Year Two, First Term at Library School.

I'm two weeks from finishing my second term of my second year of UCL (and thus the taught part of the course...wow!), but I thought I'd write a short blog post about what I did during the first term of my second year (Sept- Dec 2012) now I have a bit of time on my hands. During this term I had the cataloguing component of cataloguing and classification 1 in the morning, and Historical Bibliography in the afternoon. Both modules taught by Anne Welsh.

Some of the varied material we practice catalogued.

My job is based in the bibliographic services department of Library Services, and we deal with all new acquisitions for six different college Libraries. At times backlogs of uncatalogued material were building up, so it was decided to teach the Library assistants (me) to do some basic cataloguing, and now it's something I spend quite a lot of time doing.  I came to the cataloguing part of the cat and class 1 module with a basic knowledge of what MARC fields to use, where to find the information to put in these fields, and what punctuation to use, but feeling like I didn't always know WHY I was doing these things, which I found a bit frustrating. This part of the module at UCL has really helped to fill the theoretical gaps I had. Before doing the module for my MA, I had looked at AACR2, but found it a bit impenetrable and didn't really know where to start with it. Although I still think AACR2 is a tedious blue folder of Zzz that could do with being much shorter, I'm no longer so daunted by it. As well as the theoretical lectures, we had practical sessions, taught by Genny Grim, a Librarian/Cataloguer at UCL, and I found this a useful opportunity to ask questions and clarify things, as well as catalogue material I'm not used to dealing with. The coursework task required us to write a cataloguing policy, using AACR2, with local practice additions. I picked quite a challenging topic (Exhibition Catalogues), but I feel like I've developed a much better understanding of what can be a less than straightforward kind of material to work with, that will be really useful in my job.

Rare book from UCL Special Collections.

As the name suggests, Historical Bibliography covers the history of the book, from pictograms on small clay tablets to self publishing in the present day, and considers what bibliography is as subject discipline. The sessions were a mixture of taught lectures by Anne, and practical sessions taught by the wonderful Fred Bearman, Preservation Librarian for UCL Special Collections, where you get to learn about the history, construction and care of rare books, through looking at, and handling examples from the Library collection. As well as rare books, the unit also features some sessions on other materials that might be found in Special Collections such as private press publications and artists' books, and I enjoyed this, as I am personally more interested in modern Special Collections than older ones. The coursework consists of an assessed 'open book' exercise, where you're required to create a quasi-facsimile title page by transcribing from a rare book title page, and an essay from a choice of topics. I found the transcription task pretty challenging, because I managed to pick a book with a title page with the text in black letter- something I'd not come across in any of the practice sessions. For the essay component I chose the question about the difference between the book as a content carrier and as a physical object with specific reference to artists' books. Although at points I wanted to cry/chuck my computer out of the window when I was writing it (It's a hard question to unpick!), I loved doing the research for it- visiting the National Art Library and Chelsea College of Art to look at their collections of Artists' books. If you were struggling for a dissertation idea, the topics presented in this module can offer lots of potential for further development- if I wasn't writing about zine Libraries for mine, I'd probably extend the work I did on this essay and write about artists' books.

An artists' book at the National Art Library.

Overall, this term has been the one I have enjoyed the most during my time at UCL. Library and Information Studies at UCL is noted for its focus on cataloguing, and if acquisitions/cataloguing/collection development are areas you are interested in working in, you'll certainly find the module that focuses on it useful. I would also thoroughly recommend the Historical Bibliography module to anyone considering studying at UCL- it's another area which isn't widely taught on LIS/Info studies courses, and it was nice to be studying something that didn't seem as nakedly 'practical' as other modules such as management or collection management (although that's not to say this module wouldn't be an asset if you want to go into Special Collections Librarianship). You can focus on the area of the topic that interests you the most, and you get to look at lots of old, beautiful books in the practical sessions. Ace!

CPD23 Thing 23: What Next?

