Waverley Library 24 February 2017 10:00am - 4.00pm

There was planned to be two online discussion sessions as part of this meeting (10.00am-11.00am and 2.00pm-3.00pm) to allow people to participate remotely, however poor connectivity meant that only the second session was possible.

Hiba Kanj, Parramatta, Annetta Kucharska, Cumberland, Kathryn Joss, City of Sydney, Margaret Pavinovich, Willoughby, Cherie Goldsmith, Ryde, Andrew Gee, Wollongong, Kathleen Arundell, Inner West, Margaret Nicholson, North Sydney, Kim O’Grady Ku-ring-gai, Michael Copping Canterbury Bankstown, Sin Man Lau, Canterbury Bankstown, Nicole Powell, City of Sydney, John Taggart, Randwick, Heather Leaf, Randwick, Julie Taylor, Hornsby, Ellen Forsyth, State Library of NSW, Mary Mercardo, Blacktown, Jacinta Craine, Sutherland, Kerry-Ann Prideaux, Burwood, PM session Michelle Goldsmith, Central Coast

Waverley Council acknowledges the Bidjigal and Gadigal people who traditionally occupied the Sydney coast.

We acknowledge all elders past and present and extend this respect to all Aboriginal people living, working or visiting Waverley.

Carole Dent, City of Sydney; Catherine Johnston, Coffs Harbour; Shiralee Franks, Central Northern; Jen Wilson,

- what topics would you like covered in the meetings this year. What are the reference and information issues that concern you? What are the challenges in your job?

The ideas were (to see the white board with them written on,click here)

• Marketing profession – within organisation
• People/resource focus information need for community – proactive
• Not traditional reference
• Developing seamless online reference
• Strategies for technology help – range of devices for assistance, [how much] time as part of this/computer help over the phone, those who ask/those who don’t
• How to make reference/information services as something to stay – what are information events
• Privacy issues – helping people and seeing potential rather than data – including roving/roaming
• Purchasing online
• Promoting information services for life-stage need
• What to do for personal professional development/ getting staff taking responsibility/ownership/enthusiasm for their own learning
• Website accessibility/personalised/customised/kiosks
• Customer services - challenges/opportunities
• Clients/dementia/mental health
• Reference services in languages other than English/but also for diverse communities
• Strategies to train staff – formal/information – at all skill levels/cross skills/
• Recruitment/training/responsibility – knowing when to refer/hand over
• Helping staff adapt to change
• What is happening to profession ( examples??)
• Strategies to promote/increase use of eresources
• ‘fake news’/media literacy ‘back to basics’
• What is in a title – why the move from library/librarian? Does it matter?
• How to be more entrepreneurial in providing service
• What to do when it is quiet with roving/roaming

For discussion at Rockdale meeting 8 August:

• ‘fake news’/media literacy ‘back to basics’
• Privacy issues – helping people and seeing potential than data – including roving/roaming
• Strategies for technology help – range of devices for assistance, [how much] time as part of this/computer help over the phone, those who ask/those who don’t
• Libraries who are providing roving/roaming service to provide 5- 10 minutes on what they do, how they train staff. Shiralee and Lisa to provide an update on their presentations from reference seminar if possible. Ryde also roving.
• Before meeting there will be a call for 5 minute talks (and people will be able to volunteer to discuss these issues
• Any updated information about roving/roaming to be added to ref-ex

For discussion at Nowra meeting in November (date yet to be set)

• What to do for personal professional development/getting staff taking responsibility/ownership/enthusiasm for learning 4 or 5 people talking for 5 minutes each about their personal professional development – what they do, how long it takes…
• Strategies to train staff – formal/information – at all skill levels/cross skills/ 4 or 5 people talking for 5 minutes each about their work place training, what works, what could be better (but not a whinge fest). Suggesting to include training requirements in work plans
• What is happening to profession ( examples??) 4 – 5 people talking for 5 minutes then discussion
• What is in a title – why the move from library/librarian? Does it matter? People to find examples of job titles (and see of the work changes as the titles change)
• Any relevant updates to be added to ref-ex
• Planning for 2018 discussions

- what needs to be done to update the information services section? This was updated and passed on for inclusion.

- any new modules needed? Videos for existing modules? Some library staff not aware of ref-ex. Discussion about possible inclusion of videos.

(provided by Waverly Library)

Afternoon Session

- what are libraries doing? Have you read about something interesting elsewhere?

