‘‘ T
HE latest issue of the PostLib magazine includes an update on the House of Memories Cymru project, an
article on the Schools Observatory and a report on a writing residency at Rydal Mount – read it at
https://tinyurl.com/CILIPPostLib. The term “Squiggly Career” was developed by Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper in their Ted Talk “The best career path isn’t always a straight line”. It is viewed as the alternative path to the linear career, usually represented by a ladder.
https://youtu.be/1ALfKWG2nmw
Member profile
Our latest member profile is from Dr Amy Staniforth, a metadata librarian at Aberystwyth University who job- shares the role of Resource Discovery Team Leader and former Relationship Manager for CILIP Cymru Wales.
Why CILIP RPG? Amy said: “When my PhD supervisor retired I was jealous. As an academic, retirement offered him the chance to do his most important work, which also happened to be the work he enjoyed the most. A colleague and I often wistfully joked about our imagined retirement when we would have hours and hours to spend cataloguing special collections. After a period of working intensively with the trade unions I made a number of changes to my own full-time role in the university library in an effort to reboot myself. I persuaded a colleague to job share with me and I then took on the role of Relationship Manager for CILIP Cymru Wales.
“The CILIP role pushed me into new sectors and relationships, all of which surprised and stimulated me and some of which I was surprised to find I was quite good at. After working almost completely remotely during Covid I found I loved going back into the library again, but I also wanted to experiment
October-November 2023
The CILIP role pushed me into new sectors and relationships, all of which surprised and stimulated me ... – Amy Staniforth
a bit more with where my career might go next.
“I love that CILIP RPG has recognised that so many of us have a lot to offer in both paid and un-paid roles and that we are re-negotiating how our careers play out. The recent Workforce Mapping Report really illustrated that the Employer Deal is increasingly important as staff re-evaluate their careers.
“The contribution of part timers, returners, and freelancers is difficult to quantify but it is important that the sector welcomes us because we are in a position to act in creative and agile ways, and if we’re not welcome, it is likely that we’ll leave to do something else. By widening the group’s reach to include people on all sorts of contracts and career breaks as well as in retirement, CILIP RPG are tapping into an often overlooked area of our profession. I feel that we are going to need everyone’s skills and perspectives for librarianship to continue to flourish.”
Future hopes?
“I recently attended the CILIP RPG residential weekend at the wonderful Gladstone’s Library in North Wales. This event was designed to be a more relaxed and less structured environment than a packed conference schedule and included talks and visits to Jodrell Bank and Port Sunlight. I still attend and get a lot out of specialist events, on metadata practice for example, but opportunities like this – to network and take stock – are uniquely valuable for people rethinking their career and exploring new ideas.
“In addition to this big-picture offering I think that CILIP RPG is also in a fantastic position to deliver highly specific sessions useful for people shaking up their work lives – on subjects like freelancer financial management, mentorship training,
Ian Orton (
ianorton5@gmail.com) is CILIP RPG Chair and Senior Public Librarian
tender writing, or event management. “By offering this range of opportunities CILIP RPG will be helping not only individual members, but also the wider sector. As some parts of our industry contract there are other areas where we struggle to find expertise. It is never easy to take big or unusual decisions about careers, particularly in a cost-of-living crisis, but if CILIP RPG can support librarians as they find new ways to do what they love we may help develop a newly enthused and proactive workforce ready for whatever comes next.”
Keep in touch
If you have any issues with getting subscribed please contact me at: 07841 577991 or
ianorton5@gmail.com
l Follow @CILIP_RPG on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram
l Join the CILIP: Library, Information & Knowledge Professionals Group on LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/groups/1730267 IP
INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 49
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