Unleashing the potential: new professionals in the workplace

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Unleashing the potential new professionals in
the workplace

• Emma Illingworth and Sarah IsonAssistant
  Information AdvisersAldrich Library, University
  of Brighton

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University of Brighton Student Population

• 67 of our students across all levels are over 21
  when they start their course.
• During 2007/2008 we had 1,188 international and
  1,398 EU students from 100 countries.
• 8 of our students have declared a disability
• 62 of our students are female

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Defining the 21st century library user
University of Brighton 21st Century Library Users
Students
Staffft, pt, visiting, academic, technical,
support
Studentsft, pt, distance, ug, pg, home,
international, EU, partner college
Professionals/public
Researchers
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Independent
Digital Immigrants
Connected 24/7
Characteristics of 21st century library users
Confident
Optimistic
Digital natives
Bored by routine
Entrepreneurial
Goal oriented
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An essential component of facilitating learning
is understanding learners.
Oblinger, 2003
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• stuff

The role of libraries in facilitating access to
information remains central. In order to be
effective however, there is a need for
understanding of the ways in which users seek,
acquire and utilise information.
Brophy, 2007
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Identifying the needs of 21st century library
users at University of Brighton

• School board meetings
• Comments/feedback by comment form and email
• Verbal comments at the enquiry desk
• Information services student survey
• Information services staff survey
• Aldrich library feedback wiki

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Feedback wiki
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Information services student survey

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What skills and attitudes does the 21st Century
Information Professional need to succeed?
Bingo!
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Bingo!What skills and attitudes does the 21st
Century Information Professional need to succeed?

• Ability to embrace change
• Commitment to customer service
• Comfortable in the online medium
• Enthusiasm for learning new technologies
• Ability to troubleshoot technologies
• Patience
• Enthusiasm for learning
• Project management skills
• Ability to question and evaluate library services
• Ability to evaluate the needs of all stakeholders
• Vision to translate traditional library services
  into the online medium
• Ability to compare and be critical of new
  technologies
• Diplomacy skills
• Ability to sell ideas and library services
• Marketing skills
• Web savvy may use blogs, create wikis, promote
  use of RSS

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Marketing your skills and services our top
tips!
Only 20 of what we do is visible to other
people

• -Garcia 2000, 1.

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Final Thoughts

• Who are 21st Century library users and what do
  they expect?
• So what does the 21st Century Information
  Professional look like?
• How can we market our skills and services?

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Contact us

• Emma Illingworth, Assistant Information Adviser,
  Aldrich Library, University of Brighton( 01273
  642 798
• e.illingworth_at_brighton.ac.uk
• facebook.com/emmaillingworth72
• twitter.com/wigglesweets
• Sarah Ison, Assistant Information Adviser,
  Aldrich Library, University of Brighton
• ( 01273 642 756
• s.j.ison_at_brighton.ac.uk
• facebook.com/sarahpison
• twitter.com/sarahjison
• University of Brighton, Information Services
• www.brighton.ac.uk/is
• twitter.com/UniBrightonIS

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• References
• Brophy, P. (2007a) Communicating the library
  librarians and faculty in dialogue. Library
  Management Vol 28 (8/9)
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• Brophy, P. (2007b) The library in the
  twenty-first century, London Facet
• Farkas, M. (2006) Riding the Shift On Being a
  Successful 21st Century Librarian. Accessed April
  2009.http//meredithfarkas.wetpaint.com/
•  
• Farkas, M. (2008) Beyond 2018 Transformation and
  Future of Academic Libraries. Accessed April
  2009.http//meredithfarkas.wetpaint.com/
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• Garcia, J. 2000. Dispelling the myths
  Quantifying what librarians really do. Business
  Information Alert 12(6) 1-3, 6. Cited in Siess,
  J.A. 2003. The Visible Librarian Asserting your
  value with marketing and advocacy. Chicago
  American Library Association.
• Oblinger, D. (2003) Boomers, Gen-Xers and
  Millenials understanding the new students.
  Educase review, July/August 2003, 37-47
• Researchers Use of Academic Libraries and their
  Services. A report commissioned by the Research
  Information Network and the Consortium of
  Research Libraries. Accessed April 2009.
  http//www.rin.ac.uk/files/libraries-report-2007.p
  df
• Sharp, K. (2001) Internet Librarianship
  traditional roles in a new environment. IFLA
  Journal 27(2)78-81
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