Enhancing Academic Support: TUT Library Information Services Promotion

1. Information Services and Library Promotion at TUT Library Taimi NurmisteHead of Information Services Department

2. Aims of Information Services The primary aims of information services: • to support the learning, teaching and research activities of TUT • to keep the university communityinformed of the library`sservices and possibilities • to develop direct communication between the library and the academic departments • The subject librarians system is one effective way in which these aims can be achieved

3. A Subject Librarianis an information specialist who acts as a primary liaison between one or more academic departments and who is appointed to organize library information services in a particular subject field What is a Subject Librarian?

4. Subject librarians system developments • The subject librarian system with two Subject Librarians (chemistry and power engineering) was designed in 1970 • 1975 the Reference Services Departmentwas created to provide reference services in all collection areas • 1990–2002 several structural changes of the Library departments took place • 2002 Information Services Department was formed as an independent department • ISD today: 7 Subject Librarians, 1 Librarian, Head of the ISD

5. Subject Librarians Background • SL-s for civil engineering, chemical and materials technology, mechanical and power engineering are all graduated TUT • SL-s for information technology and social sciences, science, economics and law have no academic qualifications in the field in which they are spezialized, but they have had a long practice in the field they serve • Subject Librarians contacts

6. On the Academicians Alley

7. Tasks of Information Services • Help desk service • Faculty support • Participating in collection development • User training • Exhibitions • Developing Library`s webpage • Promoting library services and resources

8. Information Resources • Access to 100 Databases • e-Books (80 000 titles) • e-Journals (65 000 titles) • e-Catalogue ESTER, Estonian databases • EBSCO A-to-Z • Digital Collectionof TUT Library • dissertations of TUT; digitized textbooks etc • General reference collection • Map collection

9. Help Desk Duties of the SL-s include: • Participating in Help desk service by providing assistance with any questions about Library services and collections to all library patrons • Assisting in information searching, answering questions: • by phone and via e-mail • through Ask a Questionweb form • online by LibChat (brief questions)

10. Information Consultant on Duty

11. LIBChat

12. Faculty support Subject Librarians are responsible for: • Establishing relationships with the faculty, identifying which information services may be required by the faculty and delivering these services • Developing effective two-way communication and collaboration between the library and the academic department • Developing subject gateways

13. Work with Faculty The role of the Subject Librarian includes: • Taking book orders • Selecting journals and databases • Setting up Trials and organizing presentations of new databases • Providing information for accreditation • Assisting to embed Information Skills in curriculum/class/assignment • Providing help guides and tutorials

14. Subject librarians are involved in: • Providing specialized assistance for the faculty staff • to identify journals for manuscript submission • to find author guidelines etc. • Providing individual and group consultations for postgraduated students • Where to publish; How to sign up for alerts • Citation analysis advice: Web of ScienceHow to find Impact Factor, H-Index etc.

15. Workshops for Faculty

16. Collection Development activities • Participating in collection developmentfor print and e-resources • Coordinating book purchase • Organizing pre-purchase exhibitions • Suggestions may be made also via an online formall the year round • Academics can see their book orders on the Library`s webpage • Keeping up-to-date journal and databases collections

17. Key factor in developing relationships with academics Subject Librarians have to make themselves known and available to the faculty The ways of communication with departments: faculty visiting and academics visiting the subject librarians via phone, via individual e-mail, via distribution lists and subject listservs Communication

18. Promotion • It is important to make everyone aware of the library • Promotion keeps the academics and students up-to-date with the latest developments of the library • There are many ways to promote the library: • The best thing – our new library building • Library`s website • Orientation tours and training sessions • Handouts, posters, flyers, slogans, calendar

19. More Promotion Channels • Special Events • E-books reader promotion week • Library Days in October, TUT Open Days • Information slaids on the LCD panels • Library news and events on the TUT web page • Articles in the TUT newspaperMente et Manu • TUT student handbook A-to-Z • Weekly lists of new books on the web page • Workshops

20. Open Day at the TUT

21. Exhibitions as a medium of promotion Subject Librarians present exhibitions: • in the gallery of the library entrance to promote books on a specific topic • The permanent exhibition on the 5th floor “The most…” presents the most interesting books and journals in our collection • Exhibitions and posters are designed by our Library’s artist Tiia Eikholm • Calendar of exhibitions

22. In the Library gallery

23. Library’s Webpage • The latest webpage with TUT template-based designwas launched in 2010 • Each department of the university has to create and publish their content by themselves in the Saurus Open Source Software • Subject Librarians have to manage pages • for Faculty; for Students • News and Events; Exhibitions • Information Sources; TUTL Digital Collection

24. TUTL Homepage

25. Guides on the webpage Subject Librarians provide several user guides • Helping users become familiar with  the library’s services, resources and facilities • Providing tips on advanced searching • How to find …How to search…How to cite… How to evaluate … • How to access library databases outsidethe campus network through the VPN (Virtual Private Network) • How to reserve an individual or group study room

26. New web-based Service

27. Tutorials and Videos • Virtual Tour on the Library’s webpage: • TUTL new Library (by CrioNova) • Video TUTL opening ceremony • Videos created in collaboration with education technology centre of TUT and the library’s system operator: • How to use self check-outmachines? • How to use the self check-inmachine? • Tutorial How to use e-catalogue ESTER?

28. Social Networking • RSS Feed accessed from the library’s webpage • Twitter account accessed from the TUT webpage • Subject Librarians blog “Ainespetsid” created by the Subject Librarian for Science • http://ainespetsid.wordpress.com/ • Collaborating with librarians of Services Department by developing Facebook created by librarians of Services Department

29. Blogof the Subjects Librarians

30. Events at the Library March 19-24 • International Staff Week • TUT Open Day for high school students • Library Tour, promotion desk in the hall • New Trial: Polpred • New books and Journals Exhibition • ExhibitionOne Hundred Books for Understanding Contemporary Japan • Online registration for library class: Explore the Information Kiosk

31. Explore Library Information Kiosk

32. New Competencies needed The digital environment require new skills: • Marketing skills, e-communication skills • Practical skills for delivering training, using new technologies: • Moodle, Web 2.0, Social networking tools • Flickr, YouTube, Blogger • Presentation skills • Powerpoint, SlideShare, Google applications • English language skills

33. More involvement in Teaching • Subject Librarians have become increas-inglyinvolved in the teaching of IL skills • Librarians have not usually been trained to teach, we are doing this mostly through self-directed learning • Workshops and especially summer schools of Subject Librarians of university Libraries provide support, e.g. • adults teaching methods • pedagogical skills for effective teaching

34. Summer Schools (7) The main objectiv: to create a network for sharing professional skills Summer Schools organized by our Library: • Virtual Communication in the university environment (by K. Aedma) • Young scientists and Library: Expectations and Reality (last year) • Vice-Rector for Research of TUT and postgraduate students participated • Workshop at Helsinki Uni of Technology

35. Future Plans • to create a patron survey – an effective tool for promoting library services (in Oct) • to evaluate how the faculty and students use our e-resources andhow satisfied they are with Subject Librarians support, incl • Website (e-resources through the homepage) • Databases (access, usage) • Library instruction, Help guides, TV-panels • to embed more IL tutorials in Moodle cources

36. Be visible! • The importance of visibility and promoting the activities of the Subject Librarians are important • Ensure that everyone in a faculty is aware that they have their very own librarian as anadviser who may offer services for their specific questions • If the academics are not going to come to us, we have to go to them!

37. Thanks! NB!When the new website arrives, some links in this presentation will stop working.