Currently, the world is standing on the biggest point of change and innovation since man invented the wheel. It is not a change that is open only to certain elements of the global society, like those countries that have developed in other ways first, or to those within nation's that can afford it. This change is open to all, across the world. We are talking, of course, about the development of the "information superhighway" or Internet. Change this massive is daunting at best and terrifying at worst. Suddenly we are faced with access to almost all that man has created or thought at the touch of a button. New ways and roles are needed to facilitate access to such a diverse culture.

One of the largest groups using the Internet at present are academic institutions across the world. It provides a rich resource of research and teaching material on everything from Art History to Zoology. Academics are used to working with diverse information sources to support the work that they do. They regularly attend conferences, give papers, talk to colleagues and read books and journals. Academic Librarian's have always been seen as facilitators in elements of this process. Their role has included providing advice on sources to use, current awareness services and provision of books/journals. In many ways they have as in-depth a knowledge as the academic they are serving. This mutually dependent relationship is threatened by the instant access provided at the desktop via information networks. Librarians and information professionals across the world are looking for a new role to play.

This level of access to information is unprecedented. The networks have been provided by the universities and many services are readily available, but there is still a lack of support for staff. The natural mediators between academic and resource would appear to be the librarians. They already have skills that are adaptable and transferable to information of any type. TAPin was funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), through its Electronic Libraries Programme (eLib) to consider this new role for librarians and information professionals. The aim was to improve the output of academic teaching and research staff by identifying staff information needs and developing their academic skills. The project assumed that subject librarians had a lead role to play and that they were best placed to perform the skills highlighted by Follett (Follett, 1993), that is teaching and learning and tailored navigational support skills. Four subject areas, across six West Midlands universities took part. Three (Education, Law and Life Sciences) received support from librarians and one (Business Studies) did not. The latter was used as a control because it was felt to be more advanced in the use of networked information than the other subjects. The Universities that took part in the project came from two groups. Old Universities were well established institutions and New Universities were those created in the latest round of UK Higher Education restructuring.

Sir Brian Follett commented in his report on the Libraries Review "The exploitation of IT is essential to create the effective library service of the future" (Follett, 1993). However, it is essential that the culture change that comes with new technologies is managed effectively and efficiently, allowing for future developments by building up skills that can be applied by all those exposed to the new technologies. TAPin librarians developed a Model for the training and support of academics by librarians that was used to manage the change process within the six academic libraries. Although it was designed for use in academic libraries it is also transferable so that any organisation can modify/adapt it for their own use if they are seeking to make similar changes.

The change in the use of IT networked information within the three subject areas at the TAPin universities has been managed through the use of the Model. TAPin has also sought to empower the individuals working within the Project to recognize when change is needed in themselves and their organizations. This is evidenced by the many and varied ways in which each librarian has seen and interpreted their role in the delivery of the Model.

2. THE TAPin MODEL

The Model considered the two sides of culture change. The Development side of the Model considered those factors that need to be addressed and/or implemented in anticipation of change. It recognized that culture change began from the top of a hierarchical management structure, even if the need for change originated with the end-user or service provider. Managers redirected staff time, budgets, and physical resources. They were responsible for strategic plans and the evaluation of staff in meeting targets. The Development side of the Model consisted of the following seven major areas: management structure, market research, finance, training, equipment, publicity and support.

The delivery of the Model was possible because the development had been considered carefully from the outset. There have been few deviations from the project plan during the course of its life. The Delivery side of the Model considered the following five major issues:

• WHO

It was necessary to target the user audience carefully so that analysis of the results could be achieved. The TAPin librarians targeted staff and sought to develop a core of "champions" within each subject department. It was also necessary to target staff that had access to the minimum specification (or equivalent alternative) of equipment identified in the Development side of the Model.

• WHAT

The librarians considered what was to be taught and supported in order to bring about the change required by the institution. They taught the techniques of searching networks for information and the ability to discriminate between the various search engines. They provided a selection of URLs and CD-ROM titles that were known to be close to the individual academic's information need. The Web pages and database sources were evaluated to ensure quality.

• WHERE

The most appropriate place to carry out the support was in the academic's own office. This ensured that academics would replicate new skills.

