The programme was originally set up by the University of London Research Library Services (now Senate House Libraries) for its own trainees, but over the years other trainees have joined the programme. Sharing experiences with trainees from a wider range of libraries has strengthened the programme.
Alongside the full time library position, the Trainee Programme offers a mixture of planned events so you can get an insight into the many roles available within libraries and how different types of libraries are run. These have included in the past few years:
◦ A programme of library visits based on feedback from previous years and current trainees interests
◦ A practical website training session
◦ Social events such as the Welcome Party and the End of Programme Party to which previous years trainees are also invited – a great chance to pick their brains on the university to apply to and their trainee experiences
◦ At the end of the programme there is a Question and Answer Panel where a group of librarians are invited to answer questions on such issues as careers, trends, the future of librarianship or anything else the trainees care to ask
There are also several career development opportunities:
◦Trainees working for the University of London can take advantage of their IT Development Programme and do a range of computer based courses, such as the ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence), a useful add-on for a librarian’s CV. The University of London Staff Development Programme also runs other useful professional courses, for example ‘Disability Awareness’.
◦A chance to work on the the trainee blog and change it or develop it further
◦The option to attend the CPD25 'Applying to study library and information science' conference. This is a great way to ask tutors and current students about library school, as well as get to meet trainees from London and beyond.
And then there are the informal opportunities:
◦The trainees’ blog has been set up to pass on details of interesting lectures or visits, comment on library visits, exchange ideas or just keep in touch
◦The day trip to Oxford organised by the trainees to meet up with Oxford trainees, visit the Bodleian and anywhere else that takes their fancy