Library Network Support Services LNSS

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Library Network Support Services (LNSS)

• Jerald Cavanagh
• BSc Econ, MSc, MA Institute Librarian Limerick
  Institute of Technology

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LNSS Whats it about?

• Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) is the
  lead institution for the Shannon Consortium,
  Library Network Support Services (LNSS) project
  funded by the HEA under the Strategic Innovation
  Fund (SIF).
• Whats the project about?
• LNSS coordinates the sharing of resources and
  expertise between the participating libraries in
  Limerick Institute of Technology, Institute of
  Technology, Tralee, University of Limerick and
  Mary Immaculate College, Limerick.
• What will be the overall outcome?
• LNSS will result in innovative support services
  responding to the changing expectation of library
  users.
• It will also provide joint professional
  development opportunities for library staff
  working in the evolving information environment,
  through the establishment of a Regional Network
  for Staff Development.

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LNSS What's the timescale?

• What's the timescale?
• LNSS Initiatives will be rolled out across the
  partner institutions (LIT, ITTralee, UL, MIC)
  over the next two and half years (August
  2008-January 2011). The LNSS Project has 2 main
  strands
• Information Literacy (IL)- Under the direction of
  the LNSS Steering Group Select, develop,
  implement and evaluate a suite of IL initiatives
  to International IL standards for the partners
  libraries as a framework of support for learners
  over 2008 for rollout in 2009/2010. This IL
  initiative will consist of a web-based, self
  paced information literacy modules.
• Regional Network for Staff development Under the
  direction of the LNSS Steering Group and in
  collaboration with the Library Staff development
  Unit of the University of Limerick- Development
  of a Regional Network for Staff Development for
  sharing of professional development opportunities
  across the Consortium supporting skills
  development and innovative practice enabling
  library staff to manage the evolving information
  environment and to match the changing needs of
  users.

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LNSS - LNSS Steering Group, staff , partner
libraries and funding

• LNSS Steering Group
• LNSS initiatives are directed by the LNSS
  Steering Group comprising of
• Directors of
• Library Services and other senior library
  personnel from the four partner
• institutions- LIT, ITTralee, UL and MIC
• The members of the LNSS Steering Group are
• Jerald Cavanagh
• (LIT- LNSS Project Leader)
• Gobnait O Riordan (UL)
• Pat Doherty (ITTralee)
• Gerardine Moloney (MIC)

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LNSS

• LNSS Staff
• There are 3 dedicated SIF Funded staff working on
  the LNSS Project
• LNSS Librarian Project Coordinator (Grade VI)-
• Oversees and manages the LNSS Project-
  responsibility for coordination and development
  of Information Literacy initiatives and with the
  Library Staff Development at the University of
  Limerick coordination of a Regional Network for
  Staff development.
• Reports to LNSS Steering Group and LNSS project
  Leader (Jerald Cavanagh)
• LNSS Administration and Accounts Assistant (Grade
  IV)-
• Based in LIT and reporting to the LNSS Librarian
  Project Coordinator- provides support for the
  activities of the Library Network Support
  Services project.
• LNSS Administration Assistant (Grade IV)-
• Based in UL and reporting to the UL Library Staff
  Development Unit at the University of Limerick.
  Provides Administrative support for the
  activities associated with the work of the
  Library Staff development Unit in support of the
  LNSS Project.

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LNSS

• Funding
• Total funding almost 1 million euros (990,000)
• This funding is broken down as follows
• SIF requirement 495,000
• Matched funding 495,000 990,000
• Matched funding consists of staff time of non
  SIF funded staff in partner libraries such as
  time spent attending training courses and any
  other work which is not directly funded by SIF
• Information Literacy 658,490
• Regional Network for Staff development 331,510
  990,000

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LNSS

• LNSS and Information Literacy (IL)

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LNSS

• What is Information Literacy?
• Information literacy is knowing when and why you
  need information, where to find it, and how to
  evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical
  manner.
• Chartered Institute of Library and Information
  Professionals (CILIP)

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LNSS

• What is Information Literacy?

