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 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)
April 09, 2009
Building Your Network
In less-than-stellar financial times, those of us not already in a solid career must dig deep into our bag 'o tricks to find employment and other opportunities. A key part of this is networking. This doesn't necessarily mean cocktail parties and European air/cheek kisses. It means remaining keenly aware that just as you know things and share this information with people you encounter on a day-to-day basis, so do the people to whom you speak. Information travels through people like...conduct-y stuff. Forgive me, it's finals time 'round these parts.
The lovely people in Career Services held a Q&A session last week that I was able to attend regarding job and internship searches. One thing I noticed was that though first-year students may (though some are definitely NOT) be intimidated by the concept of networking, many second year students (including people like me, who found it to be quite a spooky concept when I arrived at SI) are quite comfortable with it. The truth is, by the time one finishes 3 or 4 semesters at SI, you have done so much casual networking to arrange rides to events, to figure out what classes or if nothing else just to make sure that you're not alone in whatever you're experiencing that the idea of asking around to see who is hiring doesn't seem so bad. So, to anyone out there who is not quite sure where to start when told to "use your network"-I offer the sagacity of my four semesters to you.
First and foremost, networking is the byproduct of conversation, so don't be afraid to talk to anyone and everyone who may have something useful to say.
-For SI students, the SI student lounge is an invaluable asset in student-centered info seeking (ex. class registration, when/how to start the internship search). Even the meek can be caught up in a room-wide conversation about a common stressor or experience. Take part!
-In general, meeting and talking with other professionals is one of those "it can never hurt, it can only help" sort of experiences. Many professional organizations will have occasional meet-and-greets in the area so that people can stay acquainted in the long months between conferences.
-Also, when a specific issue is on your mind, (formal or informal) informational interviews with those in-the-know (local professionals, professors, peers) can yield a lot more than a direct question.
Also, this is a two-way street: put your information out there, too. You can use networking to get information that may help you determine a direction in a job or internship search, or what classes will be most useful in your career, but you can also use it to spread information about yourself past the limits of your own group of friends, colleagues and acquaintances. Think of it in terms of private auto sales. If your friend has a friend who is selling a car at a time when you need one, for a price that you can afford, your friend will be able to connect you to his auto-vending friend ONLY if you have recently mentioned your desire to purchase a new car. Similarly, if you're looking for a job, mention it when you talk to people. Professors, students, alumni, employers-they might not be able to hire you, but they may know someone who can.
So to sum up: Meet people, talk to people, they talk to people-this is the power of the network. By taking part in many conversations, either random or aimed at getting a certain type of information, you can learn a lot more than by limiting communication to direct questions. Also, put your needs out there. Let people know what you're looking for and they'll be able to connect you to people who are looking for the same things. And lastly, of course, reciprocate.
Posted by messelti at 09:17 PM | Comments (0)
February 16, 2009
Archives and Libraries in the Digital Age
The New York Times has posted some articles in the last few days about SI-related careers and how they're changing in the Digital Age.
For School Library Media students, a changing set up responsibilities!
Digital Archivists are in Demand!
Exciting stuff!
Posted by messelti at 02:54 PM | Comments (0)
November 28, 2007
Career Paths: How do I get there from here?
Some people are lucky enough to know exactly what they want to do and how to do it. For the rest of us, there's Career Services.
But what about those who aren't already halfway there? Those, for example, who have a vague, if any, idea of what they'd like to do, but no real idea how to begin such a career?
Think of it as a question closely related to "What can I do with a (blank) degree?" which is a question that many students ask directly before applying to certain academic programs, declaring an undergraduate major, etc. In some circumstances, there will be a helpful resource, a chart or booklet, that notes career options. In my experience, only the most thoughtful counselors think to procure such a document for their students. (To SI's credit, all of the individual specialization web pages have this information) And I, having been in both of these boats, have decided to address this question for the benefit of my dear, dear readers.
If you have your eyes on the field of Information Science, there are a number of resources available to you through the School of Information.
First, there is the always helpful "MSI Pathways to Success." This tool lists a number of environments (corporate, non-profit/cultural/educational, or government) and a number of potential SI careers within each field. It's simple, just click an environment, then a career, and *poof*! You will be presented with a list of useful SI courses, cognates, internship opportunities, related research, and even a list of jobs that SI grads have found in these areas.
Now, as helpful as the Pathways to Success can be, they fall short in their breadth of career listings. I, for example, am interested in special collections libraries (particularly the historical variety), which is not listed. Now, I KNOW SI has prepared a number of people just like me for such careers...so where can I find out how they did it?
This is where that magical, wonderful thing called "networking" comes in. If you, like I, do not find a published recipe for finding the job of your dreams, it's time to start talking to people.
SI has published Alumni Profiles. This list of graduates can be quite useful. Just find someone who is doing something you'd like to do, and read up on how they got there!
Next, there are faculty and current students. If you're already in SI, just start asking around. Go to a student group meeting and ask people there. Bug the second year students in your classes. Talk to faculty in that area. And don't just talk to one person, talk to many. There is no one way to do things, so get a wide range of perspectives, and it will prove valuable every step of the way.
And last but not least (and this is applicable far beyond the reaches of SI), talk to people who HAVE the job you want. This is especially easy if they are public servants of some sort (professors, librarians, administrators, etc.) but even if you cannot just walk up to a desk and ask for five minutes of there time, the Internet is a wonderful thing. Sometimes they will have a web site with their qualifications or bio listed, or an email address. Although I'm sure this varies by industry, but many people are happy to talk about their successes. Sometimes they'll even slip in a few secrets on what their company usually looks for when they're hiring.
I hope you'll all find this to be helpful. And if not, there's always career services, right?
-Megan
Posted by messelti at 05:57 PM | Comments (0)