marketing information literacy education in a scientific community case – kumpula science library...
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Marketing information literacy education in a scientific community
Case – Kumpula Science Library
Antti Virrankoski
University of Helsinki Libraries
Information Literacy as Currency in a Scientific Community
highly dependent on how librarians get their message
through Why is it so important for students and researchers?
Why is it so important for university (for society)?
Why is it so important that libraries take charge in IL
teaching?
In order to get the message through, librarians need PR
skills and marketing Not forgetting to have a good product first…
About Kumpula Science Library
Helsinki University Campus Library of Natural Sciences Geography, geology, physics, chemistry, computer science
& mathematics
IL education has mainly been conducted by the
departments Strong tradition of independent department libraries and co-
operation between researchers and librarians (strong bond)
Science Library was established 2001 The bond between department and library has weakened
Science Library is on its’ way gaining a bigger role in
educating students
For this we need a good product and even better marketing
- Re-bonding (making customers co-workers again)
The Changing Role of Library and Librarians (Clifford & Lynch 2000, 60-68)
Information environment
Change Library Librarian
1st wave Automation of traditional operations
Memory of mankind Few IT-experts, traditional skills
2nd wave Integrated library system
Standardization, harmonizing operations
ICT affects everyone’s tasks, skill level differences, user training
3rd wave e-library Changes in organization and process future orientation
Librarians as IL teachers
4th wave? e-scienceInteractivityIncreased focus on the customer
Networks Librarians as a part of teaching and research processes, Creative solutions
The Lost Bond
During the ”diaspora” (2001-2008) the role of library and a
librarian have changed (previous slide) The departments have become less dependent on library Library left the department – IL teaching remained
Previously it would have been a natural part of library’s
responsibilities
The role of a librarian lacks behind Perhaps a ”giant leap” over the 3rd wave?
Marketing IL education in Kumpula campus
Three way strategy (in addition to the ”normal” PR)
1. co-operation
2. availability
3. assimilation
Co-operation
In all possible levels and occasions Libraries planning the IL teaching alongside with the
department (as co-workers) Lightens the weight in departments’ teaching responsibility Chance to show librarians’ IL skills and value-added to the
department Chance to enlighten the true essence of IL Chance to get an inside view to the departments’ main
function (teaching processes) Let the product do the marketing itself
Case Kumpula I: Supporting the information seeking of
candidate students in Department of Geography
in the University of Helsinki
Full co-operation between library and department of
geography Teaching responsibility will be transferred to library Pilot from which the Science Library gathers as much
feed back as possible (from both sides)
Availability
Librarians got to be ready when needed Library must be open as much as possible (closed doors
= worst case scenario) PR, marketing and information providing are essential High quality IL education itself is best possible PR Letting the word get around (happy customer – best PR) Providing as much IL education as possible
Assimilation
To convince that IL teaching (and other library processes)
is an essential element of main processes (education,
research and societal interaction) in university To point out where and how IL teaching supports the
researchers or students (or a single research process)
Case Kumpula II: marketing presentation to our ”customers”
Presentation to the board and faculty decision makers
(customers) Who is behind the processes
Introducing the staff
How much work and staff behind services
Library as a part of students’ career Timeline from beginning to end Where lies the importance of library services in each step
of the way? What it means (for a student) to have good IL skills
Timeline and library interventions in university studies in Kumpula campus
First contact Usually library tour
ICT Driving Licence For new students (1st year)
Faculty responsible for teaching (Library supports and co-
operates)
Helsinki university libraries responsible for the material
(information seeking –part)
Timeline and library interventions in university studies in Kumpula campus
Providing text books Cataloguing, database management, collection
management, customer service etc.
Making collections available and supporting use of material
IL support for candidate and master’s level students IL support for postgraduate students Hands-on guidance (if needed)
Lifecycle of a research paper
Researchers IL-skills result of IL education in previous university studies (graduate
and post-graduate level IL support)
Better IL skills, better quality graduates, better researchers
Also valid in ”real life” labour market
IL teaching for researchers
Material Printed and e-material
Lots of library work behind usability and availability
Acquisition, cataloguing, database management etc…
Some feedback and observations
”I only wish that our (department) staff had so clear a
vision of their work, processes and meaning to the
scientific community” The amount of contacts and questions towards library
have been increasing Departments are slowly realizing that IL teaching (done
by library) could be off their work load
Other ways…
To show real interest in your customers User studies Research on their information behaviour
A true win-win situation
Customer information
Increasing professional competence as an information
specialist
Perhaps some respect as a ”colleague” in science…
Researcher visits Customers view on library services, information search, own
subject area etc.
A peak to a researcher’s work