic libraries |
UCD |
4 |
|
4 |
1 |
|
|
3 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
|
25 |
|
|
|
Career
development workshop for library staff |
TCD |
3 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
7 |
3 |
3 |
|
|
|
17 |
|
|
|
Career
development workshop for library staff |
NUIG |
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 |
|
|
12 |
|
|
|
Building
on the softer skills |
NUIM |
2 |
2 |
|
8 |
|
|
2 |
|
6 |
2 |
|
|
22 |
|
|
|
Building
on the softer skills |
NUIG |
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
|
3 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
16 |
|
|
1997 |
Promotional
literature and brochure design |
NUIM |
4 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
|
|
1 |
|
3 |
1 |
|
|
18 |
|
|
|
Building
on the softer skills |
NUIG |
3 |
|
4 |
1 |
|
|
5 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
|
|
19 |
|
|
|
Book
handling skills |
TCD |
|
|
3 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
15 |
|
|
|
Reference
skills |
TCD |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
15 |
|
|
|
Customer
service skills |
RCSI |
|
|
4 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
3 |
3 |
|
|
24 |
|
|
|
Local
history sources |
NLI |
1 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
|
2 |
5 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
|
|
25 |
|
|
|
Quality
is the key in customer satisfaction |
NUIG |
|
|
6 |
1 |
|
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
6 |
|
|
17 |
|
|
|
Supervisory
skills for SLAs and LAs |
UCD |
3 |
1 |
|
2 |
|
|
2 |
|
3 |
|
|
|
12 |
|
|
|
Supervisory
skills for Sub-librarians and librarians |
UCD |
|
2 |
2 |
7 |
|
|
|
|
3 |
1 |
|
|
14 |
|
|
|
Staff
management awareness Part 1 |
UCD |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
3 |
2 |
6 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Staff
management awareness 1(Four part course) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
43 |
|
|
|
Study
tour to QUB, Linenhall libraries |
DCU |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
15 |
|
|
1998 |
Demystifying
the web |
DCU |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
15 |
|
|
|
Financial
techniques and skills for librarians |
UCD |
|
|
1 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
20 |
|
|
|
Advanced
internet skills |
UCC |
2 |
|
|
1 |
|
2 |
4 |
|
4 |
1 |
|
|
14 |
|
|
|
Project
management |
NUIG |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
2 |
2 |
|
2 |
12 |
|
|
|
Bibliographic
software |
UCC |
2 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
4 |
4 |
2 |
|
|
14 |
|
|
|
|
|
DCU |
NLI |
NUIG |
NUIM |
QUB |
RCSI |
TCD |
UCC |
UCD |
UL |
UU |
others |
Total |
|
|
|
Stress
management |
UCD |
|
|
2 |
2 |
|
|
2 |
2 |
5 |
1 |
|
|
14 |
|
|
|
Personal
effectiveness |
RCSI |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
17 |
|
|
|
Local
history sources |
NLI |
1 |
|
|
4 |
|
2 |
6 |
4 |
7 |
1 |
|
|
25 |
|
|
|
Effective
information skills |
NUIM |
3 |
|
|
3 |
|
2 |
4 |
|
7 |
|
|
|
19 |
|
|
|
Role of
conservation in academic libraries |
TCD |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
15 |
|
|
|
Success
at the reference desk |
QUB |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
15 |
|
|
|
Staff
management awareness 2 |
UCD |
|
|
1 |
2 |
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
1999 |
Learning
and teaching (Edulib) |
UCD |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
Time
management |
UCC |
3 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
8 |
|
3 |
3 |
|
|
19 |
|
|
|
Putting
your user education on the web |
UCC |
4 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
4 |
|
4 |
1 |
2 |
|
16 |
|
|
|
Problem
solving /decision making |
NUIG |
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
|
2 |
|
3 |
1 |
|
|
16 |
|
|
|
Disability
awareness training |
TCD |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
4 |
|
1 |
|
15 |
|
|
|
Presentation
skills |
DCU |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
15 |
|
|
|
Learning
and teaching in the electronic library(Edulib) |
UCD |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
2 |
|
3 |
|
|
DTI–3 KI–1 |
12 |
|
|
|
Genealogical
sources |
NLI |
1 |
|
3 |
5 |
|
2 |
|
3 |
4 |
1 |
|
|
19 |
|
|
|
Team
building |
UL |
|
|
1 |
2 |
|
2 |
|
|
4 |
4 |
|
|
11 |
|
|
|
Success
at the reference desk |
QUB |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
4 |
|
5 |
|
15 |
|
|
|
Assertiveness
– improving personal effectiveness |
NUIG |
3 |
|
1 |
2 |
|
|
1 |
|
3 |
1 |
|
|
11 |
|
|
|
Joint
seminar with SALTCG, Glasgow |
TCD |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
15 |
|
|
2000 |
Care
and handling of photographic collections |
NLI |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
5 |
|
3 |
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
|
Dealing
with diversity |
NUIG |
1 |
|
11 |
3 |
|
1 |
|
3 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
|
25 |
|
|
|
Maps in
libraries |
UCD |
|
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
|
EPA-1
DIT-1 |
16 |
|
|
|
Marketing
the academic library |
TCD |
|
|
4 |
6 |
|
|
|
|
4 |