After managing to do the majority of CPD23 in a timely fashion, I've left it rather a long time to do the last 'thing'. I blame Library School! Because it's been such a while, I'm going to keep this short. In list form, here's what I've enjoyed/found useful about the 23 Things project:

• New things: Some of the 'things' that were focused on are tools I'd be unlikely to use in my non-front facing job at the moment, for example Prezi, but it's good to know about them nonetheless, and it could be useful in the future!
• Considering how effectively I use the 'things' I know about already- I realised how useful I find reference managing software and have started using Dropbox more than I used to.
• Having the odd rant- about volunteering and Library qualifications in particular.
• Reader other CPD23ers blogs. It's been great to learn more about what people do!

CPD23 Thing 22: Volunteering to gain experience

Volunteering in Libraries is something I have really mixed feelings about; Look at what's happening in the public Library sector- in many cases qualified staff are being laid off, and responsibility for Libraries is being handed over to non-professional community volunteers. I know there's the 'a volunteer run library is better than a closed one' way of thinking, but I don't feel like we should have to settle for 'better than nothing'- replacing trained, qualified staff with volunteers effectively devalues our profession, and I don't feel I can support it. I also find the fact that you can end up working for nothing, for prolonged periods of time problematic. Unpaid internships are already a common feature of the arts/creative world (and by the way, I still consider internships that cover travel costs and your lunch as unpaid). These days the process of getting a good internship has become as competitive as actually applying for a job, and it's very rare that doing the placement guarantees a job at the end. Industries such as publishing seem to have replaced many of what would have been entry level roles with internships instead. The 'unpaid' nature of many internships often limit who can do them too- anyone who isn't lucky/affluent enough to be able to work unpaid for a prolonged period of time can forget about it- there are plenty of people that are.  I've already seen signs of this in the Library world- my old graduate traineeship post has now been downgraded to an 'apprenticeship' with a much lower salary, that wouldn't make living in London particularly easy. This, combined with the rising fees on many of the Library and Information Studies MA courses across the U.K. makes me worry that Librarianship will become a career for only those who can afford it.

On a more positive note, voluntary assistance can be very beneficial to Libraries, especially in times where staffing levels are at absolute minimums in many establishments, and volunteer support allow institutions to complete projects and do work that otherwise would have to be ignored. I also know from direct experience that it's a great way to boost your C.V. and can really help you get interviews. I think if you have the time to volunteer, then that's great, and it can be really valuable, both for you, and the establishment you're helping it. However, I hope we don't get to the stage where volunteering replaces proper, paid Library jobs (especially at entry level) in the way that they have in other sectors.

CPD23 Thing 21: Promoting yourself in job applications and at interview

 In my Library Routes post I mentioned my post uni spell of unemployment, and the government scheme I was put on that eventually led me to library work. Part of this scheme involved interview techniques and C.V. /Job application form writing classes. Although I remember really disliking it at the time (and to be honest, I'd probably still dislike it if I had to do it now), what I learned there has actually been really useful. I've drawn on it when I've applied for jobs, and gone to interviews ever since, so for this 'thing' I thought I'd put together some thoughts, based on my own experiences of job hunting, about job applications and interviews...

Application forms

Application forms are always a bit cringey to write, I don't think there's any way round this. I do think, however, it gets easier the more that you do them. I also find it easier now I have actual work experience, because to begin with I felt like I was, er, embellishing through my teeth. Before I start filling one out, I stop to think about what I do in my job, and usually list it. Then I look at what I've done in my past roles too, and then match it all to the person specification.

•  Most of the jobs I've applications I've done over the years have been form based ones rather than C.Vs. I keep old job applications in a folder on my computer. If you're applying for lots of other jobs at the same time it can be useful for reference/copying and pasting. It's also useful to look back on when you apply for jobs later down the line, as you can see how you've progressed, and remind yourself of things you've done that you might have forgotten about
• BE CAREFUL WITH THE COPYING AND PASTING THOUGH. One of the biggest errors I made in the great job hunt of 2008 was due to laziness. I copied and pasted a chunk, but forgot to change the name of the institution from the one that the application form had been sent to previously. I realised after I'd sent the application and my heart sank! Needless to say, I didn't get an interview for that job.
• Usually I like to use the headings of the person specification as a basis for my application.  It might be boring for the poor HR person who has to read it, but then it's really obvious that I can do the things that job requires.
• As I said, I don't have that much experience with C.V. based applications, but the one piece of advice I took from my job centre funtimes was to tailor your C.V. to fit the job you're applying for if you can, rather than just using a general one for everything.

