Semester I - Concluding Remarks

Well, I've completed this semester and I have a lot of growing to do. Already I know that:
- I need to improve my commitment to assignment deadlines
- I need to re-work my resume in alignment with the suggestions provided by career development modules and industry professionals
- I need to use social media more effectively in networking and in becoming more involved in the LIS industry
- I need to get more comfortable in "putting myself out there" and sharing ideas

A personal professional development program for the next 2-5 years:

Year 1: Join ALIA

Year 2: Attend at least 3 lisprof conferences

Year 3: Read more industry based journals

Year 4: Conduct research into issues including GLAM, advocacy and measuring user needs 

Year 5: Teach others about the importance and value of the information management industry

Statement of career goals/ directions -

I need to get more serious about my future and future profession. I aim to carry out my personal professional development program, become a better networker and investigate the issues important to the LIS profession.  My peers and instructors are supportive and inspirational and it is through these mentors and my unwavering enthusiasm for information management that I hope to achieve my goals. 

Workshop Seven - 24/05/2013

Moving out into the profession

The final INN634 workshop took place in the Gibson Room on campus. I thought this workshop was invaluable in getting an idea of the type of industry professional we should aspire to be and the way we should conduct ourselves as library and information professionals. The variation of roles and responsibilities that were presented by the different speakers also made me realise the expanse and better understand the importance of this profession.

The first speaker was Sue Hutley (QUT). She provided invaluable information on how information professionals should conduct themselves in different situations; within the workplace and at networking events. Ms Hutley gave practical advice as to what LISprofs should do to give the impression of professionalism including knowing the names and faces of industry people. I found the information she provided to be extremely helpful and I look forward to using it in the future.

The second speaker was Silvana Tuhtan (One Umbrella). Ms Tuhtan outlined ways LISprofs can improve their job prospects and write effective resumes. I valued the information Ms Tuhtan provided in regards to addressing selection criteria in job applications and learned that in a job application you should outline what you can do for the company, not what the company can do for you.

The third speaker was Fiona Watkin (Metropolitan South Institure of TAFE). Ms Watkin spoke about service advocacy. I have a lot of interest in this area and appreciated learning about the different ways Ms Watkin highlights the value of the service she and her team provide. 

The fourth speaker was Fiona Doyle (Queensland Health). I was extremely interested to learn about the scope of Fiona's role and what sort of requests for information she receives and the considerations she has to make when providing information.

Aside from learning a lot about various LISprof roles, I was also excited to relate information I'd learned in class to what the panel had discussed.

Workshop Six - 10/05/2013

GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums)

This workshop appealed to me because I think it gave an insight into the direction the information management industry is increasingly heading into; a collaborative space. The models presented by the guest speakers were interesting and I was intrigued by how space was a key component to to developing GLAM communities. The speakers outlined the various considerations made when entering into a collaborative agreement and the roles each area within the collaboration, plays. An overview of the challenges and values associated with convergence was provided and provided quality food for thought: how do you manage personalities of the people? How do you manage the roles within the convergent relationship? How is information managed across different bodies?

I am interested in following up research conducted into this field and will be a keen observer to see whether GLAM convergence will increase over the next decade.

Workshop Five - 26/04/2013

Research led libraries and evidence based practice

This collaborate held workshop looked at the issue of evidence based practice (EBP) and the role EBP can play in libraries. One particular example that was provided was in relation to a library within a school. I was daunted by the amount of work that went into the report outlining what research was being conducted and why EBP should be introduced in this particular case. I was also amazed at the number of considerations that were made including alignment with the library and school's mission and the goals that were hoped to be achieved from the research. I was interested to learn that EBP requires a holistic approach in this instance and would vary from organisation to organisation.

Through this workshop I understand the importance of EBP to the LIS profession and why it assists in ensuring that the service that is provided caters for all parties concerned. I'll be interested to see how this technique develops and whether the reasons for its implementation change over time or become fewer or greater.

Workshop Four - 12/04/2013

A Learning Profession

Several LISprofs presented at this workshop and discussed issues around professional development and networking. There were a number of key things that I learned from the presenters, including:

- Thank the people who help you out on your career path and projects you take on.

- Use social media to network with industry professionals and get involved in industry-related discussions.

- Support the industry and help yourself by getting involved in workshops.

- Keep your skill set current by attending professional development seminars, signing up to relevant mailing lists and reading widely.

I learned that these are all key components that are integral to being a valuable information professional.

Workshop Three - 22/03/2013

What is the library and information science profession?

This workshop was carried out via Blackboard Collaborate. Several LISprofs talked about their perceptions of the information management profession, the work they do, what their goals are within the profession and the future of the profession. It was great to hear candid discussions from information professionals and find out the scope of the roles they are/ were in. I also thought it was valuable when they discussed how they came to be in their respective roles.

