Thing 20: My route to librarianship

This post is written for cpd 23, thing 20. I wrote before about how became a librarian in thing 10. This time I am adding a bit more to what I wrote before and linking it to The Library Routes Project

Writing this post no doubt will bring back many memories, some of which I would like to remember others I would rather forget.  My starting point to librarianship route was a little bit strange and unusual! It wasn’t my first choice to study librarianship when I applied to university. I wanted to be an architect when I was a little girl then change my mind at teenage to wanting to be a vet. Didn’t meet my university offer for veterinary science and I didn’t have a plan B. So I was unhappy and cross with myself for not being able to study what I thought is my dream subject. I was under enormous amount of pressure to decide whether I want to go to university that year or have a gap year and re apply. After a quick thinking, been realistic and not wanting to re-sit exam or to loss my chance of having a university degree I made a decision. I decided to move away from studying what I called traditional subjects and study something people knew nothing or a little about at least in my country and that was studying librarianship.  I cannot explain why I had that feeling at that time?

The librarianship course was four years course. I enjoyed most of it but most, I enjoyed annoying one of my lectures. He used to talk and referrer a lot to his time in the US whilst doing his Master& PhD and I didn’t like his style of teaching. A few months after I graduated I was luck enough for find a job in an academic library. The job was a good start for a newly qualified librarian. Also, it helped me to find my second job (Research Assistant) which had some similarities to the role of librarian in terms of search or collect, organise and analyse information /data.

I had to stop working for a few years to bring up my children. During those years I though about arming myself with some other skills, that might become handy at the some point in my life. I enrolled myself in a diploma course in translation and interpretation English/Arabic/English. After gaining the qualification I practiced as a casual interpreter for a couple of years then move on overseas where I went back to librarianship. I was school librarian at different international schools in different countries. Working overseas is a great experience particularly in international school where you meet students with different backgrounds, cultures and languages. The only downside is PD fund, employers are not keen in investing in someone they know in advanced is going to leave in a couple of years   

I am glad I became a librarian.  I think working in an educational environment with people, information and knowledge suits me more that working with animals. The feeling of reaching out to students and help them to acquire knowledge and information on all kind of formats is very rewarding.

                      

Thing 19: am I now a better Librarian armed with 18 things?

Only four/five tools to go before the cpd 23 goes. Sounds like I cannot wait for the things to disappeared but that is not true. I‘m delighted I joined cpd 23 series of tools. I am enjoying it so far and look forward every week to tackle a new challenge. Yes, they are challenging me as majority of the tools the team introduced so far I have not use before. I might have heard of them or used some of them at a limited level. Some time it is not easy to find the time to keep up with programme but I am determining to continue until the end! I will probably revisit some of the tools that I think are useful for my current and future job.

Now, how the cpd did developed my working style and understanding of web 2.0

As results of Joining the cpd I managed to expand my RSS list I hope I haven’t over did it, created discussion and contributed to many professional discussions, joined new interesting professional groups and now receiving regular updates and news from them, I am more and more reflecting than before at the personal and professional level, Google Doc. I use it on a daily basis to create and save documents. It’s my cloud and I cannot imagine myself working without it. I wanted to use Dropbox when it was introduced to save my documents but couldn’t download it because I am working in one of those countries affected by US sanction. Google Calendar is another important tool to me personally and professionally. I rely on it to organise my work and my family activities. It’s the first thing I open and leave open all day on my laptop.

Last but not least blogging, what a great way of keeping breast of what is going on in the profession and sharing your experience and interests with colleague from all kind of library and information professions.     

Thing 18: screen capture & podcasting

This is my first time to explore and use Jing. I used to rely on using print screen tab to capture screen. After a little play with it I decided to download it http://www.techsmith.com/jing which was easy and use straight away.

I think of it as the right tool came in the right time. We have changed our library management system recently. Since the system is new to students and teacher we have to start training them on how the use it to find their information needs. I would use this tool to show them how to set up, access and manage their own portal on the new system. I think I will be using both features of capturing and videoing to make it easier and clearer for them. Also, it will probably help me to design and enhance the look of the library’s website by making it more attractive and inviting to parents and students alike to access it more often. 

Podcasting, I started to use it sometime ago for personal purpose. I use it to keep up with some my favourite series of programme. Every weekend I download the episodes I missed during the week on my i pod then listen to them while driving on my way to and from work. It’s some thing that I look forward to do every weekend. I have not experience using it at work but I can see many ways of using to enhance some of the services my library provide to its patrons. 

Thing 16: Advocacy, speaking up for the profession and getting published

 Librarians were, still and will continue to advocate their profession. They advocate in many ways and at different levels from the day they joined the profession and probably until they retired! I do agree public libraries are suffering at the moment in the UK but they are not alone, school libraries is another important sector that has being suffering form cuts and low profile.

I chose to be a librarian and since I made that decision I have been explaining the important role of libraries and their value. I work in international private school fairly stable working environment. I advocate my service to the school community, students and teachers. Explain to students the important role of the library in their learning. Unfortunately it takes as much effort as to advocate teachers as well. They do not encourage or direct students to use the valuable and costly resources available for them in the library. Once I had a discussion with a teacher who believes that a librarian does not need to have a high qualification to run a library. I wasn’t expecting that from an educator who supposed to be working in partnership with library staff to facilitate teaching and learning for future generations.        

Thing 15: Attending, presenting at and organising seminars, conferences and other events

This thing shows you that there are many ideas and ways of attending /organising face- to- face events that could help develop your professional. They are great ideas but as the thing mentioned, events cost money and time. Due to the financial difficulties we are all facing at the moment it is difficult to ask your employer to bear the cost of sending you to a conference or workshop. As result of that some institutions started to explore cheep ways of providing PD for their staff such as in house training or fund for local/regional events.

 

I’m a librarian who is currently does not have the money or the time to attend conferences or professional events?  I substitute them by relying more and more on e social networks. However enjoyable they are to use, great on answering questions and connecting you with peers across the globe, face the face events will still be the best way to pick up, up-date and share ideas. I have to admit, it has been quite some time since I attended an event. I have been busy enriching my experience since I finished my masters. I think it’s about time for me to start looking into this. What I would really like to attend is one of those big conferences where I can meet many librarians and information professionals to compensate for the years I have not been able to. But I have to fund it from my own money and use my own time.

I have no fear of speaking in public as I did this before although it wasn’t library related issue. Perhaps working overseas for quite some time and in different countries where you exposed to different cultures and people with different background and understanding I think has enable me to overcome the fears of speaking in public