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August 28, 2009
George Atiyah Prize
Hey there, professionals of the future! We all know that the double-edged sword of conference attendance is that they are usually too expensive for a student to swing on his or her own, but especially useful as students can really use that networking opportunity, along with a chance to explore a variety of issues in the field.
Fortunately, sometimes a group of people with money to spare come along with a pile of cash they'd like to give to a promising new professional/student who'd like to attend a conference. One such pile of money is the George Atiyah Prize, for current library students interested in attending the annual meetings of the Middle East Librarians Association and the Middle East Studies Association of North America in Boston this November. The prize is limited to current students, but that's not to say there won't be another one next year. If you're interested in Middle-East studies, this would be a good opportunity to keep your eyes on for next year, too.
In general, SI staff and faculty often pass on information on scholarships and awards like this through the SI email listservs. Don't assume that because you're living on student loan money that you can't participate in professional development opportunities-you may just have to be a bit more resourceful in finding/attaining them.
Posted by messelti at 10:17 AM | Comments (0)
August 26, 2009
MSI Orientation
Hello all,
Summer has really flown by, friends, but I feel like we've been through a lot. We've picked out classes together, found housing and jobs, put together our pre-school shopping lists. And as we wrap things up and get ready to head into the next school year, it's time for new SI student to get themselves oriented! Let me present to you, the final SI Summer Series post: MSI Orientation!
This one will be brief, since I'm working on my experiences of 2 years ago and my impressions of last year. Still, I've been hearing some chatter about what to expect during orientation, and how much of it to attend (re: optional events). Let me present to you my impressions of what I feel are the most useful parts, and the benefits to attending optional sessions.
Monday and Tuesday: Optional Sessions
Introduction to SI Research - Useful if you are strongly interested in exploring other specializations or working with faculty on research.
Math Skills Refresher Workshop - Resources from this were made available after the fact. Probably not that important for those not pursuing Social Computing, Incentive-Centered Design, or another programming- or math-heavy specialization.
International Student Meeting - As a Michigan native, I have nothing to offer here. I hear it's "strongly recommended," though.
U-M Library Resources and Services Session and SI Computing Session - Monday and Tuesday allow multiple opportunities to attend these session, the latter of which is (I believe) mandatory, but also offered later in the week. The former is a library orientation, especially useful for LIS students, but not absolutely necessary.
"Making Your Way in Graduate School" panel and Informal Outings - Since I think a huge part of orientation is meeting your new colleagues and learning from current students, I thought these sessions were very important. The first is a student panel, beginning with introductions then opening to questions. It is followed by an opportunity to go out into Ann Arbor with some current SI students, see the town and get to know some people (Visiting Days attendees, this may be familiar to you). A great way to identify people with similar interests and know a few faces and names before everything gets started.
Wednesday and Thursday: Mandatory Sessions
Wednesday will probably begin with a breakfast (they feed you a lot during this time-and these are good times to get to know people) and then a few sessions that are basically introductions to faculty and staff, to different specializations and general events/policies. I won't really comment on them because I'm sure they change a bit every year, and are useful any way you slice it.
Specialization Meetings - These will be one of many specialization-centered meetings. They allow for two so that you can explore a second specialization of interest. Tailored students should sit in on one with which their work will closely identify. The first sessions are mostly a chance to chat with a faculty member and current student about the specialization.
Chat Sessions with Faculty and Current Students - These are similar, but less about specializations and more about YOU. This is a good chance to get more general (or super specific) questions answered. If I remember correctly, the first session was a bit more of a presentation on the specialization, the second takes place around town-a professor takes you out to coffee in a small group, basically.
Course Registration and Peer Advising - If you still have questions about registering for classes, the DIAD will be open and current students will be there so you can get this sorted out.
Working in Groups - This is basically a chance to meet your 501 group (IMPORTANT!-you'll be working closely with these people all semester) and do some problem-solving activities to get used to working together. It was a little long, but fun overall and really got you into SI groupwork.
Academic Integrity and Professional Ethics and SI Academic Services and Support These sessions are mostly just a walkthrough of student services and policies you have to know about before you start school. We all know this isn't the most entertaining part of orientation, and last year they followed it with an ice cream social to end everything on a happy note.
A note on the Rackham Graduate School orientation
As someone who had lived in Ann Arbor for many years and was already familiar with the University from her undergraduate experience, I didn't think it necessary that I attend the Friday orientation sessions through Rackham Graduate School. Still, here are my impressions:
I've heard it through the grapevine that the Rackham orientation is a bit more general, talks more about getting settled in Ann Arbor and RSG or University-wide resources that may or may not be useful to you. Also, it's an opportunity to meet graduate students from outside of SI. I think it's a great idea for international students concerned about adjusting to life in Ann Arbor or students eager to know as much as possible about the University's resources. As for meeting other RSG students, there will be other opportunities. Rackham will find you and invite you to many events throughout these next two years. Still, if you have Friday free and want to learn a little more, it can't hurt.
Posted by messelti at 06:26 PM | Comments (0)
August 17, 2009
Cheap and Easy Professional Development Tools
Last week at a job interview, my prospective employer asked me a common question: "How do you plan to stay current in the field?"
