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12th ALIA National Library Technicians Conference
BHP Billiton skills.net roadshow Queensland - delivering online training packages to rural and remote communities of QueenslandSusan der Kinderen - senior library technician, Public Library Services, State Library of Queensland.AbstractThe Future Directions Policy of the State Library of Queensland has identified its commitment to develop a 'smart library network'. In partnership with BHP Billiton the State Library of Queensland has delivered free community internet training and education to over 3 500 participants in rural, regional and remote communities of Queensland. librarians and library technicians from the State Library of Queensland deliver the training in a team-training role. Training packages cover all sectors of the public including school leavers, job seekers, young adults and seniors all from basic to advanced levels. The training packages include presentation slides, presenter's notes and handouts for course participants. These web based training packages can be delivered by library staff in their libraries or venues with Internet access delivering customer service to their clients of all ages in a rapidly changing environment. IntroductionIn January 2001 BHP Limited and the State Library of Queensland formally agreed upon a Community Partnership to establish the BHP skills.net Roadshow Queensland. The Roadshow is based on the Victorian government skills.net project, a Connecting Victoria initiative. The skills.net project has been operating throughout Victoria since 1997. The BHP Billiton skills.net Roadshow Queensland was developed in response to an expressed need from the community for increased skills in Internet use. The skills.net Roadshow is a mobile Internet training solution developed to meet the needs of the Queensland community. The main objectives of the BHP Billiton skills.net roadshow are: To deliver training in rural and remote communities throughout Queensland To provide relevant training in local venues in the community To provide a sustainable solution for ongoing training opportunities To provide an opportunity for State Library of Queensland staff to interact with a wider range of clients. The Roadshow commenced in June 2001 in Rockhampton, Queensland and has continued its journey throughout Queensland visiting 40 communities in 2001-2002, with another 27 visits scheduled for 2003. The Roadshow is a successful illustration of business and government cooperation. Partners to the project contribute in different ways. As the major sponsor, BHP Billiton has provided funding of $575 000 over three years from its Corporate Community Partnership Fund. Telsta Country Wide and Ipex Information Technology Group provide sponsorship in the form of financial assistance and technical support. The State Library of Queensland provides the project management and staff. State Library of Queensland staff experienced in training and using the Internet travel as trainers on the Roadshow. Staff also develop and maintain web based training resources for the project. Local government provides assistance at the local level through provision of a venue and organising bookings, covering Internet access costs (local call rate) and providing invaluable support of the public library staff.
The journey begins When expressions of interest were sought from employees at the State Library of Queensland to be trainers with the BHP Billiton skills.net Roadshow. My initial thoughts were 'What a great way to see Queensland and to contribute to a project that is badly needed in rural and remote communities'. I didn't waste any time in registering my interest. Within the first hour of training with Mick the Telstra man, I was thinking 'Oh my goodness what have I gotten myself into this time'. I did not understand a single sentence of the technical language he was speaking. Getting my head around technical terms such as spectrum analyser, magnetic azimuth, polarisation, LNB's, inclinator, elevation settings, signal strengths along with the technical specifications of setting up the satellite dish, while trying to locate a satellite that was 35 500 km in space as well as unloading a van stacked to the roof with specially made computer crates was not quite what I had envisioned. This did not fit the glamorous role of the BHP Internet trainer that I had imagined. New trainers are trained in setting up the satellite dish, finding the signal, setting up and dismantling the computers and loading the van. All trainers have participated in defensive driving training. Before going out on a BHP trip new trainers have the opportunity to participate in practice sessions of the most popular training courses with staff and other trainers. This has been a valuable training experience, in a familiar environment where feedback and advice from experienced trainers can be given freely. On the roadWhen a region has been selected for the Roadshow a draft roster of trainers, towns and dates is proposed. The rural public library staff assist with selecting courses based on community needs and interests, locate a suitable venue, promote the Roadshow visit and co-ordinate participant bookings. Librarians follow the online guide to organising, which clearly sets out in steps on how to go about planning, and organising for the BHP Billiton skills.net roadshow Queensland. This includes providing registration forms, media releases, reminder bookmarks, and course descriptions. Venue requirements A suitable venue needs to be located and booked. It must be large enough to accommodate up to twenty people seated at tables, which comfortably allow for ten computers and chairs for course participants. Further requirements include at least four power points and access to a working phone connection, preferably a direct line, not one running through a switchboard, and an analogue telephone connection. Outside space is also required to set up a portable satellite dish facing the northeast, which needs to be relatively close to the venue. BHP trainers have trained at a variety of venues including, libraries, a toy library, conference rooms, lunch rooms, aquatic centres, empty shop fronts, showgrounds, ambulance stations, high schools, board rooms, training centres, art galleries and community halls. Planning the training scheduleThe public library staff assist with selecting courses based on community needs and interests, taking into consideration session times most suitable for the community and co-ordinating participant's bookings. More information on the course contents is available on the web site to get a full understanding on what is covered in the sessions. Courses available:
