Positive Action Traineeships in NW Libraries - Case Study
1. Background
During 2008 Time To Read, the NW Reader Development partnership, successfully managed 2 Positive Action traineeships, funded through the Arts Council Grants for the Arts funding scheme.
Positive Action Traineeships (PATs) were at this time a strategic policy for the Arts Council and a range of schemes were operating already in publishing and bookselling. ACE NW's Literature Officer approached the TTR co-ordinator (JM) to solicit a funding bid to support traineeships in libraries. The co-ordinator consulted TTR librarians, and through them their Chief Library Officers. 2 authorities, Lancashire and Liverpool, came through as being interested in hosting posts at the current time.
Lancashire Libraries saw a post supporting a range of other work already being carried out in Haslingden Library where they were keen to engage better with the 2nd and 3rd generation Asian community.
Liverpool Libraries wanted to build on Welcome To Your Library work and to support a range of new activity that would undoubtedly arise during Liverpool's year as Capital of Culture '08.
In addition Time To Read wanted trainees to specifically support reader development activities with BME communities. Aims for the traineeships were described in the funding bid as follows:
The main purpose of the traineeships is to offer experience of frontline public library service delivery and both trainees will receive induction training into local services. Trainees will work specifically with each library services' reading specialist, to introduce them to reader development concepts and principles, and to demonstrate how libraries fit into a wider Arts and Literature context.
We particularly want the trainees to assist with helping to develop creative reading activities to engage members of the community in selecting appropriate stock for their library services. By recruiting trainees with enthusiasm for books and reading, as well as some understanding or experience of the Arts, we hope that they will contribute to the examination of targeted book stocks, and help to develop promotional activities within their community areas.
JM prepared a successful grant application in close consultation with managers from Lancs. and Liverpool Libraries. While co-ordinating recruitment for 2 separate authorities, with different policies and procedures was complicated and difficult, this was managed successfully with the help and support of local senior managers. Posts were advertised via both local authority websites and job vacancies' listings as well as in The Guardian (Arts & Media jobs supplement) and local papers belonging to the Guardian Media Group. Surprisingly (to me) more applications were received for the Lancashire post than for the post in Liverpool, but there was a reasonable field of applicants to choose from for both posts.
Recruitment was carried out by the TTR co-ordinator along with the appropriate manager from each authority, as well as a diversity specialist.
2 trainees were recruited; Shaaheda Patel for Lancashire Libraries, for the Accrington Division, with a base in Haslingden Library , and Mahtab Wares for Liverpool Libraries to be based in Kensington Library and both trainees started work on 7th Jan 08. They were employed on 9 month temporary traineeships. In the event Shaaheeda left after 8 months, to take up a new post and Mahtab stayed for 10 months. It was necessary at the recruitment stage to be very clear that the traineeship could not guarantee future employment.
