The spirit of BOBCATSSS 2012

What an amazing  BOBCATSSS 2012 conference! The organizing teams from Amsterdam, Groningen, and Stuttgart worked very professionally and turned this anniversary edition into one of the best that we had so far! Also, the beautiful city of Amsterdam set a marvelous scene for the gathering of over 400 New Professionals from all over the world.

NPSIG had the pleasure to welcome some of these bright people to its workshop “The Spirit of New Professionals – How to boost your early career through international involvement“. This time, our group was represented by NPSIG activists Chiara, Dace, Dierk, Sanita, and Sebastian.

To get started, we introduced the audience to the work of NPSIG, its open infrastructure that makes participation quite easy, and its position within a huge international association like IFLA. We also presented the various online and on-site activities of the group and highlighted the benefits of getting involved internationally…

Aim of the workshop

workshop introduction video

presentation slides

One of the main goals of the workshop was to make the participants think about their role and position in the LIS field as New Professionals.  For this purpose, we divided the audience into six groups and asked them to identify and discuss:

• the Top 5 of unique strengths of New Professionals,
• a list of possible weaknesses of New Professionals,
• the Top 5 of the most important areas in LIS that New Professionals need to be good at.

group work

After 45 minutes of intense brainstorming and discussions, every group had successfully accomplished the task and came up with a creative visualization of  their findings which they boldly presented to their peers.

Results of the workshop

Hands on with group 1

group 1 presentation video

results group 1

The strong tree of group 2

 group 2 presentation video

results group 2

Star Trekking with group 3

 group 3 presentation video

results group 3

The world is round with group 4

 group 4 presentation video

results group 4

Cycling for New Professionals with group 5

 group 5 presentation video

results group 5

A cloudy day for group 6

 group 6 presentation video

results group 6

Synopsis

Based on the raw data we condensed some interesting overall insights and surprising revelations. First of all, here is an overview on the strenghts, weaknesses, and LIS areas that appeared most often in all six groups.

unique strengths:

• up-to-date knowledge (5x)
• enthusiasm (5x)
• flexibility (4x)
• openness (3x)
• understanding user perspectives / people skill / user centered (3x)

weaknesses:

• lack of experience (5x)
• lack of trust / courage (3x)
• arrogance (2x)

Side note: One of the groups identified a lack of financing, time, and influence as three weaknesses of New Professionals. Depending on each other, these factors indeed constitute ongoing serious issues for lots of people in their early careers. For NPSIG one answer to this challenge lies in video coverage, online conferences and webinars. On the other hand, you cannot retain the major benefits of conferences, namely networking and face-to-face interaction, when going online. For this reason, it is as important to lobby for the needs of New Professionals and to support all efforts and existing initiatives that help enable access to conferences as early in your career and easy as possible!

important areas in LIS:

• networking / collaboration (6x)
• technology / ICT (5x)
• marketing / PR (4x)
• dealing with users / psychology (4x)
• information literacy (3x)
• management (3x)
• innovation (3x)

Three observations:

• The vast majority of categories does not belong to a discipline-specific knowledge. Instead, they rather highlight generic capabilities such as management, marketing, collaboration etc. What is the reason for this choice of the workshop participants? Partly, you could refer to the huge pressure on libraries due to the economic crisis. Faced with budget cuts and huge financial pressure, the well-being of your library depends on efficient management of the resources, creative marketing campaigns, collaboration with other institutions etc. The fact that our group of New Professionals came up with these kinds of categories, might also be prove for their educational background. In recent years, concepts of marketing, management etc. play a more and more important role in the coursework of many BA / MA programs in LIS. So it would only feel reasonable for students and new graduates to handle these areas as important parts of LIS.
• It also appeared a lot of the fields above are so broad that we cannot put them under one definite area. When talking about promotion, for example, is it about highlighting the library services in particular or the library profession as a whole? In a multinational group like our workshop participants, everyone has slightly different views here, shaped by his or her educational and cultural background.
• A surprise might be that social media was mentioned just two times, digital services even only once. Does this mean these two fields play no significant role in the eyes of the workshop participants? Probably it only shows the very opposite: Digital services and even more social media constitute an integral part of lots of New Professionals in their professional and private life. Therefore, there might be a tendency of taking them for granted. Btw: Of course, one could also argue that technology / ICT as second winning category very well includes social media and digital services.