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LNSS
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LNSS
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LNSS

• Why is IL important?
• Information Literacy education- the catalyst
  required to transform the information society of
  today into the learning society of tomorrow
  (Bruce, 2002)). It is a transferrable skill
  promoting and supporting independence and
  lifelong learning and the ethical use of
  information.

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LNSS IL SUITES AND STANDARDS

• Information Literacy Suites are designed
  according to best practice with regard to
  Information Literacy Standards
• Some examples
• ACRL Association of College and Research
  Libraries- American
• ANZIIL Australian and New Zealand Institute for
  Information Literacy
• SCONUL Society of College, National and
  University Libraries, SCONUL

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LNSS

• IL and Learning Outcomes
• Why would learning outcomes support the work of
  library and information services staff? A
  learning outcome is itself the answer to the
  question 'when the students leave (this
  event,session or course), what do I want them to
  know, or understand, or be able to do?' The
  educational importance of this question and
  answer process is that it focuses on what the
  students themselves do, not on what the tutor
  does. The question that is more commonly implicit
  in session or course design, 'what do I need to
  tell or show the students?', illustrates the
  tendency to focus on what the tutor does, not on
  what the students do. When teaching design starts
  from a foundation of learning outcomes, it is
  easier to focus on how students will apply what
  they learn, to take into account that learning is
  about skills as well as knowledge, and to
  incorporate active learning into courses and
  sessions
• SCONUL Learning outcomes and information literacy

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LNSS

• What are the objectives?
• Select, develop, implement and evaluate a suite
  of IL initiatives to international IL standards
  for the partner libraries. This will involve
  developing a framework of support for learners
  over 2008 for rollout in 2009/2010 which will
  enable them to have
• Improved skills in finding, using and evaluating
  information
• Greater awareness of sources of information
• A greater understanding of academic information
  resources as an important component in the
  learning cycle.
• Improved understanding of the risks and pitfalls
  of abusing information sources
• Ability to retrieve information using a variety
  of media
• Skills to critically evaluate information
• Ability to access quality information
• Enhanced transferable skills on completion of
  their studies.

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LNSS

• LNSS and IL
• A suite of Information Literacy initiatives
• IL selection Using criteria determined by the
  partner institutions an online modular
  information literacy suite will be selected from
  suitable providers.
• Lifelong learning These modules will help to
  develop information literate students and provide
  them with generic lifelong skills necessary to
  locate, evaluate and use information effectively
• Flexibility Offering greater flexibility and
  convenience to each individual learner the IL
  suite will complement existing face to face
  Information Literacy instruction

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LNSS What are the key outputs and
outcomes for IL agreed with the HEA for the
LNSS?
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LNSS IL- KEY OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES AS AGREED
WITH THE HEA 2008-2011
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• LNSS
• IL- KEY OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES AS AGREED WITH THE
  HEA- 2008/2009
• Appointment of LNSS staff
• Project coordination to be carried out appointed
  grade VI and grade IV personnel incorporating-
• Project Scoping exercise
• Inter Institutional project development workshop
• Agreed development and Rollout of Marketing Plan
• Agree Pilot Site
• Customize and develop IL modules for Pilot site

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• LNSS
• IL-DELIVERABLES SO FAR AND PLANNED DELIVERABLES
  FOR THE COMING ACADEMIC YEAR
• 2008- deliverables so far
• LNSS Staff appointed (August 2008)
• Project scoping meetings held with senior library
  staff- from partner libraries- broad needs
  identified(August/Sept 2008)
• LNSS Stakeholder Workshop held- IL institutional
  needs clarified. IL suite reviewed and
  recommendations for IL suite selection made.
  (October 2008)
• Collaborative Marketing Strategy identified-
  Development of LNSS Website- (rollout November
  2008)
• Pilot site agreed (October 2008)
• 2009- planned deliverables
• Rollout of IL suite in Pilot site
• Awareness and training of staff in Pilot site

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LNSS

• How has IL so far led to enhanced
• collaboration and capacity building?

