Greetings from the Norad library. We are still happy librarians, our library services are in demand and we are getting feedback.
Thanks to all who contributed with you ideas and comments. It was an inspiring session! Glad to see that many people are thinking like us and very useful because we got some thoughts cleared out. We definitely know something about what we want to prioritize and how we can get use of our core competencies.
Our activities are all built on the users’ information needs. We want to be - and think we are need-driven and not collection-oriented so it is of great importance have good user surveys. Facts and statistics on the activities are in demand and for us a constant challenge.
In Bergen, we confirmed that one of the most important thing we can do, is to conduct user training - help our library users to help themselves. However, user training is no point without a good product to market. Therefore, we see that the preparation of information systems and user training are close connected. It may be that librarians should be taught in adult education. This is perhaps an idea for the next EADI IMWG meeting.
We do some tabloid marketing like: "You have a library. The library is for you. We provide everything”
We offer all departments a ten minutes briefing about the library with the slogan "what everyone should know about Norad's library”. Then we invite them to a twenty minutes individual course at the computer in the library. We put a lot of emphasis in building relationships, both at the organizational level and in relation to individuals. This is popular and Else’s calendar is full.
User training does not make us unemployed, but leads us to more advanced requests. That challenge us and stimulates to search for new knowledge so we always appear as professionals and highly skilled.
Norad's library is organized as an integrated part of a large information department. We are 17 all together (1.6 librarian). Our experience is that journalists, media people, web desk and librarians interact well. We often feel privileged to work in this environment, which is so active and dynamic. But from time to time we are and should be, challenged to think critical about our profession, are we on the right track, what are the results of our library work or could it be done in another way. Yes, it is exciting and never boring.
Else og Kirsten
