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You have just graduated
with a library qualification, and you have your first library job.
Finally, you can sit back, put your feet up and rest on your laurels –
right?
Wrong!
Some of
my colleagues have proven themselves to be the most dynamic and
adaptable professionals because they have planned and maintained their
own professional development. They understand the needs of the workplace
and their clients, keep up to date with the latest information and
resources and remain adaptable in an ever-changing
environment.
Remember how easy it was when we were in library school to keep up with
the latest developments and research? But notice that now we are out
of school,
it
takes a lot more self-motivation to keep developing our professional
knowledge. For this reason it is a good idea to have in place your own
CPD
plan.
So what
is CPD and how can you jump on the bandwagon to become highly prized by
your employer and peers, I hear you ask?
Well,
read on for some handy hints.
Continuing Professional Development
There are very few professionals who have been unaffected by the rapid
pace of change in their chosen field over the past decade,
and being a professional relies on the ability to respond quickly to
this change in the industry. Being involved in CPD in the library
industry enables you to maintain and improve your technical knowledge,
professional skills and competencies. It allows you to remain flexible
and adaptable by keeping yourself up to date through activities such as
professional reading, seminars, courses and conferences.
Often
for new librarians, being involved (formally or informally) in CPD can
give the graduate an edge when applying for positions
or short-term
contracts within the workplace or in being nominated for a position on a
committee.
Stay
Current Virtually
Email
lists can be a great place to begin your professional development. They
are often informative, interesting and usually don’t require too much
work on your part
--
but only if you don’t go crazy and subscribe to
hundreds!
Rather,
join a few interesting and relevant groups. Currently,
for example,
I am on e-lists for SALIN (South
Australian Library and Information Network),
NewLib-L,
NexGen and various ALIA groups including
ALIA New Graduates Group.
Discussions and topics on e-lists are as wide and varied as the people
on them. The latest topics on the lists I’m subscribed to have covered
such interesting areas as stereotypical librarians, interesting
libraries around the world, the latest copyright issues, privacy laws
and client confidentiality, career and employment issues, workplace and
employment advice, interesting links and articles found – the list goes
on. These e-list topics help us become aware of what the current issues
are facing all sectors of the library profession and can aid in helping
committees and even library schools plan relevant events and course
programs.
The
best thing,
though,
is that you get to ‘meet’ people virtually and informally while keeping
up to date on the latest developments of your industry. You will begin
to recognise the names of other people who contribute to the list,
and later you may make a special effort to contact them regarding an
issue or topic with which you need assistance.
Once
you begin to feel comfortable on your e-lists, you may like to
contribute with an interesting and informative post that could become
the next hot topic. Contributing to lists can also provide increased
visibility for you as a professional,
and you may just begin to have people contacting you off the list to ask
your advice.
Professional Reading and
E-Alerts
Professional reading is one of the best ways to learn about what is
happening in the industry. I have set up a few e-alerts for myself at
work and once a month I receive emails listing the latest articles in my
favourite journals. If any look interesting or relevant I either
download the article or search it out. I try to be a browser and not
overload myself with reading, as I never manage to read more than one or
two articles outside of work a month!
If
you are a member of a library association try and read the magazines and
literature they send around. Often the information is very relevant to
the sector in your town or state and it will keep you up to date with
the latest developments, and any conferences or seminars you might like
to attend.
Publishing
Publishing is valuable. Often I find the resources I've gathered when
preparing to write something have become valuable tools for my job. Your
writing can also be useful to others
--
what a kick it
would be to learn that one of your articles was being used and
referenced by other librarians!
But I
suggest you start small. Begin by posting emails to the lists you are
on. Once you feel confident in your writing skills,
consider writing a short article for your association’s monthly
newsletter or, like I have,
for
a website
such as
LIScareer.com.
Later, try teaming up with a senior colleague or other new graduates
to
write
for national or international journals. Recently some colleagues and I
wrote an article for the Australian Library Journal titled
"Opportunities
for the new generation: the formation of a networking group."
This refereed article was a wonderful way to learn more about what was
happening in the industry and has helped to raise my profile
considerably.
Mentoring
Organised mentoring has become a huge part of CPD in the library
industry in recent years and it can
offer
huge benefits to your knowledge, experience and career. Just over a year
ago I entered into a formal mentoring programme through my position at
an academic library. My mentor was wonderful;
she gave me the great opportunity to discuss ideas and opinions with her
which would not have come up in my everyday work. At the time I was
employed in a non-professional role as a supervisor in Document Delivery
and my day revolved around copyright issues, broken-down
photocopiers, and staff problems. Mentoring gave me the chance to talk
about libraries globally and the changes that were occurring in the
industry. Not long after my mentoring ended I was employed elsewhere as
a professional librarian and have since had the confidence to change
jobs, which further developed my skills and competencies. I now have a
job as a reference librarian which I love,
and interestingly,
my mentor is also a reference librarian. I still stay in contact with my
mentor;
she is the person I go to
when I need advice from a well-established professional.
