New Librarians: This is your time

Preview:

DESCRIPTION

A stripped down version of a presentation I gave to students in Latvia - it's a fantastic time to be shaping the profession of librarianship, so this slide-deck is about the world and the way it's changing, trends for the future, and how to make the most of being a librarian.

Citation preview

This is your Time! New librarians:…

Ned Potter

@theREALwikiman

Talk for the University of Latvia’s Information science students

April 2012

Has there ever

been a better

time to be a

librarian?

I am a networked librarian

physically I’m here

Harry Fairhurst Building, University of York Library

but I’m virtually everywhere…

I am stronger (and more useful) because I am connected

When this came out, the world’s population was less than half was it is now.

Now every day 350,000 babies are born - into an…

Information

economy

New technology has never been so focussed on access to and use of information

"The internet and technology have now progressed to their

infancy"

(In development terms, we think we’ve gone from here… to here) (When actually we’re still here…)

Take a look at http://www.worldometers.info

By the end of the day

There’ll have been nearly

4 billion searches

We used to be scared of Google, dismissive of it- then we accepted its value but said ‘but you still need libraries!’

But really we should be confident in our own value, and just tell people how we can help them use Google better.

Because we live in a world of

INFORMATION OVERLOAD

If we’re to generate more unique information this year

we

Than in the previous 5000 YEARS put together

000

Then now more than EVER

the world needs information

professionals to sort, assess,

collate and present information

For a lot of people, trying to get good information off the net is like trying to drink

from a waterfall

information professionals have never been so vital

TOO MUCH INFORMATION

is as bad as too little

Your job is to help people with either.

Librarians are no

longer the gatekeepers of information

The gates are wide open. Our job is to light the path for people once they’re through.

We used to be the information vault

NOW WE’VE BECOME THE LAUNCHPAD

Current And

Future Trends

We are no longer defined or limited by our library buildings

The embedded librarian.

(Independent, roving, or just online.)

People want to choose their own tools – libraries will position themselves within the technological landscape

MOBILEMOBILEMOBILE

Programmes not collections, services not content

It used to be just about information, now it’s about leverage: turning information into knowledge

Most of all, though, we will be the guide

Most of all, though, we will be the guide

(We don’t own the mountains; we just take people where they need to go because we’re experts in the terrain of the information landscape.)

And we still have, you know, books, too.

We’re changing to suit people.

But it isn’t easy – it’s hard to attract new demographics whilst retaining the old ones.

In 2010 a UK survey asked

What would most encourage you to visit the library more?

In 2010 a UK survey asked

What would most encourage you to visit the library more?

The winner, with 32%

In 2010 a UK survey asked

What would most encourage not you to visit the library more?

In 2010 a UK survey asked

What would most encourage not you to visit the library more?

The winner, with 23%

So this is your

time – how do you

get the most out

of it?

MODERN LIBRARIANSHIP IS AWESOMEAlmost whatever you like to do, you can tie this in with librarianship.

Helping people, inspiring people, design, social media, writing, community, speaking, research, –and anything else you can think of.

Pursue your passion via the information profession.

LIBRARIANSHIP IS ALL ABOUT PEOPLE“...people, people, people, you wouldn’t believe the amount of interviewees who sit before me talking about books and procedures who never mention people, interaction or users/patrons once. Its a big giveaway to me that they don’t understand what librarianship is about and aren’t right for the profession.” – Andy Priestner, University of Cambridge

IT IS ALL ABOUT TECHNOLOGY“Libraries should wake up to technology” – David Cameron

Guess what Dave, WE ALREADY DID.

THE COMPETITION IS TOUGHMore people qualify in librarianship each year than retire.

YOU NEED TO BE READY TO FIGHT“There is no such thing as abstaining from library advocacy. You are either doing it, or ur doin it wrong.”Me

YOU HAVE TO BE OKAY WITH CHANGE“The mission is static. The implementation is dynamic.” – Andy Woodworth

“All bets are OFF.” – Phil Bradley

YOU NEED TO NETWORK“It’s not about exploiting who you know, or shameless self-promotion, or accumulating and dispensing as many business cards as possible. It’s about sharing advice and support. And that support can be as small an act as smiling and listening intently to a nervous speaker. Or leaving a comment on a blog post.” – Adrienne Cooper

THERE ISN’T A CAREER LADDERIt’s more like a climbing wall.

JOIN A PROFESSIONAL BODYIf you join LLA, SLA-Europe, IFLA, the ALA or any other library association, you’ll be plugged in to the profession.

YOU NEED TO GET ON TWITTERTwitter is the one social network to rule them all – because it carries links to the best content on all the rest of them. All the arguments you’ve ever heard against Twitter can be rebuffed with the phrase: “It’s a conversation.”

