INSPIRE in the West Midlands

1
INSPIRE in the West Midlands

• (Tarmac or Tracks ?)
• Caroline Rock
• 15 July 2004

2
Demonstrator Projects - the West Midlands

• Shared the INSPIRE vision of seeking to
• foster and improve co-operation between library
  sectors to support lifelong learning
• Held common objectives concerning the
• identification and removal of barriers to access
  (physical, procedural, cultural) for referred
  learners
• testing of access and referral procedures
• marketing and promotion of collections
• Partners from at least three different sectors
• - education, public, community

3
Coventry - partners

• Coventry University
• Lanchester Library
• Centre for Lifelong Learning
• Coventry City Council Libraries and Information
  Services
• Coventry Health Promotions Unit

4
Stoke-on-Trent partners

• Staffordshire University Library
• Stoke-on-Trent City Council Libraries
• Stoke-on-Trent Further Education College Library

5
Wolverhampton - partners

• University of Wolverhampton
• City of Wolverhampton College
• Wolverhampton Adult Education Service
• Wolverhampton Library and Information Services

6
The project emphases

• Coventry
• Staffordshire
• Wolverhampton

• Information needs in Health, Art Design and
  Returning to Work
• Focus on access for the FE community
• Ticket to Find project supporting the
  development of information literacy

7
Perspectives, Outcomes (and lessons learned)

• Groups involved
• Institutional / Library managers
• Front line and information staff
• Referred learners
• Core customers
• Experience of the pilots varies according to
• organisational context, culture and commitment
• prior experience of access schemes
• resource availability / concerns

8
Perspectives and Outcomes 1- Institutional /
Library Managers

• widening participation and lifelong learning
  agendas
• opportunities to develop collaborative working
  and partnerships arrangements
• access v. borrowing to be defined
• distinction between initial implementation and
  on-going delivery

• Institutional culture and direction ?
• Senior management commitment ?
• Resource concerns ?
• demand on materials
• concern for staff time
• managing/monitoring
• briefing/training
• support and delivery

9
Perspectives and Outcomes 2- Front line and/or
information staff

• Appropriateness of visitors ?
• Overwhelming numbers and demanding visitors ?
• Administrative / procedural burden ?
• Yet more to learn!

• appreciative and enthusiastic visitors
• limited uptake by visitors
• genuine information needs
• a reality, minimised through integration of
  procedures
• importance of training
• valuable staff development opportunities for all
  staff

10
Perspectives and Outcomes 3 the referred
learner

• Removal of barriers to access (physical,
  procedural, cultural) ?
• Expectations of access, entitlements, support ?
• Lifelong learning and engaging with formal
  education?

• effective referral mechanisms seen through
  uptake
• More libraries more information
• should be managed through publicity materials,
  open days, staff briefings etc.
• evidence of achievement of generic learning
  outcomes (i.e. development of skills, knowledge,
  understanding)

11
Perspectives and Outcomes 4 - the core
customer

• Additional demand on collections ?
• Reduction in customer service at Reception Desks
• Dilution of staff support at Enquiry Desks ?

• In reality not an issue
• focus on reference sources
• Extension and enrichment of collections
  reciprocal access
• Overcome through training
• Benefit from improved understanding of the WP an
  lifelong agenda

12
Summary of key lessons learned

• Gain senior management commitment from all
  institutions
• agree to take the same route
• Invest in briefing and training of all staff
• know your way round your bike
• Maximise existing cross-sector relationships
• use the down hills to fuel the up hills
• Minimise / balance administrative and procedural
  activity with the need to collect data
• travel light
• Promote the scheme and the collections
• use a map

13
Conclusions the positive spin

• The demonstrator projects have provided a basis
  of evidence and experience from which to take the
  INSPIRE initiative forward.
• 80 tarmac / 20 tracks but may vary according
  to conditions.