Interviews

I've had A LOT of job interviews, many ending in failure. The weirdest one I had involved sitting on a posh leather sofa instead of a chair behind a table, across from the panel, who were on another leather sofa. They kept offering me coldcuts (I don't eat meat..) and olives from a platter on a coffee table that was between us. It really put me off my stride. The most horrible interview I've had was in a law library, where one of the panel was unnecessarily rude to me, because I didn't know some law terminology they'd asked me about. I've also been given such an evil stare by a panel member, I stopped talking mid sentence (but I actually got that job, so...). Like anything, interviews get easier with practice (although it can sometimes be disheartening), and they're also the kind of thing that tends to go better if you've done some...

 Preparation

• I like to arrive early, because there's nothing worse than running late and arriving more stressed and panicked at something that might already cause you to be stressed and panicked. This is also useful if you're not 100% sure where you actually need to be. You can scope it out first, then go and get a cup of tea or something. 
• Research the place/organisation who want to interview you. It's good to get an idea of their collections/patrons/services/staff before you turn up on the day, and if it looks like you don't have a clue about the place, it won't reflect well on you at interview if they ask you the classic '"so what do you know about our organisation?" question when you get there. 
• LEARN THE EXAMPLES! Go through the specification and your application form, look at the examples you gave for each thing and LEARN IT/THEM BY HEART. Obviously you don't want to come off like a robot, but if, for example, you get asked a question about teamwork, you can quickly think of that time you helped organise a book move, or covered a desk shift at the last minute because someone was ill, because you've linked them in your head, it makes things easier. Also, the people interviewing you have read your application, they might ask you about a particular aspect of it. It's good to be familiar with it!
•  Don't wear clothes that make you feel uncomfortable. When I was at the jobcentre, I kept being told I needed a suit for interviews. I don't like suits, because they never fit me properly, and I think a smart dress looks better and is just as appropriate in most cases. I know I'd feel really self concious in something I didn't feel comfortable wearing, and that would put me off. I also learned this the time that I bought a new pair of shoes that I wasn't used to walking in, and spent the pre interview library tour wobbling up stairs and round storerooms on. Oh dear. 

At the Interview

• When you meet the people who are interviewing you, say hello confidently and shake their hands properly. (Even if you are panicking inside!) Smile at people but try not to look too manic. When I'm concentrating, I often go into full on glare mode. I try to avoid this at interviews.
• I try to make eye contact with all of the people on the panel, at various points in the interview, not just one, even though it's tempting to latch onto the 'nicest' person on the panel. 
•  Sometimes I get this horrible feeling, where I know my mouth is talking, and I'm saying something, but I don't feel fully in control of what I'm talking about. When I realise this I start to panic. When this happens I make myself slow down, and really think about what I'm saying. 
• It's not a bad thing to pause for a little while after someone asks you a question. Usually, I think, the people on the panel aren't there to trip you up, or make you feel terrible, and they will expect you to be a bit nervous. 
• REMEMBER: QUESTION=EXAMPLE. If you just talk about something then it doesn't tell them that you've actually done it, which is what they want to know about, for the most part.
• It's always good to have a question to ask at the end, and this is where researching the place you've gone to for an interview is really important. I would try and avoid asking a question like 'how much holiday do I get?' though. I mean, it's a legitimate question, but I wouldn't ask it at that stage. 

Afterwards

• If you get it, YAY! If not it can be worth asking for feedback. This isn't always fun, because once you've been rejected for a job, you usually want to just forget about it, but it can be useful to stop you from making the same mistakes again.

I know that most of the above is really obvious, but maybe it's also helpful? At the moment I'm happy in my job, but next year after I finish my MA and start looking for my first professional role, I'll be back to the application writing again! ahhh. 

