Thing 5: Reflective Practice

By d ha rm e sh at bestpicturegallery.com

Following behind schedule on CPD23, I'm interested in the implications of reflective practice for library students and those not yet professionally engaged.

I can imagine that the primary obstacle for reflective practice in a professional capacity is time; you have other competing demands and priorities on the job that make carving out a space for RP a daunting challenge.

On the other side of the spectrum, there are students and part-time workers, who may be more time-wealthy but may lack the professional projects - grist for the mill, I guess - that one usually reflects on.

I understand that this isn't a valid barrier to reflective practice, at least in the way I've understood it. You can reflect on many levels on various projects - anything from a school project to a reference interaction to your overall academic library career. So, in working on this Thing 5, I've been pondering my career path thus far: what I've done, how that has turned out, and where I'm planning to go from here.

The main result = uncertainty. I'm not unsure about my interests; health sciences librarianship engages my interests and skills fully, and I love being part of such a dynamic atmosphere at my library. I've had the opportunity to contribute to projects that have helped the library overall; working on the 'front lines' has shown me the importance of soliciting feedback from everyone on the staff - people at the Circ Desk get to see a lot that you may not.

However, in terms of professional growth...I know this is a harsh job market. I know that everyone is struggling. And I'm trying to keep my motivation and abilities sharp in an atmosphere that is often discouraging.

Some days are better than others.

CPD23 has been part of my efforts to keep this freshness in my library life, along with staying informed in career trends and skills. And it has certainly helped me to find new avenues - blogs, professionals, and projects to engage with. But as you can see, I am only on Thing 5 here. So I need to increase my own participation, set out the time and muster the motivation to sit and get it done.

That's my reflection, for now at least. We'll see what happens next.