There are a lot of possible (and somewhat expected) answers to this, including "I attend conferences, read professional publications and maintain a strong network." However, iSchool students and newly-minted professionals may find that their professional network offers limited information, or that conferences and subscriptions may be a bit of a tug on already-tight purse strings. And what about students who are still exploring multiple career options? What to do?
My answer is this: Don't put yourself in the poorhouse, and don't be afraid to show your resourceful side. Here are some ways to stay in-the-know in your field without breaking the bank. Plus, mentioning these methods in an interview will show your future colleagues that you are interested in learning and creative in problem-solving (the problem being that you have no money and want to learn more). Here are some options for the light-of-income:
Join a listserv
If you're not getting enough opportunities to talk with current professional about what they do and what think-listservs are full of ideas and opinions. As someone interested in librarianship in Michigan, I am a member of the MICHLIB-L listserv, on which librarians post job listings, questions and comments, policy concerns and free equipment/materials offers. ALA has lists online, once you specified an area of interest.
(Note: students may want to consider setting up a second email account if they plan on joining one or more high-volume listservs, such as the yalsa-bk listserv for youth services professionals.)
Find it online, or in the library
Remember, you don't have to own the May edition of American Libraries to learn from the article on cross-generational programming. Many academic and some public libraries may carry subscriptions to some of these publications, and many are available online (Library Journal and American Libraries come to mind).
Also, when conference attendance is not an option, keep an eye on the hosting organization's websites. Often, groups will post conference materials afterward, so that you can learn a bit about "The Library as a Community Art Space" or "Building International Collections" from the comfort of your own home.
Attend smaller, less formal professional meetings
Nobody will blame you if you didn't personally pop hundreds of dollars to attend the ALA conference in Chicago. Yes, these events can be great ways to extend your network and learn a LOT of new things, but the large, annual conferences aren't your only options. You can attend meetings of local groups, such as The Library Network's committee meetings, or local chapter meetings of large professional groups. Also, listservs and organizational websites are good tools to keep you aware of upcoming "unconferences," (smaller events often organized around a topic and participant-led). These are a great way to stay involved, strengthen your "presentation chops" and get some good ideas from other professionals, with fees closer to $35 than $350, and often within the state.
Blogs-a-million!
Blogs are a great tool because they're timely, free, and require very little work on your part. I use a Google Reader account to collect blog entries from professionals both local and national. I follow a variety of blogs, and with my Reader I can catch up on all of them at once, when I have time. I use blogs to prepare for job interviews, get help with readers' advisory or program ideas, learn about a new resource or just get some perspective.
Not sure where to start? Well, you can start by asking any librarians you known if they blog, or who they follow. Also, many blogs will recommend other blogs. You can also check out these lists:
100 Best Blogs for Library Science Students
100 Best Blogs for Librarians of the Future
And why should seasoned professionals have all the fun? If you've got some ideas or experiences you'd like to share, start up a free account at Blogger or WordPress and get started! (Here's an article to help with getting serious about library blogging.)
The important thing to remember is the librarianship is a collaborative profession-we love to share our good ideas! Yes, there are benefits to joining professional organizations and traveling to big conferences, but it's not essential at every stage in your career. With some of these more economically-minded tools you can still start thinking about the profession, building your network and getting great ideas, and you may even impress a few interviewers along the way. ;)
Posted by messelti at 06:02 PM | Comments (0)
August 12, 2009
Finding a Part-Time Job
So...summer's wrapping up, you're packing up and getting ready to move to Ann Arbor. Congrats, and yay! Something I hear a lot of chatter about is part-time work: how to find it, how much to do, what to expect, and when to start looking. As a professional job-juggler, I'm happy to oblige all you information seekers with my handy-dandy blog of information dissemination power!
How much is too much?
A good rule for estimating your time is to assume that 4 classes will equal about a 40-hour work week. Some classes are heavier, some are lighter, and the workload will definitely vary a bit throughout the semester, but assume that 4 classes is about 40 hours, with each class at about 10 hours of time. That means that if you wish to work half time, you will be signing up for a 60-hour week. Some students start slow, getting their job in the first semester and only working 5-10 hours to start, and then either increasing their hours in winter or spring, or getting another 5-10 hour job later. I highly recommend starting slow, and adding hours as you become comfortable, everyone (and every job) is different.
I got my first PT job in October, and worked 10-15 hours there. In late December I saw a posting for another job that I really wanted, but since I didn't want to add many more hours to my week in my second semester, I started at 5 hours and waited until summer to increase my obligation there. I worked full-time throughout undergrad, so I was ready to juggle 25-30 hours a week my second year, but this may be more than some people want to do if they have heavy classes that semester.
When to start looking
My experience has been that most job postings on campus, and even around town (at least, those seeking graduate students), come out in late August to early-mid September. Two reasons for this are 1)budgets and 2)employers getting settled with returning students before determining their hiring needs. So don't worry if you don't have a job before you arrive-many of you won't. And don't worry if you don't have one before school starts, allow some time for everything to post. As I said, I found my first job in October-and that gave me some time to just focus on starting school.
