UBC LIBRARY commits to being a respectful, healthy environment for its staff.
Change is constant – in life, and in libraries. Indeed, in the 21st century, libraries of all stripes are grappling with new spaces and new technologies, and librarians are forging new roles in learning and research.
UBC Library is taking steps to help its staff face the future. For example, a training program will enable its valued team of library assistants to upgrade their technology skills.
“There’s a real demand for this,” says Catharine Chang, the Library’s Manager of Human Resources and Organizational Development. “It just can’t happen fast enough.”
About 150 library assistants in the UBC Library system perform a range of key functions, from front-line patron service to behind-the-scenes work that involve the cataloguing, preparation and organization of all types of material.
The impetus for the course came from the Library Assistant Think Tank, a group that formed in spring 2009 to identify and address training issues and needs. The Think Tank’s work is being continued by subsequent groups, including the Foundational Skills Task Force (FSTF), which Chang chairs.
One of the task force’s goals is to offer core computer training. The intent is to bring all library assistants to a common skill level regarding technological tools that are crucial for success in today’s office environment.
“It’s about skill development, and being current and relevant, as things change so quickly in the library world, ” says Anne Miele, a Library Assistant in the Science and engineering division and a task force member.
The program is slated to launch in the spring. The FSTF is also planning to offer courses for library assistants in general library skills, as well as interpersonal and communication skills.
This story first appeared in the UBC Library Community Report (2011)