23 Things for Professional Development - "Thing 1"

Having signed up to #CPD23, or “23 Things for Professional Development,” here is my first post, or should I say, “Thing 1.” It’s going to take real discipline on my part to post regularly, so I promise I’ll do my best! In this post, I am meant to be telling you a little bit about why I am taking part in this course and what I’m hoping to learn from CPD23, so here it goes:

I first heard about “23 Things” at the CILIP New Professionals Information Day on 3rd June 2011, where Bethan Ruddock explained how joining a programme such as this would be an extremely useful and interactive way of familiarising ourselves with things like social media, web 2.0, and blogging – not only to network with like-minded individuals and enhance our own professional development, but also to understand the power of confidently using computers and the internet to their full capacity - especially in a profession which is steadily embracing new forms of technological advancement.

As I have mentioned previously, I am currently a graduate trainee at the London Library. Based in Reader Services, I assist in the day-to-day provision of effective book issue, renewal, reservation, returns and enquiry services, and perform stack management duties (including shelving returned material). Whilst many might think that a day in the life of a librarian sounds pretty monotonous (and sometimes, yes, they are right), a lot of the enquiries we deal with at the LL come from a variety of different sources – either via email, phone, letter, fax or in person, so no day is ever the same, and each day presents new challenges from which I find I am always learning! The next step for me is to complete a Masters degree in Library and Information Studies, and thankfully I have been offered a place at UCL to start in September. I can’t wait to start, as I feel that this is a huge stepping stone for me into a career in librarianship, and will give me the opportunity to understand the theory behind the practice. In terms of future plans, my sights are ultimately set on an academic librarian post – perhaps a subject liaison librarian, as my interests lie in humanities (I have recently also undertaken a postgraduate degree in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture – I just can’t seem to get enough of the studying, it would seem!)

I am hoping to gain confidence during the CPD23 course, and am particularly looking forward to completing Thing 4: “RSS feeds, Twitter and pushnote,” Thing 9: “Evernote”, and practically everything from Thing 13 onwards (as I don’t understand most of the words written from that point onwards!!) Most importantly, I really want to get to know other new professionals – so make yourself heard, and don’t be shy! 

CILIP New Professionals Information Day 2011

On Friday 3rd June, I attended the CILIP New Professionals Information Day 2011 (#npid2011, for all you twitter followers) held at CILIP's London Office. It was an excellent opportunity to meet and greet people new to the profession, and to actually network with fellow students who are heading to UCL this year to do the MA in Library and Information Studies.

I have to say, as soon as I arrived, I knew it would be a good day (I swear the warm pastries, biscuits and coffee had no influence over me, whatsoever!). The morning started with an inspiring motivational talk by Steve Clarke (the proud member of an elite team of business mentors chosen by The Entrepreneurs’ Business Academy – spearheaded by James Caan from Dragon’s Den), whose mantra for the day was "it's your attitude that determines your altitude." Whilst not a library professional himself, Steve talked about how anyone, in any career, can apply the same techniques to achieve their goals and aspirations - and must fight against the prejudice that accompanies the stereotype of the librarian (NB. see my earlier blog for brilliant gifts from cafepress which do just this!)

Following this, our next talk was by Bethan Ruddock, who emphasised the importance of getting involved (in particular, by using social media) in the library profession. I liked the fact that Bethan drew on her own personal experiences, as she was a fairly "new professional" herself. A talk on "getting experience" proceeded after Bethan's, complementing it well by further emphasising the importance of volunteering and networking with other professionals at events such as the NPID, as you never know who you might meet!

Lunch came next, and we were all very grateful for the sandwiches and crisps provided by CILIP!! (Oh, and more pastries...!) Although we breaked for an hour, time flew by, as I found I filled the time chatting with other people about their experiences in libraries, which made for a very interesting lunch-time discussion!

In the afternoon, Alex Wilson-Campbell gave a talk on "getting a job." We later discovered in our Q&A session that it was his birthday, and to be honest, I can't think of many people who would actually choose to talk to a bunch of new professionals on their birthday, so it was really lovely to see how committed he was to a day which he perceived to be extremely worthwhile. His advice on writing CVs, interview techniques, and tips on understanding what your future employer is looking for, were all very useful, and he recommended www.suehill.com and www.jobsforinfopros.com as a good place to start looking for work outside of the CILIP lisjobnet lists.

Maria Cotera wrapped up the day by discussing how one can become internationally involved. Speaking from her own experiences, Maria's stories were vivid, colourful and inspiring to people like me who had only ever really considered librarianship in the UK. With plenty of mentions of IFLA, and the fact that new professionals shouldn't shy away from applying for funding for training events and conferences across the world, I left her talk feeling like there was so much out there waiting to be explored - and I really did come away admiring her enthusiasm for the profession.

The only thing I would suggest, is that perhaps it might have been helpful to hear about the experiences of different librarians from different sectors, to get an idea as to what area of librarianship (or indeed, information management), I might eventually like to specialise. Aside from this, I found the day a really interesting one, and would definitely recommend to anyone who has the chance to go again next year! At least now I'll know a few friendly faces when I start UCL in September!