Now, if there's somewhere you would really like to work (a specific department, school or library/collection) you don't necessarily have to wait for a posting to make yourself known to them. Don't hesitate to contact someone you would like to work for, just to introduce yourself and express interest in working with them. It can help them recognize your name when a posting comes up and you apply, it may even encourage them to look into opportunities to take on an intern or hire a temporary assistant for a project. I know of one student who volunteered for a semester, while her supervisor crunched some numbers and eventually found room in the budget to hire her. So, to sum up: you can start contacting, looking early, but be prepared to wait until the first month of school to actually get started.
What's out there?
The general trend has been that any SI student that wants part-time job will find one, usually on campus. SI students have a great reputation around the University as great problem-solvers and innovators. Of course, the library system employs a large number of SI students (especially LIS and ARM specialists) but this is a very LARGE system, feel free to branch out and look into other opportunities.
My personal impressions (Kelly and Joanna, of course, have better data on this) is that most graduate-level part-time jobs pay between $10-15 per hour, with higher wages for project-based jobs such as website design that may only last a month or two. There are also GSI/GSRA/GSSA positions that offer more than just a bit of extra cash (see my blog post about these positions here). Once again, the more resourceful you are in your search, the better options you'll end up with. Don't be afraid to "think outside the box" a little when considering your options.
Also remember that part-time work is part of the practical-experience leg of your MSI experience, so when considering scheduling flexibility, wages and other thing also consider how the job may be expanded to teach you valuable skills for your future career-and don't be afraid to get creative with this. For example, if you want reference experience don't limit yourself to jobs on a reference desk-there are a lot of different ways to find out what someone is looking for and help them find it.
Where to look
There are a lot of places to look. There doesn't seem to be one single place that really catches all of the opportunities. A good way to search is to just take some time every few days and peek through all of these resources.
CTools - If you are part of a new-student CTools site (*here's looking at you, fall admits*) then you'll notice that Kelly, Joanna and the gang have posted quite a bit of information on upcoming opportunities and job-search strategies.
SI listservs - I found both of my jobs through the si.all.open email listserv. All SI students are originally signed up for it, and you can unsubscribe if you wish-some people choose to due to the large amount of conversation, non-relevant postings, etc. I, however, love using my "delete" option and don't mind sifting through some stuff to find the goods. It reaches a lot of people, so employers (specifically alumni) sometimes send postings to this list. Also, faculty and stuff often forward postings from professional listservs or other UofM contacts.
iTrack - SI students can register for a "monster.com"-type service through SI. iTrack lists openings for part-time and full-time positions, internships, etc. You can also upload a resume, cover letters and other job-search documents to send to employers. It's a good service for finding campus jobs. You'll learn more about this service during orientation.
department and institution human resources/websites - if you have a place in mind, you can contact their human resources or keep an eye on their website for postings. The Graduate Library has a human resources office on the 4th floor of the North building. You can go there during orientation and "register" with them, taking your resume and schedule.
Student Employment Office - the UofM Student Employment Office posts student jobs, mostly for University employers but also for off-campus businesses.
Craigslist, mLive, etc. - to find other local jobs, these websites can be quite helpful for off-campus employment.
Support around SI-
In seeking PT work, internships and professional positions I've always been incredibly impressed with the career services at SI. In addition to hosting/running some great professional development opportunities (including Kelly's award-winning management of the Alternative Spring Break program), Kelly and Joanna have always been around to answer any questions I've had about the job hunt/career dance, help me work on a cover letter, or pass on an email about an opportunity. (Kelly specifically works with first-year students, though both will be available to you.) Not only do they fill the year with employer visits and workshops, and keep a strong network of alumni and employers for you to tap into, they're incredibly accessible and generally ready to help whenever you need it (or within 24 hours, in my experience). They've proofread my application materials, answered my drop-in questions about interview/application etiquette, referred me to alumni at various organizations, even taught me to write a CV (because really, the concept of a new librarian CV mystified me).
You will also find that faculty are generally on the lookout for opportunities and like to forward emails about scholarships and job postings. Once you've built relationships with relevant faculty, you'll have an even larger network of people to turn to when trying to connect with opportunities.
Lastly, don't forget student organizations. In addition to passing on job postings from forums and listservs, some student groups will host resume or career panels, peer advising and other useful services. If your group of choice doesn't, try suggesting it to a board member.
Posted by messelti at 12:59 PM | Comments (0)
August 11, 2009
Libraries At the Heart of Our Communities
Hey there, public library types: I just wanted to share this article that came down the pipeline from someone in the Health Sciences library. It's an article from Planning Commissioners Journal on the important roles libraries play in communities. A great read for community-centered librarians and those interested in public services.
Some excerpts:
"Particularly in small towns, the library is often the hub of the community, providing a place for residents to meet, as well as to learn." (p. 12)
"...a good library acts like a harbor. It provides a place where people can dock themselves for a while, socialize with others, and feel some comfort and security."
Posted by messelti at 09:42 AM | Comments (0)