Keeping ahead of the curve

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to present the results of a qualitative study of the continuing professional development (CPD) activities of academic librarians in Ireland. The benefits of CPD, the methods and strategies of engagement, and the role played by professional organisations are examined, with particular emphasis on the attitudes of librarians towards CPD. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 25 academic librarians were interviewed in depth from four universities in the greater Dublin region. A qualitative approach was chosen to allow the collection of data which was rich and informative. Findings – Academic librarians engage in CPD in multiple ways, both formal and informal, but it falls primarily to the individual librarian to find, participate in, or even create such opportunities, which raises the question of personal motivation and drive. Support from employers and professional organisations is key. Barriers to participation in CPD include time, financial restraints and lack of encouragement from employers. Research limitations/implications – The authors are cognisant of the inherent limitations in using interviews as a data collection method, including the possibility of bias. Practical implications – Academic librarians need to exploit innovative and accessible modes of CPD if they wish to navigate the changes occurring within the profession. Professional library organisations must also reinforce their support of their members in this endeavour. Incentives to participate should build on librarians' personal motivation and job satisfaction, likelihood of career progression, and deepening working relationships with non-LIS colleagues. Originality/value – To date there has been no comprehensive Irish study which has addressed the question of how academic librarians engage with the professional body of knowledge through pursuing professional development activities. This research seeks to present an Irish perspective, but also explores issues which are globally applicable within the profession.

The Digital Disease in Academic Libraries

“…Not only did they observe an organizational separation between "community" and technical functions, but they also noticed that specialized technical knowledge of software platforms and technical standards was becoming more critical for staff. In more recent years, analyses of digitally-connected library job advertisements have supported this finding: database design, metadata, systems administration expertise, familiarity with born digital materials, and web application development skills have become commonly sought (Tzoc and Millard 2011;Skene 2018), despite the fact that staff performing public services or liaison roles do not feel that these skills should be required for their work (Wilson and Halpin 2006;Corcoran and McGuinness 2014). In some cases, the desire to avoid skills silos results in the creation of "the unicorn job ad" (Schmidt 2018, 13), where an impossibly broad range of required skills are listed and positions are filled using a "best fit" model.…”

‘Attending IFLA was Amazing’: Benefits of Conference Attendance as Reported by Delegates

“…Focusing on barriers that prevent librarians from attending conferences, research by Adomi, Alakpodia, and Akporhonor (2006), Corcoran and McGuinness (2014), Eke (2011), the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA, 2014a), Schmehl Hines (2014) and Terrill (2014) indicated that lack of funding was the most significant element inhibiting conference attendance. Time constraints were found to be another barrier by researchers such as Schmehl Hines (2014), ALIA (2014a), and Corcoran and McGuinness (2014). Adomi et al (2006) and Eke (2011) also identified lack of awareness of an event preventing library staff from attending conferences.…”

The role of communities of practice in the professional education of academic librarians

“…Electronic mailing lists (also known as listservs) are mentioned in the LIS literature as commonly used sources of information 9 [4,28,6,20]. In Krasulski's 2014 survey of access services librarians, 67 percent stated that they used electronic mailing lists to keep current [20].…”

“…Conferences are particularly favored as learning opportunities among information systems academics [9] and librarians [4,15,6,20,25]. Tomaszewski and MacDonald [33] suggested subject-specific conferences as valuable professional development opportunities for academic librarians with subject responsibilities.…”

“…Knowledge workers faced with the quick evolution of the workplace are expected by their employers to be willing to continuously learn [13]. In order to respond effectively to "rapid environmental changes affecting LIS fundamentally" [1], librarians must continually update their knowledge and skills [6]. A LIS education cannot fully prepare librarians-in-training for an uncertain future or for the specific local and political practices of institutions.…”