Download Staffing Seminar Report - Victoria`s Virtual Library

Libraries – our Staffing Future
Following is the report on the Staffing Seminar held on 25 November 2003. The report documents
the major issues and elements raised and further work has been completed to identify possible
action plans; the documented actions have not been listed in priority order. To assist the Working
Group, please read the Report and then list the five (5) key actions that you consider need to be
undertaken. These actions could be from the report or other actions that you consider to be of
value to the overall outcome of recruiting and developing appropriate staff.
If you are attending the Viclink meeting, please bring the list to the meeting for collection. If you
are not attending the meeting, please send your list to Patti Manolis
([email protected])
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Thank you for your assistance.
Viclink Professional Education Working Party
Libraries – our Staffing Future
This seminar on Tuesday 25th November 2003 at State Library Conference Centre was organised
by the Viclink Professional Education Working Group and was designed to address some of the
concerns about staffing which were raised at various recent meetings such as the Glen Erin
Planning Retreat and the workshop on public library issues held at the State Library in June. In
particular, concerns have been expressed about the content and relevance to the needs of public
libraries of tertiary courses. The Professional Education Working Group has been meeting with
staff from Monash University School of Information Management and Systems to discuss these
issues and it was hoped to involve other tertiary institutions and ALIA in discussion as well.
The seminar was sponsored by the Statewide Training Program and facilitated by Greg Cook.
Objectives
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Review changing and emerging public library employment policies and industrial environment
Summarise and discuss current expectations, role definitions and training of public librarians
Identify possible future staffing profiles for librarians
Identify what participants want or expect of public librarian staff knowledge and skills in the
future
Attendance
The seminar was attended by 47 participants. These included library managers, other public library
staff with responsibility for staffing, Angela Bridgland representing ALIA and staff from Monash
University, RMIT and Charles Sturt University. The representation of public library managers was
disappointing with fewer than 10 participating.
Identification of issues
The focus of the morning was on group discussion and reporting back. This was preceded by a
number of short presentations as follows:
 Public library employment policies – Anne Holmes (The relevance of “Library” qualifications.
Sometimes specialists in other areas – IT, youth work etc will perform the job better; The
ageing of the profession – need for succession planning.
 Service needs and the changing environment – John Binnion (Difficulty for new graduates to
obtain positions when many advertisement require experience, The paradox of the high public
regard for public libraries and the poor and inaccurate public image of librarians, Are we
attracting the “right” people? Do we know what the “right” people are?
 ALIA Accreditation standards – Angela Bridgland (The need to keep talking to ALIA about what
we need so that this can be taken into account when accrediting courses.)
 Public library competencies and university course content and selection criteria – Karen Ward
Smith. (Two “streams” in training – the Knowledge Management and Access and Community
Building - with the latter becoming more important for public libraries; where does the
responsibility lie for the different streams)
Discussion Groups
Discussion groups each included representatives of tertiary institutions as well as public librarians.
They were asked to discuss the following questions:
1. In public libraries in 2015 what will be:
 The staffing profile?
 The role, requisite skills and knowledge of the librarian?
2. What should be the post secondary core/elective content? What should be covered by courses
and what by employers? Relative emphasis on:
Information and computer technology\
Business management
Information management
Public programs and services
3. What should be:
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Entry criteria?
Selection process?
Educational process and methods?
Participants’ Evaluation
19 of the 47 participants filled in evaluation forms. The response was very positive
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88% considered the session to excellent or very good
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63% considered it be the right length; 31% considered it to be too short
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100% evaluated it to be of high or medium relevance
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100% evaluated it to be of high or medium usefulness
The main negative comment was that the session was too short and that this was only the start of
the process.
Other comments were
Very valuable having representatives from the tertiary sector
Need follow-up workshop
Good start – need to follow up soon
Could have had a whole day seminar with more analysis of answers and ideas
Much of what was discussed has been raised before and “ideas” established without
progress towards action
There was no clear commitment other than “it would be nice” to actually work together to
style the library staff of 2015
Interesting discussions
More time for discussion
Obviously a huge topic – great to make a start on discussin git
Immediate action is for the Viclink Professional Education Working Group to prepare a discussion
paper for the Viclink Executive and for distribution to Viclink members.
Discussion Outcomes and Actions
Customer Expectations of Public Library Staff
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Knowledge and understanding of the role of the library staff
“Customer” focused approach to service provision
Focus on community need rather than this is what is available, take it or leave it
Knowledge of literature (literacy, reading matters) and subject areas
Well-developed information retrieval skills and the ability to teach others how to use the tools
Staffing Profile 2010
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Older, more multiculturally and linguistically diverse, multi-skilled staff, continued female
domination but require increased male participation rates
People “focused”, flexible in managing customers, enthusiastic in dealing with people, able to
relate to and engage with broad spectrum of people positively (Relating to the baby boomer
bulge (GEDI)
More highly skilled as clerical skills performed electronically or by library user - Some libraries
already do not employ staff below band 4 level
Increase in the ratio of professional and para-professional staff to non-professional staff, as
the more administrative tasks are managed electronically and increasing self service options
are provided
Require strategic skills as well as enhances marketing and communication capabilities
Respond positively to change, identify and respond to opportunities, able to find solutions as
well as problems
Focus on educating users to help selves so that staff can focus on added value activities for
the community
Seek career opportunities within and outside the organization, often employed at more than
one organization on part-time basis
Seek increased opportunities for professional and personal development
Differing views on the basis of employment (full- v part-time)
Actions
 Redefine the roles of the professional and para-professional with a bigger role for the paraprofessional;
 increasing use of specialist, non-library trained professionals interacting with the community on
a range of issues including assessing needs and referring appropriately
Public Librarians and Viclink
Responsibilities
 Proactively market the profession as an excellent career opportunity
 Actively seek out and identify young people with potential
 Provide flexible working arrangements for undergraduates, especially those nearing the end of
their formal studies
 Select staff who don’t fit the mould – break the mould.
