Since December 2016, the NPSIG leadership team has a new Convenor on board, Vesna Vuksan (Serbia) and Andrés Reinoso (Argentina) joined the team in March 2017. Most of the team remains the same, with Co-Convenor Milan Vasiljevic (from Serbia, living in Qatar), Information Coordinator Antoine Torrens (France), and Information Co-Coordinator Katia Shklyar (from Russia, living in Finland).
Maria Violeta Bertolini (Convenor 2015-2016) had to leave the NPSIG team since she started working at the IFLA HQ as the Advocacy Communications Officer.
The NPSIG objectives are:
- To empower new professionals to be involved in their national associations and with IFLA to become new local and international leaders.
- To connect new professionals and new professionals supporters to share experiences, opportunities and make new friends and colleagues from all over the world, mainly through social media and online events.
- To offer first quality free training and knowledge exchange opportunities through online webinars, open programmes and satellite meetings.
NPSIG Activities from September 2016 to August 2017
IFLA/ALA New Librarians, Global Connection Webinar Series
NPSIG launched a survey in September 2016 with the aim of crowdsourcing the ideas to identify topics for the 2017 IFLA/ALA free webinars. The most popular topics included Librarians of the Future: (5) Changing scenario of Libraries or Modern Libraries /Role of libraries in a sharing economy, (4) Library Design Tools and Techniques / Design and co-design, (4) Research data management / Altmetrics, (3) Intellectual Freedom for libraries and journalists, (3) Marrakesh Treaty / Access to information for people with disabilities and (3) Introduction to Knowledge Management Systems for libraries.
On October 10th 2016 free IFLA/ALA webinar was held: “Utilizing Partnerships to Expand Professional Development Opportunities Worldwide”. Keynote Sandra Hirsh, Director and Professor, San Jose State University School of Information, USA talked about “Professional Development Outcomes of a Globally Based Virtual Conference Partnership : A Library 2.0 Case Study”. Speakers included Susan Schnuer and Svetlana Gorokhova “20 years of Russian – U.S. partnerships: Lessons learned”, Alyson Dalby “Rethinking mentoring: online, international peer mentoring with the International Librarians Network”, Magdalena Krasowska-Igras “Challenges and benefits of international cooperation for libraries”. Moderator was Matilde Fontanin – IFLA CPDWL and AIB (Italian Librarians’ association).
Recording available at http://ala.adobeconnect.com/p6sau1ex211/.
First webinar in 2017 “The Sharing Economy and libraries: does “access over ownership” ring a bell?” was held on March 8th, 2017. Keynote speaker was Loida Garcia-Febo who talked about “Librarians building capacity for advocacy through education”. George Needham, Director of the Delaware County District Library in Delaware, Ohio, presented “What I Wish I’d Known Then… and What I Wish I Knew Now” which was dedicated to the sharing economy with a special focus on new library professionals. Moderator was Vesna Vuksan – IFLA NPSIG.
Recording available at http://ala.adobeconnect.com/p4a9ni5ztr3/.
The webinar “Design Thinking: The Role of Library Staff in Participatory Design” was held on July 6th, 2017. Keynote Rolf Hapel talked about “New Ways of Working – a Danish approach to Design Thinking and other participatory methods in the libraries”, Steven J. Bell presented “To Adopt Change Be the Change: Opportunities for Staff Engagement with Design Challenges” and Sara Chiessi “The NewLib project: learning, testing and disseminating Design Thinking for libraries throughout Europe”. Moderator was Matilde Fontanin – IFLA CPDWL and AIB (Italian Librarians’ association).
Recording available at http://ala.adobeconnect.com/pn4w9cgu60ge/
Interview series
- Women, information and libraries – an interview with Mathilde Koskas, convenor of WILSIG was published on NPSIG website on February 10th.
- Contact has been made in Jerusalem and Jericho with Randa Kamal, former president of the Palestinian Library association. Randa Kamal works on setting up a new training structure for librarians in Palestine and New professionals provided her with advice about LIS students and current new librarians’ needs. A written interview is in preparation.
New professionals event preparation in France
NPSIG, together with French association CFIBD (Comité Français International Bibliothèques et Documentation), plans to organise a two-day event in January 2018 with IFLA new president Gloria Pérez-Salmerón as a guest of honour.
A French task force has been set up and some partners have been found. The event will take place on January 11th and 12th 2018 simultaneously at the National school for librarians and information science (Enssib) in Lyon and at the University library for languages and civilizations (Bulac) in Paris.
A website for the event has been created by NPSIG and CFIBD : http://nouveauxbibliothecaires.cfibd.fr
NPSIG in Global Vision Conversation
In July NPSIG participated in the IFLA Global Vision Conversation, producing a survey on our blog that was answered by 34 colleagues from around the world. We prepared a report that was presented to IFLA to join this global initiative.
IFLA WLIC 2017 participation
IFLAcamp #5 “Librarians on the move”, August 17th and 18th, 2017
We created a dedicated website: https://iflacamp5.wordpress.com/ and a teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBkagbA2S4Q
Day 1: IFLAcamp #5 unconference will be held on August 17th at the heart of Wroclaw on the main market square at the Lower Sylesian Library (Dolnośląska Biblioteka Publiczna im. Tadeusza Mikulskiego) from 9:00am to 5:00pm. 52 participants from 30 countries will join the event.
