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A Day in the Life, with our Product Manager, Kate Broadfield August 8, 2023

At Technology from Sage our purpose is to support libraries in advancing teaching, learning and research. We can’t achieve this mission without the work of the talented team at Technology from Sage, so we’ve launched a series of posts for you to find out more about the team.


In this A Day in the Life post, we’re joined by our new Product Manager, Kate Broadfield at Technology from Sage. Read on to find out more about Kate – including what it’s like working on the Talis product platform, working at a risk-supportive company and visiting National Trust properties!

Image of short haired woman with glasses

1. Welcome, Kate! Tell us about your new role?

I’m so thrilled to be working as a Product Manager building digital tools to support higher education! I support the Talis product platform currently focused looking how to improve Talis Aspire for our institutions, from integrating their discovery systems to improving the ease of processing reading list reviews to ensure every student has what is needed to succeed in their course.

2. What does your typical day look like?

Working in the Product team I spend time learning about our university libraries and the faculty and students they support. I review ideas from our customers, coordinating with the team to understand technical feasibility. I analyze usage analytics looking for trends, and perform user discovery sessions, both to ensure we make the right decisions for our users. I write product briefs for new features or changes. I collaborate with user experience and development daily and stay in touch with Marketing, Sales and Services to keep everyone informed and plan out marketing promotions and communications. 

3. What excites you most about your job at Technology from Sage?

I love collaborating across disciplines: Marketing, Engineering, and User Experience. I love planning, writing and seeing change happen. I love working for the betterment of universities through building and improving the digital tools they need to enhance the educational experience.

4. Explain what sort of a company Technology from Sage is to work for?

Technology from Sage is the future!

 

Technology from Sage make sure we have the best support to do great things, from training and workshops to excellent pay and benefits, including remote working. I hear the message repeatedly from various levels of management up to the top. We are a risk-supportive culture so we can push our limits and delivery great solutions for universities!

5. What team(s) are you directly involved with and how do you ensure you all connect as a fully distributed team?

I work in Product developing the Talis platform. I work directly with Engineering, User Experience, and my fellow Product Managers. On a regular basis I have discussions with Services, Consulting, Marketing, and Sales. We all connect both asynchronously and directly, 1-to-1 and group sessions. We meet on video calls supported by chat and channel communications. This blend is self-sustaining, but on average we meet in person every other month for bonding and to work through the challenge du jour in person.

6. What is it like starting a new job remotely?

Starting a job remotely has been wonderful! I admire any company willing to do it. Personally, it is such a relief not to have to drive an hour each way after an intense day, especially on those dark rainy winter nights. Technology from Sage provided terrific support to get me my equipment in advance of starting and I was online day one.

7. When you are not at work, how do you take time-out?

Gardening, reading in the garden,taking photos of nature, playing with the cats, and taking day trips with my husband to explore Britain/Europe’s seaside, National Trust garden properties, and castles! Additionally, I have a long-time interest in front-end coding and supporting live music.

8. Where can Technology from Sage users connect with you?

Anyone can connect with me on LinkedIn, X/Twitter or Threads.

A Day in the Life, with our Customer Success Consultant, Julia Dougherty July 6, 2023

At Technology from Sage our purpose is to support libraries in advancing teaching, learning and research. We can’t achieve this mission without the work of the talented team at Technology from Sage, so we’ve launched a series of posts for you to find out more about the team.


In this A Day in the Life post, we’re joined by our new Customer Success Consultant, Julia Dougherty at Technology from Sage. Read on to find out more about Julia – including what it’s like starting a new role remotely, her librarian background and love of thrifting!

A young woman with dark brown hair

1. Welcome, Julia! Tell us about your new role?

Hi everyone! I am the newest Customer Success Consultant on the Technology from Sage team based in Houston, Texas.

2. What does your typical day look like?

Right now I’m onboarding, but I’m looking forward to working with and supporting current Technology from Sage clients daily via support, regular calls, and catch-ups.

3. What excites you most about your job at Technology from Sage?

I’m most excited to combine my librarian experience with my sales and customer support experience in this role. I look forward to speaking to people in the academic library space every day!

