Interview Series #2 - LIS people you never knew existed!

Our second instalment takes a look at Katrina's journey from a degree in Ancient History to Children's librarianship and the changes and challenges breaking into the field being a new graduate. 

What made you want to become a children’s librarian?

After I finished my first degree, a Bachelor of Ancient History, I was faced with a choice between undertaking my PhD in ancient history or finding a job. Unable to face another thesis, I decided to apply for work in a library, figuring that my undergraduate degree had, at least, provided me with good research skills which could be applied in a library setting. I got a job as a library technician in the Children's and Youth Services team in a public library, where I remained for the next three years. I really enjoyed my time in this role, particularly appreciating the variety of work, which included storytime, teen programs, running book clubs, and more traditional library work such as answering reference enquiries. In fact, I enjoyed this role so much I decided to attain my Masters in Information and Knowledge Management to become a Children and Youth Services Librarian.

LIS career so far…

I began as a library technician in the children's and youth services team at a city public library. I worked in this position for three years. During this time, I also did a six month stint as acting children’s librarian. After I graduated from my Masters in Information and Knowledge Management from UTS, I worked for a very short time in the knowledge management team for the tax department of a large corporate body, before becoming the Children and Youth Service Librarian for another large, city public library.

While I only have a very brief experience in the corporate sector, there were a few differences I noticed.

Primarily, the business focus of the corporate world means that librarians there must always be justifying their existence, either through showing how they reduce expenses or generate revenue. While I appreciate the need for this focus on tangible deliverables, one thing I really appreciate about my current job is that many of the benefits to patrons cannot be quantified, but are valued nonetheless.

Challenges and highlights of being a new graduate

Breaking into the field as a new grad is the greatest challenge I think anyone faces. I was lucky because I had some previous experience which helped greatly with finding a job, but I think a lot of people struggle to get in the door. Particularly in the corporate sector, there is real pressure for knowledge management roles to justify their value to the business, and so there are fewer jobs available.

The highlights I found was the excitement of the possibilities open to me. In the course of my studies I was exposed to lots of different ways information and knowledge management skills could be applied in the workplace, and as a new grad, the possibilities are really exciting. There are lots of different places we can take our degrees and apply our skills, beyond the traditional librarian role.

Professional development and keeping abreast of changes:

One of the things I love about working in the public library sector, particularly compared to working in a corporate setting, is how collegiate and collaborative others in the sector are. One of the tools I make the most use of is the children’s librarians’ e-list, run through the State Library of NSW. This tool lets me connect with other librarians, collaborate on projects, share knowledge, tips and ideas, and explore and evaluate the changing library world.

There seems to be many changes on the horizon for the library and information management sector, but mostly I think these changes provide opportunities for libraries to become increasingly relevant and useful for patrons, not less. There are some exciting new ways of delivering books to customers, chiefly the rise of ebooks and remote access to library services. I read a statistic that suggested more young people read online than print, and in particular, boys read more online than in print, so embracing this changing medium gives us an opportunity to reach patrons which have typically been more difficult to encourage to read.

Meeting young people where they are – at present on social media, and understanding how to harness this medium is a key change. While some libraries have really embraced this, in particular the State Library of NSW, others have been a bit slower to catch on. I also think it is really important to ensure that any social media tools used by the library have to be employed strategically, and with a real understanding of how young people will want to make use of the information available. There’s no point having a library Facebook page, if it isn’t carefully maintained, and the information on there doesn’t appeal and interest the young people it is aiming to attract.

I think libraries and information management professionals have a real role to play in providing people with the skills to make use of all the information available and in particular to help people to manage that fear of missing out which is so prevalent at the moment.

My key advice for new grads…

I found that signing up with a recruitment agency was a really useful way to have access to jobs which weren’t advertised externally, and gave me an advantage in finding a position.

I’d also suggest that new grads do anything possible can to get some work experience to back up your degree, such as volunteering. If possible, I’d suggest trying to make it something that will stand out, such as a project which showcases your skills and demonstrates their value to prospective employers.

If you could like to ask Katrina a question or comment do so below or tweet @ALIANGG

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Library Folk in the Pub Craft Night, Melbourne

Last year's craft lovers' get together here in Melbourne was such a success we thought what better way to start 2014 than with another creative circle? Come join us if you're into knitting, crocheting, sewing, would like to learn from others, or are simply a crafty conversationalist. Feel free to bring works in progress. All welcome.

• When: Thursday 27th February, 2014 from 6:30pm.

• Where: Wood 'n Chimney pizza and pasta restaurant, shop 302/211 Latrobe St,  Melbourne Central (behind Hoyts box office, Level 3). The table has been booked for 'ALIA'.