Agatha Christie's "Verdict"

On Thursday, I went to see Agatha Christie's play, Verdict, at the Yvonne Arnaud theatre in Guildford (@yvonnearnaud, if you want to follow them on twitter). Whilst a huge fan of Christie's fiction and one of her other, very well-known plays, The Mousetrap, I was unsure whether Verdict would live up to my expectations, especially in light of the fact that it was less of a "whodunnit" mystery, than an unravelling of events that occur following the murder itself. Without giving too much away, we are actually made aware of the murderer before the end of the first Act; we not only witness the deed being committed, but hear a bold confession afterwards, which leaves us in no doubt. For me, the acting, the setting and the dialogue was superb - indeed, if there's one thing Agatha Christie knows how to do, it's write good dialogue, and keep her audience in suspense! She certainly succeeded in both points. I have to say, even at the end, my boyfriend and I were discussing the different ways we interpreted the play, and I'm still unsure what to make of it! (For me, this is a good thing, as I like a play to make me think!!)



The stellar cast really helped bring this play to life, and I have to say, I was just a little bit excited that Matthew Lewis (aka Neville Longbottom in the HP films) was playing the role of Lester Cole. Elizabeth Power should also be commended for her fantastic portrayal of Mrs Roper, the tea-stealing housekeeper, who created light relief in such an intense play.




I would definitely recommend the play if you get chance to see it - for me, there really was no weak point in the production.

Whilst doing a teeny tiny bit of window shopping...

..I came across these bags, posters and magnets! This just confirms the MANY reasons why I want to become a librarian! (If only so I have the excuse to actually buy them!)







If you're interested, you can buy all these from www.cafepress.co.uk. It's an amazing website :-)

One of the reasons I love the London Library...

For me, these pictures encapsulate the London Library's quintessential "Englishness" :-)

Trip to Imperial College Library

Imperial College London Library

On 24th May 2011, the London Library graduate trainees, accompanied by Gill, made their way to Imperial College Library on South Kensington Campus (http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/library/usethelibrary/central) for what was to turn out to be an extremely informative visit. As a newly separate University library which is essentially spread across six campuses throughout London, its structure was certainly very different to that of the London Library. Whilst our visit was only based in what is known as the “Central Library,” it would have been hard for anyone to not be impressed by the size, available work-space for students and technological resources on offer. With over five floors, broken down into computer rooms, projector rooms, “group study” “silent study” and “quiet study” areas, the library offers a workspace for everyone. As a fairly recent graduate myself, it was also interesting to see how Imperial College Library functioned and responded to student demand, particularly in light of recent government plans to increase student tuition fees to up to £9,000 per year, of which Imperial has decided to charge the full amount.

After proceeding through electronic gates (which students, staff and even alumni must swipe their ID card through in order to enter – a useful way, I was told, of monitoring statistical usage, demographic data, and busy study periods), we were greeted by two self-service circulation machines, and an enormous plasma TV screen informing us of the number of seats available in each of the different computer suites. It was explained to us that whilst the self-service machines certainly help reduce the sheer volume of books coming in and out of the library, as always, there are disadvantages to relying on technology. As there is no separate “book drop” for books which have been requested by other students, staff frequently have to duplicate the discharge of all items scanned through this system to not only double-check they have been returned properly, but also to catch any books that have slipped through the virtual net. The Reader Services staff (a small team of thirteen full-time and five part-time workers), also have to sort the books onto their respective trolleys, and re-shelve them. Thankfully, the library’s initiative to switch to Dewey (as opposed to UDC) has made locating and replacing books a lot easier – both for staff and students.

What struck me upon entering the building, however, was a sense that the library wanted to be perceived as a nice, friendly and most of all, welcoming place to work. Indeed, the atmosphere was not only geared towards a new generation of students, with its emphasis on all things digital, but the use of bright colour and artwork really helped to reinforce this impression. Ignoring my ever-so-slight pangs of jealousy when remembering my old (or, as I’d like to think of it, endearing) University library, I was even more impressed by the late opening hours of Imperial library, which, from October to July, is open 24 hours, six days a week, with the summer period (following exams) offering reduced hours of 8.30am – 8pm.

As a recent graduate, I remember only too well the daunting experience of having to use the library for the first time, desperately struggling to find my way around the collections and being too embarrassed to ask for help. Imperial had an excellent solution to this problem, however. During the first couple of months of the Autumn term, they hold “treasure hunts” for their users – which consist of a long list of questions which encourage individuals to use their initiative to find out the answers. Questions like, ‘How much does it cost to print an A4 page?’ and ‘Whereabouts in the library can you locate the statue of Einstein?’ (yes, really!), are designed to test students in a fun and interactive way. The incentive to take part is fuelled by the offer of a prize if you complete the “hunt” – what this prize was, I do not know, but I know one thing for sure - Imperial College clearly understand their target audience!

