NASIG 2018

In 2014, the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information and the University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) partnered in the development of the TALint (Toronto Academic Libraries Internship) program.  Focused on workplace-integrated-learning (W-I-L), the TALint program provides enhanced educational experiences for Masters of Information students by combining periods of in-class study with actual workplace experiences. The two-year program is intended to enhance the quality of student learning by providing interns with specialized knowledge and practical skills, professional development and mentorship opportunities. It is often the case that the workplace is ahead of academic programs. This is particularly true in technical services and the field of electronic resource management, where the requisite knowledge and practical skills required to perform these roles has traditionally been under-represented within library and information studies curricula. The TALint program has provided UTL with the unique opportunity to bridge the gap between the expertise developed through information studies programs and the specific knowledge and skills required to take on roles as electronic resource librarians.  With this year’s TALint cohort in UTL’s Metadata Technologies Team, we are using NASIG’s Core Competencies for Electronic Resources Librarians as a framework for training our two TALint interns.  In this session, presenters will discuss the development of a comprehensive student training plan in electronic resource management, the ongoing assessment of learning outcomes, student perceptions of competency-based training, and the benefits of using the Core Competencies that have been felt beyond the internship program. We will share how this training plan can better equip Masters of Information students for careers in electronic resource management by producing graduates who are qualified, technologically skilled and workplace-ready.