Frontline Forum

The Frontline Forum is a new online discussion and development space for staff who work directly with students and users (please see below FAQs for more information about who the forums are aimed at). The forums will be an opportunity to share best practice, engage with other ALN activities and learn about different service models and delivery types offered at different universities.

Our first forum of 2025/26 is taking place on Tuesday 18 November 2025, 10.00 – 11.30. The theme of this forum is Social Media and Student Engagement.

Click here to book your place

Join us to learn about how frontline colleagues at other universities have developed and created their social media content to connect with students, promote services, build community, and enhance the student experience.

You will have the chance to share your own experiences, ask questions, and gather new ideas to take back to your own library.

Agenda

9:45: Informal start. Come and have a chat over a drink or snack and say hello.

10am: Introduction & Forum Opener
This will include a quick poll on your library’s most-used social media platform.

We will be using Padlet as part of the forum opener. You don’t need to create an account to contribute but if you’ve not used it before you may want to take a look beforehand https://padlet.com/site/board.

10:10: A series of short talks and presentations on the theme

10:40: Comfort Break

10:50: Sharing of Experiences & Group Discussion

• What social media platforms does your library use and how has this changed?
• What creative ideas or strategies have you heard today that you might want to try in your own library’s social media plan?

11:25: Feedback & Key Takeaways

11:30: Finish

As usual, the forum will be run on MS Teams. If you are unfamiliar with the way Teams operates and would like some additional information/help, please get in touch – academiclibrariesnorth@sconul.ac.uk.

Frontline Forums 2025-26

We are hoping to run 4 Frontline Forums again this academic year – the provisional dates for the remaining three (subject to change) are:

• Thursday 22 January 2026, 2.00 – 3.30
• Wednesday 25 March 2026, 10.00 – 11.30
• Tuesday 2 June 2025, 2.00 – 3.30

More information to follow soon.

FAQs

Below are some FAQs designed to provide you with more information about what you can expect from the Frontline Forum. If you have any other questions or general queries, please contact academiclibrariesnorth@sconul.ac.uk.

What is the Frontline Forum?

The Frontline Forum is intended to create a virtual discussion and development space for teams working directly with students and users. The forums will be an opportunity to share best practice, engage with other ALN activities and learn about different service models and delivery types. This presentation, delivered by Hattie Crooks-Freeman to a group of supervisors and managers in September 2025, outlines the purpose of the forum and how it has developed over the past year.

Is the forum for me?

If you are unsure whether the forum is for you, you can contact us here academiclibrariesnorth@sconul.ac.uk for an informal chat. Alternatively, you can attend one of the forums to see what it’s like – there would be no obligation to continue if you decide it’s not for you. You can see details of previous forums here.

We know that frontline services across ALN member institutions vary, ranging from circulation to one-stop-shop enquiry services, and all have different names. Examples of colleagues who might want to join the frontline forum can be found below but this list isn’t exhaustive, and anyone who feels that the forum will contribute to their development is welcome:

• Customer Service Assistants
• Library Assistants
• Teams handling enquiries through any forum, including helpdesks and associated cultural functions, such as archives or galleries
• Teams involved in library or learning spaces and stock

When will the forums be run?

The forums will be run every 2 months and last for 90 minutes. The first forum will take place online on Tuesday 19 November 2024, 10.30-12.00. Further dates will be confirmed, but they are likely to be in January, March, May and July.

Where will the forums be run?

The forums will be run virtually through MS Teams.

What can I expect at the forums?

Each forum will be split into two parts: a shared discussion theme or topic that will be pre-advertised; and a presentation from an ALN SIG or CoP followed by questions and answers.

By attending a forum individuals will be agreeing to the following principles:

• Adhere to Chatham House Rule. This means that the forum is a confidential space. You can use the information received but you shouldn’t share the identify of individuals or their University or College without permission.
• Recognise peoples’ experiences and roles may be different to your own – there are no stupid questions!
• Value the different perspectives brought to the group.
• Recognise that there is rarely one solution to a problem.

Cameras will always be optional and forums will not be recorded, although resources, such as presentations, will be shared through a Teams group which all attendees can be part of (though this is not compulsory).

Do I have to attend every forum?

There is no obligation to attend every forum. We know that timetabling and shifts can make it difficult for some individuals to attend regular meetings. Each forum will be designed to be standalone, so you won’t be disadvantaged if you haven’t attended any previous ones. If you can only stay for part of the forum, that’s also fine.

I’m unsure about attending on my own – is there an alternative?

If you are unsure about attending for any reason, we can offer you a buddy. This could be someone you meet beforehand (virtually or face-to-face depending on geography) or someone who attends with you to be a friendly face. Equally, you can invite a colleague or friend to come with you – even if they work in a different area. If you would like to be matched with another participant from your own institution or externally, please get in touch – academiclibrariesnorth@sconul.ac.uk.

There is no expectation that everyone will actively participate – you are very welcome to come along and observe how the forum runs and listen to the discussions.

I’d like to suggest a topic for discussion – is that possible?

We are always looking for subjects that would be of interest. You are also welcome and encouraged to present on a topic yourself. The staff development group can provide support if you would like help to develop your idea or run a presentation. You can send suggestions through to academiclibrariesnorth@sconul.ac.uk.

How do I sign up?

Each forum will be advertised through the ALN website and the staff development updates. There will be links for you to follow to register for a place via Ticket Tailor. Once you have registered, you will be sent a Teams link.

We also have a Teams site to which we will add all participants from our forums. We will share all documentation here and hope that it will become a one-stop shop for everything you need to know about the forums. If you would rather not be added to the Teams site, please let us know – academiclibrariesnorth@sconul.ac.uk.