Dunn and Wilson scholarship project 1999

Changing roles, changing goals: transferring library technician skills beyond the library

Meredith Martinelli

Funded by the 1999 Dunn and Wilson Scholarship, with sponsorship from LJ Cullen Bookbinders NSW, and Apollo-Moon Bookbinders Victoria.

Keywords

Career change; library technicians; skills analysis or assessment; employment; careers; technology; libraries; workplace change; transfer; skills transfer

Acknowledgements

The author would like to take the opportunity to give heartfelt thanks to the following people and organisations.

• To the sponsors John Westwood (Apollo-Moon Bookbinding) and Malcolm Mears (LJ Cullen) representing Dunn and Wilson in Australia. Their continued support for library technicians in Australia provides a valuable development opportunity for us all. Further information about the Dunn and Wilson Scholarship is available at http://www.alia.org.au/awards/dunn.wilson/
• To ALIA for the management and coordination of the Dunn and Wilson Scholarship
• To Neil McLean (university librarian, Macquarie University Library), Ian Duncan (manager, Information Technology, Macquarie University Library) and Judy Clayden (course coordinator, Edith Cowan University) who as my sponsors, trusted in my ability to undertake this responsibility.
• To all who participated in the study. Many thanks for all your valuable input and suggestions.
• To Robin Walsh, my editor and friend who with advice, and red pen, helped to produce a report that will hopefully contribute to the ongoing development of all library technicians.
• To my family for their ongoing love and support. Without it undertaking such a project would be extremely difficult.

About the author

Meredith Martinelli is currently an information and technology trainer at Macquarie University, Sydney. With over 23 years of library experience, Meredith has worked in Public, Academic and Law libraries all of which have contributed to a broad knowledge of the diversity of library operations. Prior to her current position, Meredith worked as a Personnel Consultant for Zenith Management Services, a specialist Library and Information recruitment agency. With an interest in the broader market for library and information skills, Meredith's qualifications include a B Sc (Library Technology) and the Certificate IV Workplace Assessment and Training.