Monday 31 October 2011

Moving into Management Training

I attended a training course this morning for people who are moving into team leader or management roles. The trainer talked about a variety of things, from leader/manager styles and derailing behaviours of first-time managers to Competing Values Framework. Participants were given the opportunity to develop a transition plan. What I appreciated most was the time to consider my strengths and weaknesses. I enjoy working with people and helping others to develop in their careers. I hate having to tell people when their performance needs improvement. I like being liked, and find it uncomfortable when I am in a situation where people are not going to like what it is I have to say. The term "difficult conversations" came up more than once over the course of the morning. I have been to several courses now that deal with learning and communication styles. Many of them use different terminology, but basically place you in one of four quadrants. I usually score highly in the people and detail quadrants, and not so highly in the innovation and driver quadrants. My problem-solving and decision-making skills are the areas I need to develop.

Monday 24 October 2011

Thing 23 - Reflection - What next?

A bit late, but finally I have reached Thing 23. Not quite Everest, but a conquest none-the-less. CPD23 encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone and try some new technologies that I have placed on the back-burner for a while. There are a few others that I have committed to trying over summer, as identified in Thing 19 (10 October 2011). There were other things that I knew about, but had let slide, such as becoming more involved in LIANZA and NZLLA. It was good to be reminded to put aside time to reflect on and be more proactive about, my own professional development.

So, what next? I don't envisage any major role changes for myself over the next 2-3 years. While I am studying, it is good to be in a position that not only encourages, but enables me to do so. I don't want to take on extra responsibility that would interfere with my study programme. However, I now realise that there are things that I can do, without over-burdening myself, that will prepare me for the next step when I am ready to take it. I think getting a mentor is probably at the top of that list, as the first thing I need to work out, is where I actually want to go next. Until I do that, it will be impossible to identify any gaps. I need to be more proactive about seeking out and pursuing professional development opportunities that fit within the scope of my current job and that benefit me and my employer simultaneously.

Monday 17 October 2011

Thing 22 - Volunteering to get experience

The only time I have volunteered for more than a few hours in a professional capacity was prior to gaining library experience. I wanted to start work as a HIPPY tutor (Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters). This is a programme aimed at raising the skills of preschoolers from lower socio-economic areas, so that they are as ready to start school as their more advantaged peers. Tutors teach parents how to work with their child on a daily basis, teaching basic skills such as listening to a story, recognising colours and shapes and working with pencils and crayons. Each centre had to find funding to cover the cost of the programme, including the tutors' wages. As a low-income family, the irregular payment schedule of a HIPPY tutor was problematic, as it interferred with payment of the accommodation supplement we were entitled to. I decided it would be easier to work for nothing (which helped to alleviate some of the funding that required raising by the HIPPY coordinator), than to jump through the hoops put up by Work and Income each week. I worked for nothing (about a year) until my husband landed a better paid job and we no longer required the accommodation supplement. I continued working as a paid HIPPY tutor for about another nine months, before I embarked got my first job in a library.

In the situation I was in, and the position I was volunteering, I do not think I was devaluing the position. However, given the current global economic environment and the treatment that some public libraries are currently undergoing, I can see that allowing people to work in libraries as volunteers provides a temptation for the powers that be to consider why qualified librarians are required at all, and why they should be paid. Few people outside the profession understand what it is that librarians do. I belong to a book circle. We would be considered a fairly typical book circle for Auckland, being white, middle-class, middle-aged women and all fairly well-educated. The question of qualifications came up, with members of my group asking why I needed a masters to work in a library, as they assumed that a librarian is someone who issues and shelves books all day. I explained that (and I speak from a NZ perspective here) a librarian is the equivalent of a manager, and, unless they worked in a very small library, they would probably have very little contact with the books or the patrons of the library. Library assistants are usually the staff responsible for manning the loans desk and shelving books. They asked me what my typical day was like. When I explained my job to them, they were surprised. I think we need to become better advocates for what it is we do, the service we provide to the greater scheme of society and why we deserved to be paid just as much as any other profession.