 Select people based on their capacity to fit into and add value (fill the gaps in) to the existing
team
 Accept final year students as trainees to enhance their work readiness
 Mentor new staff and those moving through their career to take on different responsibilities
 Provide apprenticeships for non-professional staff moving to para-professional or professional
status
Actions
 Further work on elucidating the requirements of public libraries
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Clearly identify what we are endeavouring to promote
Setting up of a Viclink Recruitment Committee or existing Prof Ed Working Group to revamp
with charter to oversee, coordinate recruitment, continuing education, etc. philosophies,
guidelines, etc in liaison with other relevant Viclink groups?
Develop proposal for Statewide project to focus on implementing agreed actions, possibly
working with current group (currently professional education but needs to be widened to
include non-professional)
Develop standard work experience, professional placement experience program as an option
for public libraries, possibly within Statewide Training project?
Determine drivers of those undertaking tertiary information studies, as well as nonprofessionals currently employed?
Further develop relationships with school careers coordinators and school librarians to promote
opportunities and possibly identify potential recruits
Tertiary Education Institutions
Responsibilities
 Provide formal, accredited education (information management) experience focussed on
outcomes
 Develop basic skills and competencies so that graduates can effectively enter professional
employment and take personal responsibility for their future development
 Assist students to develop resolution focussed skills that keep the library user at the centre of
the outcome/transaction
 Increasingly IT knowledge is taken for granted and there is a need to develop the community
building aspects.
 Acknowledge? the increasing emphasis on community building and social capital, even if this
is a key input for the employer
 Work with prospective employers closely to ensure students can meet basic skill levels
 Provide students with the opportunity to have realistic expectations following graduation and
entry to the workforce
 Focus on the importance of effective industry placements that provide a realistic experience of
paid employment
 Undertake an analysis of the gap between the course content and the “way it is” in paid
employment
 Select students on attitude, aptitude, etc. as well as formal education results; public libraries
need people with mature outlook ands range of life-skills as well as new graduates who
acknowledge they are on the continuum of lifelong learning
Actions
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Continued discussion with tertiary institutions regarding the staffing needs of public libraries
Active program to promote careers in public librarianship to tertiary students
Consider opportunities for public librarians to mentor tertiary students
Employers (LGAs)
Responsibilities
 Have realistic expectations of new graduates
 Actively commit to ongoing staff development
 Recognise the value (core and added) provided by the library service staff through a variety of
actions (salary, etc.)
 Provide appropriate induction processes and on-the-job training that include the world of local
government or the corporate world
 Actively market the opportunities and the value of local government to the community and the
benefits that can be experienced
Actions
ALIA
Responsibilities
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Effectively define its role within the sector
Clarify expectations and requirements
Liaise with practitioners about the actual service delivery needs
Ensure accredited courses recognise and address the needs of the sector (current and
projected)
Develop criteria for the recognition of non-traditional practitioners
Actions
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Follow up meeting with Angela Bridgland to discuss range of issues (demise of VicBranch,
ALIA presence @ career expos, promotional material, annual salary comparison,
experiences in other states, etc.)
Partnerships
Tertiary Institutions
Opportunities for the cooperative delivery of specialist subjects/electives
through different tertiary institutions
The need for more research into public libraries – or at least the
bringing together of research already taking place – eg Regional
Libraries community survey, Libraries, Building Communities project.
Statewide Training Program Opportunities for tertiary institutions to deliver short courses, electives
via the program (could be credited or as tasters for prospective
students)
e.g. reference interviewing for para-professionals or graduates from
other disciplines; children’s literature, etc.
Public Library Managers
Deliver stimulating, practical experiences for students
Opportunities to mentor final year students (tertiary)
The need for public libraries to work more closely with the academic
institutions to ensure that our needs are met and that students are
exposed to public libraries as a viable career choice
Viclink (representing
Facilitate the dialogue between the key stakeholders
employers)
ALIA?
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LRPro
Special Interest group to promote local government as a career option
Statewide Training Program
Actions
 Establish and coordinate the necessary infrastructure
Statewide Marketing Program
Actions
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Marketing of local government and public libraries as career paths
Develop marketing plan to promote the profession and local government in liaison with Viclink
Development of material to promote opportunities (professional and non-professional) in public
libraries, at career expos, etc.
Marketing bank to help with developing promotional material
Other Issues
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Attracting suitable people to regional and rural areas
Mobile library drivers and staff
Loss of collective memory; impact of retirement of “baby boomers”
Impact of the “Virtual Library” on opening hours, staffing levels
Librarianship as a second rather than first degree
Pay rates in public libraries inconsistent across LGAs. Comparison with other occupations
and other sectors in librarianship.
Conclusion
A vast amount of information has been provided and a number of future actions have been
identified and in some cases actioned. It is now for the Viclink members to determine the best way
forward and to take active ownership of the future.