In terms of library stock, Imperial possesses a wealth of material (and not just printed, for that matter, but also electronic resources and ebooks as well). Whilst there is not an awful lot of rare material on the open shelves (any requests for such are passed onto the on-site Archivist or to the Science Museum, which has a whole floor dedicated to its library and archive collections), it seems that most of the students require more up-to-date material for their degree courses. Aside from standard book loans, the library also has a “Core Text” room, which offers a copy of every book listed on an academic reading list for an overnight loan period only, a feature I thought was particularly impressive, as it ensured that no one user could hold onto the books for any given length of time. The amount of workspace available is also very impressive. There is ample provision for students who wish to bring in their own laptops (these must first be registered with I.T so that usage can be monitored), and there were hundreds of computer terminals for students to use on-site. In light of the University tuition fees, I think we all felt that Imperial College Library certainly measured up and provided for its students.

The way Imperial College library deals with requests for books contrasted quite dramatically with the London Library’s, however, in that they will not allow users to request material that is actually available on the shelves in the library – indeed, items can only be retrieved if a copy has to be shipped from another of Imperial’s libraries, or is already out on loan. With students as their primary target audience, Imperial also has a strict policy when it comes to damaged, missing or lost books. Whilst the London Library is relatively relaxed when it comes to imposing fines, it was explained to us that the most effective way of dealing with unresolved disputes was to actually block a library user’s account (a punishment worse than death for some students, who already have far too many essays to write and not enough time!)

As recent briefings regarding London Library etiquette have highlighted, there is an increasing need in libraries to prevent members from taking food and drink onto the premises. Whilst the London Library offers a “Members Room” for this purpose, Imperial College has realised that, being open 24 hours a day, a different sort of compromise had to be made. Following the recent refurbishment, a distinctly separate (although adjoining) space in which students can eat, drink and socialise has been built, and has proven to be an extremely successful way of preventing food and drink entering the library.

In conclusion, our trip to Imperial College Library was an extremely interesting one, and I think we all learnt a lot from witnessing first-hand how a University Library deals with the needs and demands of its users on a daily basis. As an area of Librarianship in which I am interested in specialising, Imperial was an excellent example of a library which has considered its priorities, and restructured and refurbished in order to bring themselves into the twenty-first century.

Visit to the Guildhall Library

On Tuesday 8^th March, a small group of us were given the opportunity to visit the Guildhall Library to see for ourselves not only what it is like to work in a different library environment, but also how a reference library, where only a small percentage of stock is available on the open shelves, works and functions in terms of providing material to the general public.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted by Andrew Harper, who had kindly agreed to give us a tour that day. Andrew had prepared a short talk about the history of the Guildhall to situate the library in its context. Based in the City, the historic “heart” of the capital, and founded in the 1420s under the terms of the will of Richard (otherwise known as Dick) Whittington, the Guildhall could not be better situated in light of its specialisation in all subjects relevant to the history of London. Whilst this is the library’s main focus, it does hold, however, other special collections including business history, trade directories, law reports, British Parliamentary Papers and statutes, Lloyd’s marine collection, and books by John Wilkes, Samuel Pepys, Sir Thomas Moore and Charles Lamb.

Despite the loss of material during the Second World War (25,000 books were lost in a fire, and even more books - which were transported to the Old Bailey vaults for safety - were lost when the Old Bailey was subsequently bombed), the Guildhall boasts an impressive 189,000 books, 1170 cubic metres of archives, 147,000 graphic items and 15,000 microfiches. These figures do not even include the library’s extensive maps, historic pictures, archives and manuscripts collections, which have now moved to the London Metropolitan Archives in Clerkenwell. The Guildhall library, much like the London Library, has its own unique “London classification” system, although Dewey is used in some areas.

As a reference library, it was particularly interesting to see how the day-to-day work compared with life at the London Library. Only 7 in total, the Guildhall library staff have to effectively deal with on-the-spot requests for material which is all kept in closed-access shelves in the basement. Members write down on a sheet of paper their requests and this is sent down via a book lift to members of staff in the basement, who retrieve the required material before sending it back up to ground floor level. As a public library, Andrew also explained that there is a need to enforce a time-limit on how long staff spend dealing with enquiries; 10-15 minutes research is spent on any enquiry the Guildhall receive, however if it requires a more detailed search, they offer a fee-based service to cover the costs of the time involved. Rare material is consulted on desks closest to the staff enquiries desk, although it was nice to see there were plenty of other work spaces for readers to do their research - both printed and electronic.

One point Andrew did raise, however, which I had not really considered before was the disadvantages of being based in the City, as most of the library’s users are not local, and have to travel in especially to use the library’s facilities. As a reference library in particular, the Guildhall’s target audience are primarily researchers, historians and genealogists, as opposed to casual members who wish to use the library just to peruse the latest novel or crime thriller. In light of this, one can fully comprehend the library’s need to raise its profile, especially during these difficult times. Andrew therefore discussed with us the importance of social media, as well as the library’s efforts to host talks, workshops and school activities in order to raise awareness of the vast and rich resources this “hidden gem” has to offer.

All in all, our afternoon at the Guildhall library was an extremely interesting and informative one, and it was nice to come away from the visit knowing that little bit more about what it might be like to work in a public reference library, should we wish to work in one in the future.