Looking back, this probably doesn't really address Thing 22 very much, but it is something that I think is relevant at the moment. I guess if I look at the question posed, then I do think we are in danger of devaluing our profession by working for free. It is a two-edged sword - we believe in libraries and the service they provide and want to see the job done, as well as gaining experience ourselves. When I worked as a HIPPY tutor for nothing, there were benefits to me, my employer and the programme. Perhaps we need to make those in control of the budgets more aware of the type of tasks in libraries that could be done for nothing and the type that require qualified, professional people.

Wednesday 12 October 2011

Thing 21 - Job Applications and Interviews

Yesterday, I was analysing results of a survey conducted to find out what people want to do for the Library Christmas Party this year. I became quite engrossed, nearly forgot an appointment, and actually forgot to eat, which is a very rare occurrence! At the end of the process, I realised that this is something that I enjoy. I have worked on two research projects, and, although there are the low points along the way - especially as the deadline gets closer - I do enjoy the process as a whole. I enjoy the writing process and presenting at conference where possible, so teaching is also on the list. My attention to detail is one of my strengths. I think I have pretty good communication skills as well. I do enjoy interacting with people, so a bit of a strange mix of people skills and analytical skills - which does coincide with communication style tests that I have done. I must say that I find qualitative research more satisfying than quantitative, so I guess that would be where the people skills will be beneficial. There is another research project on the horizon (other than the great Christmas party survey), the finer details of which need to be worked out, but which will be looking at how legal research is taught in New Zealand and at leading Universities around the world, and whether a high quality legal research programme has any baring on employment opportunities for graduates. The fact that I can't wait to get started on this (although I must, as I need to get through a lot of red tape before beginning) tends to suggest that this I have found something that suits my skill suit and personality type.

We are able to use Research Outputs as a way of keeping track of entries for our revalidation journals. Once the information is in the system, it can be output as a CV as well. We are having some training in that next week. Once that has happened, I will input the rambling above into Research Outputs a more succinct, coherent and professional manner.

Monday 10 October 2011

Thing 20 - The Library Routes Project

I have added my entry to the Library Routes Project. Reading through some of the other librarians linked there is very interesting. It looks as though I have taken a fairly typical route for other mothers out there - university degree, children, part-time library work, light-bulb moment, post-grad library qualification, full-time librarian. Advice for new librarians - never stop learning; take advantage of any opportunities, new ideas and technologies that come along; read about your new profession, especially if you want to specialise in a particular area, find a mentor and listen carefully to those people who show an interest in you and your career.

Thing 19 - Integrating things

The CPD23 process has been very worth while. I have tried a few new things, of which GoogleDocs has proved to be the most beneficial. We are trialling GoogleDocs as a recepticle for our more complex research queries, so that we can capture the group knowledge of the team. I have also revisited some things I have used before, but which have not worked for me in the past, such as Twitter - which I still don't get - and LinkedIn. My LinkedIn network is building, but I have to admit that it has not been very useful to date, except I have meet up with an old friend for lunch. I also have a "to do" list, which I will work in over the summer vacation, when it is quieter and I will have more time to work on professional development. The list includes working on my online presence (still have to update the photo), finding a mentor, and comparing at Jing and Prezi to the tools that we are currently using.

Thing 17 & 18

These tools in these Things are exactly the sort of thing our team have been looking to investigate, as the PowerPoint slides we currently use are becoming unwiedly. One of my colleagues is using CourseBuilder. After reading the blurp on Prezi, it looks as though it would be a good alternative. We currently use SnagIt and BBFlashback for screen capture and narrated video. I will do a comparison to see what advantages Jing has over these tools. Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to play with them as yet, so will blog about it when I have had a chance to trial them.

Wednesday 5 October 2011

Thing 16 - Advocacy

This isn't an area I have been involved in as yet at a general level. I have been involved in presenting proposals in order to prevent services from being dropped or to justify funding for future services in two of the libraries I have worked at. Gathering facts and figures and ensuring these are presented in a professional manner is of key importance. The benefits of working in a team when one's back is against the wall cannot be understated. Each team member can work to their strengths and it is unusual that everyone in the team feels down at the same time. This means that team members are able to spur each other along when the going gets tough.