4. Explain what sort of a company Technology from Sage is to work for?

I am pretty new to both Talis and Technology from Sage, so that’s yet to be seen! I can definitely say I appreciate the open communication channels we have between teams.

5. What team(s) are you directly involved with and how do you ensure you all connect as a fully distributed team?

I am directly involved with the Operations team. Although it can be complicated to connect as a team that all live in different countries from yourself, it seems there are regular efforts to chat and catch up.

6. What is it like starting a new job remotely?

It can be a bit daunting to start a role on the other side of the Atlantic from the rest of your team and in different time zones from yourself. However, I enjoy getting to know people from around the world, and my team has been very supportive thus far.

7. When you are not at work, how do you take time-out?

I’m a lover of music and have played piano for over 10 years. I also love traveling, dogs, and thrifting.

8. Where can Technology from Sage users connect with you?

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at Julia.dougherty@technologyfromsage.com. Cheers!

Unlocking the Power of Teaching & Learning Technologies: Honest Insights from Asking the Students June 26, 2023

 

At our inaugural Tech from Sage Insight event in April, we had our breakout session “Ask the Students: Honest insights from students using teaching & learning technologies”. This was an interactive session, with a panel of students discussing their university experience, pedagogy, and the features of different digital tools including: Talis Elevate, Lean Library and Sciwheel.

Check out the recordings from our studio sessions at Tech from Sage insight below.

 

The panel was facilitated by our Development Manager (International), Christopher Lewis, and the students on the panel were:

In this blog post, we’ll explore the challenges students face in their undergraduate university journey and provide the key takeaways and insights from the students which resonate with their experiences of using digital tools.

Challenges faced by students

University life presents its fair share of challenges, but the integration of digital tools has played a pivotal role in overcoming these hurdles. Students shared their experiences and highlighted how digital tools have addressed common issues faced in their academic journey, including not owning a laptop, or as Stefan says below, being able to ask librarians for support:

“When I think of going into the university library it’s always quite hectic, or at least in the foyer of people coming in and out … Rather than doing that, [wouldn’t it] be good to have somewhere I can go and ask questions about how I can do research?”

Stefan

Digital tools enhancing the university experience

The integration of digital tools has also had a positive impact on their students’ learning journeys, making learning resources easily accessible and eliminating the need for students to navigate through multiple platforms or physical materials. With everything in one place, students can save time and focus more on their studies. Here are some key points that arose from the session:

 

Accessible resources

Digital tools, like Lean Library, have eliminated paywall barriers, enabling students to access a vast array of scholarly articles and research papers effortlessly. This accessibility has expanded students’ knowledge and enriched their research projects.

I started using it this year. When I started researching my dissertation, and I realized I couldn’t possibly go through 20 different pages of Google Scholar, figuring out if I had access to them. It’s saved me a lot of time.

Sam

We asked the students where they begin their research journey, with many of them beginning their journey with Google rather than the library:

“I tend to just go straight to … the source of a public street to JSTOR, Cambridge, or something like that, rather than navigate the site itself?”

Cameron

Streamlined collaboration

Collaborative work has been greatly enhanced through tools like Talis Elevate, giving students the option to participate in discussion anonymously online, giving the silent majority a platform to participate in the conversation. Chris asked the students how they found their experience of using Talis Elevate for their modules:

If you have to look at the content again, for the seminar, you then come with a bit of understanding of where you can be talking about issues you can already see maybe the key themes that are going to be coming up, everyone’s asked along similar lines.

Stefan

Being able to read other people’s comments was like, maybe this means XYZ, it helps me go to the seminar more prepared and get a better understanding of the content.

Sam

Referencing made simple

Chris asked the students how they felt about referencing regarding their university work:

We have a proprietary referencing system based on MHRA. The university provide us with style guides. Enjoyable is not a word which would apply to referencing in most cases. I personally struggled quite a lot with referencing. It was only in my third year that I discovered reference management softwares, and I used Zotero. I enjoyed it but most reference management software doesn’t adapt to the style guide you’re using.

Annabelle

Annabelle revealed she got signposted to reference management software in her third year of university, in a dissertation skills preparation module, and that it was up to the students to decide which reference management tool to go with and teaching yourself.

