The document discusses how a library and information manager at Belfast Metropolitan College plans to use the FE Advocacy Framework to better promote and develop their library services. It provides background on the college and current reporting methods. The manager intends to use the framework to create an organizational development plan by assessing each impact statement and evidencing current services. This will help capture usage, improve collaborations, and gain recognition of the library's value from senior management. The desired outcomes include service improvements, better links between library interventions and student outcomes, and further developments from CILIP.
9. ...............................................................................................................
Using the framework to
develop a service
• Simple plan using each impact statement and
evidencing our own service. Organisational
development plan will follow based on each
strand.
• Use examples to highlight things we do well but
also be critical of those we don’t – for example,
the framework makes many references to
literacy, something we almost completely ignore
currently
• Develop better evidencing
20/04/2018 Library & Information Service, Belfast Metropolitan College 9
10. Exampledeveloping
framework
12/02/2018 Library & Information Service, Belfast Metropolitan College 10
Impact Existing Evidence Further Evidence
Digital
Literacy Skills
- Programme of
student e-learning
sessions
- Basic usage stats
- Student feedback
- Linking training to
results
- Staff feedback
- Targeted surveys
Improved
Literacy
- Almost none - Increase 6 book
challenge participation
- Links with teaching
departments
- Links with Student
Support for struggling
students
Ross McDonald – brief summary of career to date
Relationship with CILIP – initially a member then left; rejoined when it was clear that CILIP was moving in a new direction
New post – Library & Information Services Manager, Belfast Met, Jan 2017: new to FE
Immediately tasked with promoting the success of the Library service to date and also developing it for the future. Tasked with acquiring useful meaningful, statistics, data, evidence, feedback etc.
Need to benchmark this against other similar Colleges
Legacy issues – restructuring of FE Colleges in N.Ireland / internal restructuring and many experienced staff leaving / new senior management / previous failure to attain COLRiC award but pressure to try for this again
Supportive management but some naivety in how we can attain statistics (run a report from the LMS….) so the need to look across the sector for information
Largest further and Higher Education College in Northern Ireland and one of the largest in the UK – 30,000 students over 4 campuses;1,000 staff; hundreds of different courses from Level 1 up to Level 7 (basic skills to post-graduate).
Note the HE inclusion – although relating to the FE Policy Enquiry I’m adapting to suit my own organisation as we don’t have a separate FE & HE Library Service
Methodology – difficulties in capturing such a wide body of evidence - for things that we are already doing well as well as things we don’t
Current reporting and use of statistics patchy. Regular collation of baseline statistics is very good but frequently not used or acted upon to drive the service
Surveys – bi-annual student survey has to be completed as per Dept. of Education request but uptake is low (compared to other FE Colleges) and only scope for 3 general Library related questions. Other in-house surveys irregular. Little formal surveying of staff.
Direct feedback good but was not being recorded efficiently
(Limited) anecdotal evidence not being recorded formally
Biggest issue Library Services faces is that we don’t effectively measure the impact of our services. This is a major worry as failing to do this leads to a risk where the service is not properly appreciated for the work to date nor given the opportunity to develop further.
Example – senior staff know that it is important to have a number of qualified Librarian posts but not why it is important (arguably a positive and negative)
Perhaps with Belfast Met not much has been queried recently due to generally high levels of satisfaction and recent investments
Long term this is unlikely to be sustainable and needs to change. The FE Framework has been an excellent tool to begin this planning process
Adapting the FE Framework to suit my own needs and using the research and information in Belfast Met
Not a completed framework but still very useful
Excellent infogram and planning tool (discuss)
The value, to me, in the framework is that is has sought and then collated research from a number of different FE institutions, evidence that would not be otherwise easily obtainable.
Discussion of how Belfast Met is adapting the framework to develop the service
Simplistic version of evidencing and planning:
Taking strands from the Framework
Assessing what we are doing already as compared to other institutions and assessing how well we are doing these
Highlighting other things that we are either missing completely or not close to in comparison with others
Need to define evidence gathering at each stage
Work the overall document into a long term development plan that will tie-in with our existing departmental and organisational development plans.
Evidence value of qualified Librarians in making this happen!!