Introduction
The programme “Training Users in Digital Research Skills” develops professional practice in Libraries. It connects the subject with workplace challenges by examining existing evidence and practices and choosing methods appropriate to the organization and its available resources.
The learning progresses from training design and measurement of learning transfer to document, records, and digital preservation management, with practical work on customer experience development and complaint handling, applied research, evidence development, and recommendations, library service development and knowledge organization. Participants prepare outputs to support workplace application and review the quality and results of implementation.
Learning objectives
- Design a training intervention that begins with a performance gap and ends with evidence of application in an application related to “Training Users in Digital Research Skills”.
- Design a service journey and complaint response based on customer needs and follow-up evidence.
- Prepare an applied study connecting the research question, data, analysis, and recommendation.
- Design a library service and organize its resources to facilitate access and use.
- Build a document life cycle controlling classification, permissions, retention, and retrieval.
Learning areas
1. Training Design and Measurement of Learning Transfer
- Analyze performance gaps at organizational, job, and individual levels, and verify that training addresses a cause related to knowledge or skill.
- Write observable learning objectives, define entry requirements, and link each objective to a training activity and assessment evidence.
- Build a sequence of content, activities, and practical cases, balancing explanation, experimentation, and feedback within the available time.
- Select suitable learning methods, face-to-face delivery, and digital learning, and ensure accessibility, material quality, and delivery instructions.
- Design pre- and post-learning assessments and a follow-up plan with the line manager to measure application and identify additional support needs. The application examines a case related to “Training Users in Digital Research Skills”.
2. Customer Experience Development and Complaint Handling
- Define customer groups, expectations, and touchpoints, and map an actual journey including waiting, effort, and information exchange.
- Analyze the voice of the customer, complaints, and feedback, classifying recurring causes and linking them to the process, product, or communication channel.
- Set response, resolution, and escalation standards that consider the problem's impact, staff authority, and message clarity for the customer.
- Simulate a difficult service situation, applying listening, empathy, and fact verification, and offer a feasible solution or alternative.
- Build indicators for resolution time, complaint recurrence, and experience quality, and use results to address root causes and monitor impact.
3. Applied Research, Evidence Development, and Recommendations
- Frame a research question or practical problem suitable for study, and define the subject boundaries, context, and outcome the research will support.
- Review sources relevant to the question, assess their reliability and currency, and distinguish direct evidence from opinion and inference.
- Select an appropriate method, instrument, and sample, explaining limitations and obtaining approvals and protecting privacy when collecting data from people.
- Organize and analyze data and relate findings to the question, avoiding generalizations unsupported by the sample or causal conclusions based only on correlation.
- Write specific, actionable recommendations with responsibilities, resources, and indicators, and include source documentation and limitations of conclusions in the applied report.
4. Library Service Development and Knowledge Organization
- Analyze beneficiary groups, their needs, and search and access methods, identifying gaps between available resources and actual use.
- Develop an acquisition and collection development policy considering specialization, currency, rights, budget, and multiple content formats.
- Apply principles of description, cataloging, authority control, and access points, reviewing rules and fields appropriate to the system in use.
- Design research and guidance services and a digital repository with metadata, permissions, and accessibility features suited to beneficiaries.
- Select indicators for discovery, lending, use, and satisfaction, and prepare a pilot to improve a library service and evaluate its results.
5. Document, Records, and Digital Preservation Management
- Inventory document and record types, owners, and reasons for retention, and distinguish operational copies from the authoritative record.
- Design classification, coding, metadata, and version control rules, with clear naming, indexing, and search criteria.
- Define viewing, editing, and approval permissions and usage tracking, and protect confidentiality and record integrity throughout circulation.
- Prepare a retention and disposal or permanent preservation transfer schedule after reviewing legal and regulatory requirements specific to each record type.
- Test retrieval, migration, backups, and file integrity verification, and set indicators for indexing accuracy and continuity of access.
Practical outputs
- A needs analysis, concise learning package, and application evaluation plan.
- A customer journey map, complaint response guide, and service quality cards.
- An applied research plan, data collection tool, and findings and recommendations report.
- A library service plan, resource description card, and usage indicators.
- A classification plan, retention schedule, and document metadata template.
Who should attend
- Practitioners, specialists and supervisors whose work relates to the programme subject.
- Managers and teams working in libraries, according to their practical responsibilities.
- Professionals responsible for applying the outputs of “Training Users in Digital Research Skills” within their organizations.
Prerequisites
- Working familiarity with the programme field and the ability to discuss a professional case or challenge.
- Confirm the suitability of your experience and any specialist prerequisites with the Union before participation.
Conclusion
The programme “Training Users in Digital Research Skills” brings together concepts, case review and a practical application. Participants prepare steps that can be adapted to their responsibilities and organizational resources, with an indicator to follow application and review results after returning to work.
Participation arrangements and any special requests are specified in the confirmation issued by the Union.