 

After the students played around with Sciwheel, here is what they had to say:

One of the best benefits of Sciwheel is the personalised referencing. Sciwheel responded to customer feedback and got this issue fixed right away. Now that’s resolved, I wish I had a time machine to use Sciwheel for my projects.

Sam

Annabelle and Stefan made the points that they like making references by hand, as they can see where they are in their work, but they can see how reference management tools can be useful for group research projects.

 

Adoption of digital tools

Digital tools have made learning more flexible and convenient. Students can access resources anytime, anywhere, allowing them to tailor their study schedules to their individual needs. This flexibility promotes a better work-life balance and empowers students to take control of their education. We asked students how librarians can encourage student uptake of these tools:

It’s easier to get a different perspective on things via word of mouth. I don’t know if all universities have a network of Student Reps. I’m a Student Rep for my year, so I can signpost students to digital tools or problems in terms of formatting or how to improve library workshops.

Sam

We asked the students, what would be your response to ‘we can’t spoon feed students everything’?

Participating in the workshop and reflecting on how during my studies I was taught using various digital tools reaffirmed to me the importance of intertwining university libraries, teaching, and technology. Universities are continuing to expand, with lecturers’ time further limited and accessing physical resources becoming ever-increasingly difficult. Being able to … use Talis Elevate to unpick say, a 14th century legal document – and see classmates’ comments – accelerated my understanding of topics and made my studying more efficient. Using these sorts of technologies isn’t spoon-feeding students, rather ensuring in the digital age they have possibility to not only learn but learn well.

Stefan

Providing the tools for students to succeed, such as through showing them how to use certain software and digital tools, is conducive to fostering independence within these students, and enhancing their skills development. Students are not experts at studying and researching, and as such, need more guidance to develop these skills.

Sam

Conclusion

The insights shared by students highlight the transformative power of digital tools in higher education. From organisation and accessibility to collaboration and flexibility, these tools have revolutionised the university experience for students. There are still lots of elements to consider for universities and academic libraries, including providing guidance for students on developing these digital skills and encouraging uptake of these tools within the student community.

At Technology from Sage, we are committed to continuously improving our solutions to meet the evolving needs of students. Their honest feedback and experiences are invaluable in shaping the future of teaching and learning tools.

 

Meet our North America Sales Director, Jessica Clemons April 21, 2023

At Technology from Sage our purpose is to support libraries in advancing teaching, learning and research. We can’t achieve this mission without the work of the talented team at Technology from Sage, so we’ve launched a series of posts for you to find out more about the team.


In this Meet the Team post, we’re joined by Jessica Clemons, the North America Sales Director at Technology from Sage. Read on to find out more about Jessica.

1. Tell us about joining Technology from Sage and your experience beforehand:

I began my career as a science librarian and thought I’d always be in libraries. I feel that is still true while working and serving libraries from the vendor side. I loved learning about all the different areas of librarianship, helping students, and engaging with faculty.

2. Can you tell us a bit about what you do at Technology from Sage?

I’m leading the North American sales team to grow awareness of Technology from Sage and help customers deliver best in class, student-centered solutions. I get to talk to many different librarians about their strategic priorities, how they are providing value to their organization, and work with them to accelerate their vision.

3. What excites you most about your work at Technology from Sage?

So many things! I think I have some of the best colleagues who are talented, professional, and a lot of fun. We are strengthening and growing our partnerships with other vendors and that kind of collaboration is much needed. Most importantly, I am fortunate to be able to connect with so many different academic librarians who are working so hard to deliver the best services to their patrons, wherever they may be.

4. How have you been putting Technology from Sage’s strategy and values into action?

It seems like every year there is always a new “threat” to the academic library. Our solutions help librarians deliver on their core mission of access and engagement in modern ways, all while elevating the impact that the library can have.  

Librarians are our focus and we want to help their work to be more impactful, engaging, and connected across the teaching and learning ecosystem. I’ve been connecting with many engaged and forward-thinking librarians who have the ability to see where they need to be in order to adapt to changing student and faculty needs. 

Our solutions help librarians deliver on their core mission of access and engagement in modern ways, all while elevating the impact that the library can have.

