Niche Academy provides library-specific learning management software that serves over 1,000 libraries worldwide with cost effective, professional and customizable training and learning tools, that empower library workers to support communities.
Over 1500 video guides cover all major eresource platforms, digital skills, information literacy, safety and much more. Niche embeds seamlessly alongside the library site and catalogue, white-labelled so that all tutorials and content appears as the library’s own.
Librarians love Niche because it is so easy to use and configure across a wide range of applications.
Over 20 UK library authorities are now using Niche to engage users in increasingly innovative ways; to effectively train staff, and to collaborate with other local-authority services, extending the reach of libraries within their communities.
DCA introduced Niche to the UK around 5 years ago, helping libraries who faced challenges around delivering e-resource training, embedding custom video and content into the library site.
A successful Niche installation saves staff time, promotes resources to library users, and enables libraries to engage audiences and leverage the value of all their resources and programmes. Above all, Niche is a force multiplier for everyone around libraries – staff, volunteers, and users.
That’s what this award is about. We’ve seen some wonderful examples of libraries using Niche innovatively to empower library collaborations with health, education and heritage services (to name a few).
This is our first year to offer an award, recognising these outstanding achievements.
The 5 shortlisted libraries were selected by the Niche Academy head office, and are:
Hertfordshire – highlights of their use of Niche include onboarding tutorials for their volunteer staff
Lancashire – who created a library academy, school libraries academy and a heritage learning academy in partnership with their heritage and museums service
East Sussex – who support the refugee community with essential training tutorials built within Niche
Leeds – re-branded as the Leeds Online Guides, Niche here acts as a helpdesk for the library, offering digital literacy and accessibility training. Leeds partnered with the local NHS Trust to build community health support tutorials and information ….. all delivered through Niche.
Hillingdon – who use Niche to curate a substantial and sustainable archive of their arts and crafts videos and author events material.
All of these libraries have done a fantastic job with Niche, and to find out more about how your library could use it to engage your community, click here or contact us for more information.
We are pleased to announce our two winners, who made a real difference to their community with Niche – Leeds and Lancashire libraries!
Congratulations!
