Employers and Educators work together to give today’s graduates tomorrow’s skills Heather Brown Project Officer, State Library of SA for the LIM/ARM Program & Assistant Director, Artlab Australia Acknowledgment to Professor Andy Koronios, Head, School of Information Technology and Mathematical Sciences, University of SA, Dr Diane Velasquez Program Director &SLSA colleagues

Employers & Educators work together Setting the scene > galaxies that have merged and transformed Image: Judy Schmidt Transforming galaxy

Employers & Educators work together Setting the scene > librarians need to transform in the digital universe > What skills, knowledge & attributes are needed to transform the librarians so they continue to be relevant in the digital universe? > How can we transform LIS education to give today's graduate librarians tomorrow’s skills Image: Shena Tschofen Celestial

Employers & Educators work together Skills, knowledge & attributes Sources:International IFLA Trend report 2013 IFLA Trend report 2013 Riding the Waves or Caught in the Tide? Insights from the IFLA Trend Report from-the-ifla-trend-report_v3.pdf from-the-ifla-trend-report_v3.pdf from-the-ifla-trend-report_v3.pdf Skills to navigate: Innovation hyper connected societies global online education & learning > Removing the barriers between knowledge and users / NASA Island Universe kr.com/photos/ gsfc/

Employers & Educators work together Skills, knowledge & attributes Australia ALIA 014 ALIA LIS Education Skills and Employment trend report and-Employment-Trend-Report-2014.pdf ALIA 2012 The Library and Information sector core knowledge skills and attributes and-guidelines/library-and-information-sector-core-knowledge-skills- and-attributes Partridge H 2011 Library and Information Science 2.0: guiding principles and models of best practice, Strawberry Hills, Australian Learning and Teaching Council. Len Matthews Aussie urban art s/mythoto/

Employers & Educators work together Skills, knowledge & attributes to transform librarians Common themes from Partridge 2011 pp. 11 – 15 Technology> ability to navigate/ exploit emerging technologies Technology> ability to navigate/ exploit emerging technologies Learning> engaging in lifelong learning Learning> engaging in lifelong learning Research skills> using evidence based practice Research skills> using evidence based practice Communication> advocacy, marketing promotion Communication> advocacy, marketing promotion Image Sergei Golyshev globular cluster: Back to the beginning

Employers & Educators work together Skills, knowledge & attributes to transform librarians Collaboration & teamwork> building relationships & partnerships Collaboration & teamwork> building relationships & partnerships User focus > equal partnership with users User focus > equal partnership with users Business savvy> project management, knowing how organisations function, influencing strategic decision making Business savvy> project management, knowing how organisations function, influencing strategic decision making Personal traits> passion, inspirational, proactive, aim for excellence not perfection Personal traits> passion, inspirational, proactive, aim for excellence not perfection We need to transform> the pace has changed, transferable skills, need change in mindset, We need to transform> the pace has changed, transferable skills, need change in mindset, & to remove barriers between knowledge & users We need to transform LIS education to give today’s graduate librarians these skills to effectively navigate the digital universe We need to transform LIS education to give today’s graduate librarians these skills to effectively navigate the digital universe Image Snow peak /

Employers & Educators work together Case study of transformation in South Australia is through industry partnership Case study of transformation in South Australia is through industry partnership State Library and University of SA State Library and University of SA Image: Billy Simon Hold Hands s/billysimon99/ /sizes/l

Employers & Educators work together Transformation through involvement of practitioners – who can astutely navigate the digital universe to remover barriers between knowledge & users Opportunity to shape content (within ALIA Professional guidelines) Opportunity to transform skills of students and to up skill staff Image: Judy Schmidt Transforming galaxy

Employers & Educators work together Drivers, benefits and overview (SLSA perspective) ‘Job ready’ information professionals – with knowledge and skills relevant to navigating digital universe Small state with limited resources – strategic benefits > collaboration provides opportunity e.g. digital preservation Benefits for staff > 50 involved Also range of other professional colleagues (role models’) subcontracted e.g. health school, law, public Benefits for students >‘real life experience’ and case studies, range of professional role models