5. What’s the best day you’ve ever had at work? Is there a particular project or milestone you are proud of?

There are so many examples to choose from here! In sales, it is usually when you hear a “yes” from a customer who wants to use our solutions to solve the problems they have and help their patrons. But realistically, my best day is any day where I’ve been able to help my colleagues, help customers, and take the time to be grateful for the opportunities that I have.

6. What three things are always on your desk?

A Notepad, a coaster my daughter made for me and tinted lip balm.

7. What’s the best book you’ve read recently and why?

In Love by Amy Bloom. I love her writing in fiction because it is filled with strong females living lives that are complicated and honest. In Love is a work of non-fiction that painfully and beautifully describes the loss of her husband to Alzheimer’s. I can’t get it out of my head or my heart.

8. Is there a quote or mantra that you live by? What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever heard?

I try and tune into my inner Yogi with a daily affirmation app. I like the variety and it helps to positively adjust my mindset and approach the day ahead with an open heart and a sense of joy. 

9. It’s your day off. What do you have planned?

I love this question because I’m a planner! I’ll want to take care of my growing menagerie of pets and farm animals, go for a hike or bike ride, make a treat with my kids, and play some games as a family. And perhaps I’d end the day with a gorgeous cocktail.

10. If you didn’t work at Technology from Sage or in your current role, what would you want to do?

Working to advance higher education is where I find the most reward and I hope that I’ll always be able to do that. But, if I had to pick something else, I think it would be fun to be a brewmaster and make delicious craft beers for everyone to enjoy.

Meet our Managing Director, Matt Hayes April 14, 2023

At Technology from Sage our purpose is to support libraries in advancing teaching, learning and research. We can’t achieve this mission without the work of the talented team at Technology from Sage, so we’ve launched a series of posts for you to find out more about the team.


In this Meet the Team post, we’re joined by Matt Hayes, Managing Director at Technology from Sage. Read on to find out more about Matt – including what excites him most about working at Technology from Sage, the success of Lean Library Futures at BETT 2022 and what separates Technology from Sage from other companies.

1. Tell us about joining Technology from Sage and your experience beforehand:

I first joined Technology from Sage in 2020 as Managing Director of Lean Library. I came from Clarivate where I had been Director of Publons, the peer review platform, helping to lead Publons through its post-acquisition growth period. I loved my time at Publons, working with some amazing people and scaling reviewer recognition globally. A personal highlight was standing up a rapid Covid-19 preprint screening platform at the beginning of the pandemic, where we were able to mobilise the Publons reviewer community to rapidly screen emerging Covid research. The Lean Library opportunity came later that year and at just the right time, as we had just finished a 2-year growth acceleration period and had completed integrating the team into the core Clarivate business. I really admired the vision of Lean Library’s original founders, to bring the library into user workflows, and was excited at the potential to build out its promise, differentiating it from a generation of access broker tools into a more comprehensive solution for libraries.

2. Can you tell us a bit about what you do at Technology from Sage?

My role expanded to Managing Director of Technology from Sage in early 2022, taking on responsibility for the Talis and Sciwheel businesses in addition to Lean Library. In my role as MD, I am ultimately responsible and accountable for all aspects of our strategy, long-term planning and day-to-day operations. I am lucky enough to have an amazing leadership team to support me in this, with talented directors for each of our key functions – from Technology to Sales.

3. What excites you most about your work at Technology from Sage?

I think it’s the challenge of being a minnow in a sea of whales! Having worked for the larger players like Clarivate and Springer Nature before, I am hyper aware of the scale and resources that these companies can bring to bear in our space. So my focus is often on what we can do that they can’t or won’t. This is where our ownership by Sage is so impactful. Their independent structure, not beholden to shareholders or short-term market changes, enables us to take a long-term view as a business. So our product strategy is able to really look ahead to where libraries might go in 5, 10 years’ time, and how our products can support them along the way. This is really exciting for me, as I love the new ideas and challenges this approach brings about. It means that we’re constantly looking to innovate, and that we can take risks.

(Sage’s) independent structure, not beholden to shareholders or short-term market changes, enables us to take a long-term view as a business. So our product strategy is able to really look ahead to where libraries might go in 5, 10 years’ time, and how our products can support them along the way.

