'Let’s Talk' Wrap Up

City of Sydney Customs House library opened its beautiful reading room for Library and Information students for a panel discussion and networking event on Tuesday the 19^th of May.

Panellists included Hiba Kanj (ALIA Students and New Graduate Committee Convenor), Alex Cato (Australian Law Librarians Association NSW Division President), Kate Byrne (International Librarian’s Network) and Jeffery Cruz (Manager, City of Sydney Library).

Also in attendance were several CSU School of Information Studies and TAFE Library and Information Services Staff.

Each panellist offered the attendees their unique perspectives on all manner of library and education related questions, from career and professional development, to their dream libraries.

Key points covered for getting a first library job were:

• Address selection criteria directly! If unsure, use the STAR method. Most organisations will also have an information pack for addressing criteria.  
• Work experience outside the LIS field is valid- many skills are transferable (teamwork, customer service etc)
• Showing/ admitting to nerves during an interview is OK, however crying may not secure you the job.

On Professional Development, the panel all stressed the importance of continuous learning and engagement. Joining ALIA groups and going to events or trying out session of the International Librarians’ Network can lead to highly rewarding discoveries about the industry and expand your professional network.

A very special thank you to Kathy Tritsaris and staff for hosting this event, and to Mary Carroll, Jeff Cruz, Kathy Tritsaris and Diana Richards for making it happen.

CW

Finding Free PD!

While we here at ALIA Sydney would love you to join us at all our events, we know that it isn't always possible. So in today's post we're going to share some great free professional development experiences you can enjoy from your own home.

Library 2.014
Conferences can be amazing events to attend. Meet new colleagues, catch up with the old and learn new things. Unfortunately, they can be ridiculously expensive. Registration fees often hit the thousand dollar mark and that's before adding up the incidental costs like flights or accommodation if you have to travel. 

Four years ago the team at Library 2.0 decided to create a conference that anyone could attend no matter of their physical location or the size of their wallets and thus the Library 2.011 Worldwide Virtual Conference was born. This year the Library 2.014 Conference will be held on 8-9 October covering multiple languages and time zones. The best bit...it's free. Completely 100% free. AND you can attend in your favourite pj's if you really want! 

This year's themes cover digital services, preservation and access, emerging technologies and trends, learning commons and infinite learning, management of libraries and information centres in the 21st century, user centered services and models, and evolving roles and opportunities. 


MOOCs 
MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses, have been around for a while now but they are still a great way of learning new skills at your own pace and in your own home. Even better, many MOOCs are still offered free of charge! 

MOOC list is a an aggregator of MOOCs from a range of different providers from all over the world. This aggregator covers everything from learning a language to the sciences. MOOCs provide a fantastic opportunity to branch out into new fields and many are offered from well respected universities providing accreditation for the studies you undertake. 


International Librarians Network 

The ILN is an international peer mentoring program facilitating librarians to forge international networks. The ILN pairs librarians from different countries together for a fixed term and during that period the pairs are supported by regular contact and guided discussion. While partnerships have an end date (after four months), it is hoped that librarians will have built connections that will be lasting. 

The ILN is a great way to build new relationships, learn new skills and share your own. At last count, there were 26 participating counties and this number is sure to grow. Participation can be as little as a weekly email to your partner librarian and as much as emails, twitter and blog interactions. 

These are but a small selection of free, at home professional development opportunities that you can undertake. Feel free to dd your own suggestions in the comments below. 

-Kirsty

Blog Every Day in June Day 8: The International Librarians Network

Jenny Mustey tells us about her experience as the Australia Country Coordinator of the International Librarians Network (ILN) which is now in its third round of participation.

The ILN is facilitated by four highly professional and forward thinking program coordinators who all work and live in Sydney.  Congratulations to coordinators Clare McKenzie, Alyson Dalby, Kate Byrne and Amy Barker as it is a credit to them for their vision and how they have developed the ILN program from the pilot round to what it is now.   Their strong strategic thinking holds it in good stead for the future.   The program coordinators oversee the whole program, facilitate and support the partnerships, constantly monitor and evaluate participants feedback and participation as well as maintaining an active website, twitter and facebook presence.

Initially I was drawn to the ILN during the pilot round in 2013.  The idea of exchanging information with another person from different country sounded very interesting and it provided an opportunity for a different type of professional development.  It was very exciting to take part in this initial program to meet an international colleague as well as assisting with the feedback and evaluation required to move it onto the next stage.  A positive pilot and first round experience encouraged me to think of becoming a Country Coordinator.   

As the ILN reaches 78 countries across the globe the Program Coordinators decided that a local contact person who could publicise and promote would be best served by having a Country Coordinator in each country if possible.  I noticed by looking at the ILN website that there was a vacancy for Country Coordinator in Australia so I volunteered for this role and was very happy to be accepted.   

