SLO 5. The student engages in professional development and service and identifies specializations and related professional organizations as relevant to individual interests.
As libraries evolve librarians are becoming educators and strategists. Librarians are no longer the sole gatekeepers of knowledge but are the creators of initiatives to teach, support, and aide the community (Anyangwe, 2012). Libraries globally have an immense responsibility to provide a space in their community where users can thrive and feel safe. Our services and practices must remain on-trend and maintain relevance. As libraries evolve librarians must evolve as well. And even though as a librarian I will be viewed upon as an educator in my community I am also a student so I must engage in professional development and continuing education efforts to sustain my personal growth in the field and continuously evolve as a community educator.
One of my main professional goals is to obtain a leadership position while working for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. To prepare myself for this role during my studies I took the course LIS 650: Leadership and Management in Information Organizations. In this course, I was introduced to the leadership and management theories, roles, and organizational effectiveness of library and information science. During this course, I lead a chapter discussion on accountability, power, and responsibility. This assignment was so important to my development as a student and future librarian because I learned the importance of accountability in my field. In my presentation, I noted that the concepts of responsibility and accountability are often used interchangeably but are distinctly different. Simply because accountability is being held answerable for action, while responsibility is what one should be doing. Accountability is vital in the process of enforcing responsibility. As librarians, we must have high integrity and hold ourselves and each other accountable because our efforts can directly affect the lives of our users and the community.
In this course, another meaningful assignment that I had to complete was a case study. During this study, I was tasked with analyzing the needs of an employee and making managerial recommendations that could help them overcome their challenges. This assignment was important because it forced me to look at an issue from a different perspective, which helped me when I received my first intern at the library. Last summer, I expressed to my supervisor that I wanted to gain more leadership experience. After that conversation, she encouraged me to reach out to local organizations and apply for ALA funded programs to obtain two interns. Managing an intern was a great experience for me because it helped me develop better problem solving, time managing, leadership skills. My two interns inspired me to strive for excellence because they looked to me for guidance, and under my leadership, they both met their personal goals, successfully facilitated a program, and aided staff during the busiest season in the library.
To engage in professional development as an employee I aim to take one county-funded training course per month. The courses that I've taken in the last year have focused on racial equity, serving diverse groups, strengthening my technology skills, and learning the habits of successful leaders. But in my opinion, the most meaningful program that I participated in was Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's Leadership Development Program. In this program, I worked with a group of like-minded library professionals to strengthen our leadership skills over the year. Each month we met and focused on a new skill during an all-day workshop facilitated by other members of the team. For my assigned month my partner and I focused on trust and accountability. This aligned perfectly with my previous chapter assignment and I was proud to lead a workshop on the topic.
During the session, my partner and I lead discussions, facilitated team-building exercises, and worked hard to teach our colleagues the importance of trust and accountability in the field. I am most proud of the panel that I facilitated with prominent members of my community on building trust in the community as a learning center. The panelists were open and honest and offered new ways that the library can better serve the community, especially members of the community that may be at risk. This conversation was vital because of Mecklenburg county's low economic mobility rate. I received a lot of positive feedback about the panel discussion, and even as the facilitator, I learned a lot.
In 2018 I became a YALSA Spectrum Scholar. This program not only assisted me in paying for school it also awarded me an ALA, NCLA, and YALSA membership. I also had the opportunity to serve on different committees and become a volunteer. I am proud to say that I am now a Spectrum Alumni because I am now a part of a network of library professionals that are dedicated to pushing the community forward. As a scholar, I was able to attend ALA's Annual Conference and it was life-changing for me. I met so many professionals that inspired and encouraged me in countless ways. I am forever grateful for this opportunity.
Going forward I plan on maintaining my membership to ALA, NCLA, and YALSA. I also plan to continue to meet my goal of completing one professional training course per month. And even though I completed the Leadership Development Program I plan on using what I learned to gain more experience and evolve into a true leader in our field.
Artifacts
LIS 650: Chapter Lead Assignment | |
File Size: | 7909 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
LIS 650 Case Study | |
File Size: | 26 kb |
File Type: | docx |
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References
Anyangwe, E. (2012, March 22). Professional development advice for academic librarians. Retrieved from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2012/mar/22/professional-development-for-academic-librarians