CPD23 Thing 20: The Library Routes Project

When I meet other Library folk, I'm always interested in hearing the story behind why they have chosen to work in the profession, so I think the Library Routes project is an ace idea! Here is my contribution...

Library Roots.
*Sepia memory time*
As a young child, I was looked after a lot by my Grandmother, so my Mum could work. The local Library was at the top of her street, and I loved it! I loved it so much, in fact, that when I was about 7,  I asked my Mum to buy me a date stamp so I could 'play Libraries'. Seriously. Here is the proof:

That's a copy of my favourite childhood book, 'Miss Jump the Jockey', and there are the stamps. I remember picking my birthday in the year 2001, because it would be my 16th birthday, and to my 7 year old mind, 16 seemed really old. I continued to use Libraries through my teens and my time at University, but never really thought about Library work as a career.


Library Route.
*fast-forward*
It's 2008. I've graduated from my Fine Art Degree in Brighton, and I've been unemployed for six months, so the Job Centre  have put me on the New Deal programme.

happy face.

It was a bit like the godawful workfare scheme that the Government came under so much fire for earlier this year, but not as crap. They gave you interview technique and C.V. coaching, paid all your travel expenses, and would arrange a placement that was something you actually wanted to do. When they asked me where I'd like to go, Library work popped into my head. It seemed like it could be quite interesting, probably not too stressful (little did I know...), I liked Libraries, and I couldn't think of anything better when I was put on the spot. My advisor managed to get me a placement in the Special Collections Department at the University of Sussex and I started there in February 2008.

I had a great time at my placement. The collections are amazing; The Mass Observation Archive, lots of stuff relating to the Bloomsbury Group, a great Mai 68 collection...if you ever get the chance to visit, go! The staff in the department were absolutely brilliant, and really made an effort to give me varied and interesting things to do, that would be useful to use as examples when applying for jobs. My favourite project was to list a new collection that came in, the Kate Paul Papers.  It turned out that Kate Paul was a childhood friend of PJ Harvey's Mum (this was exciting to me, anyway), and I found letters from the early 90's that featured stories about 'Polly Jean' and her early successes!  I really liked rooting through the collections when they came in, and trying to form a picture of a life out of it.

Hiding in the stationery cupboard at the N.A.L.

At that point, I was applying for lots of jobs, both in Archives and Libraries, mostly in London, and my volunteering experience was obviously paying off, because I was getting interviews. After lots of interviews that ended in rejection, I was getting a bit panicky, and feeling like I'd never get work anywhere. Then I was asked to attend an interview at the  National Art Library, based at V&A  Despite the fact I thought it was a total disaster (one of the panel gave me such an evil look when I was talking, I froze mid-sentence), I got the job! I loved my year at the National Art Library, and I've blogged about it here before. Previous to starting my traineeship I had no idea that specialist art libraries were a thing, but after working at the V&A,  I knew that this was the area of Librarianship I wanted to continue to work in. I applied to do the UCL Library and Information Studies MA and was accepted.

After my traineeship finished, my career took a bit of a deviation from Libraries. Needing a job to go into as soon as my job at the V&A ended, I applied for a post based at English Heritage as a departmental assistant, and got it. The role required some archiving work, but I didn't enjoy it as much as Library work. It also had a knock on effect on my plans to go to Library School back in September 2009; because I couldn't get the time off of work to attend the course, it got put on the backburner.

 After my contract at English Heritage ended, I began applying for Library jobs again. I was lucky enough to get a Library Assistant post at Chelsea College of Art, one of the colleges that makes up University of the Arts London. I really liked this role as it was a mix of collection management tasks, and service work in the Library. However in early 2011, the entire Library Services department got restructured. Collections work which had previously been done by teams at each site was going to be carried out by a new centralised team, and Library Assistant posts in the colleges would consist of mostly providing roaming support. I decided to apply for a job in the new Bibliographic Services Team, partly because it was another option in case I lost the post I was in at the time, and partly because I wasn't sure if I wanted to work in my job at Chelsea minus the collections work. In the end I was offered a post in the new department, but was also told I could stay in the post I was in if I wanted to. It wasn't an easy to decide between them, but I thought the new post offered me great potential to learn lots of new stuff, so last September I moved over to the offices based at London College of Communication.