General observations

Taking a step back, here are some general observations across the three categories that caught our attention:

• All groups decided to go for a visualization of their findings. Especially the tree (group 2) and the bicycle (group 5) very nicely show the close intertwining and dependence between the strengths, weaknesses, and the important LIS areas. The tree needs strong roots (LIS areas) to grow and to bloom (unique strengths). The bycicle only runs with two wheels – you don’t only have to know your strengths but also be aware of your weaknesses to keep moving (succeeding) and avoid the risk of falling.
• Strengths and weaknesses are not mutually exclusive. In fact, most of them have an ambivalent nature. Some groups found that “courage” was a specific strength of New Professionals, whereas others listed “lack of courage” or “being afraid of proposing your ideas” as one weakness. The same goes with “multitasking” versus “information overload” / “distraction from…”. We also overheard discussions of groups which had hard times to decide whether a lack of experience and being idealistic rather belong to strengths or weaknesses of New Professionals.
• The two winning categories for strengths and weaknesses are mutually dependent somehow: As a New Professional you are probably lacking experience in the field. On the other hand, your rich up-to-date knowledge makes you very valuable for the working force.

Of course, the above group findings cannot simply be generalized. However, they represent a very interesting snapshot of perceptions and experiences of a multinational group of new librarians in early 2012. Moreover, a lot of the findings of the workshop participants do impressively fit with outcomes of similar events we organized in recent years (see the results at Bobcatsss 2010 and 2011, for example)!

The Future

Finally, you are all invited to share your individual views on this topic! Based on your experience, do you agree or disagree with some of the statements above? Is there something to add to the list of strengths, weaknesses, and important LIS areas? What do you think about the workshop concept? We are looking forward to hearing from you and to going on with the discussion!

workshop participants

Big thanks to all workshop participants for your lively discussions and creative group works! We hope to see a lot of you again next year in Turkey! And before that, let’s all take a beautiful ride through the Baltic States and do some nice camping in Finland!

Registration now open for “New Librarians Global Connection: best practices, models and recommendations”

“New Librarians Global Connection: best practices, models and recommendations“ is a new series of free quarterly webinars on issues of interest to new librarians, models of library associations and library schools working with new professionals, and groups by and for librarians. The free webinars are presented by IFLA Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning  and IFLA New Professionals Special Interest Group in partnership with the American Library Association.

Below, the date and time of the first webinar. Save the date!

January 17, 2012

2:00 p.m. CST
3:00 p.m. EST
9:00 p.m. CET (21:00 Central European Time)
7:00 a.m. EDT (next day)
World Clock

Registration:  https://ala.ilinc.com/register/cjfbvxz

Speakers:

Dr. Alex Byrne, New South Wales State Librarian and Chief Executive of the State Library NSW in Australia. IFLA President 2005-2007. Highlighting the topics: LIS school curriculum, gained skills and degrees vs. “the reality” at work. Bridging the gap between theory and practice. How to deal with generational differences at work?

Janice Lachance, J.D., CEO of the Special Libraries Association. Featuring a model of a library association’s work with new professionals in various regions of the globe.

JP Porcaro, Head of Library Acquisitions and Technological Discovery at New Jersey City University. Co-founder of ALA Think Tank, and originator of the Make It Happen philosophy for librarians. Featuring a group by and for librarians.

Future webinars

Come back to this page and stay tuned for announcements of future webinars. Speakers featured in upcoming webinars include:

Kay Raseroka, IFLA President 2003-2005
Maureen Sullivan, ALA President Elect
Barbara Ford, Director, Mortenson Center for International Library Programs, ALA President 1997-1998
Jukka Pennanen and Mace Ojala, Cycling for Libraries
Rachel Bickley, LIS New Professionals Network

The series explore useful topics to help new professionals at various stages of their career, including:

• LIS school curriculum, gained skills and degrees vs. “the reality” at work. Bridging the gap between theory and practice. How to deal with generational differences at work?
• Mentoring and best practices including pros and cons of different approaches like peer-to-peer, and classical mentor-mentee relationships.
• How to develop leadership skills as a new professional: programs, mentoring, learning by doing. Working abroad, leaving your home country.
• Continuing Professional Development for new professionals, how to stay up to date from the very start even if conditions at work (funding/permission to attend conferences, support with writing articles, etc.) are not the best.

