Tuesday 23 February 2016

Former Librarian #8

This week we welcome Former Librarian Liz to the blog.  Liz went part-time in her library role whilst she built up her own business as a self-employed editor.  This work initially seemed to me to be quite a logical progression from libraries, but although Liz says that she uses plenty of skills acquired in libraries in her day to day work, she doesn't feel that her library skills directly contributed to this career move.  She has written several books on how she did this - see the links at the end!


Current role: Freelance editor, proofreader, transcriber, localiser and writer


Former role: Library Assistant, Acquisitions and Metadata / project work on a rare books project at a large University library.


What led you to move on from libraries? Two reasons: first of all, I built up my freelance business while working in the library (I was able to do this because I was in a fairly administrative role, not a Qualified role, even though I have my post-grad diploma in LIS). After going part time for a year, it was clear that I had to make the jump, and, well, second reason coming up ... The second reason is that the University was not a particularly pleasant place to work in general, and my job role also changed so I lost touch with the parts of the job I most enjoyed doing.


What is your current role? Editor proofreader, transcriber, localiser, writer.


What do you do in this role? I edit and proofread texts for students, self-publishers, translators and clients via translation agencies; transcribe interviews for journalists and interviews, focus groups and conferences for corporate clients; localise texts from US to UK English and write books on running a small business and particular aspects of my work.


What library skills do you use in this current role? The most useful thing I picked up from my library work was the actual people in my office; many of them were PhD students working part time buying and cataloguing foreign language materials. I learned a lot about non-native English working with them. Right from my very first library job back in 1992 after graduating with my first degree, I learned to be a good administrator, methodical and reliable, and this has helped a great deal in my freelance career. One specific contract I had involved making very quick choices on pairs of search results for a client - I am fairly sure that my work looking up books, deciding what was the right one, etc. helped with that. I spent my secondment on a rare books project sequestered underground in a locked store, and that helped to reassure me that I'd be OK working on my own (not underground, not locked in, with an actual window). And my work at a library supplier after library school helped with my writing, US/UK localisation and business sense. Very bizarrely, my course in Advanced Computing (in 1995 - can you imagine!) at Library School helped me understand writing websites and html, which has helped in constructing my own website and ensuring it gets lots of hits. Also, going to Library School a few years after University helped give me a kick in terms of reminding me I could go on learning - and fairly technical stuff - which has helped me.


Do you think that your library skills helped you to get this position? Not directly, but a) working flexitime with understanding employers helped me to build my business while working (all legitimately and in my own time, I hasten to add!) and b) my library qualification, alongside my English degree, has impressed various prospective clients over the years.


What other skills have you had to acquire since leaving the library profession in order to enable you to carry out your work? I've been lucky enough to use the skills I've gained in my career as a whole (customer services; at the library supplier; at the library) in my new job. I have had to learn how to work with various software for translators and localisers as well as transcription software and website design, Search Engine Optimisation, etc. But the basic skills to do my work were all there already.


Do you maintain any professional memberships or are there new ones which are more appropriate? I maintain an interest in library matters, but no memberships. I hold membership of one job portal website for finding work in my current fields.


Do you have any future plans/aspirations? I'd like to continue as I am, write a few more books and continue to help people express their words in whatever form they are expressing them. I have no desire to go back into libraries, but wouldn't swap my experience there and value my qualification, even though I never used it to work in a professional role!


Anything else that you’d like to tell us? If you'd like links, http://www.libroediting.com http://www.librofulltime.wordpress.com and http://www.lizbroomfieldbooks.com are my three websites.

Tuesday 16 February 2016

Former Librarian #7

This week we welcome our first international Former Librarian to the blog.  Jacob describes himself as being a librarian in his current role without people knowing that he is a librarian which I rather like. 

Name: Jacob Ratliff (@Gameronomist)

Current role: Information Architect / User Experience Specialist at a Non-Profit. Former role: Archivist/Taxonomy Librarian at a Non-Profit. Previously worked on institutional repositories in academic libraries.

What led you to move on from libraries?  The main reason I moved on from academia was the politics. The majority of librarians I worked with were not worried about the patrons or the work, they just wanted to be recognized for how smart they were (and even though I had an MLIS, I did not have a "librarian" title, so I was not worthy of their time). Working in a Special Library was much better. Having a much clearer ROI really drove the work to be justified and useful, and people in the organization truly valued the work. The problem I have overall is that too many think of the library as something insular and separate from the rest of the information and knowledge that exists in the world. Sure, libraries have been around for a long time, but there has been an apocalyptic shift in information and knowledge. The best example I can give is MARC (because I did a decent amount of cataloging). MARC has wonderful depth and complexity, and is a cataloger's and metadata nerd's dream...but it's entirely insular. They only exist in the world of libraries, and most people do not know they exist or the great information in them. The interoperability of them is abysmal. That information needs to be accessible in a much wider way. I think that is a similar metaphor for libraries in general. There needs to be integration and interoperability of not just libraries and the resources they have, but of the librarians, information professionals, and the connections and skills that they have. And it needs to happen 20 years ago.

What do you do in your current role? I work on the corporate intranet for a non-profit, as well as doing metadata and information management work. Essentially, I am a systems librarian, but I need to organize the business and technical information of a large non-profit so that the information can be reused and learned from. Except none of the information exists in a standardized state (like a book or a journal article), and the systems need to be built from the ground up (workflows and people systems too, not just technology systems).

What library skills do you use in your current role? Standardization, metadata, archiving, organization, information seeking behavior, knowledge management, taxonomy, reference...just about all of it. Being able to tell people that I am a librarian, but not working in a library and not having "librarian" in my title earns me a lot more respect.

