The problems of One‐Man‐Bands (OMBs) began to be taken seriously in the early 1980s when the Aslib OMB group was formed. The group received considerable attention in the…
Abstract
The problems of One‐Man‐Bands (OMBs) began to be taken seriously in the early 1980s when the Aslib OMB group was formed. The group received considerable attention in the professional press, and became the object of a study by Judith Collins and Janet Shuter who identified them as “information professionals working in isolation”. Many of the problems identified in the Collins/Shuter study remain — not least of these being the further education and training needs of OMBs. These needs are studied in this report. The author has firstly done an extensive survey of the literature to find what has been written about this branch of the profession. Then by means of a questionnaire sent to the Aslib OMB group and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (INVOG), training and education needs have been pinpointed. Some of these needs have then been explored in greater detail by means of case studies. The author found that the most common deterrents to continuing education and training were time, cost, location, finding suitable courses to cover the large variety of skills needed and lastly, lack of encouragement from employers. The author has concluded by recommending areas where further research is needed, and suggesting some solutions to the problems discussed.
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All libraries engage in some form of marketing and promotional activity, either active or passive. Four benefits come to those who promote their library services: usage; increased…
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All libraries engage in some form of marketing and promotional activity, either active or passive. Four benefits come to those who promote their library services: usage; increased value in the organization; education of users and non‐users; and changed perceptions. Effective library marketing includes combining the concepts of marketing, promotion and public relations, but it begins with a clear definition of the library's mission in the parent organization. The special librarian then needs to analyze the parent organization in terms of funding sources, the contributions the library makes to the mission of the parent organization, and the value of the library's services to users. Such analysis leads to innovation, follow‐up, and involving others in promoting the library and its services, which result in successful marketing for the special library.
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This article describes the preliminary stages of establishing a ‘One‐Man Band’ library for a commercial marketing department, highlighting some characteristics of this type of…
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This article describes the preliminary stages of establishing a ‘One‐Man Band’ library for a commercial marketing department, highlighting some characteristics of this type of information work. The ‘One‐Man Band’ entity—which can be defined as a special library or information unit operated by one person—is well recognised as a type of service with its own features, and has been a topic of interest in library circles for some time.
Liz Blankson‐Hemans and Betty Jo Hibberd
In two surveys of focussed segments of the field of practice and library and information science (LIS) faculty, skill requirements for today's LIS graduates in the commercial…
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In two surveys of focussed segments of the field of practice and library and information science (LIS) faculty, skill requirements for today's LIS graduates in the commercial sector are explored. Findings indicate that while faculty understands the trends and issues in the industry and believe their programmes are addressing the requisite skills, practitioners remain to be convinced that graduates gain the required skills during course instruction. Additionally, changes made over the last eight years in LIS curricula to address these needs have not totally accomplished the objective of adequately preparing graduates for immediate absorption into the workforce. Three recommendations: more effective positioning of LIS courses to students, change in attitude toward a more business focussed perspective, and the need to offer more practical experience, are suggested as possible solutions to the problems.
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This paper deals with two user‐related themes: the development of a user audit and training. The author suggests that a user audit should be carried out within an organisation…
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This paper deals with two user‐related themes: the development of a user audit and training. The author suggests that a user audit should be carried out within an organisation before the full records audit takes place. The underlying rationale for such an audit is suggested by the author to be firstly, that employees will better understand the relevance of the ensuing records audit; secondly, they will feel less threatened by any changes that take place as a result of the records audit; and thirdly, will feel more committed to the records management programme. The author asks whether it is financially feasible to conduct a user audit separate from the records audit itself, when running both audits together may diminish the value of the user audit. Finally, the issue of training is addressed. The author questions how the effectiveness of training can be measured, in records management terms.