View from the Hill

The Borough Market Twelve Meet for talks on Professional Associations

On Friday 3 July twelve librarians, information professionals – call us what you will - enjoyed a breakfast at Roast in Borough Market as part of the Sue Hill Recruitment breakfast programme.  The hot topic of the morning was ‘ Professional Bodies - Do we need them?’  The short answer was that the group were passionate about the information work they do and yes having a professional body where we can all ‘hang our hats’ really does give kudos to the profession.  However the issue is what should the professional body look like and offer its members.  It is quite clear that there is a multiplicity of choices from BIALL, SLA, Sconul, SCIP, National Council of Archives, RMS and of course CILIP  and its groups, too much choice can cause confusion to those outside the profession looking in.  Why did they all evolve? A disenchantment with other professional associations?

The debate was extremely lively and for once I found it hard to get a word in as the conversation flowed and in what seemed like a blink of an eye it was nearly 9.30am and time to head off for our respective work places.  In discussing success stories and best practice in growing membership, it was clear that having an outward facing strategy with strong CPD aspects is key and an organisation should not exist for the benefit of its officers and employees alone.  The membership should be driving through their needs and expectations of a professional body and have a true voice that is heard.  Examples of strong leadership and success were discussed and common denominators appear to be ‘ passion’, ‘energy’, 'speed of response' and good succession planning.  The group agreed that CPD, networking, having a best practice body of knowledge and advocacy are core benefits of a professional group.  However the issue of professional certification was discussed and the group concluded that ‘qualifications do not make you professional’ and that it could be argued that ‘hiding’ behind professional certification is no benchmark for how professional or relevant to a post an individual maybe.  It can certainly assure a level of competence but it is the body of work that drives through professionalism, values, competencies and skills. What next then for professional groups?  How to make the right choice?  In this economic climate members may vote with their purse. 

From the lively debate it is clear that there needs to be significant change in how professional bodies are structured, managed and financed to serve (a key word to use and is often forgotten) its members.  One can look to the US and SLA for examples of how strong and charismatic leadership is driving forward, with a passion, its offering, relevance  and CPD in abundance and value for money.  It is not yet the tolling of the death bell for professional bodies but it is quite clear that there needs to be significant change and quickly before ‘others’ prey on the disillusioned and ‘lost’ librarians.  A call to arms! 

 - Sue Edgar

Isn't it on my CV? ... Oh

When writing CVs, we know there is a fine line between writing a personal memoir and presenting a snapshot of your experience that is so short it doesn't give much more information than may be found on your telephone voice mail.  The difficulty is always knowing what to include and what not to include.

We are seeing a lot of CVs at present from people with varied and interesting skills gained across the information sector, but we are always wary of the fact that a CV may not be giving an employer the full impression of someones relevant experience.

How easy it is to claim familiarity with a 'range of legal databases' but without showing Westlaw, Lawtel, Lexis, and the rest of the usual suspects on your CV it is possible that the lack of detail in this bland statement may not get you through the door.

The importance of including the details of your experience is never more true than when you have gained some really valuable niche skills which employers find difficult to source and are therefore very saleable commodities.  For instance, at the moment I am searching for someone with experience of using a CMS called 'RightNow' which was a new one to me and is proving rather scarce.

To paraphrase AJ Kiesling, where have all the RightNow-CMS-Content-Editors gone?

- Jeremy Clarke

The role of the information professional in the 21st century

Yesterday I attended the New Professionals Conference held by the Career Development Group and the Diversity Group. The conference was a great chance for people new to the profession to network and share ideas about the role of the information professional in the 21st century. Several of the attendees had written a paper around this topic, and a select few were invited to give a presentation on their paper and findings. 

It was fantastic to hear the speakers take on the library and information profession. These speakers were all new to the profession, and therefore had a fresh perspective on the how the industry is changing, what challenges we face in the profession, and how we can better market ourselves and the value that we bring.