Do you think that your library skills helped you to get this position?  Definitely. I would not have the position without them. I am essentially a corporate systems librarian without people knowing that I am a librarian. Being specialized in "information" gets me a lot more respect than being a "librarian." Librarian is still too associated with books.

What other skills have you had to acquire since leaving the library profession in order to enable you to carry out your work? Technical skills. The lack of technology classes in my MLIS program put me behind, and I had to spend quite a bit of time learning HTML, CSS, and XML while on the job. To truly keep moving forward in what I want, I really need to learn more programming and technical skills related to APIs, JavaScript, etc. Having basic programming in my MLIS (even as part of a larger project) would have prepared me much more for what I ended up doing. I wish I had also gotten a lot more data work, including things like SQL. In addition, I wish there had been more about data and statistical analysis. The MLIS as a whole seemed pretty fluffy. It could have kept all of that content, but made it faster and added a lot more content to learn; it is a Master's Degree after all. (Do not get me wrong, I learned a lot of great stuff in my MLIS, but there were a lot of classes that were very repetitive or lacking in a lot of rigor, and that is what I think could have been optimized.)

Do you maintain any professional memberships or are there new ones which are more appropriate? I was a member of SLA for a number of years, but have recently deactivated my membership because it is trying to be too many things to too many different audiences; there is not enough depth in the areas I want to learn more about. I am looking more at the IA Institute, AIIM, and some local UX organizations.

Do you have any future plans/aspirations? I have ideas, but no definite plans. I am planning on learning more on the coding front and more about data science to pursue "Master Data Management" or "Data Architecture" kinds of positions. I have most of the skills, I just need to learn more about data and specific programming languages. The other idea is to do more related to Enterprise Content and Document Management. So many fun things to do! (Which were not even talked about during 99% of my time getting my MLIS.)

Anything else that you’d like to tell us? I am also a big fan of video games, and wrote a book about video games, information, and library science. The limited way that LIS and academia have been working with video games is surprising, because of the vast amounts of information they convey. There is a real opportunity for LIS to step forward and be a driving force related to video games and information (because the field is rich and wide open), but it is not being pursued.

Tuesday 9 February 2016

Former Librarian #6

This week we welcome Former Librarian Michael to the blog.  Michael started out in traditional reader services style library roles before undertaking his masters and then gaining a job as Digital research repository assistant within an academic library setting.  This led him out of libraries to a job as Knowledge-Exchange Coordinator.  Michael has now in fact left this role after several years and returned to further study relating to his original academic background.

Name: Michael

Former role: Digital research repository assistant at an academic library. I worked in the team responsible for managing the university’s online record of research by its academics. I advised academics on how to comply with their funding bodies’ policies on making their research publicly available. I also had to provide guidance on copyright and other issues around digital publication. The role also involved many traditional library skills such as cataloguing and metadata curation.

What led you to move on from libraries? Like many people nowadays – in and away from libraries – I was working on a relatively short (one year) fixed-term contract. These often causes stress and anxiety, and can make it difficult to settle fully into a role. But there are positive aspects too. I found I was always on the lookout for the next exciting opportunity, and I became aware quite early on of the need to develop a career. This is especially true in something that’s changing as quickly as librarianship. When I saw something that looked exciting, and a way to combine my academic background (chemistry) with the skills I had gained from working in libraries – I took the opportunity even though it was not a library job and meant leaving my previous role a little early.

Latest role: Knowledge-Exchange Coordinator for a university science department

What did you do in this role? I helped the university showcase its work to industry in order to attract funding and increase its societal and economic impact, mainly through networking and organising events like conferences and symposia.

What library skills do you use in this role? Certainly an ability to be able to build connections and working relationships with academics was invaluable. When working in an university library (in front- and back- room roles) I think you have to understand the mindset of academics – people who rely heavily on you and what you do, but who can sometimes see you as underqualified and in their way. As a result, you have to work hard to sell your skills and ensure people understand how what you do will ultimately help them and make their life easier. Learning how to do this in the context of providing library services certainly served me well in my next role, where I often had to convince sceptical academics as to the value of participating in some of the projects I ran.

Do you think that your library skills helped you to get this position? Yes, I think so – although the interview panel (who weren’t librarians) would probably not see them as specifically library skills.

What other skills have you had to acquire since leaving the library profession in order to enable you to carry out your work? I needed to become a more confident networker, particularly with those outside of the organisation that I was familiar with.

Do you maintain any professional memberships or are there new ones which are more appropriate? I never actually joined CILIP, though if I ever end up back in libraries I would certainly consider doing so.

Tuesday 2 February 2016

Former Librarian #5

This week we welcome Former Librarian Alan to the blog.  Alan has moved into a completely different area which required him to gain knowledge of bicycles!  Alan's reasoning was that he wanted to do something different; I wonder how often this may crop up throughout the year of this project.


Current role: Events Assistant ( Sustrans ) Sustainable transport charity -part-time / temporary position

Former role:Academic Liaison Librarian at university of Bedfordshire

What led you to move on from libraries? Moved from libraries as had been in the role a long time and fancied a career change / break

What do you do in your current role? Advising people on sustainable transport options ( buses / cycling / walking )

What library skills do you use in your current role? Still use library skills of info retrieval ( from bus timetables etc / Liasion with interested parties - eg bus companies / local council etc

Do you think that your library skills helped you to get this position? Customer / Communication skills might have helped in getting the post.

What other skills have you had to acquire since leaving the library profession in order to enable you to carry out your work? Organising events / bicycle knowledge.

Do you maintain any professional memberships or are there new ones which are more appropriate? Still a member of CILIP - but rarely making use of it these days !