The webinars will be recorded and made available at a later date.

Questions and requests for information:
Loida Garcia-Febo
Coordinator of the series
loidagarciafebo@gmail.com

“The spirit of New Professionals” – NPSIG celebrates the 20th anniversary of BOBCATSSS!

BOBCATSSS 2012 is approaching! This time it will be a very special edition of the conference made by students for students: We are going to celebrate its 20th anniversary! With this in mind it doesn’t seem surprising that the event is already sold out as the organizers announced earlier this week. Thus, the lucky ones who got a ticket can be looking very forward to three exciting days in beautiful Amsterdam, a conference program packed with interesting sessions and workshops, some very nice social events and meeting lots of friends and new faces!

This said, we are more than happy to offer you another exciting NPSIG workshop this year! On Wednesday, 25 Jan, 11:30-13:00, you are invited to explore the spirit of New Professionals with us and to learn about the benefits of international involvement in libraranship! For more info have a look at our workshop abstract below…

We hope to see lots of you in Amsterdam! It will be great fun!

—

“The spirit of New Professionals”
How to boost your early career through international involvement

KEYWORDS:
new professionals; early career development; social media; library associations; organizations 2.0

ABSTRACT:
Especially with the help of social media, New Professionals have been able to make their voice heard in the LIS profession in recent times and to effectively organize themselves from a local level to a global scale (Ruddock, 2011). The latest example of this fruitful mélange is the New Professionals Special Interest Group (NPSIG) of IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions). The group was awarded the IFLA Communicator of the Year Award 2011 for its innovative and effective outreach to New Professionals from around the world through the extensive use of social media. The integration of new tools of collaboration and networking not only helps NPSIG to profile itself, but also provides important stimuli to its home association  IFLA in an ever-changing environment of rapid technological development and innovation.

As a starting-point we would like to give a short overview on the practices of NPSIG and introduce the audience to the IFLA network. The participants will get an idea about the benefits of getting involved internationally as a student or recent graduate and how to make the best of the many possibilities such a huge association as IFLA has to offer.

Based on the use of social media as one particular characteristic of New Professionals, we would in the workshop part like to ask the audience to find and discuss further strengths of New Professionals. What is it that helps them to find their way into the LIS market but also supports libraries and other organizations to keep track of new developments and to stay fresh in mind? Let’s find out!

METHODS:
The participants will have the chance to try out some innovative techniques of brainstorming and group work which, at the same time, allows for plenty of networking and socializing!

RESULTS:
The workshop’s intention is to make the participants think about their role and position as New Professionals in the LIS field. It will provide them with practical ideas how to get involved in professional associations and to move things forward. The outcome of the workshop will serve as a basis for further discussion in NPSIG’s social media channels and upcoming workshops at other conferences.

REFERENCES:
Ruddock, B. (2011) The rise of the New Professional.

(further reading about former NPSIG BOBCATSSS workshops in 2011 and 2010)

Successful paths for New Librarians: best practices, models and recommendations

The recording of our session, “Successful paths for New Librarians: best practices, models and recommendations” is now available at the following link: http://www.library20.com/page/general-session-room-links  (Scroll down, look for the title of our presentation and click on “recording.”) 

The session was presented by IFLA Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning and IFLA New Professionals SIG. Loida Garcia-Febo moderated the session and introduced the same by summarizing international efforts to meet the needs of new librarians. Prof. Dr. Claudia Lux, IFLA Past President and Director General of the Foundation Central and Regional Library Berlin spoke about librarians yesterday and today, changing skills, volunteering and not sitting in the back of the room (listen to the presentation to know more about this).

Anca Râpeanu, CPC & Innovation Specialist at IREX Romania and Biblionet Program shared information about the Summer School for Young Romanian Librarians.

Thanks to many of you who attended the conference! Below, a map where the attendees indicated their region of the world.

“Library 2.011″ – global, virtual

Today is starting the awesome online conference “Library 2.011“, on the internet of course. This virtual meeting place brings librarians together to learn from another about library 2.0 on a global level.