Thing 15 - Seminars and Conferences

I have been very fortunate in being able to attend several LIANZA and SLANZA Conferences, as well as various other similar events over the years. The highlight of my conference experience so far was the IFLA, Libraries for the Blind Pre-Conference 2007, held in Grahamstown, South Africa. I presented a paper on a pilot study conducted by the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind. What an amazing experience. I met people from all over the world and learned a lot about the hardships faced by people in Africa who are blind or have low vision.

What works when presenting at a conference is knowing your material well and being organised. The first time I presented, the speaker before me went over-time and I was asked to cut my presentation short. Being familiar with the material meant I knew precisely what sections I could  I could gloss over and how much time it was likely to cut out. It also helps with fluency. This is something I have become better at over the years. I know my first few presentations were very robotic and stilted. Technology is a mixed blessing when presenting. I like using PowerPoint slides, because it helps me to focus my thoughts. Hopefully, it also  means that people are looking at the presentation rather than at me! Being able to get into the room ahead of time for a chance to check the equipment is great. If this is not an option, ensuring you know what equipment is available is vital. Preparing for technology failure is also important. Have handouts available and ensure you are able to present without slides if necessary.

Monday 19 September 2011

Thing 14 - Citation Tools

I did not use a citation tool for either of the two research projects I have worked on, so am familiar with the laborious task of creating references manually then cutting and pasting them into documents and finally creating a bibliography. I had to use different referencing styles for each of the projects, which created another learning opportunity. If nothing else, this process provided me with a familiarisation with those style guides that I believe is essential before using citation tools.

I now have yet another citation style that I have had to become familiar with - the New Zealand Law Style Guide (NZLSG) - through marking footnotes and bibliographies for Year 3 and post-graduate law students. As part of my professional development, I have had to use EndNote to reference two assessments for my legal studies. The NZLSG  is a relatively new style (January 2010). It is hoped this will be adopted throughout the legal profession at all levels in New Zealand. I found when using it, that my knowledge of the style guide was invaluable. There are a couple of types of resources that are not covered within EndNote, so it is important to know the style well. I would not recommend EndNote for law undergraduates, as the number of references required at this level does not justify the work required of inputing the data - it is just as easy to create them manually and cut and paste as required. Manually creating references also gives students an opportunity to practice using the NZLSG. However, I would strongly recommend it to honours and post-graduate students. The NZLSG committee has called for submissions, and the Davis Team has made a submission seeking clarification in places and making suggestions for inclusions in the next edition.

I have not looked at the citation tools highlighted in Thing 14, as it is unlikely that they will have the NZLSG as a style. In addition to this, the University of Auckland currently supports EndNote and is piloting RefWorks. I need to brush up on my RefWorks skills. I know that Victoria University of Wellington are doing some work with Zotero, but until there is some headway there and unless the University of Auckland decide to support Zotero, I will stay with EndNote and RefWorks.

Thing 13 - Google Docs, Wikis and Dropbox

I am feeling rather chuffed with myself for managing to combine two different professional development experiences. While at the NZLLA Symposium in Wellington, my attention was caught by the PricewaterhouseCoopers librarians, who have developed a rather elaborate database for capturing requests. We don't need anything as clever as that in the Davis for a number of reasons (we don't have to work out time spent on requests for billing students, for starters), but I felt we needed to find a way of storing request outcomes for later use. This would have been paricularly useful when I was new at the Davis. When I saw Thing 13, I was hopeful that I had found a solution. I accessed Google Docs through my Google account and loaded the first couple of requests in there. The rest of the team have shared access. We will review this in a little while to consider whether we should open a Google account using the Davis generic e-mail address. But even if the team decides not to continue with it, I will save requests and other usesful information there as a way of preventing duplication of time and effort.

Since coming back from the Symposium, I have also requested access to the NZLLA wiki. I haven't had time as yet, to thoroughly investigate this, but members of the NZLLA committee gave a comprehensive demonstration at the Symposium, along with some excellent training notes. I am hopeful that later this week I will get time to have a look through this.

The concerns I have with tools such as these, where information is loaded online somewhere (the cloud?), are regarding security and ownership. How secure is the information? Who owns it? When something is deleted, is it gone forever? What happens if the system crashes? What happens if some evil dictator with plans to rule the world buys the company? There are many questions that need to be answered before important and confidentail information is kept online.

