Where do I come from?

[This post was originally published on LibraryWhisperers.space on the 27th March 2017]
A Macrohistory of Librarianship
The great tradition of librarianship, and all that which has come before me.

As part of a lit review, as part of a Doctorate, I decided to do a short Macrohistory of librarianship. A Macrohistory is a history of ‘a really long time’ of something, where you look for patterns, themes, cycles and/or repetition. Less important is the genealogies of what happened when, or who did what to whom.
In doing this particular exercise I discovered that, as a member of the LIS profession, I come from a long line of what can only be called “culture enforcers”, with a repeating theme of the reinforcement of dominant forms of power. It has made me decidedly uncomfortable.

Librarianship

I do not think that word means what you think it means.

As a liberal and critical thinking library professional, I like to think of the profession as a kind of rebellious and radical information distributor; challenging the dominant paradigm and bringing about social change. Perhaps this is true for some, but the profession as a whole belongs to the powers that be.

Power

Social, economic, military, and political power.

Throughout all civilisations, the problems with having libraries is that they are expensive. This is a problem because it means that the existence of libraries and librarians relies upon a person or organisation with a lot of money. This means that the person or organisation with a lot of money ends up having a very large say in what the library does.

Examples

I have missed lots here, as there are just too many.

• Ashurbanipal kept a library of records of omens and methods of divination so he could stay King, and defeat his half-brother who was King of Babylon. When he conquered a land, he took their writing and put it all in his Library.
• The Great Library of Alexandria existed to stamp Greek culture on conquered Egypt. Although considered ‘public’ it was really only accessed by the ruling class and ‘educated men’. Librarians were essentially courtiers and scholars in favour with the Royal family.
• China: Official Imperial Library approved versions of the Confucian Classics were created, edited, destroyed, copied, distributed and preserved based on which Dynasty was justifying their rule at a particular time.
• In Medieval Europe only the Church were allowed to look after the books, and to read, write, and distribute the teachings of the books. Then, later, they created special books to justify the torture and slaughter of innocent women accused of witchcraft.
• During the renaissance, it was all about who had a bigger library with better staff than everyone else, because ‘whosoever has the biggest Library with the most notable librarian wins’.
• In the nineteenth century United States, an incredibly rich steel tycoon with a known political agenda gave money to lots of cities to open public libraries. Perhaps to justify what he had done to get that money.
• Today, public libraries serve the interests of federal and state governments and local councils in attracting residents, promoting and reinforcing endorsed narratives and celebrating mainstream cultural events.
• Academic libraries are primarily distributors of material for major for-profit publishing corporations.

What next?

Questions from a futures researcher.

The profession is reinforcing its past, but what is next? We still have our human agency, our will, and a vision. What is your vision for librarianship? Do we need to reassess our funding models? Would a crowdfunded library be better able to create the future we want to see?

Glossary of Futures terminology

I am absolutely sure this list is only partially complete.

Casuels (n)- uncertainties, mobile elements independent of will, contingents

Certare (v) - to struggle, to try and obtain a decision

Conjecture - conscious opining or visioning of futura

Design (n) - image of the mind, vision

Facta - raw material out of which the mind makes estimates of 'futura'

Forecast (v) - opining about futura

Forecast (n), primary - an opinion about what is expected to happen, the future course of events by direct extrapolation of past data or of underlying factors, a 'line of the future' if nothing is done by any agent, conditional on the absence of corrective action - the purpose of the primary forecast is to provoke action

secondary - an opinion about what is expected to happen conditional on one of many corrective actions, intervention by an agent - a number of seconday forecast curves create a 'fan of futuribles' around a primary 'line of the future' - the purpose of secondary forecasts is to show what could be brought about if the corresponding action is taken

Foreknown (n) - subjective certainty, features of the future we treat as 'known', 

Foresight (v) - imagining, visioning of 'futura'

Futura - that which is not 'facta'

Futurible (n) - a futurum that appears to the mind as a possible descendent of the current state of affairs - descendents from the present that now seem to us possible - has a date of origin and date of expiration

Intention (n) - object of projection , as in 'to intend', to stretch, to strive toward a goal

Project (n) - projection of an image or vision, a goal

Structural certainty (n) - datum, such as the natural order,

From student to researcher

So, I'm still struggling with the 'writing up' part of research. I don't think I'm alone in this.

