LIS New Professionals Network

Last Saturday I went to Libcampnw, the first mini library camp in Manchester. I was involved in the organisation of it, working with Sue (@shedsue) and Richard (@richardveevers). I think it was a great success, and I enjoyed the planning process as well as the event itself. Thanks to both Sue and Richard, the people at Madlab (who, thanks to Sue’s persuasive skills, gave us the venue for free), and also all the participants and session facilitators for making it so good! The photos that were taken with my camera are on Facebook. The event wiki with session notes and more is on wikispaces.

I have been speaking to some work colleagues and we are thinking of hosting a mini library camp in Leeds. Who would be interested to come, and would you prefer a Thursday or a Saturday? Also, who would be interested in a mini library camp just for public library people (and those passionate about public libraries)? Can you offer a free venue for up to 50 people?

The following are my notes from the day. If you haven’t been to a library camp or un-conference before, here’s a link to explain a little what happens: http://www.librarycamp.co.uk/librarycamp

Session 1: Central library vs. branch libraries, pitched by @theatregrad

• library resources: where do they do the most good? In a branch library or in a central location -> depends on the resource and how it can be shared. Can it be cost-effective and is it affordable?
• is it “better” to close a branch library instead of refurbishing it -> look at opening times that accommodate the community, where does the money some from (can funding be sought)
• some public library users in the group felt that their local authority needed to be better at communicating/explaining their decisions, to be more open and take public’s needs into consideration
• do we actually know why people use the library, what they come for?
• do we see the library as a community space, with an important social aspect? -> harder for a central/city centre library to be a community space as community is not clearly defined
• central expertise needs to spread into branch libraries -> more travel, outreach, road shows
• branches need to be tailored to their community, not just be a scaled down version of central library
• statistcs don’t prove the social aspect -> it becomes harder to prove need of the space -> think homeless newspaper readers in a central library
• Manchester is currently restructuring to be able to offer bespoke service to branch libraries -> great idea, I would like to know more!
• to get use out of your libraries’ online resources you need to train your (potential) users
• does  central library have the same training potential as a branch library that can adapt services to their community -> maybe not, also because not everybody can get there
• central library very much a prestige thing
• central library can be very intimidating for (new) users -> old buildings create barriers but there is also potential here: get people in for the historical aspect
• signage is very important! also: should library staff wear uniforms? -> Bolton have abolished uniforms because of cost cuttings -> staff not always obvious enough to users though and users might walk out unsatisfied
• install confidence in your users by helping them, training them -> train your staff first, so they can help people
• the digital future: who gets excluded and how can libraries work on inclusion?
• digital libraries mainly aimed at Windows users -> do libraries have to staff expertise to change this?
• some library authorities, e.g Trafford, looking at uploading content on to people’s devices -> looking forward to hearing more
• other services ideas: tech support desk, music practice rooms -> get people to come to the library for un-library stuff! Be the living room of your city!
• shared services, e.g. share with registry office
• use of volunteers: volunteers need to enhance not replace -> what does a volunteer coordinator do?

