As part of our refurbishment that I've spoken about over the last few weeks, we are rebranding the 'Library' into an 'LRC' with me being a 'LRC Manager' whereas my predecessor was the 'College Librarian'.
I've often felt somewhat cynical about this sort of exercise. As noted in Andy Priestner's blog this week, there is a cycle of changing from a Library to an Information Centre/Learning Resource Centre then back again, then back again again! I could see myself in 7-10 years doing a rebrand back to a library, if the HE sector is anything to go by.
On a practical level, there is plenty of work to do. All leaflets, stationery, intranet pages, policies, staff manuals, signs, posters and anything else that I've not thought of yet is being rebranded and rewritten.
In our case there is meaning behind the rebrand, as the space's purpose is changing massively. We are going to have Level 2 and 3 classes timetabled in to the LRC for much of the day, whereas previously the Library was solely a drop in space. The Library Assistants are now LRC Support Tutors and their job description is a hybrid between an LA role and a Learning Mentor with the emphasis on time with classes over traditional LA duties. We are also starting using self issue which is hoped to free up staff from being on the issue desk.
It's a good time for me to start working here during the rebrand as it means that changes can be introduced as part of an overall change which I hope will be easier for users.
I will still use both 'LRC' and 'Library' interchangeably in conversation but will only use LRC in written communication. And will always see myself as a librarian even though I am called an LRC Manager. Personally I see librarianship/information management as being the overarching profession (e.g. medicine) even though my specific role within it is as an LRC Manager (e.g. Consultant Paedeatric Surgeon).
Showing posts with label library buildings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label library buildings. Show all posts
Thursday, 19 August 2010
Friday, 13 August 2010
Good progress.
That seems to have been my catchphrase this week, I've said it to my LRC Support Tutor (the term we are using for Library Assistants) as we left almost every day. A lot has been sorted out but I still have to do lists long enough to need indexes!
I started the week off meeting with the Finance team to learn their systems. I felt the weight of my new budget holding responsibilities. I spent the rest of the day cataloguing, completing the policy for Independent Learning Sessions (a new initiative where each Level 2 and 3 class will have an hour week in the LRC supported by LRC staff) and creating lists of recommended websites for leaflets.
Tuesday was a dark day. I spent much of it wading through spreadsheets to try to understand my budget codes, and wading through processes and piles of paperwork. I also put in my first book order. Due to the refurb we are installed in a classroom at the moment, so not only am I learning new processes but I'm learning them outside of their natural habitat. To be honest it all got a bit much. Although, I also had a long chat with my former boss/mentor which was lovely, I still went home with the hump.
Wednesday was a new day! To start the day the LRC team were trained on the new printer/photocopier (the same model is already used elsewhere in the college). In the process of this print services reiterated their concern that the new printer won't fit in the space allocated to it in the new LRC. Worrying. Later I got a call that the mobile shelving was completed, so went along to the LRC with the H&S manager, refurb project manager and Head of Estates to have a demo and sign it off. It was the first time I'd been in the LRC since starting work here and it looks fantastic! There was a bit of squealing via the Twitter! In fact other staff saw how excited I was and the words 'sad' and 'geeks' were used. But then they haven't seen the shelves. In the afternoon my predecessor came in to answer my queries on the handover notes and other paperwork which was great and alleviated much of what was troubling me on Tuesday.
On Thursday I got IT to start the process of rebranding the libr.. sorry I mean LRC intranet pages. One of my team is working on typing up the corrections and reformatting the leaflets that need to be ready for induction and for uploading on the webpages. I spent much of the morning sorting out odds and ends that came up out of meeting with my predecessor yesterday. In the afternoon I had my official welcome from The Principal, although she has called in to visit a few times already. She's a big library advocate and has been very involved in the refurb. I then did some more work on our induction material, it's really coming together.
This morning I started by nagging IT a bit about the webpages. met with Print Services to look at the proposed printer space, and we feel confident it should fit, phew! I then met with Health and Safety to discuss risk assessments and potential problems on the horizon with the new shelving. the H&S manager said that he was surprised when he met me as he thought I'd be an older lady! This was partly a librarian stereotype and partly because of the degrees after my name. I was wearing a cardi, what more do people want? This afternoon I finally met with the head of IT who answered my questions. However he did say that there was a potential problem with the new monitors arriving, but we still *should* have them in time for the start of the new term.
As you can see it's been a pretty quiet week! I think I'm starting to get used to the commute too. Next week is our last week before the LRC is put back together so I want to get all the induction materials and leaflets finalised and the intranet pages as complete as possible. I also need to think of names for the bays in the LRC. At the moment they are down as Green 1, Green 2, Grey 1 and Grey 2. As I tweeted, I've been thinking about authors, local birds, or perhaps local well known people, can I get away with a Syd Barrett Bay?!
I started the week off meeting with the Finance team to learn their systems. I felt the weight of my new budget holding responsibilities. I spent the rest of the day cataloguing, completing the policy for Independent Learning Sessions (a new initiative where each Level 2 and 3 class will have an hour week in the LRC supported by LRC staff) and creating lists of recommended websites for leaflets.
