Steve Lyons

Job Title

Learning and Information Services Librarian - Full time

How long have you worked here?

I have worked here for nearly 35 years, first for Lindsey & Holland ( at Market Rasen & Cleethorpes Libraries ) which became  Humberside County Council from 1974 to 1996 and since for North East Lincolnshire Council.

What does a typical working day for you involve?

Most days are not typical apart from checking, sending and replying to e-mails. Although the post is office based, my colleagues and I often are required to cover the public counter in the Central Reference Library particularly evenings, Saturdays and Sundays , the latter being voluntary since it started in January 2006.  Through the internal IT system we have access to all internal e-mails and online folders via a shared drive from the counter PCs. It is often necessary to check information either in the General Reference or local history libraries.

Do you need any qualifications or specific training?

I have a diploma in Librarianship obtained after a two-year full-time course at the then Leeds School of Librarianship 1970 to 1972.  Since then I have been on numerous courses and training sessions on various aspects of service development. Nowadays the full-time courses are all degree based.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I most enjoy the wide variety of the job and the enquiries and projects I am involved in, they range from just identifying a particular book or website, to in depth searching for very specific and specialised technical information. My particular specialities are European Information, languages, maps and travel and general knowledge including staff training on identifying and using them correctly. I am also required at various times to produce reports ranging from minutes of a meeting in Word to detailed Powerpoint presentations.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

The most challenging part is working on several projects at once and completing them all by the deadlines to the same high standard I set myself.  I am also responsible for coordinating monthly the usage figures for the Peoples Network computers from all 10 libraries, including entering them on rather complicated spreadsheets some I which I have compiled personally.

Is there any progression opportunities in your career?

If you apply for a higher post, you can reach the top of your particular grade.

If you could change one aspect of your job what would it be?

I would prefer to meet both the public & colleagues "face-to-face" more than I do, rather than relying to a large extent on e-mails & other "anonymous" means of communication. That is why I took the opportunity recently to do 3 sessions on the Town Hall On Tour Bus.

What inspires or motivates you to do your job on a daily basis?

This is difficult to answer, without sounding supercilious .I suppose it is a mixture of pride, interest, enjoyment & knowing that others are relying on you. The amount of each alters, depending on the task.

Any additional comments?

Although we received training on basic & intermediate use of Word, Spreadsheets Databases & the Internet, it is only through constant usage including "trial & error" that I have developed skills in dealing with most non- technical IT problems that arise from time to time both on staff & public Peoples Network machines.

 About this time last year we received the initial enquiry from the company "Wall to Wall" about what eventually turned out to be material for the John Hurt episode of  Who DoYou Think You Are ? broadcast in September, although we were not officially told who the person was until the week before the programme was filmed this Spring.