Session 2: Public reference libraries – keep or abolish?, pitched by me

• the reference library as a physical space -> stepping into the past: positive when managed and stocked well -> can be a sacred space
• stock is often things that are not online, specialised, tactile
• another important use: local knowledge, community information, community services = local reference
• need to use the space to its best: e.g. run workshops, offer space to community groups
• work with other groups, promote other uses, .e.g. eco-literacy
• non-fiction reading groups
• business use: patents, IP, inventors
• example: Sheffield references library also includes art, music and social sciences stock, not just information generally
• some public libraries do not have a separate reference department now: reference stock is shelved within non-fiction lending stock
• try and get hold of university’s and college’s reading lists -> promote the stock that you hold that could be useful for students -> e.g. via twitter
• hold events
• have expert staff!
• library staff who don’t normally work in the reference library can be apprehensive when asked to work there -> fear of not knowing -> training needed
• encourage studying
• promote digital literacy -> great idea, would like to explore further
• experience: not enough demand for specialised sessions, apart from IP
• often what is classed as reference stock would be more useful to the public as lending stock -> what do you do about that? Is price the main reason to make something a reference copy now? -> stock criteria/strategy seem to differ in different authorities
• online resources only get used when enough training is offered, to both public and staff -> reassure people it’s okay not to know things
• why not run workshops on content creation -> for campaigns, fundraising, links with local groups -> e.g. Sheffield Access Space
• take the reference library elsewhere -> pop-up libraries, road shows, take iPads and stock to events to show -> great idea, would like to explore further
• need to market services within building and library service first -> surprising how little other staff know -> look into staff exchanges
• the group liked the idea of embedded librarians but we weren’t quite sure what it means -> anyone?

Session 3: Staff training, pitched by me

• problem with training budgets: often if you can’t afford it yourself you can’t go
• learn from other people/colleagues, shadowing
• focus on training and training needs in appraisals -> try and fit your needs into strategic plans to get what you want
• take an organisational development approach, rather than a personal one
• take people’s outside interests into consideration -> your staff might know things that are useful for the service but that you don’t know about
• staff time -> think about benefits to organisation, contacts made, change something as a result of training attended -> cascade your knowledge
• benefit from in-house training, cross-sector approach and regional training offers
• offer a venue and let trainers come to you -> cost savings
• get involved with professional organisations, network!
• prioritise
• go for bursaries -> not a lot of people do, so lots up for grabs
• convince managers that your staff need training -> don’t wait for them to come to you!

Session 4: The little things, pitched by @spoontragedy

This was a session about everything, from toilets via signage to mentoring.

• public buildings should open up their toilets
• people’s behaviour turns others off from using the library -> keep them in check -> get a full-time caretaker
• keep the social aspect of libraries in mind
• think about what is needed when extending opening hours: bins, more toilet roll, etc.
• user complaints often carry more weight than staff comments
• communication!
• what do you call your users? -> university community, readers, borrowers, users, customers, ladies, patrons
• Teesside University library has no access restrictions -> great idea for sharing services
• jargon/terminology -> needs to be useful/relevant to system user
• strategic plans vs. day-to-day operations
• ideal: bosses with open-door policy -> often people still won’t talk because they see status before person -> your director is human
• two-way communication important -> it’s okay to tell you boss stuff
• make an appointment with whoever you want to speak to
• mentor someone to learn about management and being in that position (small scale)

Some other bits from sessions I overheard:

• frontline staff are regarded as “librarians” -> does the public need to know job roles? Does it matter?
• take ownership of what you do!
• management want to push content but be in control at the same time -> difficult position for staff to be in when updating websites etc.
• all you need for a successful library camp is running water, a toilet and ideally wifi -> do it!

Note: I first published this on my own blog.

I regularly blog at http://bumsonseats.wordpress.com.

Reproduced from here because it's particularly relevant for New Profs...

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I have a theory: I think the 2nd job you ever get in libraries is the most important. We’ll come on to the why in a minute – first of all I wanted to see if others’ experiences backed up my hypothesis. I put a poll on to Twitter, asking this:

Which job was most significant in getting you to where you are in libraries now? Which most influenced you onto your current path?

I didn’t want to prejudice the outcome so I didn’t mention my theory. The results were interesting – they did seem to (just!) back me up:

Now, this is a very specific question. I’m not asking which factor is most significant to where people are now (a lot of people would say professional development outside of their 9-to-5 jobs, or their Masters perhaps) and I’m not asking which job is the most important in terms of people being in the information profession at all (presumably that’d be the first job for the vast majority of people) – it’s all about where you are, the path you’re on, the area of librarianship you’ve ended up in or the role you’re currently doing.