But right now, I'm happy that our requests have found a place to live.

Monday 5 September 2011

Thing 12 - Social Media

In my personal life, I have found social media - mainly Facebook - to be of some benefit of keeping in touch with people I already know. For example, I have a cousin in Whitianga, and the main way we keep in touch is through Facebook. I have also reconnected with people I have lost touch with over the years. However, it has not enhanced my circle of friends. I see the same sort of pattern recurring with the different mediums I have tried through cpd23. I am following the blogs of fellow NZ librarians, and some overseas law and academic librarians. However, I can't say that I feel a sense of community through that at this stage. That may be due to my own fault in not keeping up with the play and only working on Thing 12 now, while everyone else is on Thing 18. I'm not sure whether this blog will exist beyond cpd23. My intention is to continue to use it to blog about my pd experiences, but time will tell how that pans out. Writing my own log still feels a little awkward and ego-centric at this point, and I 'm not sure why anyone would want to read about my pd experiences - although I am happy enough reading what everyone else is up to. I think it's that old kiwi trait coming to the fore.

I thought the NZLLA Symposium would provide some opportunity for increasing my social media circles, but so far have only made one new connection through LinkedIn as a direct result of the symposium. I did exchange business cards with some people, so will look for them on the various networks I am signed up to. I will continue to use LinkedIn after the programme has finished.

I still don't really get Twitter. Maybe if/when I get a smart phone or other such device, I will discover why people are so enthusiastic about it.

It seems that the good, old list serve is the dominant force with many librarians in NZ. E-mail seems to be how most NZ librarians stay connected.

I am looking forward to the upcoming SLIS/NZLLA quiz night. It will be a great opportunity to meet up with some of the Law Librarians from Auckland who didn't make it to the symposium. It will be good to meet people in a purely social context as well, and not be worrying about getting back to the office.

Tuesday 30 August 2011

Thing 11 - Mentoring

I have been very fortunate in my library career in the people I have worked for. Jody, Mary and Mary-Rose have been great inspirations to me, and have all contributed in some material way to my career. Jody encouraged me to tackle the MLIS. Mary helped me by being a wonderful sounding board and editor extrodinaire for many assignments throughout the process. She was really encouraging when I told her about the Subject Librarian job at the Davis, at the same time as telling me how much she valued my experience and expertise. Mary-Rose has passed on so much about find legal resources. She also encouraged me to start a law degree. I haven't seen Jody for a while now, but I keep in touch regularly with both Mary and Mary-Rose. Mary-Rose has become a law lecturer with the competition, so I am currently looking for someone who can step in as a mentor in a more formal way.

I would also like to become a mentor, but feel I don't have quite the experience I need for that just yet. I take a keen interest in the studies that the Library Assistants at the Davis are participating in, and help wherever I can. I love learning, and I love helping other people to learn.

Thing 10

I started my library career in a high school library in South Auckland (a lower socio-economic area, for those outside of Auckland). Before that, I was juggling five part-time jobs with motherhood. Once my youngest started school, it was easier to be in one place all day. I have considered teaching on many occasions, and this provided a good opportunity to see both teaching and librarianship side-by-side. I really loved working in the library and decided that it would suit me better than teaching - besides, books don't answer back! That being the case, I found another library job that paid better, with fewer hours, which gave me the chance to study towards a Masters in Library and Information Studies (MLIS), as I already had a conjoint degree (BCom/BA). I worked as Senior Library Assistant (I still wonder who I was senior to, as there were only two staff, and I was at the bottom of that ladder) at the Homai Special Formats Library for three years.

Timing is everything, and my manager was promoted just as I finished the research project, which was the last component of my MLIS. I applied for her job, and got it. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. Being a small library, I really was involved in every aspect, from strategic management to day to day operations. I was not looking for another job, but saw the position of Subject Librarian, Law come up at the University of Auckland, Davis Law Library. This was my dream job and I decided to throw my hat in the ring.

Three years later, I am still a Law Subject Librarian and love it. One of the best parts about my job, is that there is a large teaching component, so I feel I have come full-circle. I am also studying part-time towards the LLB degree - so I am a staff member, current student and alumni of the University of Auckland, as this is where I completed my undergraduate work.

