Tom Avery

Background

About Tom Avery

I'm seeking a role where I can use my knowledge and skills to support customers and teach and empower customers to their full potential. Through my experience in academics libraries I've developed a set of transferable skills that could be put to good use in your organisation. I began my library career at Wellington City Libraries. I worked at Central library and across most of the branch libraries, enjoying it so much I secured a permanent part-time position at WCL Central branch and started studying for a library qualification. At Central Library I worked in the circulation department and part-time on the Reference desk in Science and Humanities. This gave me useful experience in developing reference skills and knowledge of information sources. While I continued to work at WCL, I started at Massey University Wellington Information desk, gaining reference experience in an Academic library. I built on this experience when moving to the Open Polytechnic Library in a Customer Services role. My current role was created for me, that of Systems Co-ordinator. The role involves working collaboratively across the library's collection services, reference and circulation teams, building up relationships and skills, and applying technical knowledge to problem solve issues. I manage the library management systems, databases and remote authentication systems. But my favourite part of my role is talking to students and staff; either in person or through seminars; or one-to-one, online via phone. I see myself always having this social learning and teaching component in my career. I will be engaged with technology as long as I'm in work I love because it is constantly evolving and there's always new things to learn and share. Specialties: libraries, ebooks, information literacy, user instruction, customer service, database administration, materials management, telephone skills, time management, distance library services, technology, academic libraries.