So I believe the 2nd job you ever get in libraries is arguably the most important because it dictates much SO of what happens to you afterwards. Obviously all jobs have an effect on what comes after them to some extent, but the 2nd job is something of a tipping point whose significance is, I’d imagine, not appreciated at the time most people are applying for it. Most people’s first library jobs fall into one of two categories – securing an entry-level position prior to doing the Masters (or becoming a graduate trainee), or securing an entry-level position because you’ve sort of stumbled into libraries accidently, and then finding it was a lot more interesting than you thought, so you stay in the sector. As has been discussed before, almost no first library jobs are beyond the entry-level – even people who have the Masters have to start at or near the bottom.

So – as a result of this, there’s not much proactive career choice about your first library job: you just need a job. Most people start as something like a ‘Library assistant’ – often a customer facing role, in the library itself, issuing books and helping with queries etc. You only really start to mould you career when you apply for that 2nd job – and my argument is that you need to make a really sound choice here, because it has a vital domino effect on your subsequent career. And actually, it’s tricky to divert off the path you choose for yourself at that 2nd job choice, because the 3rd job will (probably) be a higher up or better or related version of that 2nd job and (probably) pretty good, meaning you build a career off the back of it.

I’m obviously generalising here, and of course there will be exceptions – and throughout I’m imagining someone staying in more or less the same place, rather than having accrued several jobs at the same level on their CV simply because they’ve relocated a few times. But generally speaking, if you’re in that position that so many of us were in – you’re in your first library role, thinking it’s actually pretty good, wondering about making it into a career – you need to think carefully about the path you choose and, not least, how long that path is in reality.

I’ll take the academic library as an example, because that’s what I know best. Your first role was in Lending Services on the desk, so where do you go next? If you choose to stay in Customer Services then you’re looking at a Reference / Enquiries Desk role perhaps, otherwise there’s a big jump up to something like Customer Services Manager or Site Manager. If you go into the cataloguing side of things you could go for an Assistant Cataloguer post. You could try and move towards the subject librarian side of things by going for a Team Assistant post in an academic librarian subject team. Or there might be a ‘Digital Library Assistant’ type role, to do with digitisation or e-Resources. Whichever of these you choose, your 3rd job will probably also be in this area, is my point. And your 4th job too, perhaps. Of course people change all the time, but it’s quicker to develop a career in a roughly straight line. (I know this, because I didn’t - and have only in the last few months arrived at the job I actually wanted to do all along, and have much younger colleagues who took a more direct route…)

To use a building analogy – our 1st job in libraries is coming in through the front door. We can see a lot more now we’re inside, and we understand it more and want to stay. The second job is like choosing what floor to go to, and subsequent jobs tend to be a choice of doors on that floor. Of course it’s possible to change floors, but it often takes a lot of work… And we often just stay on that floor for ages becuase it’s naturally the floor we know most about.

Part of the reason I’m writing this is because I know some people who’ve been working in libraries a good while, and are just sort of treading water – because that second job took them down a path, and now that path is blocked for whatever reason. There just aren't any more senior jobs than they're already doing, in the area they've come to specialise in. So I’d recommend getting hold of one of those organisational structure charts for your library (or the library you’d like to work in) and literally plotting your ideal route upwards, seeing what’s feasible, where the obstacles are, when you’d be waiting an age for people to retire or leave, etc. Some paths have very few destinations so are more competitive. Some might not even exist by the time you get to the good bit. Some paths might look like their beyond you in terms of expertise, but actually you could get there over time. Some paths have loads of destinations but aren’t well paid. Money certainly isn’t everything, but progression means a lot – you don’t want to get stuck in a rut.

It would be nice just to live in the moment, just to ‘be’ and not worry about all this stuff. But librarianship is a hugely competitive profession, with far more qualified librarians than there are jobs for qualified librarians. So it’s really never too early to be thinking about the career path you’re embarking upon – ideally, you need to start making informed choices almost from the very start.

If you’ve made it through all that - do you agree with my 2nd Job Hypothesis?