It is not writing that is the problem, per se, but the writing of anything that could be considered scholarly or 'publishable'. It is as if the possibility of being judged not good/smart/academic enough is keeping me from putting anything down on paper. Maybe.

Reflective, I can do. Critical, I can do. Scholarly, not so much.

When I was an undergrad I wrote an article that was really excellent, and original. My lecturer said that I should submit it to the undergraduate research journal. I didn't. What on earth would make me NOT submit something like that? 

Joy Higgs lists writing retreats (time set away from distractions and regular work) as a way to engage in intense writing. But how does a full-time professional working person set the time aside so completely? How do I switch off the demands of finances, family, work, and friends to commit to this? Which is funny, because I'm writing this post during a Shut up and Write Tuesday #suwtues session.

There are presentations, informal articles, and blog posts galore, but I still have not written a single, peer-reviewed journal article. My extensive list of abandoned co-writers grows, and not a single article is submitted. What is going on? I'm not lazy, incompetent, or mean (as far as I know).

Frustration with myself is becoming a constant.

The idea of being an author, a researcher, or writing a scholarly work, is so unfamiliar. The transition from student to researcher (or researcher-practitioner) is not one that is guided by clear directions, or by a single mentor, but by a gradual and unconfortable 'becoming'.

Developing independence and autonomy is not easy, or fun. Nor does it give me a sense of freedom. It leaves me exposed, naked and vulnerable. 'Inadequacy' and 'rawness' are the words that spring to mind.

Even this act of writing about myself is uncomfortable. It brings a narcissistic, selfish, and petty individual to life. It is the actualisation of my shameful thoughts and assumptions about others. I'm reminded of the scene from Ferngully the Last Rainforest, when Hexus starts to feed on pollution, and, as he feeds, turns from a tiny dark droplet of grease into a full blown anthropomorphised creature of evil. That is my ego, see?

I don't want to let myself down. I don't want to let my supervisors down. I don't want to let my colleagues, friends, or family down. Mostly, I don't want to fail. Failure is bettter than not trying. Failure is better than not trying. Failure is better than not trying.  Im trying to convince myself... Can you tell?

Shame, fear, and loathing...

Yesterday, I came to the official and conscious realisation that I do not believe that I am worthy of love and belonging.

In her TEDx talk The Power of Vulnerability, researcher Brené Brown defines 'shame' as 'the fear of disconnection: "Is there something about me, that if other people know it or see it, that I won't be worthy of connection?" - a feeling of "excruciating vulnerability".' I saw the video, I thought "That's me", and then I moved on to the next task on my list, trying to prove to myself that I am worthwhile.

Yesterday, "That's me", came to the surface and slapped me across the face like a carp.

Rationally, my conscious and logical mind can tell me I'm not a bad person (just annoying), and that everyone deserves love, and that I am not a complete failure at life.

Subconsciously, I am writhing in a steamy, slimy pit of self-loathing and fear. I worry constantly that somehow I am going to get found out, and then everyone will hate me, and I will be alone.

Brené found that the thing that people who do have connection, a sense of worthiness, and who know they have value, were people who felt they could tell their whole story. People who are brave enough to be imperfect, and truly authentic...

So, how does a person who does not know who they are, be authentic?

Well first of all, it would help if I knew I could trust that if I actually go ahead and post this, that it won't destroy me.

Why my doctorate is NOT a PhD…

Note: This post was originally published on ReDBlog - the official edited blog contributed to, and written for, the Higher Degree by Research (HDR) student community at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), on the 27th July 2016

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a doctoral qualification which has been formally awarded by universities since the Middle Ages.