The audience voted for the best speaker, and Ned Potter was voted the best speaker for his interesting discussion on the stereotypes that we in the profession are faced with, and what we can do to overcome these stereotypes. He was awarded a bottle of Sue Hill fizz and with a £100 cheque kindly donated by Sue Hill Recruitment.

- Lizzie Russell

Marketing Your Skills & Your Service

Last week I spent a very rewarding day working with a group of around 20 members of CILIP's Surrey Group.  In the morning we focused on what individuals can do to gain a promotion - a mix of presentations and facilitated workshop sessions on how to build reputation, identify our own skills and consider how to best present those when applying for promotion using application forms and interviews. 

In the afternoon session we moved onto considering how to market your service, rather than yourself, although following the same principles:

• Understand your audience(s) - users, managers and other stakeholders

• Consider their views, needs and what they value - market research

• What is your product? - how to tailor your services to meet those needs

• Craft your message to suit each audience

Feedback from the organiser of the event has been very positive, including the following comment:

"staff who attended found the day very useful. The young work experience student we sent along was so impressed she wants to find a full-time post with us!"

It is very heartening to be able to encourage new entrants into the profession to feel positive about the work we all do.  I hope the more experienced delegates also found something useful to take away from the day.

Births, Deaths and Marriages plus an Anniversary

Or as my beloved and much missed Dad would have said Hatches, Matches and Dispatches.

Yesterday at an excellent SLA Europe Soirée(generously sponsored by Alacra) to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the founding of SLA if was good to see not just familiar faces but many new ones.  A highlight (apart from the fabulousus celebration cake and the champagne) was to talk to the past and present winners of the SLA Europe Early Career Conference Award.  They had found the all expenses paid trip to America to attend the SLA Conference invigorating and life changing.  The networking ethic was reinforced at the start of their careers.   I strongly recommend that if you are eligible for this award that you apply for next year.

Regrettably yesterday also marked the demise of CiG - City Information Group.  This is a group I joined and have been a staunch member of since the day it was formed.  It has been instrumental in educating me, enlightening me, creating networks - both social and professional  - as an individual and as a business it has opened many doors and given me the opportunity to meet and talk to people outside of their office environments.  The events and seminars held over the years haveproved invaluable as an affordable method of staff CPD and training.  Not just attending to learn about how information works in the City, but also to give presentations themselves on relevanttopics.  I don't want to see it end, but it seems the time has come.  I certainly intend to offer a small sum to help ensure that the suppliers and individuals who have offered such good value events venues and services over the years do not lose out.  I have spoken to others who feel the same.  We have all gained from our membership of CiG.

AUKML also announced that it is to consider its future as a membership organisation at their AGM on Tuesday 7 July.  Again this is a group that offers the same type of benefits as SLA and CiG and that provides fantastic support to individuals as they developed their careers.

CiG will be sadly missed, but there are groups out there that we can forge alliances with.  My call to you is not to sit back and give up on your CPD, networks and memberships but to keep them alive and going and be proactive.  Now more than ever we need to support colleagues and to provide a nurturing environment for newcomers to our field.

A time to weep for the departed and to celebrate the survivors. - Sue Hill

Liberian Girl

Michael Jackon's sad, early demise this morning reminded me of the song Liberian Girl.  Many years ago in another life I met the Liberian President, also sadly no longer with us.

Today's news caused me to reflect how many times in my career I have been asked to find a Liberian.  Yes I knew they wanted a librarian, but it was so tempting to say I would get back once I had spoken to the Liberian President.  But then I would think - who I am to talk.  I often mention the Boys' Brigrade.  Not for nothing are there ontologists working on natural language searching projects.  That has to include natural language mistakes as well.

Yes, it's Friday, and the weather is warm and muggy.   Off now to find that ontologist.  I'll leave the Liberians til Monday. - Sue Hill

How well networked are you?