• Cost: Important - Please Note: Unfortunately the venue doesn't allow for bill splitting, so please be prepared to bring the correct change so we can pay on the one bill.

• To help you choose early, here's the dining menu.

• Vegetarian options available.

 

Remember ALIA NewGrads is for Students as well as Graduates, and at our Library Folk events family and friends are always very welcome!!!
Please RSVP Jenny Gibson via email: jenstudies@hotmail.com
or join our NewGrad Event on Facebook by midday Monday, 24th February so we can confirm numbers.

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New Interview Series - LIS people you never knew existed!

As 2014 promises fresh starts and turning of new and innovative pages, The ALIA New Graduates Group has gone underground to interview Library and Info people in the community you might not of heard of, are doing wonderful work and undertaking projects that make working in our industry all that more exciting around Australia and abroad. 

Our first instalment takes a deep look into the life of Yan a Educational Nurse turned Public Librarian. She talks about her passion for books and multicultural communities and the reason why we need to be working for our communities throughout the incredible technological changes. 

Name

Yan

Current position:

Information Access Librarian

Have you always been a librarian? What was your first profession?

No, I wasn’t a librarian from the start. My first professional job was an educational nurse in a health department in Shanghai. My main job was to promote information and public education for children and women’s health. Later on I moved to a management role which provided me great opportunities in developing organisational and thinking skills.

Why did you choose librarianship?

Language, or rather, my mother tongue used to be my utmost strength and it enabled me to work as a qualified journalist and an editor in charge before coming to Australia. Then ironically it became the biggest problem for me. To overcome this challenge, I had to start everything from scratch.

I went to my local public library a lot at the time – to find learning materials and also to borrow books to read. Some librarians there were very friendly. I loved reading ever since I was a child. So when my language skills improved in time, naturally I began thinking of becoming a librarian. But I wasn’t confident.  I enrolled myself into a TAFE course for a start while doing my first post graduate studies at Sydney Uni. Fortunately enough I was offered a job at a public library at the same time that  gave me confidence to develop various new skills. When I finished my second post graduate studies – Information and Library Management, I’d already worked in a library for many years and had enough experience and knowledge to move on.

The other motivation for working in a public library was that I wanted to know more about Australia and its culture. A public library was like a big window for me to see through and also it was like an entry to an unknown world where I could explore. Meanwhile I could use my literature knowledge and skills to enhance my professional learning. At the beginning of my new professional career certain things were challenging. However I like challenging myself to a certain degree so that I could develop more confidence. I felt that life would be more interesting if I had to push myself a little hard.

What types of "traditional" librarian skills do you rely on and how do you apply them to your workplace?

It was almost 15 years ago that I’ve started working in a public library. Since then I’ve worked in four different public libraries, small and large. I have seen and experienced a lot of changes in the industry. Some changes happened gradually and some dramatically. 

I think so called ‘traditional’ skills you can take customer service for example.  It doesn’t matter what has happened to the library industry, we still serve and interact with people  just like our predecessors in the old days. The differences are the tools and systems we use. In addition, now we are seeing a much larger multicultural community emerge in Australia, which requires stronger cultural knowledge as well as sophisticated customer service skills.

The other skill is about reading and books. Regardless of what kinds of technological formats we’ve developed, reading and books are still needed in public libraries. Parramatta City Library carried out  a user survey last year. People actually ticked the library collection needs as the 1^st priority when asking which  type of services they needed. Therefore skills that enable us to identify information needs, to select and retrieve information/books are very  relevant in today’s services. You don’t need to memorise entire Dewey Numbers or other cataloguing methods, but surely you need to know your collection and know where to find them, whether onsite or online.

Also broad knowledge of what’s going on in the world and knowledge of literature are equally helpful for library services. 

How do you connect with others in your profession? - twitter, social meet ups, other?

There are a lot of ways to connect with others – professional conferences, twitter, blogs, working group meetings, etc.  I have used most of those means to connect with others. I started blogging in the early days and was hands on with most of the popular social media tools. Also I have subscribed to some journals or mailing lists online, such as Library Link of the Day and other mailing lists from the State Library of NSW.

What advice would you give others who are studying and never worked within a Library before?

I could only suggest from my personal experience:

You can go to  different types of libraries, public, academic and special, and  observe the working environment. This will help you to understand what’s happening out there and what type of library that you’re more interested in. Working with passion and enthusiasm is always better than just working for a career.

Then you can talk with staff there and find out about  the opportunities and challenges. I call this is a preparatory process. Knowing a place is always better than blind entry.

Developing professional skills, including those we regard as traditional ones as I’ve mentioned earlier on, and also realise the inevitable changes around us, especially technological changes.