I became a registered member of LIANZA about a year after registration was introduced in New Zealand. Having to fill in a revalidation journal makes me think about my career and ensures that I am always developing. My three years is up in April next year. This is one of the reasons I signed up for cpd23, and I am glad that I have. It is providing opportunities to try tools that I might not otherwise make time for. I also think it is great that I am getting the opportunity for some of that self-reflection that is a vital part of the revalidation journal.

Thing 9

I like Evernote. I downloaded it yesterday, and have already used it to forward information from a website onto colleagues. (Completely unrelated to work, I will also use it for storing online recipes - my particular favourite is the Healthy Food Guide). It will be interesting to see in the long-run how useful this tool turns out to be, but it looks promising so far.

Wednesday 17 August 2011

CPD 23 - Thing 8

I am not going to sign up with Google Calendars. I have a system that works with me, although there is room for improvement. My colleagues and I use the calendar provided by Microsoft Outlook and share each others' calendars. We have also set up a calendar to manage the bookings of our training room. In addition to this, I use a paper diary and a notebook that contains my Master List. Until I have ready access to the Internet at home, I will have to keep the paper diary running. With two teen-aged daughters, getting onto the Internet at home is a challenge. We will have to get wireless connection next year when my oldest starts university. I will look at moving away from my paper diary at that point, but I must say that I do like the old paper and pencil version.

I enjoy reading time management books to see how I can improve on my skills. Sometimes, though, I get these books out and then don't find the time to read them - so something is not quite right there!

CPD23 - Thing 7

Social networking, being a bit of an extrovert, is something I tend to enjoy, within certain limits. I like having a buddy along, whom I can scuttle off to if things get awkward. I am a registerd member of LIANZA (Library and Information Association of Aotearoa New Zealand) and belong to NZLLA (New Zealand Law Librarians' Association). My membership with LIANZA does provide opportunities for networking, as well as professional development opportunities. Often the networking events are outside of work hours and due to study and family commitments, I find it difficult to get along. The LIANZA annual conference is a perfect opportunity for networking. I have attended several in the 10 years in which I have worked in libraries, and have presented papers on two occasions. Unfortunately, since I started working towards a law degree, I have not been able to attend the conference, because I am not able to take the time away from lectures.

I also belong to the Tertiary Libraries Special Interest Group. I joined this to keep in touch with other tertiary librarians, but have done nothing with it so far. Thing 7 has encouraged me to join the list-serv, so hopefully that will engage me more with the network. The last conference was 2010. I hope there will be a conference next year, as these coincide better with the academic breaks.

NZLLA have monthly meetings during lunch times that I am able to attend on a rotating basis with my colleagues. They provide fantastic professional development opportunities, such as how to find Maori Land Law cases. I am looking forward to the NZLLA Conference in Wellington next week and the multitude of professional development and networking activities that will provide.

The University of Auckland Library employs over one hundred professional librarians. As the Law Faculty is somewhat separated from the main campus, finding opportunities to network with other librarians on the campus can be a challenge. The Library provides opportunities for networking and professional development. One of the best ways I have found of networking was joining the organising committee for the Library staff Christmas party last year. We have a little core of four of us, and we have kept in touch throughout the year. We are starting to organise this year's party, and are looking for some more helpers. This isn't too onerous a job, and fits in nicely with my work schedule. If I can find similar opportunities in the other groups I have mentioned, I will sign up, as I have found it a beneficial way of getting to know more of my colleagues.

Wednesday 10 August 2011

Thing 6 - Online Networks

I signed up to LinkedIn in a hurry one day, in an attempt to locate the e-mail address of a former colleague, only to find I couldn't access that information. Thanks to cpd23, I have finally added a profile in my account, and have doubled my contacts over-night - I only had three, so that sounds a lot ore impressive than it really is. They are all people I was at University with, and have as friends on Facebook. No library people as yet, but I hope that after the New Zealand Law Librarians' Association (NZLLA) Symposium in two weeks time that I will have a few more contacts to add. I have decided that LinedIn is the only online network I am going to sign up to. I have difficulty in keeping up with what I have signed up to already, and at present, these tools are not contributing to my professional life in any real way - other than as a good way of recording my progress with cpd23. I realise that this will take time. If they become more beneficial further down the track, I can sign up to some of the others later.

