Advocacy initially sounds like a scary word (where did I put the placards?!) but actually on thinking more deeply about it, it is about what librarians do even day. By promoting, engaging and communicating with users we are advocating the library concept. Each time I help a student, deliver an induction or create a promo flyer I am advocating for the library...
Something that happened to me this week made me think about the kinds of advocacy that I'm involved in every day. Whilst staffing a desk, a student came to speak to me and hesitatingly said she was thinking about a career in libraries and was wondering what she would need to do. My own career in libraries started with a similar conversation with a librarian so I realised how important this could be.
Saturday, 8 October 2011
Saturday, 1 October 2011
CPD23: Thing 15 - out and about
So onto Thing 15 - attending, presenting and organising events. I've had some experience of all three of these things so I'll write about each one in turn.
Attending - of the events I've attended, probably the most significant one for me was the CoFHE 2009 conference. This three day conference was brilliant for the range of workshops, addresses and plenaries available and the chance to meet other people. I left after three days with my head spinning but having learnt some much I wanted to investigate further. One workshop I attended by Rachel Van Riel on building a customer centred space had a real impact on me, and informed a library redevelopment project I then went on to lead.
Presenting - as I wrote about here, I spoke at a CoFHE LASEC group meeting in March on Enrichment. It did feel nerve wracking to speak to a group of librarians but it was a really positive experience to evaluate and communicate projects I been involved in. I'm also preparing to speak at another event - the CoFHE LASEC AGM in two weeks time - for more details see here on the CoFHE LASEC blog.
Organising - as part of the committee for CoFHE LASEC I was also involved in organising the CPD day this years, as I wrote about in Thing 7. Not long after starting in my first professional role, I acted as a conference assistant for a two day conference on censorship in literature and information for young people. I'd really recommend this as a way of getting to attend a conference, you are able to get really involved in what is happening and chatting with all the attendees and speakers.
Overall, conferences and other events provide a great opportunity to learn and be inspired. Getting out of the workplace also allows you to meet people and share ideas.
Attending - of the events I've attended, probably the most significant one for me was the CoFHE 2009 conference. This three day conference was brilliant for the range of workshops, addresses and plenaries available and the chance to meet other people. I left after three days with my head spinning but having learnt some much I wanted to investigate further. One workshop I attended by Rachel Van Riel on building a customer centred space had a real impact on me, and informed a library redevelopment project I then went on to lead.
Presenting - as I wrote about here, I spoke at a CoFHE LASEC group meeting in March on Enrichment. It did feel nerve wracking to speak to a group of librarians but it was a really positive experience to evaluate and communicate projects I been involved in. I'm also preparing to speak at another event - the CoFHE LASEC AGM in two weeks time - for more details see here on the CoFHE LASEC blog.
Organising - as part of the committee for CoFHE LASEC I was also involved in organising the CPD day this years, as I wrote about in Thing 7. Not long after starting in my first professional role, I acted as a conference assistant for a two day conference on censorship in literature and information for young people. I'd really recommend this as a way of getting to attend a conference, you are able to get really involved in what is happening and chatting with all the attendees and speakers.
Overall, conferences and other events provide a great opportunity to learn and be inspired. Getting out of the workplace also allows you to meet people and share ideas.
CPD23: Thing 14 - online referencing tools
What a great time to be doing this Thing! I'm starting to deliver my first referencing and plagiarism sessions of this year and am also working on a project to embed digital literacy skills into our induction programme. Online referencing tools seems a perfect meeting of these two things...
Initially I was most drawn to trying out citeulike - as an online tool that doesn't require a download I thought this could be a useful tool to potentially recommend to students (downloading to the network being outlawed for students and staff at my organisation). However, after reading up a bit more on citeulike I realised this probably wasn't going to be the best for referencing functionality (not it's fault, as Isla says, that's not really what it's designed for).
As I don't really use Firefox, by elimination Mendeley then became the referencing tool I tried out. I had a play around by adding some PDFs to Mendeley and had a a mixed success rate - the first one I added it found the reference immediately, the second one it had no idea what it was and the third, it found the correct title but assigned it a completely different journal title... It was pretty easy to amend and add details, but this would require anyone using it to check the details of what they are adding and amend/delete where it was wrong.
