Opportunities for Professional Growth

Seminar on “Evolving Practices in Professional Development and Knowledge Sharing in

the Digital Age” (May 23-25, 2012 at Casa San Pablo, San Pablo City, Laguna)

Opportunities for Professional Growth

by Fe Angela M. Verzosa



What kind of a librarian are you?

projecting an imagegrowing into that image



Why Professional Growth

“The librarian is an active intermediary between users and resources.

Professional and continuing education of the librarian is indispensable to ensure

adequate services.”

IFLA/UNESCO Public Library Manifesto 1994 <http://www.ifla.org/VII/s8/unesco/eng.htm>




“Librarians shall strive to improve, enhance, and upgrade their professional knowledge, skills, and

competencies through formal and informal means.”

“Librarians shall endeavor to uphold the highest standards in the practice of the profession. They

shall adopt and live by this motto: C A N I - Constant and Never-ending Improvement of the quality and

standards of professional services.”

CODE OF ETHICS FOR LIBRARIANS

BFL Resolution No. _06_Series of 2006




Librarians commit themselves to professional excellence through continued learning

Professionals commit themselves to a program of continual growth

Librarians commit themselves-organizationally and individually-to lifelong learning and a culture of learning

professional development of librarians is a shared responsibility



Creating a Culture of Learning

Creating a culture of learning can help improve the sharing of knowledge and skills




Librarians commit themselves to professional excellence through continued learning

Professionals commit themselves to a program of continual growth

Librarians commit themselves-organizationally and individually-to lifelong learning and a culture of learning

professional development of librarians is a shared responsibility



Shared by whom?

Board for Librarians Library schools Employing agencies or

institutions Professional

associations Peers Librarians



To reassert ourselves as a profession of knowledgeable information finding experts, we must take full advantage of all opportunities for continuing education.



Continuing Professional Education

CPE is “Education that takes place once professional qualification is achieved, with the intent of maintaining competence and/or learning new skills”

Cited from: Weingand, D. E. (1999,). Describing the elephant: what is

continuing professional education. IFLA Journal, 26(3), 198-202.



Continuing Professional Education

“The shelf life of a degree is approximately three years and declining. Maintaining competence and learning new skills must be at the top of every professional’s “To Do” list. It is an ethical responsibility, to be sure, but also one that is pragmatic and critical for career success. … Continuing professional education is no longer an option, it is a requirement of professional practice.”

Cited from: Weingand, D. E. ibid.



Best practices/principles

CPE needs require regular assessment. CPE providers should offer a broad range of

learning opportunities in a choice of formats that are designed to meet identified needs.

Development of guidelines is necessary to ensure quality CPE activities.

There must be consistent documentation and recognition of participation in CPE activities.

It is imperative to conduct research/further studies to examine the outcomes of continuing education and staff development programs.



Assessment of training needs

Surveys are helpful in determining wants and perceived needs, if not actual needs

Job performance appraisal serves as guide to developing a CPE plan or program

Focus groups held with representatives of various stakeholders can give a more in-depth picture of needs.

Research and studies can develop assessment tools.











Why should guidelines focus on quality in CPE?

CPE program falls short of expectations.

CPE program does not respond to learning needs.

CPE program is poorly designed and delivered.

CPE program is not “job-embedded.”











To reassert ourselves as a profession of knowledgeable information finding experts, we must take full advantage of all opportunities for continuing education.



What opportunities?

What resources are available for professional growth?



Resources for professional growth

Professional associations provide avenues for learning, interaction, professional exchange…

Institutional resources offer support –i.e. tuition-waiver, grants, time-off, incentives for funding to encourage attendance to seminars, trainings, active involvement in professional associations, distance education, online education, etc.

Library resources – in the form of on the job training, skills enhancement, job rotation, cross-training, mentorship, peer-coaching, self-directed learning and online learning



Self-directed learning is simply defined as learning that is “informal, self-initiated, independently conducted, and integrated into individuals’ daily work”

Self-directed learning

Cited from: Varlejs, J. (1996). Librarians' self-directed continuing professional learning. Ph.D. dissertation, The University of Wisconsin - Madison, Wisconsin.



Online (Distance) Learning

customized formal instruction (credit-based)

online tutorials learning modules (workshop

type) webinars PLNs - Personal Learning

Network is a self-paced online program offering online mentoring and support



What are the avenues that librarians must take in order to develop professionally ?

Professional meetings

Seminars/conferences

Self-directed learning On-the-job training



Avenues for professional development

Aside from:ConferencesWorkshops Professional meetingsSelf-directed learningOn-the-job Training

Internship/apprenticeshipInternships/ Apprenticeship



Other opportunities…. Credit Courses Summer Institutes listservs networking professional visits study tours library visits teaching/

mentoring



Library Grants

http://paarl.wikispaces.com/Grants



How to keep current…

Aside from

attending workshops, conferences and seminars

joining listservs,

enrolling in formal classes,

and networking, You should read professional literature do research stay active in professional

organizations



Issues in professional development(suggestions for future discussion)

Career planning – basic issues Impact of future needs/expectations of

our customers or the market change in professional training of librarians

Impact of librarian’s work change over the next 5 years? Ten years? Twenty years?

Impact of librarians’ professional growth on the profession’s mission to preserve and enhance library practices



Career Planning – basic questions

Is your job your career? If not, Where are you in your career and in your life? What are your life goals, wants, interests, choices, skills? Where do you foresee yourself to be in the future? What are your career options now? What knowledge and skills do you need to attain your

goal? How do you plan to attain your knowledge and skills? Is your plan realistic? Are there obstacles? Setbacks? How far is your commitment to attaining your goal? Is it

a priority? Personal priority or professional priority?



Parting words…..

“Librarianship” isn’t a job—it’s a vocation. It’s not something you can put away at the end of the day, when you leave the building.

Topher Lawton, blogger

We want to define a librarian outside of a degree or a license that certifies we are information professionals. We want to tell the world what a librarian is, not merely by what we do now, or by the degree we hold, but by WHY we do what we do.

Me



[email protected]

Questions?



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Opportunities for Professional Growth