ALIA 12th National Library Technicians Conference 2003

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12th ALIA National Library Technicians Conference
9-12 September 2003
Bridging services - embracing reality

Clusters and community: Training information managers of the future - the Southbank experience

Judy Humphreys, teacher, library studies unit, Southbank Institute of TAFE, Brisbane

Abstract

Since the inception of the delivery of the fulltime CUL50199 Diploma of library and Information Services, the library studies unit of the Southbank Institute of TAFE has embraced as an effective training concept the policy of clustering units that have compatible competencies with benefits to both students and the institute. One cluster combines CULLB503A with the BSZ401A-404A series of units.

To firmly place the theoretical component of these units into the daily reality of information management, students apply their knowledge and skills to organising selected community organisations' library collections, developing a database of resources, then teaching the staff and/or volunteers how to maintain the database and collection.

The philosophy of clustering units provides an overarching efficient integration of information management competencies. With the practical component embedded into working with the staff and collections of community information groups, the CULLB503A and BSZ series cluster bridges the divide between theory and practical experience as well as mainstream libraries and community information service providers.

This paper will focus on the rationale and methodology of the clustering, details of the community organisation libraries that have been assisted, the benefits of this strategy to the organisations and the student, and how this philosophy prepares the students to be future information managers.

Introduction

Background

Since 2001, the Southbank Institute of TAFE (SBIT), through the library studies unit based at the Morningside Campus, has offered the Diploma of library and Information Services in both full-time and part-time on-campus mode. Previously the institute had delivered Certificate and Associate Diploma studies to library technicians since the 1970s. Currently the institute is exploring ways of expanding availability to the diploma studies though the use of online delivery strategies.

SBIT Model

Apart from enrolment in two single units, during their first year of study students participate in three clusters. During the first semester, full-time students study the CULLB401A and CULLB403A and the CULLB402A, CULLB405A and CULLB406A clusters whilst the CULLB503A and the BSZ series (BSZ404A, BSZ401A, BSZ402A, BSZ403A) cluster is undertaken in second semester. Part-time students have this programme extended over their first two years of study. In each case, apart from timetabled on- campus lessons and tutorials, students during the first semester are expected to undertake at least 240 hours of self managed learning to accommodate (in part) the CULLB403A and CULLB405A competencies of developing their own information literacy skills and undertaking profession development activities. Please refer to appendix A for a list of clustered units and their competencies.

BSZ/CULLB503A Cluster Model

CULLB503A requires library technicians to develop and maintain a simple database to enable clients to access and retrieve information. The students must demonstrate the knowledge and application of database structures and organisation, an understanding and application of client service skills as well as the principles of information organisation and collection management. The BSZ series relates to the training of small groups. This includes the development of a training and assessment plan, conducting the training and assessment activities then reviewing the process. (Refer to appendix A for the relevant competencies.)

The theoretical component of this cluster is undertaken on campus by participating in lessons, tutorials and peer conducted database training workshops, while the practical segment of preparing access to the information agency's resources is conducted in the workplace. Students attend on-campus lessons and tutorials for at least two to three hours per week over 15 weeks and undertake at least five hours per week over twelve weeks onsite activities in the community agency. Self directed learning of at least 48 hours is undertaken, mainly on campus, to develop project, database and training documentation in addition to the development of the database.

Working in groups of three to four, the full-time students undertake practical activities that include consultation with the agency staff and management of the collection. Students must liaise very closely with the organisation's personnel to ascertain their use of the resource materials in order to provide advice on appropriate collection management strategies to meet the needs of both internal and external clients. Activities undertaken by students may include deselection, relocation of collection materials, categorising items according to colour coded criteria, some minor repairs, reshelving (including shelf labeling) and (in some cases) giving advice regarding conservation and preservation of materials. Training of staff and / or volunteers using student-developed policies, procedures and checklists is included.

Similarly, in consultation with the clients, database structures are developed on the basis of the material types, use of the collection and circulation requirements. Tables within the database may be related to collection resources, borrowers, keywords / subjects and loans.

In lieu of working in groups on community collections, part-time students may elect to work in pairs or individually to undertake the practical activities using their own or private collections. Last year, some of these collections indexed by this group included a private stamp collection, CD collection, dog breeder's records, school hockey team records.

