International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
Building Strong Library Associations
Page 1 Building Your Library Association | Trainers Manual
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
Building Strong Library Associations
Table of Contents
Building Strong Library Associations Programme 4
Learning Outcomes 7
Programme 8
Session 1: Welcome 13
Session 2: What is the issue? 16
Session 3: What is the context for library associations in your region? 17
Session 4: Why is the issue important and who will be involved? 22
Session 5: What will the proposal achieve and how? 25
Session 1: What will the proposal achieve and how? 29
Session 2: Success story 32
Session 3: What can I do to achieve goals? 32
Session 4: What can I do to achieve goals? 36
Session 5: How can my association get support for its proposal? 38
Session 6: How can my association get support for its proposal? 41
Session 7: How can my association get support for its proposal? 46
Session 1: BSLA training materials – Mini-workshop Sessions, Part 1 52
Stream 1: Role of Associations 54
Stream 2: Governance 60
Stream 3: Planning 65
Session 2: How will my Library Association achieve its goals? 71
Session 3: Concurrent BSLA min-workshops, part 2 74
Stream 1: Partnerships 75
Stream 2: Advocacy 80
Session 4: BSLA mini-workshops outcomes 84
Session 5: How can my association sustain a project? 85
Session 6: Regional development – planning for the future 89
Session 1: How would my association know it had been successful in achieving project outcomes? 91
Session 2: How do I gain support for the proposal? 96
Session 3: Taking it Home 98
Session 5: Convening conclusion 100
Building Strong Library Associations Programme
Strong library associations support and enrich society and the library and information profession. They unite a country’s library community around a common platform for advocacy and development of the profession.
The IFLA Building Strong Library Associations (BSLA) helps library associations to:
· Improve services for library users
· Provide equitable access to information
· Develop the library and information profession
BSLA builds capacity by facilitating experience sharing within regions, strengthening library leaders in-country, and developing locally relevant solutions. Through cascade workshops and outreach, the programme has had an impact across countries and regions.
Programme activities include training and mentoring which helps associations to form partnerships, strengthen governance and member services, and to become better advocates for their library community. Training and activities are customised to the objectives of library associations, and for different cultural, political, technological and social conditions. The programme includes:
· Training package and case studies on library association development
· Mentoring and advice on forming partnerships
· Cross-association activities
· Cascade workshops and information-sharing
· An online platform for interactive learning and materials
· Impact evaluation
Online Platform
IFLA’s Online Platform provides opportunities for learning, discussion, and sharing best practices amongst associations, institutions and librarians. Online and blended learning brings IFLA materials to communities where professionals are otherwise unable to attend face to face activities, and provides ways to stay connected and engaged with learning between workshops and meetings. The programme is available to all IFLA members.
Convening context
Over the next three years until 2016, IFLA will build on the success of the BSLA programme and deliver convenings at the regional level where participants will be encouraged to think strategically about needs across the region, and in their own countries. Associations can apply for small project funding to implement further workshops and activities utilising BSLA materials, develop partnerships and strategies. The project will develop sustainable structures within regions for continued development, drawing on the expertise of associations and existing regional organisations.
The Africa, Asia and Oceania and Latin America and Caribbean regions have an emerging and growing demand for library services that can support their growing needs in education, literacy, information for the community, and access to electronic information services and delivery. There is also a need for certainty to secure libraries, library services and access to information within government legislative frameworks. This project can build the capacity of library associations and their members to take leadership within these regions to achieve this.
Expected outcomes:
· Formation and reinforcement of cross-country networks and expertise to support associations’ own development;
· Increased understanding and adoption of IFLA policies and manifestos to support high quality library and information services;
· Strengthened networks and joint activities between library sectors in a country, including public libraries;
· Strong, credible associations that effectively represent the sector through improved leadership, governance, partnerships and membership;
· Increased visibility of the sector, promoting recognition of the role of public libraries in providing access to information and technology;
· Training, policy and implementation activities provide a foundation for sustained development and advocacy.
Post-convening: Projects
Following the convenings, IFLA would provide funds for implementation in the three regions. These funds could be used as follows depending on the needs and capacity of each participating association:
· To implement co-sponsored BSLA workshops and other activities at existing events eg national library association conferences, regional meetings (Africa Library Summit), international events;
· Small projects in-country, consisting of a series of workshops and other activities utilising modules from the BSLA training package; advocacy capacity building eg utilising the Libraries on the Agenda module;
· Support to implement IFLA policies and manifestos;
· Cross-country projects bringing together a smaller number of countries in the region to form alliances or partnerships in pursuit of advocacy goals.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the convening, participants should be able to:
1. Assess association needs
· Think strategically about the library and information needs of their association, country and region.
