Current Trends in the Continuing Education and Training of Reference Staff

Changes in the library's environment and in the expectations of its clientele are related to trends in reference training. Those changes include less time for reference managers to prepare training packages for staff; more initial library contact of clientele with paraprofessional staff; increased expectations of users that library service will be the same in rural areas as in urban areas; and an increased need for non-traditional approaches to reference continuing education and training. This article describes continuing education and training programs that help library staff adapt to these changes, such as the California Opportunities in Reference Excellence project, Maryland's reference training based on unobtrusive reference research, peer evaluation of reference staff in Minnesota, and several other programs specifically for training paraprofessionals in reference.     

Certificate and Associate Degree Education for Library Paraprofessionals: Distance Makes It Possible

ABSTRACT

Distance education makes library paraprofessional education possible and desirable to meet needs in library staffing. Lexington Community College (LCC) developed online certificate and associate degree programs to meet the legal requirements for Kentucky paraprofessional library staff. In collaboration with the Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET), in Spring Semester 2004, the LCC courses were offered to SOLINET member library staff at the in-state tuition rate. The enrollment and completion rates of students in the online LCC courses show a high degree of interest in library science education at the undergraduate level. Furthermore, formal education for library paraprofessionals is taking on a new significance with the “professionalization” of paraprofessional employees. The American Library Association (ALA) has begun to explore the desirability and possibility of accreditation of paraprofessional programs, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has funded projects for undergraduate library science education.     

A Human Resources Dilemma? Emergent Themes in the Experiences of Part-Time Librarians

Although many newly-graduated librarians are applying for and accepting part-time library employment after graduation, little research has been done into what working part-time means for these early career librarians. This article, based on a survey of recent LIS graduates who have worked part-time, provides a snapshot of part-time library employment and the advantages and disadvantages it affords to new librarians. This information is particularly relevant in light of the difficult job market for entry-level librarians. All of the surveyed librarians have worked in at least one part-time professional or paraprofessional position in a library after receiving their degree. Many of these respondents describe holding multiple part-time positions and receiving low salaries and few, if any, employment benefits. The themes documented in the open-ended short answers of these part-time librarians will help to guide further research into the professional and personal impact of part-time employment.     

From the Majors to the Minors: Playing the Game as the Rules Are Changed

In Australia no library school at either professional or paraprofessional level offers a course to meet the needs of serials librarians. In the absence of such provision, this paper summarizes the findings of research on serials courses in the U.S.A. and Britain. It highlights the dissatisfaction of practitioners with training in this area and the failure of serials training to meet the needs of the profession; it indicates that a survey in Australia would probably produce similar findings. It discusses the content of librarianship courses-both the core curriculum and a specialized serials librarlanship curriculum-with the objective of outlining a professionally relevant serials librarianship course for Australia, drawing on experiences such as those at Loughborough and Columbia Universities. Finally, the paper specifies the aims and objectives of the proposed Australian course in serials librarianship, and outlines the content of thirteen suggested components.     

Building Cataloging Capacity for Libraries in South Sudan: A North–South–South Collaboration

In the developing world, a common trend is to have north–south collaborations constituting most of the continuous professional development (CPD) activities for librarians. The emerging drift highlighted in this article is a north–south–south initiative aimed at rebuilding the University of Juba Library through capacity-building of the library staff. This article will illuminate the process of equipping library staff with cataloging skills in the absence of previous library training. This endeavor is a result of the collaborative efforts of Makerere University Library (MakLib) in Uganda and the University of Bergen Library (UoBL) in Norway under the Juba Library Automation Project (JULAP). JULAP's main objective is to rebuild the University of Juba Library with the components of library automation and training of library staff. This article will concentrate on the practical training of the library staff in cataloging and the hands-on training on the Koha integrated library system to lay the groundwork for computerized library services for the University of Juba. This article will also highlight the challenges and lessons learned so far while articulating strategies for the future.     

Information and Research Support Services:

Organizing reference services to use paraprofessionals as information providers can help academic libraries adapt to new technology, provide staff support for resource sharing, and assist reference librarians in developing new and enhanced roles on campus. It is a staffing alternative that can facilitate the integration and use of electronic reference resources, such as Online Catalogs, CD-ROM databases and end user searching by providing more assistance to users. Placing responsibility for teaching library clients how to use document delivery with the same staff who help users identify needed materials makes access easier for requestors, and resource sharing more readily accepted by students and faculty. And by separating Information and Research Support activities and sharing the workload between staff at different levels, reference librarians can provide an advanced level of research assistance, spend more time on support for faculty research collection development, classroom instruction, and the development and improvement of programs. Training of the paraprofessional staff and practice of the referral process are essential to the librarian-paraprofessional partnership this model requires. This article describes how paraprofessionals have been used in reference at a new academic library, and how the role of the reference librarian has been redefined as a result.     

高校图书馆勤工助学学生的培训问题

从图书馆和勤工助学学生两个角度,分析目前高校图书馆勤工助学工作中培训不到位的原因,论述了进行勤工助学培训的必要性。在此基础上,着重阐述了勤工助学学生培训的主要内容和培训的主要环节。培训内容主要包括图书馆职业道德培训、图书馆基本业务培训和岗位技能培训三个部分,培训环节主要涉及培训策划、培训实施、培训效果考察等,并提出了勤工助学学生培训中需要注意的其他问题。     

How Library Paraprofessionals in Academic Institutions Can Benefit from Distance Education Opportunities

Abstract

With the proliferation of distance education courses in the field of library and information science today, academic library paraprofessionals have the means to continue their education while continuing to be productive in their jobs. Courses can be taken online through institutions and organizations such as library schools, community colleges, and network consortia. Suggestions for types of places to look for appropriate courses are discussed. The paraprofessional library employee is in a unique position to pursue continuing education, and library administrators will find that supporting such efforts benefits both the employee and the library.     

