Full Description
It is an exciting time to be a librarian. Advances in technology have let libraries expand far beyond walls and lead the way in information delivery, while transforming the physical library into a place where customers can connect to information in new ways.
It is also a challenging time to be a librarian. With continual change as the new normal, staying current can seem overwhelming. Even as they face budget shortfalls and staff reductions, librarians are tasked with finding the time and resources to keep abreast of rapid changes.
This book offers a cornucopia of practical advice about how to acquire new skills (and formal and informal credentials) through all stages of a career. The 27 essays cover formal and online education, conferences, fellowships, workshops, networking, teaching, mentoring, balancing personal with professional lives, and money matters--and are filled with practical, honest and real-world advice.
Contents
Table of Contents
Foreword deleteRobert P. Holley
Preface deleteCarol Smallwood, Kerol Harrod and Vera Gubnitskaia
Part I. Formal Education
1. Pride and Perseverance: Pursuing the Doctoral Degree for Librarians (Sue C. Kimmel and Kasey L. Garrison)
2. Graduate Certification (Megan McGlynn)
3. How I Spent My Summer Vacation (And All My Other Free Time): Earning an MBA (Nathan Rupp)
Part II. Online Education
4. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for Professional Development and Growth (Paul Bond)
5. How to Successfully Take an Online Class (Mary Francis)
6. Getting Your MLIS Degree Online: Tips from a Recent Grad
(John M. Jackson)
Part III. Conferences, Fellowships and Workshops
7. Professional Development Workshops for Special Collections Librarians (Karen A. Mason)
8. Presentation Preparation: A Learning Tool (Tiffany Benson)
9. Make the Most of Your Days Away from the Library: Spend Them Learning, Discovering and Sharing Your Calling with Others (Betsy Butler)
10. Using Theatrical/Acting Training to Improve One's Interaction with the Public; or, Role Playing to Expect the Unexpected (Sara Rofofsky Marcus)
11. Conducting a Yearlong Fellowship Program: Lessons Learned from "Transforming Life After 50" (Cindy Mediavilla)
12. Hosting a Conference (Trudie A. Root)
13. Traveling Abroad for Professional Development (Kate Wise and
delete delete Heidi Blackburn)
Part IV. Networking
14. Learn by Association (Dana Braccia)
15. Developing Your Personal Learning Network (Nicole A. Cooke)
16. Professional Association-Based Professional Development
(Lesley S. J. Farmer)
Part V. Teaching
17. Professional Development Through Teaching (Celia Ross)
18. Teaching to Learn: Expanding Your Horizons as a Classroom Faculty Member (Paula M. Storm)
19. Librarians as Educational Leaders in Schools (Stephanie Sweeney)
20. Giving Back to Get Ahead: Adjuncting as Continuing Education
(Andrea M. Wright)
Part VI. Mentoring
21. Service Learning and Mentoring in the Preparation of LIS Students: One Method of Keeping Current (Stacy L. Creel)
22. Mentoring: Planting the Seeds for Learning and Growing in the Library Profession (Alessia Zanin-Yost)
Part VII. Personal Life
23. Bang on the Drum All Day: How Personal Interests Can Positively Impact Professional Development (Matthew Cook)
24. Balancing Act (Sarah Laleman Ward)
25. Juggling Work Responsibilities, Family Life and Continuing Education Without Dropping a Ball (Adam Winger)
Part VIII. Money Matters
26. Paying Your Way: How to Find Scholarships to Support Your MLS Program (Jennifer K. Sheehan)
27. Continuing Education for $0 (Aline Soules)
About the Contributors
Index