4. How have you been putting Technology from Sage’s strategy and values into action?

I’m going to go with one of our internal values: ‘One Team’. We put this in place late last year as we started to bring each of the three businesses (Talis, Lean Library and Sciwheel) that make up Technology from Sage closer together. It’s really about saying that although we are a bunch of brilliantly different people, all with different histories and experiences, we are a single team. A team that supports each other, that achieves great things and has fun while doing it. That’s the kind of environment I personally always want to work in, and one I consider it my responsibility to help create. Playing my part in cultivating a happy team, that works well together, that can learn and progress, is one of the most rewarding parts of my role.

5. What’s the best day you’ve ever had at work? Is there a particular project or milestone you are proud of?

I think winning a BETT Award for Lean Library Futures last year. It was the culmination of a lot of hard work during the pandemic, and everyone involved put so much passion into achieving something we felt was truly ground-breaking. So it was awesome to have that recognised at BETT.

6. What three things are always on your desk?

A takeaway coffee from Gail’s, my fancy new ergonomic mouse (writing up my PhD thesis has recently given me carpal tunnel!), and a huge bottle of water.

7. What’s the best book you’ve read recently and why?

Circe by Madeline Miller. It’s so incredibly beautiful – please read it!

8. Is there a quote or mantra that you live by? What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever heard?

My hero has always been Bobby Kennedy and I love his Ripples of Hope speech: ‘Whenever someone stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, they send forth a tiny ripple of hope – which crossing each other from a million different centres of energy and daring can build a current to sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.’ I remember first hearing it in my mid-twenties and this, and many other RFK speeches, have quite literally directed my career and life. He inspired me to do my PhD in citizenship education and is always a reminder to focus on the impact my work has. In terms of the best advice I’ve ever received, I love aphorisms and a party trick is my obsession with memorising speeches and quotes, so there’s probably too many to select just one, but this popped into my head now: ‘Everything will be alright in the end, and if it’s not alright it’s not the end.’

9. It’s your day off. What do you have planned?

A long walk on Hampstead Heath with my wife and daughters, followed by lunch at the pub.

10. If you didn’t work at Technology from Sage or in your current role, what would you want to do?

I’ve considered the NGO sector before and once had a dream to join UNESCO, so maybe something there or in K-12 education. I think whatever I did though it would still be in this broad knowledge sector we’re in. I love the intellectual challenge of business, the personal impact I can have leading people, and the societal benefits of sector I’m a part of. ‘Be kind, be useful’, basically. 😊

Meet our Product Director, Daniel Horvath April 14, 2023

At Technology from Sage our purpose is to support libraries in advancing teaching, learning and research. We can’t achieve this mission without the work of the talented team at Technology from Sage, so we’ve launched a series of posts for you to find out more about the team.


In this Meet the Team post, we’re joined by Daniel Horvath, Product Director at Technology from Sage.

1. Tell us about joining Technology from Sage and your experience beforehand

I worked at Lean Library for 4 years before joining the Technology from Sage Leadership Team in 2022, which was an exciting time. My background has always been in product; I worked as a Quality Assurance assistant, did a bit of product training and consultancy – and a bit of coding myself!

2. Can you tell us a bit about what you do at Technology from Sage?

I am Product Director at Technology from Sage. I lead the product teams across the businesses (Talis, Lean Library, and Sciwheel), and develop the long-term product strategy on the product suite level. Additionally, I work closely with other departments such as sales, and marketing, to align our efforts and support them in their work.

3. What excites you most about your work at Technology from Sage?

I am excited about the opportunities and possibilities we are seeing at Technology from Sage, and it’s great to be working with a team full of bright, talented and motivated people on these opportunities.

4. How have you been putting Technology from Sage’s strategy and values into action?

At Technology from Sage, we believe that librarians are fundamental to learning and research at their institution and that the right technology can remove barriers to knowledge. This is particularly true for the product department. The ultimate goal of our products is to make learning and research easier for our users (the library’s patrons). Therefore, we need knowledge and input from librarians when we build and develop our product suite. To achieve this, we conduct regular interviews, workshops and feedback discussions with our librarian partners (and their users!) to ensure our roadmaps are meeting their needs. On top of that, we work closely with a few libraries as development partners, who directly advise on specific products as we develop and grow.