As the Stereo MC's once sang 'I'm gonna get myself, I'm gonna get myself, I'm gonna get myself connected' and after attending a LinkedIn course yesterday I know you really can 'meet' more people than you could ever imagine.  Mark Williams who runs the course for recruiters gave us a few facts: LinkedIn has 42million users worldwide and in the UK is growing at a rate of 75,000 people or potential candidates a month (46% of users are decision makers). 

The social networking phenomena is very much a part of our everyday with the likes of Facebook and Twitter but LinkedIn is a social network for business users and is not used to shout about how drunk you were at the weekend!

LinkedIn is a very powerful tool and in the right hands will prove to be a successful tool for recruiters.  My cynical side also knows that if abused by recruiters, it will further add negative feeling towards the industry as a whole and it undoubtedly will be.  That said if used correctly and ethically, people you approach will be flattered and connect with you, further widening your network and therefore making it easier for the smart recruiter to engage with his/her industry and be very much part of it rather than someone who is seen as 'a pain in the ****' who is only in it for the fee.  Join groups, get involved in discussions and politely approach prospective candidates or clients.  You must remember that people want to be found and the information they post allows you to target successfully - so give your targets a reason to get in touch. 

As someone who already uses LinkedIn, I came away from the course knowing that I had not been using it to its full power but was also safe in the knowledge I had not abused it.  LinkedIn should definitely be a part of your 'Recruitment Toolkit' but should be just that and not a reason to stop picking up the phone and actually talking to people.

So again as 'Stereo' MC's' said 'I'm gonna do it again, I'm gonna do it again'

 - Damon Thomas

Sitting in our libraries

Morning all on this lovely sunny day.

Last night I was reading a volume of collected essays by Geoff Dyer (my favourite writer by a stretch) called Anglo-English Attitudes and I came across an essay called 'Unpacking my Library' (title borrowed from Walter Benjamin's essay of the same name).

Here is an extract which I just wanted to share.  I am not necessarily arguing the truth of the sentiment but it did make me smile.

"I can't go for more than a few moments without sliding back my chair and gazing with massive self-love at my library.  Needless to say, I have no impulse to read.  Books are to be arranged and classified, shuffled around.  At the very most I want to take a volume from the shelves, consult it, perhaps smell it, and replace it, carefully.  Sometime in the future I may want to add a few incremental volumes but, for the moment, I just want to sit here, gazing at my life.  For that's what it is, this library; it's not just the story of my life, it is my life"

- Jeremy Clarke

Packed your umbrella?

Jeremy bagged the sunshine in Brighton. Looks like I'm getting rain in Manchester... I'm off this afternoon to the BIALL Conference, which starts bright and early tomorrow morning. If you're going to be there, please stop by the stand to say hello and sample one of our fantastic SHR jelly beans!

It looks like it'll be another successful conference and I'm looking forward to catching up with friends made at the last two conferences.

Now, where did I put my wellies...

- Suzanne Wheatley

I do like to be beside the seaside

Thank you Suzanne for your kind advertisement of my recent public speaking and also your musing on the collective categorisations of information professionals, I favour a cartel of cataloguers myself.

Back from Friday's trip to sunny Brighton, but with no bucket & spade or stick of rock (sorry team).  Instead I return with a very positive feeling about the future talent within the information industry.

You may expect the after-lunch Friday session nearing the end of term to be a sleepy affair but Brighton's Masters students dispelled that myth with some excellent questions and lively discussion about job hunting in the current market.

We also reminded ourselves about the importance of interview preparation.  Thank you for the brave soul who admitted to taking his interview suit out on the morning of the interview only to find that since his last interview things had changed and it no longer fit.  There followed a dash to the high street store.

If there ever was a time to make sure you are fully prepared for an interview, ready to demonstrate your knowledge of and enthusiasm towards the organisation to make you stand out, then it is now.

So thank you to the University of Brighton and good luck!

- Jeremy Clarke