Now you see us. Now you don't.

Sales, N

Abstract

The University of Salford has radically overhauled their approach to new student welcome and induction activities. During induction fortnight, the library team traditionally delivered an induction programme of compulsory computer based training sessions, introducing key services, operational information and instructions for basic library searching.

A review of activities in 2012 highlighted a number of issues. With increases in students’ IT confidence, large sections of the induction package were redundant. Many students felt alienated through boredom with content, having worked out for themselves how to access email, computers and the virtual learning environment (VLE). Training materials focused heavily on IT processes due to a legacy remaining from a previous convergence of the IT and Library service. One student comment stated, ‘I’ve just been to my Library induction and I don’t even know where the books are.’ For Library staff this was a labour intensive time, with over 222 staff hours spent repeating inductions in a two week period.

Over the past two years a new induction programme with less contact with Librarians has been developed. Librarians are now removed from a highly visible position to take a less public induction role. Induction activities are deployed throughout the first semester, reducing pressure on library staff and providing students with key information at their point of need. Using social media, a digital literacy blog and the VLE to increase awareness of library activities and information, induction has evolved into a marketing and communications event for the whole Library service.
This poster will provide a visual summary of the changes employed and strategies used. It will highlight the benefits for both staff and students, and illustrate the shift from embedded, practical training to a marketing and communication campaign, empowering new students to self-discover essential Library services and skills through a ‘Skills for Learning’ portal.

Citation

Sales, N. (2015, April). Now you see us. Now you don't. Poster presented at LILAC Conference, Newcastle

• Presentation Conference Type: Poster
• Conference Name: LILAC Conference
• Conference Location: Newcastle
• Start Date: Apr 7, 2015
• End Date: Apr 10, 2015
• Publication Date: Apr 8, 2015
• Deposit Date: Apr 14, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 14, 2015
• Related Public URLs: http://www.lilacconference.com/WP/programme/poster-abstracts#sales
• Additional Information: Event Type : Conference