Blog Every Day in June Day 17 : Winning the Library Lottery!

Three and a half years ago I won the lottery! Well not the NSW lottery or even Ozlotto but I was successful in applying for a traineeship at my local library. As a library trainee I embarked on a six year adventure including full time work and university studies through CSU. Although initially daunting and scary, enthusiasm and naivety assisted me through the first year. Working with a wonderful staff in comfortable, happy library environments has confirmed my suspicions that librarians, library assistants and library technicians are a special group of people.  Recently I attended a four day study visit in Melbourne where I found further evidence. The librarians we spoke to shared their experiences with us and were happy to answer questions and present examples of what they did and how they did it. I left Melbourne encouraged by their passion and confidence that libraries would survive into the future and that I could be a successful part of it.

One of the subjects I have recently completed was Marketing in libraries and information agencies and I feel that this is an area that requires further investigation. Every staff member is involved in marketing every day but may not realise it. Each transaction is an opportunity to offer additional information to our valued customers. When a person asks where our language books are I can offer other alternatives including our online resources such as Mango, which include English and our other language collection that we borrow from the state library. Can’t find an audio fiction you haven’t listened to, then have a look at our online Overdrive and Oneclick options and enjoy the convenience of borrowing from home at your leisure. Technology has forced many changes but also offered a vast array of options that our customers may not be aware of.  It is exciting to introduce these concepts and gratifying to receive positive feedback from a successful experience. We are a resourceful, problem-solving bunch with great ideas and creativity. I am proud to be part of such a special profession.

-Leanne Wright

CSU Student and Library Lottery Winner

Blog Every Day in June Day 16: Charmaine Matyson

Our post today comes from Charmaine, she's from Melbourne and has some advice for Library students. You can follow her on twitter @kaykataj   -Caitlin Williams

I’m Charm, a 27 year-old zine maker and qualified library technician, who’s currently undertaking Bachelor of Information Studies at Charles Sturt University. I’m also a keen volunteer worker. Why volunteering? Because my resume looked rather bland, entry-level jobs were hard to come by, and I thought that it’d help me understand the industry I was studying to get into.

I started as a library assistant at the Athenaeum Library in 2010, mid-way through my Diploma of Library Services course (BHI). There, I gained experience in the basics; circulation desk work, covering, shelf-reading, preparing for events, as well as the handling and care of old books.
In 2011, I started volunteering in reader services at Vision Australia Information Library Services in Kooyong, with a large and ever-changing collection of audio books, braille and large print material. There I learned about the sheer range of material available to vision/mobility impaired people, the technology involved, and the value of services like VAILS, who rely partly on volunteers to keep it afloat.

In 2013, after going on a tour of the State Library of Victoria’s zine collection, I managed to secure a position as a volunteer zine cataloguer. Happy days! As stated on their website, their volunteer base helps lighten the workload for SLV staff and the library as a whole.[1] And recently, thanks to a fellow BIS student (hi Caitlin!) I started volunteering at the Australian Lesbian & Gay Archives as an archivist. Currently I work at SLV and ALGA, having left VAILS to focus on my BIS degree.

The benefits of volunteer work in conjunction with study are many; first-hand experience, making connections with industry folk, and supporting LIS institutes for starters. Those who are concerned about volunteers replacing paid staff, please note that unless volunteer-run, volunteers can’t undertake work that requires specialised training or qualifications.[2]

I recommend volunteering to any LIS student; gain experience, knowledge and help LIS institutes – win/win!

[1] Volunteer at the library. (2014). Retrieved June 11, 2014, from State Library of Victoria
http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/support-us/volunteer-library

[2] Volunteering in public libraries. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11^, 2014 from Public Libraries Victoria Network
http://www.plvn.net.au/node/100/

Blog Every Day in June Day 3: "You never say never'

“You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” –A.A. Milne

TO DREAM

What do you want to be when you grow up? A librarian. This has been my answer ever since I was eleven. The teacher librarian at my primary school inspired me then and still does. So with that deep conviction I didn't think anything more about it until high school when I had my first career night. On this night I tracked down the representative promoting this profession and spent hours there finding out all there was to know… 

From high school I went to university and completed a Bachelor of Arts, then because there were no Librarianship studies offered in Newcastle, I came to Sydney and completed a Graduate Diploma in Library Science.

OPPORTUNITIES

Okay so far so good....everything was going as planned then I tried to get a job. All through my working life I am so grateful for the Library Managers who have been prepared to take a chance and it was because of my beginning that I ended up in special libraries. The librarian at a stockbroking library who took on a young librarian with no work experience, the librarian at a lead and zinc smelter who saw my potential, the librarian at a private independent school who could see the knowledge I would bring to her library.

CHANGE

In 2007 I decided that I needed a change after 20 years in special libraries, also deep down I wanted to see if I could be a teacher-librarian (TL). I resigned from my job and back to full-time university I went - completing a Bachelor of Teaching through UTS, what a roller coaster ride! Going back to study was a huge shock, as was trying to get a job without any TL experience (a déjà vu moment) and stepping into a world going through massive changes in technology.

THE FUTURE

If my older self was to tap my younger self on the shoulder and tell her what she would experience in the future I would have said "Don't be ridiculous". What would prepare you for the rate of change I have seen since becoming a TL? The world of BYOD ( bring your own device), the flipped classroom, social media as a teaching and learning tool, ebooks and the great information overload that is the Internet.

 So....to finish I think the only way to sum up my professional working life so far is to use this quote 

"The only thing we know about the future is that it will be different".

With my Primary School Teacher Librarian at the opening of my school's new library - 2012

Jacinta Ebbott is a teacher-librarian at an independent Catholic school in Sydney.

Volunteering at the Hurstville City Library

I’ve been doing some time volunteering at my local public library while I’m studying for my Diploma of Library Studies at TAFE. It’s been great for me to get into a library and get a feel for the day to day activities, get a bit of experience to fill in a thin resume, and to set a path for my future career. Lots of library students and prospective library students give time to the volunteer program for the same reasons, and lots of local community members join the program too. I came to hear about the volunteering program from a staff member who I met at the Unmeash Unconference last year. I received a lot of good advice at Unmeash 2012  and was able to turn some of it into action.

At the induction session I attended last year, reasons for joining the volunteer program ranged from improving English conversation skills, assisting with special community language programs within the library, meeting people after moving to a new area, and giving time to something meaningful in the community. The volunteers wear different coloured name tags if they have a particular expertise, such as computing skills, or if they speak a community language (or if they are library students).

I’ve learned many things in the program that perhaps should have been obvious. I quickly changed over to much more supportive shoes. I sought out clothes with pockets to carry small things with me. I realised that not everyone understood the differences between graphic novels and manga, and I can now predict which sections need the most frequent shelf tidying. In the time I’ve been there I have received training in assisting patrons with technical questions, such as downloading ebooks from the library catalogue, and have assisted staff to present the beginner computer classes which just happen to coincide with my regular shift. As I especially enjoy this, I am already thinking how I can use my time studying to gain more formal training in providing training.

But apart from all that, one of the main things I enjoy is working with the other volunteers. Hurstville City Council actively fosters volunteers in many areas, and the library is part of a library/museum/gallery group. They work hard to make sure that the volunteers are shown appreciation through morning teas and activities that give us the time to get to know each other and the staff.  It’s pleasant to get to know the other volunteers that are there on the same day as me, and to meet up with others volunteering at different locations and hear about their experiences. Plus, I get to keep an eye on new releases and never have to make a special trip to return my books.

If you are a library student, or even thinking about studying in the future, perhaps there are volunteering opportunities near you.  Seek them out, for fun and function.