11th National Library Technicians Conference

TAFE technicians: building a role, building on opportunity

Kerry Warman Southbank Institute of TAFE

Abstract
In the year 2000 Southbank Institute of TAFE Libraries began to develop and implement new services for our clients. This meant revising the roles of our librarians, and as a result also assessing library technician duties. New roles for librarian staff plus the introduction of new services meant there were opportunities for library technicians to enhance our roles in the library team.

The scope and the impact of these new services prompted library technicians to conduct a series of meetings to find ways in which to best address the changes that were imminent to our workplaces, and the stresses that were anticipated. We identified areas of impact and proposed specific training programs that we felt would better equip us to deal with these new responsibilities and then source suitable trainers. Our end of year analysis and reassessment of our earlier concerns were very favorable, and prompted us to plan more for 2001.

Personally, I found it an ideal opportunity to let my managers know that I wished to take a more senior role at work. I had reached the top level for a TAFE technician, before which I was required to apply for personal advancement. The activities I proposed for my advancement year were tailored to assist in the implementation of our new services and library structure. I have since found myself given new levels of autonomy, training and actively contribute and assist in new areas of responsibility.

Since the start of the year 2000, I have not only requested and received training from my employer but have taken personal responsibility for widening my skill range, knowledge and workplace contribution.

Introduction
Southbank Institute of TAFE is Queensland's largest TAFE Institute, in both its student and staff population. The Institute consists of four campuses, (a result of Queensland TAFE College amalgamations in 1994.) Each site has both a library and an eLearn centre, which since 1999 have been under the umbrella of the Intellectual Property Unit. eLearns offer support for learners, encompassing the many modes of learning now widely employed in education.

The libraries continually strive to improve and advance services offered in a unified way. Part of the process behind this at the time of the Institute amalgamation, was the formation of cross campus library task groups, representing all areas of services and function - from lending services to collection development to electronic services and products.

It is through the progressive work of these Task groups that Southbank Institute of TAFE libraries has implemented a number of initiatives that have resulted in significant changes to some areas of traditional library functions. During the last 2 years the libraries have responded to the TAFE online learning agenda with the introduction of a number of library eServices.

Another significant initiative was a project in which all our Liaison Librarians would participate in a 16 week web design course, with the view to then moving out of the library (part-time) and into education units to actively assist teaching staff in the advancement of TAFE's online learning agenda. This liaison librarian project was embarked upon in early 2000. (Southbank's systems librarian was responsible for designing the liaison librarian project).

Our opportunities
So where did these initiatives in library services and the launch of the librarian project leave Southbank library technicians? Daunted by huge changes and potential staffing problems?, overwhelmed at the thought of covering "traditional librarian roles"?, left with feelings of inadequacies? - NO. These changes were seen to be presenting the opportunity to enter new areas of responsibility and knowledge and to become involved in managing our own professional development choices.

We technicians came to the decision that we would formally organize the way in which we would negotiate this time of change, and were supported in this action by our library managers. Thus, the formation of what we call the Library Technician Peer Group. A group whose membership includes all of our Institute library technicians, and meets quarterly to assess changes, demands and needs of the Southbank libraries. We proposed the self-management of this group as an important part in assuming responsibility for the professional development we hoped to achieve for ourselves. Our first meeting was held in early 2000. It was an opportunity to, as a group, air our concerns about the impact that the proposed liaison librarian project may have on our staffing levels, library services and how we would or would not be able to play a part in meeting these resulting situations.

We tabled concerns raised at this initial meeting, which included staffing gaps during hours of opening, and also proficient coverage of reference desk shifts, effective Internet research assistance to clients, and the need for professional development to help us with assuming extra roles.

Minutes from this initial meeting were presented to our manager. She responded by challenging us to find ways in which to meet these needs ourselves. This task was co-managed by three technicians who conducted a skill audit of all Institute library technicians to identify areas in most need of upgrading and other desired skill areas.

