Starting Literature Review

The interesting I found when researching for my conference paper - Multi-Skill Me: Secondment Opportunities and Issues at QUT Library - was that there really isn't a lot out there on secondments in libraries. Especially in Australia.

I began to wonder why this is so. I know that there are many libraries that offer secondments for their staff so it wasn't because no one was doing secondments. Then I thought maybe no one is documenting their secondment experiences. This is a common occurance in the Australian library world. Not many library workers document what they are doing. I'm unsure why this is so. Perhaps we think it's not worth sharing or that someone else is already doing it, or no one will be interested, or maybe we just don't have the time. I think it's something that must be worked on in our industry. We really have to document what we are doing and get it published.

The presentation of my paper at the ALIA neXt conference (http://conferences.alia.org.au/libtec2005/) proved that people were interested in secondments and wanted to hear more about my experiences and how we offered them at QUT. This proved that by me documenting my experiences and having them published was worthwhile!! So if you are doing something in your library or career and you don't think it's worth documenting - think again!! I bet you that someone out there is interested.

Now back to searching. So I have started with the most logical database: ALISA - Australian Library and Information Science Abstracts (via Informit Search). I really didn't get that many results when I performed a broad search on "secondments." Out of the results the following two look a little bit promising but I have a feeling won't be that useful:

Record 1 (ALISA)
TI: On the desirability of more frequent intercourse between teachers and practitioners: a response.PA: Dornan, BSO: Riverina Library Review v.1 n.3 p.213-216
PG: 213-216
JT: Riverina Library Review
PD: Spring 84
PY: 1984
AB: A description of the author's one year secondment from a position as a teacher librarian in Western Australia to a position as a Lecturer in Teacher Librarianship at the Western Australian College of Advanced Education. Despite difficulties it is considered that the concept of secondment and exchange is an excellent one. (ALB)

Record 2 (ALISA)
TI: Work attachments and secondments at National Library of Australia for librarians from Asia and Pacific.
PA: Watt, E
SO: Education for Library and Information Services: Australia v.11 n.1 p.22-23
PG: 22-23
JT: Education for Library and Information Services: Australia
PD: May 94
PY: 1994
AB: Explains a program which has been operating in the National Library of Australia since 1980.

So you can see - quite old articles and possibly not really what I'm chasing anyway. I know from previous research that secondments are discussed quite often in education and nursing journals. Why are we not talking about them in library land??!! Are they not important enough??!!

Anyway, might have to rely on talking with staffing development officers within libraries and contacts I make through this blog and elists to get further info.

So I call on you - if you have been involved in a secondment or your organisation offers secondments - contact me!!