- thewikiman

And so it was that on the 8^th day of October in the year of our Library 2011, a hundred or so librarians and library lovers convened in Birmingham, thanks to the organisational skills of @libraryjmac . It was only the second library event I’d ever been to, and I really can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it...however this blogpost is an attempt to try! Here are all the things we have to thank @libraryjmac for:

Super Saturday

Having just finished my MA dissertation, moved house and started a new job, I haven’t had acres of spare time recently. Therefore, I have to confess to feeling a little sceptical about giving up my Saturday as it was the first one in a while not being spent moving furniture or on hold to British Gas (other craptacular energy suppliers are available). I had originally signed up in July, A.K.A. P-DH-I (Pre-dissertation hand-in), and October seemed very far away. But I decided it was too good an opportunity to miss, and duly got up at 6.30 on a Saturday to go from East to West Midlands to join the other library campers.

And what a joy it was. From the moment I got there, the atmosphere was buzzing and I spent the whole day on a similar high. I attended sessions on Cataloguing and Classification, the future of libraries, breaking down barriers between different sectors, modernising public libraries/dealing with cuts and one on social media, specifically #uklibchat (which I actually helped run...).. I enjoyed all the sessions immensely and could have gone to many more. The place was full of smiling happy library people – including some I knew a lot about, but had not had the pleasure of meeting in person before. Which brings me to:

Meeting virtual friends and fellow professionals

I only really got into Twitter and blogging this year, but have found it a really useful, informative and above all enjoyable way to relate to other library folk and learn more about the library world in general. Library Camp was a great way of meeting some of the people who I’ve enjoyed interacting with online, specifically a couple of tweeters who got in touch with me after my WI talk on the Save Libraries Campaign, and the #uklibchat team. We’ve been running fortnightly Twitter chats about libraries for the past couple of months (quick plug: if this sounds like it interests you, please go to our website uklibchat.wordpress.com)

I also however found it massively rewarding hearing from and talking to people I hadn’t known about before, such as Sara Batts (@BattyTowers). I do sometimes worry that Twitter can be a bit exclusive and cliquey but I found it just as easy talking to people who I didn’t know virtually.

Broadening Library Horizons

I work in a very niche sector as a librarian for a chartered organisation. Therefore it’s interesting to meet other library people from a variety of different sectors and circumstances. I personally think that there’s not enough of this going on, and it was great that some of the sessions during the day focussed on cross-sectoral understanding and working together.

On the day I met public librarians, HE librarians, FE librarians, commercial librarians, law librarians and even some non-librarians who were there just for the library love. Even at library school, we never got a chance to meet such a variety of library people. Library camp really reaffirmed how huge and various our profession is – but also by some kind of divine spell, had you going away with a warm fuzzy feeling of love and respect for the professional as a whole.

“That’s A Learning I Made”

The way that Library Camp worked meant you couldn’t go to all the sessions, but man, did my head get crammed with some awesome ideas and the smartness of a hundred or so library campers! Not only did I personally benefit from hearing feedback about #uklibchat, but I learnt about things I’d never dreamed of before the day. In some sessions, my main train of thought was simply “I must remember to look that up when I get home.” Really cool things like the Chicago Underground Library 

Going to the sessions also made me realise a few things about my own job and about libraries more generally. Like when you catalogue, don’t worry about getting the perfect number, and don’t think you are the only librarian not cataloguing “properly.” Or that whilst many of the “solutions” to the challenges libraries are facing have been proposed many times before, there are some genuinely exciting new ideas out there, like the teen librarians in San Francisco taking their Manga stock out on carts and wheeling it round the city streets.

So long and thanks for all the cake

So that was my Library Camp. Last but not least however, I should also say the chance to sample some excellent cake-based goodies was a major highlight of the day (Special mention must go to @deadlylibrarian ‘s brownies).Thanks to all those who made it such a satisfying day – for both my cake hungry-stomach, and my ideas-hungry brain.