Overall, unfortunately I don't think Mendeley is going to be appropriate for the students I teach at the moment It requires a fair amount of leg work (and a download of the software) to get to the stage you can use it for referencing. I think it would be great for larger scale research projects and is definitely something I would keep in mind for this.
Initially I was most drawn to trying out citeulike - as an online tool that doesn't require a download I thought this could be a useful tool to potentially recommend to students (downloading to the network being outlawed for students and staff at my organisation). However, after reading up a bit more on citeulike I realised this probably wasn't going to be the best for referencing functionality (not it's fault, as Isla says, that's not really what it's designed for).
As I don't really use Firefox, by elimination Mendeley then became the referencing tool I tried out. I had a play around by adding some PDFs to Mendeley and had a a mixed success rate - the first one I added it found the reference immediately, the second one it had no idea what it was and the third, it found the correct title but assigned it a completely different journal title... It was pretty easy to amend and add details, but this would require anyone using it to check the details of what they are adding and amend/delete where it was wrong.
Overall, unfortunately I don't think Mendeley is going to be appropriate for the students I teach at the moment It requires a fair amount of leg work (and a download of the software) to get to the stage you can use it for referencing. I think it would be great for larger scale research projects and is definitely something I would keep in mind for this.
Saturday, 17 September 2011
CPD23: Thing 13 - online collaborating
This Thing is focusing on online tools for collaboration - looking specifically at Google Docs, Dropbox and Wikis.
Firstly, Google docs. As a bit of a Google acolyte, I'm already using Google Docs (now having an Android phone this love of all things Google is likely to only get worse...). In my role on the CoFHE LASEC Committee, we use Google Docs for the work that we are collaborating on, and I've found that they are really useful and allow everyone to edit whenever and wherever they are on the internet. I am also using Google Docs to store my own documents that I want to access and edit at work and home - without ending up with different versions of the same document with different updates.
As I'm already sold on Google Docs, I'm not really sure what else using Dropbox adds. I'll keep an eye out to see how it develops, but won't be switching across to it yet.
Onto Wikis - we've recently experimented with using a wiki for a service development at work. As it is not always possible for the whole team to sit down together and discuss something, being able to access and edit the same thing was a real advantage.
CoFHE - Colleges of Further and Higher Education
LASEC - London and South East Circle
Firstly, Google docs. As a bit of a Google acolyte, I'm already using Google Docs (now having an Android phone this love of all things Google is likely to only get worse...). In my role on the CoFHE LASEC Committee, we use Google Docs for the work that we are collaborating on, and I've found that they are really useful and allow everyone to edit whenever and wherever they are on the internet. I am also using Google Docs to store my own documents that I want to access and edit at work and home - without ending up with different versions of the same document with different updates.
As I'm already sold on Google Docs, I'm not really sure what else using Dropbox adds. I'll keep an eye out to see how it develops, but won't be switching across to it yet.
Onto Wikis - we've recently experimented with using a wiki for a service development at work. As it is not always possible for the whole team to sit down together and discuss something, being able to access and edit the same thing was a real advantage.
CoFHE - Colleges of Further and Higher Education
LASEC - London and South East Circle
CPD23: Thing 12 - a bit more on socialising
Following on from the focus on social media, I'm going to write a little about the advantages I think using social media tools has had for me, and how I intend to use them in the future.
As I've already written about, in previous posts on this blog, I was something of a fledging user of most social media tools before starting cpd23 - I was using them, but not really getting the best out of them. Taking part in cpd23 has made me realise their importance in terms of awareness and networking, and how essential they are to doing these effectively.
Something I hadn't got to grips with before was the value of social media in reflecting on my own professional practice. Writing this blog, and reading other people's blogs is helping me to become more of a reflective practitioner. Something I really wanted to get out of cpd23, as mentioned here (Woo-hoo! Thing 12 and I'm meeting my aims already!).
