Consultation

When you subscribe to Frontline, you become part of a network of enthusiastic library staff, committed to developing staff skills to offer more to readers. You will also build a direct relationship with staff at Opening the Book and can draw on our wide experience of delivering training in reader-centred work. You will have the opportunity, both online and offline, to meet and discuss all aspects of the course and the way it is implemented in your library service. You can also contribute to new course development and help to shape the future of the public library service.

The Frontline course has been built on continuous communication between Opening the Book and users of the course in libraries as well as by direct working groups and consultative meetings.

Shaped by users

Features of the Frontline course and of the website have changed in response to user feedback. Many users have commented that this responsiveness is unusual in online training where you generally have to stick with the package you first bought, warts and all. Subscribing to Frontline isn’t like that. Because we have our own dedicated team of trainers, programmers and designers, Opening the Book can build in suggestions for improvements right away.

The site has undergone several major upgrades. The most recent, in September 2009, edited the content to make the course quicker to take, offered more choices in options for reader-to-reader activites and added a feature for assessing experienced Supervisors. We also introduced the Frontline Refresher - a short unsupervised module that changes twice a year and challenges Frontline graduates to try something new.

'It has been great to see how the Frontline course has evolved over the last three years I have spent working with it. Suggestions I have helped to make have been put into practice. This has made using it much easier for my authority.'
Judith Ivory, Frontline Co-ordinator, Essex Library Service

'We have felt a real part of the development of Frontline: there have been lots of chances to feed in suggestions to support learners and Co-ordinators, and Opening the Book have always listened.'
Cynthia Martin, Frontline Co-ordinator, Bristol Libraries

Consultative Group

Frontline was first developed in partnership with the Society of Chief Librarians as part of the Branching Out programme supported by Arts Council England.

As recommended by the Society of Chief Librarians, Opening the Book convenes advisory groups drawn from library services most involved with the use of the course and also invites Co-ordinators to meet together in small working groups to discuss particular areas of interest.

The success of Frontline lies in the active participation of Co-ordinators from subscribing library services who have been very generous with their time and advice. Opening the Book would like to thank everyone who has contributed their knowledge and expertise.