(More on this here.)

START A BLOGYour blog is your platform, your outlet, your chance to document your views for the world to discover. Amazing things can come from having a blog!

Essential Resources

Twitter

•Simon Barron’s list of Librarians using Twitter (well): http://twitter.com/SimonXIX/library-and-info-pros •New to Twitter? Here’s what you do: http://thewikiman.org/blog/?p=979

LLA

www.lbbjss.wordpress.com .

New Professionals chapter (follow its chair, @daceudre, on Twitter for more)

SLA-Europe

http://www.sla-europe.org/tag/first-five-years/ SLA’s First Five Years resources

IFLA

http://www.ifla.org/new-professionalsIFLA’s New Professionals Special Interest Group

ALA

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/committees/rts/nmrt/index.cfmALA’s New Members Round Table

So many blogs…

Try these for some New Professional stuff:•http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/•http://www.bohyunkim.net/blog/ •http://thewikiman.org•http://librarianbyday.net/

•http://bethaninfoprof.wordpress.com •http://woodsiegirl.wordpress.com/ •http://www.beyondthejob.org/•http://hacklibschool.wordpress.com/

LIBRARY ROUTES PROJECT

Over 150 information professionals from around the world have documented their career paths at

www.libraryroutesproject.wikkii.com

LIBRARY DAY IN THE LIFE

Follow thousands of librarians to see what they really get up to in an average day in the life of a 21st century info pro, at

http://librarydayinthelife.pbworks.com

LISNPN

A dedicated global network for New Professionals, with forums, downloadable resources, competitions, and face-to-face meetups:

www.lisnpn.spruz.com

ONE LAST

Piece of advice

ANYTHING!There are so many tools freely available, the filter between idea and reality is almost non-existent. As soon as you think of something good, make it happen.

DO SOMETHING.

LISTENING.

THANK YOU FOR

ALL ICONS VIA

WWW.THEWIKIMAN.ORG

@theREALwikiman

PRESENTATION BY NED POTTER. FOR MORE IDEAS ABOUT INFORMATION, GO TO

Continue the conversation on Twitter:

Timepiece: http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/101610 LP: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dr_television/418198748/sizes/o/in/photostream/ Baby: http://www.flickr.com/photos/seafrost/515393926/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Computer: http://www.flickr.com/photos/61444548@N00/118999076 Highway: http://www.flickr.com/photos/91351004@N00/452412873 Web 2 icons: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zipckr/3925513417/sizes/l/in/photostream/ NY times building: http://www.flickr.com/photos/scallop_holden/2330962137/sizes/z/in/photostream/ 18th century pic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30432726@N05/2860104097/sizes/z/in/photostream/ 5: http://www.flickr.com/photos/simax/3390895249/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Waterfall: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joiseyshowaa/3646698276/sizes/o/in/photostream/ Broken shelves: http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_mistress/1248479255/sizes/o/in/photostream/ Empty shelves: http://www.flickr.com/photos/create_up/1478123817/sizes/o/in/photostream/ Help: http://www.flickr.com/photos/81398303@N00/1878956841 Compass: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7542997@N03/2473782602/sizes/z/in/photostream/ Lock: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mamchenkov/300476203/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Path: http://www.flickr.com/photos/schmollmolch/4242099982/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Vault: http://www.flickr.com/photos/anonymouscollective/2291896028/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Rocket: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathancohen/3997542246/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Globe: http://www.flickr.com/photos/97177054@N00/5051447015 Seatle Library: http://www.flickr.com/photos/75905404@N00/371038175Computer hands: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43698630@N00/839984821Latop: http://www.flickr.com/photos/37182073@N06/4441387125 Google: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31991771@N00/2856173673 Google in a box: http://www.flickr.com/photos/16429872@N04/4670747540/sizes/m/in/photostream/Coffee: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30928442@N08/3668169284 Vancouver: http://www.flickr.com/photos/selva/90046278/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Spain: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30982194@N05/4147356245 Berlin: http://www.flickr.com/photos/67499195@N00/4119691598 Seattle: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vs/29582361/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Stockholm: http://www.flickr.com/photos/94852245@N00/530293086 Vancouver interior: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ecstaticist/3458914518/sizes/o/in/photostream/

All photographs are via creative commons

ALL ICONS VIAIcons via www.iconfinder.com

TEXTURES ADAPTED FROM CC IMAGES BY ERVIN BARTIShttp://www.flickr.com/photos/bartiservin/ THIS PRESENTATION IS

AVAILABLE UNDER CC ATTRIBUTION LICENCE

Recommended