Public Eye, a PPRG publication launched in November 1984.


running training as well as organising a research bursary. Some of the skills I have today, I would never have gained without being on the committee and so wouldn’t have been able to talk about at interviews or make use of in my work.


Being able to read through marketing award applications, consider the evidence provided, decide how they meet the crite- ria and then discuss this with the rest of the judging panel to reach a decision on the applications has taught me so much. The skills to contrast very different appli- cations and be able to articulate why you have reached a decision is such a useful skill and it has also challenged me to think through my reactions. To consider why I was drawn to an application, what biases I might have to a type of marketing activity and what I can do to ensure it is a fair and ethical decision that is reached. I didn’t learn this in isolation, the group was there to support me in learning these skills and asking the critical questions of my decisions to provide a robustness to the judging panel and a safety net for me to learn and develop.


The value of the network


Being part of a special interest group com- mittee has delivered the key thing that I was looking for when I joined – a network of people outside the places I have worked. For me, the added bonus of this is that it involves librarians from outside academic libraries. Having only worked in academic libraries it is not always easy to meet peo- ple from across the library profession apart from through groups like this. There have been countless times in the last 18 years when a colleague from a public library or specialist library has mentioned something in a committee meeting, through an awards application or at the MCG conference that has helped me to develop my own practice or work- place. This has been in all sorts of areas including social media, training staff,


Spring 2025


customer experience and events. We can learn so much from each other, not only through hearing about what is happening in different types of libraries but also by someone offering a friendly ear and some impartial advice.


Talking through with someone about a problem you are trying to find a solution for, especially someone who knows the context of librarianship but isn’t in your workplace/sector means they can offer advice and experience from a different perspective to your own experience, and this is beyond valuable. Being in a special interest group is a really good way of developing working relationships that will enable you to do this.


Make time to invest in yourself Eighteen years is a long time and libraries have changed a lot in this period, in both positive and challenging ways. One of the challenges has been balancing all the dif- ferent responsibilities that are now part of


our day-to-day roles. A natural response to this is to limit the amount of time you spend on optional activities, including volunteering for special interest groups. If I can pass on any advice to you, it would be to continue to prioritise this area. Your day-to-day work will benefit from this involvement and your general develop- ment will do as well. Involvement in groups like this brings with it a huge amount of satisfaction. Organising events will never be my comfort zone and to begin with I shied away from this part of the group’s activities. Overtime though my involvement increased, and I got a huge amount of satisfaction when conferences or events I had been involved in successfully happened. Because it wasn’t my comfort zone, the sense of satisfaction was higher.


I have been very lucky to work for uni- versities who have always encouraged me to join committees and get involved in the profession. They have always recognised


INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 55


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