Most obviously, one of the biggest advantages of using social media has been the opportunity to participate in cpd23 itself. In these difficult times, the possibilities of getting funding for training, or even being able to get the time away from the library in working hours, are small. Taking part in cpd23 has been a great way to keep progressing with my skills and knowledge, and I really hope to be able to take part in similar training again in the future.
Following on from this Thing, I'm going to explore using social media tools more on mobile devices. I've recently got a Smartphone for the first time (I know, I know - circumstances have made me something of a last adopter). As 45% of internet users use mobile devices to connect to the internet (see ONS here), how these devices are used and the apps used on them are going to be key in the future of information delivery.
As I've already written about, in previous posts on this blog, I was something of a fledging user of most social media tools before starting cpd23 - I was using them, but not really getting the best out of them. Taking part in cpd23 has made me realise their importance in terms of awareness and networking, and how essential they are to doing these effectively.
Something I hadn't got to grips with before was the value of social media in reflecting on my own professional practice. Writing this blog, and reading other people's blogs is helping me to become more of a reflective practitioner. Something I really wanted to get out of cpd23, as mentioned here (Woo-hoo! Thing 12 and I'm meeting my aims already!).
Most obviously, one of the biggest advantages of using social media has been the opportunity to participate in cpd23 itself. In these difficult times, the possibilities of getting funding for training, or even being able to get the time away from the library in working hours, are small. Taking part in cpd23 has been a great way to keep progressing with my skills and knowledge, and I really hope to be able to take part in similar training again in the future.
Following on from this Thing, I'm going to explore using social media tools more on mobile devices. I've recently got a Smartphone for the first time (I know, I know - circumstances have made me something of a last adopter). As 45% of internet users use mobile devices to connect to the internet (see ONS here), how these devices are used and the apps used on them are going to be key in the future of information delivery.
CPD23: Thing 11 - guides and guiding
So, this post is going to be about my experiences of mentoring in the library world. Before I go onto that though, I wanted to say a word or two about all the people in the information world, not just those who have a specific supporting role.
Writing my, admittedly mammoth, previous post about my route into libraries got me thinking about the things I appreciate most about working in the library world. One of the most important things I thought of is the people within it. Throughout all of my working, training and meeting people in libraries I have always been struck by how conscientious, committed and generally lovely (a word I use advisedly - see Annie Mauger's post on Room Lovely here) people are. This may be true in other professions (I don't know, I have most experience of libraries), but I think working with great people day to day really makes the information world.
Back to the mentors - I was really lucky that in my first professional job that the mentor I was allocated (who was also my line manager) proved to be a superb mentor. She not only helped me in the day to day things in my job but also helped me in getting a view of the big picture. Without getting too overblown about it, about how what we do in libraries can contribute to our users achievements - what we do makes a difference. My mentor has subsequently left the organisation, but what I learned from her has formed the backbone of my rationale for the Why of what I do.
Writing my, admittedly mammoth, previous post about my route into libraries got me thinking about the things I appreciate most about working in the library world. One of the most important things I thought of is the people within it. Throughout all of my working, training and meeting people in libraries I have always been struck by how conscientious, committed and generally lovely (a word I use advisedly - see Annie Mauger's post on Room Lovely here) people are. This may be true in other professions (I don't know, I have most experience of libraries), but I think working with great people day to day really makes the information world.
Back to the mentors - I was really lucky that in my first professional job that the mentor I was allocated (who was also my line manager) proved to be a superb mentor. She not only helped me in the day to day things in my job but also helped me in getting a view of the big picture. Without getting too overblown about it, about how what we do in libraries can contribute to our users achievements - what we do makes a difference. My mentor has subsequently left the organisation, but what I learned from her has formed the backbone of my rationale for the Why of what I do.
CPD23: Thing 10 - getting here from there
So this post is going to be about my own personal route into librarianship, where I have come from and where I am going to. I suspect my route into library world is probably fairly similar to many people, so not that exciting reading, so feel free to skip to the end...