Paraprofessionals at the Reference Desk

Abstract

In this article Ms. Pedzich examines a growing model of research service the use of paraprofessionals at the reference desk. She identifies the skills needed of the paraprofessinal, the designing of a training program and developing policies, procedures and manuals to assist in a successful paraprofessional program.     

Academic Librarianship Without the Degree: Examining the Characteristics and Motivations of Academic Library Professionals

Studies exploring librarians' backgrounds and career motivations frequently focus on all types of librarians or on students seeking degrees in librarianship. Investigating particular subsets of librarians is a field ripe for study. Here, we employed a survey of 193 academic library professionals, who are defined as those employed in professional positions in academic libraries but not possessing a graduate degree in librarianship. We found prior work in an academic library is a substantial motivating factor for entry into the field, as is also the case for traditional academic librarians who choose to attain a graduate degree in library science prior to obtaining a position in the library. The data also suggests that there are two main streams of entry for academic library professionals: those who are hired into functional positions that do not require a graduate degree in librarianship and those who hold paraprofessional titles that have taken on professional-level work. Finally, we found a majority of academic library professionals have no intention of, and do not see the value in, pursuing a graduate degree in librarianship.     

图书馆人力资源管理范式下的人员培训研究

分析了图书馆人力资源管理范式下的人员培训的含义、特点、目的和作用,指出了图书馆在人员培训中的误区,提出了图书馆人员培训工作应采取的措施。     

高校图书馆硕士点现状分析与研究

通过网络调研、实地调研和文献调研方法,选取24家高校图书馆硕士点为调研对象,总结出高校图书馆硕士点授权现状--培养模式由联合培养向独立培养转变,学术型硕士点初现并入博士点或调整增列为MLIS。得出高校图书馆硕士生培养具有入学考试弱化数学科目、研究方向得到进一步凝炼、课程设置突出实务性和实用性、实习与实践环节突出等特点。最后,提出加强学科建设规划,完善导师梯队建设,提高学生学术能力,多设置实用性跨学科课程等建议。     

浅谈高校图书馆读者培训工作

本文以读者培训工作为主题,以贵州财经学院图书馆的相关工作为讨论实例,阐述了高校图书馆读者培训工作的意义,以及我馆的培训内容和存在的问题;并对存在的问题提出自己的看法。     

The Academic Paraprofessional Cataloger:

The changing role of paraprofessional catalogers in academic libraries is described vis-á-vis their counterparts, the professional catalogers. Today paraprofessional catalogers are getting involved in what used to be considered "professional work." The issues of educational requirements, cataloging duties, training, and lack of acknowledgement are brought forward. The barriers encountered by paraprofessionals are presented and the changing dynamics within cataloging departments are explored.     

Hiring and Training Work-Study Students: A Case Study

This article describes the implementation of a comprehensive hiring and training program for library work-study students designed to reduce the time spent on individual training. After staff reductions, Marygrove College Library in Detroit, Michigan, turned to an underutilized resource—work-study students. Formerly, training these students took so much permanent staff time that the library questioned investing so much effort on a contingent work force. With the cuts, the library reconsidered the value of work-study employees and devised a hiring and training program to choose the best candidates for the position and to reduce the effort full-time staff spent training new workers.     

Learning Spaces in Public Libraries

This article focuses on the impact of learning spaces as well as collaborative technology, which affects library building and design. The article illustrates that learning spaces are an important component in the design of library buildings rather then a temporary trend. During each of our company's latest public library building projects, both librarians and architecture teams have recognized the need to support increases in learning activities. To bring more users to the public library, they recommended that the building needed increased seating to support training, education and in‐house cultural programming. The stories cited in this article suggest that there is a relationship between learning spaces and collaborative technology. Among librarians and library planners, learning spaces are seen as a unifying requirement for the expansion of library services. They recognize that the library's seating plan must include more learning spaces to support social networking, sharing and project base learning. Our qualitative findings suggest that public libraries need more learning spaces to support new types of digital work.     

Overqualified: Changing the Culture of Hiring Practices in a Public Library Special Collections Department

All too often, applicants for low level paraprofessional positions in libraries are passed over or rejected, not because they are not qualified, but because they have professional experience or advanced degrees. The rationale behind these decisions is that the overqualified staff member in a low level position will continue to look for a better position more aligned with their skills, experience, and education; and when they find another job they will leave and their positions will have to be filled again. This essay argues that this reasoning is flawed and, regardless of the perceived inconvenience, library managers and administrators should want the best and the brightest working in all levels of their library.     

Suggested Standards for Cataloging Textbooks

To determine the feasibility of our library providing full cataloging for textbooks using OCLC, I conducted a study of records in the OCLC data base and performed a literature search on the topic. I found that a preponderance of duplicate OCLC records and a lack of uniformity in cataloging practices would make this a costly proposition. It would also make it difficult to train a paraprofessional to select catalog records and to handle the cataloging of these materials. This paper suggests standards to be considered by the appropriate ALA committees in order to alleviate the duplication of records and to make textbook cataloging easier.