In a group of 15 technicians there were varying degrees of competencies, confidence, experience and willingness, as well as a range of existing skills. From this skill audit we outlined what we thought would most accurately meet perceived and projected requirements and then reported to our Managers what we thought would best help us to support the liaison librarian project. Library management was very willing to support us in this self-directed professional development exercise. We put out an expression of interest to Southbank librarians for delivery of this training. During 2000, we organised training in the following areas - internet search skills, cataloguing (basic and subject headings), reference interview skills, and also put in place the precedent to hold campus local knowledge sessions, for example, frequently asked reference questions peculiar to the subject areas of each campus. The willingness of the librarians to be involved in conducting training sessions for technicians was encouraging to us, and was also a team strengthening exercise.

The success so far of our Technicians Peer Group, is due largely to the fact that we report in an honest way to our managers, including not only our concerns, but also suggested solutions, and state our projected outcomes and benefits to the Southbank Library.

Also during that year library technician presence in the cross campus task groups grew. We have good representation on all library task groups, including reference. We felt this was necessary to aid in our staying informed of upcoming initiatives, and to enable the library technicians to be prepared to assist and support the advances that were occurring in our Library's services.

The Technicians' Peer Group end of year 2000 self-assessment showed that the library technicians were now far more comfortable with assuming reference roles as needed, and with supporting new and existing services when required.

My opportunities
Year 2000 also saw me preparing an application for personal advancement from TO2 to TO3 level. (Technical officer Level 2 to 3 is an application process for personal progression. Few jobs within the Public Service are advertised at a TO3 level.) I was keen to become involved in Southbank Library initiatives and to also create opportunities, which could contribute to my application. In early 2000 there were three technicians at Southbank who would become eligible to apply for TO3 advancement at around the same time. (One later left the Institute in August of that year.) The start of the TO2/3 progression process for us, was an interview with a panel of our library managers, where we were to state how we could meet selection criteria for advancement to TO3. The criteria include: being published, or other recognition by peers, demonstrated in-depth technical knowledge, technical contribution at local level, performance and innovation, in-service presentations, and higher qualifications. We were given scope to propose and design our own projects that may address these criteria. Specific tasks I wished to undertake included: advancing my lending services role and formally updating, developing and refining lending services documents and compiling manuals where necessary. Increase my knowledge of C2, (our library management system), electronic services, develop instructional skills, and lastly a long-term goal was submitting a paper to the 2001 National Library Technicians Conference. These proposals were accepted and supported.

I have worked in lending services in a growing capacity since 1995. I have now been working as Assistant to the Lending Services Librarian since 1998. I have always been prepared to accept small or different tasks, and have found that is an excellent "sideline" for learning and accumulating skills. Over time I have had a variety of duties, gaining skills, and a broad understanding of the library's operational areas. This accumulated knowledge greatly assists me today in understanding implications of decisions I may make. I am now the first contact for lending service problems and issues. I resolve and manage day to day incidents for the lending services librarian, and also prepare reports and data research. I actively work at maintaining efficiencies in our services and to advance the delivery of them. Over the past year the lending services technicians' have, through a consultative review process, updated and refined the majority of our policies and work procedures. The manuals we compiled are living documents, and their maintenance and continued development is the concern of all involved in Lending Services.

Due in part to my lending experience, knowledge of library functions and my having expressed an interest in library systems management, in early 2000 I assumed a role assisting our Institute systems librarian. The system librarian's role at Southbank had grown to include involvement in the Institute's Internet strategies and can involve significant time spent out of the library. As all liaison librarians would now be heavily involved in developing other library services, my preparedness to be involved systems management was timely to help with daily management of the library system. I have no formal information technology background, but have always taken the opportunity to attend training workshops both privately and through my employer. With thorough initial (and generous) mentoring I began with supervised systems tasks gradually building confidence and autonomy.

I am now the first contact for reporting of library system incidents. I resolve day to day issues, investigate and document incidents before reporting these on to the systems librarian. I work with the library's various Task Groups assisting with appropriate work practices to best utilise C2 capabilities. This year I will be co-ordinating the libraries' stocktake. I collate incident reports for forwarding to the TAFE Queensland C2 support officers and action operational advice from them. I am Southbank Institute of TAFE's Library representative at the Queensland C2 User Group meetings (as proxy for our systems librarian.) I am the only library technician in attendance at these meetings.

