Frontline Forum

The Frontline Forum is an 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.

The first forum of the year will be on:

Monday 16 November 2026 – 10.00 – 11.30
Topic: engaging students at the start of term

The draft programme for the morning is as follows (speakers will be confirmed asap):

• • 10.05-10.15 Jenny Morgan and Tom Lennox from Leeds Beckett – LBU has undertaken an extensive welcome programme this year and this presentation will discuss some of the events that were run during the start of term – examples can be seen on the New Students Events page.
  • 10.15-10.25 Joanna Pettersson from Durham – Durham organised a book giveaway for first generation students and students with financial hardship grants at the start of term. This presentation will outline how it came about and the outcomes.
  • 10.25-10.35 Dan Ellis from Durham – During the start of term the Disability Support Team at Durham offers Early Access Tours and inductions to new starters who require additional support. These usually take place a week prior to freshers week (while the library is a bit quieter) and is an opportunity for new starters to familiarise themselves with the library as a study space, the resources on offer, how to use the library, as well as to ask any questions and chat with library staff. This presentation will detail how the support went this year.

The remaining forums for this academic year will take place on:

Tuesday 19 January 2027 – 2.00 – 3.30

Wednesday 17 March 2027 – 10.00 – 11.30

Thursday 3 June 2027 – 2.00 – 3.30

The themes for the forums will be confirmed nearer the time. If you work on the frontline in your library and there’s a topic you would like us to cover, please let us know.

Previous Frontline Forums

We run 4 Frontline Forums each academic year.

We have run the following:

• Tuesday 2 June 2026 – Supporting neurodivergent students 
• Wednesday 25 March 2026 – Encouraging responsible use of spaces
• Thursday 22 January 2026 – Supporting international students
• Tuesday 18 November 2025 – Social Media and Student Engagement
• Tuesday 20 May 2025 – Supporting mental health and wellbeing in libraries
• Thursday 27th March 2025- Handling space & user issues in your library
• Wednesday 29th January 2025 – Handling frontline enquiries
• Tuesday 19th November 2024 – Launch of the Frontline Forum

You can see all the details of the forums on the ALN Past Frontline Forums webpage.

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 run 4 times a year and last for 90 minutes. The first forum of each academic year will take place in November, followed by sessions in January, March and June.

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 series of presentations from an ALN SIG/CoP or from member institutions, 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).

You can see details of past forums here. If you have attended a forum, you should be part of the Frontline Forum Teams site, where all the resources are shared. Please let us know if you’d like to be added to the site – academiclibrariesnorth@sconul.ac.uk.

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.