• HOW

The TAPin librarians determined that it was necessary to discuss the information requirements with the academic staff and to deliver support on a one-to-one basis. This meant that the TAPin training model, though structured and planned, was individually tailored and all teaching and support was informal.

• WHEN

The timeline used by TAPin in the delivery of the Model was to some extent dictated by external funding sources and by other staff commitments. The timeline used by individual librarians reflected their own institution's needs and those of the academics they were supporting.

3. WHERE IS TAPin NOW?

TAPin has now finished its work with the librarians and they in turn are no longer receiving TAPin funding to provide support to academic staff. The Impact Study was the final stage of the project and it considered how successful the Model was in managing the change in culture in the partner universities. It looked at the diverse groups of the project; the academic, the technician, the strategic manager and the librarian through five different instruments:

Early results indicate that there were some major changes in IT hardware and software supporting increased traffic over networks. The connections to the Joint Academic Network backbone also speeded up. More staff had access to computers and to networked information services and universities installed more servers to facilitate this increase in traffic. It is difficult to say whether this was a result of TAPin or of just an increase in awareness of networked information issues within Higher Education.

Academics used significantly more networked information services. They also ranked their importance more highly than in 1995. Their use of different types of information, including journals, conferences, media, and colleagues remains unchanged, although in the case of the use of books, there was a significant decrease in use. It is the way the information is being delivered that has altered. Journal articles are now appearing in full text on the Internet and email has enabled communication globally, thus increasing the access to knowledge in very specific fields. There are even video conferences taking place.

Staff were also asked to rate their awareness and use of a variety of networked information resources, Figure 1 shows the comparative results. It was notable that the use of the Web for teaching has moved from the bottom of the top six resources used in 1995 to the top in 1997. Email and use of electronic journals in teaching also moved significantly. Staff were becoming more aware of the usefulness of networked resources for teaching and as students move towards supporting their own learning, this is probably a trend that will continue.

In 1995 they were asked to comment on seven assumptions about academic use of networked information (Barry and Squires, 1995). These assumptions are:

1995 Top Six Resources	1997 Top Six Resources
1. CD-Rom for teaching 2. email for research 3. ejournals for teaching 4. OPAC for teaching 5. email for teaching 6. web for teaching	1. web for teaching 2. email for teaching 3. CD-Rom for teaching 4. email for research 5. ejournals for teaching 6. web for research

The Academic Staff Audit shows that there is a major change in the way that teaching and research were being carried out. There was more confidence in the use of networked information resources and a greater understanding of the benefits they bring. It cannot be said, however, that these changes in the use of such resources were necessarily as a direct result of the TAPin Model. Law, Education and Life Sciences, did experience a greater increase in their use of networked information than Business Studies. However, there was no difference between those in Education, Law and Life Sciences that had received librarian support and those that had not. This would suggest that those staff that had received support had then disseminated it to their colleagues so that there was a cascade effect.

There was, though, a greater change in the perception of the library and related information service by the staff in the subject areas exposed to the Model than by Business Studies staff, even when those aware and unaware of TAPin in each subject were taken into account (See Figure 2). These changes are expressed by academics that said the "resource centre has become more central to the role of the Faculty" and that "the library staff are a more important resource for my training than I had realized before".

A similar pattern was seen when considering changes in the interactions with the library and related information service (See Figure 3). Many comments made were similar to this from one academic, "I use library catalogues on my computer to search for titles and order books". others state that they have "more direct contact with subject librarian". However, what was noticeable was that a large number actually reported less use of the library building. Instead they were accessing the same services from their desktops. The services include access to on-line catalogues and databases, email current awareness services and web pages that list useful resources by subject. Although it was not specifically said, it may be implied, that those staff that report no change in their interactions with the library may not aware that they are using library mediated and funded services at their desk.

All categories reported a greater use of networked information resources and it is interesting that all subject areas report some degree of change in teaching methods towards those that incorporate networked information. This also seems to include librarians taking part in the curriculum.
 