2. Understand the landscape for library associations
· Understand the issues affecting associations in their region
· Understand how associations can work together across borders to achieve goals (What is the context for library associations in my region?)
3. Prepare proposals for development
· Identify the priority need for their association, and produce a draft development proposal. (What is the issue?).
· Define the purpose and benefits of the development proposal and identify who will be involved or affected by it. (Why is this important and for whom?)
· Explain what the development proposal is intended to achieve and how to go about it, using a project management framework. (What will my library association achieve and how?)
· Develop an action plan for taking the proposal back to their association and gaining support for it. (How do I gain support for the proposal?)
4. Understand the steps for moving their development proposal forward
· Understand the significance of partnerships (national/regional/international) and advocacy to improve the position of their library association. (How can my library association obtain support?)
· Ascertain strategies for assessing and evaluating the outcomes of a project or development proposal, whether funded and unfunded. (How will my library association know if a project has been successful?)
· Understand means for ensuring the long-term viability of a project, beyond the life of any funding. (How can my library association sustain the project and its outcomes?)
Make sure participants understand the intent of the convening and what they are expected to learn. Encourage them to learn from each other.
Page 3 BSLA Convening Trainers Manual
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
Building Strong Library Associations
Programme
For a presentation or briefing the presenter will need to adapt the material and customise it for the audience or individual. It will be desirable to incorporate persuasive, engaging visuals and examples to support key points. Suitable local examples will need to be ready to illustrate key points and to maintain audience interest
Note that there are handouts for some sessions - the selection and use of relevant examples will be important to tailor the content for the audience.
Please note that timelines are indicative. Facilitators may wish to modify the amount of time they give to a topic to accommodate the knowledge and interest of participants. For example, 30 minutes has been allocated for morning and afternoon breaks and 1 hour for lunch. Should more time be required for sessions, these breaks could be shortened.
Day 1Session / Topic / Activities / Session leader
Session 1
Welcome & purpose
(120 minutes)
9-11.00 / In-country welcome, protocol
IFLA welcome
Guest speaker
Context:
Why we are here
- learning outcomes
- Bringing about change in your country/association/region & how they differ
- Process overview for proposal development
- questions for IFLA / Icebreaker
Small group activity – share information about their library association - strengths & challenges? / Country representative
IFLA representative
Morning break
Session 2
What is the issue?
(60 minutes)
11.30 – 12.30 / Share needs analysis prepared in-country (clustered by topics) / Small group (30 minutes)
Pin summary needs analysis to a board and all view
Tag similar projects (20 minutes) / Convening facilitator
(facilitate session and identify project clusters)
LUNCH
Session 3
What is the context for library associations in your region? (cont.)
(90 minutes)
1.30 – 3.00 / Role of associations
Presentation on role of associations (15 minutes) / Presentation on role of associations (15 minutes) / Trainer
Association and regional profiles, opportunities and challenges
What does a strong association look like? Inspiration from the region / Association presentations, including resources (if any) and cultural issues (60 minutes)
Small group work on how to work across borders (15 minutes) / Association representatives
Trainers
Afternoon break
Session 4
Why is the issue important and who will be involved?
(45 minutes)
3.30 – 4.15 / Review needs analysis against development proposal framework:
· Which of the issues identified is the most important/ urgent and why?
· For whom
· Stake-holders
· Audience / Presentation (15minutes) This includes how to identify priorities.
Association team work – reflect & rewrite as necessary. Identify stakeholders and audience for prioritised proposal. (30 minutes) / Trainer
Trainers/facilitators move around group
Session 5
What will the development proposal achieve and how?
(40 minutes)
4.15 – 5.00 / Constraints and opportunities
SWOT analysis
Outcomes / Presentation: with SWOT analysis example (20 minutes)
Small group activity using a worked example (20 minutes) / Trainer
Discussion and reflection (30 minutes)
Day 2
Session / Topic / Activities / Session leader
Reflection on Day 1
9-9.10 / Large group Q&A on issues (10 minutes) / Facilitator
Session 1
What will the development proposal achieve and how?
(85 minutes)
9.10 – 10.35 / SWOT
How outcomes can be achieved - Goals / Association team to work on own proposal applying SWOT (30 minutes).
Presentation, with example (15 minutes)
Small group activity (20 minutes)
Association team work on own proposal goals (20 minutes) / Trainer
Morning break
Session 2
Stimulus
11.00 – 11.15 / Success story / Case study - of successful association project? (15 minutes) / Trainer
Session 3
What can I do to achieve goals?