My ongoing role is to encourage library workers and students to take part in the ILN and as round two was about to start this was my initial focus, however I will continue to promote it in further rounds.  There were a range of opportunities to publicise the ILN, either by communicating with the various networks and professional organisations as well as promoting it through social media. I also had the opportunity to write an article in the ALIA journal INCITE which had a positive impact as it reaches a wide number of people working and studying within the library industry.   

It was pleasing to see over 700 participants across the world take part in round 2 of the program with a large number coming from Australia. The program coordinators did an excellent job in matching ILN participants and they continue to encourage discussion and communication via discussion topics each month, as well as interesting and informative website entries, facebook stories and twitter chats.   

I also decided to take part in round 2 as a participant and have had a fascinating exchange of information from the Director of Public Libraries in Afghanistan. I anticipate that we will continue to communicate after round 2 finishes.  Many other participants decide to continue their digital relationship due to it being a positive learning experience. It is not overly onerous in time but you do need to be committed to it and make the most out of it.  

The Country Coordinators (CCs) also have the opportunity to have catch up meetings using live meeting technology to connect with each other. These have been wonderful opportunities to exchange ideas of how to promote the ILN within your country and also discuss the barriers and issues that make it challenging for CCs to get the word out.  This was an eye opener to me on how difficult it can be when websites or social media platforms are not permitted in some countries; we do tend to take this for granted sometimes.  

In terms if widening your own knowledge and creating your own global network I recommend people to consider taking part in the round 3, expressions of interest are now being taken.

There is a great deal of information on the ILN website or people can contact me directly if they have any questions about the program. It will continue to grow and be successful due to the individual participation. It is free to join and you will be very well supported by the Program Coordinators.

-Jenny Mustey

Australia Country Coordinator , ILN 

Bouncing around ideas: peer mentoring

What is a peer mentor?

A peer mentor is a person you can rely on for advice, encouragement, and perspective. They may also act as a sounding board or editor. Ideally, a peer mentor relationship is supportive and mutually beneficial. The type of partnership you and your peer mentor will have will be as varied as the two of you. You can pair up with someone who has very similar interests and goals, or someone you admire for their different slant on the world. Don’t limit yourself to purely academic or work-related chats, either – get to know one another as whole people. 

Why have a peer mentor?

Having someone to bounce ideas off can be extremely helpful, particularly in the early stages of a career change or further education. Choosing someone who is in a similar situation might help you to understand each other. It can be comforting to know someone else is in the same boat, or has just gone through a similar experience. For instance, if you’re both job-seekers, you’ll be able to encourage your peer when it’s been a tough day, and they can do the same for you.

It’s good to have someone you can call or email when you’re upset and might otherwise send unwise tweets. A peer mentor can be an extra set of eyes on the job boards, a listening ear when you need to rant about that colleague, someone who knows exactly how exasperating that assignment is, or that person who gives you a “sanity check” before you send an important email. It’s just nice to know that someone’s in your corner.

Mentoring Opportunities

Choosing a peer mentor doesn't have to be a formal process. I’m currently partnered with Amy Walduck, because we “get” each other. She and I couldn't stop talking at NLS6. There seemed to be so much to discuss: career paths, the library profession, job shortages, and social media. After multiple attempts to curtail our conversation for the day, I suggested we keep our discussion going by mentoring each other, and Amy agreed immediately. When I still lived in Brisbane we’d meet for coffee, and now we send email or DMs on Twitter.

Keep an eye on The International Librarians Network. At the moment, the ILN is in a pilot phase, but the intention is to facilitate international mentoring relationships. There is no financial commitment, and anyone who is working or studying in the information or library sectors is eligible. When the program launches, participants can enter details about themselves and the type of person they’d like to be matched with. And if you’re not interested in mentoring but you’re gifted in administrative tasks, ILN will be looking for volunteer country coordinators. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, add @InterLibNet to your feed or follow the blog.

What about career mentors?

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) offers a Career Mentor Scheme, which matches students with professionals. Fellow QUT grad Erica Cooke participated in the program and was paired with a public library professional. As a part-time student, Erica met or spoke with her mentor about every six months for two years. She says it was a good way to bridge the gap between uni and entering a career. Her mentor gave her tips and advice on how to apply for jobs and answer selection criteria, which Erica still finds useful.

Many universities have mentoring programs. Some are intended to cultivate peer-to-peer relationships, while others depend on volunteers to mentor students in various disciplines. If you’re currently studying, it’s worth finding out if there’s a program at your college or university.

Julia Garnett is the new ALIA State Manager NSW

Master of IT (Library and Information Science) Grad 2012

Queensland University of Technology

ePortfolio: http://jzgarnettmlis.blogspot.com.au/

Twitter: @jzgarnett

Blog: jzgarnett.com