Nearing the end of my undergraduate degree, I began to wonder what direction I was heading in, after spending the majority of my life in education (barring an interesting range of summer jobs). I set up two weeks work experience in my local public library for after I finished my final exams. This experience was great as I not only got to experience the basics of library work (issuing, returning, shelving, finding) but also got to get involved with the summer reading scheme events and helping library users with accessing and using computers. I really enjoyed helping library users, and being able to make a difference made me realise that this was a path I wanted to pursue.
From this point on I decided a careers in libraries was A Good Idea, and starting looking for library assistant jobs. I got a job part time as part of the shelving team at a university library, which I then added to by taking on another part time role as a weekend counter assistant. Still in the same institution I then progressed to a full time role in the acquisitions team. At the time, I wasn't aware that graduate trainee roles existed, but because I was lucky enough to take on three separate roles in a large institution I was able to gain experience of the different areas in an academic library.
I then went on to a LIS Masters programme full time. This worked well for me, as I was able to devote all my energies to my course - which it definitely needed! I really appreciated the perspective having worked in libraries brought to the theoretical parts of my course, a particularly memorable assignment being one in which I assessed how far the new library then being built by my previous employer was meeting the challenges of future library design. The writing of my dissertation was also a great experience in using my organisational skills to pull together a piece of research over a three month period.
Whilst working on my dissertation I got my first professional post, this time in the further education sector. Working as part of a small team, I was able to gain skills key to librarianship, like delivering inductions, designing resource guides and managing subscriptions. Subsequently, I have gone on to a further role with the same employer with greater responsibility for customer services, including managing centres and procedures, ensuring quality of service and training staff.
Since working in the profession as a librarian, thanks to a supportive employer, I have been able to continue to build my knowledge and skills through training, visits and attending conferences. I have also undertaken teaching, management and customer service qualifications - all of which have been key to my roles, but in themselves are skills from contrasting disciplines. One thing I really enjoy about working in libraries is the variety of different areas you can get involved in and the potential to develop new skills, something I think is key as libraries and the services they offer continue to evolve in the future. My current plans for the future involve completing my chartership and gaining a web design qualification.
Nearing the end of my undergraduate degree, I began to wonder what direction I was heading in, after spending the majority of my life in education (barring an interesting range of summer jobs). I set up two weeks work experience in my local public library for after I finished my final exams. This experience was great as I not only got to experience the basics of library work (issuing, returning, shelving, finding) but also got to get involved with the summer reading scheme events and helping library users with accessing and using computers. I really enjoyed helping library users, and being able to make a difference made me realise that this was a path I wanted to pursue.
From this point on I decided a careers in libraries was A Good Idea, and starting looking for library assistant jobs. I got a job part time as part of the shelving team at a university library, which I then added to by taking on another part time role as a weekend counter assistant. Still in the same institution I then progressed to a full time role in the acquisitions team. At the time, I wasn't aware that graduate trainee roles existed, but because I was lucky enough to take on three separate roles in a large institution I was able to gain experience of the different areas in an academic library.
I then went on to a LIS Masters programme full time. This worked well for me, as I was able to devote all my energies to my course - which it definitely needed! I really appreciated the perspective having worked in libraries brought to the theoretical parts of my course, a particularly memorable assignment being one in which I assessed how far the new library then being built by my previous employer was meeting the challenges of future library design. The writing of my dissertation was also a great experience in using my organisational skills to pull together a piece of research over a three month period.
Whilst working on my dissertation I got my first professional post, this time in the further education sector. Working as part of a small team, I was able to gain skills key to librarianship, like delivering inductions, designing resource guides and managing subscriptions. Subsequently, I have gone on to a further role with the same employer with greater responsibility for customer services, including managing centres and procedures, ensuring quality of service and training staff.
Since working in the profession as a librarian, thanks to a supportive employer, I have been able to continue to build my knowledge and skills through training, visits and attending conferences. I have also undertaken teaching, management and customer service qualifications - all of which have been key to my roles, but in themselves are skills from contrasting disciplines. One thing I really enjoy about working in libraries is the variety of different areas you can get involved in and the potential to develop new skills, something I think is key as libraries and the services they offer continue to evolve in the future. My current plans for the future involve completing my chartership and gaining a web design qualification.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)