Mentoring can occur formally or informally. If you have no access to an
organised mentoring programme, try and find an established professional
you feel comfortable with, and possibly one in a position you are
interested in. You don’t need to be formally mentored;
instead you can approach your
mentor when you
need advice about applying for positions or interviews,
or maybe if you just want to discuss the library world’s latest
developments.
Networking
“Network, network, network!” This was the mantra
Kate Sinclair
recently used in her opening paragraph of
"Building
New Generation Networks in Australia: A personal experience."
At a recent
ALIA New Librarians’ Symposium 2002 we nicknamed the author of
this paper the ‘networking queen’ for her ability to get around and meet
everyone. Her approach has led to her being asked to join ALIA’s
National Policy and Advisory Group (NGPAG),
a committee that is made up of nominated members only;
asked to speak at a
number of events;
and featured
in a newspaper in South Australia as a representative of the new
generation library graduate.
Networking gives you an excellent opportunity to meet like-minded people
in the profession. Often
these people become valuable contacts that you may approach for advice
in their area of expertise. Some
may even become good friends whom you enjoy meeting and catching up with
at conferences and events.
Seminars and Conferences
To
remain up to date and maintain your skill base, it is important to
attend as many industry seminars and conferences you can manage.
Conferences can be expensive so if you find you can’t afford to attend,
watch out for ones being held in your own state or city. Often
organisers of conferences will plan workshops or breakout events that
non-conference goers can attend for a very reasonable cost. Also keep up
to date with all emails or flyers you receive about events and seminars
that your local library associations are organising. These are often
very inexpensive and can be an amazing treasury of information. If you
don’t think you will know anyone there, invite another like-minded
graduate or ask around your workplace to find out if anyone else is
attending.
It is
at these grass-roots events and conferences that you will often hear
about new ideas, be able to gain new skills and remain current. Your
networks will also increase your
potential of becoming a
‘networking superstar.’
Become Involved
in your
Professional
Association
Getting involved with your local professional association could be one
of the most important aspects of your professional development. Joining
a professional association and becoming active in its committees will
increase your organisational and event management skills,
and may even
help you
develop ideas for
publishing articles. Committees are the best places to meet, work and
develop professional relationships with people who will extend your
views,
increase your current
awareness and sometimes even inspire you. Sometimes these networks lead
to job offers, publishing and presentation opportunities.
They often can
develop into friendships that may last a lifetime,
and will be invaluable to your professional development.
Formalising your
Continuing Professional Development
Many
professional associations recognise the importance of CPD and encourage
member involvement by offering formalised CPD programmes that are
recognised by many employers. If your association offers this, I suggest
you join up. Most of
the activities
I have suggested
are recognised,
so
you
will be able to count the
activities
towards your programme. Just remember, the idea behind CPD is to extend
your knowledge and skills, not to make you work yourself into an early
grave – accept that you cannot do everything, all the time.
Bibliography
Baxter,
Graeme “Professional development and the recently qualified information
and library studies professional: factors affecting success in
attainment of the UK Library Association’s Associate status”
Education for Information 18 (2/3) 2000 p169
Bell,
Steven “To keep up, go beyond: Developing a personal professional
development plan using e-resources outside the bounds of library
literature” College and Research Libraries 61 (7) 2000
http://www.ala.org/ACRLPrinterTemplate.cfm?Section=July_August3&Template=/ContentManagement/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=8895
Sinclair, Kate “Building New Generation Networks in Australia: A
personal experience.”
LIScareer.com,
Aug 2003
http://www.liscareer.com/sinclair_salin.htm
About
the Author:
Robyn
Ellard is a Reference Librarian in the Flexible Delivery Service of the
Library, University of South Australia. She is a co-founder of SALIN,
the South Australian Library and Information Network, state
Co-Coordinator of ALIA New Graduates Group and committee member of ALIA
SA, ALIA ARCoM and ALIA Information Science. She is also the Programme
Convenor for the 2nd ALIA New Librarians’ Symposium which
will be held in Adelaide, South Australia in December 2004.
Article published Nov
2003
Disclaimer: The
ideas expressed in LIScareer articles are those of their respective
authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the LIScareer
editors.
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