A university class (1350s).  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Laurentius_de_Voltolina_001.jpg

The aim of a PhD is usually to provide someone with the skills they need to become a ‘scholar’. But, what if you don’t want to be a ‘scholar’?

In Australia, today, the PhD is one of a number of Doctoral level degrees that meet the criteria for Doctoral study, which the highest level of qualification according to the Australian Qualifications Framework.

There are 3 main types of Doctoral degree in Australia;

A PhD is used to show that a student can “conduct research independently and make a significant contribution to new knowledge” (USQ handbook), or, ‘be a researcher’.

A Professional Doctorate allows someone who is already a practising professional to develop theoretical and research skills within a specific field or discipline.

The Doctor of Professional Studies (DPS) allows you to combine your professional work with study and obtain an ‘interdisciplinary’ or ‘trans-disciplinary’ doctoral degree based entirely in your workplace.

While a PhD makes an original contribution to knowledge, the DPS specifically aims to make a significant contribution to practice. Outcomes do not need to be entirely academic, but can consist of artefacts such as project reports, software, or products.

Although it is established at a number of universities in the US and the UK, USQ is one of only two universities in Australia which offers a DPS .

The program Director, Dr Luke Van der Laan, is passionate enough about the program that I was convinced very quickly it was the right program for me.

I’m still convinced, 18 months (and many frustrations and tears) later…

For more information, see: Helen Wildy, Sanna Peden & Karyn Chan (2015) “The rise of professional doctorates: case studies of the Doctorate in Education in China, Iceland and Australia”, Studies in Higher Education, 40:5, 761-774, DOI: 10.1080/03075079.2013.842968

Well, that solves that problem!

The Doctorate of Professional Studies is unique in that it's outcomes specifically include the exceptional professional practice of the researcher.

One of my peers (and all round info wizard), Tim McCallum, has been working on a project that aims to reveal the full text of the outcomes of publicly funded research. This is a topic close to my heart, so I have been following the development of http://openaccess.xyz with interest.

Tim wanted to address the issue that Google Scholar indexes only a percentage of Australia's full text open access research output available via institutional repositories. In order to find all of the full-text content, each institutional repository would need to be searched individually, or you would need to search Trove (the Australian National Library service). Important to note is that Trove only allows a search of bibliographic data, not the full text of the items. 

This is a problem because it reduces the visibility, accessibility, and impact of Australian research, which has implications for international research grant funding and global rankings.

Openaccess.xyz indexes and allows searching of the full text of all research outputs made available online. It also allows you to se a visual representation of the use of your search words/terms over time. It solves a unique and troubling problem in a nifty way. I have used it to find 3 crucial articles that I have otherwise been unable to find for my own studies. 

There is also the capacity to include literature not otherwise available through major databases such as government reports, business and industry documents, and other grey literature useful for research.

In my view there are still some small issues with the search algorithm, which may need tinkering. The ability to do phrase searching would be beneficial. I'm sure Tim would welcome your feedback, so get in touch with him @mistermac2008 

Futures Studies

This post was originally published on 8th March 2016 in Brain-Work: The Centre for Evidence Based Library and Information Practice (C-EBLIP) blog here: http://words.usask.ca/ceblipblog/ 

"In March 2015, I started as a student in the Doctorate of Professional Studies (DPST) program. I wanted to find out why librarians are ‘doing’ information practice so far behind what is relevant in the current information environment. Obviously, we are all at different places and have different strengths in regards to our professional practice, but generally, as a group, librarians are, well, behind the information use of our clientele. Just admit it.

Scholarly communication has been transformed. The world in which information professionals operate has been disrupted, and embracing these changes allows for a much broader scope for the roles we play. I wanted, really, to shake things up. After reading tonnes of the literature, debating with myself, and arguing with the DPST Program Director about how I was going to address the problem, I was introduced to causal layered analysis (CLA).

