Hi everyone - here at last is my summary of the replies to my Training
Hour request. It should have been sent last week, so I apologise for the
delay. I want to say a huge thankyou to all who replied - 23 in all.
The information you supplied was superb, even including actual training
timetables in two cases. I now have enough ammunition to convince even
the most sceptical in the University. I'm sorry I haven't had time to
thank you all personally, but the replies are so good that I am more
than happy to send copies to anyone who wishes to see them (assuming the
suppliers don't mind - please let me know if you do).
Right, here goes:

1) How long have you had a training hour?
    Most were fairly recent, within the past 3 years. However, 2
started 5 years ago, 3 began 6 years ago, one went back to 1990,
another said "Years ago" and the last reply I received said "At
least 23 years", which is amazing.

 2) What day and time?
    Friday was by far the most popular choice: 14 of the replies
    Every other day figured, though, and one library rotated the day.
    The time was always the first period of the day, though this
varied according to opening times. Nor was it always an hour: 5
made do with 30 minutes, 2 with 45 minutes, one had 75 minutes and
one 90 minutes. Most of those who had only 30 minutes felt it to
be too short.

 3) Has the loss of an opening hour met resistance/have you replaced
the hour?
     Some quite strong views on this! Undoubtedly users don't like
the later start much. Some libraries had indeed managed to
diffuse the negative reaction by lengthening their opening hours,
two others mentioned the support they had gained from the top.
It also helps if the institution has a training culture and if you
prepare the ground well in advance.
 
4) Do all staff particapate/what about part-timers?
     Most replies said that sessions are normally compulsory for
full-time staff. In one or two cases site libraries stayed open,
which made for difficulties.
     Getting to part-time staff whose hours don't coincide with
the training hour was acknowledged by many as a major
problem. Some offered pay to part-time staff to come in, some
came in voluntarily, others managed to cascade the training to them
at other times, two libraries ingeniously used video to record the
training. It would be nice to know how successful this is.

5) What are the main uses you put the hour to?
     This question brought a wonderfully rich and varied response.
The following is a flavour: Training in new resources, inc
WWW databases; IT skills training; reference skills for
library assistants; updating on routine procedures, e.g
lost books; visits to local libraries; outsider speakers,
especially from the institution itself - one mentioned the
Director of Personnel; visiting other departments of the
institution; meetings of all kinds, including team
meetings/briefings, staff meetings, information briefings; training
on the new system (this rang particular bells here!); news of
developments; trouble shooting etc etc

6) What are the main benefits/drawbacks?
     This drew a really heartening response, in fact just the sort
of thing you need to show if you are going for IiP! (And we are)
     Top of the pops: improved communication, mentioned
specifically by several and in one form or another by most people,
under the various guises of delivering information, encouraging
participation, exchange of ideas, generating ideas, staff debate,
establishing informal links (in a converged service), and
"being able to get everyone together at one time".
      Lots of other benefits - "staff can access equipment without
hordes of students breathing down their necks" struck a chord.
Others included Developing services, training enquiry desk
staff in groups, more knowledgeable staff; more time to explore
things that there would otherwise not be time for; staff morale.
     Drawbacks were few: User complaints of late opening, time taken
to devise sessions, "outside speakers let you down" were the main
ones.

7) Any other comments?
     This was perhaps the most heartening of all!
      "Benefits *definitely* outweigh the drawbacks"
      "It took time to establish byt definitely worthwhile"
      "Go ahead and do it - very popular with staff and ultimately
users benefit by having better trained and better informed staff"
      "Even 30 minutes is useful" - this was followed by the very
valid comment that if prestigious High street retailers do it,
why should we be defensive about it?
      "The only way to deliver proper training" (This
correspondent's library also had the excellent idea of having one
light-hearted event per year, the most recent being on Feng
shui - I wonder if this involved moving round all the study
tables?)
      "Since we began, people have gained confidence and started to
speak up and identify their own worth. They [the sessions] pay
for themselves in terms of motivation"
 Lastly, many wished me good luck - again many thanks. What a super
profession we are! I feel immensely encouraged by the replies received.
  I hope this is of use to several who expressed interest in seeing the
results - I am happy to send more info if required. Regards. Barry
        

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Barry West
Deputy Librarian
Lanchester Library
Coventry University
Much Park St
Coventry
CV1 2HF
Tel: 01203 838290
Fax: 01203 838686
email:[log in to unmask]


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