Tuesday was a dark day. I spent much of it wading through spreadsheets to try to understand my budget codes, and wading through processes and piles of paperwork. I also put in my first book order. Due to the refurb we are installed in a classroom at the moment, so not only am I learning new processes but I'm learning them outside of their natural habitat. To be honest it all got a bit much. Although, I also had a long chat with my former boss/mentor which was lovely, I still went home with the hump.
Wednesday was a new day! To start the day the LRC team were trained on the new printer/photocopier (the same model is already used elsewhere in the college). In the process of this print services reiterated their concern that the new printer won't fit in the space allocated to it in the new LRC. Worrying. Later I got a call that the mobile shelving was completed, so went along to the LRC with the H&S manager, refurb project manager and Head of Estates to have a demo and sign it off. It was the first time I'd been in the LRC since starting work here and it looks fantastic! There was a bit of squealing via the Twitter! In fact other staff saw how excited I was and the words 'sad' and 'geeks' were used. But then they haven't seen the shelves. In the afternoon my predecessor came in to answer my queries on the handover notes and other paperwork which was great and alleviated much of what was troubling me on Tuesday.
On Thursday I got IT to start the process of rebranding the libr.. sorry I mean LRC intranet pages. One of my team is working on typing up the corrections and reformatting the leaflets that need to be ready for induction and for uploading on the webpages. I spent much of the morning sorting out odds and ends that came up out of meeting with my predecessor yesterday. In the afternoon I had my official welcome from The Principal, although she has called in to visit a few times already. She's a big library advocate and has been very involved in the refurb. I then did some more work on our induction material, it's really coming together.
This morning I started by nagging IT a bit about the webpages. met with Print Services to look at the proposed printer space, and we feel confident it should fit, phew! I then met with Health and Safety to discuss risk assessments and potential problems on the horizon with the new shelving. the H&S manager said that he was surprised when he met me as he thought I'd be an older lady! This was partly a librarian stereotype and partly because of the degrees after my name. I was wearing a cardi, what more do people want? This afternoon I finally met with the head of IT who answered my questions. However he did say that there was a potential problem with the new monitors arriving, but we still *should* have them in time for the start of the new term.
As you can see it's been a pretty quiet week! I think I'm starting to get used to the commute too. Next week is our last week before the LRC is put back together so I want to get all the induction materials and leaflets finalised and the intranet pages as complete as possible. I also need to think of names for the bays in the LRC. At the moment they are down as Green 1, Green 2, Grey 1 and Grey 2. As I tweeted, I've been thinking about authors, local birds, or perhaps local well known people, can I get away with a Syd Barrett Bay?!
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Library Tourism Down Under
Last month we went to Australia on holiday. As a good librarian and tourist my first port of call in each location was the major libraries.
In Melbourne we visited the State Library of Victoria reference library on Swanston Street.
The La Trobe reading room
Redmond Barry Reading Room
After Melbourne, and a day on the beach, we arrived in Canberra and visited the National Library of Australia.
The Reading Room
They had a really interesting exhibition about The Dunera Boys.
We then had a bit more beach time before we got to Sydney. Sydney's major library is the State Library of New South Wales. It was undergoing some building work while we were there so wasn't quite as impressive as I'm sure it usually is.
The Mitchell Library Reading Room is being restored at the moment which was a shame, this is the reading room that is open at current.
We were stranded in Sydney for an extra week due to the ash cloud. A few days before we flew we were told we'd be stuck for months so I was planning on seeing if I could do some volunteering at the library. Fortunately it didn't come to that.
Each of these libraries had fantastic shops that made me wish I had a greater baggage allowance. I stocked up on novels while I was there as I'm finding Australian fiction poorly represented on the London Libraries Consortium Catalogue. I like to read about a destination before and after visiting to make the holiday feeling last longer. I particularly like Tim Winton and Helen Garner.
Australia has a real reading culture, in there are book shops and libraries everywhere. For example, in Canberra we went to use a laundrette in a suburb precinct and there were 4 places to buy books out of about 40 retail units. I really miss that about England, or more specifically London. and have particularly felt the lack of bookshops since Borders closed.
In Melbourne we visited the State Library of Victoria reference library on Swanston Street.
The La Trobe reading room
Redmond Barry Reading Room
After Melbourne, and a day on the beach, we arrived in Canberra and visited the National Library of Australia.
The Reading Room
They had a really interesting exhibition about The Dunera Boys.
We then had a bit more beach time before we got to Sydney. Sydney's major library is the State Library of New South Wales. It was undergoing some building work while we were there so wasn't quite as impressive as I'm sure it usually is.
The Mitchell Library Reading Room is being restored at the moment which was a shame, this is the reading room that is open at current.
We were stranded in Sydney for an extra week due to the ash cloud. A few days before we flew we were told we'd be stuck for months so I was planning on seeing if I could do some volunteering at the library. Fortunately it didn't come to that.
Each of these libraries had fantastic shops that made me wish I had a greater baggage allowance. I stocked up on novels while I was there as I'm finding Australian fiction poorly represented on the London Libraries Consortium Catalogue. I like to read about a destination before and after visiting to make the holiday feeling last longer. I particularly like Tim Winton and Helen Garner.
Australia has a real reading culture, in there are book shops and libraries everywhere. For example, in Canberra we went to use a laundrette in a suburb precinct and there were 4 places to buy books out of about 40 retail units. I really miss that about England, or more specifically London. and have particularly felt the lack of bookshops since Borders closed.
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