CLA is a ‘futures studies’ methodology which was introduced by Sohail Inayatullah in 1998. The original paper can be found here. Professor Inayatullah is a practitioner of futures studies, the interdisciplinary study of postulating possible, probable, and preferable futures. But how can this possibly be scientific? I mean, how can it be possible to collect evidence from a future that hasn’t happened yet? It is a paradox which has not been ignored by practitioners.

Futures studies is a growing transdisciplinary field which has embraced such fields as systems thinking, education, hermeneutics, macrohistory, sociology, management, ecology, literature, ethics, philosophy, planning and others. It is an integrated field ‘with many lines of inquiry weaved together’ to create a complex whole (Ramos 2002).
The discipline uses a systematic and pattern-based approach to analysing the sources, patterns, and causes of change and stability in the past (history, economics, political science) and present (sociology, economics, political science, critical theory) in an attempt to develop foresight and determine the likelihood of future events and trends.

De Jouvenel (1965), an early futures theorist, likened forecasting or ‘the art of conjecture’ to the science of the meteorologist. Weather forecasts can be prepared reasonably accurately for each of the next few days. A forecast for more than a month in advance can be based on patterns, such as normal temperatures and precipitation, and other factors which may affect these in relation to the average. There is no way for a meteorologist to, with any certainty, say what the minimum and maximum temperature and precipitation levels on a particular day one month in the future will be. The meteorologist may, however, be able to say that it is likely that we will have above average rainfall, or that temperatures will be below average. A futures study considers patterns of power and privilege, social institutions, religion, and history, to postulate possible future states that may recur.

The causal layered analysis method, specifically, is not used to predict the future, but rather to create ‘transformative spaces for the creation of alternative futures’ (Inayatullah 1998). It is an action research method for increasing the probability of a preferred future by examining the problems, systems, worldviews and myths of the present. It is about human agency – using what we know about the past, to act in the present, in order to create/shape the future we would like to see.

Just imagine librarians in your own workplace, critically examining their own current problems, existing systems, worldviews, and subconscious myths and mythologies, to transform their practice. Perhaps you are starting to see why I decided to use the causal layered analysis method in my research.

I’m currently preparing for Confirmation of Candidature. Professor Inayatullah has agreed to be one of my supervisors. I think that makes me a *ahem* futures theorist.

If you are interested in finding out more I recommend this article by Professor Inayatullah on Library Futures published in The Futurist magazine."

References:

Inayatullah, S 1998, ‘Causal layered analysis: Poststructuralism as method’, Futures, vol. 30, no. 8, pp. 815–829.

De Jouvenel, B 1965, The Art of Conjecture, Trans. by Nikita Lary. Weidenfeld and Nicholson, London.

Ramos, JM 2002, ‘Action Research as Foresight Methodology’, Journal of Futures Studies, vol. 7, no.1, pp. 1-24.

Library Philosophy

A brief and muddled comment on Charles B. Osburn's The Social Transcript (2009)

Investigating and summarising the literature on the 'functions' of the Library seems either too easy or impossible. First of all, there is very little literature of any substance, and secondly, I can't agree with some of it. What does that mean for me as a librarian, apparently dedicating myself to a profession located in an institution whose functions, as espoused by the literature, i would like to challenge?

Osburn finds some of the core 'functions' of the library found in the literature...

Library as:

an agent of communication

a force for cohesion

useful to the individual (flexibility and relevance)

serving society (storage and preservation of knowledge)

Benge (1970) pointed out the "unresolved and possibly inherent contradictions" within the foundations of librarianship. I can see the obvious tensions between the relevance and usefulness, and the storage and preservation, of knowledge. My concern is that the storage and preservation aspects are currently limiting the library's ability to remain flexible and relevant to the individual. Not in all actual library services, but in a deeper, more subconscious way (in the minds of librarians).

Also, the one thing I feel libraries dont do very well is communicate. It comes back in our surveys, and our conversations with clients: "I didn't know you did that" and "Why doesn't the library advertise this?"  The biggest gap in our client satisfaction survey is almost always to do with communication with clients. 

Giant fail.

