RESOURCE CENTRE MANUAL
HEALTHLINK WORLDWIDE
2.1 Staffing
A resource centre needs competent and enthusiastic staff. Staff need to be
selected carefully and encouraged to improve their knowledge and skills
through ongoing training.
A large resource centre containing several thousand materials and providing a
range of information services will need at least two full-time members of staff
(or equivalent) – a resource centre officer, who has overall responsibility for
developing and managing the resource centre, and a resource centre assistant to
carry out routine tasks such as ordering and receiving materials. A resource
centre with fewer materials or offering fewer services will need only a resource
centre officer.
Ideally, the resource centre officer should have both knowledge of the subject
area, and experience or training in resource centre work. If the person
appointed lacks experience in resource centre work, it is important to provide
training.
If it is not possible to appoint a resource centre officer with knowledge of the
subject area, it is important to identify someone who has this knowledge, who
can supervise and/or liaise with the resource centre officer. This person needs to
be able to discuss the information needs of people who will use the resource
centre, and to understand the importance of access to and use of information.
This person could be another member of staff or a member of the resource
centre advisory committee, if there is one (see Section 2.2).
If staff are seconded to the resource centre for part of the day, it is important
that they have sufficient time for resource centre work. Otherwise they may not
be able to do a satisfactory job, and may become demotivated. It is also
important that the other work they do is complementary to their resource
centre work. For example, if their work also involves training, publications
development, outreach, advocacy, health promotion or counselling, this work
and their resource centre work will each be useful to the other.
2.1.1 Job descriptions
A job description and person specification (a list of qualifications and experience
necessary to do the job) need to be drawn up for each member of staff. This will
help to recruit the right people and enable them to know what work they are
expected to do.
Section 2.1.2 is a sample job description and person specification for a full-time
resource centre officer. An alternative might be to recruit two resource centre
officers to job-share, or employ volunteers. Volunteers should also have job
descriptions.
If it is not possible to appoint a full-time resource centre officer (or equivalent),
at least six to eight hours per week should be allowed for resource centre duties.
2 SECTION 2: MANAGEMENT AND FINANCE