   

Also one needs to be aware of changes in scales bigger than the library world. For examples, generational changing of reading habits, changes to information accessibility, and other competitive aspects of information retrieval.

Also you might have to start your career from a junior point  and it is perhaps not what you expected. But this will enable you to get your foot into the door and  it will provide substantial experience and skills. There is no such thing as a bad job, every job builds up your confidence, skills and resilience.

People skills are of the utmost importance in any workplace, in the library industry in particular. It’s all about customers, and their needs.  

It’s also about teamwork. Therefore, effective communication, whether with others, professionals or otherwise, will enable you to build realistic perspectives towards people. You can overcome disappointment and stay positive, even in the worst situations.

What is the most challenging aspect of your current position and how do you handle that? What is your advice for others in the same situation?

As a library professional, we have been facing a lot of challenges for a long time already, e.g. change reading habits, rapid development of technologies, things such as mobile technology changes the way we access information. I personally think the biggest challenge is the ever changing information landscape that causes anxiety and uncertainty in the industry. It has affected the direction of the future. It seems to me that we’re more reactive and trying to catch up with everything that is out there, instead on a leading role as we used to. All I can suggest is to keep an open mind and continue lifelong learning, and update our skills for future adaptation.

At Parramatta City Library we have programs on author talks, health talks, but we also have a lot classes and drop in sessions for technology, from social media, to APPs, to mobile techs, to skype, to digital TV and radio, to online business  all of which is run by the library staff. We also  have  exhibitions. The Library also has established  partnership programs with organizations such as Sydney Architecture Festival, the local Migrant Resources Centre, social enterprises, as well as other council departments. All those programs need different types of skills, such as  organizing, planning, managing and implementation.

Moreover we need future leaders for the industry. If you have ambition, ideas, and management skills, should have a vision for the future.

Do you anticipate any big changes in the industry over the coming years, how will this impact on your role?

I think the changes have already been happening since the invention of internet, google search and social media. It doesn’t matter whether we love them or not, we basically have no choice but to adapt to those changes.

The industry adapts slowly. For example we’ve just started RDA from AACR2. However we’ve seen more and more libraries open themselves up to  social media, and to catch up with technologies that can help us survive.

All those changes have great impact on all of us, to name only few  - outsourcing, restructuring, developing new programs for the community, and using social media for instant communication, and recently the bouncing backwards and forwards of ebook lending issues. Should we toss all of our print books out and wait for ebooks to takeover, it is still arguable. However books will always be there, in various formats. I truly believe print books will coexist with eformats, based on human reading behaviour.

Regarding myself, I’m not afraid of any changes. On the contrary I like change and like new ideas. It is fun and interesting that we can learn different things, and develop new skills, much better than  doing the same thing, over and over again, for your entire life.

In the past few years, my position hasn’t changed but the practice has moved from static tasks such as selection, readers advisory promotion by making bookmarks, brochures, and reading lists to a much wider range of programs, eg, developing programs to cater for community lifelong learning, and developing social media sites to providing multi platforms for user information access. Also I’ve developed strategies to engage  local communities with other organizations. There have been two more information Access positions created in last few years, because information access is no longer a one person job any more. Now we have a team of staff working closely with all other teams in developing new ideas, programs and outreach to the community as well.

What would you like to see Libraries doing in the future?

I’d like to see libraries do not only catch up waves but be in the front, on top of waves, and to drive waves. I’d like to see libraries being creative and inventive.

 

Also I’d like to see libraries keep some ‘traditional’ ways for people with diverse needs, for examples, to have spaces for people who want to read real books, to stay quiet to contemplate surrounded by books, as well as to have a chance to meet others. I’d like to see libraries evolve but not become something else that is completely outside of the concept of the ‘library’. 

If you have any questions for Yan about anything that she has mentioned post a comment here or sent a tweet to @ALIANGG.

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Queenslander's... Join us for a drink!

Step into 2014 on the right foot! Whether you’re starting on your journey to become an Information Professional, part-way through your studies, looking for that perfect job or been around for a while - the ALIA New Graduates Group for Queensland would like to invite you to our first event for the year. Come and join us at the Ship Inn, Southbank on Thursday 30th January, from 5.30pm. Meet your future colleagues and share your professional New Year resolutions in a relaxed, informal atmosphere. Buy yourself a drink and spend an hour or two in the company of like-minded people.

Never been to an ALIA event before? Don’t worry! There will be plenty of people to welcome you and to answer any questions that you might have. So we know who to look out for, please email your RSVP to newgradsqld.alia@gmail.com

http://goo.gl/maps/v4bxZ

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