Osburn identifies a set of themes as they relate to 'sense of place' of the library. These themes are: Ideas, Memory, Values, Imagination & creativity, and Intellectual comfort. That speaks to me as the library was always a 'safe space' for me, and these words feel 'safe'.

The confusion is that the library "is at once a producer, a medium, and a product of cultural evolution" (Osburn 2009). Perhaps we are forgetting that we are 'producers'. 

After reading the book, I found it's conclusion to be an anticlimax. Over 300 pages long, rigourous, academic, and 'dense' reading, it eventually sums up library philosophy in two words: "people" and "ideas". I would add a word: "learning". 

People, learning, and ideas. 

I can be a librarian in that library.

Endings and beginnings

The past year has been interesting, to say the least. We have prepared for a major organisational restructure, I have started a new job, and my son became very ill during the second part of the year, requiring hospitalisation and tube feeding.

Next year is still full of hope. I am hopeful about what the restructure will bring, and the possibilities for improvement in my organisation. I am hopeful that my children will continue to grow and learn without any major impediment. I am hopeful that my research will get underway and that through that process create lasting change.

I have been disappointed over the past year with my lack of writing and journalling my professional experiences. That is why, in 2016, I am committing to write something every day of the year. 

Things are starting to get complicated before I even start, though…

Do I use ‘ye olde’ pen and paper, or a digital journal? If I use a digital journal, what application do I use? Can I use a template of standard questions to structure my daily entries and make my thinking easier? What would those questions be? Where would I keep them written down? Can I get an application to prompt me with my questions on a daily basis? Should I blog my daily musings? If I blog my journal will this undermine my research ethics?

So, because I am a nerd, and am more likely to have my tablet with me that a paper notebook, I am going to try and journal ‘digitally’. After some extensive web searching, I am going to trial the ‘Day One’ app for iOS at AUD7.99. I can set it to notify me as a reminder to write, although I cannot have each entry pre-filled with some prompt questions, but I will investigate this further. I might write the questions in my first journal entry, so that they can be accessed at a later date if needed. The app allows me to export as a text file or pdf, as well as publish individual articles to the web. This allows me to select which entries I share and which entries remain my private thoughts, meaning I am able to avoid research ethics dilemmas. 

First, the process I went through to make the decisions above was so logical and generally evidence-based I have surprised myself! I was initially worried about spending so much money on an app, then I realised that I would definitely be spending more on a notebook and pens if I went the ‘paper way’. Then I also remembered that my workplace social club had given me an itunes voucher for Christmas. Bonus! - I think I am beginning to see improvements in my decision making process and my practice. 

It is almost as if I am ready. That means I will have to commit and actually do the writing, but I am not feeling overwhelmed. I feel hopeful, in control, and excited by the possibilities of the year ahead (hopefully that doesn’t mean in a couple of days I am going to come down and everything will seem terrible).

Completely off topic: I bought my kids a cheap above ground swimming pool for Christmas, so hopefully we will have some outdoor fun over the summer rather than our usual minecraft LAN  parallel play. 

Atychiphobia

My supervisor asked me, "What are you so afraid of?" Well, I worked it out.

Atychiphobia

I have recently been successful in gaining a five month secondment as a, well, the Research Librarian. The success of the future of Research support at the Library rests on my shoulders for the next five months. I'm super excited!
... and also worried. I know the stuff, and I can do the stuff, but there is always the fact that I am, well, me.

Why am I so worried? Well, I worked it out. I consider the possibility of failure so terrifying, that over a long period of time I have subconsciously undermined my own efforts so that I no longer had to try. I have settled for mediocrity to avoid the risks associated with distinguishing myself.

The fear is disproportionate, and irrational, and this Doctorate is part my attempt to realise my potential.

No more excuses. I am going to smash it. 

I'm not gone...

To my valued readers,

I am conducting research as part of a work-based doctorate, and in order to preserve some semblance of order and sanity, I have decided not to write here for the period of my study.

What will be interesting is how different/similar my posts may be when I get back...

