Training and Support Needs

Cataloguing and circulation training with donated Athena library (and no common language!) - 2000

An ongoing training and support program is needed to assist the UNTL Librarians in Dili.

Funds are needed to provide at least two to three years continual access to both experienced librarians and IT staff. Their expertise is necessary to advise, train and assist UNTL Library staff with all aspects of the development and management of the Library and its services to UNTL teaching staff and students.

It is important that this assistance be in accordance with the wishes of the UNTL librarians. The training program needs to be balanced with their ongoing workload in developing the library.

Aid funding is required to provide:

• training and support by qualified librarians to assist the UNTL librarians to establish, develop and maintain library services and systems, to provide information literacy training and support to students and teaching staff
  
  
• support and training by appropriate IT staff to establish the Multimedia Centre and its classroom, to establish and maintain the Library and Multimedia Centre servers and networks, to maintain and upgrade equipment, to provide training to Library staff in the operational aspects of the systems, to provide IT, multimedia and information literacy skills to staff and students, and to train appropriate East Timor technical staff in all aspects of the above to ensure the long-term sustainability of the library and Multimedia Centre networks.
  
  
• the translation of selected documents, user guides and the online library systems manual into Indonesian
  
  
• the opportunity for the Librarians to travel to Australia to visit a range of libraries, with work experience and training. This would involve a developed program of work experience in different tertiary and community libraries. (At a later date funding for extended work experience/training programs or scholarships for librarianship/information sciences courses are sought at Australian or overseas university libraries.
  
  

Training Needs

The primary training and support needs are:

• assistance with managing all aspects of the early stages of library development, including:
  
  
1. general library management and operational skills development
   
   
2. establishing basic library services, systems and collections
   
   
3. ongoing training and support in developing the online catalogue and circulation systems
   
   
4. establishing IT infrastructure, the multimedia centre and classroom services, and Internet access
   
   
5. managing and processing incoming collection resources, particularly English texts
   
   
6. developing an information literacy skills training program
   
   
7. providing ongoing information literacy skills training for staff and students, including Internet & online database training
   
   
8. developing user guides and signage
   
   
• computer and multimedia skills development, systems management skills
  
  
• general IT systems support and development, and equipment maintenance
  
  
• assist with the development of IT infrastructure within the university
  
  
• English and Portuguese language skills
  
  
• ongoing development of the new building including all aspects of the building infrastructure and facilities
  
  

As well as the aid program of visiting support and training staff, it is proposed that ‘sister’ relationships be developed with appropriate Australian and international university libraries, to provide UNTL Library staff with a support network to call upon when advice and guidance is needed.

Other Libraries in East Timor

One of the most important benefits of training UNTL Library library staff is that they will be better able to assist with the development of other library services including the proposed National Library, regional public libraries and the possible development of school library services and small specialist libraries.

It is proposed that the University Library and the planned National Library will act as national training and advisory centres, providing experience for East Timorese trainee librarians and providing guidance and support to other developing library services.

Such cooperative development would enable different library services to exchange staff to assist with specific projects, leave requirements or training programs.