As this is participant-driven event, the precise agenda on all kinds of topics of interest will be known on the day of the event. In addition to the lively discussion, during the day we will have a special Movement workshop held by Anna Olkinuora from UtoUto performing arts company. Workshop is about daring to give the body freedom of being an important part of creative processes, provoke mind and connect it with ideas through the different “logic”, also to brush up the ability of alternative from spoken word ways of communication.
Day 2: Cycling for libraries will be organized as a part of the IFLAcamp on August 18th in Wroclaw city area. The route will include a mild road with stops at the points of interest.
On the route – visit:
9:00-10:00 Dolnośląska Biblioteka Publiczna im. Tadeusza Mikulskiego (Lower Silesian Public Library)
10:30-11:30 Municipal Library in Wroclaw No. 12 (brand new Train Station Library)
12:00-13:00 The Ossolineum (The Library of the Ossoliński National Institute)
13:20-14:30 Library of Wrocław University of Science and Technology
15:00 Break in Forma Płynna, Beach Bar
We have found sponsors to cover majority of the costs of refreshments/snacks for both days, printing of the vests, unconference materials: OCLC, Springshare, Finnish Library Association and ARFiDO.
Special public event
Saturday, August 19th
Newcomers session
Sunday, August 20th (8.30am – 10.00am)
NPSIG convenor will give a talk “From first-timer to committee member”.
Open business meeting
At the food area near the food trucks in front of the Conference venue.
Open social event
Sunday, August 20th
A social event for new professionals, newcomers but also for members of the International Librarians Network will take place in a local bar.
Open session by LTR and NPSIG: “Engaged Communities: Transforming the Librarian Role”, August 23rd, 2017 (9.30am-11.30am)
The Library Theory & Research Section in collaboration with the New Professionals Special Interest Group will be holding a session “Engaged Communities: Transforming the Librarian Role”.
Open session by IT section and NPSIG: “Disruptions in library services: change as the new normal”, August 23rd, 2017 (1.45pm-3.45pm)
The joint session between IT section and NPSIG will be held as an open session.
President-Elect session with Glòria Pérez-Salmerón: “Making change happen: Leaders for a United Library Field”
Thursday, August 24th (8.30am-10.30am)
NPSIG Convenor in a role of ILP associate will give a lightning talk and New professionals help animation and ideas recording during the President-Elect session
Open session by NOIR SIG: “How a Focus on International Relations Can Add Value to Your Work – New Insights (Perspectives) on Sustainable Collaboration”
Thursday, August 24th (1.45pm-3.45pm)
NPSIG Information coordinator presents an expectation report “Young Professionals Sharing Ideas and Hopes”.
ALP Session
Wednesday, August 23rd (1.45pm-3.45pm)
NPSIG Convenor presents IAP Good Practices
IFLA professional unit communication award jury
Winner of the 2016 award, NPSIG decided not to get nominated again but to take part in the award jury.
A member of NPSIG leadership team read the submission forms, analysed units communication strategy and action, and discussed them with the other members of the jury so that a decision could be made.
Social Media, Mailing Lists and Blog
The NPSIG is connected and reaches out to the global library community regularly using mainly the following tools:
- NPSIG Section in IFLA Webpage: http://www.ifla.org/new-professionals
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/npsig
- Twitter account: https://twitter.com/npsig
- WordPress Blog: https://npsig.wordpress.com/
- IFLAcamp #5 website: https://iflacamp5.wordpress.com/
- NPDG-L Mailing List: http://infoserv.inist.fr/wwsympa.fcgi/info/npdg-l
- Youtube account: https://www.youtube.com/user/iflaNPSIG
- Google account: npsig.ifla@gmail.com
- Slack account: https://npsig.slack.com/
- Trello: https://trello.com/npsig
The NPSIG Leadership team has been very active in keeping all of these tools updated and communicating news and updates as regularly as possible.
Since August 2016:
- 19 Blog Posts related to events and campaigns, guest and original content Blog Posts on NPSIG Blog
- 3 news and 3 event on IFLA NPSIG Webpage
Current figures:
- NPSIG Blog: 256 posts, 109200 views, 33325 visitors, 186 WordPress followers
- IFLAcamp #5 website: 1192 views, 399 visitors (April – August 2017)
- 4654 likes of the NPSIG Facebook Page (772 new since August 2016)
- 2616 followers in NPSIG Twitter (319 new since August 2016)
- 69 subscribers, 15489 views on NPSIG YouTube Channel
- 584 subscribers to New Professionals Discussion Group Mailing List
Communication
We have been using the Zoom platform intensively since April, 2017 (appx. 10 times), WhatsApp daily and emails.
Reports and Action Plans
The NPSIG submitted the Action Plan 2016-2017 and the Annual Report 2015-2016 as requested by IFLA HQ. These documents are available in the NPSIG Wiki.
Respectfully submitted by Vesna Vuksan, NPSIG Convenor, on behalf of the NPSIG Leadership team, August 10, 2017.