Anyway, if you're interested in following my research ramblings, they can be found at: Tegan the Librarian

If I feel like it, I may write here about stuff which is entirely not appropriate for my studies, but I'm not promising anything.

Love you,

Tegalex

The nature of research...

What do we mean by research?

In my case, it is an attempt to understand, explore, and perhaps explain, a situation, problem, event, or phenomena. I think I want to understand something more clearly so that I can create change, or at the very least, make more futures possible.

The more I read, the more I realise that research means something different to everyone. Some people are trying to find truth, some are seeking knowledge, some are trying to find solutions to very real problems. 

It seems obvious, but the only thing all research has in common is that it asks a question.

What? by Véronique Debord-Lazaro, CC-BY-SA 2.0

What does research mean to you? Let me now in the comments section below.

Uncertain self

Image 'Facing Uncertainty' by Sara Biljana, CC-BY 2.0

I submitted a Learning Program for my own learning to my temporary supervisor. I swore a bit at it and said to myself:

"That will just have to do! I can still fix it up. It is not like this is my CoC (that is what I am calling Confirmation of Candidature). I just have to get something in so that I can get feedback."

Along with the attached file I wrote: 

"I am not entirely confident that this is complete. If I need to do something more, please let me know "

Dr * wrote:

"Excellent, excellent work. Well done. I am very happy with this. Comments attached.

 The purpose of this semester was a) to mentally prepare ourselves for the doctoral study and b) set personal objectives (take ownership). You have achieved this with aces – well done."

My immediate thought was: 

"PHEW"

then...

"Does he think he has to be nice to me? ... Is this about making me feel better so that I don't give up?"

then...

"What is wrong with me? Why can't I accept that I have done something well?!"

Then the last two things went around and around like this until I told myself to forget about it and concentrate on the million of other things I was doing. 

I was SUPER efficient while I was avoiding thinking about this. I wrote some reports and documents I had been meaning to do, updated the ALIAQld blog, put together some slides for a webinar, started my section of the Social Media for T&L guidelines... I even did some reading on the philosophy of librarianship.

So, now I'm looking at this Learning Program and - oh dear.

One of the four areas where previous learning had not been adequate, (ie. areas for improvement) identified in my own self-assessment is:

"objective judgement “removing my ‘self’, or ego, from the situation in order to develop perspective”

BAHAHA HAHA HAHA! *snort*  That is all. 

Imposter!

Having recently spent a whole lot of time NOT writing on this blog, I have started to question why I think writing publicly is so challenging for me.

It comes down to a number of feelings/thoughts:

1. Writing 'out loud' will expose my complete and utter incompetence
2. People might find out what a fragile being I am (and then what?.. the world will explode?)
3. What could I possibly have to write that people might be interested in?

And what is with being so insecure to write professionally when I speak publicly, on camera, so often, without even thinking about what people think of me. What is interesting is that I have realised I am not the only person who thinks like this about blogging!

Recently (like, literally, this morning) @libsmatter wrote this blog post and something caught my eye: "The hard bit is really in finding who you want to be in the space." 

Yes. Yes it is.
How can I know who I want to be in this space when I am never sure who I am anyway? I mean, I'm a Librarian. At least, that's what the Grad. Dip. certificate and my job title makes me. I'm a mum, and a sister, and a carer, and a 'Tegan'. 

I am different to a lot of other librarians. For the most part, my life and the world I have lived in are remote to the worlds of people I have worked with. It would be QI to know how this affects me as a professional. 

FYI: Keeping a professional reflective learning journal (THIS blog) is going to be a major component of my Doctorate. I have no choice. I HAVE to write! 
Who is going to care? Well, it doesn't matter really, does it? The examiners will probably have to read it whether they really want to or not. My Dad will probably read it because he likes to know what I'm doing. If that is it, then that's OK. It's for me really, isn't it.

As the wise and wonderful Kate Davis says, "I'm not even sure I've actually said anything worth reading here, but I'm hitting publish anyway. And that’s what matters."