The following assessment instruments are used to demonstrate competency:

Individual and site logbooks;
Project management plan and review (includes collection and database development and management);
Training and lesson plans (including review), and
Peer and client review of the completed database.

Students are expected to have a basic competency in the construction of a simple database, preferably Microsoft Access. This skill may be developed through the SBIT eLearn Centre as part of the CULLB405A professional development unit undertaken in first semester.

Clustering of units

Rationale

Based on student observation of 'we have already done this' and mapping of the diploma competencies the decision was made to trial the clustering of selected first year units. Unlike other forms of clustering that involve geographically disparate schools offering cooperatively developed and delivered programmes of study or interdisciplinary thematic offerings within an institution, the SBIT model seeks to link units within the diploma that appear to have duplicated, similar and / or complementary competency elements and underpinning knowledge. The clustering of CULLB405A and CULLB406A, for example, facilitated an holistic approach to the understanding of the contributions of both the individual and the organisation in the management of workplace change whilst the inclusion of CULLB402A in the cluster added communication, group processes and negotiation dimensions to the topic.

BSZ/503 Cluster

The BSZ series was selected to cluster with CULLB503A because the Training Small Groups unit had traditionally been assessed by the classroom delivery of a lesson to the student's peers. There appeared to be advantages for the students in applying this assessment to a 'real' situation as well as benefits for the ongoing maintenance of community collections if staff and volunteers received training. It had previously been decided that the CULLB503A should be applied to the organisation of community collections.

The BSZ / CULLB503A cluster was developed and trialled in semester two, 2001. The initial model for the delivery of this cluster involved the rotation of groups of students through three community sites to facilitate

Exposure of the students to community collections;
The review of previous planning (including database construction), and
Practical training experiences.

The training and assessment component of the cluster (BSZ) was to be initially for the incoming rotation of students and the staff of the organisation.

Implications for students and the institute

For the students, clustering provides benefits in that there are fewer pieces of assessment which have been placed in holistic scenarios and there is a rationalisation of textbook costs as one text can be used within the cluster with supplemental resources placed in the library closed reserve collection. The allocation of self managed learning time that results from the clustering is well received by the students, especially those geographically removed from the campus or who have work or family commitments. There is a perceived lack of duplication of topics.

The efficient use of resources in terms of salaries and facilities is the major benefit for the institute.

One disadvantage that has been identified is the difficulty of 'splitting' an assessment result across several units if work is unsatisfactory or incomplete. Additionally, it can be more time consuming to RPL students who have undertaken partial study at another institution.

Working with community collections

Rationale

CULLB503A required the students to develop competency related to facilitating client's access to information, specifically by building a database. An initial scan of community collections found that while information was available within the organisation, it was underutilised due to:

Lack of staff awareness of contents;
No organised archival and retrieval system;
The collection often being distributed within the workplace, and
Loss of resources related to an ad hoc approach to monitoring in-house and external loans.

The community information agencies selected all have a collection from which information is disseminated to its members or the general public (refer to appendix B). On-site work by the students is mainly unsupervised by the teaching staff, however, each of the sites is visited by the teacher at least twice, more frequently should the need arise. Prior to selection an inspection visit is conducted to each agency to determine:

The size, nature and suitability of the collection for this activity;
Compliance with workplace, health and safety regulations, including sufficient room for group of four students to work;
Availability of hardware and software (computer access with MS Access 98);
Ease of accessibility to premises and from public transport, and
Objectives of the agency staff with regards to their collection.

Observation indicated that many community collections had some previous work undertaken by retired librarians, volunteers and untrained staff but for many reasons it had not been continued. In one case a database had been started as a training exercise for Access but had not been maintained. Some had elementary Dewey classification. All were enthusiastic with the notion of having 'qualified' people work with their collection.

Working with collections found in the community allows students to work with 'real' collections and 'real' clients while providing the practical experience in developing a working database based on client's needs. While expanding their horizons beyond mainstream libraries, this project provides further opportunities for the students to apply knowledge and skills developed during CULLB402A and CULLB406A related to working in groups, with clients and managing resources.

