Presented at LILAC 2017

1. Barbara Allan
Making an
impact beyond
the library and
information
service

2. IMPACT

3. 1. Why is it important for all library and information
professionals to make an impact beyond the library?
2. What strategies can we use to influence our
institution’s leaders?
3. How can we facilitate information literacy policies
and practices across our institution?
4. How can we influence the managers and leaders of
the future?
4 Questions

4. Workplace librarian
Serials librarian
My journey
Lecturer -
librarianship

5. Part time lecturer
Centre for Learning
manager
Self employed
Academic library –
resources manager

6. Part time lecturer
Project manager
Interim Dean,
Deputy Dean,
Director of L&T,
Lecturer
Dean and PVC
Self employed

7. Decision making in
universities (and other
organisations)

8. Faculties –
groups of
academics
Professional
services
Executive
team
Governing
body

9. Faculties –
groups of
academics
Professional
services
Executive
team
Governing
body
Research
Learning
and
teaching
Workload
Promotion

10. Faculties –
groups of
academics
Professional
services
Executive
team
Governing
body
Professional
practices
Workload
Resources
Promotion
Job security

11. Faculties –
groups of
academics
Professional
services
Executive
team
Governing
body
Strategy
Targets
Finance
Reputation
Quality
Personal ambitions

12. Faculties –
groups of
academics
Professional
services
Executive
team
Governing
body
Governance – legal,
finance, reputation,
quality

13. What underpins decision
making?

14. Finance
Quality
Reputation
What underpins decision
making?

15. Finance
Quality
Reputation
What underpins decision
making?

16. Finance
Quality Reputation
What underpins decision
making?

17. Finance
Quality
Reputation
What underpins decision
making?

18. Finance
Quality
Reputation
What does this mean?

20. What distracts senior leaders from IL
development

21. What are the opportunities for IL
development?

22. Knocking
on the
door?
Or, be part of
the party?
How do we get it on the agenda?

23. How do we get it on the
agenda?

24. *
PRINCE2®
Project management tools and techniques
Large scale projects

25. Large scale projects - analysis
1.Who makes the decisions?
2.What underpins the decision making –
quality, reputation, finance?
3.Who are the gatekeepers?
4.Who are working in the back offices?
5.How do I make a difference?

26. What is Learning Futures?
Improving the
student experience
The Learning Futures
programme is improving
our undergraduate
courses, and how we teach
and assess.

27. Development of Learning Futures
• Asked students and
staff what needs to
change
• Students and staff
involved in planning
the changes
• Continuing
consultation with
students and staff
• Students became
co-creators

28. Learning Futures projects
Curriculum and
assessment
Academic
Support
Westminster
Distinctiveness
Transforming
Learning and
Teaching

29. 1.It was on top of my day job!
2.Focus on big picture and milestones
3.Very aware of accountability
4.Lots of stakeholders ‘to keep happy’
5.Listened to people who engaged with it and spoke
up
6.No time for the detail (unless things were going
wrong)
My experience as project
board chair

30. University Executive Board
Programme Board
Project Project Project Project
Organisation of Learning Futures

31. 1.It was on top of my day job!
2.Focus on big picture and milestones
3.Very aware of accountability
4.Lots of stakeholders ‘to keep happy’
5.Listened to people who engaged with it and spoke
up
6.No time for the detail (unless things were going
wrong)
My experience as
programme sponsor

32. University Executive Board
Programme Board
Project Project Project Project
Organisation of Learning Futures

33. 1.It was part of my day job
2.Huge agenda and paperwork
3.Fight for my area of responsibility and
interests
4.Very political – aware of tribes and
territories
5.Importance of informal networks and
meetings
6.Colleagues rarely offered to brief me
if they were presenting a paper
My experience -
University Executive Board

34. Opportunities for IL development

35. Making an impact on large scale projects
1.Join the boards
2.Volunteer to be chair or other vital
role
3.Ask to join quality and standards
committees (or equivalent)
4.Make sure your voice is heard
5.Keep on repeating yourself
6.Deliver the goods

36. Small scale projects

37. Making an impact on small scale projects
1.Link them to the strategy
2.Work with a range of stakeholders
3.Publicise them internally and externally
4.Go for external funding
5.Go for national awards
6.Use them as pilots …..

38. How do you convince
someone to agree to your
agenda?

39. Model of convincers
Convincer channel
* Looks right
* Sounds right
* Feels right
* Makes sense
Convincer mode
* Always
* Number of examples
* Period of time
* Never
Charvet, R. S. (1997)
Words that change
minds, Kendall Hunt.

40. Finally ….

41. 1.Make our voices heard
2.Network
3.Link our work to strategy, etc
4.Target our efforts, e.g.
quality and standards,
teacher training
5.Enhance our skills and
techniques
Implications

43. Thank you
Due
September
2017