Workshop Two - 15/03/2013

Understanding who I am: an MBTI workshop

This on-campus workshop saw the class undertake the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. I had never done a personality test before so I was very interested to find out my result and the related characteristics. Following the test (where I probably took longer than is encouraged to answer questions) I found out that I am an INFJ personality type and that many of my cohort are fellow introverts. There were elements of the outcome that I didn't think related to me but overall the test seem to align with the kind of person I am. I will interested to see if this changes over the course of my life. I will also be interested to see how I can manage certain traits to best suit the workplace and to best interact with co-workers. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this workshop and was interested to learn of the quirks of each respective personality type. I also liked the breakdown of types and the professions they best suit. I encouraged my siblings to take the test and we discussed the outcomes.

Workshop One - 08/03/2013

The reflective practitioner

In this first workshop we learned what it is to be a reflective practitioner, what makes up quality reflection and why self reflection is important. I was interested to learn that a lot of people find it a challenge to be reflective. I think the challenge lies in taking what is often an inner monologue and dissecting it to discover how work can be adapted, altered and improved through this process.

I discovered that unknowingly, I have been reflective in almost every pursuit of my life and when it came time to put pen to paper I found it quite easy and straight forward to look at my work processes, decisions and areas of improvement. Releasing these thoughts not only offers a level of therapy but also a level of critical self analysis that can be used constructively. I understand how this process of self questioning and justification within the workplace can be beneficial in creating employees that are most likely going to be more open-minded to ideas and to the experiences of their cohort.

LinkedIn Profile Reflection

In order to connect with other LIS professionals and showcase my development as a potential LIS professional a LinkedIn profile was set up. This profile outlines my work and study history and can be viewed by prospective employers. As it is a representation of what I have achieved and who I am and would be viewed by people within the industry and potential employers, it was important to construct a profile that would be looked upon favourably while, I believe, maintaining some element of myself. When carrying out this process some challenges were encountered. These will be elaborated on in the following paragraphs and an overview of the experience presented at the end.

Challenges:

- Disclosure of work and education history to a wide, unknown audience: At this stage I'm not that comfortable advertising to a wide group of people all the details of my work history. This is because when apply for jobs generally this information is accessible to a select few. With LinkedIn, you're profile is able to be viewed by anyone with an account and I'm concerned that former workplaces may not want my work history available to the wider community. It is because of this that I've only provided the "bare bones" of my work history and omitted information concerning referees. However, to make full use of the profile I plan on continually updating why skill sets and outlining in detail what skills I obtained from the various workplaces I've been employed at.

- Choosing an appropriate + current photo: My current one may need some revision as I took it myself and I don't think it adequately shows my professionalism. It's a challenge figuring out how I should hold myself and considering the possible perceptions of prospective employers.

- Knowing what information to disclose: I have yet to include information on interests and hobbies as I want to ensure that what I write is appropriate, answerable and aligns with the ideals proposed in the resume modules of the career development program as these provide a terrific starting point for constructing effective CVs and work profiles. 

Conclusion – LinkedIn is great as a networking tool and it is advantageous to see what professional development other people in the industry are undertaking. I look forward to offering more information in my profile and connecting with industry professionals. 

Twitter Activity Reflection

Throughout the semester, Twitter was used as a tool to connect with and share viewpoints relating to, the LIS profession. To assist in integrating the cohort into the wider LIS community, several twitter activities were undertaken. These activities related to the industry and through “following” other LIS professionals and using hashtags, aimed to harness interactions within the community. I believe that because I didn’t use this tool to it’s full potential and didn’t post my activities in the designated weeks my experience using twitter as an interactive tool wasn’t as successful in this aim as I’d hoped.

Areas of improvement:

-          Along with doing the compulsory tweets I should’ve done more to share interesting and relevant websites with my followers.

-          If I had posted the activities in the weeks they were due then I would’ve had the support of my lecturer and cohort. Their tweets encouraging outsiders to interact with or discuss the topics posted, possibly would’ve increased the chances of an LISprof communicating with me through this tool.

-          If I had been more assertive and asked opinions of LISprofs regarding important industry related issues I might’ve not only achieved some sort of constructive interaction or networking but also been seen as being actively involved in the profession.

In my experience, although I didn’t encounter much interaction from industry professionals, I was able to stay up to speed with current industry issues through the links they posted and the issues they were discussing. I was also able to communicate comfortably with people my class and even more beneficially, query lecturers about important issues that had come up in class. 

Introduction to this blog

The purpose of this blog is to make a record of my development as a LIS professional from study to the "real world".