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!

With Niche Academy, libraries can create attractive, interactive elements for their customers such as quizzes, polls and writing competitions. 

One of our finalists for the Niche Award, Lancashire Libraries, found new ways to engage with their audience by using Niche’s Quiz template and creating dozens of multiple-choice book quizzes for their young readers. By doing this, they engage and encourage the next generation of library-goers.

They also encourage return visits, with recommendations for your next book or comic coming at the end of every quiz.

⠀

They also got maximum benefit from their subscription by opening a dedicated Heritage Learning academy, with tutorials about the local area including Shakespeare’s connections with Lancashire. 

⠀

In addition their Schools Library Service academy hosts the Brilliant Book Awards and other ongoing resources to support schools. While the Lancashire Staff academy not only familiarises library staff with the library’s e-resources but also provides digital skills training and stores recordings of team training sessions. Bespoke tutorials on services such as Ask a Librarian, Business and Intellectual Property network, and Adult Education courses improve staff awareness and confidence in these programmes. 

“The staff academy refreshes the library team’s knowledge of digital resources, using assignments to embed the team’s learning and has become an invaluable resource.”

– Carolyn Waite , Lancashire Libraries

Lancashire’s Academies not only successfully train and support the region’s library team, but also reach right into the community by blending with other council services.

Congratulations to Lancashire for being nominated as a finalist in the Niche Awards 2023!

Why?

Every day, public libraries are proving and improving their ability to engage and serve communities, adding value and delivering successful social outcomes. Niche Academy provides over 1,000 libraries worldwide with cost effective training and learning tools that empower library workers to support community engagement. 

What?

DCA and Niche Academy are excited to announce the launch of the “Niche Academy Award for Excellence in Community Engagement” – our way of recognising those library authorities working with Niche, who go above and beyond for their communities. 

Who?

Each of our five shortlisted libraries uses Niche Academy in innovative and unique ways, and over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing their stories. Niche is a powerful and flexible tool, and we’re excited to tell you all about the libraries who use it to its fullest – from creating exciting content in collaboration with other community services, to efficient and sustainable onboarding of new staff and volunteers.

Our five finalists are:

• Hertfordshire
• Lancashire
• East Sussex
• Hillingdon
• Leeds

The winners will be announced at the EDGE Conference dinner on March 2nd in Edinburgh. Join us there, where DCA will be presenting the award in person, on behalf of Niche Academy.