 

However, the most impressive change was that the staff in the Subject Areas that received the Model made comments on changes in the roles of librarians with regards to networked information and Business Studies staff did not (See Figure 4). This can only be as a result of the change in the types of contact that were fostered by the librarians within Education, Law and Life Sciences. The role of the librarian was seen to be co-ordinator, trainer and consultant in electronic sources of information. As one respondent said "librarians are now recognized as sources of expertise in networked information resources". This change was not universal but with the move in UK Higher Education institutions that expects students to take more responsibility for their own learning, it will become more evident.

It was also important that the changes that are happening within the library and information services were supported by the culture and management of the organisation. Learning organisation theory suggests that for change to occur, organizations must find ways to "continually learn, to assess the environment, absorb relevant changes important to its mission and to integrate adapting strategies" (Phipps, 1993). This can only be achieved by listening to staff, by supporting their development and by giving them the opportunity to expand their abilities.
 
 

Old Universities, Computing and Converged Services, Life Sciences and Business Studies indicated that these learning organisation theories were less important to them. They had already made changes and embraced new technologies, they were possibly already using and adapting the theories. It may be that they were less important because the systems and procedures they advocate were already in place.

New Universities, Library services and Law on the other hand indicated that the learning organisation theories were, on the whole, important to them. These groups were just beginning to make changes and may have found the theories important because they were organizations new to networked resources and were only just addressing how to support the new cultures.

The results of the Impact Study indicate that TAPin support did have an effect at an organic level within the universities. It created an increased awareness of services and roles that may not have happened otherwise. Librarians within the partner universities and subject areas were starting to redefine their role in terms of technology. The academic staff seemed happy to continue the same mutually dependent existence that always characterized their interactions with the library. The librarian was still seen as a mediator and facilitator but the resources were principally electronic.

The Library also changed in appearance. It was no longer just a building, but became a collection of services that could be accessed from the desktop. To reflect this new role, some TAPin libraries reinvented themselves as Learning Resource Centres. This more correctly identified the status they had within a university. Librarians were starting to be included in the strategic decision making process, being co-opted onto committees and working groups and were becoming a part of the teaching process within subject departments.

There was, however, an additional skill for the librarian to master. That of marketing. The drive behind TAPin, was a need to sell the services an academic librarian has to offer to users. Academics may be tempted to believe that they do not need an information access bridge, that they can work easily on their own. They may just as easily avoid using the resources because of a lack of confidence. It is up to the libraries and their staff to demonstrate the need and promote their abilities and skills to their users. It is not an automatic response on the part of the academic to assume that the librarian can help.

5. CONCLUSION

In conclusion, it is evident that there was some impact from the use of the TAPin Model by librarians. Much of the impact was cultural, academic staff using networked resources, more effectively and confidently within the subject areas exposed to the Model, than those in Business Studies. The study also indicated that change was happening anyway, and that early adoption of new cultures, ensured an easier transition. The results also showed that there is also a part for librarians and information professionals as mediators and supporters of the new technologies. Though they must be prepared to promote themselves to their users. The library and the information professional seems to have come of age, providing the services they have always done but through using the latest technology. However, this is not a role that will remain fixed and clearly defined, it must be fluid and constantly respond to change. In the same way that students are expected to manage their learning, there is a need for the information professional to do likewise. Regular training and upgrading of skills is required. The TAPin librarians were encouraged to do this and have started to look for the niche market that they can fill. It is time for others to do the same.

Further information about TAPin, the Model pages and the Impact Study can be found at:

http://www.uce.ac.uk/tapin/
 
 

REFERENCES

Barry, C. A. and Squires, D. (1995, December). "Why the move from traditional information seeking to the electronic library is not straightforward for academic users: some surprising findings," Online '95. London.

Flatten, K. et al (1998). The TAPin Impact Study. Birmingham, UK: University of Central England.

Follett, Sir Brian. (1993). Summary of Conclusions, Joint Funding Councils Library Review Group: Report [The Follett Report]. http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/follett/report/ch1.html

Ganga, B. D. (1997). "Libraries as Learning Organisations," In Ward, P. L. and Weingard, D. E. (1997). Human Development: Competencies for the Twenty-first Century. Munchen: K. G. Saur, Verlag GmbH & Co.

Phipps, S. E. (1993). "Transforming libraries into learning organisations - The challenge for leadership," In von Dran, D. M. and Cargill, J. Catalysts for Change: Managing Libraries in the 1990's. New York: The Haworth Press.