Thing 11: Mentoring

Theodor Horydczak Collection (Library of Congress)

I've been incredibly fortunate in finding mentors thus far, so I'm glad the CPD-ers have mentioned the uncertainty and trepidation that can accompany such a venture.

I can actually describe two different processes of mentorship that I've experienced:
1) Put yourself out there
2) Get lucky and reciprocate like crazy

1) The first process happened with one of my professors in library school, who later became my academic advisor. But she nearly wasn't, because I almost lost my nerve standing outside her office that spring semester, my hand hovering in mid-air...

I was already 99.7% sure that she wouldn't be interested in taking on an advisee -- she was a dynamic force in the department, and all of her students either loved her or respected her thoroughly. And here I was, with just a semester and her whirlwind intro class under my belt, imagining that she'd want to talk to me.

We had already had contact during the class, since she made herself extremely available and I was extremely determined to make sure I understood the concepts. So I knew we had a pretty good rapport, and shared some interests.

But boy, knocking on that door was scary.

It turned out for the best -- my professor graciously became my advisor and offered guidance and support through several fraught application processes, including an overseas course and a fellowship.

Whew!

2) The second path consisted of finding a job with a supervisor who believes her professional responsibilities include fostering her employees' professional development. I have yet to meet someone so willing to give back to the profession by sharing with librarians new and experienced alike -- my class came to meet her on a 'field trip' and she soon had a group of eager students planning to meet up with her at an upcoming conference.

So I couldn't take much credit at all for this relationship, except in my reaction (i.e. reciprocation). Every opportunity she presented, in the forms of projects, classroom observations, meetings with vendors -- I jumped into with all my energy and effort. And I constantly expressed my gratitude and commitment in my work, looking for better ways to coordinate at the desk, noting cycles of student use, and generally using my position on the 'front lines' to gather information and suggest improvements in our library operations.

In summary, I can't claim credit for either of these mentorships -- because they are reciprocal exchanges, after all. But I can say that if you find the right person and (*gasp*) take the leap, you'll get many rewards in putting in the time and effort to develop relationships with your fellow librarians.

Thing 10: Trained? Experienced? Qualified? (All Three?)

I was extremely interested to read the post on CPD23 about the UK's routes into librarianship, particularly in terms of the 'traineeship' component. I like the emphasis on practical experience, which I think is lacking in many US programs -- it doesn't seem to be 'built in' in the same way.

At my school, the archives concentration had a required internship, but the general librarianship track was left to fend for itself when it came to on-the-job experience. Before we'd even graduated, my classmates and I were facing the vicious Library Experience Cycle (don't have any = can't get any = don't have any).

While I was lucky enough to find a paid position, many of my friends went for internships that were already saturated with -- you guessed it -- library school students.

I think there is a growing awareness that this is not a viable educational model, as it fails to produce graduates who are actually versed in the 'real' operations of librarianship (it seems that not many employers are interested in theoretical expertise; how odd!). I do remember that a few faculty members were championing the establishment of a required internship for all library 'tracks,' but I haven't heard about progress on that front.

Of course, now that I have my MLIS, I'm facing yet another Experience hurdle. I have diverse library experience, and I'm fresh out of a dynamic program...but I'm also competing with professionals equipped with 20 years' experience or more. I'm staying flexible when it comes to location -- I would move anywhere right now, and I can afford to -- which is an important point as the 'local' market is already packed with recent MLIS grads.

I've heard and read more than enough about how library schools in the US are 'failing' new graduates, and it was a rude shock to enter this job market -- but, I admit, I have also been fairly naive about the whole process.

What I'm working on now -- and really struggling with -- is how to make connections professionally. I have been blessed with an amazing mentor (next post!), and I've gotten involved in some very interesting projects, but...it sometimes feels like there's a covert group of librarians hiding just around the corner, whisking out of sight when I pass by.

One resolution I will take from this experience: When I get a full professional position, I will make myself a resource to any 'newbie' librarian out there looking for help. Because it can be dark and lonely here sometimes, and I want to help make my profession a brighter place for everyone -- especially the newcomers.

Thing 7: Getting Physical - Face to face networks

This will be a brief update, as I already belong to a prodigious amount of the organizations mentioned (hurrah for student dues!). ALA and MLA are the ones I've had the most direct experience with, attending conferences and networking with professionals.

I think these conferences are great opportunities to make connections, provided:

1)You come equipped with some focused interests

2) You've done your research about who's in the field

3) You have plentiful snacks/water

Networking is personally a bit daunting to me; I have to work myself up to it, and I'm usually flat-out exhausted for the next day or two after a conference. But it can be rewarding; the current research project I'm working on now is a result of meeting some lovely people at a conference.

So, online networks are well and good, but thus far they haven't replaced the physical and personal connection that attending conferences and joining organizations can provide. Reality still wins.

Thing 6: Online Social Networks

I liked this Thing activity as it reinforced what I already suspected about LinkedIn and Facebook: people use Facebook still primarily as a social/personal tool, while LinkedIn is more viewed as a professional/networking tool.

This was particularly interesting to me because I'm currently working on the early stages of a research project about online communities and health, examining how patients and health professionals interact with tools like Facebook and LinkedIn. And of course, there's Google+ to consider, designed to accommodate our natural instincts to organize (read: separate) our social groups according to purpose.

I've just gotten an invitation to Google+, so it looks like I'll be diving in there as well. We'll see how well it reconciles our desire to connect with our desire for privacy/control online.

In terms of other online networks, I'd never heard of LISNPN, LAT, or CILIP before (the last one, I imagine, because of the UK-based focus). I've joined LISNPN, and I'm intrigued by the bulletin board concept, as well as the downloadable resources.

More updates as I get set up further!

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.

Thing 1 (No, Not a Dr. Seuss Reference)

Thing 1 is all about 23 Things, of course, the free online professional development course that one of my amazing former professors sent out.

So for this first Thing, I'm talking a bit about why I'm participating and what I hope to get out of this course. There are a few....um, things.

1) Get More Involved
I love the idea of being a part of an online community where we help each other grow professionally. Having just graduated, I'm shocked by how much I miss that interaction, and I hope this can help to keep 'plugged in.'

2) Try New Stuff
As a newly-minted librarian, I'm eager to get my feet wet, my hands dirty, and any other metaphors you can think of for tackling new tools and projects. I may have already done some of the Things on the list, but I think it's important to keep practicing, to find out what works for me, what doesn't, and how I can improve.

3) Revitalize My Blog
This has sadly fallen by the wayside during my studies, and I'm hoping 23 Things will provide plenty of grist for the mill in terms of my blogging presence. #1 should help too, as I'm slightly cheating and checking out everyone else's awesome blogs before my first post is done.

Those are the big three...hopefully I'll discover more reasons and rewards as I continue through this course!

Please feel free to ping me; I'm happy to talk!