Thing 10

This week’s thing is all about considering my route into librarianship in terms of the training and qualifications that I have undertaken over the years.

Long Road in Montana By Stuck in Customs
 in Flickr (available for use under the
Creative Commons Liecence).   

However after reconsidering this “Thing” in light of the points made by Sheila Webber in her recent “CPD in Your Later Career” blogpost I find myself in a very strange position. I may be an “Older Thing” in terms of age, but as a recent graduate I very much consider myself a "New Thing" in terms of my professional development as a librarian.

2001- 2004

After working in IT as a Systems Analyst for twelve years, a job that I loved, I was faced with redundancy and no real idea of what I wanted to do next, except the certainty that I didn’t want to continue working in IT anymore.

An avid reader since childhood I’d always enjoyed my Saturday morning visits to the public library and harboured dreams of working in one someday.  Now with the mortgage paid off by the redundancy money and realising that I had a range of transferable skills perhaps finally this dream could become a reality.

I applied for a job as a Library Assistant in one of the local public libraries and although unsuccessful on that occasion (due to my lack of library experience) the interviewer gave me some invaluable feedback. Which led me to undertake voluntary work in our local Scope charity shop and as a theatre steward in order to further develop my cash handling and customer service skills. Thereby resulting in success in my next Library Assistant job application.

At my first probationary review I was advised by my librarian that I would need to obtain professional qualifications if I wanted to progress in my library career. It was with her encouragement I undertook a two-year HNC, Library & Information Science course via distance learning with Edinburgh’s Telford College. Achieving this qualification helped me to get onto the next rung of the ladder as a Senior Library Assistant and also provided a gentle way back into formal learning after a twenty year gap!

2005 - 2011.

But my dream had always been to be a librarian and so I applied to Aberystwyth University to study their BSc Econ Library and Information Studies course as it was offered via distance learning (a format that I had found with the HNC course really worked for me). 

It took six years to complete this course but I finally graduated in 2011 and during this time I had also realised my dream, having secured a job in 2008 as a subject librarian in an FE college library where I am still working today.

 

2012.

This year, as part of my continuing professional development, I have completed the new City and Guilds Level 3 Certificate in Learning Support course offered by my employers. I felt that this course was particularly relevant since my subject areas involve a higher-than-average level of learner support.

 

So what’s next?

Sadly Chartership is not really on the cards for me at the moment as it is not recognised by my current employers as relevant to my role. Therefore if I decode to go down this route at a later date  it is likely to be without any workplace support.

However having said after I graduated last year that I would never study again, after doing the C&G  course this year the study bug has bitten me again. But this time since having a Master’s is not a requirement of my job I have decided to undertake the course of study for myself and am currently in the process of investigating suitable MSc research courses that I can undertake via distance learning.

Thing 7

When reflecting on my experiences with professional organisations for this Thing I have to confess that up to date my involvement with them in real life has been embarrassingly limited.



Chartered Instituation of Library
 and Information Professionals



I joined Cilip as a student member a couple of months before I started my degree course bacj in 2005. I found the Update and Gazette publications very informative about the topics that I studied. I also found the online resources particularly useful when searching for journal articles, which otherwise would have cost me lots of money to purchase / photocopy. 

In terms of real-life interaction I did attend one of the local branch meetings a few years ago but to be honest I felt a bit excluded and suspect that unlike the student representative present I wasn’t considered a “proper” student as I was studying by distance learning (while working as an assistant in a local public library). Perhaps now that I have qualified and got a job as a librarian I ought to be brave and try attending again.



International Federation of
Library Associations and Institutions



I am a great fan of the IFLA especially since it has sections that cover my particular areas of professional interest including  Library Services to People with Special Needs (Section 9) and Libraries Serving Persons with Print Disabilities (Section 31) . Hopefully I might get the chance to attend of of their conferences oe day they always seem to be in really exciting locations!

Now for some exiciting news (well I think it is anyway). Quite by chance I had the opprotunity to represent my library at the latest JISC Excellence in Learning Resources forum this week. Over the past four years I have attended a couple of these forums but not regularly enough to reallyy get to know anyone. 

Although quite confident as a person, because of my sight problems I often find it difficult to approach people face-to-face and start a conversation as I can’t always be sure that they are even looking at me! I also have problems with recognising people that I have already met across a crowded room (even my husband) and on occasions have been accused later of ignoring them.

However this time I was determined to take on board some of Bethan’s suggestions and try network more effectively.  I decided that I would aim to speak with at least three people that I didn’t know already during the course of the day and where possible would use existing contacts as a means to make new ones.

This sounded simple in theory but in reality did prove a bit more difficult. Some of the people that I already knew on the delegates list didn’t attend and because we were all issued with name badges no one introduced themselves!

Not to be deterred I ended up asking people for their names and explained about my sight problem (as I though that peering closely at their chests might seem a tad over-familiar on first acquaintance). Everyone I spoke to was really friendly and by the end of the day I had made four new contacts. Result!. 

And finally...

When thinking about why I am not a member of more LIS professional organisations I think that my answer has to be the cost. As a student the cost of being a member of Cilip was very reasonable at £38 and joining ASLIB was free. However because I am lucky enough to be in employment I now face fees of £194 and £220 respectively, and to be honest I am not sure that I can justify paying such large amounts.

Perhaps more realistic banding is the answer? .