5. What’s the best day you’ve ever had at work? Is there a particular project or milestone you are proud of?

I don’t think I’d be able to pick one particular day from the last 5 years. It has been an exciting and challenging journey, through which we have been continuously evolving, and as we’ve evolved, we face different challenges to solve. This has been keeping my work at Lean Library and Technology from SAGE ever exciting and enjoyable.

6. What three things are always on your desk?

I try to keep my desk as clean as possible, so apart from my keyboard, mouse and speakers, most times there isn’t anything else on my desk (well, maybe a cup of coffee).

7. Is there a quote or mantra that you live by? What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever heard?

A quote I recently heard from Rick and Morty goes ‘Confidence is the food of the wise man but the liqueur of the fool‘. I found it to be a great and humbling quote.

8. It’s your day off. What do you have planned?

You will almost certainly find me with my friends having fun by the beach or having dinner and boardgame nights.

9. If you didn’t work at Technology from Sage or in your current role, what would you want to do?

Good question. I feel I would either work on a similar project and product, or do something totally different like video editing and videography that is my main hobby.

Meet our Head of Product for Talis, Scott Gibbens April 4, 2023

At Technology from Sage our purpose is to support libraries in advancing teaching, learning and research. We can’t achieve this mission without the work of the talented team at Technology from Sage, so we’ve launched a series of posts for you to find out more about the team.


In this Meet the Team post, we’re joined by Scott Gibbens, Head of Product (Talis) at Technology from Sage. Read on to find out more about Scott.

1. Tell us about joining Technology from Sage and your experience beforehand

I joined Technology from Sage last October. Prior to joining Technology from Sage, I worked at Kortext, product managing Analytics and then leading on their KeyLInks product. Before that I worked in University, College and NHS Libraries for 10 years. I also worked at a library ebook provider, before working for several years at Jisc Collections managing the Historical Text and Journal Archives service.

2. Can you tell us a bit about what you do at Technology from Sage?

My role essentially is ensuring that both Talis Aspire and Talis Elevate not only meet our customers needs, but give them new possibilities they may not have thought of. I work with people across Talis, including Customer Services, Sales, Developers and our Product Team. I also work closely with our partners such as OCLC and Ebsco to ensure all products work together.

Most importantly, I speak to our customers on a regular basis to make sure we are building enhancements they actually want and are fixing problems they may have.

3. What excites you most about your work at Technology from Sage?

I’ve been involved in Libraries for 30 years, working as both a Librarian (I did a post graduate library diploma in 1994/5) and also working for library suppliers. The great thing about Technology from Sage is the focus is on the Library, and I love to work with a great bunch of people who all have the same focus.

4. How have you been putting Technology from Sage’s strategy and values into action?

We work closely with libraries to ensure our product development helps them achieve their aims and gives lecturers and students access to resources via the service they use every day (such as the VLE). We ensure we are meeting accessibility guidelines to ensure anyone can access resources no matter their level of ability. We ensure our services connect to other services library subscribe to, so they can get best value out of their collections by signposting users (a recent example is our development to enable universities to connect Talis Aspire to their Discovery service).

5. What three things are always on your desk

My Phone, Mug of Tea (essential) and notepad for ideas/notes.

6. What’s the best book you’ve read recently and why?

I read quite a lot of fiction. Eye Contact by Fergus McNeill is a favourite of mine. The idea is fantastic, and the description of Bristol (my home city) is excellent.

7. Is there a quote or mantra that you live by? What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever heard?

I’m sure there is something I live by life by! When thinking about product management I always ask customers if they ever got trained how to use Amazon (no one has ever said yes yet!). My aim is to make the products I work with as easy to use as Amazon.

8. It’s your day off. What do you have planned?

Most likely it will involve walking the dogs and playing guitar (I’ve been learning for about 7 years now).

9. If you didn’t work at Technology from Sage or in your current role, what would you want to do?

I’d always fancied working as a park ranger in one of our national parks.