PromotionPosters advertising the Roadshow are sent for distribution to the local public library to display prominently about the library and wherever possible in the local area. The preparation kit provided to the library includes a generic media release, which can be easily adapted by the public library staff to send to their local media outlets. Part of the marketing strategy includes media coverage at a local level and has included newspaper articles and radio interviews. Recently Telstra has filmed a local TV commercial promoting their services in one of the Roadshow training sessions. Information is included in the Preparation Kit on how to hold an official launch for the Roadshow. The Roadshow web site is an effective marketing tool promoting the journey. The web site is updated weekly to include photos and feedback from each town visited. The Mercedes Benz Vito van is a major part of the marketing of the programme. The Roadshow van displays the bright and colourful sign writing of the partners and sponsors. BHP Billiton skills.net Roadshow, State Library of Queensland, Queensland Government, Telstra Country Wide and Ipex logos. As a trainer I have found that one of the most popular promotions with course participants is the 'goodie' bag. This holds a selection of giveaways by the sponsors, from jellybeans and Telstra pens to mouse mats with logos and web site addresses. The mouse mat with the State Library of Queensland web site addresses is a successful method of linking the participants back to the State Library. In small towns, word of mouth advertising is not to be under estimated. We have often found that when the van is parked close to the training venue we have had people coming in off the street to have a look around and wanting to sign up. Once course participants have come along to the first session they are very keen to sign up for other sessions. Quite often friends of the course participants will book in once they have heard how the courses and the training was delivered in an informal and relaxed atmosphere. In the two weeks before the training week the Public Libraries' trainer will make the accommodation bookings, prepare an itinerary for the week and communicate with the library manager, to source local community needs and issues. Trainers will check out the town or shire web site as we have found it is helpful to have some background knowledge of popular tourist places, local businesses and industries prior to arrival in the town. All Roadshow training resources are web based. The resources provided online are:
Web based training materials are available for use by all public library staff throughout Queensland to deliver Internet training in their library. Roadshow trainers spend time with the public library staff demonstrating the existing resources available on the State Library of Queensland web site. The state library currently hosts two subject directory databases. QueenslandWeb's objective is to provide access to Queensland web sites and currently links to over 3000 web sites through a search facility and a subject tree. NetLinks is an authoritive list of web addresses developed by professional staff in response to queries and client demand. In 2002 the State Library provided access for Queensland public libraries and their registered members to the Australian and New Zealand Reference Centre (Ebsco) and the Health and Wellness Centre (Gale). We use and demonstrate these resources in delivering our training. A typical training week
Town: Boonah Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
What can go wrong?Things don't always go to plan. As a trainer one of the biggest challenges of participating in the skills.net Roadshow project is in learning new skills along the way. On every trip I have learnt something new about the technology we are using and am becoming more confident in trouble shooting any of the technical problems that may arise. In the days leading up to a trip we always hope and pray that the venue will be a perfect place with an area to set up the dish not far from where we train.
I have been on trips were we could not use the satellite dish as there was no clear line of site to the NE and as a result we had to use the telephone line. By using the telephone line to send and receive data the result is a slower Internet speed and the Server needs to be re booted and re-imaged. This all takes time and with a session usually scheduled on the evening of our arrival it can be a little stressful. Other challenges have been digital phone lines when an analogue line is required or the phone line goes through a pabx switchboard. Council workers have been known to move the dish to mow the lawns while we have been training and in the town of Cloncurry a storm knocked over the satellite dish and smashed the antenna-pointing device. EvaluationAt the completion of the training session, course participants are asked to complete an online evaluation form. The Evaluation form is a set of questions where participants can show their satisfaction levels by ticking multiple choice boxes. The evaluation form also contains text boxes for participants to give comments on the sessions. The feedback from these forms is used for self-evaluation, course evaluation and the comments are added to the scrapbook page on the BHP Billiton skills.net Roadshow web page. Feedback received from course participants: 2003
2002
2001
Local public library staff have been surveyed after the BHP Billiton skills.net team has completed training in their area. Selection of feedback from public library staff:
ReportsReports are completed on return from the week's training. Subject headings of the Report cover:
The reports have been very useful in providing information on the week's training - on any concerns with the computers, each computer is numbered from one to ten so we can keep track of maintenance issues. The reports are also a way of sharing information on good sites, hyperlinks that no longer work or other issues that came up during the week. My JourneyFrom my jumping onboard with the Roadshow in 2002 and my first introduction to 'the dish' and internet training with Mick the Telstra man I have learnt much both personally and practically. Along the road I have met so many wonderful people from all walks of life and have a great admiration for the many older course participants who have taken to the Internet with great enthusiasm regardless of arthritic hands, failing vision and literacy barriers. These good people have taught me to be flexible in delivering training, great patience and a realisation that you are never too old to learn new tricks. I am extremely proud to be working for an organisation that is meeting the needs of rural Queensland and participating in a programme that is so positive and so well appreciated. This gives me a great deal of job satisfaction and courage to take on new challenges in my career. Partnering with colleagues from other areas within State Library has been a positive and rewarding experience and has contributed to strengthening staff links within the one State Library framework. ConclusionFrom June 2001 to May 2003 the BHP trainers have delivered 350 courses. The BHP Billiton skills.net team has trained 4323 people. Have spent 10 887.30 hours online visiting approximately 83 945 sites. From Townsville in the north with a population of approximately 90 000 to Boulia in the west with a population of 300 and Clifton in the south with a population of 2388 we have travelled a distance of approximately 22 507 kms. BHP has contributed $575 000 over three years to the project. In September this commitment will be reassessed. I, along with the whole of State Library of Queensland, including my trainer colleagues and the people of rural Queensland hope that this very successful project continues - and continues to deliver free Internet training, continues to empower people and continues to contribute to the life long learning of all Queenslanders and fosters information rich communities. Related web sitesReferencesBiographySusan has been the senior library technician at public libraries for the past three years. Previously to this I was part of the library tech team at public libraries for two years. Some of her responsibilities include:
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