Benefits to students

Kolb (Blackmore) explained that learning includes being involved in a new experience, watching others (or developing observations about own experience), creating theories to explain observations and using theories to solve problems and make decisions. Although Kolb envisaged these activities as being a continuum, the students participating in BSZ/503 had opportunities to develop requisite competencies by using all these methodologies as a result of working with the community collections.

Similarly Knowles' theory of adult learning (andrology) contends that adults learn best when they are autonomous and self-directed undertaking goal oriented, practical and problem- solving activities (Ibid). According to Kearsley (Ibid) this means 'that instruction for adults needs to focus more on the process and less on the content being taught' and that strategies such as self-evaluations are most useful where instructors adopt a role of facilitator or resource. Student feedback and observations of their work during the BSZ/503 practical experience indicated the truth of these statements particularly in the desire to extend their database skills and explore creative indexing and collection management options.

Other ways in which the students benefit from working in community information agencies include:

Knowledge of the potential range of resources available within a community;
Expanded 'information service provider' focus to include community agencies;
Working with different types of collections including ephemera, realia;
Peer support/tutoring in database management leading to increased confidence and experimentation;
Teamwork within a project environment;
Value of consultation with clients and peers; and
Practical application of TQM documentation principles.

Benefits to community groups

Community information agencies benefit in the following areas:

Collection is organised, moved, culled and indexed free of charge with minimal staff effort;
Electronic system to track in-house and client loans is developed, tested and documented;
Valuation of the collection as an organisation asset is possible with an inventory function;
Agency staff have an opportunity to reexamine the role of information within their organisation;
Agency staff are trained in the use of database and the maintenance of the collection;
Increased staff awareness and usage of the collection;
Project may provide a renewed impetus for collection funding proposals; and
Potential continuing volunteers from student group.

Information managers

Skills/attributes

According to Corrall and Brewerton (1999: 289 - 291) a new role for information professionals as 'knowledge management' specialists is emerging. Requisite skills and knowledge include the ability to structure and codify information, thesaurus construction and use of client profiling in the ongoing management of content. The BSZ/503 cluster model allows the library technician student to develop these competencies as a result of devising the structure of the agency's database using a keyword index based on the language familiar to the staff and clients of the agency. There is also the opportunity to develop a 'borrower' table within the database to which keywords can be assigned for use as a simple user profile. This project also allows for the use of IT related skills such as:

The use of standard software (word- processing, spreadsheets);
The ability to search electronic information sources (Internet);
Trouble-shooting hardware problems (printers, scanners);
Technology management (intranets, databases), Being skilled in advising, instructing and supporting user services; and
Team-based/project-based working skills. (Correll and Brewerton 1999: 289 - 291)

Bishop (2002) contends that information managers of the future will require many of the skills that the students develop while undertaking the BSZ/503 work, namely:

Report writing, abstracting, evaluating, editing (project report and review);
Interpersonal/communication/influencing skills (liaison with agency staff regarding the database structure, keywords and collection management strategies);
Good understanding of content management (materials deselection, organisation and indexing, storage);
Principles and practice of library / information management;
Document and records management (written policies, procedures and checklists);
Research resources (sources of information for LC and Dewey Decimal codes available to the agency if required);
Information literacy skills (recognise the need for information, access the information and present it in a package that is suitable for the client); and
Understanding of organisational objectives, processes, politics, people and strategies (of the agency)

Conclusions

Outcomes from this experience indicate that the students, community information agencies and the institute benefit from the imbedding of the theoretical component of BSZ / 503 into working with the community information service agencies. Clustering promotes an holistic approach to the development of competencies while the institute reaps the benefits related to the efficient use of resources. Working with community information agencies increases the awareness of potential library staff to the range and availability of community resources and the experience conforms to educational theories of learning styles and adult learners. The agencies have an opportunity to apprise the students of their aims and objectives while gaining a free service that will improve access to their information through efficient collection management advice and an index of their resources.

The Southbank Institute of TAFE's strategy of clustering CULLB503A and the BSZ series utilising the staff and collections of community information service providers bridges the divide between theoretical and practical training. It also fills the gap between industry placement in mainstream libraries and the awareness of student library technicians of the valuable information resources in the community.

