http://www.dfee.gov.uk/post16/publications/trngqual.shtml

1. Introduction

1.1 The Library Association is the professional body that represents more than 25,000 librarians and information workers in the United Kingdom. Members of The Library Association work in a range of settings, including: schools and post-16 education; public libraries; industry, commerce and government; the health, legal and voluntary sectors. It has 2,500 active members in the further education sector. 

1.2 We welcome the opportunity to comment on the technical consultation document Learning to succeed: raising standards in post 16 learning: building practitioner skills and qualifications in work-based learning funded by the Learning and Skills Council and the Employment Service.

1.3 We offer comments and recommendations on the consultation document for your consideration.

2. Qualifications

2.1 The Library Association welcomes the recognition in the consultation document that staff in support areas contribute to the learning process (paragraph 2.8) as we contend that librarians have a role to play. For example, in many further education colleges the library, or learning resource centre, is seen as integral to the teaching and learning process and to the effective delivery of the curriculum. The Association is keen that, in the workplace, library and information services develop along similar lines and that the learner support skills of library staff are recognised (see paragraph 5.2 below). 

3. Co-Operation and Partnership

3.1 The issues raised in paragraphs 3.8 and 3.9 would suggest that a co-operative or partnership approach to the delivery of learning could be an answer. A mixed economy of practitioner skills could contribute to filling the identified skills gaps and provide learners with more consistent support. It could also provide a support mechanism for practitioners.

3.2 This is the approach adopted by the Institute for Teaching and Learning (ILT) in the higher education sector. The Institute is actively encouraging learning support staff form areas such as the library or IT support to become accredited members as the ILT as their contribution is seen as integral to the learning process.

4. Learning Styles and Learning Skills

4.1 It is essential to ensure that learners have the necessary skills and motivation to study. It is also vital to ensure that the preferred learning style of the student is assessed. This will allow practitioners to develop appropriate learning programmes that lead to successful outcomes for the students. 

4.2 Allied to learning styles are learning skills. As well as literacy, numeracy and ICT skills, students need information skills appropriate to their level of study. Information skills are those skills that allow students to locate, retrieve, appraise, organise, record, communicate and evaluate information.

4.3 Libraries could play a part in enabling learners to acquire appropriate information skills. Libraries can supply the learning and information resources students need, while library staff have a role to play in teaching transferable information, learning and knowledge navigation skills. This is allied to the issue of co-operation and partnership.

5. Learning Cultures

5.1 The natural partner for trainers within an organisation is often the human resources department, as they have a role to play in staff development. However, a less obvious partner could be the library. Many organisations have a library, which is quite often viewed as an information point for staff on work related or technical issues, but not necessarily as a support mechanism for work-based learning.

5.2 The Library Association is particularly interested in this concept of libraries within organisations contributing to the learning culture of the organisation and carried out research during the Workplace Libraries 99 campaign and intends to follow-up the research in the Workplace Libraries 2000 and Beyond campaign next year

6. Diversity of Practitioner Qualifications

6.1 In paragraph 5.5 it states that there are at least 14 qualifications that have specific relevance to the minimum skills required by practitioners. As noted above, the necessity to ensure that learners possess appropriate learning skills, such as information skills, may require an even broader view of appropriate practitioner qualifications. 

6.2 We would recommend that the qualifications offered through the Information Services National Training Organisation (ISNTO) are also considered when identifying appropriate practitioner qualifications. 

7. Conclusion

7.1 The Library Association thanks you for the opportunity to comment on the technical consultation document Learning to succeed: raising standards in post 16 learning: building practitioner skills and qualifications in work-based learning funded by the Learning and Skills Council and the Employment Service. We hope that our comments prove useful and welcome the possibility of further engagement in this debate.

The Library Association
October 2000

For further information contact:

Kathy Ennis
Professional Adviser, Academic and Research Libraries
tel: 020 7255 0633
email: kathy.ennis@la-hq.org.uk