Continuing education and training for academic library staff

Abstract

Some 52 university and 30 polytechnic librarians were questioned about forms of continuing education and training in their libraries. Induction and further education issues were explored, as well as attitudes to the idea of continuing education. The survey took place between November 1987 and January 1988. A response rate of 87 per cent was achieved. Marked differences in practices were revealed between polytechnic and university libraries. Responses indicated a growing interest in continuing education, often influenced by factors outside the direct control of librarians.

Look who’s talking: Means of interpersonal communication between librarians and library users

“…All forms of assistance that exist in the library, the transaction's success is not only measured by the information provided but also by the positive and negative effects of the interaction of library users or library staff. What kind of positive and negative attitudes of the library staff are accepted by the visitors is an essential factor in measuring visitor satisfaction with the services provided (8,9).…”

Greek university libraries in the european context

“…Another approach to determine the quality of library services and / or their effectiveness has focused on user studies aiming to measure the extent to which the library impacts upon and meets the needs of its users 64 . A large literature is available for this subject 65 . Lancaster 66 pointed out that library surveys are shifting their emphasis toward the library user, patterns of library use and the degree to which user needs are being met.…”

“…Students expect to have a basic text-book in every course, to read and reproduce it in their final examinations with a final purpose to "pass" the course. This practice establishes intellectual monopolies by introducing a one opinion authenticity in university education; it rewards memorising, limits academic freedom by determining the number of pages permitted in every text-book, and creates intellectually and ideologically underfed students 65 .…”

“…Library education is given also to teacher-training colleges 64 . In all other European Union countries, professional organisations, and government bodies offer continuous education and training of library staff 65 .…”

“…Despite raised expectations the creation of a union catalogue has not speeded up library co-operation because it was not followed by formal arrangements for co-operation. As a result the union list has an informational value only as it is not part of a plan for the development of a library network 65 .…”