Starting with the keynote “New Career Pathways for Information Professionals in a Library 2.0 World” from Dr. Sandra Hirsh, Professor and Director School of Library & Information Science, San Jose State University shows the importance of this conference for all New Professionals. And browsing the program many more presentations are of interest. Like “Future Ready” from Cindy Romaine, President SLA or “Hyperlinked Library Services for Everyone Exploring what a connected world of continuous computing means for twenty- first century library service.” another keynote from Michael Stephens, Assistant Professor San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science and of course the keynote from IFLA past president Ellen Tise “New paradigms for higher education libraries”.

But don’t miss our beloved whirlwind Loida with her presentation “Successful paths for new librarians: best practices, models and recommendations” and her great co-presenters Anca Rapeanu, Cristina Vaileanu, Monica Avram from IREX, Biblionet Romania and another IFLA past president Prof. Dr. Claudia Lux, Director General of the Foundation Central and Regional Library Berlin. Thursday November 3. 2011, 18:00-19:00 GMT +1. 

This session presents best practices, models and recommendations to help new librarians develop their careers. It speaks to the concerns experienced by new professionals regarding rapidly changing skills to help them secure jobs. Additionally, strategies for successful education paths and participation in library associations are also included. Attendees will walk away with practical ideas to tailor to their own needs and situations. Often new librarians express their desire to know ‘how others made it.’ Daily, we can read blog posts and messages asking what is needed to find a job, to be part of a committee at a library association, and how to interact within various library environments. This webinar will explore answers to these, and will direct attendees to tested and proved resources. A Q&A section is included to encourage conversation between speakers and attendees. The program is presented by IFLA Continuing Professional Development in the Workplace and Learning (CPDWL) and IFLA New Professionals Special Interest Group (NPSIG).

Join in
have FUN

P.S. I have also a presentation about the Berlin based Gender Library 2.0

 

 

Free online conference: Successful Paths for New Librarians: best practices, models and recommendations

Dear colleagues:

We are pleased to announce that IFLA Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning and IFLA New Professionals SIG have partnered to present “Successful paths for New Librarians: best practices, models and recommendations” at the  Library 2.011 Worldwide Virtual Conference this November 3, 2011.

Since this free! conference crosses global time zones, please look for November 3rd and the title of our presentation on the following website to identify your time and join us! http://www.library20.com/page/sessions-and-schedule

“Successful paths for New Librarians: best practices, models and recommendations”

Speakers:

Prof. Dr. Claudia Lux, IFLA Past President and Director General of the Foundation Central and Regional Library Berlin

Anca Râpeanu, CPC & Innovation Specialist, IREX Romania, Biblionet Program also working with the Summer School for Young Romanian Librarians

Moderated by Loida Garcia-Febo, Coordinator, New Americans Program at Queens Library

 

 

We would also like to share a message from the organizers at the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) at San José State University:

We’re counting down the days until the inaugural Library 2.011 Worldwide Virtual Conference begins on November 2. More than 3,500 information professionals from 149 countries have signed up to join the global conversation on the current and future state of libraries. The groundbreaking event will be a whirlwind of information with 160 presentations scheduled over two days!

Participants can view the schedule of all 160 sessions in customized pages for each of the world’s 36 time zones. Presentations will cover a variety of pertinent subject strands that affect the LIS industry and the changing roles of libraries and librarians in our digital world. Keynote addresses will be scheduled over the course of the two-day conference. Keynote speakers include:

• Dr. Sandra Hirsh (USA)
• Dr. Lennart Bjoerneborn (Denmark)
• Dr. Michael Stephens (USA)
• Dr. Christine Bruce (Australia)
• Ms. Ellen Tise (South Africa)
• Mr. Stephen Abram (Canada)

The conference welcome will start at 6:30 a.m. US-PDT on Wednesday, November 2, followed by the opening keynote by Library 2.011 Worldwide Virtual Conference Co-Chair Dr. Sandra Hirsh, professor and director of the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) at San José State University. The conference will conclude with a final conference gathering at 9:00 p.m. US-PDT on Thursday, November 3 (November 4, in some parts of the world). The full schedule is posted on the conference website at http://www.library20.com/page/sessions-and-schedule.

Participants, presenters, and volunteers are encouraged to share our excitement for this global event and download online badges to let everyone know about the Library 2.011 conference. To download badges, please visit: http://www.library20.com/page/press-promotional

As a reminder, the conference will be held entirely online and is FREE to attend. For more information, please visit: http://www.library20.com

See you online on November 3 @ “Successful paths for New Librarians: best practices, models and recommendations,”

Loida