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Dear Colleagues, I have been seeking work as a librarian in the Oxford area since January this year. Despite numerous interviews and many presentations I have been unable to secure paid employment in this profession. I have a post graduate qualification in library studies and 15 years experience of library work. (See C.V. below) I am willing to offer my services for free. Yes no fee required as long as it is in the Oxford area. I am concerned that my skills unless will be weakened if I lose touch with library work. I am able to offer 2-3 days a week with no charge. I have a cleaning job for 3 days a week which pays 12 - 14 pounds per hour so I am humble enough to consider library work at any level. I am prepared to undertake such duties as shelving, portering, cataloguing, reference work and abstracting and indexing. My strengths are training users on searching catalogues and databases. References and a photograph can be supplied on request. I hope you are tempted by the offer of a free temp! If not pass this note on to colleagues who may require free staff. I hope to return to the world of library work soon. Many thanks Geoffrey J. A. Morgan 44 Hill View Road Oxford OX2 0BZ Tel: 01865 727485 Email: [log in to unmask] Career Goal: Having successfully completed my MSc in Information Management and Library Studies at University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and three temporary posts as a Librarian in academic and State-run libraries, I am now completing my chartership with CILIP through Route B and wish to broaden my experience through a rewarding post in a library in the Oxford area, to which I have recently moved. EDUCATION MASTERS: 2001: Successful completion, with good overall marks, of a full- time MSc Econ in Information Management and Library Studies at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. My fees were sponsored by my former employer, Middlesex University. My thesis compared and analysed information provision to distance learning students at Aberystwyth and Middlesex Universities. Core courses included Information Retrieval, Systems Management, Information Sources and Services, Collection Management. BSc Honours: 1997: Graduated as a part-time student at Middlesex University with a class 2.2 degree in Environmental Management. Course included units in Historical Geography and Archaeology. School Education: Newbridge Grammar School, Gwent, Wales (1973-1978) and Cross Keys College of Further Education, Gwent (1978-1980). Two ¡§A¡¨ Levels in Geography and Physics, 5 ¡§O¡¨ Levels in Biology, English, French, Mathematics, and Physics. ESSENTIAL LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SKILLS "h I have extensive cataloguing and indexing skills and am familiar with the Dewey and Library of Congress classification systems and the Anglo- American Cataloguing Rules (AACR). I also have extensive knowledge of Heritage, Horizon, Unicorn (SIRSI) and Voyager library management systems. "h I also have extensive experience of using such electronic sources as BIDS, Butterworths, Dialog, Environment Now, Environment Plus, ERIC, Inside Web (British Library), Justis, OCLC, Parlianet and Technical Indexes, and am confident at information retrieval, whether using controlled vocabulary or natural language. "h I am proficient at providing user education to all library users, from students to government officials, and also am experienced in staff training, managing budgets, systems management, marketing, records management, intranet and internet development and staff supervision. "h I have experience in training and lecturing on information retrieval, information sources, data protection and copyright legislation. LIBRARY AND INFORMATION EXPERIENCE August 2004 to January 2005: Librarian, Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes. Through Instant Library recruitment I was employed by the Open University library as a Subject Information Specialist for arts, computing science and mathematics. My duties included: * answering queries from students and academic staff * stock selection * management of electronic databases and journals * managing the web-site * providing user education to academic staff. December 2003 to April 2004: Assistant Librarian, Library & Information Service, Fire Service College, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire. Through Instant Library Recruitment, I was appointed on a two-week contract that grew into five months, until the library¡¦s staff shortage was resolved. My duties included: * managing Readers & References Services, answering queries from students, fire services (across the UK and abroad), and from corporations regarding fire hazard, risk assessment and health & safety * delivering lectures as part of the students¡¦ courses on data protection, copyright law and information retrieval, using Microsoft Powerpoint and an interactive board * indexing and abstracting journals for the library catalogue (Heritage) * providing a detailed report on the Library¡¦s web site and making recommendations for improvements. January 2003 to September 2003: Assistant Librarian, Highways Agency, Westminster, London. Through Instant Library Recruitment, I was appointed for a three-month contract that was twice renewed, until the library service was relocated to Manchester. During this period, duties included: * modernising the service by introducing more electronic resources and training staff on their usage and marketing the new aspects of the service to the Agency at large * providing information on demand to various departments within the Highways Agency, other government officials and the general public, using legal, technical and scientific sources * report writing for the Intranet and internal documents on the library¡¦s changing services * coordinating the cataloguing of new materials * assisting with the financial management of the library (approving and processing invoices etc) * writing business cases and oral presentations to senior staff for new acquisitions, such as electronic databases and print reference sources * training staff, including special trips to the Highways Agency Information Points around the country * developing the inter-library loans system. February 2002 to December 2002 and ongoing: Freelance information consultant. I provided a service to not-for-profits in the London area, to supply their information and internet needs. Clients included Greening the City and the East London Community Recycling Partnership. I set up information systems, supplied internet services and staff training on the internet, and created web sites for them which were straightforward to maintain. More recently, I was a researcher for International PEN¡¦s November 2003 global report on censorship. April 1990 to February 2002: Assistant Librarian, Middlesex University Information and Learning Resource Services, Middlesex University. February 1998 to June 2000: Tottenham Campus Library. "h Main duties included managing inter-library loans, supervision of staff (from temporary student workers to permanent library assistants), staff training, dealing with enquiries, collaboration with the humanities departments. "h Developed a new system including a specially-adapted database for the inter-library loan service ¡V its success led the staff at Birkbeck College to request that I train them in its use. "h Assisted the History and English librarians in obtaining articles that would enhance their reference collections, and tracked down useful documents to aid the academic staff in these departments. April 1990 to January 1998 and Oct. 2001 to Feb. 2002: Trent Park Campus Library. "h Developed a video collection for Latin American Studies, Performing Arts, Education, Film Studies and History, and catalogued and indexed same. "h Explored the Internet and as early as 1995 developed a web page listing the Spanish and Latin American film titles available for reference use which enabled me to learn about Internet technology as it broke. OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE June 1989 to October 1989: Unye Language School, Unye, Turkey: Teacher of English to students at the summer school, aged between 10 and 15. June 1988 to 1990 (with a break in the summer of 1989): Hestair Management Services Recruitment Clerk. October 1986 to March 1988: Euston Community Workshops: Project Worker responsible for music and drama workshops with psychiatric day patients, and with children with special needs. October 1981 to August 1984: Manager of Bicycle Shop, Pontllanfraith, Gwent, responsible for cash flow, balancing books, sales promotion, bicycle repairs etc. September 1980 to September 1981: Dare Electric Ltd, Gwent, trainee manager. ADDITIONAL SKILLS "h Experienced at working cooperatively within a library team "h Good presentation and excellent communication and interpersonal skills "h Familiarity with PCs and Apple Macs, proficient with Word and other major word-processing packages and with spreadsheets and databases "h HTML-proficient, and a good knowledge of Java-script "h Fair knowledge of French and German and full and clean driving license PERSONAL DETAILS AND HOBBIES I am aged 43, married and British. I play and perform music, my main instruments being the piano, accordion and guitar, and compose piano music (mostly jazz-influenced). I enjoy reading and solving cryptic crosswords. REFERENCES CAN BE SUPPLIED ON REQUEST