References

Appendices

Appendix A - SBIT course offerings currently clustered

(Source: National Information Training Service)

Unit	Unit Name	Competencies
CULLB401	Contribute to client access to information	Determine client information requirements and ways to meet them Provide information or refer appropriately Assist clients to access reserves and material from remote sources Assist clients to access required information directly
CULLB402A	Contribute to effective working relationships	Contribute to effective working groups and processes Facilitate group discussions Maintain and improve work communication Negotiate with others
CULLB403A	Develop and apply own information literacy skills in working with clients	Develop own information literacy skills Interpret and determine information need Use a range of resources Refine analysis of information need or problem for self and clients Organise and manage retrieved information Assist clients to retrieve, organise and manage information Confirm the learner has reached agreed standard of performance
CULLB405A	Manage own work development and learning	Manage self Set and meet own priorities Develop and maintain professional competence Contribute to workplace change and development
CULLB406A	Organise and co-ordinate work activities	Plan resource use to achieve goals Organise and co-ordinate resources Contribute to the review, acquisition and use of equipment, fitting and furniture Establish and maintain interaction with others Contribute to workplace change and development
CULLB503A	Organise information for client access	Anticipate need and organise required information Develop and maintain simple database Contribute to the maintenance and improvement of databases Contribute to the review of new systems to organise and access information
BSZ404A	Train small groups	Prepare for training Deliver training Provide opportunities for practice Review training
BSZ401A	Plan assessment	Identify and explain the context of assessment Plan evidence gathering opportunities Organise assessment Gather evidence Make the assessment decision Record assessment results Provide feedback to persons being assessed Report on the conduct of the assessment
BSZ402A	Conduct assessment	Establish evidence required for a specific context Establish suitable assessment method(s) Develop assessment tools appropriate to a specific assessment context Trial assessment procedure
BSZ403A	Review assessment	Review the assessment procedure(s) Check consistency of assessment decision Report review findings

Appendix B - Community information agencies

Category	Organisation	Collection Details
Church	Crossroads, Wesley House	Extensive video collection and some old monographs. Religious, welfare topics Staff and in-house use.
Church	Lawnton Baptist Church	Large monograph and video collection. Religious and young adult materials. Staff and congregation use.
Disability	Queensland Disability Housing Coalition	Large journal and reports collection. Disability, housing and other social issues Staff research and in-house use.
Disability	Queensland Parents of People with a Disability Inc. (Rhondda Poulton library)	Variety of print materials, mainly pamphlets with videos and monographs. Disability, assimilation and other issues. Staff and client use.
Community Welfare	co-ordinated Community Response to Domestic Violence	Mainly pamphlets, reports and ephemera. Domestic violence, legal and other social issues. Staff use and dissemination to the public.
Community Welfare	Lifeline Brisbane	Book collection with some audiovisual. Sociological, medical, psychological. Staff and counselor use.
Educational	Learning and Support Unit, SBIT (Morningside)	Monograph collection of reading materials. Staff, volunteer tutors and client use.
Educational	Redlands Community Centre Kindergarten	Large learning materials (realia) collection for staff use with smaller monograph collection available for parent loans.
Health	Brain Injury Association of Queensland	Large book and video collection, few journals. Medical, rehabilitation, life skills. Staff use and client loans.
	Community and Dental Heath, Aboriginal and Islander Community Heath Service	Large collection of health related educational charts and videos. Available to selected health professionals.
	Epilepsy Queensland Inc.	Extensive monograph collection - large reference section. Medical and life skills Staff and in-house use.
	PeakCare Queensland	Mainly journals, reports and pamphlets. Health and welfare particularly for children, young adults and families. Staff research and consultation use.
	Princess Alexandra Hospital (Social Work Dept)	Pamphlets, journal articles and some monographs. Mainly in-house use and staff loans.

Biography

Judy Humphreys MAppSc (LibandInfoM), B.Ed, Grad.Dip. Arts (LIS), Cert.Teach. Teacher, Southbank Institute of TAFE, Brisbane. With a background in teaching and libraries, Judy has delivered modules in the Diploma of library and Information Services since 2001. Previously, as the inaugural campus librarian for the University of Southern Queensland, Wide Bay, she was instrumental in the realisation of its Hervey Bay joint-use library project. This experience lead to several conference presentations, most notably one to the 1998 OECD PEB / IMHE Expert Meeting in Paris.

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