ALIA West

August 2006

The Information Networker Program

Lake Joondalup Baptist College

Felicity Stride and Stephen Sampson

In May 2006 Stephen Sampson, Head Librarian at Lake Joondalup Baptist College, approached the WA Library Technicians Group requesting an experienced technician to attend his school for a discussion session with some students on the role of a 'real life' Library Technician. The call was put out for volunteers, and during the following week - which was coincidentally Library and Information Week - Wendy Morris and I attended Lake Joondalup Baptist College.

The students are part way through a Certificate II of Library Studies and had only had experience in their school library. The combination of my corporate law library role (Jackson McDonald), and Wendy's university (ECU Joondalup) role gave a broad range of experience and examples. We described our main duties, and how our role fits into our particular type and size of library. The students were attentive and responsive, asking questions and expressing interest in their course and the industry.

Afterwards we were given a tour of the school's library including the workrooms and were shown some examples of what the students do for their service time in the library.

Wendy and I both enjoyed visiting the students and were pleased that we could do something to help promote our industry to a younger audience. Plus, we got chocolate ;)

At the next WA Library Technicians meeting (15 June 2006) I gave a brief report to the group about our visit to LJBC. I was glad to hear that the rest of the Group was as interested as I was in hearing more about how Stephen Sampson started the course and whether we as a group could be of any future assistance to the school as the course develops.

I invited Stephen to write an article about how the course began and his plans for the students and the school (see below).

The ALIA mission statement reads:

'It seeks to empower the profession in the development, promotion and delivery of quality library and information services to the nation, through leadership, advocacy and mutual support'

I would like to compliment Stephen on his initiative to start this course, and thus his contribution to the development and promotion of the library industry. We wish him luck in the completion of this first 'guinea pig' course.

Felicity Stride
Library Technician Jackson McDonald Lawyers
and WA Library Technicians Group member.

The impetus for the establishment of this program came from three main directions.

For many years school libraries have had library monitors who were students who received informal training so that they could be given some responsibility to assist library staff with basic tasks. In recent times, however, Scotch College in Melbourne has developed a more formalised training program and came up with the name of Information Networker. Another development in high schools was the offering of lower level TAFE courses (mostly Certificate I and II) embedded as part of a TEE course or as a stand alone course. It was clear that when we interviewed prospective applicants for library clerical positions they often held no library qualifications. In addition, our college has been seeking to develop pathways for students to contribute to the well being of the school community through acts of service. Students who serve the school community extensively over a minimum of two years could be awarded College Colours for Service.

Our response to these circumstances was to integrate the Certificate II in Library/Information Services with training in the day-to-day operations of our modern school library. We adopted the name of Information Networker to replace the more dated term of library monitor. The Information Networker program was devised as a two year voluntary program which students would complete outside of class time. The two year program would mean that students would be expected to complete two units per semester and at the end of that time could also qualify for College Colours for Service. To be able to deliver and assess the Certificate II our teacher-librarians had to complete a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. To be able to deliver such a course the college entered into an auspicing agreement with Central TAFE and as part of this agreement they provide the course material. With the exception of the unit Assist in Circulation Services, their course booklets can be used as is. Much of the course is hands on training and will include duties such as: issuing and returning loans, reference assistance, online searching, shelving, bibliography construction, ordering procedures and processing of information resources. The program is open to students in Years 9 - 11. The number of students that can take part in the program at this time is ten.

There are a number of benefits for those students who undertake and complete the program and these are as follows: development of information literacy skills; development of knowledge of the library and information services industry; development of information technology skills; development of customer service awareness; development of leadership skills in providing information service; completion of the nationally recognised Certificate II in Library and Information Services; extra points gained for TAFE entry; and the possibility of achieving College Colours for Service.

To be accepted into the program students must be committed and prepared to undertake the following: complete and submit the Information Networker application form; serve in two 30 minute time slots each week in the library in their own time; attend training workshops once a week; wear the Information Networker badge with pride; help out their fellow students in their various classes where they can provide practical assistance to the information needs of others; promote their role to the College community including at parent evenings; to serve for a minimum two year period to complete the Certificate II and to qualify for the time requirement for Service College Colours.

In recent times our Information Networkers have visited the various kinds of libraries which exist in our state. They have also been exposed to the important functions that library technicians perform within our profession. We were privileged to have Wendy Morris (ECU Joondalup) and Felicity Stride (Jackson McDonald Lawyers) visit us to run a discussion session on the role of library technicians. Our students were surprised by the diversity of tasks that library technicians can perform.

There are some other important benefits in running such a program as this. The profile of the library department has been lifted in the college community. Promotions through the college newsletter and assemblies have contributed to this end, as have Information Networkers acting as tour guides in the library on our annual college enrolment information evening. Once the Information Networkers become proficient in their duties, this will release our library clerical staff to tackle other tasks. For the teacher-librarians delivering the course it has provided opportunities to review library processes and procedures in detail. Finally, I hope that through such a program like this that we will attract student interest in our profession.

Stephen Sampson
Head of Library
Lake Joondalup Baptist College

The badge worn by students involved in the program.

Information Networker issuing a loan.

Information Networkers searching among newspaper microfilms in the Battye Library