An initiative I worked on with the systems librarian, was the development of a CAP/C2 up-load report. It was identified that client data could be extracted from the College Administration Programme (CAP) and then, using the C2 communication module, have daily up-loads of this data to the borrower database. This would mean the elimination of manually entering 90 per cent of our borrowers. This process would mean the library would at all times have up to date, accurate borrower information and enrolment details.

The systems librarian investigated client data to be extracted from the CAP system and queried how it could be mapped to our defined borrower fields while I developed solutions for the management of this data in our circulation practices. Southbank systems staff initiated and then developed this process along with the Queensland C2 support officer, and a CAP programmer. It was implemented at Southbank Institute Libraries in January 2001. Our successful pilot of this data up-load process resulted in this solution being recommended for statewide implementation. It was projected that the potential savings for TAFE Queensland were approximately $18 000 per Institute per annum. (It was released to TAFE Queensland in June 2001.) The success of this initiative has seen the systems librarian and myself co-nominated by Southbank's Intellectual Property Manager for an ALIA Innovation Award.

My interest in the library's developing "eServices" has resulted in part of my systems work incorporating the co-ordination the library's eReserve. eReserve is a database of teaching and learning resources developed and collated by our Institute staff. Previously this type of material was held as part of a frozen collection located at circulation desks. Many of these resources are now available through the Southbank Library website. Southbank Institute of TAFE Libraries introduced this service during 2nd semester 2000, after having spent the first half of that year on research and development. (The development team consisted of the systems librarian, three liaison librarians, the library web officer and two library technicians.) The Library promotes eReserve as an integral part of teaching delivery. It offers considerable convenience and savings to both staff and students. Our students are able to access the eReserve collection 24/7. My role as eReserve officer is liaising with librarians and teaching staff, the management of resources received at the library and working with the library web officer who mounts the files to our web page. (The library web officer developed the database for Southbank's eReserve.) I will be undertaking a 15 week web design course in semester 2 of this year, to gain skills enabling me to assume more work assisting in the updating and maintenance the eReserve's database and web page management. I field inquiries and questions from teaching staff and have co-presented with liaison librarians at staff forums on the application and benefits to teaching of the library's eReserve service.

The Library Technician Peer Group is ongoing - this year saw the proposal of a job swap initiative by one of our senior technicians. The perceived benefits of a campus exchange between technicians were documented, outlining how the scheme could be managed and what positive outcomes library technicians could achieve for themselves. The scheme suggests a minimum of 1 and maximum of 6 months inter-campus swap. (Participants are self-nominating and exchanges are at the convenience of the senior librarians concerned.) Nominees must state what they wish to gain from the experience by way of skills and knowledge and how they can then apply them in the future.

By encouraging job swaps, we believe we are promoting both the opportunity to acquire new skills and to utilise them. Broadening our understanding of how colleagues at other sites are required to operate, you can better understand implementation of practices in different environments and build support between campus teams. It is a secure situation in which to learn to manage change. As change becomes less of a perceived threat you are able to foster a more positive approach to change management. Our first two participants kicked off the initiative in semester 2 this year.

Conclusion
As a group, the library technicians at Southbank hope to continue to identify new areas in which we can participate and support our library services. It will remain an important process in our Peer Group to seek and to drive solutions ourselves. By targeting skills needed, and seeking suitable training we are achieving positive outcomes and delivering an increased professionalism to our Institute and ourselves. Continuing re-assessment and planning will mean we are placed to best recognise and take advantage of opportunities as they arise.

Personally, I think that as library work incorporates increasingly more diversified areas of service, it is important to take time to consolidate efforts and learning - to show employers and YOURSELF, that you have achieved outcomes and goals, effected savings, gained knowledge and skills. By ensuring our efforts and contributions are something to take pride in, we benefit our Libraries, our profession, and ourselves.