• Wollongong – pop up library in the mall, banners and resources on the table, LIAC promotion in the mall, Promoting databases to schools
• Randwick - Eresources on facebook promotion
• Cumberland - eNewsletter once a month, opt in focus on promotion including eResources
• Northern beaches - Email newsletter includes eresources
• Willoughby-promote to schools, focus on Pip work, using articles to target, lab type experiences, promotion of Picture Willoughby to geography students – changes in land use
• Waverley, library staff labelled/branded lanyard, pop up libraries to include promotion of reference and and information services, took the standards drinks kit to pop up – opened up information discussion, need fliers as take away for popups etc
• Burwood – promotion at the pools/pamphlets
• Sutherland, monthly poster themes/blogs to highlight a different reference theme, poster on council board
• Willoughby - staff training then promotion to the public like Ancestry focu
• Bike library Denver
• Issues of free wifi or bringing a hotspot out for event
• Randwick - moved drug info/legal information to pillar location – better highlighting for awareness
• Location of information pamphlets discussed - questions of privacy for some topics
• How are you counting registrations at popups?

Good practice -

• Join people if possible at pop up libraries and enable borrowing and downloading straight away
• evaluate the outreach (this seemed a challenge for some)
• Some stats on paper or counter
• Count of handouts
• Head count
• Mobile libraries report

- what have you read/watched/participated in recently which has made you think differently about reference and information services at your library

• Library Journal
• online alerts
• American Libraries
• ALIA public library news
• PLN/reference email lists – trigger to find more
• Gates Foundation library

Big picture but also roving - how do you help people in your library and online to find information? methods and tools

• Mygov/Centrelink help –with referrals, programs run by Centrelink in language other than English
• Conversation classes – for English
• Computer training
• refex on roving
• value of reference interview
• visibility of staff as an issues
• University example of t-shirts with ‘ask me’ on back
• Willoughby roving/popup wear shirts with ‘ask me’ on the back
• Cumberland - informal community engagement program; talk with groups; unstructured and worked well – new discovery about men’s shed in Regents park, Once have the information, need to deliver,
• Did mock exams using papers written by homework help
• Issues around use of volunteers
• Parramatta - using community data to inform services for information, quarterly briefing sessions by locations comparative data post merger
• Sutherland use community profiles to inform re main customers
• City of Sydney, Green Square – staff go to community discussions/community feedback etc for better information about planning, Online requests, CoS roster staff to answer the emails, whoever is on desk

Discussion about disability access and acoustics for privacy during reference interview

This was mainly a discussion about changed practices.

- enabling opportunities to book time with staff; strategies for providing assistance

• Central Coast – RA/family history/local studies increasing, Interactions needed, Question of training on search – little interest now
• Really different library experiences
• How are libraries seen as needed for information
• Community engagement for reference and information services
• Cumberland value of one on one consultations in range of languages,
• Range of ages for people with technology needs including apprentices and lots of people aged 20-40
• Cumberland – job assistance program
• Embedded librarians – Douglas County example
• Taking tech savvy training out – some libraries taking the training to retirement/independent living
• Sutherland - ebook training at residential care and also done by Northern Beaches
• Computer club for continuing/training/lamingtons and building confidence
• Canterbury Bankstown– computer club and community centre outreach
• Place for formal/informal
• Roving technology
• Need to look at where are the oopportunities for interacting with clients
• Sutherland does app downloads for ebooks on the desk mostly
• Range of information needs 3D printers/Mine Craft
• Importance of coding/Makerspaces/for training
• Potential for coding for adults – lots of Makerspaces are doing this
• Central coast – don’t forget the resources of the rest of council in determining the information needs of the community
• Use of PictureWyong images in public locations
• Knowing what other parts of councils are doing in community are important
• Sutherland – Tuesdays as one on one in library support for technology – after phone support has been tried
• Burwood – using statistics on tech help and to argue for tech support/internet speed
• Lots of libraries doing roving tech support
• Some call out from work room too
• Importance of training for all staff – importance to prioritise
• Importance of statistics for working things out with technology
• Side by side learning
• What other services of the library can they or families tap into….
• Asking clients ‘why are you here today’

- seeking a couple of new members - what is involved. Nominate here

Waverley Library was thanked for hosting the meeting and providing lunch.

8 August, Rockdale Library

(what summary of the meeting goes out with the minutes)

• Value of advocacy and engagement in the community to promote the library, the services and the skilled staff
• Need for all staff to embrace and provide effective technology support
• The importance of ongoing training for staff in technology support
• Planned and developed the topics for the next two meetings

Don't forget to go back to your workplace and share the ideas from this meeting. Make sure you tell others about it, including your manager.

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