Information Scotland The Journal of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland ISSN 1743-5471 Issue contents | Journal contents | About the online edition of the journal April 2006 Volume 4(2)

Online resources

Targeting the users

Background
The People’s Network in Scotland initiative provided funding for a range of online information resources for a two-year period to January 2005. This project ensured the same level of up-to-date quality information was available at every library, no matter how small or rural.
After the funding ended the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) managed a tender for online resources for a further two year period from April 2005 covering three areas of information provision: general information, newspapers and business information. All public library services chose to subscribe to at least one aspect of this tender, which is funded from Council budgets. Many libraries are now developing a business case for continuing this service.

Free access to online resources is an excellent service for Scottish public library users and something they should all be aware of. But are they? Hazel Lauder gives some practical advice on how to promote this valuable service.

This is an exciting time for public libraries as the provision of access to high quality online information becomes an integral part of the services they can offer.

The value of these online services, their accessibility at all times, and their accuracy compared to internet search engines such as Google, is something that public libraries should work hard to promote.

To encourage use of these services libraries need to follow an action plan that utilises promotional material and targets likely user groups.

Developing an action plan
Promotion of online resources doesn’t just happen. It has to be planned. It is important that services develop an action plan to ensure that customers, and staff, are aware of the range of resources available. Each library service should have a manager with responsibility for promoting online resources. A staff forum can be an additional way of sharing information.

Experience shows that blanket promotion doesn’t always work and that information disappears in the masses of material both in printed format and in mailboxes. It is therefore important to promote particular online resources at different times. This can be done in a variety of ways:
l by ‘spotlighting’ resources on the library web pages
l using promotional material in libraries
l arranging quizzes for library staff and the public

A number of libraries encourage staff to become ‘champions’ for particular resources. A ‘champion’ develops in-depth knowledge of the service and is responsible for promoting it to other library staff and users. This approach has worked successfully in Fife and Glasgow City Libraries.

Promotional material
Many library services distribute promotional material to libraries on a planned basis as part of their action plan. Service providers offer a range of promotional material including posters, bookmarks, pens, and notepads and libraries should take advantage of these offers by developing their relationship with service providers.
Several library services have developed material specific to their local authority such as East Dunbartonshire where the ‘Yellow Button’ logo is used on desktops and printed material. Service providers will support developments by providing artwork including advertisements for plasma screens.

Many library services have user guides that introduce customers to the services available and these can spotlight individual online resources.

The Council intranet can provide access to online resources for Council staff as long as they are members of the library service and this is permitted under the terms of the licence.

Libraries often submit articles and features to local newspapers, council magazines and community newsletters and this can be an excellent way to raise awareness of the resources available among individuals, businesses and learners.

Staff development
Staff are the most effective way to promote any service therefore it is crucial that they have a strong awareness of the online services available, what they offer and are competent in their use.

The usual model for staff training is trainer-led sessions with an expectation that libraries will organise cascade training to extend this expertise to other library staff.

Cascade training can be difficult to manage in public libraries where staffing resources are often limited and alternative means of training need to be considered. Service providers are aware of these difficulties and online training and electronic delivery have been developed as a solution to this problem.

To enable signposting to relevant information it is important for staff to develop product awareness. Particular groups can benefit from using specific resources, for
example, the NewsUK newspaper archive and Issues, providing information on social topics, are valuable resources for discursive essay writing, and Oxford Reference offers foreign language dictionaries.

The KnowUK library staff quiz has been an excellent way to encourage staff to use this online resource. The quiz asks staff to answer a series of questions by using KnowUK.

Aberdeenshire Libraries have developed the Go@l brand – Go Online at Libraries – and have produced a staff training manual for online resources. Internet tutors have produced a guide for members of the public.

Libraries in Renfrewshire have been working to promote electronic resources to young people as part of the Electronic Resources Learning Information (ERLI) initiative. The project encourages young people to join the public library to access quality information from home or in the library.

As part of their action plan library managers attended the Renfrewshire Youth Conference for fifth and sixth year pupils taking the opportunity to promote online resources, making good use of the promotional material supplied.

Many opportunities are available for promoting online resources including:
l Students at freshers fairs and open events
l School pupils through the school library service
l Young people through Young Scot activities
l IT Buddies in training sessions
l Adult literacy workers
l Community learning workers
l Other council departments and staff

Using online resources should be as seamless as possible for the public, which means that access within libraries should be authenticated by IIP address. To ensure that online resources are available to members anywhere remote access should be offered through the library web pages, authenticated by the library barcode. It is important that resources are easily found on the council website and that an explanation of the service provided is available.

The ability to offer online services to the public is an exciting opportunity. Following an action plan will help promotion of these services to users. However, as ever, the critical factor for success will be the enthusiasm and expertise of library staff.

Hazel Lauder is Service Development Manager, Scottish Library and Information Council.

Information Scotland Vol. 4(2) April 2006

Information Scotland is delivered online by the SAPIENS electronic publishing service based at the Centre for Digital Library Research. SLAINTE (Scottish libraries across the Internet) offers further information about librarianship and information management in Scotland.