(65 minutes)
11.15 – 12.20 / How goals can be achieved - Objectives
(Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timed) / Presentation – an example (15 minutes)
Small group activity on objectives (20 minutes)
Association team work to write objectives for own proposal goals (30 minutes) / Trainer
Lunch
Session 4
What can I do to achieve goals?
(50 minutes)
1.30 – 2.20 / Identify milestones and who is responsible for what.
Reflection – confirm the issue/need / Presentation – an example (10 minutes)
Association team work (10 minutes)
Association team work on development proposal (30 minutes) / Trainer
Trainers move between groups
Session 5
How can my association get support for its proposal?
20 minutes
2.20 – 2.40 / Getting support within your organisation/ association / Presentation- overview (10 minutes)
Association team work
(10 minutes) / Trainer
Facilitator/trainer move between groups
Afternoon break
Session 6
How can my association get support for its proposal?
(45 minutes)
3.10 – 3.55 / Identify collaborators/
Partners
How to build relationships / Presentation - importance of relationships (15 minutes)
Large group brainstorm (10 minutes)
Association team work (20 minutes) / Facilitator
Session 7
How can my association get support for its proposal?
(45 minutes)
3.55 – 4.40 / Advocacy / Presentation (20 minutes)
Association team work (10 minutes)
Small group activity (15 minutes) / Trainer
Discussion and reflection (30 minutes)
Day 3
Session / Topic / Activities / Session leader
Reflection Day 2
9.00 – 9.15 / Q & A issues, Day 2 / Large group Q&A on issues / Facilitator
Session 1
How will my library association achieve its goals - information resources to achieve objectives?
Part 1
(135 minutes)
9.15 – 12.00 / BSLA training materials Part 1 / Streamed mini-workshops / Trainers
Morning break - before first group rotation in session 1
Session 2
How will my library association achieve goals?
(45 minutes)
12.00 – 12.45 / Identify funding sources and managing costs/resources / Presentation of sources (10 minutes)
Individual/pairs working on funding sources for their proposal (20 minutes)
Presentation of a template for managing resources required for a proposal with a worked example (15 minutes) / IFLA rep./trainer
Trainers/facilitator support groups
Trainer
Lunch
Session 3
How will my library association achieve its goals - information resources to achieve objectives? Part 2 (a)
(90 minutes)
1.45-3.15 / BSLA training materials Part 2 – advanced topics / Streamed mini-workshops / Trainers
Afternoon break
Session 4
How will my library association achieve its goals - information resources to achieve objectives? Part 2(b)
(15 minutes )
3.45 – 4.00 / BSLA training materials / Mini Workshop outcomes debrief / Facilitator/trainers
Session 5
How could my library association sustain a project?
(40 minutes)
4.00 – 4.40 / Getting support and moving a development proposal to a project:
Communication
Risk assessment & management. / Presentation: Overview of critical success factors for sustainability. (30 minutes)
Introduce risk management, communication and give example – templates as required (10 minutes) / Trainer
Session 6
Regional planning – working across borders
(20 minutes)
4.40 – 5.00 / Regional development – planning for the future / Large group work
Work on regional priorities and strategies for the future / Trainer/facilitator
Discussion and reflection (30 minutes)
Day 4
Session / Topic / Activities / Session leader
Reflection Day 3
9.00 – 9.15 / Q & A issues, Day 3 / Large group Q&A on issues / Facilitator
Session 1
How would my library association know if it had been successful in achieving project outcomes?
(45 minutes)
9.15 -10.00 / Evaluation and Impact Assessment: Measuring what matters most.
- Project implementation assessment
- Impact: on whom and what
- Evaluation strategies/tools / Presentation focusing on conceptual level only. (45 minutes) / Trainer
Morning break
Session 2
How do I gain support for the proposal?
Taking it home
(60 minutes)
10.00 – 11.00 / Developing an action plan / Presentation of action plan template and worked example. (15 minutes)
Association team work on action plan (15 minutes)
Small group – discuss issues and challenges and select one challenging case from the small group, to present to large group (30 minutes) / Trainer
Move around groups to support
Lunch 12.30 – 1.30
Session 3
Taking it home
(120 minutes)
1.30 – 2.30 / Action plan presentations / Whole group presentation/discussion – one per group -challenging case
5 minutes overview
5 minutes issue identification
10 minutes discussion
i.e. 20 minutes for each of 6 groups / Facilitator
Afternoon break
Session 4
Next steps
(60 minutes)
2.30 – 3.30 / Developing project applications and in-country support from IFLA: review and next steps
Support from IFLA Regional Officers and HQ to evaluate projects / Presentation (30 minutes)
Questions and discussion (30 minutes) / IFLA rep
Convening conclusion / Farewells and evaluation / IFLA representative
Page 3 BSLA Convening Trainers Manual