Interior of the library building at the University of Birmingham.
alongside them, but with some ‘insider’ knowledge.
As recommended by an ARCL (Asso- ciation of College & Research Libraries) report: “The transformation of the roles of academic librarians will be most effec- tive and most powerful when we weave together information literacy and schol- arly communication, integrating the two into new services within our professional practice. In turn, organisational struc- tures need to support this direction”.6
Other key internal alliances The realignment of the Library Academic Engagement division in 2017 resulted in the formation of three other key teams.
l The Engagement team consists of advisors who maintain the link between academic colleges and the library. The team act as ‘brokers’ for the training offered by the Research Skills Team. They also pass on valuable feedback and information gleaned at postgraduate researcher consultative committees and other college meetings. By keeping our engagement colleagues up to date with training and support activ- ities, we ensure that we are part of the holistic library picture in the academy.
l The Learning Enhancement team pro- vides academic skills support (including information literacy) for undergraduate and taught postgraduate students. They provide a menu of workshops similar to that created by the Research Skills Team and encounter comparable issues in terms
46 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
of providing stimulating training sessions to groups. Issues regarding andragogy are shared and continuing professional develop ment in teaching and learning benefits when both groups are brought together. Both teams also run a service of one-to-one appointments and using the same systems and processes avoids reinventing the wheel.
l Library Customer Support colleagues are responsible for the ‘Front-of-House’ services that greet researchers when they enter the library. By meeting on a regular basis to update one another, the teams understand when it is appropriate to refer
researchers to the team. A pilot to more effectively use the library’s ‘LibAnswers’ software for answering research skills queries is about to launch. This will create a ‘knowledgebase’ of answers that colleagues can use to inform future enquiry work.
LCS staff also look after and develop dedicated spaces such as the Research Suite in the Main Library. By using communication channels built up by Engagement Team colleagues and by speaking to researchers in workshops, we are currently working to form a user group for the researcher space, so that decision-making can be done in part- nership with researchers themselves.
Consolidating researcher
development in the library Perhaps the most unique aspect of the Research Skills Team is the inclusion of the Postgraduate Development Officer (PGDO). The role began in the Univer- sity Graduate School (UGS), but moved into Library Services in 2016. It was felt that the beneficial communication networks that the library had with the academy could be exploited more effectively to provide tailored training for postgraduate research students. By offering workshops mapped to the RDF7
The Research Skills Team.
, which integrate well with more traditional ‘library’ areas, researchers are offered a more holistic range of educational and networking opportuni- ties8
. Whilst many libraries, including January-February 2020
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