salctg – serving scottish academic libraries

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SALCTG – Serving Scottish Academic Libraries

Twitter @SALCTG (and @karenmca) Karen McAulayhttp://salctg.blogspot.co.uk/ Convenor SALCTG

Scottish Academic Libraries Cooperative Training GroupMusic & Academic Services Librarian, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

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SALCTG’s Remit

• Training for Everyone – all Levels, any Member Institution• Library Training for Library Staff• General Training for Library and

Information staff• Deciding What to Offer

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SALCTG and Customer Services

Managing Student Behaviour – a popular recent course on customer services by trainer Ash Charlton

“As library and learning spaces evolve to include cafes, social and collaborative spaces, is it still necessary to set boundaries for student behaviour? How can we address potential problems in a positive way

and ensure the library is still an appropriate place for learning?”

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SALCTG – Our Recent Plenary

• Plan, Aims and Objectives – capable of being monitored and flexible enough to update.• 2 Questions:-

• (A) What customer services training is currently given?

• (B) Blue sky and a crystal ball – What CST would you like?

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Comments round the Table

• On the spot• Observations on the current scene• Trends• Not a scientific survey• Not intensive brainstorming• Some wishes and aspirations

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Current Scene

• In-House (Library or Institutional Level)• Induction• On the Job (‘Sitting next to Nellie’)• Regular, on various themes• SALCTG Courses Supplement In-House

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Constant Considerations

• Different staff training challenges in large and small libraries• Large – offering training to everyone• Small – making time whilst running service• Not forgetting evening/weekend staff• Size of library can also affect type of training

offered and finding suitable trainer – which is where SALCTG courses can help!

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Present Circumstances - £££

• Current economic climate• Library viewpoint: value for money• Customer viewpoint: ‘paying customer’.

Expectations.

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Present Circumstances - Ethos

• Good customer services is part of everyone’s role

• External regulation as well as internal aspiration – customer service ombudsman, new regulations for universities, etc

• Trend to bring together front-line services

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The times they are a-changing (1)

• Changing ways of doing things inevitably leads to training issues, eg …

• Roaming staff with iPads• More electronic services• Student queries are about information and

the technology carrying/processing that information

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“The times they are a-changing”(2)

• Not just changes in WHAT training to provide• Also changes in HOW to provide it• The institutional VLE offers opportunity to

train large numbers of staff in-house (but mitigates against cooperative training)

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“The times they are a-changing”(3)

• Another training need – change management

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Generic Skills

• When it comes to customer services, many of the skills are generic and not solely applicable to library and information work, eg:-

• Working with international students• Communication skills• Equality and diversity• Managing student behaviour• Assertiveness• Using customer feedback

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To VLE or not to VLE

• VLE a good way to cover basics – and to reach different sectors of workforce

• … but can be a box-ticking exercise – theory minus practice

• Knowing how, is not the same as actively doing

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Theory and Practice

• However we train staff in theoretically good customer service, practical training comes next

• In house (departmentally or institutionally)• Externally (within or beyond the library/info

sector)

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SALCTG’s rôle in customer service training (1)

• Forum for sharing best practice – both at the plenaries and in training sessions

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SALCTG’s rôle in customer service training (2)

• Cooperative training, generally within the sector

• Benefits for those being trained• (Not forgetting a day away from the desk to

focus on one aspect of the job!)

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SALCTG’s rôle in customer service training (3)

• Balancing Act • What’s Available• What’s Called for

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Flexible, forward-thinking

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SALCTG and CTG

• Support the SALCTG plenaries• Save info re trainers and training opportunities• Share your ideas – What worked– What might work– What’s needed

Thank you!K.McAulay@rcs.ac.uk