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LNSSIL How has the LNSS so far led to enhanced
collaboration and capacity building

• Collaboration and networks- Main stakeholders
  identified and networks established
• Project Scoping meetings held with Library
  Directors and other Senior Library staff- Broad
  IL needs identified for partner libraries
• Inter Institutional Project Development
  Workshops- LNSS Stakeholder Workshop October 6th
  2008-
• Sharing of expertise and collaborative assessment
  of IL modules currently available for purchase,
  methods of customization being discussed-
  resulting in greater awareness of range of IL
  suites in operation Worldwide
• Collaborative Marketing Strategy between
  marketing Departments of each institution for
  Agreed development and rollout of Marketing
  Plan.

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SIF Library Network Support Services
(LNSS)Information Literacy
Enhanced collaboration and capacity building.
How will we continue to do this?
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LNSS IL Enhanced collaboration and capacity
building. How will we continue to do this?

• LNSS Website- to include a programme of events,
  contact list of clients, and main contacts in
  each institute guidelines for clients, i.e.
  information on venues, travel details, list of
  accommodation (2008), Web 2.0 tools utilised.
• More LNSS Stakeholder Workshops to determine e.g.
  how Selected IL suite will be tailored to meet
  the needs of each Institution
• Inter Institutional IL Training Days- to prepare
  staff for rollout of new IL suite across partner
  institutions
• Rollout of IL modules across all partner
  libraries (2010)- Collaborative Marketing
  Strategy s to raise awareness of selected IL
  suite across partner institutions

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LNSS
Will services in the region improve as a result
of this IL initiative?
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LNSS IL Will Library services in the region
improve as a result of this IL project?

• Answer YES!
• WHY?
• 24/7 access designed with regard to best
  practice in Information Literacy Standards
  modular, place and time independent, self paced
  and available to all learners 24/7 enabling them
  to progress from Information novice to
  information literate user.
• Flexibility-Offers greater flexibility and
  convenience to learners
• Existing IL initiatives-Will compliment existing
  face to face or other Library instruction
• Active Learning/Self assessment opportunity for
  self assessment and hence active learning in the
  form of online quizzes, simulations, role play,
  and various other interactive tools.
• The Knowledge Economy Staff will be in a better
  position to deliver services to students
  resulting in better student performance and up
  skilling for this Knowledge Economy

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LNSS IL Possible pressure points/obstacles?

• IL suites available Most considered dated and
  overly text based. Need for more interactive IL
  suite employing good use of multimedia and
  opportunities for Active Learning- may need to be
  outsourced and designed from scratch or
  modification of existing model
• Institutional requirements Decisions will need
  to be made with regard to how the IL suite will
  be applied in each institution- will the suite be
  the same for each institution? Will it need to be
  tailored for each institution- different
  instances of the same suite?

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LNSS

• Regional Network for Staff Development

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LNSS

• Why staff development? Paraprofessional and
  professional staff need up skilling regarding new
  technologies and sources of information available
  to them.
• Advantages Will give our professional staff an
  advantage over others outside of this region.
  The better trained the Library Staff are the
  better they can guide the students and staff to
  the resources they require.
• What needs to be done?The challenge is to develop
  an enabling network and programme to facilitate
  the up skilling and development of library staff
  to manage the evolving information environment.
• The programme will share professional development
  opportunities across the consortium, supporting
  skills development and innovative practice

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LNSS What are the key outputs and outcomes
for the Regional Network for Staff Development
agreed with the HEA?
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LNSS
Regional Network for Staff Development Key
outputs and outcomes agreed with the HEA
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• LNSS
• Regional Network for Staff Development- KEY
  OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES AS AGREED WITH THE HEA-
  2008/2009
• Complete an audit of required skills.
• Review national and international providers
• Complete network plan
• Complete first 2 staff development sessions
• 1st series of exchange visits

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• LNSS
• Regional Network for Staff Development-DELIVERABLE
  S SO FAR AND PLANNED DELIVERABLES FOR THE COMING
  ACADEMIC YEAR
• 2008- deliverables so far
• Training needs methodology ascertained(LNSS
  Stakeholder Workshop). Audit of required skills
  commenced (October 2008)
• National and International Providers reviewed
  (September/October 2008)
• Network Plan formulated (September/October 2008)
• 3 Development sessions completed (October
  November/December 2008)
• Exchange of experience- 1st Inter Institutional
  Exchange of experience Seminar Day
• Institutional needs for Reflective practice
  defined (LNSS Stakeholder Workshop)

