What is your role on the committee?
I’m the Training Officer.
When did you join and why?
I joined in December 2013. I’d attended the LILAC conference and benefitted from IL Group training events, so when the opportunity came up I recognised I’d have a lot to gain from being involved with the group. At the time of joining, I was new to my first professional library post. I wanted to develop my IL knowledge and skills, and being part of the group has been a great way to improve my confidence in this area. I’ve benefitted hugely from the expertise of the other members of the committee, and from the people I have met across library sectors, through the group’s initiatives and events. Being part of the committee has been a very rewarding experience and has made me even more enthusiastic about the IL aspects of my day to day role.
What do you do in your committee role?
As training officer, I am responsible for the group’s training and events strategy which aims to aid good IL practice and to facilitate sharing of experience across sectors. This involves working with the committee to develop a programme of training for the year and liaising with other organisations, speakers and trainers to run the events. Events are planned and evaluated with the training needs of our members across all sectors in mind, and where possible we try to align learning outcomes with aspects of the CILIP Professional Knowledge and Skills Base. I am also involved in the application process for some of the group’s sponsorship and bursary opportunities.
What is your day job?
I am the Liaison Librarian for the School of Histories, Languages and Cultures at the University of Liverpool. Broadly speaking, I respond to the information needs, and inform the development of library facilities and services in support of teaching, learning and research of all departments within the school. As part of this, I work with staff and students to provide access to relevant resources and ensure that collections in my subject area are managed effectively. I contribute to the design, delivery and evaluation of information literacy skills sessions and learning support materials, and represent the Library at appropriate School and Departmental meetings. I also liaise closely with staff to provide services in support of research, and I’m involved in usability project work focussing on the library’s key discovery systems.
What are your other interests?
Beyond my role at Liverpool and in the IL group, I’m involved in organising events as part of the New Library Professionals Network (NLPN). I work alongside 3 other graduates of the MMU Library and Information Management course to provide training and networking events for early career library professionals. As well as learning from the expertise of experienced professionals, NLPN involves lots of pub quizzes, coffee and cake. In my spare time I enjoy listening to live music and eating out because I can’t cook….