References:

Davis, K 2015, my name is kate, and i am [not] an impostor impostor
Greenhill, K 2015, Professional blogging and the imposter syndrome

Memory of Purpose

Science and Technology revolutionize our lives, but memory, tradition and myth frame our response. Expelled from individual consciousness by the rush of change, history finds its revenge by stamping the collective unconscious with habits, values, expectations, dreams. The dialectic between past and future will continue to form our lives (Schlesinger, AM 1986)

Have Librarians got so caught up in 'doing' that they have forgotten that they are here to support learning? Our job is to support our learners in their learning. We are not a book deposit. We are not what we think a Library should be. We are what our learners need us to be.

Why does the future generation of learners need to understand the Dewey Decimal system when they will all be reading and using digital content? Are we actually helping people get the information they need (even if it is on Wikipedia) and supporting knowledge creation? People need help understanding formats, platforms, software, web applications and digital rights management, not just how to find a book or a peer reviewed journal article on a topic. My patrons need to know how to live in the real world, not in the Library. 

If our learners need a space for study, we provide a space for study. If our learners need textbooks, we provide textbooks. If our learners need advice on appropriate software for their needs, we provide advice on appropriate software for their needs. If our learners need someone to tell them how to hack an epub reader, we tell them how to hack an epub reader.... Don't we? If not, why not?... Particularly if the reason they need to hack the epub reader is to get a pdf version for text analysis. They are not going to share the pdf, or sell it, or plagiarise it. They just want to analyse and create their own, new knowledge from it.

Why are librarians not all committed to copyright reform, when they and their community are unfairly limited by copyright law everyday? What are librarians prepared to do in the fight for access to information for knowledge creation? What about supporting alternative voices to balance the discourse hegemony? What about publication advice, safe data storage? Who is questioning the academic peer review process? Who is gate keeping and who is sharing?

Why are libraries expected to be museums of knowledge? Outdated and rarely used items should be archived, not be kept on ugly shelves in useful public space. This does not mean I advocate for the destruction of books. I advocate for the archiving of everything ever published in state and or private collections, but not in our learners' spaces. Our learners want to pass their course and learn useful skills, not be able to find a long lost tome on the shelves.

I do not wish for the death of the book, merely that we re-look at our purpose, rather than keeping doing what we have always done. The days of 'browsing the shelves' is dead. A small regional uni library cannot support every academic's or librarian's dream for shelves of unused collections, collecting dust. Our importance is in our purpose, not in maintaining our view of ourselves and the "library" of the past.

References

Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. 1986, "The Challenge of Change," New York Times Magazine, July 27, 1986. Viewed 19th May 2015, from http://quotes.dictionary.com/Science_and_Technology_revolutionize_our_lives_but_memory

The CV Tool or "I am a tool"

As part of identifying my previous learning, I was asked to fill in a spreadsheet with items/experiences from my CV, along with what I did, what I learned. Then I was asked to label each ‘what I learned’ with a learning area in order to look for gaps in my professional learning profile. We were given an example table, and a diagram with learning areas on it.

It was really hard. I did not expect it to be so difficult.

First obstacle: spreadsheets

Personally, I find reading spreadsheets very difficult. It is if all the lines turn into the same one and I can’t sort one column or row from the next column or row. The columns in this case were actually alright because they were colour coded. But trying to fit things into a spreadsheet after thinking on them over and over meant much shuffling things around and adding new rows and that took up much of my concentration.

Second obstacle: identifying what I learned, rather than what I “did for the first time”

An example goes something like this: “I learned to use Camtasia. No, I learned to play with software. No, actually I learned I can play with software without breaking it. I learned to fiddle with confidence.” Ahem…

Third obstacle: facing the truth

The truth is, that with all my personal potential, all my gifts and abilities, I cannot organise myself out of a paper bag. My work processes, information management, and productivity are all disorderly (at best). If I am to really address these issues, it is going to feel like rolling in croutons for crumbs in my bed. My partner used that expression when I showed him my learning objectives, and it was absolutely actually the right expression to articulate my discomfort.

