who can act as a mentor to support you to develop into the role. A safe space to discuss issues and concerns with a more experienced colleague is invalua- ble. Leadership can be a difficult, lonely place and you do need people to talk to that you can trust and who will give you an honest, impartial perspective. I’m a very strong advocate for coaching as an aid to leadership development and we have a very active coaching network at Ulster. I am a qualified coach myself and coaching has been adopted as a strategic enabler for leadership develop- ment across the Library Service at Ulster.”
Finding roles
Janet says: “I do have a training matrix for every role in the library but that will only help you to a certain point. Beyond that, team members who aspire to leadership roles are taking personal responsibility for their development in preparation to move into leadership roles.”
The rapidly evolving HE environment and the application of digital technolo- gy in the library environment has had a significant impact on the skill set for academic librarians. This poses a significant challenge for those Institutions who deliver Library and Information Management courses to prepare the work force of the future.
“At Ulster we are fortunate to have a close working relationship with colleagues who deliver the Library and Information Management course with several members of library staff actively contributing to curriculum delivery. Whilst we can’t predict the future with any certainty, traditional roles in libraries are changing and evolving. The skill-set of librarians is evolving, adapt- ing and flexing to meet the demands of working in a digital information environ- ment. Covid has accentuated this. The shift away from face-to-face teaching has accelerated the uptake of new tools and software to support learning and assess understanding. The role of the academic Librarian has become even more important as they play a vital part in establishing communities of learning
April-May 2021
The Lantern creates a new landmark for the city.
in their respective institutions and equip students at all levels with the skills to suc- ceed as citizens and professionals in their respective careers. Roles will be more digitally focussed; communication skills will be critical to support interaction with users – and not necessarily in a face-to- face environment.”
CILIP’s role
“I firmly believe that the role of the Infor- mation Professional is critical in today’s information rich society. I have been part of this profession for over 30 years and the role of an information professional is even more valuable today than it was at the start of my career.”
But Janet says the new information environment has disrupted established relationships including those of profes- sional bodies. She adds: “I am a chartered member of CILIP. That was very impor- tant to me when I was starting out in my profession. I have also mentored several individuals towards chartership status. I believe strongly in the importance of the professional status of librarians along with adherence to a code of conduct which reflects the ethical and standards of a pro- fessional body. As the professional body,
CILIP has a key role to play in supporting and advocating for the profession. It is important that as information profession- als we play our part in safeguarding the value and relevance of our professional status in the future.”
Janet said: “I’ve had positive discussions with CILIP Ireland, about its Virtual Men- toring Network which could benefit my staff team and the profession in Northern Ireland as a whole. I am a strong advo- cate for the sharing of information and learning from each other. The Virtual Mentoring Network will provide a plat- form for this to happen and will support staff to identify a mentor outside of their own organisation. Ulster will be a key stakeholder in this process and I will be actively encouraging my staff, especially early career professionals make use of this facility. I’m also considering other initia- tives and interactions with CILIP Ireland to offer further opportunities for staff to develop and enhance their skill sets. Pro- fessional development is a journey, there is always something new to learn.” For further information on CILIP Ireland’s Virtual Mentoring Network check out our blog https://cilipireland.wixsite. com/blog/post/virtual-mentoring-programme. IP
INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 19
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