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• LNSS
• Regional Network for Staff Development-DELIVERABLE
  S SO FAR AND PLANNED DELIVERABLES FOR THE COMING
  ACADEMIC YEAR
• 2009- planned deliverables
• Library Staff development sessions continue
• 1st Symposia
• 2nd Inter Institutional Exchange of Experience
  Seminar Day
• Role out pilot reflective practice program-
  methods of measuring impact of training employed
  ( as ascertained at LNSS Stakeholder Workshop
  October 2008)
• Conduct assessment and review of Programme
  including review of training rolled out to date.

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LNSS

• How has the Regional Network for Staff
• development so far led to enhanced
• collaboration and capacity building?

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LNSSRegional Network for Staff
DevelopmentEnhanced collaboration and capacity
building

• Audit of required skills (training needs
  assessment) Collaboration between institutions
  in formulating and implementation. Skills gaps
  identified on a cross Institutional basis
• Inter Institutional Staff development sessions (
  First 3 before end of 2008)
• Inter Institutional Register of National and
  International Training providers- formed through
  consultation and collaboration with the
  stakeholders
• -LNSS Stakeholder Workshop October 6th 2008-
  sharing of expertise and collaborative assessment
  of training needs. Needs identified, training
  schedule and network plan formulated for all
  institutions
• Exchange of experience- initially through
  meetings with all stakeholders and LNSS
  Stakeholder Workshop. LNSS exchange of
  Experience Seminar days begin before end of
  2008.
• Reflective practice- ways of measuring impact of
  training on individuals and services identified
  (LNSS Stakeholder Workshop)

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LNSS
Enhanced collaboration and capacity building.
How will we continue to do this?
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LNSS Regional Network for Staff
Development-Enhanced collaboration and capacity
building- how will we continue to do this?

• LNSS Inter Institutional Staff development
  sessions continue throughout 2009- continued
  implementation of training needs arising from
  LNSS Stakeholder Workshop October 6th 2008
• Symposia 2009
• Second LNSS Exchange of experience Seminar Day
  2009
• Continued rollout of Reflective practice pilot
  program- methods of measuring impact of training
  utilized. (2009)
• LNSS Website- continued upgrading to include any
  opportunities for social networking (2009)

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LNSS
Will services in the region improve as a result
of this Staff Development initiative?
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Library Network Support Services (LNSS)
Regional network for Staff DevelopmentWill
Library services in the region improve as a
result of this Library Staff development project?

• Answer YES!
• WHY?
• Up skilling training priorities will have been
  identified resulting in rollout of vital staff
  development courses thereby leading to up
  skilling of staff in the region
• Knowledge Economy Staff will be in a better
  position to deliver services to students
  resulting in better student performance and up
  skilling for our Knowledge Economy.
• Greater cooperation and sharing of expertise
  between the stakeholders will lead to more
  seamless delivery of information services across
  the partner institutions

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Library Network Support Services (LNSS)Regional
Network for Library Staff Development- Possible
pressure points/obstacles?

• New technologies particularly Web 2.0 technology
  is constantly changing- regardless of how well
  staff are up skilled in these areas can they ever
  fully up to date?
• Measuring the impact How will we measure the
  effectiveness of training. How will we know
  impact training has made on the individual,
  services and students? Answer Reflective
  practice techniques, employee evaluation of
  training, online surveys.

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Library Network Support Services (LNSS)

• Jerald Cavanagh
• BSc Econ, MSc, MA Institute Librarian Limerick
  Institute of Technology

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Library Network Support Services (LNSS)
Bibliography

• Academic and National Library Training
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  Continuing Professional Development, December
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  rts.htm
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  available at www.ala.org/acrl/nili/ilit1st.html
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  catalyst for educational change a background
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  available at www.anu.edu.au/caul/caul-doc/InfoLit
  Standards.doc (accessed 26 July 2004),

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Library Network Support Services (LNSS)
Bibliography

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