My "What now" tasks are to add a more recent photo to all of my profiles and add to my LinkedIn profile in time for the NZLLA Symposium. I would also like to look at some more of the cpd23 blogs. I am hopeful that I will be able to see how effective and useful twitter can be at the Symposium, although I suspect it might be too small a setting to take full advantage.


Monday 8 August 2011

Thing 5 - Reflective Practice

With the New Zealand Law Librarians Association Symposium in Wellington fast approaching, this is the perfect time to be reviewing reflective practice. The Symposium should give me plenty of material for my revalidation journal. I got the text suggested out of the General Library, but it was recalled before I had time to have a really good look at it - had those two assignments to focus on at the time! I suspect that there must be another librarian around Uni of Akl doing the 23 things - must ask on Yammer. I think the bit about "application of what you've learnt" as one of the most difficult aspects of reflective practice is quite true. I also agree that time is a huge hindrance - hence why I'm behind on my 23 things. I hope to catch up though.

Monday 11 July 2011

Thing 4

I have been procrastinating over Thing 4. Like most things I procrastinate about, it wasn't so bad once I gave myself a push and got onto it. I first opened a Twitter account nearly 3 years ago while on a social media networking class. My first and only tweet was made at that time. I hope that I will be able to use Twitter more effectiely from now on. I signed up to follow a few likely looking candidates, mostly other academic or law librians. I am following theREALwikiman, as it looks as though he could be quite educatational and entertaining. I need to find some NZers to follow, I think, if this is going to become really useful.

Sunday 3 July 2011

Thing 3

I have Googled my own name as per Thing 3. There are five pages of results. Brebner is not a very common name, so most of the results actually relate to me. There is another Melanie Brebner in the US. My Facebook profile is at the top of the list. (I need to update that photo! I also need to organise a photo for this blog.) Most of the results refer to various conference presentations I have been involved with. There is also a link to the results of one of my earliest half-marathon attempts. There isn't anything there that I wouldn't want people from my professional circles knowing about. No surprises there - I lead a fairly quiet life!

As far as branding goes, organising a photo is a task that should take precedence. However, with two law assignments due before the end of the month, it might be later rather than sooner. I chose blue, because that is my favourite colour and I didn't feel that any of the other options were a reflection of me. I should explain "Four Foot Twelve". That's my height and also what my husband calls me. I call him, "Six Foot Two". I don't mind people knowing I'm short - they work it out pretty quickly once they meet me, anyway. I don't have a nick-name at work, except that most people call me Mel - despite the fact that I always introduce myself and sign my name as Melanie. It doesn't worry me; I like that people find me approachable enough to shorten my name without asking. I did wonder about listing my favourite book as the Bible in a professional blog. However, I made a commitment to myself (and God) last year, that I would not hide my Christianity, so decided to put my money where my mouth is. This year, I also made the commitment to read my way through the Bible in a year. I get up 20 minutes earlier every morning to do this - 5.20am. My night owl tendencies are finding it hard-going!

Sunday 26 June 2011

I visited the other NZers participating in cpd23 this morning and have followed most of them. I am going to reveal the true depth of my novice status now - I wasn't sure how to follow a couple of the blogs that didn't have the little "Follow" button there. It seemed that the only way was to add them as friends. Not sure why they are different from the others. Anyway, it's been interesting seeing what other NZ librarians are saying about cpd23 - I'm amazed there are only 10 to date. I looked at the academic bookmark as well, but with 241 listed there, that will have to wait for another day when I don't have much to do!

Tuesday 21 June 2011

cpd23

An interesting e-mail came through the list serve today that enticed me to set up a blog at last. While I have worked on our Library blog, this is the first time I have blogged on my own behalf. This is the first of 23 "Things" for professional development for librarians and information professionals. I thought taking part would provide some fresh fodder for my revalidation journal. It hope also to discover some new ways of doing things that we might be able to implement into our own library environment, which is an academic law library.