Employers & Educators work together Benefits and overview (SLSA perspective) Legislation > Libraries Act Training of Librarians 38 ‘The Board, may, subject to the provisions of the Public Service Act , provide courses of training as librarian for such persons as it thinks fit, whether those persons are employed under this Act or not’

A Partnership in Learning Benefits and integration (UniSA perspective) Unique partnership for LIS Educators Expertise from active practitioners at the forefront of practical application Strong support from industry Placements and projects Students gain practical skills (as well as theoretical underpinning) Makes students more employable Point of differentiation from other LIS Programs

Employers & Educators work together Benefits and integration (UniSA perspective) Industry participation in Program Management group Wider cross-industry forum for program and course directions – making course relevant in a digital universe Exchange of ideas Improves quality of content and delivery Communication SLSA and other partners participate in UniSA staff forum > help shape the knowledge and skills for new digital universe Ongoing communication, planning, consistency, quality assurance

Employers & Educators work together Benefits and integration (UniSA perspective) Ability to run small/flexible academic team Focus on research which is linked to industry issues Setup requires commitment and time Willingness to meet regularly and communicate issues Internal UniSA cycles are demanding and often inflexible Requires willingness to understand other organisational cultures

Embedding in SLSA – organisational issues Why did SLSA get involved in this partnership? Climate for progressing partnership Existing mature relationship between UniSA SLSA - guest lecturing – experience. Formal Contract takes this a stage further embedded as a model Desire to influence output from Uni and produce what industry needs (content and skills to navigate digital universe) Employers & Educators work together

Embedding in SLSA – organisational issues Two year rolling contract with University Strategic Plan focus Priority 5 > ‘Lead and collaborate to grow capability’ Resourcing – 1.4 FTE positions plus > 50 staff Reflected in job descriptions – part of normal duties Also other colleagues from Wider industry e.g. Special, public, school etc. Part of Performance Management process Presents real staff development opportunities

Delivery issues and challenges SLSA contracted to coordinate and deliver 5 courses: Managing Collections Accessing Resources Preservation Principles Digital Preservation Information Management Foundations + Professional Placement Employers & Educators work together

Delivery issues and challenges Role involves > Developing course content Developing learning materials Delivering lectures and/or tutorial sessions and/or demonstrations Communication & Coordination Identifying practitioner colleagues (who can astutely navigate digital universe) from SLSA + from outside (to assist in specialist areas e.g. law, medical, schools ) – role models, Assessing - reports, surveys c.f. essays Quality assurance Mentoring students Employers & Educators work together

Delivery issues and challenges Providing experiential learning opportunities – embedding theory with practice, role models in the industry Employers & Educators work together Images: Heather Brown

Employers & Educators work together Image: Heather Brown

Employers & Educators work together Images: Heather Brown

Delivery issues and challenges Identifying staff with requisite knowledge skills and experience > who know how to remove barriers between knowledge & users Partnering with other professional colleagues – exposing students to role models from across industry Minimising impact within SLSA while maximising benefits Course podcasts and lectures available on intranet Professional development: mentoring staff Succession training and back-ups Employers & Educators work together

Delivery issues and challenges Briefing staff and partner lecturers Course coordinators active and present Managing students’ expectations Course Coordinators inducted into UniSA teaching and learning & participate in UniSA staff forum Employers & Educators work together

Delivery issues and challenges Working within University requirements Challenge in sequencing content logically along with staff availability Providing experiential learning for external/online students SLSA forum peer feedback Feedback from students – formal surveys, reflective comments Employers & Educators work together

Summary Benefits to SLSA & University of SA Students’ learning Employers & Educators work together Image: University of SA Jeffrey Smart Building Image: State Library of SA: Foyer

Summary Breadth and depth of partnership Helps to transform LIS to give today’s graduates tomorrow’s skills to astutely navigate digital universe & remove barriers between knowledge and users> through ‘role model’ practitioners/astute navigators - shaping what is taught and helping to teach it. Employers & Educators work together Image: Shena Tschofen Celestial

Employers & Educators work together