Developing library professionals in a multi-disciplinary support environment at the University of Cumbria

Academic library services are diversifying to meet the needs of a new generation of learners, who expect a "one-stop" approach to service delivery and excellent customer service. Notably this is achieved by structural changes, resulting in a convergence of service elements, consisting of library, Information Technology (IT), and associated services (often media, elements of learning support, and, latterly, learning technology). In common with the US and Australia, the United Kingdom (UK) has adopted convergence on a large scale to meet these imperatives. This places new demands on staff in support roles. St. Martin's College (now known as the University of Cumbria) Learning and Information Services (LIS) is an example of how a newly created, "converged" academic library in the UK approached the training of its people following a restructure. A training needs analysis was conducted to assess the learning requirements of staff from variant professional backgrounds.