Two Roads, a Single Destination : Supporting the Information Literacy Skills Needs of Advanced Users at the Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU)

Abstract

This paper describes how the Manchester Metropolitan University Library provides Information Literacy skills training and support for advanced users. Given today s time constrictions, the paper will focus on the training and support that is currently available. If you would like to know more about its development and theoretical underpinnings, please consult the bibliography appended to the written version of the paper; in particular, the report of the Big Blue project (Manchester Metropolitan University Library & Leeds University Library, 2002) and the journal article Blended learning in action (Donnelly, Jones, Matthews & Peters, 2006).As most of you will be unfamiliar with MMU, it may be helpful to provide an estimate of the size of our advanced user population which we would define as comprising postgraduate students and academic staff. Based on 2005-2006 data (Higher Education Statistics Agency), MMU s postgraduate population comprises 740 postgraduate research students and 5,300 postgraduate students on taught degree programs. In both cases, the majority of these students are studying on a part-time basis. MMU has approximately 2,000 academic staff, one-third of whom are part-time. This makes our target audience just under 9,000 individuals. Given MMU s large undergraduate population over 32,500 students you will appreciate that our advanced users are in the minority, representing approximately 20% of our total audience. Nonetheless, the Library has firmly committed to supporting their information needs both in terms of resources and Information Skills training.A two-pronged approach is taken to training MMU s advanced users with the responsibility shared by the Research Support Librarian and the subject teams based throughout MMU s seven site libraries. The subject librarians, not surprisingly, take a discipline-focused approach: they run hands-on workshops where users explore the electronic journals and database services relevant to their discipline and practise basic search skills such as the development of a search statement and the use of Boolean operators. The Research Support Librarian addresses more generic and specialist needs for example, training on advanced search skills such as cited reference searching and the use of resources such as PapersInvited.com (a subscription-based calls for papers service), ResearchResearch.com (a source of funding information) and Journal Citation Reports. In the course of time, some topics originally handled by the Research Support Librarian - for example, EndNote and electronic current awareness services - have been incorporated into the subject librarians work, a trend that will most definitely continue.