 The main focus of my current role consists of dealing the new acquisitions that come in for the six constituent colleges that make up the organisation I work for. I also do a fair amount of work with serials. I've really enjoyed the first year of my job, and as collections management is one of the aspects of Librarianship I'm most interested in, it's been great to be able to learn about it in more detail. Working in a centralised department means you get to see what each college is buying, and I like being able to see how their collections differ (but also sometimes overlap) because of their different specialisms.  At first I found it a bit weird not having any contact with Library Users, but there are upsides to that too! (I think I'm going to write a blog about working in a  'back office' Library job at some point). My new line managers have also supported my wish to do the MA at UCL, and I'm about to start my second and final year of that next week.

One of our more unusual new books, 'Toilets of the World'.

I think, like a lot of people, I fell into Librarianship by accident, but happened to find something I really enjoy, and turn into a career. In terms of future plans, although it's now unusual for Librarians to stay in the same field forever, I hope to continue working in Art Libraries, because art is really important to me (truthfully, I don't think I'd feel the same motivation for working in another academic specialism), and I like being able to use what I learned from my previous degree (in your face people who say Fine Art Degrees are useless!) in my job. Collection management focused work is also something I hope to continue doing.

 Overall, I'm really happy with where I am at the moment in terms of my Library career. I guess the next big step will be applying for my first professional job, but I'll start worrying about that this time next year, when the MA is over!

CPD23 Thing 19: Catch up week on integrating 'things'

Not many things left! I've already been familiar with quite a few of the 'things' that have been covered as part of CPD23, but it's been useful to give more consideration to how I use them, for example Thing 14, which was about referencing software made me realise how much easier it's made doing essays for my MA since I started using it last year. Sometimes, when you work in a 'back office' role,  you can feel a bit out of touch with the day to day goings on of the library, and your library users. CPD23 has been a good way to find out about the kind of tools that could be useful if I was working in a front facing job, for example screencasting and presentation programs. Although some of the 'Things' haven't been that useful to me in the present, they could well be in the future, so it's good to know about them, and hopefully this blog could be a useful reference point if I move back into public facing Library work.

CPD23 Things 17 and 18: Prezi, Slideshare, Jing / screen capture / podcasts

 In an attempt to do a bit of CPD23 catching up, I'm going to make a combined post about things 17 and 18.

When I think about powerpoint, this kind of picture pops into my head:

SRS BUSINESS.

Hmm. 

 So, the first time I saw somebody use Prezi for their presentation, I was quite impressed by how swish it looked in comparison. Since then I've noticed more and more people choosing to use it (although not everyone is a fan). Mostly it's a good thing, although some of the more lively presentations seem to give me mild motion sickness. I feel like I should like Prezi, because I like making mind map/spider diagram/flowchart type things when I'm planning things, and it offers more visually pleasing potentials than PowerPoint. I've been playing around with it, and although I'm not finding it very easy to make it do what I want, and my skill level is 'toddler' at the moment, I can see the potential it has. I found Ned Potter's guide to creating a Prezi was a helpful introduction. As part of my current job I've not had much reason to make a slideshow for anything, and I wasn't aware of slideshare before this thing. It was interesting to browse through the content which both challenged, and reinforced my less than favourable view of PowerPoint.

I've made 'how to' guides for things at work using static screenshots, but I'd not heard of Jing. As the CPD23 post about this 'thing' said, trying to explain techy stuff verbally with no visual reference can be frustrating, and if you're using static screenshots you often have to take loads of them so that every step is covered. I'm familiar with podcasts, although not perhaps in the same capacity as is discussed in CPD23. I used to download lots of them to listen to whilst I was on the bus/tube/at work/shelving books, so many in fact, it got a bit out of control and I stopped subscribing to most of them. Yet again, I've not created one. Things 17 and 18 are full of things to file under 'may be useful in the future', but knowing technology, by then there will probably be some shinier, newer, fancier things that do the same stuff and more.