What is your role on the committee?
I am the LILAC Conference Officer and so I’m Chair of the LILAC Committee.
When did you join and why?
Information Literacy has always been my thing and I’d been the Sponsorship Officer on the LILAC committee since 2009. Being a part of LILAC meant that I was obviously very aware of the group as our mother ship, parent body. In all of my various roles, IL and training users and other library staff had always been the best bit of my job so when a vacancy came up for a Training Officer in 2010, I was instantly attracted and so I applied and fantastically got the job. I loved being the Training Officer. There’s something really satisfying about providing good quality free training for other information professionals. I was the Training Officer for about 3 years before becoming the LILAC Conference Officer. I co-chaired with Debbi in 2013 in Manchester and flew solo for the first time in Sheffield this last year. Organising the conference is a challenge but also really satisfying. The LILAC and IL Group teams are great and I can never believe how lucky I am to work with such dedicated and hardworking people. Working for a national group really does do wonders for your development and networking. It means you get to work with a wider variety of people across the country, who you can call upon if you need help and advice. As well as gaining more skills for your CV, it’s one of the major benefits of volunteering.
What do you do in your committee role?
Organise a conference…
Obviously that’s a bit glib but it’s obviously a big part of what I do and I do have help. A LOT of help.
(Pause for a quick bow down in a ‘I’m not worthy stylee’ to the LILAC Committee)
I also contribute to the general work of the group, and I help out at events where I can, staffing IL Group stands at conferences and the like.
As for the conference… I’m not quite sure where to start really… I chair our meetings, help make decisions, organise keynotes, work on the call for papers. What else?
Last year I was part of the bursary admin team so we had to write assessment criteria and then mark any submissions that we received. I advise team members if they have any questions or any big decisions that they want help to make. I help liaise with event staff at conference and social venues. I sign things. 😉 and I report back to the group and take any larger decisions that need to be made back to them for advice and guidance.
What is your day job?
I’m a freelance trainer and the majority of my clients are libraries and library services from across the UK. I’ve worked with the British Library, Manchester, Lancaster, Nottingham and Leeds Universities and I also do a lot of work with NHS Librarians. I’ve even trained in French in Geneva. I train library staff in customer service, social media, presentation skills, train the trainer etc. and I also facilitate workshops looking at things like communications strategies, team building etc. I’ve been doing this full time for two years now and I really enjoy it.
What are your interests outside of work?
I like reading. I know. But let’s face it, as much as it’s a stereotype, as we all know it doesn’t actually have anything to do with my day job and I’m fairly sure me being obsessed with urban fantasy and crime fiction isn’t really helping me with my information knowledge. I like to go on holiday a lot. Jane Secker and I are pretty much in competition to see who can go away the most. (Jane is winning.) I speak French and like to read French novels and watch French TV when I can. I’m also an avid gig goer and like nothing better than being at the front of a sweaty concert hall watching whichever rock band has currently caught my attention. (This year this has been mostly the Temperance Movement)
(Actually it was them last year too)