Reflections

Now that I am through it, it seems like it wasn't so bad, really…

The biggest thing I noticed while doing this, is just how little of my personal learning has actually been from my ‘work history’ or professional accomplishments, and exactly how much has come out of just being-Tegan-in-the-world.

My point of professional difference comes from my life experience, not from what I have done or learned in my ‘career’. Also, very little of my knowledge comes from what I learned in Library School. Most of my knowledge comes from what I have sought out for myself, or have been generally puzzled by.

As it turns out, flunking high school, unplanned pregnancy and my colourful mental health record may be what sets me apart from the average librarian. Maybe.

"Struck" reading Corlett

This is not an academic blog post, but perhaps a more meaningful one.
Whilst reading about the importance of research data as a tool for self-reflexive practice I found myself thinking of a recent workplace experience.

In this particular situation, a group of information professionals were given recommendations based on the analysis of data accumulated through 1-1 interviews and a number of group workshops. One recommendation that came out of this analysis was that the group need to shift their thinking around delivering information services, particularly around information literacy.

The data indicated that the group had consistently referred to information literacy within the context of on-campus classes and physical presence. With a vast majority of students enrolled at the institution studying off-campus or completely online, the recommendation was that the group needed to address their ways of thinking about delivering and marketing services and resources to be more in line with the realities of the student cohort. On receiving this recommendation, there were cries of, “but I don’t actually spend more time on on-campus students” and “but that doesn’t seem to reflect what we actually do” and other similar comments. This was a perfect moment for reflexive learning. Whether or not as professionals we believe that we address the off-campus and online cohort sufficiently, the data showed that our ‘way of thinking’ about information literacy service delivery was not in line with the current reality of students’ needs.

Although unaware how to articulate my feeling of it at the time, I had a personal experience of being “struck”. Corlett (2013) develps the idea that the uncomfortable moments within a research interview provide moments for reflexivity where subjects can consciously consider their own behaviours and ways of thinking and learning. Corlett (2013, p.457) states that, “the physiological, emotional or cognitive sense of being ‘struck’ is key to critical self-reflexivity and learning because it moves us to question our ways of understanding and being”. This articulates perfectly what happened within my own thoughts in this moment.

In that moment I identified that my beliefs around my own ways of thinking were not reflected in the data. The data revealed that my own patterns of behaviour and thinking were, in fact, out of sync with what I had believed them to be.

Perhaps there is something in this for further development within the information profession.

References:
Corlett, S 2013, Participant learning in and through research as reflexive dialogue: Being ‘struck’ and   the effects of recall, Management Learning, vol. 44, no. 5, pp. 453 –469.

Reflections on Illeris

Illeris, in A model for learning in working life (2004) states that it is in the interaction between work practice and work identity that the most important factors for workplace learning take place. He emphasizes a holistic model, in which there can be no individual learning in isolation from the social context in which learning takes place. It is in this interplay that, as a Library professional, I can see potential for investigation.

In A Comprehensive model of human learning, Illeris (2009) states that for youth, who are in a stage of identity development, learning initiatives must be "subjectively accepted as a usable contribution to the present demands of the identity process". I would suggest that this applies to a much wider demographic than in youth, and that the development of identity is a lifelong development process.

This leaves me with the questions: 

Does our social and collective professional identity inhibit or promote a change in practice? What are the key differences between generations of librarians in regards to both workplace identity and working practice, and how does this affect an individual's attitudes and actions in relation to workplace learning? How do we create environments, social contexts and learning initiatives that have the potential to alter or shift existing individual workplace identities?

How is my own professional identity related to my behaviour and to my work-based learning?

List of References

Illeris, K. 2004, A model for learning in working life, Journal of Workplace Learning, Vol. 16 Iss: 8, pp.431 - 441


Illeris, K. 2009, A Comprehensive model of human learning, in Contemporary Theories of Learning: Learning Theorists... In Their Own Words, Routledge, London.