so you want to be a librarian

So you want to be a

librarian?

Academic librarianship in a cold climate.Máire Lanigan

City University, Director of Information Services and Libraries

Overview

• Higher education: a challenging environment

• The position of libraries in HE• What libraries do . . .• What does this mean for the newly

qualified librarian?

• Money, money, money . . .• Competition• Scholarly communications• Technology• Space

Higher education: challenge and opportunities

The position of Libraries in HE

• Russell Group, RLUK, Old, New, Guild• Standalone, converged, super-converged• Institutional alignment:

education, research, enterprise

What libraries do . . .

• Reader and public services• Technical services• Academic and research services• Archives, special collections, museums • Management

Reader and public services

• The Library as Place• Enquiry services• Self service not fofo

Technical services

• Print, e and copyright• The LMS• Partnership management, outsourcing

and shared services

Academic and research services

• Relationships: academics and researchers• Developing independent lifelong learners• Institutional repositories:

having impact

Management

• Strategic and operational planning• Quality, benchmarking, accountability• Resource management • People and relationship management• Innovation

So what does this mean for you..?

• Baseline skills• Teamwork and flexibility • Communications• IT skills• Information competence • Employability skills

So what does this mean for you..?

• Differentiating skills • Pedagogy• Innovator• Educational technology• Finance and

resource manager• People manager• Strategist• Authenticity…

My story… Starting out and moving on

• Motivation, bursaries and work• Complexity, applied and abstract knowledge• Ad hoc approach plenty of interesting

jobs• Getting serious –building a career

My story… what worked…

• Being engaged in the work• Movement, passion and networks• Luck (making your own good fortune)

…and what I would have done differently

•More broadly based – ‘badge of honour’•Balancing being ‘right’ and being persuasive•Mastering new skills

Thank you for listening.

Comments and questions.